The age of game collecting is almost over...Walmart wants cardboard game packaging...

[Bojay1997]

I have a feeling that as powerful as Walmart is, the real arbiter of this decision will be Gamestop/EB. In the year or so that they have been merged, they have become the largest video game retailer in the world, eclipsing Walmart's video game sales by several times. Although Walmart is still the largest retailer in the world, my understanding is that their share of video game sales has eroded over the past couple of years, losing major ground to GS/EB, Best Buy, Target and even Amazon. That's not to say that they don't hold sway, but given the diminishing size of their influence in PC and console gaming, I don't know that the industry is going to just submit to their will this time.

[Wraith Storm]

If anything, a move back to cardboard would make collecting more fun. It will be harder to find nice copies of games, specially in the wild. The true fun of collecting is in the hunt, not in having it all. Also, I would imagine that the discs would be in a cardboard case similar to old DVD cases. These still had a plastic holder inside and a plastic clasp while using much less plastic overall. Remember, the manufacture of the plastic cases may be equal to 9000 cars, but those cases will be with us for much longer. They'll sit in a landfill for 1000's of years, and don't kid yourself, that's where they are all going to end up.

As for the save issue, I'd love what they suggest. Again, in my imagination, what they suggest is similar to how Apple handles sleep mode on the newer Mac Books. When in sleep you can remove all power, plug it back in and your machine will still be in sleep, with no loss of data. The same could be accomplished with a menu selection on a console.

I agree with pretty much everything said here. Although I would GREATLY miss the durability of plastic cases, I will not deny that it would make game hunting more enjoyable. Trying to find that one used game with instuctions in a crisp box makes it all worth while.

Finding a NES, SNES, or even an N64 game in the wild, complete with a crisp box envokes a feeling that other packaging cannot... Except maybe finding a Sega CD or Sega Saturn game in a case that has no broken hinges... LOL

[Lothars]

To me, this is just another nail in the coffin for non-DLC games...

Which is one of the worst things that can happen

I really am going to hate the time period when games are only digital download and you can't resell or trade in your games.

It's also gonna be the time when I don't think gaming is going to expand because there's so many problems with digital downloads that I hope it takes at least 20 years before than but consumers are gonna be screwed when push comes to shove and the worst part of it is that ISP's are still gonna be doing the same thing but everyone still thinks that digital downloads will be sooner than later which is just bad.

[Chadt74]

For all of you saying that WalMart can not pressure manufactures into making the switch, please read "the wal mart effect". They can and will, it is not just video games, but for Microsoft and Sony it is all of their other products they sell. Admittedly in the video game market Wal-Mart does have a lot less ability to pressure the retailers, but WalMart forces efficiencies into the market place and if they can deliver games cheaper by adjusting the packaging they will try.

As a collecter myself I like the slim DVD cases, interesting post...

[Norizo]

Which is one of the worst things that can happen

I really am going to hate the time period when games are only digital download and you can't resell or trade in your games.

It's also gonna be the time when I don't think gaming is going to expand because there's so many problems with digital downloads that I hope it takes at least 20 years before than but consumers are gonna be screwed when push comes to shove and the worst part of it is that ISP's are still gonna be doing the same thing but everyone still thinks that digital downloads will be sooner than later which is just bad.

I doubt digital downloads for games will eclipse physical copies anytime soon. It will very likely be more common with console games though due to their greater reliability and lessened DRM, but that's pretty much out of the questions with Steam games.

I'll always go for a physical copy of a game unless it's incredibly expensive to just get a physical copy or it's a much older game. Unlike most people here, I really don't care at all about collecting games older than 2 generations.

[mnbren05]

Step 1: Cut down lots of trees annually to make cardboard packages

Step 2: Replace plastic cases with fore mentioned annual cardboard packages

Step 3: The world becomes greener? Anyone else see the inherent problem?

[Rob2600]

Step 1: Cut down lots of trees annually to make cardboard packages

Step 2: Replace plastic cases with fore mentioned annual cardboard packages

Step 3: The world becomes greener? Anyone else see the inherent problem?

Trees wouldn't have to be cut down if the cardboard packaging were made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials.

[j_factor]

I'm pretty sure producing cardboard uses less energy and less material and pollutes less, compared to plastic. And it is somewhat of a renewable resource, as trees can be replanted and pulp is recycled. Plus, a lot of people do throw away cases, and I don't think DVD cases are recyclable, whereas all cardboard is easily recycled -- and even if it does get thrown in a landfill, cardboard will degrade, unlike plastic.

All that said, I don't like this suggestion one bit. I'm all for environmentalism but this is extremely small potatoes, especially for Wal-Mart. I mean, there are so many bigger things that can be done.

Maybe we could go to smaller cases to use less plastic, but cardboard packaging for optical media is a horrible idea. Digipacks would also be dreadful.

[jjgames]

They should go back to the PS1 size cases and manuals but dont use that crappy hinge system that breaks all the time. Make it one piece of plastic like it is now, but the same size as PS1 game cases or music cd cases. It would be durable but "save the environment" too

[Nature Boy]

Did everyone hate the N64 boxes that much that this is a huge deal? I don't get it personally.

I've got CDs that are entirely cardboard, and I've never sweated a thing. What's wrong with DVD sized cases (if that's what Sony/MS/Nintendo want) made out of cardboard?

If anything it would make collecting newer games better, wouldn't it? As you'd have a much higher %age of their packages destroyed (not that I'm not mind boggled by how many used games I see without their original packages already).

[TonyTheTiger]

Maybe we could go to smaller cases to use less plastic, but cardboard packaging for optical media is a horrible idea. Digipacks would also be dreadful.

The PS3/Blu-ray/HD-DVD cases are great for that. They presumably use less plastic and are also more compact which saves shelf space. And that's something retailers are always pushing for. I don't mind the more conservative size either. Storing those massive longboxes of days past is a headache.

I don't care if they start using thinner plastic or even a different rigid substance. I'll be happy with something that's just large enough to store a manual and a game disc(s) and just rigid enough to protect the contents from ordinary circumstances.

You know what happens when we get chintzy packaging? Multi-disc Xbox 360 games. 3 discs on a single spindle. A 4th disc haphazardly thrown in a paper sleeve and stuck inside the case. I'd much prefer a smaller case with thinner plastic that had four separate spindles if it's a conservation thing. Again, maybe if the discs weren't so fragile I wouldn't mind stacking them on top of one another.


Did everyone hate the N64 boxes that much that this is a huge deal? I don't get it personally.

I've got CDs that are entirely cardboard, and I've never sweated a thing. What's wrong with DVD sized cases (if that's what Sony/MS/Nintendo want) made out of cardboard?

If anything it would make collecting newer games better, wouldn't it? As you'd have a much higher %age of their packages destroyed (not that I'm not mind boggled by how many used games I see without their original packages already).

It's really a difference between if the box/case is there for the sole purpose of being just a delivery method (ala a television or blender in a cardboard box) or a place to store everything when the item(s) are not in use.

Part of the reason why so many cartridges are loose is specifically because the boxes were by many people thought to be comparable to a blender's box. And how many of us keep those? They certainly can make a good argument for why a cartridge's box is a throwaway item. Especially since cartridges are traditionally more durable.

But a loose disc is different. People seem far less interested in loose discs than they are loose cartridges. That's probably because a loose disc is much more vulnerable so the initial instinct is that the box is there to protect it. So it's somewhat backwards for the box meant to protect the contents to be as flimsy as cardboard tends to be. And it's not just discs, either. Look at Nintendo DS cards. It seems like the more vulnerable an item is (due to fragility, small size, etc.) the more the box is thought to be an actual part of the item rather than just something the factory packages it in to ship it to stores.

[Nature Boy]

People seem far less interested in loose discs than they are loose cartridges

And yet there are *hundreds* of used PS1-present disc based games at the EBs of the world that are brought in without the original packaging.

I agree with you that the box around the cart is viewed differently by many people than the box around a disc. But for us, as collectors, we view them the same, don't we? I no more tossed my N64 boxes than I did my PS1 CD cases. Although I did replace a few of those if I bought packaging that was broken or whatever.

At the end of the day I just don't see why I'd care if 360 games came in some sort of cardboard packaging. My games will still look nice regardless!

[SegaAges]

Me personally, I don't care what they come in, I will treat them the same. I just wanted to shoot down wal-marts example with my super post with all the numbers.

[TonyTheTiger]

And yet there are *hundreds* of used PS1-present disc based games at the EBs of the world that are brought in without the original packaging.

True but they tend to go for $2 or $3 at most. The value of a disc seems to be far more affected by the lack of packaging.


I agree with you that the box around the cart is viewed differently by many people than the box around a disc. But for us, as collectors, we view them the same, don't we?

Do we? I for one am much more willing to buy a loose cart than I am a loose disc. And I'd never buy a loose DS card out of the simple fear that I'd lose the damn thing.

Besides, collectors, and even more general aficionados, are a wacky group. I'm sure if you found high rollin' blender collectors or big time breakfast cereal collectors (who do exist) they would keep their boxes in pristine condition. The rest of us toss them out like they're trash. One man's trash is another man's treasure is as true as it gets when you're talking about a minority group that holds certain things to a higher value than is the norm.


I no more tossed my N64 boxes than I did my PS1 CD cases. Although I did replace a few of those if I bought packaging that was broken or whatever.

Maybe I'm speaking out of turn but I'm going to assume you don't keep all kinds of boxes. Why not? Clearly because you value other boxes less than you do a video game box. That's not really a standard you, or any of us for that matter, should feel obligated to look at the world through. Really, keeping a Nintendo 64 box actually makes very little sense if you think about it from a purely logical standpoint. It's a piece of cardboard that takes up more room and serves no real purpose. It doesn't really protect the game. A ziplock bag can do an even better job of that. Maybe it's good for keeping the manual and all paperwork in one place but a drawer is just as good and more space efficient. The only reason we'd keep the boxes is for either aesthetic reasons (it looks nice) or because we're more obsessive about the hobby. Not a bad thing, mind you, but a wholly separate consideration when thinking about the value of packaging.


At the end of the day I just don't see why I'd care if 360 games came in some sort of cardboard packaging. My games will still look nice regardless!

Yours will, sure. But that won't be the norm. Besides, even regular everyday use will lead to a certain level of wear and tear. It's the reason why the way Blue Dragon is packaged is so absurd with the discs stacked on top of each other. That's easily more likely to lead to disc scratching than separate spindles. And Lost Odyssey's packaging is just idiotic with three discs on one spindle and a fourth haphazardly slid in a paper sleeve and stuck in the clips that hold the booklet in place.

I think I have a good illustration of the value or lack of value of packaging depending on what might be inside. Imagine you buy a baseball in order to get it signed. Are you going to have the baseball player sign the box the ball came in or the ball itself? Now imagine you have a copy of a disc-based game you want to get signed. Are you going to get the disc signed or the box/insert? Getting a disc signed comes off as just awkward, doesn't it? Yet people get cartridges signed all the time indicating that, for whatever reason, discs "need" better packaging than cartridges do.

[Garry Silljo]

I agree with you that the box around the cart is viewed differently by many people than the box around a disc. But for us, as collectors, we view them the same, don't we? I no more tossed my N64 boxes than I did my PS1 CD cases. Although I did replace a few of those if I bought packaging that was broken or whatever.


I always threw away boxes for cart games. The only one's I kept were the Genesis and Master System boxes. Cardboard was trash to me. Plastic was for keeps.

[The Manimal]

I won't ever buy loose discs. It just doesn't look right. It would be like having a collection of stolen rental discs. Carts are alright loose IMO and I don't have any need for the boxes, but honestly I wish I had them for all my Genesis and SMS games. Lately I have passed up Genesis games unless they are complete. NES are alright in those black sleeves. N64 need cases however, because there's no label on top. I've seen some put sticky labels on the top but I'd rather have those cases which hold the cart and the booklet.

[Sergeant Sega]

We must destroy the heart of Wal-Mart!

:2gunfire:

[theChad]

I agree with you that the box around the cart is viewed differently by many people than the box around a disc. But for us, as collectors, we view them the same, don't we? I no more tossed my N64 boxes than I did my PS1 CD cases. Although I did replace a few of those if I bought packaging that was broken or whatever.

I can say that now but when I was just a kid getting SNES or N64 games, I ripped through that cardboard faster than you could bat an eyelash and tossed it behind me to get to the game ASAP.

I wasn't a collector then; just a kid who loved to play some video games. When I decided I was going to collect, I took advantage of the things I already had as a ground for collecting, but the damage was done - boxes destroyed, names carved into games and systems, pieces missing (a great example would be stuff for ROB)...

I had what I had and was starting fresh with a collecting mentality to preserve the things I got from that point on, but I didn't start collecting until CDs were *it* and it's already been well established that CD cases are very important, so I wasn't doing anything new there.

I guess the point is: if Wal-mart were to cause the switch to cardboard packaging, there are going to be people doing the same things I used to do with that "trash." When I add games to my collection that have come from someone else, the odds of getting a complete game like you can often find with jewel and DVD cases are greatly diminished.

[Nature Boy]

the odds of getting a complete game like you can often find with jewel and DVD cases are greatly diminished.

And my point has been 'so what if it's diminished?' It's not like it's going to be *that* hard to find games complete.

Let's face it, the numbers we're talking about here won't alter drastically. Consumers aren't going to start tossing out these cases where they haven't before just because they're cardboard. Not unless we go back to carts or something.

IMO it's been way overblown and is simply an excuse to get all surly about Wal-Mart.

[Gentlegamer]

For me, the issue has nothing to do with collecting, but with durability and actual protection for the game media. That's one reason why I always loved Sega Genesis games and their nice clamshell cases compared to the cardboard boxes of Nintendo back in the day.

Even now, when I actually have the cardboard box for a SNES or N64 game (for example), I store the carts in plastic cases (Universal Game Cases) with home-printed covers available at thecoverproject.net. Simply more practical in durability and utility over time.

[j_factor]

And my point has been 'so what if it's diminished?' It's not like it's going to be *that* hard to find games complete.

Let's face it, the numbers we're talking about here won't alter drastically. Consumers aren't going to start tossing out these cases where they haven't before just because they're cardboard. Not unless we go back to carts or something.

Maybe it won't be that hard at first, but what about years later? How often do you find complete NES games? Yeah, I know, they're cartridges, but Master System games are also cartridges and it's very easy to find them complete, despite their age. I also notice with Sega CD games, the games I see that are missing the box are almost always the ones that came in the cardboard boxes, whereas the plastic case games are usually complete.

People are much more inclined to throw away cardboard. I can just imagine people housing their game collection in a CD wallet or something.