eBay auction for rare video game nears $100,000
17.01.2015 15:00
A rare video game has attracted a bid of $99,600 (£65,600) in an eBay auction.
The auction for the "factory sealed" 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System game called Stadium Events is due to end on Friday.
The seller claims its authenticity has been verified by a video game authority in the USA.
One expert said that, while the mooted price is surprising, there is a growing market for video game nostalgia.
"You don't see games going for that sort of price, it is very unusual - it would be a fanboy's experience, someone who is very much into gaming heritage," said Nick Parker, an analyst and former Nintendo and Sony employee.
Mr Parker, who now works for IHS Technology, said: "In an hobby or market, there will be someone who is prepared to pay to own a piece of history."
He added that video games have recently entered a period in which their earliest versions could legitimately be considered historical.
And that, he said, meant that ,"as the years rolled by, it was right to assume that games would have that nostalgia attached to them".
The game, made by Bandai, was listed in 2008 as one of the 25 rarest for Nintendo by Computer and Video Games.
The site reported that, although it was relatively common in the PAL region - which includes most of Europe - "Stadium Events is one of the NES's most collectable games in America".
It added: "Although it's a terribly average fitness game, its value is due to Bandai printing a test run of the game that was sold in Woolworths stores for a very short period before Nintendo bought the rights.
"Rumours suggest there are only 10 complete copies on the market, and even unboxed Stadium Events carts can sell for £400."
(BBC)
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