Happiness is a clean Game Room

[Goodwill Hunter]

This morning I had a completely empty floor in my game room for the first time in well over a year. This was a very long and involved process, involving building new shelving units, switching locations of systems and games, checking the need for conditional upgrades with nearly a years worth of tradebait, moving/consolidating/dumping a lot of secondary collections, and cataloging and filing new acquisitions.

There were a few times I got close to this point, only to be pushing stuff aside to find a place to sit and play a couple of days later. Does anyone actually stay on top of their collections/rooms and take care of maintenance on a continuous basis, or is letting it reach a critical mass, followed by a nuclear cleanup the only way to go?

I should have taken before pictures, but after will have to do. I'm damn sure going to update my game room photos at this point, as there's already a TG-16 system I picked up this morning spread out on the floor. But here is a sample of this morning's pristine goodness that probably won't be seen again until I build up to crisis level again...

http://members.aol.com/a54br9/test/GWHFRONT.jpg

...sometimes it feels like an endless game of Tetris, only the completed lines never seem to leave the screen. :)

Rich

[Classicgamesdepot]

Nice work, Im always envious of all the game rooms around here, sure my collection is enormous, but I still haven't gotten around to completing a project like that, I'm bound to fix a room around here up sooner or later...because if I get too many more games I will definitly have to hehe

[Boboduo]

Wow nice! most of my collection is in storage bins. I need to
get my game room up and running!

[Neo_Veteran]

:)

Nothing better than a clean game room. I have a the habit
of cleaning my game room every week.

[Delgrace]

I love looking at these things.

Very nice. I am extremely envious. :-D

[nesuser2]

i'm not bad about organizing.....but i can never buy a tv stand with enough locations to put consoles on.......why can't they create consoles that aren't odd shaped? one day i'll get a gameroom going but it will be the day when i have all the time to get it done right. and the other thing that really gets under my skin......controllers......you can never make them look nice.......makes you wish you could buy controllers that had retractable reels on them.......may be the next big hit! retractable GC controllers haha, i'm definitly envious of you though......nice collection on top of the organization(is that a complete copy of stack-up for NES i see? X_x

[Jorpho]

I was wondering about that. Is there still no better method of storing controller cords other than wrapping them around the controller or something? Surely someone must have invented some sort of cord retractor that snaps on to the cable.
________
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[Tom61]

Surely someone must have invented some sort of cord retractor that snaps on to the cable.

They exist, look in stores where they sell stuff for laptops. They usually aren't spring loaded, so you have to wind them manually.

[ROBOTRON]

Cheeze Whizz...

Simple and clean.

[IGotTheDot]

I have been working about almost every waking hour the last 2 months, but I am still buying games at lunch and off of Ebay so my game room will need a lot of attention when my schedule lightens up. I have been piling things on the floor just inside the door.

[Balloon Fight]

Cool collection!

Im starting to rearange my room, its just that games just seem to pour in. :P

[atomicthumbs]

I've rearranged mine dozens of times in the last two years. I've finally got it pretty much how I like it. Pretty much...


I try to keep it as clean as possible, except when friends come over it adds a soda can collection to my room of doom.

[aremid23]

Goodwill Hunter, you have a very nice collection. I absolutely love the way you've got the wall-height shelves. It looks great!

[digitalpress]

Looks great, GWH!

I got your new pictures too, I'll get them updated onto the game room page in the next day or two.

The funny thing is - where are you gonna put the very next game you get?

@_@

[Oobgarm]

Indeed. An excellent gaming room. :rocker:

I have a hard time keeping mine straight, it seems that EVERY TIME I work at Gamestop, I end up bringing home a bag of stuff. It's not uncommon to see 4-5 Gamestop bags lying around with gaming goodies in them. They do make excellent trash bags, though. :D

I need to get new pictures of mine up, too.

[Zach]

I, too, am very interested in keeping my game room neat and tidy. I find that the only way I stand a chance is to keep only my favorite software out in the open where I can get to it easily. I've also restricted myself to having 16 consoles and a MAME computer hooked up and ready to play. And I keep two controllers for each system in the gameroom in my vintage Super Mario Bros. chest right next to my console shelf. The rest of my carts, controllers, and extra consoles stay in boxes out of sight.

On the topic of finding a suitable entertainment center... it's a lost cause. I tried for a long time to find anything that would hold my systems, but when you're trying to find some sort of shelving unit that will handle a GameCube and an Atari 5200 with equal elegance, you're doomed. A few years ago I bit the bullet and built a custom shelf from scratch, planning around all sorts of factors such as 1) how many systems I wanted in place, 2) which specific systems I wanted in place, 3) how I would select the "active" system, 4) how to most efficiently use the raw materials I would be purchasing. I also had to take on the project of converting all of my "RF only" systems to output composite video and audio. There are plenty of good resources out on the net, and the results are most impressive. Oh, and you HAVE to keep all of the cords out of sight, too! Just another rediculous obsession of mine!

You can see a pic of my shelf in my signature. To the right you can see the edge of my main cartridge shelf which was also custom-built and holds my most often played games.

[nesuser2]

i got to thinking about the controller thing.......and maybe you could create hooks to attach to the wall.......the ceiling.....maybe a sliding rod and on the end of the hook.......it would be a small hook, narrow that is. so you could slide the end of the controller, so the connection is holding it into the hook......obviously you wouldn't do this with big heavy controllers but most would work. and that way you knew which system it was by the connection. and maybe have some sort of sticky type system on the wall so you could just push on the top of the controller and it stuck to the wall like that......but something that didn't make them goo-e.....sorry........thats the best i can come up with. right now i have a cardboard box that slides under part of my tv stand and all my controllers are sitting in there and i can't stand it......i only have 3 systems in it too.....just horrible. :(

[den68]

very nice looking setup!!! my game room is a pig sty... sigh.... someday it will all be properly displayed.

[atomicthumbs]

i got to thinking about the controller thing.......and maybe you could create hooks to attach to the wall.......the ceiling.....maybe a sliding rod and on the end of the hook.......it would be a small hook, narrow that is. so you could slide the end of the controller, so the connection is holding it into the hook......obviously you wouldn't do this with big heavy controllers but most would work. and that way you knew which system it was by the connection. and maybe have some sort of sticky type system on the wall so you could just push on the top of the controller and it stuck to the wall like that......but something that didn't make them goo-e.....sorry........thats the best i can come up with. right now i have a cardboard box that slides under part of my tv stand and all my controllers are sitting in there and i can't stand it......i only have 3 systems in it too.....just horrible. :(

I was lucky and found this incredible kiosk-like rack with hooks and shelves that I use for my controllers. Check out the fantastic convenience of it all! I mean, MY GOD, it's on wheels!!!

http://www.digitpress.com/gameroom/atomicthumbs1.jpg

[nesuser2]

uhhh.........dude.........that is one large rack........i mean, where did you get that thing hah. it's a beast

[atomicthumbs]

Saline implants...

Just kidding! Thanks! It was a game and electronic accessory stand at Blockbuster, but they got rid of it a year or so ago (perk). It magically found it's way into my basement. I've still got an entire side open for later too (so I keep it against a wall for now)!

[nesuser2]

i must say,.. you've got a lot of paddles, sir! can't even play with them all at once

[atomicthumbs]

Ahhh... But you almost can! Here's how...

You can play, lets say, the Sega CD on one TV, and the 3DO on the other TV next to it. Then you can switch to playing the Intellivision, NES or whatever on one of either TVs with a flick of a switch during the long-assed loading screens. Then at the same time the GameCube can be played on either TV or, if you are endowed with psychic abilities, x-ray vision or you get a WaveBird and dig a hole in the ceiling it can be played through the TV upstairs (the GCN is also my region free DVD player, so there is a reason for the madness).

That's like, 5+ controllers for systems at once or something.... Crap, I'm going to bed....

[BigBoogie]

No offence. But isnt it a bit of a waste to own all those games and play them on a 19inch tv?

[atomicthumbs]

Only one of them is a 19" TV and only half of the systems are split to. The main TV is 32" and all systems are hooked up to.

No offense taken...

[Goodwill Hunter]

No offence. But isnt it a bit of a waste to own all those games and play them on a 19inch tv?

Started with a 36" TV, but every 100 or so additional games costs me an inch of screen space....it's the price I pay for a growing collection in a set space. I figure by the time I finish my NES and Genesis collections, I'll be down to one of those 13" TVs with a built-in VCR.

Seriously, I've done a great deal of gaming on Commodore monitors, so a 19" screen feels like a luxury. Besides, I started my gaming days playing space invaders on a 12" B&W TV in the basement.

And as you can see, space is at a premium in my game room...this particular TV allows me to keep my Intellivision on top, 3 AV switchboxes underneath, and another switchbox and my Dreamcast next to it. The space above the DC lets me access & feed wiring to the console rack next to the TV without having to remove any other systems.

19 inches is not only enough TV for me to fully enjoy any game in the room for the systems hooked up to it, it's as much TV as I can have and still accomplish the same feat...the phrase by my avatar says it all. :)

Rich

[cbroddy]

I have been testing my game systems and joysticks for a week and putting all the non working systems into a large grey bin. I have just tested several of my NES systems and only 3 of them work. Both Colecovision systems have died. I still have about a dozen systems to test out.

[Leo_A]

"No offence. But isnt it a bit of a waste to own all those games and play them on a 19inch tv?"

19" is plenty big, at least in my opinion. Anything much larger starts to pose problems (Looked into a 27 inch tv, ordered it, then measured my space and realized it wasn't going to fit, lol), especially when space is tight.

[SegaAges]

nice game room.

since i have to move, my game room is a bunch of huge boxes in my buddies basement :(

[atomicthumbs]

nice game room.

since i have to move, my game room is a bunch of huge boxes in my buddies basement :(

I'm gonna know what you mean soon enough. I'll be moving in June, so about April or so, I'll have to start packing.

[Famidrive-16]

Me and some people I know cleaned up my game room. All the stuff's aranged and everything, and the NES/SNES games are alphabatized

but seriously, my collection's a frikkin' pile of dust compared to some of these other collections :embarrassed:

possible pics soon

[EricRyan34]

I need a game room, all my games are in bins! :embarrassed:

[NESaholic]

Nice man :) , you did a good job, looks great, i still have to move,1 month left,as soon as i done that i will make a nice wall of games too.

[nesuser2]

nice game room.

since i have to move, my game room is a bunch of huge boxes in my buddies basement :(

Haven't you been moving for a while now? Last I was here I thought you said the same thing......but anyways...

19"-27" is good for gaming, but it really depends how big the room in which you're playing is, or how long. If it's a huge room and you can get 15-20' from the TV, then get a projector, but if your games are stacked around you causing for very little excess room, a 19" is probably good. I believe I game on an old 15" tv when in one room and it's not bad at all...

[charitycasegreg]

anyone notice this topic is from last year? Goodwill hunter has that new shelf installed in a corner where his desk was so he had way more room for games. But before this a couple months ago his room was a disaster... a very sexy disaster.... :-P

[racecar]

thats pretty clean !! i can't even go into my game/storage room , i got new games(sealed ps2/xbox/gamecube, broght it don't have time to played it ...iam stuck on rpg right now) barried under there. maybe someday(far distance future) when i clean it out my sealed games will worth something :D

[Barbarianoutkast85]

My collection is finally big enough to start a decent "Room of Doom" but currently im living in a dorm with 3 other guys and I have to share a very small room and ill also be finished January 14th, 2005. So I WAS going to make my room of doom when I moved back home. But im going to be there a month then I have to move all my stuff to California to go BACK to school. But I have the option of having a roomate or living alone. I think im going to live alone and kinda work on a room of doom but after 15 months ill have to move it all AGAIN back home after I graduate there. Damn it 45,000 dollars, 2600 miles and another degree later I might get to work on a room of doom in a place of my own.