Next Radiant Silvergun-like rare high-priced game? (aka, paging Dcharlie)

[Bebpo]

After Irem canning Zettai Zetsumei 4 last week because of the earthquake, they've now decided to can the entire series and are not making anymore copies of any of the 3 ZZT games.  Because of this the prices on ebay Japan and US have started to skyrocket.  A new copy of ZZT1 is going for $130.  Used copies are $40 and ZZT3 new is $87.

I actually picked up ZZT3 off PSN last week for $30 because I had a feeling they might pull it.  Too bad digital downloads aren't worth anything from a collector point of view :X  Thinking about picking up used copies of the 3 games asap if the price is going to keep rising.  So Dcharlie, if you have the games in your collection, now they are going to be worth some $$$

Announcement: http://www.famicom-plaza.com/blog/2011/03/030813zettaizetsumei.html
Price jumps: http://www.amazon.co.jp/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_ja_JP=%83J%83%5E%83J%83i&url=search-alias%3Dvideogames&field-keywords=%90%E2%91%CC%90%E2%96%BD%93s%8Es&x=0&y=0

[demi]

HOT. Rare.

Would it be worth finding Disaster Report / Raw Danger?

[Bebpo]

Probably not.  I'd imagine they stopped producing copies of those years ago   Plus US/JPN rare prices are never related.  Lots of games that are like $100+ rare in Japan are $1 in the US or vice-versa.

I just grabbed used ZZT1 the-best for $20 and used ZZT2 for $40 so I at least have them in my collection since they're going to be tough to find.  I'll have to stick with my $30 PSN copy of ZZT3 since the retail prices are too high for me.

[Bebpo]

Actually grabbed ZZT3 THE BEST sealed for $55, which seems good since on Amazon JP sealed copies start at $70 since they just made this version last month and now they're not making anymore copies.

With all my luck though, Irem will announce in 3 months they're making the games again 

[cool breeze]

This sounds absolutely terrible but this was incentive to actually buy one of these games before they're gone.  Amazon has like 3 new copies of Raw Danger left for $10, so I order one.  I don't really collect sealed games but I have wanted to check one of these out.  I can play it after I play Spy Fiction.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

I was always interested in part 3.  Multiplayer/earthquake survival/puzzle solving.  Yeah, I'd hit it.

It sucks that Irem is going to have to eat the cost of their first (and so far only) HD title.  I hate to sound like a selfish nerd while ignoring the larger issues, but it'd suck hard if they go under.

[originalz]

Eh, was this a rare game or something to begin with?  If there are enough copies out in the wild then I don't see prices raising up other than the short spike now.  It's like how Moonwalker copies were going for pretty high right after Jackson died, but were back to normal not too long afterwards.

[chronovore]

It's really bothersome when companies make knee-jerk decisions like this. I can imagine that there would have been social backlash if they'd chosen to publish it now, but what about putting it aside for a season?

After 9/11 people were talking like terrorist-themed fiction would never be done again, because it would hit too close to home. Collateral Damage was shelved. Fast-forward a year, and it's one of the main genres.

[Bebpo]

Eh, was this a rare game or something to begin with?  If there are enough copies out in the wild then I don't see prices raising up other than the short spike now.  It's like how Moonwalker copies were going for pretty high right after Jackson died, but were back to normal not too long afterwards.

Exactly. This is just reactionary. The number of copies out there isn't going to magically decrease over night, and I have a feeling they haven't pressed any new copies for years anyway.

Did they actually take ZZT3 off PSN? I was thinking about getting it.

Actually they just pressed new copies last month.  The Best version of ZZT3 came out for the first time last month and hit the charts again.  They also re-released ZZT1/2 last month as well.  It was all part of a "hype ZZT4" marketing thing.

[Bebpo]

Out of the 3 ebay sellers in Japan that I bought 1-3 from yesterday, ZZT1/3 went through fine but the ZZT2 seller e-mailed me back that the game is not being sold anymore because of the earthquake and would refund me my money back :X  ZZT2 is my favorite game in the series!  Need to find it elsewhere.

I think part of the reason why the prices are going up is because ZZT is a legitimately good series of games, loved by many.  And the idea that they will be impossible to find in stores from now on means everyone who likes the series in the slightest wants to make sure they have a copy before they disappear.

[cool breeze]

ZZT2 is Raw Danger, no?

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

yes and its pretty good.

Disaster Report is very rough around the edges and hasn't held up as well over the years, but Raw Danger is a huge improvement.