eBay Offers New Insight into Classic Games

The gaming industry is always hunting for the next big thing, which often means looking to past trends for inspiration.  But gaining such insight into our history usually means analyzing game sales within the context of the traditional marketplace.  Today, that isn’t enough.  So in an attempt to recreate past hits with applicable data, video game marketers are turning their eyes to the rise and prevalence of eBay.

What makes eBay such a valuable resource for marketers is the 2 billion plus transactions that occur every year, making it the largest marketplace in the world.  As described by a Sony video games systems report, “eBay has over 220 million registered users, transacting more than $50 billion of business per year, and is growing. Therefore eBay sales data are statistically significant and representative, making it useful in determining industry specific trends.”

Classic games are of particular interest on eBay and can often exceed current game prices.  Analyzing such sales provides valuable insight into what gamers crave that contemporary games are failing to deliver.  Games such as Suikoden II, which itself often fetches over $100, offer a direct look into consumers’ desires that goes well beyond the realms of inherent nostalgia.

Loving affinity for past games is not always as clear as gameplay or graphics, but instead may be underlying storylines or intangible qualities that no marketer could ever quite grasp. I know I get that tingly feeling with Final Fantasy VII, despite its blocky graphics.