Platinum Game Covers

[x0dus]

So basically, I was talking to my friend about Final Fantasy and we both thought it would be cool to own 6/7/8/9 on PSX in their original cases. Upon further inspection, these things go up on eBay for 30 quid each meaning that would be 120 quid just for those 4 games - leaving the older and newer games still to buy.

So I said - 'what about platinum?' and he said that the Platinum covers look rubbish and the disks dont have the original print on them which looks really good. So now I have it in my head that if I ever buy all these games they MUST be non-platinum but I cant seem to justify spending 120 quid on 4 games for PSX.

Now this is not really about playing the games because Ive already played them. I just don't happen to own them anymore and would like to re-purchase them for collection purposes - so Im stuck as to wether I should spend 120 on 4 games from the 1990s or to go Platinum and get them all for 50 quid.

I also dont understand why they have to put all that Platinum stuff on there. Can't they just put an easily removable sticker on the games which are Platinum. Also, I dont get how a game that is Platinum is considered rare and sold for 30 pounds in its original state. Surely if a game is Platinum it means it sold a truckload of original copies in the first place, so how can they be rare?

What are your views on Platinum when buying games? Do you spend the extra money for the original? Do you go as far as to buy only sealed original games? Or do you not care and will buy the cheapest possible just to get hold of the game and play it?

[sj33]

I don't mind the American 'greatest hits' stuff as it's really minimal, just a little strip.

But the UK Sony 'Platinum' and XBox Classics stuff is horrible, and I avoid if at all possible.

[cutmymilk]

Yup, agree with you on that.

WHY they have to make the boxes so obviously horrible just because the game is budget priced is beyond me.

Worse is the Xbox Classics range. They even go as far as putting a cheap and cheerful FONT down the side to make it look crappy on a shelf as well! I don't think the Gamecube budget titles look so bad, though.

Overall, I think they must be made out to be the runt of the litter / lepar of the family in order to sell for its ugly 'cuteness.' They should really just use a sticker / slipcase or something instead of the travesty. I suppose it keeps the second hand market alive, anyhow.

[sj33]

It's depressing that I've just had to purchase Tomb Raider Legend, which I won't have time to play for ages, because the game has just appeared on the XBox Classics range so I wanted to get the original release while it was still obtainable new.

[importaku]

I avoid them like the plague.

At one point i was just happy to have the game but at some point it changed & now i only like it if it has its original untouched artwork as i hate borders or other things put over it.

I usually now buy games close to release as the greatest hits / the best versions crop up quickly.

[df0notfound]

don't know how they can justify those prices for FF, its not even remotely rare even in new form. Just taking advantage of the fanboys really and the rest of us have to suffer

[JazzFunk]

Personally, I don't give a **** about all this type of malarkey - original release games usually look nicer on the outside but if you're buying Platinum/Player's Choice/Classics, you're getting the same thing whatever you plonk in your PS2/GC/XB/360. I'm not paying £30 extra for a nicer, more conformist looking outer box. It's ridiculous.

BUT, as you mentioned, you're buying for collector's purposes, so I can understand the future eBay ramifications of this. But don't be a mug and pay massively over the odds.

Surely there must be some freak occasion when the budget version of a game is worth more than the full-price one???

[erhgiez]

Gamestation have just reduced all their FF's to ?12.99 on the PS1, platinum and original, worth a look if ones near you, and ?30 is higher than i see most finish on ebay for, maybe a mint copy of FFIX, but not the other two

[Kubrick]

Surely there must be some freak occasion when the budget version of a game is worth more than the full-price one???

I'm pretty sure the Sega Saturn Collection edition of Street Fighter Zero 2 (which has a huge white border surrounding the artwork) fetches more than the original release because it features an updated version of the game.

Although I don't buy them, some budget versions can look very good - the Japanese re-releases of R-Types and R-Type Delta have great art. Probably superior to the original to most eyes.

[C']

What is updated in the SSC version of SFZ2? I have the original version but if the changes in the re-release are significant enough I'll hunt it out (shouldn't be hard, they seem to crop up quite often).

[Kubrick]

I've never owned it, but I believe it has SFZ2 "Dash". Yakumo will probably know for certain.

[C']

Oh, well that’s in Street Fighter Collection anyway.

Still, money saved

[gaz@manc]

I agree that some budget release boxes look awful, but most look ok. I don't really havea problem buying them. The original PS2 platinum boxes looked fine for what they were trying to do IMO, while the newer design looks terrible. Xbox Classics were again awful designs, but I think the current Xbox 360 Classic range is ok.

[sj33]

I actually made a topic about this a while back http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/showthread.php?t=70228 :P

But really, it's odd how UK budget releases are so much worse.
I can tolerate US Playstation2 'Greatest Hits' or US GC 'Players Choice'. The artwork is literally basically the same size, just a different colour strip or similar.
But with both the UK Platinum and XBox Classics ranges, they seem to love to put a horrible border on all 4 sides =/

[Chunky]

I stay away from all budget games, i also tend to only buy games from one region for each machine so as to keep my collection consistent. ie all my Xbox and 360 games are PAL, and my PS2, GC and Wii games are US-NTSC (no Canadian, half french games either thankyou).