Get these 5 PS3 Games While They’re Still Cheap (ish)

If you don’t already have these games in your PS3 collection, it might be your last chance to get a good deal.

Welcome, dear reader, to another collection post. The response we’ve gotten on these has been great so far, and hopefully this one doesn’t disappoint. If you missed the last few game collecting articles, you might want to read these and get caught up:

The Price of PS2 Games is Exploding

It may be more accurate to say PS2 prices have already exploded, though. It may be too late to build a cost-effective PS2 collection. That article outlines some of the biggest gainers for PS2.

Wii-U and PS Vita Games may be the Next to Skyrocket

This article expands on the idea of how a new console generation affects the pricing of games for the previous gen, and covers some Wii-U and Vita games that could see huge leaps.

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PS3 Games to Collect Now (These aren’t all.)

5 PS3 Games to Collect Now

This was my last collecting article, and you can consider this article a sequel. This is more like 5 More PS3 Games to Collect Now, as I’ve had time to do a bit more research into what I believe will be the next wave of expensive old games.

How can I tell what PS3 games will go up in value?

In the last PS3 collection post, I go over this in some detail. If you’re curious how I arrived at some of these predictions, I strongly suggest you check out that article.

But what it boils down to is this: A game’s pricing over time (it’s pricing curve) is a strong determinant for how much the game will ultimately trade for.

To find pricing curves, I rely on PriceCharting.com, and I stand by its efficacy. The owner (good ‘ol JJ) is an expert on games prices and was my interview subject in the Wii-U/Vita article. I’ve consulted with him for collecting wisdom a few times and he’s proven to also be a very nice guy.

Basically, PriceCharting tracks sales of video games, records the sale price and other data, and stores it. The website’s interface allows users to access that info in all sorts of ways (there are other cool features like an eBay sniper too that may interest you).

For the purpose of pricing and prediction, it’s fairly straightforward to look at the graph of a game over time and see the difference between a game that will get expensive, and a game that will not.

Pricing Curve Examples

Let’s take a moment to look at some chart examples.

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Halo 3

Halo 3–and most non-Nintendo 1st-party games–is a great example of what happens when supply outstrips demand. Microsoft wants to make sure there are plenty of copies of their flagship series for everyone whether they want it or not. The result is a rapid decline in the value of the game, and no rise.

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The Simpsons Game, PS3

The Simpsons Game for PS3 curve looks quite different. Perhaps the publisher (like me) expected the game to flop pretty hard. But The Simpsons’ games tend to do better than a lot of animated series’ video games, and this graph shows a much shallower curve than Halo 3.

We see that, like any new release, The Simpsons hit bottom after a few years of release. But unlike Halo 3, The Simpsons holds its value a bit better, never even diving into single-digit pricing. And then it began its gradual rise in value, all the way to its current spike.

The graphs we’re seeing here are for loose copies. Pricecharting doesn’t seem to have as much data for CiB (complete in box) pricing, but when we look at the CiB prices, we see the cost fluctuations are much more exaggerated, with value averaging about 50% more than loose copies.

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The Simpsons with CiB value in black.

So there you have it. Like I said earlier, there’s a bit of a formula to (try to) determine whether games will increase in value or not, and you can explore that rabbit hole pretty deep.

Here are a few general points to keep in mind:

  1. You can never be completely sure if a game will/won’t increase in value. Weird stuff happens, a show gets rebooted and the game based on it from 10 years ago spikes. Stuff like that. You just never know.
  2. I am only guessing at what games could increase in value. I don’t know any more than you, and Pricecharting can only tell us so much. So take these articles as opinions and nothing more.
  3. Most games will rise in value, it’s just a matter of how much, how fast. Not all, of course. But over the years, these games will get more and more rare, so yes, they will appreciate.

And if you’re new to collecting, you should really check out the Ghetto Guide to Collecting Retro Games. It’s a beefy post with pretty much all the info you need to start collecting the right way.

Where to Buy Old Video Games

Heh heh, well… Since you’re “asking,” let me tell you, I wrote an entire post about Where to Buy Retro Games Online and you do have a few reputable choices. But your best bet, price-wise, is usually going to be eBay.

I love (am addicted to) eBay and I buy tons of crap on it. I’m also an affiliate and if you click the links on this post, any money you spend there will help this site. So thanks for that!

Let’s look at these PS3 games already!

Right, let’s get on with the games. One more note, though:

None of these suggestions are based on gameplay at all. In fact, I’ve hardly played any of these. My predictions here are based strictly on reading the value curve of these games, along with supplementary research to see how many copies were printed, how well they sold and that sort of thing. If your favorite game isn’t here, or if there’s one you think has potential, leave a comment on the post and I’ll investigate it.

Now, let’s get started.

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It’s so yellow and exciting!

The Simpsons Game, PS3

I already showed you the graph for this one, so you should recognize its potential value.

The Simpsons have been around since I was a kid, and while their journey to 2020 hasn’t been without its low points, the franchise still holds up well, and the nostalgia is really, really real. I have yet to play this game myself, but already ordered a copy and am waiting on the postal system to do its thing.

From gameplay I’ve watched, however, this looks like a lot of fun and really faithful to the show, so fans will certainly be into it. I’m glad I found a copy now, because I expect this one to keep rising.

Here it is on eBay.

PS3 games to collect now - Saw II
I’m not sure I have the stomach for this kind of stuff any more.

Saw II: Flesh & Blood

While the story sounds interesting, if cliche, the reviews on this game were just awful. Game Informer said that the game “doesn’t just take a step backwards from the first game – it performs a reverse swan dive off a balcony into a swimming pool filled with Razorblades” [Ripped from Wikipedia].

And yet, the chart for this is going crazy.

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Saw II: Flesh & Blood

In fact, it seems that the horror survival genre (except The Evil Within, so far) has a tendency to become more valuable over time. The Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Clocktower, Evil Dead, and other horror survival franchises all exhibit signs of immortality on the pricing charts.

For Silent Hill and Resident Evil, this makes sense. People really enjoy those games. And despite the way critics blasted Saw II, there is a small but mighty cult following for it. Best guess is that production was cut short due to terrible reviews, and as the legend of the game grows, so does fan curiosity.

Anyway, if you want this one, you should get it while you can. The chart is going nuts.

Saw II: Flesh & Blood on eBay

PS3 Games that will get expensive: Time Crisis Razing Storm

Time Crisis: Razing Storm

I’m not completely convinced on this one, but this is definitely a title to watch.

The rail-shooter genre is criminally underrepresented in console games. While the fun factor definitely takes a hit when you move gun games from the arcade into the home, they’re still a really good time, especially with a friend.

Time Crisis in particular has been an amazingly successful arcade series and this PS3 entry is a compilation of 3 rail shooters, including Time Crisis 4, Razing Storm and Deadstorm Pirates. Pretty good deal.

Besides the game itself, official Playstation Move gun controllers are surprisingly difficult to find. Like the Rock Band series, collectors probably want to hold onto their game+hardware collections, or find them now before prices get any higher.

You can see for yourself how the price of Time Crisis: Razing Storm is doing. It’s been quite volatile over the last few months, but hasn’t shown a definitive pattern yet. It could get expensive or not, but Time Crisis is a great series, so it’s not a bad one to pick up now regardless.

Get Time Crisis: Razing Storm on eBay

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Puppeteer

Since my last PS3 article, Puppeteer fans have suggested that it could be the next Conkers. So we did our diligence on this game to see what’s up.

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Puppeteer is a maaaaaybe.

The thing about Puppeteer is that it was a PS3 exclusive, which is usually a good sign for the future price of a game. The publisher had high hopes for it, but it never quite took off. By most accounts, it’s a great game. But just not that popular.

That said, the chart is showing some growth. But not much. And the fact that a complete copy is trading so close to a loose one implies a lack of interest for collectors. But Puppeteer is so affordable that there’s really no reason not to pick it up. It probably won’t make you rich, but it seems fun to play.

Besides, if Puppeteer II comes out for Playstation 5 and is a big hit, the original could become a serious collectors item. You never know. As of this writing, you can get a brand new, sealed copy for $24.99 on eBay. Might as well grab it while it’s dirt cheap.

Get Puppeteer on eBay

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The Godfather: The Don’s Edition

Check out the graph for The Godfather: The Don’s Edition

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The Godfather: The Don’s Edition – What the hell happened?

This game hasn’t done a whole lot over the last 12 years, but as you can see, the COVID spike at the end has doubled the price!

We’ve already seen that pretty much every video game has jumped in price this year due to the pandemic. But few have seen a spike like this one. My instinct tells me that the price will slouch a bit after things go back to normal, but whenever I see a spike like this, it seems to imply that there is a market for this game and people want to own it.

Think of these COVID spikes as a preview for what game prices could be doing organically over the next console generation.

Get The Godfather: The Don’s Edition on eBay

It’s also entirely possible that price-raises are mostly a one-way street and if you don’t grab these now, they’re going to be priced absurdly high. There’s no way to tell, and you can’t let FOMO tell you how to spend your money.

So with all that in mind, go collect carefully. Use your brain and use the resources on GhettoGamer.net and at Pricecharting.com. And remember: You’re not likely to get rich investing in video games. But if you want to have these in your collection, it’s smarter to get them before prices go crazy.

Thanks for reading. For convenience, I’ll go ahead and recap the list from this article and from the previous PS3 article. Enjoy.

PS3 Games to Collect Before Prices Go Crazy

Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir

Silent Hill: Downpour

Silent Hill: Homecoming

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Limited Edition

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

3D Dot Game Heroes (My personal bet for a big gainer.)

Splatterhouse

The Simpsons: The Game

Saw II: Flesh & Blood

Time Crisis: Razing Storm

Puppeteer

The Godfather: The Don’s Edition

 

One response to “Get these 5 PS3 Games While They’re Still Cheap (ish)”

  1. Played all those games . Simpsons is Crappy. all those games are “Crap” in my “PERSONAL” opinion.

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