After a wild, wild summer, Playstation 2 game prices are finally kinda sorta starting to stabilize. The market will never be the same, but generally speaking, Playstation 2 Prices have Finished Exploding and the PS2 bubble seems to have popped.
The COVID-19 quarantine has had a profound impact on game prices. Titles for aging systems like Gamecube, Wii and of course Playstation 2 have seen major gains this year. I addressed this phenomenon at length in my article The Price of PS2 Games is Exploding. If you haven’t read it, I highly suggest you check that out first before you read this follow-up.
As people have gotten used to their new quarantine life (or have chosen to ignore it) or have started back to school (virtual or otherwise) and no longer have as much at-home free time to fill, the games market is responding. Prices are finally slowing down (mostly.)
In this article we’ll look at games that have plateaued and seem happy at their current pricing, games that are settling back to more reasonable (but still pretty high) prices, and those that are still exploding like a hot tub at a bean festival. Or something.
As usual, I’m getting my pricing trends from Pricecharting.com and from eBay itself, which time and again proves to be the most reliable and affordable way to get games. You can read my long-winded justification of that in my article about The Best Place to Buy Retro Games Online.
Oh, and um… on a related note: I dropped some affiliate links in this post. They’ll take you to eBay where, if you buy something, I’ll get a tiny commission to help keep this site in business and you get a free ride on the karma train. Choo choo!
Finally, let me say that I can’t read the future, and neither can Pricecharting. I’ve shared my best guesses of what I think these games could do in the market, but they’re all guesses okay? Educated guesses. But guesses nonetheless.
Alright, without further ado, let’s look at some game prices.
Prices Still Spiking
Def Jam: Fight for NY
Some games are still on an absolutely bonkers upswing, like Def Jam: Fight for NY, which has already tripled in price since the beginning of 2020, and shows no sign of letting up. If you want to get this one for your collection, time may be running out before the price gets even crazier. Here it is on eBay.
Kuon, of course
An even more extreme example is the already-ridiculously expensive Kuon, possibly the most valuable PS2 game in existence.
At the beginning of 2020, this thing was already selling for over $300 and today the price is still spiking upward. At this rate, it will be far beyond the $1,000 threshold before the end of the year. I’m not sure there’s a ceiling on the price of Kuon. Check out the eBay listings if you dare!
Prices are Dropping
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Others, like my personal favorite fighting game of all time, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, have settled down considerably since that last article. As of this writing, the average sale price (according to PriceCharting) has dropped by about $25 for a complete-in-box copy.
But given the high demand for that game (ever since it came out), I wouldn’t count on the price-drop continuing. If you need this one for your PS2 collection, this may be a good time to strike. Here it is on eBay.
God Hand
Ironically, I’d never even heard of God Hand until I saw it on Pricecharting’s Most Popular list.
Despite its alleged popularity, God Hand has been seeing a steep decline since it peaked in July, and the downward trend seems to be continuing at pace. If this “popular” title is one you’ve been looking for, it may be just about time to strike. Look for it here.
Prices Plateau
Silent Hill Series
Still more in-demand PS2 games, rather than climbing or falling, have settled into their prices and seem pretty content there for the moment.
The much-loved Silent Hill 3 fits this bill, with its price even declining a bit. Don’t get me wrong, the pricing for this is still more than double what it was before the pandemic. And I don’t anticipate the price dropping much lower than it is now.
Silent Hill 2 fell considerably last month, but has risen back to where it was at its peak. This could be a sign that the price will drop again, but there’s no way to really know. You can go check eBay and see what the price is doing today. It appears to be swinging wildly, so you might just get a good deal.
As the months and years pass, the Silent Hill series will continue to be in demand and prices will probably continue to rise. Especially for the PS2 and PS1 entries into the series, which fans still consider the best of the bunch.
Shadow Hearts
After a ridiculous rise throughout 2020, Shadow Hearts seems to have found its sweet spot. Strangely, complete-in-box copies of Shadow Hearts have skyrocketed in price, while loose discs are strangely stagnant. It’s normal for CIBs to increase proportionately faster than loose discs, but this rise is completely disproportionate.
The fact that the packaging is increasing in value, but the game itself is not, makes me wonder if this is being sought by collectors and completely overlooked by people that just want to play. If so, that could lead to even higher pricing spikes once casual gamers catch wind of this “hidden gem”. You may want to pick up Shadow Hearts before that happens.
Xenosaga Episode III
After one of the steepest rises of the year, Xenosaga 3 seems to finally have settled on a price. It’s still plenty expensive, and the average sale prices are tapering off ever so slightly which means it’s likely to plateau soon.
This game has enjoyed enormous popularity among avid JRPG fans and it’s good to see the price chill tf out for a few months. You’ll have to see eBay for current pricing, but it’s probably as cheap as it’s going to get anytime soon.
More Market Analysis
If you’re into this market analysis stuff, you should check out my Wii U and Playstation Vita article I wrote with JJ from Pricecharting. He’s a market guru and worth listening to.
I’ve also made a few predictions about the impending value PS3 games, which will start to increase as PS5 and the next gen of consoles rolls out. So get ahead of that train if you can, but prices are already rising! Go check out that article and see what’s hot!
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