Game Rave TV Ep. 4 - Video Game Authority Debunking

What's the name of the beat at the beginning of this video?

Granted, the guy isn't the best person to be presenting the information. He just doesn't have the "presence". However, his info is solid! I collect comics and grading is important FOR COLLECTORS. Cases must be hermetically sealed for protection. With a vent!!?? Good call on the sneeze-guard....lol. Im not sure the industry is old enough for this type of grading/preservation. Theres enough copies of Atari 2600 games to satisfy the needy. For those few who have more money than they need and want decorations in their man-cave; i guess this is okay. The comic industry goes back to the 30's (a little farther but heres where it gets good, Superman, Batman, etc. etc. etc.); games start in earnest during '78-'79. I understand wanting to maximize your dollar for your old games. I'd like to get a couple hundred for my complete NES Final Fantasy, SNES FF II & FFIII. But they are open and I've played them. Anyhow, good job bro. Good video. Your layout was nice and stated the facts. On the downside: you appeared to beat on the case which looks bad when you argue the book was accidentally damaged (I know a proper case would still have protected the book but most people don't since most haven't seen a proper case), have some type of animation of points you're going to address (with summation at the end showing how you actually did), STOP APOLOGIZING, FUCK'EM if they cant accept the facts and try to contact VGA for feedback on thes points AND what your graded item. Surely such an AUTHORITY wouldn't want a product graded by them appearing in such damaged condition. Their case is supposed to protect from exactly what happened. Later bro

Maybe you could open that case with a reciprocating saw:-)

High grade video games that are graded by a qualified authority like VGA will always command a premium over a raw ungraded copy of the same game. Everyone knows that auction data is inconsistent due to lack of exposure in a limited time frame. In a fixed price market place you will see far more consistent results. VGA is tough on grades and to get an 85+ grade on any game is not easy. Your raw sealed copies sitting on the shelf get a little scuff, a little wear from being handled, a few fingerprints and there goes your chance. You sell it and ship it, the item gets banged around, dropped..guess what? It's not protected. The grade you say it is is just an opinion like anyone else. It's not made by a qualified professional so why would anyone give you VGA money for some game you bought at retail a few years ago? The professional grade is absolute & agreeable. It is highly unlikely there will be a mistake. Professionally graded video games are pinnacle of video game collecting, bottom line. It is more for the collector/investor than you may realize or accept and that's just the way it is. 

You have your milkshake, but are you drinking it?

Coming back to this video 10 months later, I still like VGA.
I don't really think people care too much about the price, more about the condition and casing. Like honestly, I wouldn't pay anything what so ever for a VGA game unless its the class Pokemon Games / Zelda Games.

VGA does charge wayy too much for grading, I was going to get some Alpha Sapphire / Omega Ruby Graded and it was more to grade the game than to buy it lol.
But the cases look nice.

I get the video, and I agree with a lot of it, but I disagree with the statement that all video games are meant to be played. Technically, yes, but if you had a mint NWC gold cart (only 26 exist), would you really want to plug it in and play it and wear on the conatacts?...

My conclusion after watching the video is that this guy does not get much vagina.

a video game if you buy it, you can download without paying for it the second time, that is not pirating der thus it is not useless when incased.

Really depends on the game. Batman Beyond...no. Magic Knight Rayearth on Sega Saturn....yes. Castlevania Dracula X on SNES....yes. Most games are meant to be played, but some are meant to be collected.

Masturbation for ego, you said it.

Vga is a scam.

I thought the video was spot on! I love collecting games and get that tingle when a rare game shows up (amazing tater for the Gameboy) for example. I managed to get hold of this week for such a cheap price it may make other collectors cry! Here's the thing, i want to play the game, touch the game, show people the game (if their hands are clean)! What use is it in a shite clear box to sit on a shelf and never be used. I store my games in the box protectors and they are great, and i keep all my carts separate and all my manuals separate. That way no need to keep opening the boxes to get the games and risk damaging the box and manuals. VGA is like "The Emperors new Clothes" (read the book)! They also say a fool and his money is easy parted. I just didn't realise how many morons have fell for this scam in the hope of scamming other buyers when they try and sell it on. Rant over!

400 guys are poor, 26 are rich ...easy as that :)

The main thing that annoys me about graded sealed games is the fact that the only thing they're really grading are the sealed wrapper and the box without any regards to the most important piece... the actual game inside. I have opened new games where the disc was scratched, the manuals (or other paperwork) have creases on them, or the Steelbook have scratches on them. These are defects from the factory. Grading the quality of the plastic seal and box are in no way a guarantee that the contents inside are of the same condition. I guess they're willing to overlook this because they will never see what's inside the box anyways.

If I were to ever pay thousands of dollars for a rare game with a specified condition, it is in my interest to inspect everything that comes with it... not just the wrapper and box.

just a funny observation. you said "first things first" a few times. lol

Grading old video games is fine but anything at fourth or fifth gen and over doesn't really need to be graded.

I'm a collector and I play what I collect. That's kind of the point of games, to play them. They aren't baseball cards or dolls. Second, anyone can put something in a hard plastic case and "grade" it. Games aren't jewelry or gold, there's no expertise in determining the quality and condition of a game, it's an opinion. There's no national or internationally recognized scientific or scholarly group, organization, association, council or board that governs the grading of video game material. It's a business that people pay into to feel prestigious about their stuff or that think it adds exorbitant value to stuff they sell.

these vggrader shit is fucking dumb, why do people make them, why do people buy them. Oh lets get a thing and seal it in a plastic box and sell it for 100x the price of what it's worth. it pisses me off, they are fucking everywhere on ebay. No! i will not pay £100 for a fucking old pokemon card sealed in a box.

I've seen a megaman 6 in a vga, it has been on ebay for 2 years+. i search ebay games every week or more, and it's always there. No one will buy that just stop!!

If i was a millionnaire, i would close the vga site, buy every vga, smash them out the fucking tombs and sell them properly to people who actually want them

I have zero interest in buying into the VGA bullshit! I agree with the PET box protectors for protecting games is enough imho. I store my box and manuals in them and keep my carts stored separately so i don't have to keep opening and damaging my boxes. My boxes stay in great condition and i haven't been over charged for the privilege!
I also don't need to be told how good the condition of my games are..........i know, i have eyes.

Bravo

Interesting view. I respect your opinion! I prefer to have one sealed game and one to play with :D then to get it graded and preserve the sealed one as long as possible.

Good video man.

Collect games, play, don't bother about all this shit, you wont grab your games with you when you are dead.

And you way on about someone grading batman beyond I've seen worst waverace for the GameCube lol

Glue holding the plastic wrap will wear down, from my own experience.. my GT1 japanese import sealed, which is 20 years old or somthing and kept perfect from day one.

how was it graded if it was opened? It says on their site they only grade sealed games. some graded games go for hundreds of dollars more than non graded. It didn't cost them hundreds to get it graded. When you show the sold ebay sales you don't show the ebay ratings off the sellers. The sellers ratings plays a huge factor in how much an item sells for, so obviously a worse seller is going to get a lower price. You also failed to mention how it's a pyramid scheme.

Firstly, I’m NOT butt hurt at all. But I look at it like this. CGC is a GREAT way to preserve comics. BGS is a GREAT way to preserve cards. That said, I feel like they were a GREAT help in those markets. Why? Simple your Near Mint card or comic may not be my Near Mint. So it puts to rest with a DEFINITIVE on what is Mint or not. Moving on to Video Games. Now I see it like this ONLY grade the sealed copies of a game or games you have more than one copy of. Never grade a game you intend to play. As I said it’s good to preserve your sealed games. But don’t buy games just to grade. Buy a copy to play, then buy a Sealed or CiB copy to grade. That way you have your playable copy & graded copy that years down the road will be worth money. In my case every graded comic & game & coins & paper money & cards I have will go to my kids when I’m dead & gone. Anyways that’s my 2 cents. I’m only man & I could be wrong.

As now in 2018 they DO sell for more in a case on ebay. Now idk crap about vga but they dont seem to be more transparent or anything than before wich is shady. Expertise of anything is a legit thing, now who is doing it is more important. Hopefully they hire more competent ppl than the one who sealed your metal gear lol

your a troll, its amazing how many people agree with you.

The frustrating thing is there is an appeal to buying a game factory sealed. It's the next best thing to building a time machine, buying it off the shelf, and getting that new game smell as you pop it in and poke through all the manuals it came with. And there's no shortage of phony, half-functional repro carts on eBay, so it would totally be useful to have some way to verify that the copy is legit and shows minimal signs of wear. I dare say I'd pay exponentially more for such a thing.

But no. They're sealed such that they can never be opened without severely damaging the very thing you paid top dollar to get in immaculate condition. They aren't even good for putting on a shelf, between the big honking VGA banner up top and the nagging realization that the cartridge/disc isn't even visible and may as well not be in there. The sole market for these is people who think they can turn them around in a year and sell them for even more. They're assigned value for its own sake, and every time a vintage game is rated, the world permanently loses something that's already in finite supply. And that's friggin' depressing.

Nonsensical jargon.
I collect sealed games and I also have games graded and sell them for profit.......and I do make profit on every VGA graded game I sell.
I totally agree that games are meant to be played.....but why on earth would I pay a $1000 for an old retro SEALED game and then open it and play it?......when I can purchase the same thing for $30 and play that copy? Hmmmmmmmm.
The VGA service provides a very good quality acrylic case that looks cool and also DOES protect your old sealed games from further shelf wear and damage.
I'm not sure why collectors are reprimanded for wanting a nice looking case around their game and wanting to protect it?? Wow!!
And no I do not work for VGA and here's the revelation...........if you do not want your old games graded and sealed...........DON'T HAVE THEM SEALED AND GRADED!? WOW!!!! :-)

you're full of shit and those that agree with you are Peons

Hi GameRave, what is your opinion of graded Pokemon and Magic The Gathering cards?

Your critique on game grading is even more relevant now with another company doing the same crap. Except this new company accepts loose games as well as sealed stuff. Hopefully the trend stays in its own niche market and doesn't impact the general gaming populace that just wants to play video games.

unfortunately the genie is out of the bottle regarding grading, alas the absolutely pathetic cases and the opaque grading values aren't worth a thing.

Want to see the beefiest video game store ever! 22 years we have been doing this and we have been in Montana and the world hasn’t discovered the amount of crisp ....it won’t disappoint!

How does one break into one of these vga cases? I bought a game that was graded, but, like any sane person, I want to play it: how do I extract the game without damaging the game?

Looks like this video didn’t age well LMFAO

they also graded a fake Pokémon Platinum 😆

Great video

High quality flash carts and Optical Drive Emulators poke a giant hole in the "games were meant to be played" argument for opening items that have miraculously survived 30+ years without being damaged/opened. Buy a loose game if your obsession demands it.

That Metal Gear guide book mess is totally inexcusable. Did you ever contact VGA and ask them to compensate you for damages resulting from the design of their crappy plastic insert?

Nice presentation, by the way. I suck at even basic editing, lol.

Well made video and sad that this didn't get more views back in the day.

Man, I hate how this video is 8 years old and it's still a thing! So frustrating! Video is good though. :) (Obviously not as good as your newer videos cause you've greatly improved since this one! )

Your rant on the case not being sealed is totally missing the point. You actually said it yourself, the slight opening at the bottom of the case is there to prevent the "sweating" effect like in a terrarium. In short, the case not being sealed is a feature, not a flaw.

I am 10 years late, but this is now one of my favorite videos of all time. Super informative and broken down perfectly. 100% agree with all of these points.

I would have loved to buy that MGS thing you had but I’m guessing you destroyed it lol. Idk why people hate graded games esp cos gaming is going all digital soon. Soon there won’t be grading at all cos there will be nothing to seal. People do this because the hobby in general is going through its final stage in physical form and want to preserve it forever in its original form.

I lmao at why in the hell did u grade Batman beyond. Are you insane?. I’m literally crying from laughing so hard