The Business of Videogame Reprints

An anonymous reader writes "Recently certain 'rare' videogames like Rez, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness and Gitaroo-Man have circulated in the market starting at internet retailer Game Quest Direct. How did a seemingly unknown retailer end up getting these games? By acting as a financing publisher. Is this a possible future for other online retailers?"

Comments

no

[Anonymous Coward]

nt

Reason #327 to hate Gamestop

[Anonymous Coward]

But if Game Quest Direct really is controlling the flow of these imports by acting as a pseudo-publisher how are they appearing at Gamestop? Simple, Game Quest Direct is selling them directly to Gamestop. A representative spokesperson has said that they decided to unload a sizeable amount of inventory to Gamestop at a bulk price. However since Gamestop sells used copies of these games at a higher price they've taken the liberty of unsealing and selling the brand new game as a used copy.

Holy crap. That's one of the most despicable things I've ever heard. I almost wish I hadn't already sworn off of shopping at Gamestop (because it's so frustratingly annoying) just so I could quit over this.

Re:Reason #327 to hate Gamestop

[ivan256]

Wow, what the hell is the point? Leave it sealed and put whatever price you want on it? What does unsealing the package acomplish?

Re:Reason #327 to hate Gamestop

[ClamIAm]

What does unsealing the package acomplish?

People who are in the market for "rare" things are more often a bit smarter than the average sheep. If they see a used copy of Rez, they won't think anything of it. If they see a new copy of Rez at their local Gamestop, they might think "hey there's a source of these somewhere". They would then discover this site. And Gamestop would lose a sale. This is basically Gamestop trying to maximize its profits.

Re:Reason #327 to hate Gamestop

[Strell]

Well, when Gitaroo Man got reprinted and appeared on Gamestop, that *night* I placed an order. Thankfully it was listed as "Used," but given that there were hundreds of copies (checked by adding a large amount to my cart), I (and the CAG forum) knew they'd be brand new reprints. Additionally, at that time, GS.com was having a 25% off sale on used games.

I picked up a brand new copy of a game that repeatedly went over $150 on eBay for less than $40 bucks.

While I don't agree with GS's practice, I can at least give you one isolated incidence and anectodal story in which it benefitted me.

Also on PTB

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.pressthebuttons.com/2006/01/when_rare_i snt_.html

I wonder...

[LKM]

If GQD can make a profit reprinting the GC version of Resident Evil 3, why didn't Capcom do it itself? Is Capcom simply not willing to take the risk?

Re:I wonder...

[Anonymous Coward]

I call for a new TLA: RTFS. I would assume anyone who reads the summary could surmise that this is exactly what a Financing Publisher does, taking the risk for the company.

Another good game to re-release

[pnice]

Would be Dance Dance Revolution - Disney Mix for the PS1. It sells for a pretty decent price and they might make some money off of it. ddr disney

Re:Another good game to re-release

[ecryder]

Speaking of ebay: What's wrong with using ebay for these games? Seems to me that unless you **have** to have (what may or may not be) a factory sealed original then ebay is the place...

Re:Another good game to re-release

[joystickgenie]

This is still really good news for the people who shop on Ebay for copies of these more rare games. I know when I was shopping for a copy of Gitaroo man it was always going for around $70. The prices have dropped now I'm guessing that this is one of the reasons.

In the end this should be really good for the cult games. There are a lot of games that don't make it as a hit out the gate because they are under advertised but later gain fans from word of mouth. Doing this type of thing will help those titles out greatly. This could help good games made by small companies that can't afford big advertising budgets get some recognition.

Reprints vs. originals

[badasscat]

From TFA:

Reprints could not be distinguished from the originals, which brought the value down of their collection.

BS. Reprints can always be distinguished from originals. It may not be easy, but there are always differences - different paper stocks for the manuals, different type, a different dot printing pattern on the picture on the disc, or whatever.

If you're a "collector", you have nothing to worry about from these reprints. It's pretty stupid to be "collecting" for the PS2 at this point anyway - in the grand scheme of things Rez is not all that rare, and people who do truly collect games based on rarity are not going to give it all that much notice in the future regardless of the reprint. It takes time for the real rarities to bubble up, because by nature they didn't make much of a ripple on first release... but what usually happens is somebody will find something at a garage sale or whatever, say "I've never seen THAT before..." and show it to their friends, and a reputation grows. There are games for the PS2 that have sold fewer than a thousand units - Rez is not one of them.

But even if it was, nobody who's been collecting anything for very long would say a reprint affects value in the least. That's no different than saying a JC Penney copy of a Tiffany lamp affects the value of the original, or that a reprint of Spiderman #1 affects the value of the first run... it doesn't. And sure, to a layperson they may look the same, but the real collectors can spot the difference instantaneously.

I say, good for them if they want to reprint games like Rez - and I say that as an owner of the first pressing. I may even buy a reprint just to have both (I do this with comics too). More people should be able to play this great game - the appeal of Rez is not so much that it's rare, but that it's just an amazing experience.

Re:Reprints vs. originals

[Strell]

But there's a difference between a game selling a few copies and a game like Rez selling a few copies. A really obscure but very bad game is different from what is generally considered a good to great game that is obscure. I'm not here to say Rez is super amazing (it's definitely worth owning, that much I can say), but when it's in low quantity and is generally universally liked, THEN reprints become a bigger issue. No one cares if generic-zombie killing game with poor camera angles and terrible graphics becomes rare, but people will climb mountains to find something like Panzer Dragoon Saga.

Just because it is "rare" doesn't mean it is worth finding, ESPECIALLY if you are a gamer. I guess that's my point. I'd rather track down a copy of PDS to play it, not own it.

So I guess if you are purely collecting them, generic crappy zombie shooter is just as important as something like Rez. Meh.

Note: Feel free to replace "Rez" with your own weapon of choice. Might I suggest Phoenix Wright?

Re:Reprints vs. originals

[badasscat]

Just because it is "rare" doesn't mean it is worth finding, ESPECIALLY if you are a gamer. I guess that's my point. I'd rather track down a copy of PDS to play it, not own it.

In that case, PDS is, like all Saturn games, extremely easy to obtain, and for nothing. What are you worried about by buying an original copy, Sega getting their cut of the profits? They're not getting anything from a used sale on Ebay at this point. If all you want to do is *play* the game, just find some ISO's somewhere... right? There's no moral reason not to (unless Sega does issue a re-release for this decade-old Saturn game).

Presumably you go out and try to find an original copy used for some materialistic reason. You want to own an original PDS. You don't just want to play it, or you'd have just downloaded it from somewhere and called it done.

The point being, almost everybody is a collector to some extent. The only thing that differs is degree.

Anyway, what you are talking about and what real hardcore collectors of "rare" games do are two different things. That's why I said "collecting" for the PS2 is pretty pointless right now - if you are collecting for the sake of rarity, then you don't even know what you want at this point. If you are collecting because you want to play the game, then you're not really collecting, and you shouldn't care at all about these reprints "lowering the value" of your original run. And if you do care, then you shouldn't have bought the game based on its value to begin with... because it's not that rare! See what I'm saying? You can't win if you buy a game like Rez based on how rare and valuable it supposedly is while the system is still current.

I'm agreeing with you in one sense, but my original point was disputing the article's assertion that these reprints "lowered the value" of the original print run. There is no inherent value to lower, and if there was, a reprint wouldn't lower it. If the value of a game drops because of a reprint, then there wasn't any real value there to begin with and the prices being paid previously were simply inflated. Collectors don't buy reprints, and the only thing that can lower the price of an original print is the collector market drying up. Obviously, if people stop buying originals in favor of reprints, then there was no collector market to begin with.

People who collect games for the sake of value or rarity (and there's nothing about doing this that's any more wrong than collecting rare hat pins or rare refrigerator magnets or rare paintings or whatever else you're into - it's a hobby in itself) do so decades after the fact. We're still basically in the Atari 2600 era of collecting right now, and just starting to scratch the surface of the Famicom/NES and the 16 bit systems. That's about how long it takes for the collector community to really get organized and start doing things like creating rarity lists and keeping each other updated as far as how often various games come up. If you're collecting stuff for current systems thinking that value's gonna hold, you're in for a world of hurt in a few years no matter what happens.

My list is not up to date (it's current as of December 2003) but here are some *really* rare PS2 games, along with their cumulative sales numbers to date (don't ask me how or where I got this, but these are NPD numbers - not just weekly, but all time up to that point):

I-NINJA 4,850
XGRA:EXTREME G RACING 4,771
SPACE CHANNEL 5 SE 4,720
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA 4,691
LOONEY TUNES:BACK IN 4,638
BOMBASTIC 4,323
ROGUE OPS 3,627
VIRTUAL-ON MARZ 3,280
MONSTER 4X4: MASTERS 3,145
FUGITIVE HUNTER: WAR 3,135
SMASH CARS 3,006
METAL ARMS: GLITCH 2,899
GLADIATOR: SWORD 2,632
GOBLIN COMMANDER 2,452
WHIPLASH 2,427
KYA: DARK LINEAGE 1,765
BUTT UGLY MARTNS:ZOOM 1,267
MUPPETS PARTY CRUISE 867

A couple of those games (like Space Channel 5 an

Re:Reprints vs. originals

[dsyu]

Interesting list (how'd you get the NPD/TRST data, btw?). I had a copy of Space Channel 5 that I couldn't give away. I think I ended up selling it for a pittance.

I agree the whole collectable game thing is ridiculous, and your list proves it. It's not about the rarity of the game at all, but rather the perceived rarity along with an artificial demand. I could get a copy of Muppets Party Cruise on EBay right now for $12.00, not because it's not rare, but because it's a Muppets game that no self-respecting 'gamer' (collector or not) would touch with a ten foot pole.

Re:Reprints vs. originals

[Eivind]

KYA: DARK LINEAGE 1,765

It's that rare ? Strange. It's actually a very good game. And I personally know where atleast 4 of those copies live -- several friends of mine bougth a copy after trying out mine.

Re:Reprints vs. originals

[geminidomino]

Ditto. I actually picked it up as a freebie in one of the local video store/game shop's "Buy two get one free" sale. It's really a nice little platformer.

Re:Reprints vs. originals

[geminidomino]

I'll probably be flamed to hell and back for this, but I have to ask:

What is it about Rez that makes it so sought after? It can't be that whole gamer-blogwhore's post (with photos, bien sur) since it doesn't seem to come with the "buzzer" anymore anyway.

So please, enlighten someone who has never had the opportunity to actually play the game (the last SHMUP I played was Ikaruga, and before that was way back at Gradius III).

Re:Reprints vs. originals

[Fred Or Alive]

It's mostly that it's an extremly good game, and presumably had a limited run in the US. The combination of good vibes from hardcore gamers + limited number on the shelf = expensive on eBay.

I'm not a reviewer, but I think the thing about Rez is the experience. Gameplay wise it's a stripped down rail shooter (Panzer Dragoon / Starfox etc.), which on it's own would be rather plain, but it's just the intergration of the music into the gameplay, the stylized graphics, merging into a really good experience as a whole. It's definatley one of my favourite games ever.

The Trance Vibrator was only released in Japan, like most of these weird accessories. The game does make good use of the rumble pack though.

Re:Reprints vs. originals

[Strell]

First off on the subject of ROMs, regardless of whether or not a company makes any profit on them, it's essentially illegal because you are getting something for nothing. Furthermore you are getting something that exists in the marketplace, and despite whatever exposure/amount it exists in (something that will be in flux at all times), the fact is that you can always secure a true, physical copy. Because that possibility exists, it essentially makes it illegal to own. I realize this argument has been done to death with the advent of P2P programs, and there are people on both sides of the fence, and I do NOT want to turn the argument in this direction or debate about it. I don't know when everyone thought it became okay to download media of any kind, but it happened within the last few years, and I'm not sure why.

Okay, to business at hand. First, where do you get your numbers, if you don't mind me asking? I find them quite interesting and I'd like to know where if you can divulge that information. If not, it's cool, I've just never seen someone with information that complete, and I like to be in the know, and it's obvious I've been looking in the wrong places. Quite intriguing. (I hope none of this sounds like baiting an argument or arrogant, I assure you it's not meant to sound so.)

Point taken about being a collector to different degrees, and I agree with it. What I'm getting at is that if you truly are going after a rare game, you have essentially two reasons to do so - to collect for the sole purpose of collecting, or to play it. If it's the former, then the point of owning a rare is to show it off and possibly to sell down the line, meaning you are looking for games that are scarce AND have demand. That brings me to your list - a rare game on there might be rare in terms of sales, but that doesn't mean it is sought after. You're right, though - maybe that won't happen for 20-30 years, and maybe Muppet Party Cruise will be a hot item. I question that solely on the fact that I don't really see it being traded around or anything. So I'm guessing no one really cares for it (again, as you said, right now, and that might change down the line).

Rez is wanted physically because it's considered a good game. Muppet Party Cruise I know nothing about, but it's a license, it sounds like a party game, I can make some conjecture on how "good" it might be, and I think that is what ultimately affects the rarity/value. If we're talking old-old school games, wouldn't ET be somewhat rare (note: I don't know anything about prior-NES game rarity, aside from the fact that demo cartridges and such fetch good prices) since no one owns it? But no one owns it because it's a terrible game, so no one is looking for it EXCEPT maybe a handful of collectors, but that WILL affect the price one is willing to pay for it.

In summation - the degree of value is probably somewhat directly influenced by how good a game is, how many were made, AND if people are looking for it. Generally if one or more of those conditions are not met, then the value won't really rise.

Now, looking at your list, I have a few questions. Primarily, I-Ninja and Bombastic. These games were part of the infamous mid-summer 2004 Circuit City clearance of $5 games, so I'm fairly sure a sufficient number of both titles were moved. My guess is a few other titles on that list were sold during the sale also (I want to say Rogue Ops), but I don't have a list on me and I don't really care to find one. I will say that I own a copy of I-Ninja and Bombastic, and at some point I had multiple copies for trading purposes, but they were going 1-1 game transactions, so you could trade Bombastic for, say, Devil May Cry 1, which was part of the list as well.

Final question: What about the rarity of lesser known PS2 games? I'm talking Guity Gear, Stretch Panic, Mr. Mosquito, Robotic Alchemic Drive, Grafitti Kingdom/Pengel (or whatever the first one is called), etc? Those + any Atlus or Nippon Ichi game + Wo

I wish more companies would do this...

[Anonymous Coward]

I do love the ones that republish classic PC games, it is such a good way to get those titles that you missed out on.

I never got the Descent 1 & 2 bundle, and I regret not buying it. While my current machine can't run them; I now buy PC games when they hit the bargain bin just to secure them.

What would be really nice is if these publishing companies could get the expansion packs as well. For example I bought Sin, but never the expansion pack, and the republished version just has Sin.

Plus sometimes at Fry's Electronics you see big-boxed copies of games like Myth 3, so you have to wonder if they are getting them from some company's old where-house stock. Makes me wonder if there are where-houses full of old classics, just sitting there collecting dust.

Not just those who didn't get them the first time.

[hackwrench]

I was robbed. There are other ways of getting your collection wiped out, or even just a bit of your collection getting damaged. I'm glad they're reprinting Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, as it means it'll be easier for me to buy it again to replace the copy that got stolen.

Irked hardcore gamers?

[hackwrench]

If you're measuring the value of your collection in dollars and cents then you're not a hardcore gamer. One way I measure the value of my collection is by whether or not I would want others to have the same experience. Measured that way, reprints of games in your collection is always a good thing.

Re:Irked hardcore gamers?

[PaganRitual]

I have to agree with this totally. The games are there to play, not collect. It's highly annoying to have to look at paying ~US$80-100 for a game that is only regarded as excellent because it's hard to find.

What drives me nuts is these idiots that are all about Rhapsody and Rez etc, until they are suddenly reprinted and cheap and then they don't want to know about them.

Personally, I'm highly excited that copies of older PS1 games that are normally stupidly expensive may become much cheaper and easier to find. GQDs prices are still pretty high, but once the games circulate for a while they should drop in price to a more affordable level. I really want to get into some of these harder to find games, and I'd much rather be playing originals, even if they are reprints, as opposed to torrented isos.

For much comedy read this thread : http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php ?t=75380&page=1&pp=20&highlight=gamequestdirect

Best quote from it :

Quote
Originally Posted by Camwi
[Can someone please explain the whole "Rhapsody ordeal" that I've heard mentioned on here before? It seems to have pissed a lot of people off..]

everyone wanted it because it's rare, then it un-rared, now they are stuck with a game about singing fairies made for 12 year old girls.

Re:Irked hardcore gamers?

[hackwrench]

I am a 29 year old male. Rhapsody is a great game and anyone who thinks that it is a game about singing fairies made for 12 year old girls needs some serious therapy. Unfortunately the entire "theraputic community" is in need of some serious therapy.

Some parents even want to protect their little darlings from games that have in their lyrics: http://animelyrics.com/game/rhapsody/evilqueen.htm
I am mightier than the god
The devil is my slave
More beautiful than the goddess
I put her face to shame

There are a great many people out there unfortunately that can't stand even the mere existence of lyrics that dare to put the singer above gods, and would have anything to do with the devil and if you were to tell them that the devil is your slave would tell you that it's actually the other way around.

Re:Irked hardcore gamers?

[Shadarr]

Exactly. I have a lot of games in my collection, some of them are rare but all of them are ones I consider good enough to keep. If I had to pick one game to loan somebody, it wouldn't be the most rare or sought after, it would be the best game. Whether they can buy it in a store or not isn't the point.

Re:Irked hardcore gamers?

[PaganRitual]

Hey, I'm keen on the game (and I'm 28). I just think the comment is funny, and can't help but think that it's probably indicative of the situation. not that the game IS for 12 year old girls, but that that's what they think.

Mmmm

[Strell]

I'm going to copy and paste my response over from CAG, where users have talked directly with GQD employees in the forums, and has caused a lot of debate/discussion regarding their practices:

I just want to make one quick comment, as I know this is going to be a hot topic of the thread.

I don't quite understand the idea of pride getting in the way, because chances are these rare games are going to remain at least somewhat under-the-table, so to speak. If I were to go find typical gamers at a college or something, chances are high you won't find a lot of people talking about Disgaea, Rez, or anything along those lines. They still remain obscure. I can't imagine tracking someone down who knows what Culdcept is, and I've never met anyone who has played Gitaroo Man. I honestly think our interactions with each other directly in the CAG community skews our idea of the gaming public. In other words, you're still going to be "in the know" and somewhat exclusive. None of my friends know shit about half the games I have in my collection. Dood, want to play Daigasso Band Brothers? "Wtf." And so on.

I mean, my god, we still have people who don't know Link's name is LINK, and not ZELDA. Hell, Samus is still incognito for the most part. You think people know who Ramza is? Or Laharl?

What does the gaming public buy the most? Madden, GTA, Halo, Mario Party, etc. Outside of that, the gaming population composed of people importing Electroplankton and Ouende is still relatively small. Just like people collecting various obscure Criterion DVDs when Spiderman 2 is going to outsell them all by a factor of 100.

I think owning a super rare game is cool, especially when you show it someone and they really enjoy it. There's a certain satisfaction in that. But I'd much rather them be able to purchase it later on when a reprint appears. It bolsters the community and gaming industry altogether, and I think it paves the way for sequels to get made, especially for games that didn't sell well.

In fact, it's fairly close to Family Guy getting picked up again. Think about it like that. I'm not the biggest FG fan but I realize a lot of people enjoy it, and prior to Adult Swim picking it up, it wasn't obscure so to speak, but it was definitely below the public eye moreso than, say, Friends or Seinfield.

If you've got a copy of PDS (Panzer Dragoon Saga), your collection kick ass. And if you own one and it gets reprinted, your collection still kicks ass because it was original. It doesn't lose value all of a sudden. Why would monetary value matter in the first place, unless you were going to sell them at some point anyway? Which won't happen because you are a collector to begin with, so why does it matter? That's what I never understood.

Anyway, not trying to start a flame ware. Maybe a small change could be made to reprints so collectors would be happy. At least then GQD meets them halfway.

Also, and this is just me talking, but the thought of certain reprints gets me wet. Yes, you heard me. Here's hoping that includes Japanese only games. I'm looking at YOU, Radiant Silvergun.

Re:Mmmm

[analog_line]

It doesn't lose value all of a sudden.

Well, technically it probably will suddenly lose value because a portion of the demand supporting the ridiculously high price will be removed. Those of us who want Panzer Dragoon Saga primarily to play instead of for a collection will no longer need to compete in the same market as the collectors.

However, eventually the price of an original Panzer Dragoon Saga will push back up, as the collectibles released back into the market by the reprint (since many will sell their originals at a profit and buy the cheaper so they can still play it) get snapped up, it will be just as hard to find an original.

The main problem with the people that wail and gnash their teeth about protecting the value of their collections is that their position is quite immature. They seem to be of the opinion that it is everyone else's obligation to protect the scarcity their nest egg is based on. Quite the contrary, if they're that concerned with protecting the value of their collections, they should take steps to aquire the copyrights to those works. Otherwise, they need to recognize that they are gamblers, plain and simple.

back-catalog release of top hits is free money.

[Jurrasic]

Smart companies could make a lot of money re-issueing their back-catalog every 5 years for backwards-compatible consoles such as the PS2 and upcoming Nintendo Revolution, ala Disney with their back-catalog of movies every new format. A lot of people who may have missed a game on an older format (Castlevania Symphony of the Night PS1, for example) who can't find it for love or money now. Of course there's downloads for emulators or modded units, but that's not the point. There's a lot of legit buyers with unmodded PS2s.

How about Propeller Arena next?

[Stormwatch]

They should make a deal with Sega to release Propeller Arena.

Yea right, when hell freezes. For now, torrent here and game info & music here .

Overall, this is a good thing

[Megane]

While I do think it would be a good idea if there were some easy way to tell the reprint version from the original release, this is a good thing, because these games that are more popular than what was printed can now be enjoyed by more people. If a game is popular enough that someone can front $100K to make a press run AND make money off it, then more power to them.

FYI, I have what was apparently a NOS copy of Disgaea that I got last year for $20, and I'm pretty sure it's not a reprint because it still had the "dogbone" sticker. Now I'm really glad that I'm anal about keeping the dogbone and other stickers inside the case under the booklet, since apparently these reprints don't have the dogbone sticker.

Give them life!

[cgenman]

As a game developer, I want these games to be reprinted for years to come... And not just the popular ones. In 15 years if someone decides they want to go back to their roots and try Rez, or TeleroBoxer, or Stretch Panic they should have a way to get it. I'm sure the original artists on the game (and I'm including code poets in that) would rather have more people playing their creations. It's not like we're in it for the money.

Right now an expensive game simply means that more people want to be able to play a game than can. Get it out to the people. I'm sorry if you've invested a lot of money in your collection and a reprint finds that value dwindling, but you shouldn't be in it for the money either.

Re:Give them life!

[mister_slim]

Yeah, the speed at which this industry discards it's roots is disturbing. PC games from a five years ago are a crapshoot, if you can find them. Some Xbox games will almost certainly never be supported by future Xboxes. Even with Nintendo building in emulation for old consoles some third party games will never appear again. And this is ignoring lesser known consoles. There are some Turbo-graphix games I'd love to play again. Why aren't there Battletoads on Live Arcade?

If we can't learn from the past we can't build on it. This stuff needs to be sorted out, and if a few speculators get hurt that's too bad. Nintendo and Gametap.com are both making a good start. Hopefully Sony and MS will do the same.

Cheers to the little guy

[CuBeFReNZy]

I think its smart for GQD to take the gamble on paying for reprints of rare games. Collecting rare games is a big interest for some people, and small game retailers like GQD can actually turn a nice profit off this idea and provide for a piece of the market that Best Buy and the big chains can't.

Zelda, Link, and Young Link; customs

[tepples]

Dood, want to play Daigasso Band Brothers? "Wtf." And so on.

That's different. Unlike Rez and friends, Daigassou! Band Brothers was never released outside of Japan.

we still have people who don't know Link's name is LINK, and not ZELDA.

I thought that had ended when Zelda was made playable alongside two versions of Link in Super Smash Bros. Melee, which probably has D- rarity in all regions.

Outside of that, the gaming population composed of people importing Electroplankton and Ouende is still relatively small.

"Importing" is a separate issue. All major video game consoles since the NES have been region coded, though handheld games haven't ... yet. In addition, some countries' customs departments frown on importing copies or phonorecords of copyrighted works.

Re:Zelda, Link, and Young Link; customs

[Strell]

Ok, point taken on imports, but the point I was trying to make is that there are tons of games people won't get at all. You could replace Ouende and Daigasso with any number of USA releases, including but not limited to: Katamari Damacy, Culdcept, Chibi-Robo, Odama, Disgaea, Makai Kingdom, Persona, Rhapsody, Intelligent Cube, etc etc. Essentially any rare/sought-after game that is below the radar. I'd venture to say even some more mainstream games fall into this category - Beyond Good and Evil, Viewtiful Joe (though there is a cartoon now), Phoenix Wright. Using imports was a bad way to drive the point home, I should have used local releases. Essentially it's an X variable and there's dozens of candidates.

As for SSBM, I dunno, I still occassionally hear people saying "I want to be the guy with the sword." And when I say Link, sometimes hear "NO, the GUY WITH THE SWORD." Of course, hardly anyone knows where Shiek came from. And don't even try to explain Marth and Roy, let alone some of the other characters. I'd venture a good percentage don't know where Gannondorf comes from. Hardly anyone knows Ness.

Yea, SSBM isn't rare. At all. (Unless you want to argue Player's Choice versions versus original, but that's not the point here.) But that doesn't mean all the people who played it know all the characters. I can't imagine what will happen if some really obscure characters appear in the Rev version, including possibly Pit, Little Mac, etc. Wario had better be in there, thankfully he's known enough.

The whole point with SSB is to have "all star" Nintendo characters fight (hence why a number of decisions were made during development, including removing the ability to play as Master Hand, unless you hack the game with a device). But there are many people (moreso in places outside Japan, I'd suspect) who don't have a clue.

Re:Zelda, Link, and Young Link; customs

[tepples]

I'd venture a good percentage don't know where Gannondorf comes from.

Gannondorf-banned? There are two N's in Ganondorf, and a lot of people on fanboy forums might call you on that.

Hardly anyone knows Ness.

But a lot of people know Precious Moments. Lie and say he's a licensed character.

I can't imagine what will happen if some really obscure characters appear in the Rev version, including possibly Pit, Little Mac, etc.

Little Mac? Would Doc Louis come and steal his bike?

Re:Not just those who didn't get them the first ti

[geminidomino]

I'm glad they're reprinting Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, as it means it'll be easier for me to buy it again to replace the copy that got stolen.

While I don't begrudge you that, I have to say... as a collector who paid $130 for Rhapsody, I'm... irked.

Re:Not just those who didn't get them the first ti

[geminidomino]

Just to be clear, lest I get flamed... I'm not at all bothered by the fact that someone else can get Rhapsody (which, despite the cutesy appearance common to NIS games, is really quite good) for 50 bucks.

What bothers me is that, if I could have waited ten months, *I* could have saved 80 bucks on it!