What's your stance on Virtual Consle/Live Arcade? Collection or No?

[Cloud121]

Just curious what everyone's opinion is on Virtual Console and Live Arcade games.

Do you consider them part of your collection or not? Part of me says you do, as you DO pay money for them, however, since you don't actually physically own them, would you count it?

Personally, I go with the former. But at the same time, I just feel like I'm padding my collection by counting them. What do you guys think?

[heybtbm]

We've had this discussion here before. My stance is that virtual console/Live Arcade games are part of a persons "collection". They're playable, full version games like all the rest. If you pay for them legit (which is why they differ from roms, which don't qualify as real games IMO), I don't see the logic of treating these games as less than their physical counterparts. Are we supposed to start discounting mp3's as part of our collection if we don't own the CD?

[Eteric Rice]

We've had this discussion here before. My stance is that virtual console/Live Arcade games are part of a persons "collection". They're playable, full version games like all the rest. If you pay for them legit (which is why they differ from roms, which don't qualify as real games IMO), I don't see the logic of treating these games as less than their physical counterparts. Are we supposed to start discounting mp3's as part of our collection if we don't own the CD?

Agreed. I don't consider them collector's items, just something to play.

Especially nice since I won't have to blow in the cart all the time. :)

[GM80]

Do you consider them part of your collection or not?

Personally, no. I've only purchased the XBLA titles that I enjoyed after playing the demo (nearly 30 of 'em). In the case of retail releases, however, I'll buy anything I don't have if it is cheap enough for "collection's" sake.

I suppose if suppose I might start buying up XBLA titles (and them count them towards my total) if they were subject to price drops like "real" games, but that hasn't been the case ... yet.

[carlcarlson]

personally I would say no. I would only consider something that is tangible, ie you can hold it in your hand. actually I have problems paying for anything that isn't tangible, which is why I don't buy any of those games. that's just my preference though, I can see your points as well.

[CreamSoda]

I do consider the games to be part of your collection, however I don't see them as collectable or interesting in any way. Just something fun that you can download for a few bucks now and then.

[DigitalSpace]

I don't own a 360 or Wii yet, but if I did, they wouldn't count.

[Cornelius]

I probably shouldn't comment, since I don't have any virtual console games, but I'm going to anyway (that's what the internet is all about, right?).

I say no, because I think you have to be a collector before you can have a collection. That's where my logic leads me anyway. See if this makes sense... I don't think they count, because you could simply go to one website, plop down your money and you have them all. Now, the obvious counter to this is that anyone w/ enough dough could do this for any system (which isn't even entirely true since some things are just not for sale for some systems). Let's say it is, and you can go to ebay and buy a complete NES collection, which is more or less the case. But, a person that does that I don't consider a collector. Not a perfect comparison.

How bout this: There are many games where there are things to collect. Pokemon, Mario coins, etc. If all you have to do is log, say, an hour on the game and you get all the items, is that a collection? Well, maybe it is, but it isn't really one I'd be interested in collecting.

[Oobgarm]

I say no, since they aren't a physical item. Thusly, they're not really 'collectable' in the sense that stuff is, with some being harder to finad than others.

Just my thoughts.

[Neo Rasa]

I count when counting games in a collection simply because Alien Crush and Bloody Wolf are far more relevant additions to a systems's game library than The Ant Bully and Ice Age 2: Meltdown.

Obviously they're not collectable though.

[landamo]

It's really not any diffrent than having a rom except you have to pay for it, so no I don't.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Virtual Console? somewhat...that's arguable..since most of us have the real games

Xbox Live? I'd say yes on most, because they are mostly original or arcade games that have never been ported to a compliation.

[Push Upstairs]

I don't get a sense of ownership from having an MP3.

Why should things be any different for those type of games?

[Nebagram]

Personally I say yes. Even if there's no physical item, you paid for it, you own it, it is part of your library of videogames, and in my case at least, I consider library=collection.

[heybtbm]

in my case at least, I consider library=collection.


That's how I see it too. I see things differently than most here at DP because I've never bought a video game with a collector-type motivation. I just buy games that I'm interested in playing. I've done this since the 2600 days. I don't differentiate between my video game "library" and "collection". To me they're terms describing the same thing. I don't sell many of the games that I buy, so after 25 years those games add up into what others would call a "collection".

In my eyes, an Xbox Live Arcade game is just another game in my library. I paid for it and I can play it whenever.

Personally, I think a lot of the people who think downloadable games don't truly "exist" are in denial. They fear the days where games are only available for download...and are therefore trying to mentally convince themselves that these games are somehow "inferior" to their physical counterparts. Realistically, physical copies in stores will never cease to exist 100%. The gods of retail (Walmart, Target) and technology (not everyone will have super high speed internet...or whatever it morphs into) will never let it happen.

...but I digress.

[jajaja]

I dont have Wii or 360, but i wouldnt have counted the virtual games you download as a part of my collection on the same line as the physical games. Like if you own every NES game physically and are missing Super Mario Bros (hypotetical example :)) and download SMB from VC, i wouldnt say that the NES collection is complete.

There is one exception tho, if the game only excist through download, then i would count it, but i wouldnt count downloadable games that also excist in physical form. But sure, you can say the games are part of your collection, sort of atleast.

[Push Upstairs]

I just can't get over the idea that if you buy a game and your console/computer's HD/memory screws up then you have nothing to show for it.

It's one thing to lose a savegame, but to lose the whole game is something else.

[Putney]

Well in the defense of XBLA/VC, if you need a new console/hard drive, you can redownload all of the purchased titles for free (since they link with your account, not with your machine). Or so I've read, I haven't had that problem yet.