Indie/Limited/Obscure Physical Release Deals and Discussion Thread

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The Indie/Limited/Obscure Physical Release Thread
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Physical media may not be as popular as it was in years past, but that has not stopped it from finding success in more niche areas of the market. In fact, we're seeing so many physical releases, these days, that it has become difficult for even dedicated collectors to keep up with all of them. Many games, usually indie titles, are seeing releases with highly limited prints, regional exclusivity, retailer exclusivity or are simply appearing with little notification. The purpose of this thread is to identify, catalogue, discuss and post deals for these releases, in hopes of making information more accessible and supporting the medium.​
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FAQ

Q: tl;dr

A: There are probably games that were released physically that you don't know about. Find them here.

Q: What is the "master list"?

A: The master list is a catalogue of all the games that have been identified here that meet certain criteria that differentiates them from standard, mainstream releases. It offers information regarding regional exclusivity, retailer exclusivity, print quantities and more.

Q: What are the criteria? How do you decide which games make the list?

A: For the most part, these will be "smaller" titles that were originally released as digital-only but have been given a physical release. Some exceptions may apply, like if an indie game launches with a physical release, it will likely be listed. Another exception would see a larger title that was only released digitally, for whatever reason, get a limited physical release (example: if Limited Run Games did a print of Fatal Frame V.)

Generally if a game is, as the title says, indie, limited or obscure and has a physical release, you'll see in on the "master list."

Also, the game must be region-free or NTSC-U and in English (subtitles are valid).

Q: Region free or NTSC-U? Doesn't that mean the list is only valid for North American users?

A: This means that every game on the list will be playable on North American consoles, though a few games may have versions that are region-locked on a certain console (this will be noted). Most games are now region free, so if you aren't from the NTSC-U region, it's very likely that the game will work for you. Knowledge of which systems do and don't have region-locking should allow anyone to make use of this list.

Q: What about games for collectors who aren't in the NTSC-U (North American) region or own consoles that can play region-locked games?

A: There may be a separate tab for you guys down the line. One step at a time.

Pre-Orders/Upcoming Releases


Notable Publishers/Distributors

iam8bit

A retailer, located in California, that sells all sorts of limited edition video game merchandise. They occasionally publish physical, indie titles for the PS4.

Limited Run Games

Based in California, Limited Run Games is generally accepted as the company that started the modern trend of releasing physical games in limited quantities. Currently, they publish several games a month but have stated they intend to ramp down. Their games come with collectible, trading cards and are sometimes offered alongside soundtracks, collector's editions and other related merchandise. The two heads of the company are very active on different forums and regularly engage with the community. They currently publish games for the PS4, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch and occasionally the PC.

Play-Asia

Play-Asia is an established retailer located in Hong Kong. They are well known for offering a large variety of imported merchandise, including many games that have not seen western releases but have English subtitles. They've recently partnered with eastasiasoft to distribute exclusive and limited, physical releases. These games are often offered with collector's editions which are highly praised for their presentation, content and low prices.

Special Reserve Games

A company based in Texas, Special Reserve Games currently publishes games in limited quantities with no discernible schedule. Their games are frequently offered alongside collector's editions. They also collaborate with Limited Run Games to create variant covers for some of their titles, which are then sold via Limited Run Games' website. They currently publish for the PS4, PS Vita and PC.

Strictly Limited Games

Based in Germany, Strictly Limited Games seems to publish one title a month with varied but highly limited quantities. Collector's editions and soundtracks are sometimes offered alongside game releases. They've published games for the PS4 and PS Vita.

Super Rare Games

Located in London, these guys are relatively new to the limited game market. Similar to Limited Run Games, they include trading cards and stickers with their games. They publish only for the Nintendo Switch and intend to release one game a month.

 
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Yeah, SLG seems to have a lot of interest for the first batch, but significantly less for the second. Gundemoniums is the only one I can think of that sold out the second batch right away.
no Gundemoniums 2nd batch did not sell out right away it was still available a month latter

 
just got my collectors editions for Fox N Forests PS4 and Sayonara UmiharaKawase++ PS Vita from strictly limited games and man the quality is awesome a major step up from there last collectors edition they did 99 vidas and better then LRG collectors edition
You gonna up it up? Make a unboxing of it or take some pics!

 
It'll be interesting to see how long Hard Copy Games releases stay up. Their first one isn't particularly in demand (Aquatic Adventures of the Last Human) on March 8th. I want them to succeed, never one to put entrepreneurs down, but they're kind of a little late to the game. I'm hoping their next (unannounced) releases are a bit higher profile.

 
It'll be interesting to see how long Hard Copy Games releases stay up. Their first one isn't particularly in demand (Aquatic Adventures of the Last Human) on March 8th. I want them to succeed, never one to put entrepreneurs down, but they're kind of a little late to the game. I'm hoping their next (unannounced) releases are a bit higher profile.
Wow, so they finally got a release date for their first game? Took them what, about a year?

 
Wow, so they finally got a release date for their first game? Took them what, about a year?
Just a bit under a year. They setup their twitter account in Feb 2018 and announced Aquatic Adventure on March 28 2018.

Dispatch Games are also kind of struggling putting games out, not sure what's holding them back. Can't see this being such a great business plan. They absolutely need to announce more games, and release those they've promised/teased.

 
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Anyone willing to help me locate a sealed copy of Resident Evil Revelations Collection for the Switch?  Checked all around me in SoCal and nobody within 250 miles has one.  An independent store has one, but the case and artwork are damaged and this is somewhat of a gift.

Wish I had gotten a copy back when stores were sitting on them....damn lol

 
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Anyone willing to help me locate a sealed copy of Resident Evil Revelations Collection for the Switch? Checked all around me in SoCal and nobody within 250 miles has one. An independent store has one, but the case and artwork are damaged and this is somewhat of a gift.
Wish I had gotten a copy back when stores were sitting on them....damn lol
No GameStop's here have it, do you have brickseeks links
 
Has anyone heard if My Time at Portia is going to be a Gamestop exclusive (for the physical edition)? Gamestop seems to be the only place that has it for preorder.

 
Has anyone heard if My Time at Portia is going to be a Gamestop exclusive (for the physical edition)? Gamestop seems to be the only place that has it for preorder.
Doubt it. Gamefly has it listed and there is no firm release date, so I suspect other retailers will offer it close to release.

 
Doubt it. Gamefly has it listed and there is no firm release date, so I suspect other retailers will offer it close to release.
Gamefly is a rental company, not a dedicated retailer. Meaning, they could BUY copies from GameStop and have them available for rent.

 
GameStop is on borrowed time. I wouldn't expect that many more exclusives from them. This is what happens when a retailer goes too hard in the wrong direction, and is unable to effectively adapt to a changing market.

In many ways, the Switch is serving as the nail in GameStop's coffin. Kind of surprising, given Nintendo's traditional approach to digital publishing. They had dipped their toe in with the 3DS. And then with the Wii U they had gone heavier, with most titles available digitally at launch. But the Wii U didn't have the built-in memory it needed for a digital library, and didn't add proper hard drive support until later. Also, hardly anyone bought the Wii U, so it didn't really have much impact on the used game industry.

But the Switch has been digital-friendly from day one, and has actually been popular. The memory for the Switch was affordable and convenient when the system came out, and gets cheaper and cheaper every day. And the digital offerings on the Switch are affordable as well, get regular sales, and include a healthy number of quality indie titles. (which often never get a physical copy, especially not in GameStop) And the traditional Nintendo tax and GameStop's onerous pricing policies keep the price of physical Switch titles sky-high. Is it any wonder that digital has been doing well on the Switch?

GameStop failed to pivot when they had the chance. They should have never opened so many physical locations in the first place, and they should have started scaling back their physical locations long ago. Now the game publishers and developers are finally getting some karmic revenge on the entity that has been trying to bleed them for decades.

 
Gamefly is a rental company, not a dedicated retailer. Meaning, they could BUY copies from GameStop and have them available for rent.
Yes, but outside of LRG, they don't generally stock store exclusive games. It's why they are only now showing Paw Patrol on the Switch as being available next month (when other retailers are getting it) when it has been available from Walmart since last Fall. Similarly, they never had Bendy during the initial Gamestop release and only listed it for April after the most recent reprint. So, while I suppose there is some slim chance that Portia is GS exclusive, the signs don't point to it.

 
Yes, but outside of LRG, they don't generally stock store exclusive games. It's why they are only now showing Paw Patrol on the Switch as being available next month (when other retailers are getting it) when it has been available from Walmart since last Fall. Similarly, they never had Bendy during the initial Gamestop release and only listed it for April after the most recent reprint. So, while I suppose there is some slim chance that Portia is GS exclusive, the signs don't point to it.
Yep, but it also shouldn't be any indicator of releases anywhere. If I was looking to purchase Paw Patrol or Bendy and the Ink Machine, and was basing my information of either's release on a rental company and not an actual retailer, I'd be disappointed to find find out they had been released months earlier.

 
GameStop is on borrowed time.
No doubt.

It's funny over here because stores are falling apart and they don't spend any money on upkeep. Some locked drawers are broken or the front panels have fallen off, the computers are ancient, and plenty of fixtures are in disrepair.

Even more strange is one store at Ridgedale that has a brand new computer system and software compared to the ones from 15 years ago at all the other stores. Most fixtures and assemblies at the Mall of America flagship store are brand new too. But all of the other suburban stores are rotting and it's very apparent that whomever owns or controls them is not putting any money into them. This isn't even a new thing either, it's just now it's really starting to show.

I'd honestly be shocked if 1/3 to 1/2 of them aren't closed within the next 3 years.

But the Switch has been digital-friendly from day one, and has actually been popular.
I also agree that the Switch is digital-friendly. What's so strange about it is that I'm not sure what it is exactly. But I have less reservations buying digital games on Switch than I do with my other consoles. Maybe its the lackluster cases or the good advertising of discounts on Indies. It could have something to do with the presentation of the eShop. Nintendo maintaining high prices on retail shelf games definitely contributes to this feeling. It might also be the appeal of the console itself, even if I don't spend much time playing on it. But I've never been this likely to buy digital games on any other storefront before, and I don't even know why.

Regardless, Nintendo finally got something right in the sense that digital games are supposed to be cheaper and on sale more frequently than their physical counterparts in order to get people to shop online. Digital should be cheaper, and sales need to be advertised and be appealing.

They should have never opened so many physical locations in the first place, and they should have started scaling back their physical locations long ago. Now the game publishers and developers are finally getting some karmic revenge on the entity that has been trying to bleed them for decades.
Totally agree. GS overstepped their bounds.

 
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Yep, but it also shouldn't be any indicator of releases anywhere. If I was looking to purchase Paw Patrol or Bendy and the Ink Machine, and was basing my information of either's release on a rental company and not an actual retailer, I'd be disappointed to find find out they had been released months earlier.
You've missed the nuance, but I'll let you continue with your groundless speculation about why just because Gamestop is the only one to have it listed with a placeholder date that they are somehow getting an exclusive. Gamefly gets their data from distributor lists by the way and with the exception of the LRG games, their data is basically the same as the big distributors send out in their wholesale lists which is why they are a pretty good source for upcoming release info.

 
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Guys GameStop is clearly declaring bankruptcy and closing shop tomorrow morning, source: I made some shit up and my pro trade value is going down hill and I haven't been able to boomerang games to rip them off much recently
 
GameStop is on borrowed time. I wouldn't expect that many more exclusives from them. This is what happens when a retailer goes too hard in the wrong direction, and is unable to effectively adapt to a changing market.

In many ways, the Switch is serving as the nail in GameStop's coffin. Kind of surprising, given Nintendo's traditional approach to digital publishing. They had dipped their toe in with the 3DS. And then with the Wii U they had gone heavier, with most titles available digitally at launch. But the Wii U didn't have the built-in memory it needed for a digital library, and didn't add proper hard drive support until later. Also, hardly anyone bought the Wii U, so it didn't really have much impact on the used game industry.

But the Switch has been digital-friendly from day one, and has actually been popular. The memory for the Switch was affordable and convenient when the system came out, and gets cheaper and cheaper every day. And the digital offerings on the Switch are affordable as well, get regular sales, and include a healthy number of quality indie titles. (which often never get a physical copy, especially not in GameStop) And the traditional Nintendo tax and GameStop's onerous pricing policies keep the price of physical Switch titles sky-high. Is it any wonder that digital has been doing well on the Switch?

GameStop failed to pivot when they had the chance. They should have never opened so many physical locations in the first place, and they should have started scaling back their physical locations long ago. Now the game publishers and developers are finally getting some karmic revenge on the entity that has been trying to bleed them for decades.
Sad to see, really. Gamestop is, strangely enough, the last real line for physical retail games. Targets and Best Buys have already substantially scaled back their retail game offerings (and have smartly moved lesser known titles only through their online stores), and with the exception of the AAA games, clearly are not restocking/reordering games when they sell out. It's the reason why all of us are seeing fewer and fewer games sitting in the clearance aisles.

I'm one of those physical-media only types (yeah I know). Will never buy digital games. I try to pick up definitive/director's cut editions whenever possible, and have/will always support those publishers, at least until it's no longer worth it for them (or I just lose interest in gaming, whichever happens first). However, I perfectly understand why consumers are moving in that direction, albeit I had hoped more people would have taken issue with trading in ownership for convenience (and let's face it, publishers have been wanting to kill Gamestop for years - and they've been doing their damndest this generation ... all those games that have DLC, season passes, codes to get the last chapter, or game collections that only have half of the titles on there, with the rest for download -- all ways designed to alter consumer behavior and expectations -- and well, they're working).

I've mentioned here before that I have no illusions about where the gaming industry is headed. It happened to PC games years ago, so it was only a matter of time.

Of course, I'm not suggesting Gamestop's demise will mean the end of physical games. It will probably mean that those of us who want physical discs/cartridges will be paying larger and larger premiums for them, or at least until those like me abandon the market.

I'll miss Gamestop. People like to hate on them, but for gamers like me, I'm thankful that their presence helped to delay the publishers' push towards digital sales.

 
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Sad to see, really. Gamestop is, strangely enough, the last real line for physical retail games. Targets and Best Buys have already substantially scaled back their retail game offerings (and have smartly moved lesser known titles only through their online stores), and with the exception of the AAA games, clearly are not restocking/reordering games when they sell out. It's the reason why all of us are seeing fewer and fewer games sitting in the clearance aisles.
I've seen that with Target, but definitely not the Best Buys in my area. Just yesterday I picked up the Best Buy exclusive "Child of Light/Valiant Hearts" release in store. They buy LRG games and stock them in store. I don't know how much longer this will go on, but I've been surprised they have anyone that even cares to pick up these indie releases and send them to stores. My Best Buys seem to stock almost every single new physical release that comes out. Ok, at one they can go weeks without making it to an actual store shelf (the "How to Train Your Dragon" tie in game has yet to make it to the shelf, which kind of defeats the purpose of it's existence), but they do sit in a cage at the front of the store (which is where I have to send them to look 90% of the time). I don't know if their primary purpose is to fulfill store pickup orders or if these stores just aren't in a rush to get product to the shelves.

I have a Target that is undergoing a huge remodel and currently the media and games sections are barely there.

 
It can depend on location. My BB has such a scaled back game section that I literally don’t go in to browse because there’s rarely a selection.
 
Looks like N.E.R.O.: Nothing Ever Remains Obscure for the Playstation 4 is getting a reprint from Soedesco, release date is 05/31/2019.

 
No doubt.

It's funny over here because stores are falling apart and they don't spend any money on upkeep. Some locked drawers are broken or the front panels have fallen off, the computers are ancient, and plenty of fixtures are in disrepair.

Even more strange is one store at Ridgedale that has a brand new computer system and software compared to the ones from 15 years ago at all the other stores. Most fixtures and assemblies at the Mall of America flagship store are brand new too. But all of the other suburban stores are rotting and it's very apparent that whomever owns or controls them is not putting any money into them. This isn't even a new thing either, it's just now it's really starting to show.

I'd honestly be shocked if 1/3 to 1/2 of them aren't closed within the next 3 years.

I also agree that the Switch is digital-friendly. What's so strange about it is that I'm not sure what it is exactly. But I have less reservations buying digital games on Switch than I do with my other consoles. Maybe its the lackluster cases or the good advertising of discounts on Indies. It could have something to do with the presentation of the eShop. Nintendo maintaining high prices on retail shelf games definitely contributes to this feeling. It might also be the appeal of the console itself, even if I don't spend much time playing on it. But I've never been this likely to buy digital games on any other storefront before, and I don't even know why.

Regardless, Nintendo finally got something right in the sense that digital games are supposed to be cheaper and on sale more frequently than their physical counterparts in order to get people to shop online. Digital should be cheaper, and sales need to be advertised and be appealing.

Totally agree. GS overstepped their bounds.
The Ridgedale location is my primary store that I go to, most employees I've encountered there have been great and not too pushy about preorders and the usual stuff people tend to complain about.

For some reason, not sure if it was or it changed, I had thought any digital purchases on Switch were tied to the system and not the Nintendo account, which is why I haven't bought anything digitally so far. I guess that is not the case, it is tied to your account.

https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22317/~/digital-game-purchases-on-nintendo-switch

 
Looks like N.E.R.O.: Nothing Ever Remains Obscure for the Playstation 4 is getting a reprint from Soedesco, release date is 05/31/2019.
With that name, should have realized it was only a matter of time. Big news though. Has Sodesco ever done reprints before? What might this mean for their other hard to find titles? Been looking for a copy of Toki Tori forever.
 
Next Play Exclusive is Pato Box $34.99 on March 7th. Limited to 1,500 copies

Collectors edition only no standard copy available.

Box contents

  • Pato Box Collector’s Box
  • Pato Box Game (region free)
  • Pato Box Manual
  • Pato Box 2CD Original Soundtrack
  • Pato Box Boxing Champion Numbered Certificate

[attachment=31914:pato-box-limited-edition-586479.28.jpg]

This is a game I kickstartered for Vita but I have not had the time to add it to my playlist as of yet.

There will also be a Switch release.
$39.99 Collectors (2,000 Copies) and $29.99 for standard (3,000 Copies)

Same contents as above.

 
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thats cheap. i wish LRG sells for that much with goodies like that. $32 shipped after coupon. cant beat that.
Yeah, that's been a topic of discussion pretty much for as long as Play-Asia has been offering their Play Exclusive line up of games. It's probably the main reason why I stop buying the LRG CE pretty early on, as the value just wasn't there for most offerings. Now that's not to say LRG CE didn't have decent offerings from time to time, but the exclusives along side the LRG standard offerings, it's no contest.

One standard game and shipping from LRG is about $30, and as stated, the exclusives from PA is about $32 shipped, and you get cool extras that are nice, without paying an insane premium. And while the PA exclusives all aren't the same exact size(box wise), they are all pretty close, and display nice on a shelf. Those PC style boxes LRG offers are just the worst, as most things move in the box, and they take up way to much space, and for what?

 
My Time At Portia can now be preordered at Best Buy, plus they added the Switch version.  Even better, the Switch version is currently $29.99, which is $10 cheaper than what Gamestop has it for ($39.99).  I'm currently not sure if Gamestop has it priced too much or BB has it priced too cheap.  I went ahead and placed a preorder with BB in case it is indeed a price mistake (plus I still have GCU).

My Time at Portia (PS4) - $29.99

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/my-time-at-portia-playstation-4/6332207.p?skuId=6332207

My Time at Portia (Switch) - $29.99

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/my-time-at-portia-nintendo-switch/6332208.p?skuId=6332208

 
Thanks for the heads up, went ahead and secured a Switch pre-order too. Better safe than sorry.
My Time At Portia can now be preordered at Best Buy, plus they added the Switch version. Even better, the Switch version is currently $29.99, which is $10 cheaper than what Gamestop has it for ($39.99). I'm currently not sure if Gamestop has it priced too much or BB has it priced too cheap. I went ahead and placed a preorder with BB in case it is indeed a price mistake (plus I still have GCU).

My Time at Portia (PS4) - $29.99
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/my-time-at-portia-playstation-4/6332207.p?skuId=6332207

My Time at Portia (Switch) - $29.99
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/my-time-at-portia-nintendo-switch/6332208.p?skuId=6332208
 
Yep, Switch version of My Time At Portia was changed to $39.99.  Lucky I locked in a price at $23.99.

While browsing the Bull Moose upcoming video game page I noticed a couple interesting things:

Bendy and the Ink Machine appears to be getting a regular retail release on 4/9/19 as Bull Moose has listings for the Switch, PS4, and XB1 versions to come out then.  Looks like it will no longer be a Gamestop-exclusive.

Switch version - $28.97

https://www.bullmoose.com/p/29171960/nintendo-switch-bendy-the-ink-machine

A Trine Collection (Trine, Trine 2, Trine 3, Trine 4) is listed as coming out in late September for PS4 and XB1.  If you can recall, Switch owners are getting a Gamestop exclusive physical release of Trine 1 - 3 (for $39.99) and I believe Trine 4 is getting a standard retail release at $39.99.

PS4 version of Trine Ultimate Collection - $45.97

https://www.bullmoose.com/p/29261955/ps4-trine-ultimate-collection

 
All copies of Darius soldout on PlayAsia. Both CE and standard. I feel this may become a hard to find game/collection for the Switch.
 
All copies of Darius soldout on PlayAsia. Both CE and standard. I feel this may become a hard to find game/collection for the Switch.
If I'm not mistaken, the CE has been sold out for months. I ended up using another importer to pre-order mine, as PA was already sold out of it several months ago. It comes with additional games, so I get why people would want it--only reason I went for it, too.

 
I went with the standard edition because Gaiden is one of the best shooters ever. The overall CE package is nice but I find it scummy they withheld several home ports to entice people to spent $150.
 
Didnt realize that the standard of Darius only had those 4 games compared to the CE. Glad I waited and missed out on the standard now.
 
Just a reminder that Hard Copy Games first release The Aquatic Adventures of the Last Human is supposed to go up for sale at 1pm EST today.  $24.99 with $5.55 shipping (to continental US) and the games should be shipped within 2 days according to their Twitter.

Meanwhile I'm still waiting on my 4 LRG orders that were "shipped" on 2/21 to actually move.

 
Is Battle Princess Madelyn going to get a NA release or is the Asian version the only one that will be physical? Anyone know???
 
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