Collecting Fullsets vs. Collecting Good Games [Archive]

Rickstilwell1

08-02-2009, 03:29 PM

A lot of people collect only games they like to play while many others like collecting whatever they can get their hands on. What do you think is more impressive when it comes to display? A large stack of almost 2000 games even though most of them suck, or a smaller collection of just a few hundred games that are actually fun or part of a series?

My collection consists of many loose cartridges and game discs that I bought dirt cheap when a game store was being liquidated, but I also have many good games in there. The thing is that I have the idea that I might like to pull out each game and at least give them one try. Personally I would like to hang on to these because I can imagine that if I ever did want to complete a system set it would be hard to get all these back again for under $2.50 a piece (when shipping for 1 game is usually no less than $3 anyway). It's probably worth more money to hang on to them.

At the same time, it's getting harder to store the collection and there are better games out there that I still don't have.

Malon_Forever

08-02-2009, 03:50 PM

Most impressive? A full set would include all good, so I would say a full set is definitely is more impressive.

Blanka789

08-02-2009, 04:15 PM

Personally, I don't go for fullsets. However, I think they are more impressive to both casual people and collectors alike.

That said, I like to play my games. If that means trading a rarity that I never play for a few really gun games, I'm all over it.

coreys429

08-02-2009, 04:36 PM

I am not much of a collector. I do a lot of buying and selling of games. Though the people that do impress me the most are the ones that are going for the full set. Right now I have three different friends going for a complete America Sega Genesis Set. That is box manual and game. Hunting titles down for them is fun. When I have people wanting to complete playing a game series like Zelda, I break their hearts talking about CDI version and then they tell me well those don't count.

tubeway

08-02-2009, 04:45 PM

I'd be more impressed by quality over quantity. If someone had 1000 games that were the best and most interesting titles across five platforms, I'd be more impressed by it than by the collection of someone that managed to get, say, all of the USA Sega Genesis releases. I understand the appeal of collecting an entire set -- not unlike a full set of baseball cards or a full run of a comic -- that feeling of completion and accomplishment is nice.

However, if you have a room filled with fullsets, then odds are, you also have a room filled with at least 60% crap or mediocre games, and you're stuck with all of them, because as soon as you get rid of a couple titles you no longer can make the claim you have a fullset. With a really quality collection, though, you can always selectively pare it down, swap out games as your interests changes, and not be trapped in essentially having a warehouse for a living space.

mobiusclimber

08-02-2009, 05:00 PM

Fullsets are impressive, but individual games usually impress me more. I know, I know, the person w/ the fullset HAS the impressive individual games (or some of em depending on what console they collect for), but I think I'm just as impressive by the person with a collection of just good games as I am by the person with every game for a system. And logistically, it's usually not feasible to house such a collection unless you're collecting for a system w/ a small library, which ends up negating the impressiveness of having a full set. ("I've got every US Virtual Boy Game!" Heh, oh, erm... cool?)

Rickstilwell1

08-02-2009, 05:32 PM

I think what I might do is stick with what I've collected so far but then from now on, when a system is emulated I will try out games before I buy.

It's obvious that the games I have already bought won't be found any cheaper in the future. I put a lot of time into cleaning my local store locations of their games and checking them off so I wouldn't want that to be a waste.

That is unless there is someone who would actually pay more than I did for these loose games. Should I post a list in the Buy/Sell forum and see if anything beneficial happens? Or do you think the youtubers who say they like my collection will be disappointed in me?

People seem to be impressed with the amount of systems alone rather than the games for them.

Swamperon

08-02-2009, 05:38 PM

I can definitely see the appeal in owning a full set and it's something I intend to start seriously aiming to achieve in a years time (Must finish uni and get a job first!) but currently am only generally collecting games that interest me.

Also, full or even large collections of games do look impressive, even if half of them are crap.

Kevincal

08-02-2009, 05:41 PM

I collect everything I can afford. Then when money gets tight, I sell what I don't need / want. I always try to hang onto my best / favorite games. I'm totally addicted to collecting though. Especially right now with so many people selling game stuff. There are good deals to be snapped up everywhere! Personally I find it rather insane going for fullsets, because you are going to end up spending too much money on a lot of the games because of the feel that you NEED this game to complete your fullset. Me, I'm always on the hunt for a good deal. I don't really care about fullsets EXCEPT for systems with few games. For instance I have all 44 originally released Jaguar carts. Wasn't that hard or expensive to get them. I have a lot of the 32X carts. So I can understand collecting fullsets for systems like that. But something like Genesis, NES or PlayStation, with hundreds if not thousands of games? Holy crap, you have to be really patient and have a lot of money. Neither of which I have. :P

That said, if I had unlimited money I would be at eBay ALL damn day just buying stuff left and right! :D So many times big lots go for great prices on ebay and I always wish I had the money to buy all of these big lots... :(

Spartacus

08-02-2009, 06:48 PM

I did a fullset one time with the original Xbox. I enjoyed doing it because there wasn't a complete list of Xbox games that I could find at the time to make a fullset simple to do. Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed doing all of the research and cross-checking necessary to make my list accurate. Finding them all was sort of fun too - I guess.
But once it was done, I realized that having a hundred or so games who's titles start with NBA, NCAA, NFL, MBL, NHL etc. was kind of boring to me. Thank God the Xbox wasn't heavy into games involving music, dance mats, or karaoke mics. YEEESH!
Not that I was expecting it to, but when it was done, it never impressed a single person who's seen it. I'm the only person who knows what was involved in accomplishing it and that's the satisfaction I derive from it. But I really can't see myself doing it again, honestly. Apparently, I don't have a collector gene in my body.
Nowadays I limit myself to genres of games that interest me the most. I find that if the subject matter interests me, I don't give a shit if anyone else thinks the game is good or terrible because I'm doing something in the game that I enjoy doing. Mostly just shooting shit and blowing stuff up, maybe a little hack and slashing. Sex sells, of course, and if a title finds itself on some crusaders shit list for WHATEVER reason, then I definitely feel I want to have it on my shelf.
I try to keep my favorite genres interesting by being willing to track them down no matter what region of the world they were released in. Figuring out what's been released and where and then trying to get my hands on it seems to be just as fun to me as actually playing games.

garagesaleking!!

08-02-2009, 07:18 PM

I dont get the impression the op was referring to owning full sets, he just meant in general many or a few good ones. I think owning a smaller amount of good games is more impressive to a collector. For example if someone had all the good rpgs for ps1, that would blow me away more than many other things.

xbox was the only system i ever really got crazy into collecting, buying every game i saw, at one point i had about 200 complete xbox games. However as soon as 360 came out xbox games basically became worth shit. I was once very proud of my xbox collection though, and i like to think all the games i owned were all the good ones for the system.

WildWillyWilson

08-02-2009, 07:34 PM

I'm going for a full Jap MD set. Yes there's a lot of strategy games that are pretty unplayable but its about the box art as well, plus seeing what the games were like graphically and audio wise in these cases.

Its also great to unearth games I hadnt heard of before- like when I bought Twinkle Tale about a month ago. True gem.

I've only got 56 games so far but looking at the 2 rows of shelves they take up just looks fantastic, so much colour and some of the artwork is fantastic.

But I do play the games as well so its both sides really.

megasdkirby

08-02-2009, 07:39 PM

garagesaleking!!

08-02-2009, 11:59 PM

I have the same problem, i get bored with games unless they really get me from the beginning, i always want to move onto something new and just cant be happy with what i am playing.

SegaAges

08-03-2009, 12:15 AM

I am...well...both. More a collector now than a player.

Before, I would get games to play and collect. I loved getting the newest game, finishing it, then getting a new one. Those were great times.

However, as time transpired, I kept getting more and more games, to the point in which I could not play them all. To date, around 90% of my collection has yet to be played.

The problem of getting alot of games is that, besides never playing them, I get immediately bored with them when I do play them. Before, I would stick to a particular game, no matter what. Now, if I start playing a game and I don't like it, it will be "forever shelved", meaning that I may never play with the game again. Also, my patience has diminished quite a bit during the past few years, to the point that if the game is even a tad hard, I quit. It must be a GREAT game for me to continue with it.

Sometimes, I think I should stop collecting and play the games I already have. Hell, I bet I have enough games to last a lifetime.

I could not agree more.

But then again, I am the owner of multiple fullsets (Virtual Boy, HyperScan, N-Gage). I normally only go for American games. I just think it is awesome to see every single game lined up. I think libraries of a system are awesome. Now if you have all sports games for snes, that is not all that impressive (unless, of course, they are all complete in box).

I do enjoy looking at rare compared to quality. If somebody has some uber rare game, even if it is a crappy game, I think it is more awesome to see one of those than if somebody had every final fantasy game on ps1.

There are multiple types of collectors, and the joy of this site, is that regardless of the type of collector, it is all good here.

I enjoy looking at others collections regardless of size. For me, personally, I love fullsets because for me it is still all about the hunt of the games. It is very fun to do

Dangerboy

08-03-2009, 12:24 AM

I"m a full set mongrel. PSX to be specific. I already have the entire list sans like 11 demos.
Almost done with all known variants.

And I know I'll play each and everyone of them someday. I have to, I'm archiving them. : )
www.game-rave.com

Zing

08-03-2009, 12:31 AM

If I saw someone with, say, a full PlayStation collection, you know it would be 98% shit and most games were bought for pennies in bulk. Not impressive. Seeing a full Virtual Boy collection or something like Wonderswan would be impressive. Things like that take at least some dedication.

I personally only keep playable games. Also, to curb my obsessive nature, I enforce a strict first-party rule for my GBA/DS/Wii games. Sure, this causes me to miss out on some good third-party games, but I don't have time to play the games I already have. My PlayStation collection is pared down to only the finest games as well, totaling around 45 games.

mrmark0673

08-03-2009, 12:36 AM

Having just completed my loose licensed NTSC NES set, I understand the benefits of both. I began collecting for the NES because it was the system I played and loved as a child. While playing amazing games like Mega Man 2, I always wondered what other amazing games there were for the system that I had missed or if there were better games that I had never heard of.

Before completing my goal, I found some AMAZING games that I had never heard of or would have likely have stumbled upon if it weren't for my drvie to complete the library. Power Blade, Panic Restaurant, Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu, Toki, Kick Master, and countless other games never would have made it onto my shelf if I stuck to collecting just the "good" games for the system. I've had a blast playing some of these games and I have to attribute some of that to my complete collection.

Having said that, you can imagine games like the Playschool series or the Sesame Street series don't see a whole lot of action over here. Collecting rehashed variants of the smae game (Taito vs Ubi Indy, Gold vs gray Zeldas, etc.) definitely does not please the gamer in me, and when you add in games like Stadium Events which is the same game as WCTM with the exception of a title screen, different label art, and about a thousand dollars, the full set scenario can seem downright silly.

I'm still happy to have done it though, for both my collection and gaming habits it fits perfectly. It was nice looking to see if I really had missed a better game for the system then Mega Man 2...

And no, I never did ;)

Ze_ro

08-03-2009, 01:23 AM

I enforce a strict first-party rule for my GBA/DS/Wii games. Sure, this causes me to miss out on some good third-party games, but I don't have time to play the games I already have.
Not only are you missing out on some "good" games, you're missing out on what are easily some of the BEST games on all three systems... while (I assume) getting plenty of garbage titles just because Nintendo stamped their name on it. Not everything they touch turns to gold.

--Zero

Dangerboy

08-03-2009, 01:31 AM

Uh, Zing...

If I saw someone with, say, a full PlayStation collection, you know it would be 98% shit
Wow...quite possibly the most uneducated, doesn't-know-a-sliver of whats available to play, and doesn't understand how much of the current generation owes it's life blood to the original PlayStation. A majority of today's most popular series, both main stream and cult, all began on the PlayStation One.

...and most games were bought for pennies in bulk.
Not even close. Though that sentence fragment is so vague that it describes EVERY SYSTEM EVER MADE when they were tossed aside for the next generation's introduction. Atari 2600, Nintendo, any system that GameStop or Blockbuster closed out of inventory (N64 games were $1 a piece, including rares), etc. If this thread was made 7 years from now, we'd be using XBox 360 instead of PlayStation. Hell, You can buy most of the 360 launch games for $5 or less, and it's only three years in.

Not impressive.
Oh it is. It's impressive enough that Sony's own forum members awarded me a $3,000 Entertainment system and LE PS2 to certify it. Also the Guiness Book of World Records Video Games, Official PlayStation Magazine, and PSExtreme would disagree with you as well. Among many others here.

Seeing a full Virtual Boy collection or something like Wonderswan would be impressive.

No offense to those who collect them (I respect any and all collections), but those are the worst examples you could have used. An American VB set has one, maybe two truly hard games to get, the rest is just are easy pickings. Hell, EB was liquidating the systems at $20 each - I spent $75 in one visit at the time and had all but 3 games for it. Hoo boy, dedication.

As for the Wonderswan, purely from an English speaking standpoint, I like to be able to read all the games I'm collecting.

Things like that take at least some dedication.
Yes, you're completely right. It took absolutely no dedication for the 3 years it took to track down a working copy of NBA 2 Ball AND the single programmer who did it(1), the 5 years it took to assemble a Mortal Kombat 3 variant (2), discover a variant to a Holy Grail (3), personally talking to the CEO of a defunct company to sort out 9 variant covers and inserts (4), or that there are whole sites dedicated to nothing but attempting to track down all the undiscovered PSX items (5) - including my own.

When one of Sony's own Engineers tells you you have more games than they do, and then calls their Copyright / Properties office in front of you to tell them he's got a source for references, no, that's absolutely not dedication at all.

I personally only keep playable games.
Unless there's a crack in the CD or there's a PCB issue, all games are playable.

Also, to curb my obsessive nature...
Ah, yes...there it is. There's the little piece of evidence I was looking for. It's not that there's 98% crap on my favorite system, it's that you're jealous of others. Your own self inflicted rules have prevented you from doing what you most want. Which would explain your system choices of earlier - go for the smallest libraries / most 'oddball' collection and call it impressive. That way it's not over shadowing your 45 games.

I enforce a strict first-party rule for my GBA/DS/Wii games. Sure, this causes me to miss out on some good third-party games
A 2nd limitation? A masochist indeed! But a sadist as well, but that's if you willingly bought Wii Music!

...but I don't have time to play the games I already have.
You make time. You find it. You stay up a little bit later. I'm happily dating, work full time, run a web-site, and do freelance graphic design, and I finished 3 PSX games just this week.

My PlayStation collection is pared down to only the finest games as well, totaling around 45 games.
They ain't wine, son. Even the finest games become stinkers in time.

Still tracking the final known PSX items, SEVEN YEARS RUNNING.
Jason

References:
1.http://www.game-rave.com/psx/playstation_perfect_guide/demodiscs/nba_2ball/
2.http://www.game-rave.com/psx/playstation_perfect_guide/releasedgames/mortal_kombat_3/index.html
3. http://www.game-rave.com/psx/playstation_perfect_guide/features/assassin_case/index.html
4. http://www.game-rave.com/psx/playstation_perfect_guide/workingdesigns/index.htm
5. game-rave.com
playstationcollecting.com
playstationmuseum.com
sonyindex.com
http://www.defconsoft.co.uk/
and on and on....

Push Upstairs

08-03-2009, 01:35 AM

Quality over Quantity.

A full collection is impressive, but after the initial awe, you wonder why someone owns ____ shitty game.

Steve W

08-03-2009, 01:50 AM

I've got almost 250 Xbox games, and I've pretty much given up. I can keep collecting games now that Xbox titles are only a few bucks each, but I've pretty much got all the games on the platform that I'm interested in. I think about going for broke (literally) and getting all the Xbox games I need for a full set, but I'd rather spend that money on buying games for other platforms that interest me.

All that gets tossed out the window when it comes to Atari 2600 games. If I don't have it, and I see it in a store at a decent price, I'll buy it without a second thought. It's my own little addiction.

ScourDX

08-03-2009, 02:10 AM

I like collecting good games for various console & handheld. This include imports. To me having a mix of everything is impressive enough.

retrocollectorguy

08-03-2009, 02:16 AM

Having a few 'fillers' in your collection can be good to equalize things out but too many of them can also crap up your collection and take up valuable space and money that can be used for other things.

Swamperon

08-03-2009, 07:25 AM

I have to say I'm in agreement with Dangerboy. A full PSX collection is very impressive, with over a 1000 games to collect, it takes nothing but dedication and it's something very few collectors will ever achieve. (I'm wondering when we'll see somebody with a full PS2 collection). Much like a full CIB gameboy collection, getting all those carts with their box and manual must take years.

However a VB collection or say G&W can probably be completed within a year or two within reasonable spending limits. In future I would like full Saturn/Dreamcast/Gamecube/Megadrive collections, but I know half of those titles will be crap and some will be hidden gems. That's half the fun.

garagesaleking!!

08-03-2009, 07:52 AM

while there are many crappy ps1 games, there are still many amazing ones, the 98% are shit rating is way off.

ncman071

08-03-2009, 08:52 AM

i think i'm like a lot of people on this board. i have more games than i could beat in a lifetime unless i both quit my job and got a divorce. however, now instead of buying every game i can find, i just simply try to get the good ones. i have about 130 snes games and at one point i thought it would be cool to try to get all the US snes games but quickly realized thats rediculous. i'd rather just get the best games instead of all the rare titles or try to complete any particular system.

namzep

08-03-2009, 09:36 AM

Absolutely no fullsets in my collection. I do have 4 out of the 5 Hyperscan games (missing the Marvel Heroes one) but that's mostly because I got them cheaply and thought they looked interesting. I mostly collect for games that I enjoy. Recently, I haven't been doing much collecting for consoles (only gotten one console games in the last 2+ months) but have instead been focusing on arcade games. Once again, only getting games I enjoy (or at least think that I'll enjoy).

chrisbid

08-03-2009, 11:55 AM

sometimes boring/crap games can be entertaining

in the past few years, ive come to realise i enjoy the act of collecting games as much fun as the act of playing games. i enjoy hunting for games, i enjoy organizing games, learning about game companies, designers, and programmers, i enjoy talking about these subjects on internet forums and with my collector friends.

people enjoy collecting all kinds of useless things, watch antiques roadshow sometime. there was a man who collected antique electric fans, he had rooms full of them, but in this day and age of air conditioning, i doubt he uses any of them for intended purpose... and thats ok, its nice that somebody is an expert on the subject and its history, and the subtle differences between models.

Mason P.

08-03-2009, 12:00 PM

Baloo

08-03-2009, 12:56 PM

I really only buy games that I genuinely want to play. I realized this not too long ago when I had a flea market table and decided "What am I going to do with these games I don't play anymore? They just collect dust sitting there, may as well make a profit off of them and buy the games I really want." I'm not into that fullset kind of stuff, but for those who are, good luck to you, that's a very difficult task.

mobiusclimber

08-03-2009, 03:07 PM

Before completing my goal, I found some AMAZING games that I had never heard of or would have likely have stumbled upon if it weren't for my drvie to complete the library. Power Blade, Panic Restaurant, Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu, Toki, Kick Master, and countless other games never would have made it onto my shelf if I stuck to collecting just the "good" games for the system. I've had a blast playing some of these games and I have to attribute some of that to my complete collection.

Having said that, you can imagine games like the Playschool series or the Sesame Street series don't see a whole lot of action over here. Collecting rehashed variants of the smae game (Taito vs Ubi Indy, Gold vs gray Zeldas, etc.) definitely does not please the gamer in me, and when you add in games like Stadium Events which is the same game as WCTM with the exception of a title screen, different label art, and about a thousand dollars, the full set scenario can seem downright silly.

There's the thing: I've owned and played all the games you mention as being good but underrated I guess you'd say? I'm a seller as well as a collector, so lots of games end up in my possession at one time or another. And it's b/c I test every game that I end up playing some stuff that I normally wouldn't and have found plenty of games outside my favorite genre that I have kept (Abadox, Fester's Quest, WURM...). I didn't need to go for a fullset in order to do it, either.

But your second point is the reason I'd never bother. Where does it end? Do you get all variants? Do you get unlicensed as well? You know you're missing out on some good games if you don't. (Spiritual Warfare springs readily to mind.) Especially w/ some systems, even when you GET a fullset, you're not done b/c you've just put artificial limits on it. A fullset of US Playstation games is really awesome... but there's twice as many Japanese Playstation games out there.

I also wanted to make a point about collecting Virtual Boy: yes, getting all the US releases would not be incredibly difficult or expensive, but good luck with the Japanese releases. Tough to track down, and when you DO find them, they're $800+.

Just explaining why I don't do fullsets now, no offense to those that do, I'm always amazed at the dedication it takes. I just know I don't have that kind of dedication. I love collecting (besides just the thrill of buying a game I want to play), but so far I don't own every game I plan on playing, so rather than limiting myself to one system full of games I have no interest in, I collect for all systems (just about) from NES up to present.

Adol

08-04-2009, 08:23 AM

A fullset of US Playstation games is really awesome... but there's twice as many Japanese Playstation games out there.

There is about 4500 japanese PS1 games,counting reprints&variations.

I also wanted to make a point about collecting Virtual Boy: yes, getting all the US releases would not be incredibly difficult or expensive, but good luck with the Japanese releases. Tough to track down, and when you DO find them, they're $800+.

Now only Virtual Bowling is worth that,SD Gundam and other can be found for cheaper (and the VB fullset is one of my 25 fullsets,i know what i'm talking about ^^)

Oh it is. It's impressive enough that Sony's own forum members awarded me a $3,000 Entertainment system and LE PS2 to certify it. Also the Guiness Book of World Records Video Games, Official PlayStation Magazine, and PSExtreme would disagree with you as well. Among many others here.

Just for knowing,are those institutions interested into a 25 fullset owner? ^^
Or that's a USA thing only?

Since we're talking about dedication,patience,and love of the respective systems ^^

Thanks

Ed Oscuro

08-04-2009, 09:49 AM

Fullsets don't really impress me because they make me think of what's being missed out on. They are not the best use of one's (limited) money, and going after them necessitates compromises in other areas:

- Space. Don't need to say much here. I'll put up with some things, but having to walk over boxes is no fun. Having a comfortable living space means more to me than having a bunch of games I'll never play and that ultimately don't benefit me.

- Condition. I'd probably be more impressed by a MS-60+ 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent than a collection of all the cents from 1909 on in VG or less condition. I don't like games that are parted together (variants will mess that up), but more importantly, when I want a game I want it as close to perfect as possible. If I had to worry about collecting all the crap games too, I would have less time to pay attention to the condition of the good ones.

- The economic argument. If you give me money and say "here, you can use this to fill out the Barbie and Hot Wheels deficiencies in your collection ~ OR you can put it in your CD, or towards good games for other systems," how stupid would I have to be to collect the barbie and other terrible games? I can respect somebody who is collecting said games if they're going to donate them to a museum someday, but that's about it. It's a terrible use of money and economic opportunities, because money is limited and there are always far better investment opportunities.

A person's time is also an economic resources. Even if money is unlimited, time spent going after crap games is time I can't use to learn about the wider world, take pictures with my camera, go exercise, et cetera.

I credit my stance against buying terrible games at least partially towards having limited resources. Usually I only have a few bucks each week to put towards games or other discretionary expenditures - so having to plan out my purchases in advance means that I guard carefully against waste. I usually remember what stuff cost, so when I look at something I did not like, I think about its sticker price and equate that to some great deal I'm missing now because I threw my money at the wrong thing in the past.

The bottom line - with a steady stream of good games coming out now, it will be impossible for me to get them all. And looking at older games, I just can't justify getting something terrible when I still don't own a JPN Super Contra PCB, or a full Toaplan arcade kit, or equipment to make my games look and sound better, or a copy of Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru, or...

darkslime

08-04-2009, 01:59 PM

I don't have any fullsets but do have a crap games in my collection. I generally buy in lots, and they usually come with crap that is hard to sell. Lately I have been reselling a lot of stuff I get, but it is weird, I don't want to sell the crap I will never play that I got before I started reselling and was only collection.

PapaStu

08-04-2009, 08:01 PM

Just for knowing,are those institutions interested into a 25 fullset owner? ^^
Or that's a USA thing only?

Since we're talking about dedication,patience,and love of the respective systems ^^

That would involve you talking to Sega Japan, Nintendo of Japan ect to see if they cared enough to honor a fan of theirs. A few years back SCEA hosted the competition that DB is refering to, the forum users (including DP members that were a part of the PS Underground) voted for him.

Trumpman

08-04-2009, 08:58 PM

Personally, I have no interest in owning bad games. For the few systems I own, I only buy good games or those that have been recommended to me. I don't have much room in my dorm room at school, too, so it's just not worth it. While I admire those who do have full sets, I don't think I'll ever go for one.

Zing

08-04-2009, 09:04 PM

Uh, Zing....
Wow. I don't think I have ever seen such a lengthy and personal attack on someone's opinion in these forums. Jesus fucking christ, man! The OP asked for opinions! I know you are the biggest PSX fanboi on earth, but honestly, I was initially tempted to click the report button.

Zing

08-04-2009, 09:09 PM

Not only are you missing out on some "good" games, you're missing out on what are easily some of the BEST games on all three systems... while (I assume) getting plenty of garbage titles just because Nintendo stamped their name on it. Not everything they touch turns to gold.
I don't want to get into personal arguments like some others here seem to, but I will explain this further...

I don't just blindly buy every Nintendo published name. I do plenty of research before committing to any purchase. This is easy to do since almost all of my games are back catalog. I mainly limit myself because there are far more games out there than I could ever complete in my entire life. I have to limit myself somewhere. After realizing that most of the games worth my precious time were first-party, it became an easy way of forcing myself to limit my collection. I don't give a shit if "Prince of Persia" cures cancer. If I bought every good game out there, I would be broke and overwhelmed. As it is now, every game I own is good, and I actually have a chance at playing them all.

Ed Oscuro

08-04-2009, 09:28 PM

Wow. I don't think I have ever seen such a lengthy and personal attack on someone's opinion in these forums. Jesus fucking christ, man! The OP asked for opinions! I know you are the biggest PSX fanboi on earth, but honestly, I was initially tempted to click the report button.
It's impressive how you managed to troll DB with just three sentences that couldn't have been better crafted to poop all over what he's struggled to do over these years - all without meaning to do it! ROFL

I went back to the first page just to see what the fuss was over. Opinions aren't the same thing as statements of fact, although I'm not one to second-guess whether you've actually played all the PSX library and judged it to be 98% crap.

Anyhow, my opinion is that it's a terrible thing that all those folks have encouraged DB to buy what must be hundreds of terrible games - but, on the other hand, they're in safer hands than they would have been otherwise, and now they're properly documented - safeguarding our video game history is good for everybody, isn't it?

Also, Adol spotted trying to steal the limelight, naughty naughty! ;)

Not to create any strife between these two gentlemen (but then again Adol kind of stepped in it), I think there's a difference between somebody who has brought a lot of information about the fringles of the PlayStation world, and contributed towards the writing of the best book on PSX history, and somebody who just shows up and posts a picture of a bunch of games now and then (although Adol may do a lot more than this, I don't know).

Lerxstnj

08-04-2009, 09:41 PM

"Good" is a subjective term, so there will always be someone that says you don't have all the "good" games when you think you do... Or even your tastes may change over time.

We can probably all agree that every system has some bad games. For me the system with the most percentage of "good" games is the Dreamcast. So if I was ever to try to get a complete set, it would probably be that one. I usually just make want lists and go for getting those.

Nescollector

08-04-2009, 11:02 PM

I think collecting a full set of a system you love is pretty impressive, and it's hard work. I have to agree with Ed Oscuro on the economics of doing so. I just had that moment last week boxing over a hundred nes games and thinking, frick I have over 150 more that I don't have boxes for, and I have 96 factory sealed nes games I've been buying the last 8 years (I thought, it's a bunch of plastic, cardboard, time and money) and I just felt let down, like I wasted 5 hours boxing games, and the money I have in all this stuff is pretty high. So I have to almost stop buying games, I just can't afford it, even though I love the nes.

Gameguy

08-04-2009, 11:11 PM

Personally I'd rather go for games that I like across several systems than go for a full set for one system. I don't have the space for everything, I can't just get everything I come across. Plus it shows off that a collector has good taste and really appreciates the games if there's only certain games in a collection, with a full collection you're not sure if they just bought the games because they were on the list and they really don't know anything about them.

There's nothing wrong with going for a full set though, some people have to buy the crappy games or how would I get rid of them? ;)

Bad Atom

08-05-2009, 02:00 AM

I knew it was time for me to stop collecting once Wally Bear and the NO! Gang entered my collection.

Adol

08-05-2009, 04:57 AM

That would involve you talking to Sega Japan, Nintendo of Japan ect to see if they cared enough to honor a fan of theirs. A few years back SCEA hosted the competition that DB is refering to, the forum users (including DP members that were a part of the PS Underground) voted for him.

Ok,Thanks for the info!
Then the contest/competition was planned by SCEA,originally.Ok.

Adol

08-05-2009, 05:08 AM

Also, Adol spotted trying to steal the limelight, naughty naughty! ;)

Not to create any strife between these two gentlemen (but then again Adol kind of stepped in it), I think there's a difference between somebody who has brought a lot of information about the fringles of the PlayStation world, and contributed towards the writing of the best book on PSX history, and somebody who just shows up and posts a picture of a bunch of games now and then (although Adol may do a lot more than this, I don't know).

I confess ^^ Though 25 fullsets isn't really the same thing than 1,you must agree.
How nasty i am :)
No strife at all,i was just asking how those reawards came, and if that was a spontaneous procedure from him.
Now i know it was something SCEA created,and he won that competition.
It's nice SCEA did it actually. Not all companies do that.

I think there's a difference between somebody who has brought a lot of information about the fringles of the PlayStation world, and contributed towards the writing of the best book on PSX history, and somebody who just shows up and posts a picture of a bunch of games now and then (although Adol may do a lot more than this, I don't know

That's right,you really don't know.
I shared a LOT of info,like:
- thousands of scans for MD or Saturn sites (Guardiana,etc)
- the very first translated lists for Famicom Disk system 11 years ago (for NESWorld)
- some articles in VG magazines in my country (interviews,for example,but anything that would promoto love of Japanese VG here)
- Many lists,info,contributions, about japanese video games of all kind for websites (french)
- some radio talk shows to promote retrogaming
- contributed to books as well (in France,again)
- released some prototypes for free on many systems as well (most being in 90s) for the vg community

So,yeah, i did my part as well. I just don't say it,here,on this forum.
Because nobody asked.
About the info, I just express myself in my native language,french,in my country.
But since you're on an english forum, you can't notice that.Unless you go to the french forums the same way i go on english ones,maybe?

Oppositely, I don't remember seeing Dangerboy (or you?or anyone here?) giving a lot of informations in french on french forums,websites,magazines,etc..Am i right? :)
And that's normal. Then you cannot expect the same from me (writing books in english)
Anyway, this is not a competition, guys ^^
And i'm curious to know about "this best book in PSX history" i never heard about...was it translated,or is it an USA thing only? being the best book in US history only? (i must admit that 99% of the best books about VG are japanese)

Rickstilwell1

08-05-2009, 05:22 AM

In a way there is one fullset I'm going for, but it's not a fullset of games for a system. It's a fullset of US released game systems themselves. This set has less items and is a bit easier to complete but it still has its $1000 rarities in the mix such as Adventure Vision or a CIB honest 1972 Magnavox Odyssey.

I am getting closer to this goal and starting to seek gaming computers like Commodore 64. Once I get a new job, I think Commodore 64 will be my first target because it's one of the most popular things I'm missing.

Collecting systems over collecting games seems more fun to me because every time it offers a new experience unless you are also collecting varients. Collecting certain varients can be beneficial when it comes to systems though. Genesis 3 is great for travel, but Genesis 1 & 2 are upgradeable for example.

Ed Oscuro

08-05-2009, 09:30 AM

So,yeah, i did my part as well. I just don't say it,here,on this forum.
Well, that's good to hear, kudos! I'm glad I at least considered the possibility. Thanks for educating me on that point.

Anyway, this is not a competition, guys ^^
It tends to look that way when you're around though! ;)

And i'm curious to know about "this best book in PSX history" i never heard about...was it translated,or is it an USA thing only? being the best book in US history only? (i must admit that 99% of the best books about VG are japanese)
http://www.lulu.com/content/199472

Actually, I'm wrong about him writing it - that was kevincure, aka Kevin Bryan. He got a lot of assistance (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/search.php?searchid=3245518) from PapaStu and Dangerboy in particular.

Adol

08-05-2009, 09:39 AM

It tends to look that way when you're around though! ;)

Haha, right ;)

http://www.lulu.com/content/199472

Ill go see that :)

Gentlegamer

08-05-2009, 09:57 AM

Dangerboy, may I come over and play PlayStation?

swlovinist

08-05-2009, 10:15 AM

Full sets is what I have gone for, and will probably now just go for smaller sets due to size, money, etc. 12 full sets here, including NES, N64 and Sega Genesis being the "larger ones". The Sega Genesis will be the last big set that I go for(missing like 7 manuals). With that being said, I think that collecting full sets(espically larger sets) is more impressive. This is, however, not why I do it.

I collect full sets for the challenge, for the fun, and mostly because I dont get bored with it. It took me 13 years to get my Genesis set boxed and probably will take me another year just to get the final 7 manuals. That to me is fun, while to others would be a waste. If it was easy, then I would not bother.

I am also an avid fan of history, and video game history is very interesting to me.

For me, alot of people will be collecting the "good titles", the rare titles, and the popular titles. Not many people are keeping the crappy titles, which some day hopefully can be saved for a museum.

My hat goes out to all completists, Adol, Dangerboy, Dream TR, and others. It is a road less traveled.

Ed Oscuro

08-05-2009, 10:53 AM

For me, alot of people will be collecting the "good titles", the rare titles, and the popular titles. Not many people are keeping the crappy titles, which some day hopefully can be saved for a museum.
Long ago I read that this is what happened to a particular series of US low-value stamps, supposedly, but generally speaking rare games are still going to be rare - and I think you underestimate how many people are keeping junk. I have some pirates (as posted before) and I'm not about to throw them in the trash (not yet anyway). What's more, since bad games aren't any fun, they'll probably fare better than some other titles that see regular use. Ultimately the person who gives the best attention to crappy / common undesirable games is the person who collects just that title or series...I'm sure they're out there - folks who pay the most attention to a certain genre on a system, for example.

understatement

08-05-2009, 11:51 AM

It all depends on your definition of �full set� for instance I have a full set of working designs games minus the assassin�s case and different art discs. (but I�m looking) In other words I don�t think a full set is limited to one particular system. I think it�s more impressive to see something like a full set of Squaresoft�s games over a full set of genesis or NES games.

Ed Oscuro

08-05-2009, 12:20 PM

I think it�s more impressive to see something like a full set of Squaresoft�s games over a full set of genesis or NES games.
Impressive =! personally interesting. Now, maybe if you were counting super-rare Squaresoft items like demos shown only at shows, then you'd have something to compare to a full set of NES games (which is a whole lot of games after all, even not counting pirates and unlicensed games).

GrandAmChandler

08-05-2009, 01:40 PM

Oh great job Zing you pissed off Dangerboy, now we're all fucked!

--Zero

Dangerboy

08-05-2009, 01:44 PM

Zing,

Wow. I don't think I have ever seen such a lengthy and personal attack on someone's opinion

Two reasons:
a. It was an incredibly unfounded and not properly researched opinion.
b. In three sentences you said my 8+ years (essentially life's) of work was "shit".

There was no personal attack. I attacked an opinion, it's poorly chosen evidence, and a choice.

...in these forums.
You haven't read much in the forums, have you? ^_^;;

I was initially tempted to click the report button
And report what? Someone pointing out the flaws in an opinion?

Calmly put:
It's true the PlayStation has a decent amount of said 'crap', but some of it's kind of fun. But more importantly, any popular system, especially the PSX, PS2, Wii, and DS are going to have a TON of shovelware and crap because there's no developer worth their plastic that's not going to cash in on it. It's more a testament to just how widespread and enjoyed the system really was. I'm one of those people who want to know what he was missing all those years. A full set allows an exploration of genres and titles not possible when the games first came out. Especially some of the budget games - there's some true gems that no one would look twice at since the box doesn't have the words final, fantasy, or square-enix.

After 8 years, there still isn't a true known "full set" list. I do have one of every retail game, but 4 new demos were discovered several months ago. New variants are being discovered all the time, usually within a group effort of more than 10 people searching. Hell, just as I was typing this a buddy messaged me and found a new GH title I didn't know existed >_>;;;

Sometimes it's not the games that make the collection (full set or otherwise), sometimes it's the quest. After awards, recognition, being able to talk to CEOs and Programmers who under other circumstances would have never talked to me, the PlayStation has provided a journey that may never be topped. I'm just thankful to be still enjoying the ride.

Between you and me? Most impressive collection of anything (full or otherwise) would be DreamTR's fullset AES Neo Geo. Not because of the financial burden that needed, but he had to dodge a sea full of homebrews, conversions, ruined versions (NG Freaks, Game Dube) and pirated carts that no other system has ever had to deal with.

That's a dedication that requires alcohol. ^O^

*Also, I can quite easily show you the amount of ebay wins, goodwill, gamestop, eb, game crazy, and other receipts to show it wasn't just "bought for pennies". ;__;

edit: Ugh..GAC...worst...timing...ever....

understatement

08-05-2009, 02:17 PM

Impressive =! personally interesting. Now, maybe if you were counting super-rare Squaresoft items like demos shown only at shows, then you'd have something to compare to a full set of NES games (which is a whole lot of games after all, even not counting pirates and unlicensed games).

Thats exactly what I'm talking about everything Squaresoft from there first game (The Death Trap) to the last in JP/NA/PAL. In my "opinion"^^;(don't hurt me) that would be way more impressive than an NES set.

mrmark0673

08-05-2009, 02:33 PM

There's the thing: I've owned and played all the games you mention as being good but underrated I guess you'd say? I'm a seller as well as a collector, so lots of games end up in my possession at one time or another. And it's b/c I test every game that I end up playing some stuff that I normally wouldn't and have found plenty of games outside my favorite genre that I have kept (Abadox, Fester's Quest, WURM...). I didn't need to go for a fullset in order to do it, either.

But your second point is the reason I'd never bother. Where does it end? Do you get all variants? Do you get unlicensed as well? You know you're missing out on some good games if you don't. (Spiritual Warfare springs readily to mind.) Especially w/ some systems, even when you GET a fullset, you're not done b/c you've just put artificial limits on it..

Being a seller and a collector doesn't mean you'll see every game for the system. I just posted a sales thread for 200+ doubles I have and there are plenty of games that never would have passed through my hands unless I sought out for a complete set (Kid Klown, Power Blade 2, and one of my favorite games ever, Panic Restaurant).

As far as unlicensed games, I collect those too, I just haven't finished off my set yet. I'm only about 30 games shy though, so it shouldn't take too long.

In regards to never being able to finish, of course that is true. I collect NES prototypes and there is NO WAY to finish off a set. I have about 8 unreleased games currently and around 50 other protos for the system, there is no limit to how many I collect because there are plenty of one of a kind protos that won't be switching hands anytime soon.

I don't limit myself to just collecting a full set, I have an extensive Vectrex collection and actively collect arcade boards and Japanese Candy Cabs. I no desire to collect any sort of full set for those systems, they're just fun to have.

To touch on the limited income factor, if you buy and sell you shouldn't have to shell out a whole lot of your own cash. I've spent next to nothing on my collection with the use of reselling doubles, it doesn't have to be any financial strain to buy games. Actually, if it is, you should probably reconsider the hobby.

Space is an issue of course, but it doesn't bother me having these games around. Finding space for the 400 or so boxes I have can be a pain in the ass, but still not a huge issue.

Robocop2

08-05-2009, 03:43 PM

Personally, I'm a gamer first and foremost and a collector second. I prefer to just get the titles I remember and enjoyed having or wanted at the time. I have never been a completionist except with Monsters in my Pocket way back in the day. The complete collections while very impressive do not interest me to attempt as there's far too many games I never cared about or don't want to shell out the money for just to have them sitting around.

Ed Oscuro

08-06-2009, 11:02 AM

Thats exactly what I'm talking about everything Squaresoft from there first game (The Death Trap) to the last in JP/NA/PAL. In my "opinion"^^;(don't hurt me) that would be way more impressive than an NES set.
BUT, if you look at Dangerboy's collection, you shouldn't underestimate the lengths many full set collectors will go to in order to get things for their own console that are equally rare.

I'll be looking at this Panic Restaurant mrmark mentions.

portnoyd

08-06-2009, 11:26 AM

Haha wow, Dangerboy repeatedly dumps on Zing's head.

My opinion?

Full sets: when I have money
Good games: when I don't have money

I've been at the latter for the past 2 years. However, it'd be nice to finish 32x and SMS which we're pretty close with.

Completion gives you better perspective and defined goals. You also have to remember one man's crap is another man's gold turd so how would you truly know a game is bad unless you are compelled to get it and try it?

GrandAmChandler

08-06-2009, 11:28 AM

understatement

08-06-2009, 03:36 PM

BUT, if you look at Dangerboy's collection, you shouldn't underestimate the lengths many full set collectors will go to in order to get things for their own console that are equally rare.

I�m not underestimating anyone (especially not Dangerboy) and I�m not saying that a complete PSX game sets not impressive BUT, for me I enjoy to see the evolution of things, that you can�t really see with the set of a single system you might see some graphical enhancements as the system becomes finely tuned but the first bad game for the system can be just as bad as the last bad game same with the good ones. For instance say a museum had two exhibits

1) chest full of pirated gold: there are 1,500 coins in the chest that are all different

2) processes to make a gold coin: there�s only about 20~30 steps to making the coin

I would rather see how the coin was made over stare at the chest.

SpaceHarrier

08-06-2009, 04:14 PM

But once it was done, I realized that having a hundred or so games who's titles start with NBA, NCAA, NFL, MBL, NHL etc. was kind of boring to me.

More or less how I feel about full-sets. As impressive as they are, when I look at someone's collection, I am seeing what kind of gamer they are. A fullset can simply represent collecting. I want to see what great games they enjoy playing and how that reflects on the games I enjoy as well. What gems do they have? What do they really favor that maybe I have missed out on? What do we have in common as gamers?

So I'll say a decent collection of well-loved quality games are truly impressive. It's the story and passion behind the collection (as games, not objects) that matters to me.

Ed Oscuro

08-06-2009, 04:25 PM

I�m not underestimating anyone (especially not Dangerboy) and I�m not saying that a complete PSX game sets not impressive BUT, for me I enjoy to see the evolution of things, that you can�t really see with the set of a single system you might see some graphical enhancements as the system becomes finely tuned but the first bad game for the system can be just as bad as the last bad game same with the good ones. For instance say a museum had two exhibits
What I mean is that, as far as the difficulty of putting together the set goes, there's probably at least as many things that are as hard to find for the PSX and NES, if not harder, than with Square games.

But that's just a guess on my part and obviously it doesn't invalidate your reasoning.

I think that the only-one-in-existence game(s?) that Dangerboy found couldn't be found for Squaresoft stuff though - there's stuff in that PSX collection whose equivalents Square wouldn't sell you.

Ultimately I think that the most impressive collection I know of has to be DreamTR's, it just boggles the mind that one person was able to get ahold of that many prototypes and review copies (back before CD-ROM and DVD releases made it relatively easy).

Aussie2B

08-06-2009, 04:49 PM

I'm really straddling the fence on this issue. While there is a lot that I can relate to, there are also aspects that I find really odd and even have some disdain for.

I mean, I can understand the appeal of full sets. I've piece together a nearly complete set of US Neo Geo Pocket Color games for my boyfriend, and I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of both the hunt and just having access to the full library. I also entertain ideas of pursuing my own complete set by finishing off my US Virtual Boy collection. But these cases are special because those systems have very small libraries to begin with, and I believe the quality ratio is extremely high. You almost have to shoot for complete sets for systems like those if you expect to have a decent-sized selection of games to play. With systems like the NES, SNES, Genesis, PlayStation, etc., I don't even entertain the idea of pursuing them all, even if it would be cool to have.

In my shopping, sure, the ideal situation is finding games that I'd love, but I'm also not down with the idea of ONLY having good games in a collection. How can one appreciate what is truly good without also experiencing what is truly bad? Any game that ends up in my collection stays in my collection, regardless of quality. When I shop for used, older games, I'm only really interested in if it's a good deal or not. I'm happy to try anything if it's cheap enough, so I generally only pass on sports games since usually any amount is too much for most of them (and I know I'll end up with them from lots anyway).

To me, the most important thing is intent. It's great if someone can acquire a full set, but it really rubs me the wrong way when someone flat out states that they only collect for the sake of collecting and don't have intent to play what they buy. I think collectors like that are almost doing a disservice to the community because they're just hoarding and keeping games out of the hands of other collectors who I believe could appreciate them better. Now I'm not saying that everybody has to beat or extensively play every game, in which case I would be a hypocrite because I've barely played a large percentage of my own collection, so that's why I say intent counts. No matter how overwhelming large my collection may grow, I'm still a gamer first and dream to beat or thoroughly experience every game I have.