作者：Josh Bycer

如今，收集品市场已经成为了人们利用各种物品赚钱的重要方法。但是游戏是否也能解决我们所面临的盈利问题？

在消费者市场中，产品除了作为消费品还存在其它用途，即作为收集品。不管是漫画书，汽车，书籍还是枪支，都存在着巨大的利益。自从任天堂出现算起，游戏产业已经诞生了20多年之久，所以在这里也存在着一些很难找到并收集的游戏。

在过去，没有人知道收集品具有如此高的价值，而这是否也意味着经典游戏玩家其实置身于潜在的金矿中？

CGames(from gamasutra)

暴雪创造了许多高质量的游戏收集版本，让他们的游戏能够比其它游戏保持更长久的价值。

有时候我也会在亚马逊上查阅人们对于早前游戏的要价；甚至发现全新的《超级大金刚》的售价竟然高达300美元。如此便推动着我思考是否应该以高价出售一些较难找到的游戏。

但是尽管游戏的要价较高，却不意味着它们便能够带来巨大的利益。我个人便认为经典游戏就很难做到这一点——主要是受到游戏产业以及收集市场的本质的影响。

收集品的类型：

当我们着眼于一些可收集的物品时，它们主要分为两种类型：一种是具有陈列性，另一种则是具有使用性。就像艺术品便不具有使用性，但是那些购买了古董车的玩家有时候也会想着去驾驶这些汽车。

玩具便具有陈列性，最好能够带有外部包装盒。基于不同收集者，他们将会在可以使用与只能陈列的物品中做出选择。

一般情况下收集者都希望所收集的物品是符合自己最初的目的。比起不受收集者的影响并能够发射子弹的手枪来说，不能使用的手枪显然更没有价值。

而电子游戏虽然具有陈列属性，但这却不是其真正的价值所在。早前那些收录于游戏盒中的游戏便因为太小了而很难陈列出来（游戏邦注：就像CD那样）。

唯一的例外便是街机和弹球机。它们不仅能够带给我们使用价值，同时还具有陈列价值。

这便解释了玩家为何愿意收集电子游戏并玩电子游戏，这也让我们明确了电子游戏与其它收集品的区别。

主观的游戏质量：

当我们着眼于像汽车，手枪等收集品时，我们总是会认为那些基于过去的制作并赋予更高质量的物品便是最佳选择。不管是取决于工匠还是可用材料，人们总是会有“如今的产品大不如前”的想法。

许多人买古董车都是看重其独特的外观，但是对于电子游戏，质量的判断总是更加主观。

如今电子游戏的制作方法当然不同于过去，而这是否就能够断定过去的游戏相比今日更加出色？许多经典的游戏之所以能够长时间备受玩家喜欢指是因为它们突出了传统的设计元素。

而最初的《魔法门》和《X-Com》虽然非常优秀，如今却很难得到玩家的关注。甚至有些开发者只是囤积了大量质量糟糕，且难以吸引玩家注意的游戏。就像面向雅达利的《ET》便被掩埋于深深的谷底，难以翻身。

ET(from gamasutra)

也许早前的《ET》是款难以找到的游戏，但是我却不认为有人愿意去购买这款游戏。

在过去20年时间里，游戏设计发生了巨大的变化——从最初引进3D元素到现在出现了独立开发和数字市场。

因为各种平台和类型的涌现，如今的游戏市场比起80年代末的游戏市场具有更强大的易用性。

很多人会认为，基于当前游戏的质量，他们便能够创造出更具有收集性的游戏作品。不过他们却忽视了其它与游戏市场相违背，但能决定游戏收集价值的元素。

稀有的游戏：

如今有些人并未遵循早前的方式去制作物品便是因为真正流传下来的物品并不多。我们不可能走进一家汽车代理商店就能买到一辆Shelby Cobra（游戏邦注：60年来最伟大的20款超级跑车之一），也不可能随意进入一家枪支店便能看到19世纪的步枪。稀有度也是决定着某一物品的价值性的主要元素。

90年代末，游戏收集市场中便涌入了许多玩家。我记得Sega Saturn上的《闪亮银枪》便售出了1000美元的高价。而随后出现的数字市场对于玩家来说虽然是巨大的福利，但是对于收集者来说却是可怕的噩耗。

数字发行的崛起是游戏产业的一大转折点。如今，玩家不再需要排队购买游戏，或为了找到仅剩的游戏而一家店一家店地搜索，只需要使用电脑或游戏主机便能够直接购得游戏。

这便意味着现代游戏身上不再具有稀有元素——因为数字游戏便意味着游戏的数量将取之不尽用之不竭。最近，《闪亮银枪》也以10美元的售价再次出现在XBLA上，反而让人们不愿意再去碰触早前900美元的版本。

如今PC玩家也能在Good Old Games（游戏邦注：基于当今电脑的规格去调整某些经典的PC游戏，并以较低的价格进行出售）网站上玩一些经典的游戏。从而大大降低了玩家玩这类型游戏的障碍。

尽管我们也看到了许多基于数字发行模式的经典游戏相继出现，但是也仍有许多很难找到的游戏。但是对于那些不断探索着数字发行利益的设计师和发行商来说，情况却并非总是如此。

已经有一些发行商或新晋版权所有者将重新发行某些早前游戏而再次利用它们。例如最近面向主机和PC发行的《街头涂鸦HD》。如果游戏足够受欢迎，那么游戏的版权所有者便能够通过数字发行而从中谋得更大的利益。

radiant silvergun(from gamasutra)

《闪亮银枪》是公认的最具有收集价值的游戏之一。但是现在它也进入了数字市场。

我相信，终有一天Good Old Games的经营理念也将被应用到除PC以外的其它平台上。

从而让玩家可以轻松地在此玩早前的《超级玛丽奥》，《光晕》以及《最终幻想12》等游戏。

我知道现在有些人会认为这种情况不可能发生，但是早在10年前也没有人相信我们能在一个平台上玩一些很难找到的经典的PC游戏。

从平台的在线服务来看，如今可以说是最活跃的主机时代。并且因为我们正朝着下一个时代靠近，所以在线互动也将不断发展着。而这将进一步降低游戏的稀有度，并且早前游戏的IP持有者也能够面向数字市场去销售他们的游戏。就像我能够上网购买并体验《Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri》，但却不可能以同样方法获得1938年的Bugatti Type 57C Atalante车型。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

The Rise and Fall of the Collectible Game Market

by Josh Bycer

Collectible markets have become a way for people to make big bucks with a variety of items. But can games someday be the financial solution to our problems?

In consumer based markets, products have another usage beyond the general consumer base: as collectibles. From comics, to cars, books, and guns and so on, there is a lot of money out there. The video game industry is over twenty years old from when Nintendo brought things back, and we already have games that have become hard to find and collectible.

With other collectibles, no one knew at the time that they would be worth big bucks, but does that mean that classic gamers are sitting on a potential gold mine?

Blizzard has made quality collector’s editions. Causing them to retain their value longer then other games.

Every once in a while I like to look up on Amazon the prices people are asking for older games ; one time I saw the original Donkey Kong Country, brand new going for $300. I was even tempted a few times to sell a few of my harder to find games.

However, just because someone is asking a lot of money, doesn’t mean that it’s selling for a lot of money. Personally I don’t think classic games are going to reach that point, and the reason has to do with the nature of our industry and the collectible market.

Types of Collectibles:

When we look at items that are considered collectible, there are two types: ones that are displayed, and ones that are used. You can’t use artwork, but someone who buys a classic car would like to take it out once in a while.

Toys are preferred to be displayed, preferably with a box as well. Depending on the collector, they may prefer items that can be used vs. those that can only be displayed or vice versa.

Mainly, collectors want items in a condition similar to their original purpose. A gun that doesn’t work will be worth less compared to a similar gun that fires regardless of the collector.

With video games, while there is some nature of the displayed aspect with collectible boxes and such, but the actual product is not a display piece. Older games were on cartridges that are too small to really showcase, and the same could be said for CD cases.

The only exceptions to this would be arcade cabinets and pinball machines. That not only allow someone to use them, but are big enough that they can be displayed.

That leaves the main reason to collect video games is to play them, which leads us to another area where video games and other collectibles differ.

Subjective Game Quality:

When we look at items like cars, guns, and other major collectibles, the popular opinion was that items made back then were of a higher quality made today. Either that is due to the craftsmen or available materials or both, the expression “they just don’t make them like they use to” fits here.

With classic cars, they do have a unique look all their own that lends to the mystique of owning one. But with video games, quality is very subjective.

We can easily say that they don’t make video games the same way back then as they do today, but can we say with complete certainty that games back then were better? There are a lot of classic games that fans hold in high regard, that feature a lot of archaic design.

The original Might and Magic series, and X-Com were considered great, but most gamers today wouldn’t look twice at them. And then you have the dozens of shovel ware and just crappy games that most people didn’t buy. Such as the infamous ET game for the Atari which unsold copies were supposedly buried in a ditch somewhere.

The original ET game may be very hard to find. But I don’t know anyone who would actually want it.

Game design has evolved over the last two decades, first with the introduction of 3D and now with the Indie and digital markets.

With multiple platforms and genres, offers a greater amount of accessibility today compared to late 80s.

Now most of you are probably thinking that because of the quality of games today that they would make great collectibles. However, there is one other factor in determining collect-ability that goes against the game market.

Game Rarity:

The other side of people not making items the same way today is that there are very few of those items left. I can’t walk down the street to a car dealership and get an original Shelby Cobra, or go to a gun store and pick up an 19th century rifle. The items that are worth the most money are always limited in numbers which is as big a factor on price as condition.

In the late 90s we did see some gamers attempt a collectible game market. I remember the game Radiant Silvergun for the Sega Saturn going for almost a thousand dollars. But then something happened that was a boon for gamers and a curse for collectors: the digital market.

The rise of digital distributions has been one of the major turning points in the Game industry. Today, you don’t need to wait in lines for games or go searching store after store for a remaining copy. Instead you can go on your computer or game console and buy games directly through them.

What that also means is that the rarity factor for modern games has gone out the window, as digital copies of titles means that the # of available copies of a game is now considered infinite. Going back to Radiant Silvergun, it was recently made available on XBLA for $10, making those nine hundred-dollar copies a bit foolish now.

And PC gamers have gotten their prayers answered for playing classic games with the site Good Old Games : that sell classic pc games modified to work on today’s computers for low prices. This in turn makes the barrier of entry of playing these titles, even lower.

While there are plenty of classic games made available through digital distribution, there are still plenty of titles that are hard to find. But as designers and publishers continue to explore the benefits of digital distribution that may not always be the case.

As we are seeing more cases where either the publisher, or the new holder of the copyright would re-release older games to get some use of them. As a case in point, the recent release of Jet Set Radio HD for the consoles and PC. If the game was popular enough, chances are the copyright holder will look into digital distribution to make more money.

Radiant Silvergun is considered one of the most collectible games  But even it is now available through the digital market.

I believe that someday we’ll reach a point where the business philosophy of Good Old Games will apply to other platforms besides the PC.

This would allow gamers to go from playing the original Super Mario, to Halo and then Final Fantasy 12 without skipping a beat.

I know that some of you right now think that could never happen, but a decade ago the idea to have a one stop place to buy functioning hard to find classic PC games was also considered crazy.

This console generation has been the most active in terms of online services for platform. And as we are coming close to the next generation, the online interaction will only increase. This will further decrease the rarity of titles and it’s safe to assume that IP holders on older games are looking at the digital market to sell older titles. I may be able to go online and buy and enjoy a copy of Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, but I’ll never be able to do the same with a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante.(source:gamasutra)