PixCollection

Video game collecting glossary

One listing says a game is “loose”, another “CIB PAL”, a third “sealed, Platinum reprint”: collecting jargon packs into a few letters what an item is worth. Here are the terms that come up most, from retro gaming to the current generation.

Loose

The game on its own: the cartridge or disc, with no box or manual. It is the most common and cheapest form of a retro game, especially for Nintendo cartridges, whose cardboard boxes rarely survived. For a console, “loose” means the system without its original box.

CIB Complete In Box

The game with its box and manual. Some collectors only call a game complete if it also has all its original paperwork (inserts, cards, posters). Between a loose copy and the same game CIB, the price can easily double, and far more for fragile boxes.

Sealed new, factory sealed

A game that has never been opened, still in its original wrap. It is the most sought-after and most expensive condition. Be careful: a game can be re-wrapped after the fact (“resealed”), and only a close look at the film, its seams and the packaging can tell.

Manual and inserts

The manual is the instruction booklet. Inserts are the other papers that came in the box: warranty card, catalogue, registration card, poster, stickers, cardboard or plastic tray. Whether they are there, and in what state, matters for a complete game.

PAL, NTSC-U, NTSC-J the region

The region a game or console was released in, named after the old TV standards. PAL covers Europe and Australia, NTSC-U North America, NTSC-J Japan. Within PAL, some editions are specific to one country, with a box and manual in French, German or another language.

On pre-flat-screen consoles, many PAL games run at 50 Hz, slightly slower than their 60 Hz NTSC version. The same game is not valued the same in every region: collectors usually look for the edition from their own country.

Region lock

Many consoles refuse games from another region, through the shape of the cartridge or an electronic lockout: a European Super Nintendo won't run a Japanese game without an adapter, a European 3DS won't start an American game. Other systems, such as the Game Boy line or the Switch, play games from every region. A “region-free” modded console has been altered to read them all.

Budget reprint Platinum, Player's Choice, Greatest Hits, Classics

A game re-released at a lower price after its success, recognisable by a special cover or banner: Platinum for European PlayStation games, Greatest Hits for American ones, Player's Choice for Nintendo systems in North America, Nintendo Selects, Classics on Xbox in Europe. The game is the same, but the reprint is usually worth less than the first edition.

Collector's edition limited, deluxe

An edition sold with extra items (figure, artbook, steelbook, soundtrack) or made in limited numbers. Its value depends heavily on having every item, which listings rarely spell out.

Black box

The first NES games, released in black boxes with pixel-art covers (Super Mario Bros., Excitebike, Duck Hunt…). Sought after in their own right, especially early printings.

Big box

The large cardboard boxes of 1980s and 1990s PC and home computer games, often packed with manuals, maps and feelies. Over the 2000s they gave way to DVD-sized cases.

Revision model, motherboard revision

Consoles often came in several versions: “Fat” and “Slim” models, Mega Drive Model 1 and Model 2, the original Game Boy, Pocket and Light. Within one model, the motherboard was revised too (its number is printed on it): picture or sound quality, compatibility and ease of modding change from one revision to the next, and some are more sought after.

Mod modded console

A modification made to a console or controller: RGB or HDMI video output, region unlocking, backlit screen on a handheld, new battery, replaced disc drive. A clean mod can raise the price of a console bought to play; for a collector after an original machine, it often lowers it.

Recap capacitor replacement

Replacing a console's capacitors, which degrade over time. Some systems are known for it, such as the Game Gear, whose sound and screen fade when its capacitors leak. A “recapped” console is usually advertised as such, as a sign it will last.

Repro reproduction

An unofficial copy of a cartridge, box or manual. Some are openly sold as such, others are passed off as originals. A repro is not worth an original: the label, shell, screws and board often give it away.

Full set

Owning every game released on a console, usually in one region (“PAL Game Boy full set”). A long-term goal, tracked console by console.

Market value price guide

The price an item actually trades for. A market value is given per completeness (loose, CIB, sealed), and is read from completed sales rather than from asking prices. See our guide: how to value a video game collection.

Grading graded game

The assessment of a game, usually a sealed one, by a specialist company that gives it a grade and seals it in a clear case. A practice borrowed from trading cards, mostly for the most sought-after sealed games.

Code in a box Game-Key Card

A retail box that holds only a download code, or a cartridge that only acts as a key: the game itself is downloaded. Switch 2 “Game-Key Cards” are the best-known example. For a physical game collector, it is not a complete game on its own media: it won't start without a connection, and may stop working the day the download servers close.

Always-online

A game that needs an internet connection to be played, even when bought in a box. The disc is then no guarantee the game will stay playable: once the servers shut down, it can no longer be used.

PixCollection records all of this for you. Every copy in your collection has its completeness (loose, CIB, sealed), the condition of its box and manual, its region and edition, and for consoles their model, revision and mods. The catalogue only keeps physical games that play without a connection.

Try PixCollection