Should I open my Factory Sealed games?

[17daysolderthannes]

I would say sell them and buy complete copies and pocket the difference. I think sealed games have an importance for museums, etc. as ambient oxygen can't get to them when they're sealed and therefore shouldn't degrade as much as a normal opened game. Then, the museum could open them and put them in an airtight case for generations to admire them. No point throwing away all that money when you could just buy a CIB game instead.

[QuickSciFi]

LOL; we can start a crusade against ignorant gamers.

"Mothers, don't let your sons do drugs, play with guns, or throw away their docs and boxes."

Sounds like a good cause to me.

Go for it man. I wouldn't even have close to as much restraint as you do. As soon as I get games, I have to open them up and play the crap out of them.

Good point.

[Aarzak]

Post photos/video of you opening them up, or to just show the contents inside!!!

Nothing better then seeing freshly new cart labels and instruction manuals.

If this were 10-15 years ago (especially 15 years ago) then yeah, you might've been crazy to open them up. But its 2009, they're dirt common games, and emulation's flowing free like wine. OPEN THEM! Let's get a chant going! No Swedes with cocky avatars or Julia followers allowed though!

[WarmSignal]

For me yeah, I should and probably will eventually. Though nothing I have sealed is worth a penny on the collectors market, at least I don't think. It's all stuff I bought new, or got as a gift at one point and somehow never got around to opening.

Though some of the games are beginning to open themselves. The shrink wrap is coming apart at the seams of Serious Sam 2 for PS2 and GTA for PSX...

[Elusive]

Play them, don't display them.

There you go, catchy soundbite. Thank me later.

I think sealed games have an importance for museums, etc

...I don't think we'll be seeing videogames in museums any time soon

[AD2101]

...I don't think we'll be seeing videogames in museums any time soon

Yea, I'd give it another 20 or 25 years. I believe the generation right now around 35 and younger will be the ones that start to view classic video games the same way that older generations consider art, classic novels, films, and music.

[Speedle]

i used to get loads of sealed dreamcast games and i've never thought twice about ripping them open games are meant to be played, not put on a shelf and looked at!

i think the best advice i've seen here is from scooter
"Open 'em up, play 'em. If they aren't games you really want, sell them."

good advice!

[Elusive]

Yea, I'd give it another 20 or 25 years. I believe the generation right now around 35 and younger will be the ones that start to view classic video games the same way that older generations consider art, classic novels, films, and music.

seeing as most reasonable people would lump 'ARE GAMES ART?' discussions into the same genre as 'TOP 10 WORST CONSOLES' and 'SEXIEST WOMEN IN GAMING', let's stay away from that abominable issue.

I just don't think we'll be seeing videogames in museums, period. Keeping your own copy immaculate just so you can pretend a museum or whatever would be interested is counter to the whole point of owning a videogame, i.e. casual escapism. Sealed videogames are an investment in the same way Pokemon cards and beanie babies were.

I mean, would you keep sealed Amazon.com boxes just on the off-chance some bizarre Museum of Packaging opened and was in need of stock?