Why is Little Samson So Much More Expensive?

[Link | 2,712]

6 hours ago, GPX said:

Firstly, the cost of a game has very little to do with how fun it is. 

Fun games aren't always expensive, and rare and/or expensive games are often not fun. 

But being fun increases demand because it's not wanted solely for the sake of collecting or investing. 

[ThePhleo | 2,185]

2 hours ago, final fight cd said:

My rule of thumb is "Can you reasonably expect it to see it at a garage sale one day"

If it fails that general rule, then it's not a rare game.

[Code Monkey | 2,010]

25 minutes ago, ThePhleo said:

My rule of thumb is "Can you reasonably expect it to see it at a garage sale one day"

If it fails that general rule, then it's not a rare game.

I don't think this is true. If someone gets a Little Samson and Battleship in their collection, they're arguably the same scarcity but that person will probably hold on to Little Samson and put Battleship on the sell table. More people are willing to let go of games that aren't known for scarcity even though they're the same level.

[Gloves | 11,779]

26 minutes ago, Code Monkey said:

I don't think this is true. If someone gets a Little Samson and Battleship in their collection, they're arguably the same scarcity but that person will probably hold on to Little Samson and put Battleship on the sell table. More people are willing to let go of games that aren't known for scarcity even though they're the same level.

Your logic is incredibly flawed. You're assuming that every person who might ever have a yard sale has the same high level of knowledge relating to games' current value. Which is just not true. Quite the opposite, typically. 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Gloves

[DefaultGen | 5,405]

6 hours ago, ThePhleo said:

Nah, they have those weird greek alphabet ratio things that calculate this stuff for them and they like to pretend it's just supply/demand so us "normies" can think the world is ezpz.

 

 

I WANNA SEE THIS DEFAULTGEN...I WANT TO SEE THIS

Phleo's supply demand quantum theory visualized

[Gloves | 11,779]

2 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

Phleo's supply demand quantum theory visualized

4 whole D! 

[ThePhleo | 2,185]

28 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

Phleo's supply demand quantum theory visualized

[GPX | 1,369]

2 hours ago, Link said:

Fun games aren't always expensive, and rare and/or expensive games are often not fun. 

But being fun increases demand because it's not wanted solely for the sake of collecting or investing. 

No doubt fun games will be more popular in the gaming community and likely an increased demand to play it. The key word here is “play” it. When we’re talking 4-figure games and beyond, people who purchase these items aren’t likely to buy them to play them. 

Gamers who want to game are likely to buy loose carts or cheaper CIB versions of the game. Or the cheaper alternative - emulation.

[Link | 2,712]

1 hour ago, Code Monkey said:

probably hold on to Little Samson and put Battleship on the sell table. More people are willing to let go of games that aren't known for scarcity

Another answer to the OP question. 

5 minutes ago, GPX said:

No doubt fun games will be more popular in the gaming community and likely an increased demand to play it. The key word here is “play” it. When we’re talking 4-figure games and beyond, people who purchase these items aren’t likely to buy them to play them. 

Gamers who want to game are likely to buy loose carts or cheaper CIB versions of the game. Or the cheaper alternative - emulation.

You're not wrong. But it didn't start out at $2000+. It got there in large part because of hype, which happened in large part because it's fun. If I was a known entity I would have contributed to that myself without even knowing it at the time, with the review I wrote.

[GPX | 1,369]

8 hours ago, fcgamer said:

Rich bastards don't care about games, can guarantee it. They be going after babes and yachts, well classically anyways.

I hear nowadays, it’s the WATA 9.8A++ that gets the ladies, not the yachts or Ferraris.

In all seriousness, I was just making a general statement that when it comes to collectibles, it’s the rich spending is what drives the market up. If you’re a buyer who has a definite threshold on how much you’re willing to spend on a game, then you ain’t likely to drive prices up anytime soon. 

Edited August 6, 2023 by GPX

[GPX | 1,369]

4 minutes ago, Link said:

Another answer to the OP question. 

You're not wrong. But it didn't start out at $2000+. It got there in large part because of hype, which happened in large part because it's fun. If I was a known entity I would have contributed to that myself without even knowing it at the time, with the review I wrote.

It’s hype and rich spend, legitimate or otherwise. Fun helps to drive the hype, but not necessarily drive the rich spend.

I can bet that a lot of the HA bidders of 6-7 figures would have hardly played any of those games they purchased. In other words, the “fun factor” is irrelevant to them.

[Link | 2,712]

10 minutes ago, GPX said:

It’s hype and rich spend, legitimate or otherwise. Fun helps to drive the hype, but not necessarily drive the rich spend.

I can bet that a lot of the HA bidders of 6-7 figures would have hardly played any of those games they purchased. In other words, the “fun factor” is irrelevant to them.

I agree. But Richie Rich wants it because it gained prominence because players like it. 

Little Samson is more expensive because it has so many desireable factors, of which the fun factor was a large one in the beginning of its hype cycle. And in this space there is no big spend if there is no hype.

Look at the list in the OP. If it was not a fun game, it would just be F-117 ($19 today). Or maybe Color A Dinsosaur ($160). 

[final fight cd | 186]

3 hours ago, ThePhleo said:

My rule of thumb is "Can you reasonably expect it to see it at a garage sale one day"

If it fails that general rule, then it's not a rare game.

Do you hold this true for 30 year old games?  In 2023 the entire NES library would have be considered rare by your definition.  But eBay would beg to differ.  

Tweaking your definition a bit, in 1993 how many electronic stores would you have to walk into to find a game you were looking  for might be a definition I’d be behind.  But even then, EGM -  and I’m sure all other gaming mags - advertised dozens of vendors that you could call up.  If a local store didn’t stock little samson I’m sure making a couple phone calls could easily secure one in 1993.

 

id love to hear some anecdotal stories of people searching for games - minus stadium events - in the early to mid 90s. Like, how many stores they had to go to and if they resorted to calling any vendors advertised in gaming mags and the outcome.

[CIB_Wholesale | 418]

rare games are meant to be collected -- not played

 

if it was fun to play they would have made more

[Hammerfestus | 3,846]

35 minutes ago, CIB_Wholesale said:

rare games are meant to be collected -- not played

 

if it was fun to play they would have made more

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter sir.

[CIB_Wholesale | 418]

14 minutes ago, Hammerfestus said:

I would like to subscribe to your newsletter sir.

right here on vgs

i'm being too hard on samson. it's a banger game

[Tanooki | 4,934]

I may read all the posts, maybe, after responding only to the first to keep influence out.

@Code Monkey I do not get it either.  I never have.  It's not the last release, and there are a lot more after the fact yet too.  I was thinking maybe close to 100, but counting your list there's 75 after.  And what is there is a big mix of titles, and enough of them that are fantastic and more appreciated when you look into ratings and stuff.  So why?  Why is that the 4 figure pain in the ass and not something more notable from a loved franchise and/or maker like the Capcom titles (MFF, C&DRR2, DT2, MM5) which all are over 100 into the 300 ish or so range now too.  Konami had a batman, turtles fighter, and a tiny toons sequel. Taito had some other gems and they get a fraction of the value, yet again, despite being pretty notable like Bubble Bobble 2 would be, or what about Hudson with Bomberman 2?  Even if you step into the weeds of the weird you have some harder to come bys that don't go insane like Kickmaster, or even garbage like Color a DInosaur.

It always felt arbitrary to me, like it was anointed to the level despite not truly deserving it, kind of like how politicians in the US seem to just get the nod when more and more we find people wanting another from their own party in primaries.  It's like some games are just shoved into the megabucks spot because... greed?  Control?  Non-related circumstance leading to puffed up group think?  Fomo stupidity?  Yet still, why that one?  It wasn't a rental like Flinstones 2 was, that would make the most sense to be the most costly not being retailed.

It just feels like the invisible hand of manipulation.  It's not that it's a bad game, it's not, it's good, pretty good really, but of anything out with it or after, it's definitely not the best so it's just weird.

 

Oh and is James Bond Jr really a unicorn?  I've had that one twice in the last 15 years I guess, didn't keep it, it sucked as it plays terrible (same with Swamp thing, had it twice too.)  They didn't cost me anything either really, and even now they're not Samson stupid or even rescue rangers 2 bad are they?  I mean I do get that enough people were shoveling half baked 8bit downgrades of SNES titles, but Taito wasn't alone in doing quality releases like the Capcom franchise/disney franchise stuff was top notch.

[fcgamer | 4,723]

14 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

It just feels like the invisible hand of manipulation.  It's not that it's a bad game, it's not, it's good, pretty good really, but of anything out with it or after, it's definitely not the best so it's just weird.

Well Flintstones 2 had a whole stash of back-swapped copies from South America too, didn't it?

[Tanooki | 4,934]

Just now, fcgamer said:

Well Flintstones 2 had a whole stash of back-swapped copies from South America too, didn't it?

That does sound familiar from nintendo age 1.0's days from like a decade ago.

[Khromak | 768]

If I had to wager a guess, it comes down to how many copies they printed. We can't just look at the release date order, I think each developer/publisher decided the amount of copies they were going to make for each title. They probably didn't think they were gonna sell that many Little Samsons, but Capcom would've been highly confident they could sell a lot of copies of Megaman 6. They made more copies, supply & demand, boom.

I'm sure there's also some factor of hype and whatever, but I've seen probably 10x as many MM6 as I have Little Samson, or more

[Link | 2,712]

30 minutes ago, Khromak said:

If I had to wager a guess, it comes down to how many copies they printed.

I was looking for exactly that earlier, couldn't find anything. 

 

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

not something more notable from a loved franchise and/or maker like the Capcom titles (MFF, C&DRR2, DT2, MM5) which all are over 100 into the 300 ish or so range now too.  Konami had a batman, turtles fighter, and a tiny toons sequel. Taito had some other gems and they get a fraction of the value, yet again, despite being pretty notable like Bubble Bobble 2 would be, or what about Hudson with Bomberman 2? 

I know this is your initial reaction and you haven't read other responses yet, but. That specifically is another factor as I've mentioned. There is only one Little Samson. There are many titles and across consoles and even other media for all of those. You don't get any LS anywhere else, and it's quality.

Except for the box art. wtf were they thinking with that? I wouldn't wanna buy that either, the main character looks kind of lame and kiddie, and the name is not very good, either. Another reason why it was ignored and didn't sell back in the day.

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

Even if you step into the weeds of the weird you have some harder to come bys that don't go insane like Kickmaster, or even garbage like Color a DInosaur.

Color a Dinosaur is not fun. 

I think Kick Master is the only later game that I would say the price doesn't reflect that it has the same ccombination of things going on, and should be as wanted as LS. So I agree with that one. It's still got some recognition, it's (low) 3 figures. 

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

kind of like how politicians in the US seem to just get the nod 

Seriously? 

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

arbitrary

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

It just feels like the invisible hand of manipulation.  It's not that it's a bad game, it's not, it's good, pretty good really, but of anything out with it or after, it's definitely not the best so it's just weird.

I know there's been a few cases of market manipulation, but I don't see that here. It's not buying up every copy of Rampart. It's not a shit game that got pointed out as rare in an early scene essay that backfired like Sqoon. It's not transparently speculated by an individual as "the next hidden gem". It has no "it" factor like black box or left Bros. It just seriously checks off a whole lot of boxes for reasons of why someone would want it. 

But not the cover art. Ugh. What is this? The demons are cool, the other heroes are ok, but Samson himself is just the worst of both Eastern and Western styles. It feels like somebody looked at the Mega Man 3 art and said "that, but the kid is even more kawaii and has fairy tale peasant clothes".

[fcgamer | 4,723]

8 hours ago, GPX said:

No doubt fun games will be more popular in the gaming community and likely an increased demand to play it. The key word here is “play” it. When we’re talking 4-figure games and beyond, people who purchase these items aren’t likely to buy them to play them. 

Gamers who want to game are likely to buy loose carts or cheaper CIB versions of the game. Or the cheaper alternative - emulation.

Starkeeper NES is the classic example of everything you said.

[Hammerfestus | 3,846]

Hey wtf are you guys in here shit talking the price of my LS.  God damn it it’s my one single item where I get to go yup that’s worth a bunch of $$$z.  It’s a good well made game and it’s pretty uncommon and it’s got years of historical hype trains backing it.  Why is anything more anything than anything else.

[Code Monkey | 2,010]

1 hour ago, Khromak said:

If I had to wager a guess, it comes down to how many copies they printed. We can't just look at the release date order, I think each developer/publisher decided the amount of copies they were going to make for each title. They probably didn't think they were gonna sell that many Little Samsons, but Capcom would've been highly confident they could sell a lot of copies of Megaman 6. They made more copies, supply & demand, boom.

I'm sure there's also some factor of hype and whatever, but I've seen probably 10x as many MM6 as I have Little Samson, or more

Mega Man 6 was published by Nintendo so they made tens of thousands of them. Any game published by Nintendo doesn't count for that reason.

Wario's Woods was released in 1994 and sealed copies are about $200.

[Code Monkey | 2,010]

10 hours ago, Gloves said:

Your logic is incredibly flawed. You're assuming that every person who might ever have a yard sale has the same high level of knowledge relating to games' current value. Which is just not true. Quite the opposite, typically. 

I guess I was trying to stretch the game shop owner to the yard sale scenario. Any game shop owner that gets a Little Samson may keep it where they'll put every copy of Battleship out for sale for $10. My point here is the Little Samsons are kept and held in collections where these other games released around the same time are not.