Given the massive popularity of video gaming and its long and proud history, it's hardly surprising that many rare games are fetching incredible prices when them come up for sale online. However, Bandai's 1987 NES title Stadium Events makes pretty much everything else look like chump change.
The title saw a very limited release alongside Bandai's Family Fun Fitness mat peripheral before Nintendo stepped in and snapped up the North American rights, rebranding the title World Class Track Meet and bundling it with the Power Pad. Practically every copy of Stadium Events was recalled, and as a result it's one of the rarest video games of all time, and copies have recently changed hands for more than $40,000.
That total could be eclipsed by another copy of the game which -- as well as being factory sealed -- has been graded by the Video Game Authority in Georgia for official grading, verification and authentication. The seller has stated that they used to work at Nintendo, and have had this sealed copy since the '80s.
At the time of writing the auction is already at $33,200 and has six days remaining. Are you tempted to remortgage the house and place a bid?
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[source ebay.com, via gonintendo.com, twitter.com]
Comments 46
This sale is going to set some records I think. Amazing to think that I truly feel like I saw one of these in the wild back when I was collecting in the 90's. Thought nothing of it back then!
bidded. im going to try and snipe this in the end.
I could buy this now, store it for ten years and then sell it on again for a vast profit.
Unfortunately I don't have $33K+ lying around.
How do you know this person is REALLY selling the item?
Madness 😜
Funny how I remember the original name better then the one Nintendo gave it. I actually don't remember that name at all.
The length collectors will go...
Man, I can't believe these scalpers buying up video games 25 years ago just to sell them and make a profit today. (/this is a joke/)
"Given the massive popularity of video gaming and its long and proud history, it's hardly surprising that many rare games are fetching incredible prices when them come up for sale online."
Actually it IS surprising. It's pure idiocy. Games are meant to be played, and it's a freakin' NES game. And not exactly the best example of gaming out there. There are systems I'd love to get my hands on to replace some of mine that have stopped working. But I can't, because the prices are artificially inflated by idiots who will never actually play the systems. They are no better than Wall St speculators. The fact that even recent limited editions, accessories and Amiibos are being scalped by bottom-feeding scum makes me long for better times in gaming and mourn the death of a hobby. It's all good old-fashioned avarice and stupidity.
They should put this on VC and price it for $20K by someone's logic in the forums.
@CTs_Lieutenant I hear that, brother.
@CTs_Lieutenant I hear that, brother.
@FritzFrapp
Yeah I remember being in college in 1997 and being able to buy shoe boxes full of NES/SNES games for $5 at garage sales, some even with boxes and manuals. Plus you could go to pawn shops and buy older games for like $2-$3 a piece, even games like RC PRO AM II and FINAL FANTASY III. Then eBay came along and ruined all of that! Of course, I did make a VERY nice haul over the years selling stuff. Plus my teenage son has nice collection of retro games and systems to experience and show off.
I've just been to the auction page, and played huge bid roulette, its fun, and scary at the same time ...... make a huge bid, and really hope someone out bids ya !
Seeing the prices these rare games go for is always fascinating to me.
@617Sqn So it was you who just pushed it up to $40,000? Folk like you are the ones who have ruined Ebay for others,bidding when you have no intention of paying.That immature bit of fun has probably lessened the sellers chances of getting paid by an actual genuine buyer.Get a life man!
@ZenTurtle Would you say the same about the Mona Lisa. There's only one of those. The point is is that its a piece of history. One that will not be reproduced.
@OorWullie ..... it's a laugh man! bit of a game, no one got hurt!
That's the problem with Ebay,idiots who have no intention of winning push the price up and even if they do win nothing really happens to them anyway as Ebay are so protective of the buyers,even when they have low feedback and the seller has loads.Chances are this will finish at a ridiculous price,manipulated by guys like him above and the winning bid wont pay.Then the seller has to go through the headache of waiting weeks to make a claim against the non paying bidder and not even be able to leave a negative feedback.Joke!
@617Sqn No man,it's not a joke.I used to have a very good thing going on ebay.Well over 1000 feedback,just under 100% Top Rated seller but then guys like you came along and ruined it for many!
I HAVE THAT GAME!, but it's not sealed
so dumb but i have rare game stuff so what can i say,
but to spend that much on a conversation piece is just wasteful.
I just wonder is how high this Ninflation of games is going to go. It might never stop but who knows. I've see many other collectibles bottom out and some times they die off to a small amount of people caring. Other times they come back stronger than ever.
.
But are they real bids?
Remember the 99k "Mario" NWC? High bidder didn't pay, claimed his 2-year-old used his account without permission.
60,000+ now. The unwashed masses can only look on with envy.
90,000 + i was watching the auction and it refreshed from 70,000 + to 90,000 + i was scared i did it my self lol!!! i predict it will hit 200,000 great finding. It would be fun if someon with enugh money to spare opened it and it had nothing insied or a duck hunt game lol
@elcheleivan
Insanity.
Sounds like a waste of money for a crappy game. Whatever floats your boat.
What a waste of money that could've gone to psychological counseling that the eventual winner sorely needs. Oh, and charity, I guess.
@BensonUii
a fan of mine i see
hmmm..... pay 35,000 for a crappy old video game, or buy a car, ps4 with all games i could want, a brand new TV, take my wife out....
Yeah I will take the crappy game.
@FritzFrapp, I know!! Hahaha.
I'd upload a screenshot of that Toxic Crusaders bid but I think that'd just give me a sanction XD
Hmmmm... It's already near $100k, I don't know if it's worth that much. There may be some troll bids in there.
@Jellitoe Don't forget it's a crappy game that you'll never open & play, else it'll devalue. Definitely the best choice now!
They're playing videogames the wrong way...
Rare or not, it's a game we already play thousands of times already. If you already play World Class Track Meet then you have already played Stadium Events just like if you have play Kirby's Avalanche then you have already played Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. Same thing if you play Pac-Man, then you have already play Tax-Man.
Also speaking of Tax-Man, it's funny that HAL Labs once made that Pac-Man clone and then generations later, one of their creator (Masahiro Sakurai) now got the real deal for Super Smash Bros. 4 3DS and Wii U.
$99,850 and rising!!!!
@TheAceofMystery It's still probably still worth some money.
The seller must be glad that an user with -1 of feedback got outbid... -1 feedback... Is that even possible?!
I'll take three!!!
I consider myself a gamer, not a collector. You need deep pockets these days to be a serious collector. Rare games such as this will only be played by me via emulation. But they WILL be played. That's the difference. Who spends five figures on a game just to look at it? Ridiculous.
Never underestimate human stupidity, particularly in this age of hedonistic purposelessness. People will do incredibly confounding things when they have no sense of purpose or responsibility to others than themselves.
This game doesn't even look like it's worth the AU$6.50 asking price that it would cost if this were to be released in the eShop.
There appears to have been a troll bid of $240,000 (which has since been retracted).
Shill City, here we come!
i really hope i win this.
buy what you like to buy.
thats the beauty of money. no one can tell you what to buy with yer own money.
Not sure why everyone is so salty this week, first amiibo, then smash, now this. Its their money, if they think they'll gain satisfaction from buying a collector's item for 35,000, let them.
It's currently pinned at $100,050. I smell some trollish shill bidding going on.
I'd rather have some nice arcade cabinets and pinball machines
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