RE4 Remake Collector's Edition is a Win For Resellers

News

By RC Staff

04 February 2023

Key Points:

• Collector’s Editions for Resident Evil 4’s 2023 Remake were put up for preorder on October 20 for $250, exclusively through GameStop

• Online stock sold out extremely quick, but it was possible to place an order at brick and mortar locations for around a week

• Fans who missed the preorder were willing to pay $400 to $500 for a Collector’s Edition

Item

Gaming

200

Profit

This is the difference between the sale price and resell price. It does not take into account any costs associated with reselling. Things like shipping, storage fees, if applicable.

Resident Evil 4 Remake Collectors Edition

The collector's edition of the 2023 remake of Resident Evil 4. It includes a number of collectibles, the centerpiece being a figure of Leon S. Kennedy.

Capcom’s legendary Resident Evil 4 is getting a remake, and fans are excited. Though slated for a March release, hype is strong, with trailers for the game racking up millions of views fast. On October 20, Capcom showed off the Collector’s Edition of the game, and opened up preorders the same day. By the end of the week, resellers were selling their preorders for nearly twice what they paid. While collector’s editions of video games tend to be risky, the RE4 Remake Collector’s Edition had something other games didn’t: a statue of Leon Kennedy.

What's in the RE4 Remake Collector's Edition?

First announced on October 20, 2022, the RE4 Remake Collector’s Edition includes the game, several collectibles, and distinct packaging. It was available for both PS4 and PS5, as well as next-gen Xbox consoles and a PC version.

Notably, Collector’s Editions include a miniature statue of the game’s protagonist, Leon Kennedy. This a long tradition for the Resident Evil series. Special or Collector’s Editions of Resident Evil games will include a figurine of the main character, and fans like to collect these. With eight mainline games and three remakes in a 24 year old franchise, that adds up to a lot of statues.

The Collector’s Edition for 2023’s RE4 Remake would be a little different though. For U.S. customers, Collector’s Editions would be sold exclusively through Gamestop. It also seems as though production was more limited compared to previous releases. These factors combined to make copies both harder to find, and more in demand.

How much does the RE4 Collector's Edition cost?

At $250, the Collector’s Edition for the RE4 Remake is more than four times than the price of the standard game. In addition to the statue, assorted collectibles, and artbook, the Collector’s edition also includes codes for in-game content.

Preorders for the Collector’s Edition opened just one hour after they were first announced, and sold out online in under 24 hours.

Why did the RE 4 Remake Collector's Edition resell?

After online preorders sold out, listings began appearing on eBay for Collector’s Editions. Considering how quickly stock disappeared, this may not seem terribly surprising. But even as consumers were turning to resellers for copies of the game, there were still thousands of Collector’s Editions available for sale at retail.

While online stock sold out in a day, it was possible to place a preorder at local GameStop locations. It’s unclear what the total stock available between online and in-person orders was, but there were a significant number of copies available at physical locations. Buyers reported being able to place an order for around four days after the sale went live.

The significant disparity between local and online sales was beneficial for resellers. For one, it provided an opportunity to buy up stock easily, with minimal competition. It also showed that there was a market for online purchasers.

If so much stock went unclaimed at local stores, it meant that collectors were unable, unwilling, or simply unaware of the possibility to buy in-person. After seeing how quickly the online stock disappeared, many may have given up on the possibility of buying a copy, assuming they had been beaten by other buyers.

In any case, when resellers arrived to the market with their preorders, fans who had missed the boat were willing to pay extra for a Collector’s Edition. Within a month of the preorders closing, aftermarket prices for the RE4 Remake Collector’s Editions had risen to around $450.

Many fans were expecting a restock of the Collector’s Editions. While this is generally uncommon, and undermines the exclusive nature of a special edition, a restock was still believed to be in the cards. By December, it was clear this would not be the case, and an uptick in sales can be seen.

With only a few weeks left until launch, it’s possible that the price for the RE4 Remake Collector’s edition may raise. Video games and collector’s editions tend to be risky, but are also influenced by the game’s reception. Both DOOM Eternal and Breath of the Wild saw dramatic increases in the value of their collector’s editions post-launch.

Considering Resident Evil 4’s influence on video game history and the impact it had on a generation of gamers, its 2023 remake is poised to be extremely successful. If that happens, prices for Collector’s Editions are likely to rise.

So, if you were able to pick up a copy of the RE4 Remake Collector’s Edition, and haven’t sold it yet; maybe you should hold it just a bit longer. Positive reviews and praise from fans will boost resell values immensely, but you’ll need to wait until launch for that to happen.

If you want to learn more about reselling video games, check out our other articles. We’ve covered several notable games from the past, and explore why one game is successful while others flop.