pc engine Need Help Spotting Rondo of Blood Fakes

[ClemZ | 3]

Hi, I'm very sorry to dig up this old thread, I was browsing to know if anyone on the net had found clear clues to differentiate a PCE-Work clone, so I hope future dwellers will do the same and end up here: I think I've found something else, although this is based only on photos from ebay/yahoo.

So on the back, as said before the reduced margin between the 3 screenshots and the big text on the bottom left can be easily spotted, on top of the weird little dot in the smaller text.

As for the front, it seems that the "K" of KONAMI on the bottom right is slightly different. On the real ones it looks almost like "|<ONAMI", the "|" and "<" are barely touching.

can anyone with the cases confirm this?

Edited January 6, 2023 by ClemZ

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

@ClemZ great post, thanks for doing the research. 

[Deadeye | 1,596]

Thank you @ClemZ.  No need to apologize, bringing up older topics is not a bad thing here.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

Apparently Wata graded one of these as new/sealed and it's up on eBay. Coincidence?

https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/01/random-wata-graded-a-2016-castlevania-repro-and-now-its-on-ebay-for-usd4000

Edited January 7, 2023 by DoctorEncore

[a3quit4s | 4,098]

2 minutes ago, DoctorEncore said:

Apparently Wata graded over if these as new/sealed and it's up on eBay. Coincidence?

https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/01/random-wata-graded-a-2016-castlevania-repro-and-now-its-on-ebay-for-usd4000

A 9.2 is a holy grail grade? Or did the article just copy paste the exaggeration from the listing?

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

Check it out, somebody who made a video about that exact copy that you guys linked above has received a message from the seller threatening to sue him because he pointed out it was fake.

 

[Tanooki | 4,933]

Well good, let him be sued.  I hope he doesn't break but doubles down pointing out all the bootleggy reality of it.  Let it go to court, a lawyer would take that up probably those tied to the WATA court action as it's a nice hard piece of evidence of fraud and shenanigans on their part.

[Tyree_Cooper | 755]

Released exclusively in Japan for the PC Engine CD-Rom by PCEWorks in 2016

Hilarious butthurt seller, but we live in an upside down world already, so it makes sense.

I can't stress enough how much WATA and similar companies offer added value to the world.

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

Well good, let him be sued.  I hope he doesn't break but doubles down pointing out all the bootleggy reality of it.  Let it go to court, a lawyer would take that up probably those tied to the WATA court action as it's a nice hard piece of evidence of fraud and shenanigans on their part.

He said he'd be happy to lawyer up and go to the mat over it, so I guess we'll see where it goes.  I took a look at the guy's eBay listings, and he's got a bunch of sketchy stuff on there.  The stuff that I looked at, he wasn't claiming it was real, but he wasn't saying that they were the bootlegs that they obviously were, either.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

That “cease and desist” was pure bullshit lol

[Tyree_Cooper | 755]

if it helps, here are the photos of a legi sealed copy i saved to my pc in 2018

(not my copy, though i have one somewhere)

[Tyree_Cooper | 755]

there's no need to look for anything, the seal itself is completely different already. where's the tearstrip in pcevomit repro?

here for better pics of a sealed pcescrotum version

[Tanooki | 4,933]

Eh fact is remaining I like pce works and their 99.9% accurate copies, the only part I don't is when a dickless loser decides to pretend they are then threaten or commit lawsuits to cover up their asses.  The more pure copies of old stuff at this point in the game the better as the ship already sailed on it being a hobby for people who care about games, investors ruined it with their decade long growing level of atrocities.  Anyone making 100% copies of stuff is welcome in my book to shit their bed and make it as painful as possible to sell with confidence.  We're better off as gamers having access to new old stock quality copies.  I'm sure I'll get some frownie faces on that, don't care.

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

I'm with @Tanooki on this one, even though I know how frustrating it is to buy something that looks authentic... Only for it to turn out as not being just that.

Just like how I thought that Wii exclusive Dragon Quest collection was going to be sealed. With what I got turning out to be both opened and inspected by the original seller.

Edited January 11, 2023 by FenrirZero

[GPX | 1,369]

On 1/8/2023 at 4:00 PM, Tanooki said:

Eh fact is remaining I like pce works and their 99.9% accurate copies, the only part I don't is when a dickless loser decides to pretend they are then threaten or commit lawsuits to cover up their asses.  The more pure copies of old stuff at this point in the game the better as the ship already sailed on it being a hobby for people who care about games, investors ruined it with their decade long growing level of atrocities.  Anyone making 100% copies of stuff is welcome in my book to shit their bed and make it as painful as possible to sell with confidence.  We're better off as gamers having access to new old stock quality copies.  I'm sure I'll get some frownie faces on that, don't care.

Everything points towards that eBay seller being a dodgy, and likely he knows it to be a repro but doesn’t want others to know about it, in order for maximum sales. A genuine graded collector would notify the public of an authentic vs repro item. Just as one would if being any sort of collector in general. 
 

Really, WATA needs to shut down their repro grading and/or be better at authenticating repro stuff. If they’re unsure, then just reject and don’t bloody grade! FFS WATA!

Edited January 11, 2023 by GPX

[GPX | 1,369]

On 1/8/2023 at 12:42 PM, Tyree_Cooper said:

there's no need to look for anything, the seal itself is completely different already. where's the tearstrip in pcevomit repro?

here for better pics of a sealed pcescrotum version

I didn’t know what you were banging on about in the other thread “when is it worth grading?” But now I do after reading this thread. Not all graded/sealed collectors appreciate everything WATA does, just so you know. I’m not totally against WATA as a grading service, but I just wish they stopped doing dodgy stuff that gives graded collecting a bad name.

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

22 minutes ago, GPX said:

I didn’t know what you were banging on about in the other thread “when is it worth grading?” But now I do after reading this thread. Not all graded/sealed collectors appreciate everything WATA does, just so you know. I’m not totally against WATA as a grading service, but I just wish they stopped doing dodgy stuff that gives graded collecting a bad name.

After posting a list of his slip-ups, your forum friendly high-functioning "sociopath" (aka me) added an update to that video in said response.

The story he was told was that the seal/wrap was found to be inauthentic, thus removed by those who had originally authenticated the game. And that at some later point, which I need to ask them about, Wata realized their mistake and contacted said submitter. With the submitter reported to have refused to return it, possibly because he was greedy. Or whatever. Either case, here is the video and it includes changes to that seller's page.

And for the record, things like this are why my current plan only involves games that have me be the first owner. 

[fcgamer | 4,723]

35 minutes ago, FenrirZero said:

After posting a list of his slip-ups, your forum friendly high-functioning "sociopath" (aka me) added an update to that video in said response.

The story he was told was that the seal/wrap was found to be inauthentic, thus removed by those who had originally authenticated the game. And that at some later point, which I need to ask them about, Wata realized their mistake and contacted said submitter. With the submitter reported to have refused to return it, possibly because he was greedy. Or whatever. Either case, here is the video and it includes changes to that seller's page.

And for the record, things like this are why my current plan only involves games that have me be the first owner. 

Thanks, this should be a fun watch when I get home from work 

[Tyree_Cooper | 755]

so many slip-ups, yeah

a thick layer of hilarity is added by the fact that they unsealed it and still graded it as authentic

but it was a honest mistake - too bad this kind of honest mistake is turning grading into a minefield

asking to return the graded game back? too little too late

[Brickman | 3,986]

Thanks for the info @ClemZ

I can’t stand PCE Works. I’m not against repros, they’re a great way for people to have a copy of the original if it has gotten expensive.

However I can’t support a company that makes their repros look almost identical to the originals.

I’m not up to date with all of PCE Works releases but I can provide pictures of a lot of PCE games if people need to check something.

I actually wouldn’t mind starting a thread specifically listing all their fakes vs real so people can be better informed.

[YOURTURN | 1,256]

1 hour ago, Tyree_Cooper said:

but it was a honest mistake - too bad this kind of honest mistake is turning grading into a minefield

asking to return the graded game back? too little too late

First off, where the [hour long expletive that derails into a porno that involves two girls and a copy of Excitebike that meet at a HA-Wata orgy that results in it dealing with Chlamydia after it was graded and still sells big on eBay] was this version of Tyree in the other topic?!

And second off, them asking it back includes them both refunding the submitter and paying what he paid for the game. What makes it "too late" is the fact the submitter chose to be an asshole.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

Currently (years going back, this isn't new) PCE works stuff has their logo on each piece.  There is no confusion unless you have no idea what you're talking about, but are in it for the money looking for another sucker to pay too much for something.  It was only the most earliest stuff they did, I'm talking 10+ years back, when the Sapphire shit show happened.  Briefly, game was 1:1 copies down to the ring code, game, spine card, manual, rear art, everything... spot on.  You'd need to carbon date that or use an insane microscope to somehow call shenanigans, so damn good even a reputable grading company would take issue being fleeced at it for decades (card, comic brokers miss on occasion too.)

Ever since passing that one off as real and faking supposedly a letter by the company allowing them to produce new copies, it has been thrown around how ugly the company is and all they do is burn everything down.  The thing is, apologies were made, and since stuff has been 1:1 BRANDED with their name/emblem but accurate otherwise, so it's 99% the same with that 1% being their name/emblem somewhere on the pieces.  But because of that one biggest offense, it's been condemnation by largely what is the most toxic gaming community online (the PCE one.)

[Brickman | 3,986]

3 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Currently (years going back, this isn't new) PCE works stuff has their logo on each piece.  There is no confusion unless you have no idea what you're talking about, but are in it for the money looking for another sucker to pay too much for something.  It was only the most earliest stuff they did, I'm talking 10+ years back, when the Sapphire shit show happened.  Briefly, game was 1:1 copies down to the ring code, game, spine card, manual, rear art, everything... spot on.  You'd need to carbon date that or use an insane microscope to somehow call shenanigans, so damn good even a reputable grading company would take issue being fleeced at it for decades (card, comic brokers miss on occasion too.)

Ever since passing that one off as real and faking supposedly a letter by the company allowing them to produce new copies, it has been thrown around how ugly the company is and all they do is burn everything down.  The thing is, apologies were made, and since stuff has been 1:1 BRANDED with their name/emblem but accurate otherwise, so it's 99% the same with that 1% being their name/emblem somewhere on the pieces.  But because of that one biggest offense, it's been condemnation by largely what is the most toxic gaming community online (the PCE one.)

The logo is normally on the disc but not the front of the packaging. So if you’re a sealed collector it isn’t easy. Never buy an expensive PCE game sealed is my motto.

People don’t like the company because that sort of stuff is shady and fucked up. If they actually did what LRG and other reputable repro makers did there would be no issue. Put a massive PCE works logo on the front and the majority would move on.

Instead the guy is a dick and will continue to try and make accurate copies to pass off as real. That’s why PCE fans can’t stand the company.

[Tanooki | 4,933]

And I'm in the growing vocal minority that want nothing more than more and more 1:1 looking copies because prices have been driven out of control and the ship sailed.  I'd rather get a re-run identical new copy without decades of age while making it as utterly uncomfortable and fearful as possible to the investor/flipper types who caused it.

Yes the fronts don't usually do it, but the rear of the case does, as does the manual and the disc.  There's nothing hiding, it's just not a huge hairy mole on its face everyone can't avoid but to stare at.  I'd *never* buy something that had a copy of a sticker that tarnished it with "reproduction copy" printed across the front because some princess might get offended -- f that.

[Brickman | 3,986]

17 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

And I'm in the growing vocal minority that want nothing more than more and more 1:1 looking copies because prices have been driven out of control and the ship sailed.  I'd rather get a re-run identical new copy without decades of age while making it as utterly uncomfortable and fearful as possible to the investor/flipper types who caused it.

Yes the fronts don't usually do it, but the rear of the case does, as does the manual and the disc.  There's nothing hiding, it's just not a huge hairy mole on its face everyone can't avoid but to stare at.  I'd *never* buy something that had a copy of a sticker that tarnished it with "reproduction copy" printed across the front because some princess might get offended -- f that.

Lol so your whole argument is that it’s ok to make exact copies because you can’t afford the real thing? Geez some people really are so selfish. 

These reproductions aren’t legal, PCE Works don’t have the rights to reproduce them. Just because you are upset that supposedly “flippers” made them expensive doesn’t give someone the legal right to make 1:1 reproductions.