Ever since I was a wee lad, I enjoyed comic books. I think there's a lot of creativity in comic books... well, OK, maybe "a lot" is pushing it, but there's definitely creativity and you get some wonderful reads. The thing I HATED about comic books is the grading system. Comic books to many are just a way to make money it seems, and that always annoyed me. I suppose it's true for any art form... but uh... sometimes things seem to get out of hand. So, should video games be graded like comic books, and what the hell is up with this recent release:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dead-Space-Limi … 0933220200

I think both are somewhat ridiculous, but in a sense they are also demonstrating respect and value (though in many cases what is valued has nothing to do with artistic achievement). I got a little caught up in comic collecting when I was younger, this year is the 20th anniversary of Image comics who are kind of the poster child of the collecting boom in the 90s with gimmicks and rockstar artist lineups, but in a way I'm glad I got into the collecting side of it because I was exposed to a lot of cool things and in time a whole world of comics has unfolded to me by learning about old school newspaper comics (I'm currently reading reprints of Chester Gould's Dick Tracy which is a true masterpiece of comics) as well as manga and anime.

As far as game grading and stuff like that, I think its pretty stupid, but if thats what you collect, and you like your collectibles in an ugly plastic box, then more power to you.

I recently bought a sealed copy of King of Fighters 95 for Game Boy for $129. Just wanted it for the instruction manual inside. Probably will never see another sealed copy of that game for the rest of my life. I don't really care.

This thread really is about sealed games. I think it's nice to have these games all shiny and pristine in their wrap but I can also keep a game box in immaculate condition unsealed. There is something higher to be achieved with the resplendent aesthetic of a sealed game -- it looks very pleasing to the eye and could improve your mood (I do like looking at the immaculate box of KoF95).

It takes up space to display them and they probably wouldn't impress anyone. I have a few game related display items. I think it would be cool to rotate (swap out) different display stands or sealed games placed in fixed positions in your room; so, I don't think a big collection on a shelf is that cool. (I do like the rotation idea I had and wish I got that Resident Evil 4 display stand when it was around on eBay to use.) The fetishism of sealed items is something I will be avoiding for money reasons.

How to increase the value of any mint-condition opened game you've had for a very long time: buy a factory-sealing machine.

Are there such things? I know people often re-wrap used games, but I did not think it made the same seams as a factory machine, and thus you could tell it was different. Of course, with games selling at the prices they are... or I should some games selling at insane prices, isn't it inevitable that bootlegs will show up? I think as time marches on, we'll see that games are basically the next comic books in terms of collectibility etc. Although, I still have no idea how the hell you're supposed to grade a FACTORY SEALED game!

You got me interested enough to look into this last night. Sadly this exists: http://www.vggrader.com/ Also I noticed lots of SNES games on ebay are graded listings now. And as for resealers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8igJDW9hgY

I guess there's a market for everything these days. I would hope to think that people would remember how the comic bubble turned out.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/ … tml?page=1

I think you're right. While there is a market for "classic" games (preferably new), I think the industry is heading the way the comic book industry is as well. Also, I still don't think games such as NES, SNES, etc. can be sealed the way they were (they had seams across them). As for modern games, clearly those can be sealed! Still, I think Xbox games come with a special sticker that should not be broken if it's brand new. Anyway, yeah... all this investment stuff is not my cup of tea!

Thats a very interesting article, especially how it says comic companies are no longer in the publishing business, but arbiters of intellectual property for movies in particular. That's why I don't go see those superhero flicks, cause I know they are simply cashing in. Now if they were animated and paid a little more homage to their roots, then I think I would go.

I really doubt games will go down the same road as comics in terms of collectibility. Comics are inherently collectible, easy to store, easy to discover in the attic 40 years down the line. Video games? Not so much. These sealed games posted on ebay just look like some enterprising people who got access to these products and are trying to cash in. With comics, everyone was into it- all the kids in school were picking up the latest issue 1 and packing it in a plastic sleeve, but very very few people buy games with the intent of not opening it.

Also it seems to me that comic books has always been a delicate market, as with all publishing ventures, even in good times they are dealing in incremental profit margins; but video games looks a lot more entrenched. Most homes with families have some console and the big titles make profits like movies. Comics never did that. You've got Sony, Microsoft etc. doing business who have a wide base with other products, I think they are in a whole different league from the comics publishers of the 90s.

Anyway, video games had similar busts in the mid 90s with console fever, Jaguar comes to mind, but from my admittedly completely uninformed perspective, the video game industry looks rock solid. These game graders are just trying to fool people, its seems to me.

You really should check these out:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Batman-Ye … ray/23350/

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/All-Star- … ray/18136/

there's a whole bunch of them! They really did a great job, and pay homage to the comic books. Of course, if you want to be Batman, you should play the Arkham games, they're fantastic.

By the way, I still think video games are going the way of comic books. It's not just one or two sellers, it looks like there is an industry setting up for used video games. I don't think it will ever be as large as the comic industry, because a used game is inherently different than a new game, while all comic books are technically "used" once they are purchased. That said, just the fact that there is a company that grades sealed video games should tell you that this is serious stuff for some people.