GTA4 Release Raises Prices for Old GTA Games

A report by VideoGamePriceCharts finds that the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV appreciated the value of older games in the series.

VideoGamePriceCharts, a videogame price tracker and research site, has released a short report on the effect the newly released Grand Theft Auto IV has had on the price of the older games in the series for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox consoles.

Most GTA games since GTA3 for the PlayStation 2 across both platforms have seen a rise in value. Only the PS2 copies of San Andreas, Vice City and Vice City Stories have depreciated since GTA4's launch.

Console comparisons found that prices for the few GTA games (the Double Pack, San Andreas, and Trilogy pack) released on the Xbox have risen 18 percent from March to May. These same three titles for the PlayStation 2 have only increased in value by 10 percent, possibly because fewer copies of the Xbox versions were originally manufactured or sold.

For both systems, the limited edition Double and Triple packs featuring GTA3, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas increased in worth. Xbox owners must pay 18.2 percent more.

PlayStation 2 exclusives (the PSP ports and the original solo GTA3 and GTA: Vice City units) fared worse than the shared releases. Including these games with the PS2 group brought total appreciation for PS2 GTA games since March down to three percent.

Price history charts for the Grand Theft Auto games going back a number of months are included with the study. Data is aggregated from Amazon, eBay, Half.com and JJGames to determine each game's net value.