How did the DP site affect your buying/playing habits?

[lendelin]

How did this site affect your playing, buying and collecting habits?

You know what I mean...you read about older and current games, collections, questions about gaming history, the CGE, looking at game room pics, and this certainly affects your attitude about games.

For my part, I spend MORE money on games than ever before, I have MORE appetite for older games than ever before, but I also spend LESS money for a single game on average thanks to great heads-up for sales by posters. The urge of playing games also increased for sure.

The site also made me aware of games I might have overlooked, great information about collecting aspects and gaming history lead to more interest about games and results again in --- buying some more games. :)...and just looking at collections certainly gives you some ideas as well. :)

Is this game enthusiasm of DP members contagious or what? Did you become more selective when it comes to playing/buying/collecting or tend to go over board?

[fergojisan]

I got Faxanadu off of eBay because everyone who mentions it here says it's good (some say it's better than Zelda, which is my favorite). Haven't started it yet though. :embarrassed: Same thing for Crystalis, which I don't have. And I blame the print version of DP for my NES collection. :D Years ago they had a top 100 list of great games you've never played, or something to that effect. I had to go to Funcoland to find the NES games on the list, and I never stopped going to Funcoland. But I got a lot of good stuff, so thanks DP! :rocker:

[Iron Draggon]

In the past year, DP has tremendously increased my appetite for old imports, particularly old imports for the Saturn. I had about 5 imports for my Saturn at the beginning of last year, and now I have about 35 imports for my Saturn, and I credit DP for inspiring me to buy as many old imports as I can get my greedy little hands on. I'm not sure why I was inspired to go on such a major import binge by DP, but for some reason I was, and I'm very glad that I was inspired to do so too. It began with a simple desire for Necronomicon, and the other import pinballs for the Saturn, and it mushroomed into a quest for as many old Saturn imports as I could get. I've had to slow down alot on my binge lately, due to financial reasons, but I'm still buying all the old imports that I can get. Currently, I'm making payments on Hyper Duel, which is why I've had to slow down alot. I've reached the point now where most of the imports that I still want have triple digit prices, and unfortunately I just can't afford to spend as much on games as I used to. So Hyper Duel is gonna be the crown jewel in my collection for a while, until I can get Radiant Silvergun. It may take me a few years, but eventually I'm gonna get alot more imports!

Anyhow, DP has also inspired me to "complete" my collections for as many of my systems as I can. I have no intentions or desire to truly complete them all, by buying every game ever made for each system that I own, but I do want to buy all the games that I always wanted for them all, but for some reason never got around to buying them yet, for one reason or another. So I credit DP for inspiring me to continue buying as many old domestic games as I can get my greedy little hands on too. And I think that's a very good thing. My collection is becoming even more valuable and even more diverse as a result of all my DP inspired buying binges and collecting habits, and it gives me a great sense of pride as I add each new game that I get to my collection to be able to come here and say "Check it out, look what I got!" to roars of approval from all the other members here. I've also found it very comforting and reassuring to look at all the "rooms of doom" posted here, and know that I'm not the only one with this odd mass collecting habit. I honestly thought that I was the only one with 1000's of old games, until I found DP. But now I know that I'm not the only one, so I want even more!

[PapaStu]

Well I bought lots of games before DP. But since being introduced to DP (by Dangerboy) I'd say that my aquisitions have gone up tremendously (if not just counting games, PlayStation alone before DP was 390ish and today is close to 700 as I come up on my 1 year DP anniversary) in just the weird/rare/one of a kind type things that have entered into my collection, because of exposure that i've gained from DP. Almost all of which would have been near impossible aquisitions before.

The site has opened me up to so many new and different things with people met, the rarity guide work, CGE and countless other paths yet determined.

I also have made some amazing friends (many of which ive met numerous times) and wouldnt give them up for the world.

[jdc]

DP has made me MORE selective and LESS frivolous......so while my spending has increased.....my wasted money has halted.

DP also showed me that loose carts ARE okay (LOL). The biggest thing that it did was put me in with a bunch of people that aren't just all about the latest greatest flash in the pan. Do you know how hard it is to explain to the average GTA/Halo-worshipping person that your favorite system of all time IS the N64? "Why would you waste time and money on that piece of shit kiddie system?"

Yes I play Halo...yes I play GTA...but I also like the simplicity and charm of the N64. I can find like-minded people here.

[kainemaxwell]

Before DP I was only gaming and getting games I wanted and had sold off many my old NES and SNES ones and didn't think twice about the Atari 2600 or other systems. Now since joining, meeting others, winning some contests, etc I've become a gamer and a collector. I'm collecting and gaming with those games I enjoy and want to get for the systems I have and had.

[PentiumMMX]

It all started in 1994, when I played Pac-Man on my dad's Atari 2600.

1997: I bought a Nintendo 64, and I had fun. Kids in my school
made fun of me because "I did not have a PlayStation". I eventuly became
the thing feared by all gamers, a Nintendo Fanboy, and I though I was cool. I
did get to play some great N64 games (Kirby 64, Rampage: World Tour,
Star Fox 64, ect.)

2001: I was sad, because nobody would by me a Gamecube. The system I
have been watching the progress on since it was still code-named "Dolphan".
I tried to cope with an N64, but it was hard.

2002: My grandmother got a Sega Genesis, so I started playing "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" to help me get over not having a Gamecube.

2003: I bought a NES and started collecting for it and N64. I started going
to NES fan pages, but I found only a few I liked, because most where "I hate
N64!" pages rather then useful stuff.

2004: I joined DP Fourms and started collecting for more systems (Game
Boy and Atari 400). I came across lots of good deals (Game Boy Advance for
$3) and finally bought a PlayStation, destroying my Nintendo fanboy side
(Thank you, FF7!).

Ever since I got more into collecting, I have discovered that I don't need the
latest game system to be cool (But a Gamecube would still be nice).

I think that if some "gamers" really loved there games, then they whould
not sell there Nintendo 64 for a PlayStation 2.

[josekortez]

Checking out this site made me spend more money and buy more games.

[max 330 mega]

i learned alot more about games i had overlooked, educated myself with the rarity guide so now i know what to look for when hunting for games, discovered my new best friend which is the buying and selling forums, and have since been selling , trading, buying , and chatting my ass off.
DP did put me in a stage at first though, where i got the idea that i should pick up every system i found in the wild that i had never owned, because i would like them, luckily a few months later i wised up and realised that most of those systems i had never owned,was for a good reason.. they suck. i did discover 2 new ones i do like though, TG-16 (if i can ever find a decent game other than parasol stars for it) and atari lynx.
so all in all, i thank DP for giving me something to do all the times im bored, and being a must have to the gaming community.

[tuxedojoe]

I have been visiting this site for quite a while, even though I just recenetly joined the forums. After looking through all the game room pictures hundreds of times, I started buying many more games. Thanks to the online rariity guide, however, I was paying much less per game than I used to. Plus, I have also found some nifty places to buy games.

I just completed my first transaction on the forums here at DP, and I must say, I love the community and plan to use the Buying and Selling forum much more often now, thusly increasing the amount of games I have.

[Aussie2B]

Well, this site has definitely broadened my shopping options. I previously did all my shopping at game stores and eBay. I went a little nuts last summer hunting down thrift stores and garage sales. :P I got a lot of good stuff, though. I still don't go hunting like a lot of people here do. I haven't the time, money, or desire to go to a flea market every weekend or check all the thrift stores in my area a few times every week.

I've also become even cheaper than I was before. :P The rarity guide has been a great help, and I've learned of rare games that I would've skipped over before, like that $3.99 complete Mountain Bike Rally I found this past summer.

[Ed Oscuro]

For my part, I spend MORE money on games than ever before, I have MORE appetite for older games than ever before, but I also spend LESS money for a single game on average thanks to great heads-up for sales by posters. The urge of playing games also increased for sure.
Agreed. I cause lots of folks here tons of trouble, but fact is I couldn't do without you guys :)

I have done lots of learning "on my own" (emulation is a big one), but there've been countless times I've been fixed/cured of certain false impressions or bad memories I had. Nothing like a good argument/debate!

For buying habits, I do only try to get stuff I want, but often I'm led (astray?) into getting things after hearing about it here. I never would've gotten that M2 3DO kiosk unit without the heads-up in eBay Insanity.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

For reasons that have more to do with my own finances than anything going on on DP, I spend less money than I used to on games. But I spend a good deal more time playing what games I do have with friends that I've made here than I used to, and more time on getting interesting and hopefully informative stuff together for shows like OKGE. Because if this community has taught me nothing else, it's that there's a lot more fun to be had playing games with other people than just collecting them for myself.

[Flack]

This site's cost me at least a couple grand in stupid videogame stuff. :)

More than a couple of times I have been in thrift stores, pawn shops and flea markets and have bought stuff just to post about in the forums.

Part of my New Year's resolutions were to play more and buy less ... we'll see how long I hold out.

[howdoin]

I just bought a Laseractive... does that answer your question :D

[bargora]

The postings on this site piqued my interest enough to try RPGs--Final Fantasy (the very first one), Dragon Warrior I, and Golden Sun. I don't think I'd call myself an RPG fanboy (or even a full convert), but I think I can now appreciate their appeal.

Please refrain from enthusiastic outbursts telling me I need to play FF VII. I understand that the later games are much richer, fuller experiences, etc. Besides, I've got five more to go before I get to it, most likely sometime in 2016. ;)

[RetroYoungen]

To be honest, if it wasn't for DP, I wouldn't be anywhere near how I am now. I didn't know about Atari because I was born in 1984, and didn't know anyone who was into anything earlier than the NES. I didn't know anything about the Jaguar beyond what GamePro wrote about it (and we all know how favorably GamePro showed the Jag). I didn't know about those cool little oddities and niche games until I came to DP, and I never would have found out about the Neo Geo Pocket Color.

Plus I found out that I wasn't the only crazy bastard who liked games older than the current generation just a little too much. ;)

Thank you, DP. You've segregated me from other friends my age who don't understand the draw of a good game of Tempest 2000, made me look forward more to going to CGE than to most anything else, and cost me hundreds and hundreds of dollars that I could have spent going to a better college or something. And I've loved every moment of it. :D

[RCM]

My buying habits really haven't changed much since coming to DP. I have always classed myself as a gamer and not a collector. If anything i've become more interested in pre NES stuff.

The DP community is the best around for sure. Everyone i've met at shows like the East Coast Gaming Expo have been pretty cool. It's always great to trade stories and information. Let's face it, even your old pal RCM doesn't know everything about games, but i'm working on it! Ha ha ha.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[ubersaurus]

Well, I've certainly gotten games I would've probably skipped over from recommendations on here, like Alien Hominid, Katamari Damacy, and Vib Ribbon.

[goatdan]

I also learned how to remove those damn GameStop stickers from games. With that knowledge, I don't mind buying games there nearly as much.

I have also honed my hatred toward purchasing any Platnium or Greatest hits titles.

Once in a while, I hear about a game from someone that makes me end up purchasing it. The most recent example was Galleon. I really like being able to review games on here that help other people make informed decisions too. Sometime, I'll roll out a few more reviews :)

[Sanriostar]

Originally registered on DP to keep in touch with Classic Collecting freinds I'd made.

Because of DP, I now keep my eyes peeled for current generation rares. Wouldn't have bought Cubivore for the GC or gotten an interest in Katari Damancy.

[YoshiM]

Early on I was buying at a pretty good rate. I'd read about a game or system on here and see the support for it and it became a "gotta have it to find out what the hub-bub is". These days the spending has lessened, only focusing on titles that interest me rather than trying to finish an actual collection. I do know if I'm out to find something (info or something to buy), it's good to know there are people here who KNOW their stuff.

Playing wise-I spent more time on this BOARD than playing LOL . Not that I'm complaining but I love debates (lendelin being one I usually debated with) and seeing other points of view. I can't seem to find a better community than DP.

[portnoyd]

The DP equation:

OCD + DP = Wallet - (all)$

It didn't create the collecting disease, it just coddled it and made it into a beast. Not that I'm complaining. ;)

dave

[MegaDrive20XX]

It's actually made my experience 20 times better then what I was normally doing on Ebay :) via buying and selling

[crazyjackcsa]

I've actually stared playing games less and researching and collecting more! I've never really considered myself a collector until recently. In my 12 years of gaming I've never sold a system and only a handful of games (most of which I've bought back) DP has increased the number of games I have, but I find the systems I collect for are the ones that come up the least on the buy and sell forum (Sega CD and 32x and Saturn) But every now and again I'm able to pic one or two up.

[SegaAges]

this site has affected some of the purchases i either did make or decided not to make. i bought katamari damacy because everybody and their mother is all over that game here. for 20, it was fun.

i decided to wait on buying a ds because of here. i actually know of one place in town that has about 10 of these, but i decided to wait because the only game out right now that i am interested in is mario 64 ds

[Nz17]

My friend Tyler, who has since moved away, used to play his Neo Geo Pocket Color all the time. He would talk about what a great little system it was (what with him being a big fan of fighting and shooting games). He even had the (expensive at the time) flash cart way back when the system was still going so he could play the Japanese ROMs.

I thought it was a cool little handheld, a nifty alternative to Nintendo and its offerings. I was never a fan of handheld gaming, and have always hated the GameBoy line (original, pocket, color), yet I love my Game Gear. But remember, I said PORTABLE gaming, so the Game Gear doesn't count. ;)

Flash forward to the present day. I've always been somewhat facinated with the NGPC because of Tyler's involvement with it, and being the Sonic "fanboy" that I am, I always wanted to try Sonic Pocket Adventure, but the emulators for the system are a joke.

Thanks to some Internet FAQs, I found out about the NGPC's Dreamcast connectivity that neither SEGA or SNK did much to advertise. This seriously peaked my interest as the Dreamcast is the only system I actively collect for, and I love the VMU's connectivity to their system.

So about six months back I bought the Japanese Hanabi NeoGeo Pocket Color bundle because of that system's cool color scheme. But I didn't bother to take the unit out of the box because I only had Hanabi (a panchiko slots games) and didn't have any games for the NGPC I wanted to play.

But I kept hearing people talk on the forum about the NGPC. When someone would post a new review in DP's reviews section, I would unwaveringly check out the NGPC's selection. And being the SNK sucker that I am (Viva la Fatal Fury, Metal Slug!) I came to learn about the awesome if somewhat small available selection.

So I kept checking eBay for a complete US version of Sonic Pocket Adventure. This game was a strong reason for me getting the system, and though it may be tough to get complete, boxed and manual'ed systems, this particular game would only be accepted by me in this way. After all, I have to have my complete Sonic collection, a journey within itself. ;)

Then I won an auction on eBay for the complete game. How much did I pay? The auction ended at $6 excluding shipping. A happy boy I was!

So then I played the game. I wasn't too impressed by it, being a bit of a rehash. But then I began to see the beauty of this version of Sonic. Unlike the other 8-bit/16-bit versions of Sonic, the point of this game was not to get the Chaos Emeralds in one go and defeat Robotnik, though that was certainly a part of it. No, the main goal wasn't this at all, since one could easily go back to any region to replay the Special Acts. The point of this game was exploring each Act to the fullest to find the 96 different puzzle pieces that when assembled form six nicely draw pictures of Sonic & friends. I am working hard on this goal and am now halfway there!

But possibly moreso than SPA I was impress with the NeoGeo Pocket system itself. The screen has the perfect aspect ratio for arcade games (Why, why isn't there a top-down vertical shooter for the system, why?), and reflects light magnificently, and has rich, strong colors in its limited palette. I'd say that in my humble opinion the NGPC has a much better screen than the GBA.

But there are other subtle nicities too that make the experience as a whole that much more fulfilling. The subdued little clicking sound that's made as one moves the analog thumbpad around, its button layout that's similiar to the Game Gear's, the mostly useless but still amusing menu features (including horoscopes, an alarm, calandar, and world time), the lightness of the system's weight that suprisingly gives the feeling of a solid, well built machine. I guess I could say that the whole thing is like it was all thoroughly and elegantly planned out to be an experience, a package of near-perfect balance.

And with the help of DP's online and dead-tree versions of the Collector's Guides I now have a companion on my quest to have a complete North American collection of NGPC games. I don't know if I can get them all complete with box and manual, but I surely will try!

Besides all that though, DP and its forums have helped me get several games I wouldn't have otherwise such as two 3DO games for the system my uncle found in the trash, a SEGA Saturn import copy of Shining Wisdom, and constant recommendations that kept Beyond Good and Evil in my head until I couldn't stand it anymore and had to get the game last year as a personal Christmas present.

[sirgeoph]

I agree whole-heartedly. I've gotten totally into gaming again and have started collecting more than just buying a few games. And considering I've worked at a used game store since high school, you'd think I'd be all into gaming, but I was a casual gamer.

Since I've joined DP, I've gotten hardcore into gaming.

Thanks, DP!

[digitalpress]

Threads like this motivate me. I really appreciate the wonderful comments and it means a lot to me that in some small way I've had a part in making your videogaming experience a little better.

Always remember though - the key to it all is the community itself. Just about everyone chips in, and that's what makes the knowledge resource so invaluable. The fact that you're cool people as well - well, that's what makes it a fun place to hang out.

Game on, brothers and sister.

[Chainsaw_Charlie]

I've been looking for a place like this for a long time

Sure i have bought games off ebay and from stores but now im adding to my collection every week

which is closing on 140 games with very few dups

[slip81]

DP turned me into a collector :)

[long_shawn_silver]

I have played and collected games for years but when I decided a couple of years ago (2 years to be exact) that I wanted to get back into ATARI 2600 gaming I noticed it was getting a little harder to just go to any given garage sale and get a console & 20 games for 10 bucks, I had to settle for a NES for a couple of months before getting a 2600 & about 8 or 9 games from Ebay for 25 bucks. I had quite the collection going from local pawns and the like but when I was intoduced to Video Game MSG Boards in gereral it opened up a whole new ball game for me. I had no idea that the hobby was so popular as I have always had most of my friends say what the hell are you doing playing Breakout when you could be playing someting like Halo!! Well now I know its not just me and it's not just even DP members for that matter, Classic gaming\collecting has moved to the status of what baseball cards where in the 80's. When I first saw the comparision of Atari games to baseball cards it made so much sense to me. Damn thing is video game carts take up a hell of alot more room(rooms..lol) than my baseball cards ever did.

P.S.

great topic

[Barbarianoutkast85]

I was thinking about starting collecting games for the genesis so i was searching for a website that had a complete list of US released sega genesis and low and behold I found this site. After that it made me buy games then more games.

[lendelin]

Not that I'm complaining but I love debates (lendelin being one I usually debated with) and seeing other points of view. I can't seem to find a better community than DP.

That's right, we didn't have a heated debate in a long time, so here it goes...you live in the past, MAN, modernize, MAN, don't get stuck in the N64 world, MAN. :) ;) (btw, great introduction to the N64 and great descriptions of the games in the N64 section of the DP Advance guide!)

Seriously, debates on this site are great, and they influence collecting and buying habits, too. I really like that there are a lot of intelligent and well-informed posters here, and that straightforwardness without personal attacks are apprteciated. Everyone can have strong opinions, but the intelligent reasoning of them makes great debates. No matter if I disagree with someone or not, I'd rather read a well-reasoned opinion with which I heavily disagree than one I agree with but its justification is poor.

I also like the mix of experienced gamers,/journalists like you, Flack, zmweasel, Bill Kunkel, ianoid, digitalpress, Ed Oscuro, Papastu and so many others, and inexperienced young gamers which bring sometimes new perspectives to a debate.

I think what really is sometimes contagious is the typical collector attitude towards games: the incredible and enthusiastic attention paid to detail -- from facts about gaming history, about the current situation of the industry, to variations of game content and label/box variations of past and current games. This attention to detail is incredibly informative, clears up a lot of Qs, and encourages debates and more informed buying habits.

The site shows intelligent enthusiasm and passion for games, and that is what makes it great.

[calthaer]

DP is now one of the primary, if not THE primary, method that I use to learn about and / or "approve" a potential gaming purchase. I find out about stuff I want or missed and I think the people here are great "sounding boards" to find out what is and what is not quality, and why they think so.

It's also fun to provide that for other people.

[maxlords]

DP hasn't really changed my buying/playing habits. However, it HAS made many things that I had trouble procuring much easier to get. I've made a ton of friends here, and a lot of connections too. It's the friendliest online community I've ever had the pleasure of frequenting, and I tend to use DPers as a gauge to decide what to buy more than anywhere else. No one gives a more honest feel for games that the people here, as other than fandom, there's no real biases. It helps me narrow down what I want to purchase, and when to buy it....and often is the PLACE to buy too. There's no better gaming site on the web. Period.

*cough*Joe...don't I get a commision for a plug like that? LOL *cough*

[Djfinny]

Where do I start? I will not rehash what a lot of you have mentioned already - you have certainly helped expanded my classic game collection and at the same time infuriated my wife (just kidding!) I have been a proud community member of DP for only a few months. In the course of my stay, I'd like to share a few of my memorable experiences.

- I enjoyed the "scariest game" post. You guys got me searching high and low for Clocktower (PS1 - Found it!). Still looking for a cheap copy of Silent Hill and System Shock.

- It was an honor to be part of the donations for the 2 kids for xmas. My respect for all DP members truly has no limit.

- I opened a gift from my brother during my holiday family get together - what did I get? BOTH volumes of DP Collectors Guide! I mentioned them to my bro a few times a while backr. He got the hint - thank you DP!

I find these boards filled with informative, creative, and respectful post and opinons. I was looking for a place like DP for a quite a while. Maybe someday I'll get to meet some of you at CGE or East Coast Gaming Expo.

DJ

[Emily]

I find that Ive spend more money on classic games than newer games since joining DP. This forum really kicked my NES collecting into high-gear.But mostly Ive noticed spending $50 on a new game is more painfull than its ever been; *man I could get a whole lot of NES games for that much...*

[stuffedmonkey]

I was really into gaming as a kid - but gave it up midway through college. DP has caused me to rediscover my love of gaming, and has taught me a great deal in the process. The game recommmendations are fantastic, and the traders here are first rate.

Thank you Joe - this site is a fantastic thing! I know it must be a lot of work, and it is truly appreciated.

[digitalpress]

:dance: