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Are we opening sealed copies of old games?

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Reply 40 of 67, by Meatball

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What I'm wondering is how many of you are buying sealed "newer" games which are Internet activated and keeping them sealed? For example, I have every Resident Evil game from 5 to RE2: Remake new and sealed. Same for the Tomb Raider 2013 and later issues, Bioshock 1, 2, 3, and so on. I have them in my Steam (or GOG, if applicable) account and I have a sealed copy of each.

I draw the line on games which are download codes only, though. There must at least be a disc in the package.

Maybe I should make this into a new thread since this one is about old games being opened.

Reply 41 of 67, by dr_st

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Every new game eventually becomes old... 😀

Anyways, I do feel the same as you about the presence of a physical disk, even though it is a fallacy. I did something similar once or twice. I didn't keep the game sealed - but I left the code unused. For instance, I bought Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition when it was released on the PC, because it was important for me to show my support to the company finally bringing the series back to the PC after it spent several years being console-only. But that game requires Steam, and I don't like Steam. Moreover, I didn't want to wait until I could actually get my hands on a physical copy. So I played a pirated repack, then bought the game and put it on the shelf.

Did something similar with Rayman Legends. I got a physical bundle of Origins+Legends, and never used the code for Legends, as I have gotten digital copies of both games for free in Ubisoft's various giveaways. And yes, I also have a cracked copy.

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Reply 43 of 67, by Einherje

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Meatball wrote on 2022-01-14, 21:35:

What I'm wondering is how many of you are buying sealed "newer" games which are Internet activated and keeping them sealed?

I’m mostly after games containing interesting, physical assets. Mainly RPGs for the maps and comprehensive manuals. I guess there’s a nostalgic factor to it too.

That being said, I’m sure I would find it cool to own physical memories from current games thirty years from now. Games like Might & Magic X, Horizon: Zero Dawn and Final Fantasy VII Remake comes to mind.

As investment objects, I suppose limited editions would be most attractive to a future buyer. I could see some of the high tier rewards from the wave of crowd funded games become attractive.

Reply 44 of 67, by Meatball

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Plasma wrote on 2022-01-14, 21:50:

If you aren't opening them I guess it doesn't matter if they require activation. Personally I'm not that interested in physical copies of games that are basically just a CD/DVD in a case.

If the game requires activation, then it (for me) is critical the game is sealed. If you buy the game open and it has been activated; then you don't actually own the game (when I say own, I mean own a license to play it). You own a box. Which is great if that is all you are after, but I want the game disc, the rights, the system requirements, ALL of the paperwork (if possible) and the box.

Along the lines I touched upon earlier in this thread, I'll pick up a game if I like the artwork (and it contains a disc however superfluous it is), but more importantly it must have the system requirements listed on the package. I like referring to this "snapshot in time" of what systems were needed to run the game. Unfortunately, I think we're at the end of physical copies. No RE:3 Remake on PC physical copy. Crash Bandicoot is download code only, globally.

Last edited by Meatball on 2022-01-14, 22:35. Edited 3 times in total.

Reply 45 of 67, by Plasma

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If/when you go to sell the game in however many years, will the activation servers still be online? It might be worth more because it's sealed but whoever is buying it probably won't care about activation.

Reply 46 of 67, by Meatball

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Plasma wrote on 2022-01-14, 22:22:

If/when you go to sell the game in however many years, will the activation servers still be online? It might be worth more because it's sealed but whoever is buying it probably won't care about activation.

Right, but the person buying it likely is not going to activate the game anyway as they are buying it for collecting purposes, I imagine. I suppose if digital codes become impossible to get and they are dying to play it (like one day when Transformers: Fall of Cybertron can't be found). However, why would you open the package? There's not going to be any good paperwork inside and repacked versions are everywhere. You can have your cake and it eat too, in this case.

Reply 48 of 67, by Meatball

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Plasma wrote on 2022-01-14, 22:37:

I guess I don't understand why it's critical to keep it sealed if it requires activation. Versus just keeping it sealed because there's nothing useful inside.

If it's opened, the game must be assumed to be activated, which means you only have the box. Which is great if that is all you are after. My idiosyncrasy requires a sealed copy for games requiring activation (multiplayer excluded).

Keeping the game sealed because there is nothing useful inside is just as valid a reason as any other, also.

Reply 51 of 67, by shamino

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I only have one sealed PC game - and it's a re-release of NHL '98, nothing valuable. When I'm ready to really sit down and play it, I'll tear the shrinkwrap off and consider that part of the experience of enjoying the game. Honestly though, I expect there's nothing in there but a thin black and white manual and a CD case. But if I'm lucky maybe there's a full color advertising brochure for other games.
I don't have many boxed PC games because ~15 years ago I threw a lot of my old boxes away. I kind of regret that, but they do take a lot of space if you get too many. I'm just glad I kept the Ultima boxes because damn, those things are valuable nowadays. Enough that I'd consider selling them if I wasn't so sentimental about them.

Recently I ended up with a boxed NES game (the price was good). I was conflicted about that because I really don't like old cardboard Nintendo boxes, I think they just look messy and were intended to go in the trash. But I can't throw it away now, because it's too old to treat like trash anymore. I've decided it's cool to have one NES box to look at, but I don't want to collect them.

Sega is totally different because they had nice boxes that were meant to be kept. I've been surprised how many loose SMS and Genesis games are out there. It just seemed natural to me to keep those boxes, but obviously a lot of people didn't.

When I moved from California, I used thick (6mil) plastic sheeting with a heat sealer to seal several of my Genesis games. I did that to protect against humidity during the long shipping process.
One of those games is Michael Jackson Moonwalker, which is a game I really don't care about and might sell off at some point. I'm thinking about leaving it sealed in it's little biodome, just so I can tell people that even though I live in Florida the game still thinks it lives in California and has never been exposed to the humidity.

Reply 52 of 67, by Meatball

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Plasma wrote on 2022-01-14, 22:56:

If it can't be activated because it's 20 years later and the company is defunct, you also only have the box. In theory there is a difference but in the end it won't matter.

I agree. It won't matter when I'm dead, either, but it might matter to the next person to whom the torch is passed, though.

Reply 54 of 67, by Garrett W

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I don't often get sealed copies of games, but when I do, I will definitely sit down at some point, break the seal and open it up and play it on retro hardware, take a look at the feelies (if any) and read the manual(s). Part of the experience, I don't see a reason for me to keep games sealed.

If a copy of sealed Neverhood falls on my lap, that's another story.

Reply 55 of 67, by Meatball

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shamino wrote on 2022-01-14, 23:57:
I only have one sealed PC game - and it's a re-release of NHL '98, nothing valuable. When I'm ready to really sit down and play […]
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I only have one sealed PC game - and it's a re-release of NHL '98, nothing valuable. When I'm ready to really sit down and play it, I'll tear the shrinkwrap off and consider that part of the experience of enjoying the game. Honestly though, I expect there's nothing in there but a thin black and white manual and a CD case. But if I'm lucky maybe there's a full color advertising brochure for other games.
I don't have many boxed PC games because ~15 years ago I threw a lot of my old boxes away. I kind of regret that, but they do take a lot of space if you get too many. I'm just glad I kept the Ultima boxes because damn, those things are valuable nowadays. Enough that I'd consider selling them if I wasn't so sentimental about them.

Recently I ended up with a boxed NES game (the price was good). I was conflicted about that because I really don't like old cardboard Nintendo boxes, I think they just look messy and were intended to go in the trash. But I can't throw it away now, because it's too old to treat like trash anymore. I've decided it's cool to have one NES box to look at, but I don't want to collect them.

Sega is totally different because they had nice boxes that were meant to be kept. I've been surprised how many loose SMS and Genesis games are out there. It just seemed natural to me to keep those boxes, but obviously a lot of people didn't.

When I moved from California, I used thick (6mil) plastic sheeting with a heat sealer to seal several of my Genesis games. I did that to protect against humidity during the long shipping process.
One of those games is Michael Jackson Moonwalker, which is a game I really don't care about and might sell off at some point. I'm thinking about leaving it sealed in it's little biodome, just so I can tell people that even though I live in Florida the game still thinks it lives in California and has never been exposed to the humidity.

I also have a copy of NHL '98, and I was going to tell you what was inside, but:

A - I figured not to ruin your experience. You could also always look on eBay.
B - My copy is also sealed! I didn't remember which ones were sealed (95, 98, 2002 are sealed. Everything else between 94 - 2002 are open).

Michael Jackson's Moonwalker is one of the Genesis' greatest games of all time!

Reply 56 of 67, by Unknown_K

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Einherje wrote on 2022-01-14, 19:43:
Unknown_K wrote on 2022-01-14, 18:26:
Meatball wrote on 2022-01-14, 14:46:

There's nothing like a 5lbs. of paperwork... Old software/games are great.

Same goes for old applications where the manuals are actually more useful.

More useful than the software or more useful than manuals are today?

Old manuals were more in depth and written better than anything you would get today.

Collector of old computers, hardware, and software

Reply 57 of 67, by shamino

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Unknown_K wrote on 2022-01-15, 01:25:
Einherje wrote on 2022-01-14, 19:43:
Unknown_K wrote on 2022-01-14, 18:26:

Same goes for old applications where the manuals are actually more useful.

More useful than the software or more useful than manuals are today?

Old manuals were more in depth and written better than anything you would get today.

I remember taking a "technical writing" class once. There was a time when that was a profession.
Maybe it still is in some fields, but certainly not with consumer products.

Reply 58 of 67, by chinny22

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Don't collect games so down own anything sealed but if I came across an old sealed one I'd probably keep it and find a copy of the game to download.
I'm missing 1/2 the boxes of the games I do have. I don't really wan't the boxes of the ones I do still have but cant bring myself to throw them out.

But in answer to your question, your money your choice! if opening and reading the manual brought you joy worth the purchase price then that's perfectly fine in my book

Reply 59 of 67, by RandomStranger

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chinny22 wrote on 2022-01-18, 11:03:

I don't really wan't the boxes of the ones I do still have but cant bring myself to throw them out.

The fate of all collections that eventually they will be re-sold (or binned). Even if you have no interest in the box, having it raises re-sale value.

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