Classifying your collection

[bargora]

For most of my systems, my collections are small enough (<30) that simple alphabetic organization suits me just fine. For the PSX, though, I've got somewhere around 125-150 games. I've got them shelved by genre, and then alphabetically within genre. This way, if I know what kind of game I want to play, but I'm not sure which one, I can just go to the proper section and see what's there. The thing is, depending on how you define your genres, games could go in more than one place. If I have a section for 2-D shooters, and a section for arcade emulations, well, then my R-Types and my R-Type Delta get split up, and I just know that ain't right. Clearly I'm doing something wrong. And as the collection grows, the problem will only get worse. (Oh, no--poor me!!) Not only that, but I have no friggin' idea what to call weird-ass (cross-genre?) games like Mega-Man Legends. Should classification be by gameplay style? Visual presentation? I dunno.

So is there a good classification system out there I can use to pigeonhole my collection into categories? One that has already pigeonholed the games, so I don't even have to think about where they go? Pure alphabetical organization is adequate for a dust-gathering collection, but seems to fall short for a gamer's larger collections. And the DP guide seems unhelpful in this regard. How do you folks with the 300+ collections do things?

[maxlords]

All mine are done by simple alphabetization. I have around 100 PSX...still all alphabetical...it's just easier..especially with high quantities of games.

[nesman85]

i alphabetize mine too.

[Sylentwulf]

Yep, alphabetical.

The ONLY other way I've ever considered sorting is by developer, then alphabetically, but only for a few systems (Atari 2600 since all carts look different depending on developer)

[digitalpress]

@bargora: I thought I was the ONLY one who did that!!

Those who know me know that i'm ANAL about my collection, and *just about* every system is arranged alphabetically.

But I have so many PSX games, especially ones that I *play*, that I did a little something different. My collection is split into 5 categories:

1. "classic" games/remakes/compliations (like Namco Museum, Breakout)
2. "party" games (like Bomberman, Poy Poy)
3. "racing" games (like Gran Turismo, Motor Toon Gran Prix)
4. "head-to-head" games (like Army Men, Quake II)
5. "solo games" (like Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid)

I'm really not a big racing game fan, so as I type this I'm already thinking about re-arranging things. Just seems like I have an abundance of these.

[buttasuperb]

5. "solo games" (like Tomb Raider

solo, eh? you must really like ms. croft. LOL

:rocker:

[CrazyImpmon]

Am I the only one who uses chaos rather than order? All of my games are separated by system they play on but that's all. For example, I have Afterburner tucked between Ultima 4 and Tom & Jerry.

I think my N64 set are the only one in alpha order but it's also the only system I have with less than a dozen games.

[le geek]

I'm alphabetical, except for Atari 2600 and NES, where I'm First Party Alphabetical, the the third parties alphabetical...

cheers,
le geek

[Mr-E_MaN]

It's alphabetical for me. Never thought of organizing them another way. It just seems like the right thing to do.

:D

[Bratwurst]

I just organize them by company/publisher and within that structure, any sequels. Example: Capcom, Megaman 1-6, etc. Then again, I'm not really that intense about it. My NES collection is quite small compared to ALOT of people here, and I can afford to be a little disorganized since it doesn't take long to scan over the library. :D

[Kid Fenris]

I use the company system too, though I usually do it by publisher instead of developer. Within each division, I group the games by series, then genre. If my collection is a mix of boxed and non-boxed stuff, though, I put the cartridges at the end. I'm crazy like that.

[Mayhem]

I don't have room... they just get dumped into crates with spare space or anywhere around my room they can fit LOL :o

I really need more space :roll:

[digitalpress]

5. "solo games" (like Tomb Raider

solo, eh? you must really like ms. croft. LOL

:rocker:

Yes, it's in there with my Hentai games. And my porn.

[Arrrhalomynn]

I have everything alphabetized. The only system I used to have different was the megadrive, I had organized that on color. First black, then blue, white yellow, red, miscellaneous.
I don't like all colors mixed through each other. It looks messy.

[Happy_Dude]

My collection is always on the move, so i keep them in box's for each system
using the organization method known as Chaos. But now I have a DC storage
unit I might organize my DC games...........Nah :P

[bargora]

@bargora: I thought I was the ONLY one who did that!!

Those who know me know that i'm ANAL about my collection, and *just about* every system is arranged alphabetically.

But I have so many PSX games, especially ones that I *play*, that I did a little something different. My collection is split into 5 categories:

1. "classic" games/remakes/compliations (like Namco Museum, Breakout)
2. "party" games (like Bomberman, Poy Poy)
3. "racing" games (like Gran Turismo, Motor Toon Gran Prix)
4. "head-to-head" games (like Army Men, Quake II)
5. "solo games" (like Tomb Raider, Metal Gear Solid)

I'm really not a big racing game fan, so as I type this I'm already thinking about re-arranging things. Just seems like I have an abundance of these.
Well, Joe, it looks like you and I are the anal ones (shut up, Butta). If you get a v2.0 classification worked out, post it up. I'd be interested in seeing it. I'll post up my v0.9 system when I figure out just WTF it is these days.

I find a classification system is also useful for memory card management. I've got six memory cards, all about three-quarters filled with games I'm at least semi-actively playing, so it's convenient if I can grab the card labeled "vehicle shooter sims" when I want to play Colony Wars: Red Sun or Critical Depth or Armored Core.

I'm not a big racing fan either. My racing section is a racing/driving section, so includes the Driver games and (I think) some others. Otherwise the section would only have Gran Turismo and NGEN Racing (which I think is a sweet game, BTW)!

[Nature Boy]

I've got a bunch of systems sorted different ways and the method I find the most appealing right now is by label.

Yup, by label. VCS only for me so far mind you. One stack is Activision carts. One small stack has the text only stuff. Another the red labels. Picture Style 1. Etc. The last pile is the mismash (Marine Wars and Star Wars and Tron and just 3rd party stuff that doesn't 'conform'). I think it looks pretty cool.

Unfortunately that's not really possible with any other systems. So for PSX (I've got maybe 50 games) I use what I call attrition: games I play gravitate to the top, games I don't go to the bottom. If I feel like playing something I haven't played in awhile I look at the bottom of the pile.

The only other way I'd consider sorting is perhaps by developer/publisher. For when I'd like to grab a RARE game say.

[Arcade Antics]

Chalk up another alphabetical organizer.

I find that it's the easiest way to find anything, games or otherwise. If I'm looking for Xevious, I know it's near the end of the library, I don't have to search for where "arcade conversions" begins. Plus, I'm not that bright, so keeping it simple helps me out. Except for the times when I can't remember the order of the alphabet. But at least there's that song, that usually helps me figure it out after a minute or two. :-D

[ghsqb]

Another alphabetical here.

Seems simpler that way, particulary because it was stated theres often too much ambiguity between genres.

Its worked great for me so far...

[Happy_Dude]

I use what I call attrition
Briliant, thats how I organise my music collection ;)

[Wavelflack]

Most of my stuff is organized by publisher (or developer, occasionally). I have a strange ability to recall that information quite easily, it's less labor intensive than alphabetizing, and it looks better to have similar packaging and typeface sorted together in groups. With large groups (Sega published Genesis games, for instance), I have them in subcategories, such as "first gen grid style", "mid gen transitional", and "late gen red stripes".

Dreamcast is the exception, as most of the labels look the same (except some are black, some are white), so I have those divided into genres.

[scooterb23]

Alphabetical here...except for 2600. That goes publisher then alphabetical (and then Atari made games have another subset called "label type")

I tried to go more in depth with my cd collection, but then my room looked like a record store..."Rock section" "Rap section" "Soundtracks" and then I bought Prince cds and decided that it wasn't worth the effort anymore :)

[z28in82]

Seeing as how I'm a player and not a collector, I have mine semi-sorted into recently/frequently played and shouldn't have bought. normally turns out to be a shoe box for each.

[Kairi]

Am I the only one who uses chaos rather than order? All of my games are separated by system they play on but that's all. For example, I have Afterburner tucked between Ultima 4 and Tom & Jerry.

I think my N64 set are the only one in alpha order but it's also the only system I have with less than a dozen games.

I have mine in chaos. :D

[Keir]

Alphabetical. It's the only way!

However, I do keep my loose and complete games separate as well as different media (cartridges, cassettes and diskettes.) I also have a separate shelf for my TSR-liscenced C64/Amiga games and another for my C64 EA games (the ones in booklet style boxes).