Amermoe

You want to be using the Clear View. It's the one most people use and has the large font on the front of the box; Edit: Jim Jimmer beat me to it, sorry for the redundancy...

It's a re-seal for sure but not what you think. I bought a lot of these PS2 re-seals years ago, on different titles. Basically what it is, some distributors intentionally opened the cases and inserted the security label, then resealed and sold them in bulk. There are whole-sale stock of these available on other titles. I still have a Contra - Shattered Soldier with the same re-seal and sticker. Doesn't take away from the fact that it's an opened copy, or that it's extremely less desirable than the original. I had to buy a second copy of Contra, because the store I bought it from didn't disclose the actual condition. And you are 100% correct about FFX. It never was printed without the official Sony security seal. FFX was before the cutoff date where Sony discontinued printing the security seal on their games. Update: OMG I didn't notice that there were bids on this... I can't believe people are paying $500+ for this nonsense. Good lord...game collecting is dead...

Honestly, it's always been this way with games (i.e. condition is paramount), just that it was a small set of collectors in the hobby at the time. A bit of a throwback, sealed game collecting really took off around 2005, back then there were some major players in the market gobbling the absolute best condition copy of iconic games for every platform. The problem is, back then no one except those collectors cared, but the premium was always there and bidding wars were waged. At the time for record prices, though nowadays would be considered dirt cheap. This was mainly for NES and Atari, but shifted to SNES and Sega. Then at around 2010 or so, VGA came onto the scene and solicited some of these old time collectors for advice. People were paying in the 4 figures for the high "Grade" items even at 2010-2013 levels. Raw copies of sealed games were abundant, and low condition copies would sell for 10x-20x less than high grade or mint sealed copies. This is the history most people miss, because the sealed game hobby was that small, and NO ONE cared. Everything then changed at ~ 2018 when Wata decided to partner with Heritage. Another piece of history everyone seemed to miss is that Wata was tanking when they started, all the old collectors preferred VGA, mainly citing the look of the new case. It wasn't until new money and exposure from Heritage that changed the game completely. But I digress, back to your topic, it's no different than action figures, I would liken this to action figures and toys a lot more than to comics or cards. The grade on the action figure is not just for the toy inside, it's the box and the plastic casing, as is with games because it is a multi component product. The condition of the cart/CD is important, but only in CIB/Qualified grades. Everyone assumes the inside contents of a sealed game to be mint, if the outside of the box is mint - even if it isn't necessarily true.

I really understand this, and my comment is not a slight on the game itself. I love Final Fantasy (up until XIII), and I've played/completed pretty much every entry in the series (including the spinoffs like Tactics and Dirge of Cerberus) and when I have to compare the first game to later entries, I'm doing so in the context of the entirety of the series. The game itself (not including the manual), to me felt like it had a thin story, relative to say FF6 or 7 or 8. When I say "it had no story" it is an embellishment, I know the game is telling a story, it is where the story of the crystals originated - which ties all the other games in the series together, and I know the developers did a fantastic job for the medium at the time it was produced. At the same time, I can't pretend that it had a deep, rich, narrative that gripped me from beginning to end (like some games have), because it simply didn't and nor did it need to because other aspects of of the game were amazing, like gameplay, music, battle mechanics, originality, charm etc. and in my opinion were done better than some later entries - certainly better than many other RPGs. I weigh story very heavily (this includes writing, pacing, plot, characters, direction, believability etc.) when I rank RPG games, because it's one of the aspects I look forward to the most in games. Gameplay and strategy are right up there with story, but story is number 1. If I want gameplay, I play games like God or War or Castlevania, if I want just strategy, there are many platformers, or puzzle games I can chose from. I don't mind Visual Novel games, but they can get boring. RPGs are the perfect mix of story and strategy, where I don't have to rely on quick reflexes and I can take my time think and strategize, as well as unwind take a break and relax in between with a good story to keep me interested and engaged.

Yes? I was the kid who wouldn't touch the cart/disk until I familiarized myself with and read the entire manual...

"Antiquated" is exactly the word I would have used and couldn't agree more. I really see the merit in both arguments and in practicality both are true, one is just a sub-form of the other. PS1 games are certainly 'retro', they are outdated by many generations past them. Atari/colleco/even nes are outdated by many more generations even before the former. So in reality, there needs to be a marker for the terminology being used to indicate the extent by which something is defined as 'retro'. So as you described, "antiquated retro" or as I would rather put it "Classical retro".

I'm still waiting for any release of Panzer Dragoon Saga...

The SE will allow you to work on hospitals and schools, basically anything that is considered 'Risk Category IV' under ASCE7. In some states, a PE isn't sufficient to be able to stamp structural dwgs. and you need to upgrade to SE. It's weird because, for some reason, the government doesn't put the same restriction on bridges as they do on some other government buildings, and Bridge Design is no small task, particularly when you got to long-span or suspended bridges (not just overpass/underpass). Some states also require you to have a PE in order to even attempt the SE, and other states do not recognize the SE as equivalent to a PE, and force you to do a PE even if you have an SE. It's all a big mess and very weird. Overall though in terms of advantage, it really depends what work you want to get into. By the way congrats!

Architectural Engineering is actually a new branch of Engineering (relatively). Architecture is a separate degree entirely. It's sort of a mix between architecture and Civil Engineering, and mostly deals with building science, and building envelope design. The industry I currently work for actually employs a lot of Architectural Engineers. I think of it as sort of another niche specialized field because you can hire civil engineers or architects to do the same work, but they wouldn't be as efficient doing it.

I'm a P.Eng. (structural), and believe me I know the pain of the grueling 16 hr. FE and PE exams. I was supposed to take it after graduation, but at the time wasn't worth the effort. I'm thinking of taking the SE in the next year or 2, and from what I hear it makes the PE seem like a cakewalk. It's 2 sessions of 8hr exams, and passing rate I believe is 36%...fun! By the way, what discipline?

In the purest sense of the term 'role playing', I think I would agree with you. Most western RPGs or computer RPGs would fall under this category. I don't know, when I think of JRPGs, it often seems like a completely different genre to me. Think more anime mixed with philosophy and themes relating to life/death and/or existentialism. Throw in a strategic battle system to test your wits and intelligence and you have a winning formula. That's mostly what draws me into JRPGs. I love movies and books that tell a good story, but I also like gameplay. I can get more fun out of a 1 hr turn-based boss battle than I can playing several levels of super mario or Castlevania, knowing that every action I make after every turn has consequence on the outcome of the battle. This is why I love turn-based games, I have the time to think and plan, similar to a game of chess. Tactical-rpgs in general (FF Tactics, Fire Emblem, Vandal Hearts, Tactics Ogre, etc.) are also one my most favorite genre of games to play - those I love more so for the gameplay and not the story. I've played Baldur's gate 1 and 2 and Neverwinter Nights as well as several other CRPGs in the 90s. Those were very enjoyable games and probably clocked hundreds of hours between them, but overall a very different experience than JRPGs. I would argue there is certainly more immersion in those games, and while you get to roll the dice on stats and which character to chose as your 'Hero', the world of Baldur's gate (and Dungeons & Dragons as a whole) is so fleshed out and detailed, that there is no question with regards to direction of story. You could write several books on the lore alone for those games. I still remember being blown away when I found out Baldur's gate was a 6-CD PC game, that's how deep that game was. You couldn't get anything like that on consoles at the time.

That's really neat Fenrir, I think I would have enjoyed an event like that.

I really think many of you are missing the point. you can have a story centered around 'you' the player, and you can name your characters any name - if I'm not mistaken I believe every FF allows to you name your own characters. That in itself does not detract from a well written story. But if every character in your party is generic "X" class, with no background information, no distinction between other characters and in fact is a clone copy of every other member, no history or explanation other than "you have been chosen by the crystals" without answering the how, when, why then as a narrative it falls flat. If I have to use my imagination to fill the gaps in the story, then there really isn't much there to begin with... In my opinion, the game doesn't need a good story to be enjoyable. It is a good game, and has other redeeming qualities. I would play it over plenty of modern games. It is iconic, and the beginning to what I consider the greatest and my most favorite RPG franchise. Would I have enjoyed it more if it had some kind of proper narrative, yes, because that's what I look for most in RPGs. I want to be told a good story. Gameplay is a close second, and graphics last. On another note, you brought up something interesting in your other post and I think it's the reason why there seems to be a disconnect. For me, I never wanted to 'be' the hero, I always rather see and hear the journeys and stories of heroes. Which I think is the reason why I hate playing first person games. But I know for some people it's the other way around. I had this discussion with my brother some years back, who is a big first-person buff, and he argues that in terms of immersion nothing is better than first person games. I always just laugh and say, the last thing I want is to actually be the character in the story, I just want to see the character live and watch how they react to the world around them.

Mine was named Jimmy the white mage - he hailed from...I forget, but he was one of 4 heroes chosen by the crystals to fight evil and restore balance to the world. At least that part we have in common.

To be fair Dragon Quest also had a very weak story. but the second and later games had a silent protagonist, with the rest of the cast fleshed out. Character development in my opinion is central to any story driven narrative, you take that element out and the end product is broken. Yes FF1 had 'A' story, albeit an incredibly weak one more akin to fetch quests than an actual plot - like a certain Nintendo game that comes to mind... I'm not knocking the game, I actually enjoyed it. But its value was more in its combat, exploration, and customization, or innovation for its time, not for its story. As were many NES and earlier games for that time. Back then games were more about gameplay and fun. Not sure how anyone can argue that.

I have one simple question; tell me the name of ONE party member and give me a little on his/her background. Go on.

I stand by my statement.

1 and 2 were very generic games, no plot whatsoever but enjoyable nonetheless for what they were. 3 was similar to 1 and 2, with some plot, albeit very thin and slightly better gameplay. IV to me is where Final Fantasy actually began, it told a good story with memorable characters, and had deep gameplay, with V continuing in the same tradition but not exactly innovating much. VI took it a step further in every aspect, gameplay, plot, characters, graphics, music, an overall great game. VII was the crowning jewel of the series, in my opinion best plot of the series (feel free to disagree), most memorable and iconic characters and villains of the series, greatest soundtrack, awesome side quests and min games, and to this day I consider it to have one of the best battle systems in a JRPG, period, maybe behind only Xenogears. VIII is my all time favorite FF - my personal opinion, one I recognize not many will share. The story resonated with me at the time, and I deeply related to the characters (mainly Squall, Rinoa, Seifer, Quistis and Laguna - even Edea), their struggles, emotions, and psychology - again it's a personal connection, and for that will always remain dear to me regardless of its shortcomings. The junction system wasn't as bad as people made it out to be, but certainly not the greatest battle system, I was very disappointed that gear was eliminated in favor of only weapons and stat augmentation through magic. Summons were beautiful and epic, and I really enjoyed the art direction and realistic character models. Oh and the Liebri Fatlai intro...absolutely epic - one of the best in video game history, certainly for the PS1. I loved IX for its simplistic throwback world and light hearted story. Gameplay and music was also amazing. Many people consider this their favorite FF and I can see why. My biggest gripe with IX was the character models, and I couldn't relate at all to Zidane, which knocked it down a notch for me, but still a great game. X is how should I say this....complicated. The battle system was very innovative, and they managed to do something that at the time felt impossible and that was to take turn-based battles and make it work for next-gen gaming. It was fast paced, cinematic, every character had their specialization so it didn't feel boring. The story was interesting, but dragged on near the end. The main villain was not very memorable. the introduction of voice acting was a plus, and I felt they did well on their first try. mini games were ok, blitzball was meh, it was an ok distraction. didn't like that gear was again eliminated in favor of accessories and weapons. Story was a little linear, but that didn't detract to much for me. It was a good game, but Tidus wasn't a great character, and I felt there were things that could've been improved in the battle system. XII was ok, it wasn't bad, it felt like an MMO with very thin plot, and mainly just open ended exploration. was enjoyable for what it was, but forgettable. Not really what I'm looking for in a final fantasy game. XIII was bad in every way imaginable, combat was completely ruined for me, characters were very poor. writing was cheesy, summons were mechanical, I mean it really sucked the fun out of it for me, too many changes, just gutted the series for me. Then they made 2 more sequels of the same, and an action RPG with XV. pretty much was it for me with Final Fantasy, which is a shame because it was my favorite RPG series. Overall VIII>VII>VI>IX>IV>V>X>XII>III>I>II

FFXIII did that for me. Only FF game I didn't finish, and was the last I ever played. I begrudgingly grinded through X-2, as much as I didn't want to, and did eventually finish it. I wanted to like XII and it had its moments but was a very forgettable experience. FFX was ok, it could've been much better. Not sure what you're talking about when it comes to IX and VIII though, those games were some of the best in the series...

I'll take the NES over the N64 any day of the week, no question. But by the same token I'll take the SNES over NES any day of the year. It goes a little something like this; SNES > Gamecube >NES > Switch > Wii-u > N64 > wii

This one's a bit tough, but if I had to make one choice it would be my childhood played CIB copy of Final Fantasy VIII for PS1. I know it's not very valuable, but it is very significant to me for many personal reasons, which I can't really explain. If I had to pick another item not necessarily for value or rarity but just something I really like from my collection, probably would be my "sealed" earthbound for SNES.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Paper Mario 1000 YD are easily the best the gamecube had to offer and easily up there among the best of PS2 RPGs.

Now this is my kind of debate. When it comes to RPGs 3 systems are heralded as the best for the genre, some argue PS1 had the greatest and most defining RPGs of any platform (i am of that camp), others argue SNES. However, many people, myself included believe that the PS2 is right up there with the previous 2 juggernauts. By far, I have played, and completed, the most RPGs on the PS2. I made it a personal effort to hunt down and have a playable copy of every single one, to the point that I have complete lists of every RPG made for the system. I'm probably about 75% done with the Catalogue, with only about 20 or so RPGs I haven't played or completed. In alphabetical order: 1. .Hack // G.U. Vol. 1 // Rebirth 2. .Hack // G.U. Vol. 2 // Reminisce 3. .Hack // G.U. Vol. 3 // Redemption 4. .Hack Infection: Part One 5. .Hack Mutation: Part Two 6. .Hack Outbreak: Part Three 7. .Hack Quarantine: Part Four 8. Ar Tonelico I: Melody of Elemia 9. Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica 10. Arc The Lad: End of Darkness 11. Arc The Lad: Twilight of the Spirits 12. Atelier Iris 1: Eternal Mana 13. Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny 14. Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm 15. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 16. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II 17. Bard's Tale, The 18. Baroque 19. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter 20. Champions of Norrath 21. Champions: Return to Arms 22. Chaos Wars 23. Dark Cloud 1 24. Dark Cloud 2 25. Dawn of Mana 26. Digimon World 4: Digital Monsters 27. Digimon World: Data Squad 28. Disgaea 1: Hour of Darkness 29. Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories 30. Dokapon Kingdom 31. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King 32. Drakengard 1 33. Drakengard 2 34. Dual Hearts 35. Duel Masters 36. Ephemeral Fantasia 37. Eternal Poison 38. Eternal Ring 39. Evergrace 40. Everquest Online Adventures 41. Everquest Online Adventures: Frontiers 42. Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 43. Final Fantasy X 44. Final Fantasy X-2 45. Final Fantasy XI Online 46. Final Fantasy XI Online: Chains of Promathia 47. Final Fantasy XI Online: Treasures of Aht Urhgan 48. Final Fantasy XI Online: Vana'diel Collection 49. Final Fantasy XI Online: Wings of the Goddess 50. Final Fantasy XII 51. Forever Kingdom 52. Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone 53. Front Mission 4 54. Fullmetal Alchemist 1: And The Broken Angel 55. Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir 56. Future Tactics 57. Gladius 58. Graffiti Kingdom 59. Grandia II 60. Grandia III 61. Grandia Xtreme 62. GrimGrimoire 63. Growlanser Generations 64. Growlanser Heritage of War 65. Harvest Moon: A wonderful Life 66. Harvest Moon: Save the Homeland 67. Heroes of Might and Magic: Quest for the Dragon Bone Staff 68. Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon 69. Inuyusha: The Secret Of The Cursed Mask 70. Jade Cocoon 2 71. Justice League Heroes 72. Kingdom Hearts 73. Kingdom Hearts II 74. Kingdom Hearts RE Chain of Memories 75. King's Field: The Ancient City 76. La Pucelle Tactics 77. Legaia 2: Duel Saga 78. Legend of Alon D'ar, The 79. Lord of the Rings: The Third Age 80. Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color 81. Magna Carta: Tears of Blood 82. Makai Kingdom: Chronicles of the Sacred Tome 83. Mana Khemia 1: Alchemists of Al-Revis 84. Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy 85. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 86. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 87. Megaman X: Command Mission 88. Metal Saga 89. Monster Hunter 90. MS Saga: A New Dawn 91. Musashi: Samurai Legend 92. Nightmare of Druaga: Fushigino Dungeon 93. Odin Sphere 94. Okage: Shadow King 95. Orphen: Scion of Sorcery 96. Phantasy Star Universe 97. Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus 98. Phantom Brave 99. Puzzle Quest 100. Radiata Stories 101. River King: A Wonderful Journey 102. Rogue Galaxy 103. Romancing Saga 104. RPG Maker 2 105. RPG Maker 3 106. Sakura Wars: So Long My Love 107. Sega Genesis Collection 108. Shadow Hearts 109. Shadow Hearts: Covenant 110. Shadow Hearts: From the New World 111. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 112. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2 113. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 114. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 2 115. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne 116. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 117. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES 118. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 119. Shining Force EXA 120. Shining Force Neo 121. Shining Tears 122. Soul Nomad & The World Eaters 123. Star Ocean Till The End of Time 124. Steambot Chronicles 125. Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity 126. Suikoden III 127. Suikoden IV 128. Suikoden V 129. Suikoden Tactics 130. Summoner 131. Summoner 2 132. Tales of Legendia 133. Tales of the Abyss 134. Tsugunai: Atonement 135. Unlimited Saga 136. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria 137. Virtua Quest 138. Wild Arms 3 139. Wild Arms 4 140. Wild Arms 5 141. Wild Arms Alter Code F 142. Wizardry: Tale of the Forsaken Land 143. Xenosaga 144. Xenosaga II 145. Xenosaga III 146. X-Men Legends 147. X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse 148. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim

Perhaps then you need to be more specific with your question. If you're asking how many "Key" titles among the NES library exist in sealed mint condition, compared to say the number of CIB copies, then the answer is not a whole lot but it's much more than what people are seeing. It obviously depends on which title and the print, whether it was a first, second, or third printing. And by "Key" I assume you mean popular titles. Are there cases available of popular titles? The answer is yes. Is there photo evidence available? Yes. Were there cases available 10 years ago, that were opened and graded by VGA? Yes. Are there collectors that keep their hobby private, don't offer their games for sale, and don't show off their collections to the world? YES. If you're asking the same question for SNES/Genesis/PS1, then the answer is similar. PS1 specifically, I am very familiar with, and sealed product for most tiles, popular or unpopular exists in the thousands (with few exceptions). The bigger question is what is the demand vs. the current supply, and how long will that demand extend into the future. Collectibles as a whole are experiencing an unprecedented level of boom. It's not just video games, everything is inflated, sports cards, MTG, Pokémon, even comics and coins. I'd be careful about drawing conclusions from current market trends and applying it as an indicator of future direction. Volatility is extremely high due to the pandemic and current world economy. At some point the market is bound to correct. The only problem is nobody knows when.

Like the "Left Bros" Super Mario 3 that just sold for $156k or the 2nd print PS2 God of War that sold for $3k, or yet the Atari 2600 Spiderman that sold for a record $9k? I think your above statement couldn't be further from the truth. Long-time collectors do have an idea of what's out there, what's common, what's not and what's desirable. New collectors entering the hobby have no clue what they're doing and are propping up the market to unprecedented highs. Of all the records broken since the last 2 years, only a handful of games are truly rare, and merit their record prices. The sticker sealed Super Mario that went for $100k, and the Dr. Wright Mega Man that went for ~$84k, come to mind. Like someone else said, the true grail pieces are locked up, mostly in VGA cases, and long-time collectors are not selling. Mostly because they're collectors first, and not investors or speculators. If you're looking to sell, you should do it sooner than later, before prices start to correct after speculators start to realize how much of this stuff is out there. I do think prices will continue to rise in the short term, but the long term future isn't up.