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Like retro toy collecting, retro game collecting is big business. In April 2020, an unopened copy of Super Mario Bros for the NES sold for an incredible $660,000. But what about the resale value of games released since the start of the new millennium? Are collectors as hungry for games released in the past 21 years on modern consoles as they are for games released in the 8, 16 and 32 bit eras?
Taking a list of the best-selling video games since 2000, we’ve analyzed game reviews from when each game was released, and used other sources to find the original cost. We’ve then compared this to the average price of the games now to find out the percentage increase.
Take a look at the games that have increased the most in value since their release.
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Sadly, out of the 40 top selling games from the past 21 years, just 7 are worth the same or more than the day they were released.
If you own an unopened copy of 2002’s Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald for the Game Boy Advance, you could be sitting on a huge profit. With an original price of approximately $55 a completed, boxed version of the game now sells for an average of $576, which is 942% higher than the original price. If you’re lucky enough to own an unopened copy, they can sell for as much as $822.
The second highest value game is another Pokémon game with Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum, which was released for the Nintendo DS. The original cost in 2006 was approximately $56, but a complete copy now sells for an average of $228, which is 306% higher than the original price
Pokémon games aren’t the only games that have grown in value. 2016’s Human Fall Flat had an original price of approximately $15, but a complete version of the game now sells for an average of $37, which is 144% higher than the original price. Similarly, on release Terraria was priced just $10, but is now worth 67% higher and sells for an average of $17.
In 2004 GTA: San Andreas on the PS2 and Xbox originally cost approximately $50, but if you have an unopened copy sitting in the bottom of a drawer somewhere you can expect to sell it for as much as $132.
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Losing the most value is FIFA 18, where the game is currently selling for an average price of $6. That’s a 90% decrease from its original sale price of approximately $66. Close behind are Borderlands 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Diablo III, which have each seen a 89% decrease in value from their original sale prices.
In fact, the best-selling games over the past 20 years that have lost value, have done so by an average of -57%. That means, unfortunately, if you’re sitting on a stockpile of old copies of FIFA or Call of Duty, you’re not going to be able to retire just yet.
Do you think you’ve got a video game that could be worth some money? It’s time to get searching around those attics, as some games could earn you a fortune!
