We're all going to die! At least, our games and consoles will....

[skaar]

http://www.slate.com/id/2221963/?from=rss

I think it applies to our hobby quite significantly - neat article.

[jb143]

I remember hearing about this before. Aparently they're having a hard time preserving old space suits as well since the plastic and rubber in them is starting to degrade. The whole idea about plastic not being bio-degradable and lasting forever is turning out to be not so true anymore.

[Baloo]

I remember hearing about this before. Aparently they're having a hard time preserving old space suits as well since the plastic and rubber in them is starting to degrade. The whole idea about plastic not being bio-degradable and lasting forever is turning out to be not so true anymore.

And that is actually a very good thing, as plastic wont fill up landfills and whatnot forever.

[acem77]

makes me 2nd think the point in collecting.....
hope my staff last till the point i am too old to remeber my name.

[jb143]

And that is actually a very good thing, as plastic wont fill up landfills and whatnot forever.

It's a very good thing for landfills. Not so much for collectors, museums, and archeologists of the future.

[8bitCaged]

And that is actually a very good thing, as plastic wont fill up landfills and whatnot forever.

No it's just turns into plastic the goes into the air and water supply.

[BetaWolf47]

Crap, and our games are already pretty old.

[TonyTheTiger]

In further news: Playstation 4 to be carved out of granite.

Seriously, I don't think this is a big deal. You guys didn't actually believe an NES cartridge would last forever, did you? And we're talking a long time before this deterioration actually takes effect.

[BetaWolf47]

You guys didn't actually believe an NES cartridge would last forever, did you?
They've been estimated to last close to 100 years before, way longer than CDs.

[Malon_Forever]

Nothing lasts forever...other then love and memories....well that's debatable :D .

[megasdkirby]

We need to put our games in a cryogenic chamber. LOL

[Kid Fenris]

You guys didn't actually believe an NES cartridge would last forever, did you?

I've prepared for the demise of games since the day my Super NES turned yellow.

[The 1 2 P]

As long as they last long enough for me to enjoy (and eventually sell) then I'm ok with this.

[garagesaleking!!]

one day im going to come home and my wall of 40 nes systems is going to have vanished, noooo!

[guitargary75]

Typical artist bitching everyone out first, then look for answers later.

[Tupin]

I always thought plastic would last for several thousand years. In fact, it's supposed to be one of the few things that could survive long after humans are gone.

Doesn't this apply to plastics made pre-1970 anyway? Bad for the first Barbie dolls, but okay for a museum 100-200 years from now who has an NES on display?

[TonyTheTiger]

A Super Nintendo can't even stay the same color for more than 10 years. I don't think that 1,000 year figure was all too realistic.

[Enigmus]

one day im going to come home and my wall of 40 nes systems is going to have vanished, noooo!

And some people don't realize the board and components will have outlasted the case, and can run longer than the case's lifespan! I can settle with caseless NESes! They work just fine!

[Baloo]

A Super Nintendo can't even stay the same color for more than 10 years. I don't think that 1,000 year figure was all too realistic.

Well, depends on the SNES. Mine is over 10 years old and it hasn't yellowed yet.

[Arcade Antics]

Well, depends on the SNES. Mine is over 10 years old and it hasn't yellowed yet.

Every SNES is over 10 years old. ;) But yeah, there are plenty from as far back as 1991 that don't yellow with age. Depends on where they were manufactured.

[Famidrive-16]

I read they used a different type of plastic for the older SNES models and that's why they yellow. I have one from 1996 that hasn't yellowed.

[Haoie]

Well I'm not about to take my collection into the grave.

[Zap!]

Watch Life After People. Nothing has a shelf life of forever. However, with constant human maintenance, our games and systems will far outlast us. The newer systems with moving parts likely will never last 20+ years with out replacing CD/DVD/Blu-Ray drives, but working original 2600's should be around until at least 2077.

[VG_Maniac]

Every SNES is over 10 years old. ;) But yeah, there are plenty from as far back as 1991 that don't yellow with age. Depends on where they were manufactured.

And some SNES systems only turn yellow on the bottom half, while the top half stays the same. That can only mean that they used a two different types of plastic for the top and bottom of the system on some models....weird.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

After reading this article, it seems like I should stop investing my money by buying video games. I'll have to buy things that are of a more sound investment, like automobiles for instance.

[Oobgarm]

After reading this article, it seems like I should stop investing my money by buying video games. I'll have to buy things that are of a more sound investment, like automobiles for instance.

You should give your money to charity and stop being greedy, you know.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

You should give your money to charity and stop being greedy, you know.

Is there a charity for guitar players with logical disabilities?

[BetaWolf47]

Yeah, I agree that if the components stay fine, I can live without a case for the systems. Then again, part of the NES's 72-pinner is plastic, so...

Although it'll ruin the collector's value, I bet we could extend the lifespan by coating our consoles' shells with rust-oleum or something.

[VG_Maniac]

Seriously, it would take probably well over a 100 years before the plastic on video games really started to deteriorate. I still see 30 year old Atari 2600 carts that look just fine.

[hellfire]

Is there a charity for guitar players with logical disabilities?

yes their is, the J-O-B group of america can help you out, call 1800-getajobnow or go to www.getajobnow.com

[Leo_A]

Its worth noting since the SuperNes case discoloration has been mentioned so much, that the effect has been discovered to be fully reversible allowing you to return your console to its original color.

[jb143]

Yeah, I agree that if the components stay fine, I can live without a case for the systems. Then again, part of the NES's 72-pinner is plastic, so...


Components fail much much more often than enclosures though. I guess they're also easier to replace but by the time the plastics degrade they'll all be obsolete anyways.

[The 1 2 P]

Its worth noting since the SuperNes case discoloration has been mentioned so much, that the effect has been discovered to be fully reversible allowing you to return your console to its original color.

How so?

[Leo_A]

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=138244

I've seen it fully cure several SuperNes consoles, and there's pictures either in that thread or linked to it of SuperNes consoles before the treatment and after.

Edit - Some pictures of one SuperNes it's cured.

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1724/picture2xxx001.jpg

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/5066/picture2xxx002.jpg

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/8393/picture2xxx005.jpg

And here's the Wikispaces site for it.

http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/

[The 1 2 P]

Interesting. Luckily I have a Snes 2 but this will come in handy if I happen to run across yellow systems at Goodwill.

[slapdash]

Watch Life After People. Nothing has a shelf life of forever.

Fun show!


The newer systems with moving parts likely will never last 20+ years with out replacing CD/DVD/Blu-Ray drives, but working original 2600's should be around until at least 2077.

I'm on your side, but have to point out that the switches are moving parts, and if you change controllers often, you WILL have problems. I say this as the "proud" owner of 2600s with both overly loose power switches and joystick ports with busted pins. :-(

[Rickstilwell1]

And some SNES systems only turn yellow on the bottom half, while the top half stays the same. That can only mean that they used a two different types of plastic for the top and bottom of the system on some models....weird.

I was told by an ex-Nintendo employee (game tester) that the darker units were the refurbished ones. People did use that 1-800-255-3700 number on the systems to call for service and this was the result. If work was done on the bottom half of the system (circuitry etc.), they replaced the bottom. If work was done on the top (eject buttons, power and reset switches) they replaced the top half. So now you see all these units with top halfs dark and bottom halves dark. Occasionally you will see a fully darkened unit.

I actually have an SNES here that only has certain parts on the top half darkened while the center area with the cartridge port is the original gray color.

I wonder who started the rumor that SNES systems just turned yellow out of nowhere?

[Gentlegamer]

Ah, I have a launch day SNES that is un-yellowed. It was never sent for service. That seems a reasonable explanation.

[Auzlander]

After reading this article, it seems like I should stop investing my money by buying video games. I'll have to buy things that are of a more sound investment, like automobiles for instance.
LOL :)

[WhatsMyUsername]

I still have my SNES still and it's still looks great, and I've done nothing special. It's just been sitting on the shelf all these years. But anyways, in the future I see people collecting the broken carts and then using emulators. The far future but not that far.

[Leo_A]

I was told by an ex-Nintendo employee (game tester) that the darker units were the refurbished ones. People did use that 1-800-255-3700 number on the systems to call for service and this was the result. If work was done on the bottom half of the system (circuitry etc.), they replaced the bottom. If work was done on the top (eject buttons, power and reset switches) they replaced the top half. So now you see all these units with top halfs dark and bottom halves dark. Occasionally you will see a fully darkened unit.

There's too many Super Nintendo's that have suffered from this to be due to them getting repaired by Nintendo repair centers, the SuperNes was one of the most reliable consoles ever produced, and I doubt there was ever much need of replacing half of the console's casing when it came in for servicing.

Plus, I highly doubt they made a special run of casings with inferior plastic to stock their repair centers with, it doesn't make any sense that the spare parts would come from anywhere else than from the same sources that were supplying their production line.

As for the game tester, it probably just seemed like it made sense to him so he ran with it after hearing it from someone else that was attempting to guess why it had happened (Though I really don't know), but it's one possible answer.

And I don't recall seeing any consoles that were yellowed until several years after the SuperNes 2's production run ended, I'd be very surprised if Nintendo themselves ever seriousily investigated the issue when it was a dead platform.

More than likely, they were sourcing materials from different companies throughout the system's production run based on which supplier was the cheapest, making some batches of their casings more prone to yellowing than others due to minor variations among the raw materials used.

The chemistry involved with it suggest that it will happen to every Super Nintendo at some point, assuming they all shared the same chemical composition and had the same kind of fire retardant in them. More than likely there were minor variations in their compositions over the course of the SuperNes's production run that have caused some to go significantly earlier than others.

But it doesn't really matter since it can now be fixed.




.
I actually have an SNES here that only has certain parts on the top half darkened while the center area with the cartridge port is the original gray color.

When you say darkened, what do you mean? We're talking about the console going from its attractive gray color to a ugly yellow. If portions of your Super Nintendo are starting to yellow, its happening to it and over time, it will eventually be yellow throughout the plastic if you were to cut through it.


.
I wonder who started the rumor that SNES systems just turned yellow out of nowhere?

Its no rumor, its extremely widespread. And the reasons behind it are now understood (Suffers from the same problem many classic computers do) and is fully able to be corrected thanks to the work of a few chemist who willingly gave up many hours to discover the reasons why it was happening and a course of action that could reverse the chemical process that was causing it and return the plastic to its original color. And I'm unsure why you just write it off as a rumor when you've apparantly inquired about it from a ex Nintendo employee and have it happening to your own console? Here's a picture showing the common issue Super Nintendo's are facing as they age and the fire retardant in the plastic starts to affect the plastic. It's clearly no rumor or an isolated incident.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/37/125373689_6909f36b73.jpg?v=0

[Rickstilwell1]

There's too many Super Nintendo's that have suffered from this to be due to them getting repaired by Nintendo repair centers, the SuperNes was one of the most reliable consoles ever produced, and I doubt there was ever much need of replacing half of the console's casing when it came in for servicing.

Plus, I highly doubt they made a special run of casings with inferior plastic to stock their repair centers with, it doesn't make any sense that the spare parts would come from anywhere else than from the same sources that were supplying their production line.

As for the game tester, it probably just seemed like it made sense to him so he ran with it after hearing it from someone else that was attempting to guess why it had happened (Though I really don't know), but it's one possible answer.

And I don't recall seeing any consoles that were yellowed until several years after the SuperNes 2's production run ended, I'd be very surprised if Nintendo themselves ever seriousily investigated the issue when it was a dead platform.

More than likely, they were sourcing materials from different companies throughout the system's production run based on which supplier was the cheapest, making some batches of their casings more prone to yellowing than others due to minor variations among the raw materials used.

The chemistry involved with it suggest that it will happen to every Super Nintendo at some point, assuming they all shared the same chemical composition and had the same kind of fire retardant in them. More than likely there were minor variations in their compositions over the course of the SuperNes's production run that have caused some to go significantly earlier than others.

But it doesn't really matter since it can now be fixed.





When you say darkened, what do you mean? We're talking about the console going from its attractive gray color to a ugly yellow. If portions of your Super Nintendo are starting to yellow, its happening to it and over time, it will eventually be yellow throughout the plastic if you were to cut through it.



Its no rumor, its extremely widespread. And the reasons behind it are now understood (Suffers from the same problem many classic computers do) and is fully able to be corrected thanks to the work of a few chemist who willingly gave up many hours to discover the reasons why it was happening and a course of action that could reverse the chemical process that was causing it and return the plastic to its original color. And I'm unsure why you just write it off as a rumor when you've apparantly inquired about it from a ex Nintendo employee and have it happening to your own console? Here's a picture showing the common issue Super Nintendo's are facing as they age and the fire retardant in the plastic starts to affect the plastic. It's clearly no rumor or an isolated incident.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/37/125373689_6909f36b73.jpg?v=0

My question here is how come the cartridge port area has not turned yellow yet? It's on the same side. Is it made of a different type of plastic?

[Malon_Forever]

I always that it was the exposure to certain elements that caused the SNES to change color. For example, smoke or sun light (through window). That's just what I thought.


I have an N64 cart that on part of the cart has the same yellow coloring. It's quite strange.

[bb_hood]

The SNES plastic console parts were manufactured in both Japan and Mexico. The ones made in Mexico had small parts of sand mixed in with the plastic; I guess in order to save money. This composition causes the yellowing of the plastic so fast. When the snes systems were then assembled, sometime parts from different batches were used, thus giving you the Super Nintendos with a nice top but yellowed bottom or vice-versa.

[FxMercenary]

I had 10 Super Nintendos, 8 worked, 2 didnt, and many either had a yellow top or bottom. After mix and matching everything I ended up with 6 nice shiny gray SNES systems :)

Also there is protection to plastic rotting, I will give you a hint, its a gentle cleaner that plastic actually absorbs in and stays shiny and new. I will give you a hint, its expensive.

[mobiusclimber]

We're all going to die!



Yes. Of course we are. Eventually. You didn't actually BELIEVE Nick Cage did you? "I won't ever let that happen to you?" BULLSHIT!

[Leo_A]

The SNES plastic console parts were manufactured in both Japan and Mexico. The ones made in Mexico had small parts of sand mixed in with the plastic; I guess in order to save money. This composition causes the yellowing of the plastic so fast. When the snes systems were then assembled, sometime parts from different batches were used, thus giving you the Super Nintendos with a nice top but yellowed bottom or vice-versa.

That isn't true for the reason behind the yellowing. The yellowing is caused both from exposure to UV light and because the ABS plastic console casing contains bromine as a fire retardant. By applying hydrogen peroxide, an active oxygen catalyst, and UV light, the yellowing process can be reversed.

But it perhaps explains if accurate the variations in why different pieces yellow before the rest of the console due to coming from different plants and minor differences in the plastic among batches.