A Tale of Nostalgia and Inflation: The Rising Cost of Gaming's Golden Oldies

In the world of superfast digital innovation, it’s a strange accusation: that the industry of games, a $300 billion empire built on rapid invention and perpetual obsolescence, is trying to drive up the price and run out the supply of old video games. The irony of the last decade or so is that you can actually buy many more 50-year-old videogame programmes than you can 15-year-old ones. From the cult adventures of Deadpool or games starring Wolverine on boxy consoles of the mid-2000s to the rarer Xbox 360 or PS3 titles all but forgotten now, buying old video games is no longer just about old pixels. It’s also a window into the growing issues around the preservation and rights of games, as well as surprise deaths in the marketplace for digital storefronts.

The Growing Dilemma in Digital Storefronts

When the Xbox 360’s digital store finally begins to shut down, the repercussions for its physical counterparts will begin to radiate outwards. The gradual sunset of the Xbox 360’s digital marketplace will only add fuel to the raging fire of scarcity that is driving up prices and turning a hobbyist pastime – indeed, a niche developer’s dream – of hunting around second-hand stores or garage sales to furnish one’s shelves with a roster of titles that reflect one’s nostalgic fixations into something akin to a real-world stock market. Where all the shares are going up. The story here doesn’t end with the act of playing the games themselves – their physicality is merely a symptom. They’ve been overtaken by a licensing quicksand, one that extinguishes all hope of digital marriage and reconstitution after the market has finally gone dark.

Marvel’s Mighty Challenge

What started as a harmless crusade for Marvel completists is becoming a costly and calculated endeavour for the most dedicated fans. Captain America: Super Soldier, Thor: God of Thunder, or any of the other Marvel titles that would have originally been picked up for, say, 25 cents each at a garage sale are now worth hundreds of dollars. Scarce supply and growing demand, coupled with the licensing issue, pits fans against a seller’s market of overpriced product and limited stock.

The Quest for Game Preservation

A more fundamental problem lurks beneath all this cold cash: video game preservation. At their basic level, video games are cultural artifacts, fusions of art, storytelling and technology that, like art, film and music, exist in tangible and highly personal ways as expressions of their times. Yet, when the servers are switched off and the contracts cease, the gaming heritage is being lost to antiquity. Future generations will miss out on the joy, wonder and progress that games have brought.

The Impact of Licensing and Copyright

Licensing and copyright hold that ring-of-fire grip right at the core of the controversy over preservation by emulation. It’s a stark reminder that digital ownership isn’t as robust as you might suppose when a title like Deadpool vanishes from digital storefronts after its licences expire. Or the series of racing games under the Forza Horizon banner, which is artificially chained to identities like ‘Porsche’ or ‘Mercedes-Benz’, as a result of various automotive licences for cars no longer in production.

A Consumer’s Plea

For the average gamer, this combination of soaring prices and declining availability turns an enjoyable pastime into a challenging escapade. As price rises only benefit a small group of people, the rest of us can only look back fondly on the times when we could afford old favourites without having to spend a small fortune, or getting incredibly lucky.

The LG Excerpt

The Best Back to School Deals: A Glimmer of Hope?

Not all of the stories here are dark: we can still find value, but it will have to be of the 21st-century variety. The best deal I can find is on LG stuff – an LG 65-inch C3 OLED evo 4K TV is remarkably on sale. Buying this would remind us not just of how technology can continue to astonish, but that, with so much else becoming ever more expensive and scarce, there are a few remaining pockets of plenitude.

In Conclusion: The Fight for Gaming's Legacy

This story about the struggles to find and acquire classic games explains a larger debate about value, nostalgia and the work necessary to preserve games. As prices increase and availability plummets, it is incumbent upon a community that cares to preserve these cultural touchstones; on a creator that cherishes their legacy; and on a community of stakeholders who, through the means of games and the passion of their creators, made these games significant experiences that deserve a future.

About LG

With a history of innovation in the world of electronics and its leading positions in sectors including TVs, smartphones, appliances, air conditioners and more, LG Electronics’ influence in bringing quality entertainment into homes is vast. With accessories such as high-definition OLED TVs designed for a superior gaming experience, LG continues to shape the world of players, ensuring that the visuals track along with their journeys through gaming history. Whether by indirectly supporting game preservation via the continued development of superior hardware, or directly through a dialogue on accessibility, LG’s influence on the ecosystem is invaluable.