Obviously, video game grading has become a bit of a hot-button issue in the retro community over the last few years, with fears spreading about inflated prices and market manipulation. But that seemingly hasn't put off Limited Run Games from partnering with a video game grading authority to auction off a SDCC exclusive Castlevania Anniversary Collection retro box for charity.
It's worth highlighting straight off the bat, that despite some of the kickback and subtweets we've seen, including from other publishers, Limited Run Games is not partnering with the controversial Watagames for this event but an entirely different company called Collectible Grading Authority, which has absolutely nothing to do with the former outfit. Also, in the words of Limited Run Games co-founder Josh Fairhurst, CGA "has never been part of any controversy" despite being in operation for over 14 years.
In case you're unfamiliar with the process of grading, it's essentially when you send off your games to a trusted authority for evaluation. They will then assign it a score based on its current condition and send it back to you in a case, allowing you to prove its authenticity and quality when you resell. However, as mentioned, there are concerns about how these games are graded and whether grading has a place in the retro community, to begin with.
The auction for the Castlevania Anniversary Collection retro box is now live, with the bidding up to $1234 as of writing. It will end in 4 days on Sunday 2nd October. What this means is, at the bare minimum, $1234 will go towards the children's research hospital St. Jude, to which Limited Run Games has decided to donate the auction's proceeds.
Depending on your view on grading, it might be a tough one to know what to feel, but we're glad that at the very least St. Jude will benefit. You can check out the incredible work they do over at their website.
What do you think of the news? Let us know in the comments!