Why are PC-Engine games so expensive compared to other Retro games?

the_importer · 04/16/2013, 03:59 PM

Putting NEO-GEO aside, PC-Engine games (Card or CD) are very expensive compared to other retro systems. Are they rarer or simply overpriced? Mind you, I'm not using ebay as a reference but other online stores that I normally do business with.

Thanks

Arkhan Asylum · 04/16/2013, 04:08 PM

It's mostly out of ignorance. People go OMG RAREEEE!

then you look at yahoo.jp auctions and go "wait, this isn't rare, or expensive"

turboswimbz · 04/16/2013, 04:09 PM

My beliefes:

Part demand. - A lot of people around the world dig these systems, and it has more of a following then say some of the more obscure systems, yet it wasn't the best seller in it's heyday compared to others, people love an underdog. - Also those 20-30 somethings who remember the system, who don't have families yet and have larger incomes of extra money are at the perfect point to raise demand.

Part Just not as many were made in a lot cases compared to SEGA - NINTENDO - SONY

Part Rareity in some cases.

Part Video games and collecting becoming more of a main stream hobby for many, and people are simply willing to spend more on them.

Part Internet - increased ability to see what games are selling for and get good deals has increased prices for everyone as demand increases. It has also made it easy for stores to price something at $x becuase it sold for $X once and it becomes it worth them sitting on something to make $x profit.

To answer your question. BOTH

turboswimbz · 04/16/2013, 04:10 PM

Quote from: guest on 04/16/2013, 04:08 PMIt's mostly out of ignorance. People go OMG RAREEEE!

then you look at yahoo.jp auctions and go "wait, this isn't rare, or expensive"

+1

CrackTiger · 04/16/2013, 04:19 PM

It really depends of what you like. PCE (and SFC) RPGs are almost free, while SNES RPGs are overpriced even when supply/demand is factored in. PCE games generally don't cost much, so it's not a big deal. Having tens or hundreds of thousands of domestic copies of a particular game floating around, combined with lots of Japanese copies, usually makes a game go for less than something that is more or less import-only for a console that typical "hardcore" "gamers/collectors" either have never heard of or don't understand.

Nazi NecroPhile · 04/16/2013, 04:24 PM

Because they're fucking worth it!!!

But really, just how worthless are SF and MD games? There are an awful lot of PCE titles that can be had for $20 or less, so......

BigusSchmuck · 04/16/2013, 06:12 PM

Quote from: guest on 04/16/2013, 04:24 PMBecause they're fucking worth it!!!

But really, just how worthless are SF and MD games? There are an awful lot of PCE titles that can be had for $20 or less, so......

Sounds like a new thread, which system has more bad games? SNES/Super Famicom, Genesis/MegaDrive or the Turbo/PCE?

SignOfZeta · 04/16/2013, 06:22 PM

I don't find PCE games to be expensive at all. Most are $1-10 if you know where to look. Japanese Mega Drive stuff is way more expensive.

CrackTiger · 04/16/2013, 06:29 PM

Quote from: BigusSchmuck on 04/16/2013, 06:12 PM
Quote from: NecroPhile on 04/16/2013, 04:24 PMBecause they're fucking worth it!!!

But really, just how worthless are SF and MD games? There are an awful lot of PCE titles that can be had for $20 or less, so......
Bad game (console popularity) ranking: SFC/SNES>MD/Genesis>PCE/Turbo.
Sounds like a new thread, which system has more bad games? SNES/Super Famicom, Genesis/MegaDrive or the Turbo/PCE?

SignOfZeta · 04/16/2013, 07:11 PM

The Neo Geo kills all with it's quality to crap ratio. How many truely unfun Neo games are there, four? That's less than %3 of the library. Since Neo games were made to put in an arcade where people would be able to see that a shitty game was bad just from watching the attract or watching other people play it, and since the cost of production was so high, you didn't get a lot of cynically developed cheap-ass garbage on the Neo. It just didn't make sense to make crappy Neo games.

The system with the most terrible games is going to be either the PS or PS2, mostly because they have the most games period but also because games were so often purchased sight unseen by children and grandmas and other people who didn't know any better and were more likely to be suckered in by a price point or a popular cartoon or sports license.

Arkhan Asylum · 04/16/2013, 10:07 PM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 04/16/2013, 07:11 PMThe Neo Geo kills all with it's quality to crap ratio. How many truely unfun Neo games are there, four? That's less than %3 of the library. Since Neo games were made to put in an arcade where people would be able to see that a shitty game was bad just from watching the attract or watching other people play it, and since the cost of production was so high, you didn't get a lot of cynically developed cheap-ass garbage on the Neo. It just didn't make sense to make crappy Neo games.

The system with the most terrible games is going to be either the PS or PS2, mostly because they have the most games period but also because games were so often purchased sight unseen by children and grandmas and other people who didn't know any better and were more likely to be suckered in by a price point or a popular cartoon or sports license.

Yep. that's about right.

However, PS1 also has a ton of awesome games to offset things. I really enjoyed the PS1 era of gaming. Thankfully my parents let me rent games alot (2 or 3 at a time incase I got a shit game), and I was used-game savvy.

saved me from alot of horsefuck game experiences.

Nazi NecroPhile · 04/17/2013, 09:27 AM

Quote from: CrackTiger on 04/16/2013, 06:29 PMBad game (console popularity) ranking: SFC/SNES>MD/Genesis>PCE/Turbo.

Exactly. The more popular a system, the more shovelware it's gonna get.

PunkCryborg · 04/17/2013, 09:56 AM

I don't find pce games too bad. Keep in mind it's a japanese system so it's not like there's tons of copies floating around in people houses here. Most people selling games are either in Japan or it's someone who bought them from Japan initially so that cost is always going to be in them. There are tons of cheaper games still and tons of games you can't get rid of for free.

jeffhlewis · 04/17/2013, 11:43 AM

I haven't really spent too much $$$ collecting PCE...Dracula X and 1941 were my two most expensive pickups but outside of that everything I've purchased has been mostly cheap (5-15 range) or moderate (30-40). That's factoring in shipping from Japan as well.

Small price to pay for greatness. It's fun discovering this system that I completely missed out on growing up.

kazumn · 04/17/2013, 12:45 PM

Their are a ton of games on the pc engine that are still to this day exclusive to the system. Now i don't know what is on the japanese virtual consoles avaible but really digital versus a hard copy my choice would be made already.
Some of the best games on earth were released on the system making them more in demand and expensive but generally i find pc engine prices not too bad still a lot of good games can be had for cheap even on ebay.

SignOfZeta · 04/17/2013, 01:55 PM

My most recent PCE purchases were Populous, Daichi-kun Crisis, Detana! TwinBee, Energy, Outlive, Gaia No Monshou, a System 1.0 card and an Arcade Card Pro.

The Arcade Card Pro ran me almost $30. The rest of that stuff was less than $4 each, the 1.0 card was $1. The only choukusoge there, IMO, was Gaia No Monshou and maybe Energy. I don't usually see Energy as choukusoge as much as just "an MSX game".

None of this came from eBay. Some was from the MGC, some from friends, and some from Japanese junk shops. All are complete except maybe the system cards (don't have them yet, I'm betting they are lose).

So my point is, its not expensive. Its not as cheap as 2600, but nothing is.