September 17th, 2008
Ico’s value steadily rising
I was just checking eBay to see that a sealed copy of Ico (PS2) has skyrocketed in value recently. An auction just ended for $106.75, and there are several active BINs at just under $100.
My sealed copy came from a Sears clearance just at the very end of Ico’s shelf life for a cool $9.97 and it’s now one of the treasures of my collection. At the time, my friend had just introduced me to the game (months before Shadow of the Colossus’s release) and I was instantly enamored with it. I kept it because of a collector’s instinct that it was going to be a classic.
When I checked the value of a sealed copy a year ago, it was around $65.
Ico’s value has been rising steadily, nearly doubling over the past year. What’s most remarkable is that it seems to be gaining “classic” status on its own merit, through word of mouth on the ‘net. Although Sony’s media blitz for Shadow of the Colossus certainly turned a lot of people on to Ico, that was two years ago, and shouldn’t affect what happens in 2008.
(Chart taken from Videogamepricecharts.com)
Team ICO have already announced that they have a PS3 title in the works, although they’re keeping it under tight wraps until it’s ready. (Hit the link for a teaser screenshot.) I predict that Ico’s price will spike even higher once Team ICO’s PS3 title is out (barring a reprint or re-release, of course).