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Rare Bayonetta Promo Item on eBay -- Sold by Former Game Journo

Syriel

Member
Normally I wouldn't bother with eBay auctions, but given all of the discussion that has happened about gaming ethics over the past few years, I'll admit to being a little surprised when this link popped up in my Twitter feed.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Offical-Bayonetta-Scarborough-Fair-Replica-Only-15-Made-/181580026935

eBay Auction said:
$_57.JPG


This an extremely rare replica of the RARE Full-Size Scarborough Fair Replica from Platinum Games Bayonetta. This promo item was produced in extremely low quantities by Sega and given out to select gaming media outlets. I received this Scarborough Fair when I worked at 1UP.com in San Francisco, CA.

This item has been in my position since it was created. It is included with the display case where the Bayonetta replica is set on a pillow under a glass cover. There is an included numbered plaque listing this replica as 9 of 15 produced by Sega.

In case you're wondering, this prop is NOT a functioning weapon. But it looks cool and is extremely rare.

Not naming the seller because the point isn't the person, but the appropriateness of it all.

Maybe I'm totally off base (as the seller is no longer working on the media side of things, he/she has worked for a major game developer/publisher for a few years now), but the idea of selling off an expensive promo item for a profit just feels wrong.
 

BHK3

Banned
Maybe I'm totally off base (as the seller is no longer working on the media side of things, he/she has worked for a major game developer/publisher for a few years now), but the idea of selling off an expensive promo item for a profit just feels wrong.

I think you are, let it go to a fan who wants it rather than some person that got it for free just cause he/she worked as a games media person...
 

MrDaravon

Member
Given the fact that the person in question selling this hasn't worked in games media in quite a long time and they currently work for a company that absolutely nothing to do with Platinum Games I don't really see how this is a problem. If they were still in the gaming media side of things you could maybe make a case for this, but not here.
 
Should be for charity rather than personal gain. I can't say I'd take the higher road if it was me in that position, though.
 

stephen08

Member
Rare Bayonetta Promo Item on eBay -- Sold by Former Game Journo Reply to Thread

This item has been in my position since it was created.

Story checks out.

Stuff like this I find lame. Promotional materials like that should be given away to readers of the website not sold later for personal gain.
 
Given the fact that the person in question selling this hasn't worked in games media in quite a long time and they currently work for a company that absolutely nothing to do with Platinum Games I don't really see how this is a problem. If they were still in the gaming media side of things you could maybe make a case for this, but not here.

The point is that it shouldn't have happened back then, either.
 

painey

Member
I have no problem with him selling his possessions.. I do have a problem with Sega giving away such valuable and rare items to journalists in the first place
 

Cardon

Member
Yeah I don't see the problem with it really. If the seller was still active in the game journo biz and was essentially funneling all the swag they received, both old and new, onto eBay to make a quick buck then maybe a bit of outcry would be necessary.

As of now it's a rather straight-forward thing - dude has item, wants to sell it to someone who will dig it more while making a profit.
 

StayDead

Member
I think you are, let it go to a fan who wants it rather than some person that got it for free just cause he/she worked as a games media person...

So that person got it for free and now they're able to make mega bank off it by selling it to a person that should've got it in the first place? That's the issue.
 
I have no problem with him selling his possessions.. I do have a problem with Sega giving away such valuable and rare items to journalists in the first place

Yeah, not sure what they thought the benefit of this was.

Edit: Honestly, he shouldn't have accepted it.
 
That looks tacky as fuck. Like some cheap 80s toy. Nothing wrong with him selling it. Its his property he can do what he wants with it. What gives us the right to judge him?
 

stephen08

Member
Yeah I don't take issue with him selling the item as much as I do with him accepting it when he was presumably covering the game.
 

Hycran

Banned
I have no problem with him selling his possessions.. I do have a problem with Sega giving away such valuable and rare items to journalists in the first place

It's a plastic gun that cost them 5 dollars to have made in China. Just because it is rare didn't mean it is valuable. It's his possession and he is under no moral obligation to use it in any way other than how he sees fit
 

Jarmel

Banned
So that person got it for free and now they're able to make mega bank off it by selling it to a person that should've got it in the first place? That's the issue.

What? He is under no obligations to give that to a fan or whatever. It was directly given to him.
 

iNvid02

Member
Sega chose to make this plastic gun limited to "journos", it's on them. Being a "fan" doesn't mean you're owed anything.
 

Rich!

Member
He owns it. He has the right to sell it.

If I owned it, and I was on hard financial times and I needed to support my family, I would have absolutely no hesitation selling it immediately.

Whether he should have been given it to begin with is another matter.
 

rpmurphy

Member
Must be nice to get rare collectible swag for free from people you write about, so that you could keep it and eventually sell off for a nice chunk of money.
 

Jarmel

Banned
And you don't see an issue with that? Companies giving free stuff to those that review them?

Not any different than Rockstar flying people out to a hotel and pampering them while they review a game. Yes it shouldn't happen but that's on the publishers and the companies allowing this to happen, not the individual journalists who benefit from it.
 
He owns it. He has the right to sell it.

If I owned it, and I was on hard financial times and I needed to support my family, I would have absolutely no hesitation selling it immediately.
Yeah, I don't think selling it is wrong.

I think the fact that Sega gave it to supposed journalists, and that the journalist accepted it is what's wrong with the whole picture.

Not any different than Rockstar flying people out to a hotel and pampering them while they review a game. Yes it shouldn't happen but that's on the publishers and the companies allowing this to happen, not the individual journalists who benefit from it.
I agree, that's wrong too. The whole industry is filled with this sort of bribery.
 

Jarmel

Banned
He owns it. He has the right to sell it.

If I owned it, and I was on hard financial times and I needed to support my family, I would have absolutely no hesitation selling it immediately.

Whether he should have been given it to begin with is another matter.

Exactly this. He doesn't owe shit to a fan.
 

Wereroku

Member
Reminds me of the super rare Guncon in the suitcase some folks got at E3 years ago.

case_full.jpg


Do you mean the Gearbolt Assassins case? Man I would love to have one of those. Apparently Mark MacDonald won one I should go pester him on twitter.
 

Jarmel

Banned
Why should he have it in the first place? If he had any semblance of integrity he would've never accepted it in the first place.

Half these reviewers are piss poor and underpaid. Integrity doesn't exactly feed your belly. Besides do we even know if he was reviewing the game in the first place?
 
Half these reviewers are piss poor and underpaid. Integrity doesn't exactly feed your belly. Besides do we even know if he was reviewing the game in the first place?

He didn't review it. Apparently people don't care about "facts" though, just shitting on people.
 
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