@KingMike That's right, people are free to rail against the perceived injustice of this transaction. And I am free to remark how that argument seems rather silly. The meaning of archeology is "the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains". (So the value of buried pottery isn't about the pottery itself, but the information it can convey about how people in ancient civilizations lived.) Applying that context to video games, what exactly is the valuable information that's being held from the masses with this game remaining in private ownership? The "official" English translation from a language spoken by over 120 million people? I'd guess that at least a few hundred thousand of those are as adept with English as whoever Square Enix hired; this isn't Sanskrit we're talking about here. If this kind of triviality is enough to prompt people to go <indianajones-thatbelongsinamuseum.gif>, well, I guess I don't have the capacity to care about video games to that same extent.
@PinballBuzzbro Your comparison of a hard-to-find but not wholly inaccessible video game to lost items of actual archeological value is hyperbolic, to say the least. Do you like it when randos tell you what to do with your possessions or your money?
The entitlement here is something to behold. Yes, this localized prototype not being publicly available is unfortunate for video game enthusiasts, but it's not like it's impossible to get the Japanese version (and SNES) if you wanted to play it that much. Maybe the seller needs the money for medical bills. Maybe the buyer has been saving up for years to get this. As long the transaction was done legitimately, there's not that much to get worked up about.
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Re: Dragon Quest SNES Prototype Worth $50,000 "Lost For Good"
@KingMike That's right, people are free to rail against the perceived injustice of this transaction. And I am free to remark how that argument seems rather silly.
The meaning of archeology is "the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains". (So the value of buried pottery isn't about the pottery itself, but the information it can convey about how people in ancient civilizations lived.) Applying that context to video games, what exactly is the valuable information that's being held from the masses with this game remaining in private ownership? The "official" English translation from a language spoken by over 120 million people? I'd guess that at least a few hundred thousand of those are as adept with English as whoever Square Enix hired; this isn't Sanskrit we're talking about here.
If this kind of triviality is enough to prompt people to go <indianajones-thatbelongsinamuseum.gif>, well, I guess I don't have the capacity to care about video games to that same extent.
Re: Dragon Quest SNES Prototype Worth $50,000 "Lost For Good"
@PinballBuzzbro Your comparison of a hard-to-find but not wholly inaccessible video game to lost items of actual archeological value is hyperbolic, to say the least.
Do you like it when randos tell you what to do with your possessions or your money?
Re: Dragon Quest SNES Prototype Worth $50,000 "Lost For Good"
The entitlement here is something to behold. Yes, this localized prototype not being publicly available is unfortunate for video game enthusiasts, but it's not like it's impossible to get the Japanese version (and SNES) if you wanted to play it that much. Maybe the seller needs the money for medical bills. Maybe the buyer has been saving up for years to get this. As long the transaction was done legitimately, there's not that much to get worked up about.