Ebay seller mazoku has a ton of great promo pins up for grabs. Each auction began with very low bids. Pins are a category of collecting all it’s own and is often overlooked. I think they’re great when they are hand outs to promote a game before it’s release because it’s a cool look at the past. So, take a close look here today pin collectors. You may find something you want which has been mixed in with a bunch of unrelated pins.

Final Fantasy VI Pin - Very classy pin here. They didn’t clutter it up with the title or anything. You can be sure the final bid on this pin will be quite high.

Sega Pins - Here’s a nice selection of Sega pins. There’s a couple Saturn pins, Sega Sports, Dreamcast, and a few Sonic pins. 11 pins in this auction.

Working Designs Pins - They may not be very well known in North America, but Working Designs had some great games. 6 pins here.

Virtual Boy Pin - Here’s a sad reminder of the disappointing days of Virtual Boy.

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Pin - This pin shows up on eBay often and I’m sure we listed it more than a few times. The auctions that never sold had this pin up for a crazy buy now amount. This pin however is taking bids.

Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask Pin - You can tell at first glance that this pin was made out of plastic or rubber. I prefer metal pins, but hey… it still looks good.

10 Mixed Pins - This auction for 10 pins has a bit of everything including 3DO, Sonic, Mega Man X, and Atari Jaguar. The one that stands out the most to me is the Pac-Man pin.

Mortal Kombat, Area 51, and Sports Pins - Not sure why such a nice Mortal Kombat pin was mixed in with a bunch of sports pins. Still, it’s only a few bucks if everyone else keeps away from this auction.

Playstation Pins - Hey check that out. One of the four pins is a Playsation VIP pin. Try putting that on and walk around a Sony booth at a convention answering questions and taking interviews lol.

Mario and Wario Pins - These are some great early pins. Mario is Missing? Hmm, there can’t be too many of those out there.

Nintendo Gamecube Pin - It looks to me like this is a very cheap quality of metal, but it’s very clean and in great shape.

Capcom Pins - Here’s a mix of Mega Man and Street Fighter pins. 8 pins in total.

Good morning VGA readers. Like always we have some cool auctions for showcasing today. The one that interests me the most is obviously the signed Final Fantasy VII copy by Uematsu but the price is high. Let us begin:

First auction is for a Final Fantasy VII copy signed by Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of the music for the Final Fantasy series. The autograph is loud and clear, and definitely legit, but is it worth the price tag? Well if I had a spare $1k I would bid on it for sure. This was signed at the Distant Worlds in Vancouver 2011.

Other Video Game Auctions:

- Philips cd-i 602 development console white -This is a Philips development console, it’s not often that you’ll find one or that one shows up on eBay. A CD-i fan must be going crazy now with this, and there’s one day left with 3 bids only!

- Microsoft Halo Store Display 3d Poster Statue Master Chief – This is just totally awesome, it’s not too big, it’s not too small, it’s just the right size to have. It’s a very rare and unique promotional item for Halo. I would have bought this in a heart beat, even if shipping was $300, but it is only pick up.

- MegaMan Legends 3 Promo Poster 2011 E3 – Exclusively sent to members of the press and VIP’s to promote the upcoming game. You were qualified to get this poster only if you were a registered E3 2011 VIR.

- Titan Quest Minotaur Statue – Professionally hand painted by OxMox studios is quite a gem, extremely rare and has been on display at various trade shows. I cannot believe there are no bids on this.

- Insomniac Games Charity Auction – This is a  signed Resistance 3 Olly Moss Poster.his hand-framed masterpiece off and give all the proceeds to Big Brothers Big Sisters.This is a special opportunity to own a piece of Insomniac history while also supporting a worthy cause.

- Grand Theft Auto IV Replica Key – This key was an award given to the first hundred or so people who got 100% completion within 7 days. It is a rare collectible but is it worth what it is currently priced at?

- Microsoft XBOX Development System – I know there is a solid market for consoles and development units and this is one on that list of desired consoles of course. I think it’s fairly priced yet no one has bought it.

- Counter-Strike Condition Zero – By Valve these cards are part of the promotional line from the game which it didn’t have many to begin with. Counter Strike will always be a shooter classic. Cool cards at $.99 it’s a steal.

- Sonic the Hedgehog figure Japan Sonic – I don’t know too much about this statue other then it’s a rare Sonic statue from Japan. It does have some damage behind the legs. Ask questions before bidding. Is it me or does it look creepy?

For those who may not know, Ted Peterson began the Elder Scrolls series with Elder Scrolls: Arena and helped the series become what it is today. His writing gave the world and history of Nirn it’s form and he took the role of lead designer for Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. He also wrote many of the books found in Daggerfall, Marrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. For all of you out there that spend hours looking through all of the books in a Elder Scrolls games; you have Ted to thank for that depth to the games.

We decided to get in touch with Ted for an interview on gaming because he has a very unique point of view. Before Elder Scrolls: Arena was made, such a game seemed impossible! Read on for his thoughts on gaming and some details about Elder Scrolls behind the scenes.

Video Game Auctions: How did you begin your career in video games? What were your inspirations?

Ted Peterson: I was inspired by my need for a paycheck, which still inspires me to this day! Honestly, I lucked into my job at Bethesda Softworks. I answered a two-line Classified ad in the (physical! Paper!) Washington Post, which said they were looking for a writer of science-fiction/fantasy. (In my introductory letter, I mentioned that I had a third eye and butterfly wings, which probably clinched my interview. At the time, I was a little tired and punchy after doing fifty or so cover letters for “proper” jobs) When I went in, they had me do a test, which was to write a short story set in a sword and sorcery world about a group of gladiators fighting their way through a maze in a competition of some sort. I remember they thought my boss monster in the story was ridiculous – evidently, I’m the only person who finds the idea of a humanoid, albino walrus scary at all – but they liked my writing and the speed I could get stuff down on paper, so they hired me.

VGA: What did you hold as most important during the development of Elder Scrolls: Arena?

TP: I think the best thing we did was let the design evolve as the game was created. The end result was much different from initial design, which was more of a squad-based action game with some sword and sorcery trappings than the hardcore CRPG that it turned into. We were late and we were buggy, but there was something in it that players responded to.

VGA: Have you spent much time playing the games you have made or is it too familiar to you to be able to play?

TP: No, I honestly haven’t played any of my games much after they’ve been published. I have absolutely zero objectivity, and all I can see are the parts that didn’t get done the way we wanted them. That’s not to say I’m not proud of a lot of what we did. I’m just proud … at a distance. You know, like a deadbeat dad.

VGA: The books in the Elder Scrolls series (many of which you wrote) make the games incredibly immersive. How much time do you think you put into the books you wrote?

TP: There aren’t any books to speak of in the first game, Arena. It was while we were testing it that some people started making up stories, mainly because there was a lot of the world fiction that was very sketchy. I’d write stories in response, and we’d go back and forth, mainly for our own amusement. When we started creating Daggerfall, and the artists were creating bookshelves to decorate the world, it struck us that we should include some of the text that we had been writing in the testing forums.

I’m a fast writer, but I’m sure I’ve put in hundreds of hours of my life into writing books for the Elder Scrolls series. They’re fun to write, and I don’t have to rely on a programmer or an artist, so I can knock off one or two in between other work.

VGA: Massively multiplayer online RPGs became very popular in the late 90′s shortly after the release of Elder Scrolls I and II. Do you believe an online Elder Scrolls game would be a wise direction or would it spoil the experience?

TP: I’m afraid the most honest answer is the unsatisfactory – it depends. It’s difficult and time-consuming to create a massive single-player game like any one of the Elder Scrolls games, and there are even more pitfalls in creating a multiplayer version. And I would hate to walk into Windhelm, and have the conversation be about which noobs are going to be pwnd. That said, I could also imagine it totally kicking ass, joining the Dark Brotherhood and going on assassination assignments with a group of friends. Everything we did in the Elder Scrolls games were based on playing pen and paper role-playing games which are inherently social experiences.

VGA: While working on a game, I can imagine the hours can get quite long. How did making Elder Scrolls Arena compare to making Elder Scrolls Daggerfall?

TP: I wouldn’t wish those hours and frustrations on anyone. Thinking back, I think that Daggerfall was harder and more grueling, but that’s really picking the lesser of the two evils. But I was young at the time and didn’t have a family and a kid, and it felt like we were really creating something new that no one had seen before.

The whole experience was very different in the sense that while the design of Arena completely changed, it never changed in Daggerfall – it just expanded. We wanted to be the game that would let people do everything, so whenever we thought of something we didn’t have in there (“What if people want to be vampires or werewolves?” “What if people want to create their own character class?” “What if someone wants a different ending?”), we just put it in there together with the kitchen sink. Even though we never lost our way, because of the hugeness of our ambition, the end result was – like its predecessor – lateness and bugginess.

VGA: Are there any characters or features that were planned for the Elder Scrolls games that never made it into any of the titles?

TP: Oh yeah, plenty. Like I said, the first Elder Scrolls game drifted so far away from its initial premise that it’s really one long, uncreated feature. The first feature that was dropped out of Daggerfall in the early stages of development, one which we actually promised in early previews of the game, was the ability to port your character from the earlier game to the sequel. We ripped that idea off of the last two Wizardry games which allowed you to do that, and I really liked the concept of you playing the same character throughout the games. The moment we stupidly promised that feature, there were some design challenges with creating a game that was balanced towards brand new characters and 20th level characters, starting off from the start. And once we changed the system to be a more skill-oriented advancement system and less class-oriented system, then we realized that your ported character would have to be translated and bear little resemblance to your old character. It wasn’t worth it, but there was an uproar when we announced it wasn’t going to happen.  
One of the features that we dreamt of from the very beginning was dragons. We had dragonlings in Daggerfall, but it really wasn’t technically feasible to create them the way we wanted them to be until Skyrim.

VGA: Despite how impossible it may seem today what would you like to see in games of the future?

TP: Hmm… I have to say, I’m less concerned with technology and more concerned with corporate mentality. In order for us to improve, we have to take risks. It’s very costly to make a game now, and we, as an industry, are more nervous than ever about money.  We are positioned like the movie industry was in the beginning of the 20th century, when they first learned what they could do with the technology, and that it wasn’t inherently inferior to theater. I’m not even talking about color and sound, but the first guy who realized that with movies, you could do close-ups and huge scenes outdoors, which you could never do on stage.

I’d love it if in the future, we trusted the gamer to explore and find the challenge and the adventure within the world, even if we lost some folks along the way. Right now, some games are costing half a billion dollars to create, and if we keep that up, we’re not going to be able to afford to cater to anyone but the lowest common denominator. I do think it would be wonderful if games could fulfill our promise from 1996, and let you do whatever you want to do. Right now, I’m afraid that if the Elder Scrolls were just starting off at a little fledgling developer like Bethesda Softworks was when I was there, we’d never get past Chapter 1. I hope a space opens up soon for independent developers, outside of the overcrowded Facebook and mobile aps fields.

Thanks very much to Ted for this very interesting interview! It’s amazing to hear from the man who made games like Oblivion and Skyrim possible. I hope this helps everyone to appreciate the time and effort that goes into games like the Elder Scrolls series.

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros, Converse released four different pairs of Super Mario shoes. Sadly, the shoes were released only in Japan. This of course doesn’t stop a hardcore collector from grabbing up a pair on eBay. The only question is… which pair would you want most? Or can you afford to buy one of each for your collection? It’s a tough choice and they are getting more rare by the day. Even now, about 7 months since their release in Japan, the prices have gone crazy and they are still selling. I’ve listed the cheapest auctions I could find that are still put up by sellers with %100 positive feedback. You don’t want to end up with a $20 pair of shoes with some Mario doodles on them, right?

Mario Sprite Pattern (Black) - This simple looking pattern nails the quiet cool that game related gear can sometimes have. At first glance for many, it’s nothing special. If a gamer takes a glance, it catches their eye before they know why!

Mario Sprite Pattern (White) - Same as the pair above except these have a white back. Something to note about all four pairs is the starman Converse star. Awesome…

World 1-1 Pattern - Nothing in the Super Mario series is more recognizable than world 1-1. If you flip down the back, you see Luigi grabbing some coins.

Bowser’s Castle Pattern - This is my favorite of the four. It works on so many levels color-wise, it puts Mario up against Bowser, and if you flip down the back of the shoe you see Princess Peach with Mario. It’s also up for the lowest price compared to the other three auctions here today.

I have some cool video game auctions to show you but before I do that I would like to give credit to Matrix6 who is the original owner of the beautiful “Uncharted 3 Travellers Chest” picture on the beach! I was fortune enough to be informed that Matrix6 took all the time and effort to make those pictures on the beach which can be seen here, and I was told that enough people have stolen his pictures to use on eBay without giving him proper credit. It really only takes 5 seconds to type “credit to:” and the persons name. Reason I am mentioning this is because we all should make an effort to give credit where it’s due, and the seller of the UC3 Chest didn’t give credit . Respect goes a long way let me tell ya folks. We’ve all been there where someone steals our pics (or info). (Thanks Beau!)

Moving onto the video game auctions, there’s some awesome auctions ending soon such as the Mario Stage Figures! You really need to check them out to see how cool they are. I use to own a couple, but never saw the rest of them. Anyways I thought I’d mention that they are ending in about an hour and a half so check it out!

Video Game Auctions:
Menace Beach NES Cart Gray Version
Pocket Watch Final Fantasy X
Max Payne 3 Art/Info Book – Pick one up while supplies last! Thanks PJ!
Piece of Billy Mitchell’s Tie – For those of you who are tuning in for the first time , check out Akira’s interview with the man himself here!
Very Impressive SNES Boxed Lot – Although the auctions not worth close to $5k, the price is pretty high up there. You got the Mega Man X’s, The DKC’s and some nice RPG’s especially a complete Earthbound. Nice lot!

Nintendo DotGraphics Stage Figure 2 Super Mario Bros. Complete Set – check out how much these DotGraphic Stage Figures are going for! Very nice set!
American McGee’s Alice LIMITED ED. BLUE VINYL LP Signed
Activision Patch Decathlon Bronze Original 1980s Atari 2600 High Score
Activision Patch Roadbusters Original 1980s Atari 2600 High Score Award
Super Nintendo Store Display
Vintage Nintendo Super Mario Bros. over 4 ft tall promo display figure
Super Scope Promo Button
Bulletstorm Nutcracker RARE promo
Portable PHILIPS CD-I
Official Final Fantasy VIII Poster Store Display Playstation – Haven’t seen this one before.
Vintage Early 90s SEGA CHANNEL T-Shirt – I don’t know how many of you tuned into the Sega Channel, but this is an awesome t-shirt for those who remember and want to reminisce.

Good luck!

The majority of today’s auctions are for promo items, but I’ve included a few other gems that everyone may want to check out. The Club Nintendo item you will find below is very interesting because it’s not the typical Mario figure, pin, statue, etc. You’ll see what I mean…

Metal Gear Solid 2 Poster - The title on the poster is printed in stylish silver foil. The seller has it framed in the picture, but the frame is not included in the buy.

Tomb Raider Pewter Figure - This sloppy rushed looking blister pack contains a pewter figurine of Lara Croft. Keep in mind that this is a very early item in the Tomb Raider series.

Crash Bandicoot Plush - The Playstation mascot (once upon a time) in plush form! It’s a great addition to any Playstation collection.

Zelda Twillight Princess Coin - This promo was given out at ComicCon 2005. The seller mentions only 5,000 were made. The quality is amazing.

Sweet Tooth Mask - Likely due to the upcoming new entry in the Twisted Metal series, this auction has been getting some attention. The bids are stacking up.

Pac-Man Bed Sheets - Very interesting to see the color on these sheets last so long. Oddly, there’s no buy now price.

Invasion of Nintendo VHS - Ok, yes… the price is beyond crazy. The tape is rare and normally found in poor condition. You can make an offer and hope the seller will realize that they aren’t holding the holy grail of promos lol. If you just want to watch it, you can find it on YouTube.

Pac-Man Flying Disk - A great unused Pac-Man frisbee still in it’s original packaging! The price is good too.

Nintendo Banner - Here’s something to add to most any game room. The banner is four feet long and is in great shape.

Centipede Original Promos - Wow, it’s very rare to see related promos this old being sold together like this. This is an instant buy for many classic arcade gamers.

Pac-Man Plush - This plush is an official Namco item but it’s not from the easy years of Pac-Man. The tag shows it’s from 1991. Also, it looks like it’s been through the washer and dryer a couple times. The price isn’t terrible, but still too high.

Club Nintendo Star Tenbillion - Here is a unique hand held puzzle from Nintendo that turns the idea of a Rubik’s cube inside out. The goal is to get all of the matching colored beads in the same tube. Check it out…

Good morning VGA readers. Today’s post is a little special as there are some really nice goodies for you collectors out there like a signed Earthbound game(famicom). But I will begin by discussing the benefits of computer/gaming glasses. I recently had serious symptoms of what could be related to excessive computer use. Let me explain…

For about 4 weeks I had a massive headache, equilibrium issues(balance), and huge pain behind my eyes which made me fatigue and only want to lay down and not do anything. I am very much receptive to pain but this was something new I never felt, it was extremely painful from morning to night, even when I closed my eyes, even if I got good sleep. So researching on google for medical issues is like shooting yourself in the foot, you can find so much stuff that isn’t related. I went to several doctors and they couldn’t find anything. Then I realized after doing some research that being on a computer for 10+ hrs a day can definitely do some damage. That added with stress is what happened. So now I actually plan my time around a computer. But now I found a solution to my problem, and everyone elses problem.

If you wake up in the morning with a massive headache and eye pain after a long day of gaming or computer use, well think about getting computer glasses. Not reading glasses, glasses specifically designed for long hours in front of a computer or a TV. There are companies that produce these kinds of glasses for an affordable price, but one company imparticular caught my eye. That is GUNNAR Digital Performance Eye Wear. More specifically they actually have designed limited edition Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 glasses. It is estimated that 70% of the American population suffer from CVS which is Computer Vision Syndrome. I think personally that anyone who stays in front of a computer or TV for a long period will pretty much get a headache or eye pain, it’s a no brainer. We’re already in the digital age and more time is spent on computers and screens then ever before. You could use eye drops, walk away from a screen every hour for 20 minutes, or get a good pain of computer glasses at GUNNAR which is a technical eyewear solution that protects, enhances, and optimizes visual performance for anyone who spends long hours viewing computers or digital screens. GUNNAR Advanced Computer Eyewear helps minimize eye fatigue and visual stress, while improving contrast, comfort, and focus for anyone who spends long hours viewing digital screens. I am going to get a pair, and I think every gamer should have this next to his controller… will you get a pair?

Other Video Game Auctions:

-Extremely RARE Mother 1+2 Set Signed by Shigesato Itoi – The Creator of EarthBound signed this famicom game in 2003. This auction was recently on YAJ(hehe yes I see everything my friends), and I won’t say how much the seller actually won it for because I don’t think it’s fair to do that, but it is clearly for reselling purposes which is fine. I use to think it’s an evil thing but that’s how business works. A lucky fan will win this for his/her awesome collection. It’s the real deal so don’t miss out on a gem.

- Dead Space Ultra Limited Edition (Xbox 360) -  There are apparently 1000 copies for the PS made of this. It is pretty rare indeed and easily sells over $800, in fact some copies have sold for $1500+. This one is mint and unopened.

- Final Fantasy III (JP) signed by Nobuo Uematsu - All proceeds go to charity. From closer observations and comparisons I can say this is a legit Uematsu signature. The seller does have some references but compare them yourself and you can see it is legit. Low starting bid I might even give this one a shot.

- Call of Duty Black Ops Signed Poster - I don’t know if this is a print or an original hand signing. The seller says he/she interviewed a programmer and received this poster. It would be logical to say it’s signed because what programmer would give a printed signed poster? It’s like having an interview with the president and receiving a letter with his signature but printed… doesn’t make sense but you never know, better to ask the seller.

- Castlevania Koji Igarashi Autographed Dracula X – A REALLY nice signed Koji Igarashi paper. It’s on a Dracula X fact sheet, something that will have value over time. The auction is very low.

- Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Limited Edition Collection – Submitted by VGA friend Casey (Thanks!), this collector’s edition includes:

• The Collectors Edition game for PS3 (sealed)
• Marvel Vs Capcom 3 poster (slightly damaged from carrying around)*
• Marvel Vs Capcom comic book cover art (not an actual comic)*
• Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Shirt (large)*
• And a Marvel Vs Capcom 3 branded plastic bag*

- Videopac G7000 Boxed + 27 Games + Game Case – Submitted by VGA friend Hendrik (Thanks!), this is the Magnavox Odyssey² but in Europe it was called the Videopac G7000 and it’s boxed and in great shape and comes with 27 games. A console collector should not miss this!

Today’s video game auctions post is all over the map. There’s some great NES game auctions up along with some nice vintage store displays (Jaguar, PlayStation, Kirby Pillow). Also what’s really cool is the Uncharted 3 Travelling Chest. If you take a look at the auction you’ll see the seller probably has one of the nicest thumb pic’s an auction can have. His chest is on a freaking beach! Ahhh…. the beach.

There’s so many auctions that I’d like to split them up into different sections just to help you. I hope you enjoy todays findings:

User Submissions:
SQOON NES Complete
ATHLETIC WORLD Complete
Donkey Kong Jr. Math Complete
R.C Pro-Am II Pal
Stadium Events Pal
The Flintstones Surprise at Dinosaur Peak Pal

Thanks Adam and markowskicj!!

Store Displays:
Large Playstation One Display Banner 3 feet by 2 feet
Jaguar Atari Banner with Cat Eyes
Rare Nintendo 64 Kirby Hanging Pillow
Metal Gear Solid Coming Soon Poster 1997 Promo Limited Rare – One of the nicest MGS posters I’ve ever seen…
Original Assassin’s Creed Standee

Games/Hardware:
3 Panesian nintendo games hot slots peek a boo poker bubble bath babes
Tekken PlayStation Sealed LONG BOX!- Already passed $400
Sega Saturn Sophia Development System

Other:
Uncharted 3 Travelling Chest
Sega Sonic the Hedgehog duffle bag Press
The Maw game sculpture
Borderlands Cl4p-TP Robotic Revolutionary screen print poster
Mass Effect Evolution Hardcover Signed Edition 429/500

Good luck!