Will you miss cardboard boxes?

[joshnickerson]

I was buying a GBA game the other night, and a thought occured to me. Once the GBA has been retired, there will be no more games that come in cardboard boxes. All the other consoles and handhelds have made the switch to plastic cases, which I assume the eventual GBA2 will use as well.

My question to you is, will you miss the cardboard boxes? On the one hand, plastic cases for DS or PSP games are easy to take care of, and can withstand a substantial amount of abuse better than the flimsy cardboard of yesteryear. But on the other hand, there is a certain amount of satisfaction for the collector type who manages to keep those flimy boxes in crisp condition.

[Ulticron]

I don't really know how to Vote Josh. I mean honestly if you can keep your cardboard boxes in minty fresh condition then you're definately the man at collecting.

While Plastic may be more durable let's both look back at the Genny an the SMS games. They came in plastic boxes too, and there's tons of them lying around at dirt malls loose. So while they're more durable they'll suffer the same problem of being found everywhere incomplete.

I guess I'll vote for the cardboard boxes eventhough we both know I have some that aren't minty fresh and a geat deal that don't even have cardboard boxes.

[TurboGenesis]

Personally I won't miss them. I have many cardboard boxes from NES and Turbo Grafx days and they are very tedious to store. My Turbo boxes have been stored since I bought the games and I came arcoss them the other day and are starting to show some damage just from sitting for 15 years. I can't keep them with the game or store them in the boxes as I play my games on a regular basis. I like plastic cases as they store the game nicely and display on a shelf neatly.

As for people disposing of cases, you can thank all the chain game stores as they throw them away to save space. and thus store them in....sleaves :angry: . Further more, it is game stop that has the motto, "No case, no instructions, No Problem - we make trading easy!"

[Pedro Lambrini]

I HATE cardboard boxes! I think they're just cheap and nasty. Ever since I started playing games on my Vic-20 I realised that plastic cases were just much nicer from a practical point of view. Even as part of a collection I think that, say, my DS games look much nicer than my GBA games. Same goes for my SMS collection vs my NES collection etc, etc. The only cardboard boxes I like are the old school big PC game boxes - but only the ones that came with extra goodies like posters or comics and the like - I do miss those. :)

[esquire]

I was 50/50 on this. Cases/Boxes will be lost or destroyed regardless of what they are made out of. The fact that Gamestop/EB/Gamecrazt/Gamerush all sell loose current gen games is a testament to that. I choose cardboard because when the plastic cases, in particular PS2, start to get used a lot, they get all scuzzy and covered with food and "hand cheese". I can't count the number of times I've handled used PS2 games whose cases grossed me out.

[Pedro Lambrini]

^
But, at least, you can wipe the cases down with a damp cloth. Or even replace fairly easily. :)

[unwinddesign]

Cardboard boxes are a pain in the ass to store. Plastic cases are where it's at. Plus, you can replace them if you f*ck one up.

[Jumpman Jr.]

I actually like the look of cardboard boxes. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I think it might have something to do with me being "anti-Sega." Obviously, they're not as durable and whatnot, but I've always liked the look of the NES and SNES boxes. So, I guess I will miss them (if I haven't allready started missing them).

[hezeuschrist]

Well, plastic cases certainly do make "complete" collecting easier. Beleive it or not since the release of the DS and the PSP I've online had maybe a dozen total loose games across both systems traded in at my store.

On the other hand, I love cardboard boxes. I'm very proud of my SNES and GBA collections because they are so difficult to preserve or find in good enough condition to call your own.

From now on I guess it'll just be a bit of nostalgia. "Hey, remember when games used to come in CARDBOARD BOXES! HAH!"

[slip81]

I like the cardboard boxes, and I never really had trouble storing them. I just keep em in a box, and they seem to be doing fine.

I still have my original SMB2 and 3 boxes from when the games first came out, and they are still in what I would call near mint condition.

[Damaramu]

Nope. Never liked cardboard game boxes. Hated them then, still hate them today.

[Aussie2B]

As much of a pain as they can be, yeah, I'll miss cardboard boxes. But as long as I keep collecting old games, I'll always have a stream of cardboard boxes headed my way. :P

It's probably all in my head, but cardboard boxes have always seemed more "artistic" to me. I can hardly think of a single hard case game that has box art that really captures my interest, but nearly every other Super Famicom box impresses me.

[expospourtoujours]

i hate those cardboard boxes. So many of them have a dent or have been crushed, even brand new factory sealed games aren't exempt from this.

[Ed Oscuro]

Plastic case games can be tough to keep in shape, discs as well are tougher. Personally I like games that are easy to maintain.

I agree that cardboard boxes in good shape are the mark of a good collector, however!

[Slate]

I am going to miss them.

Even though they are a pain sometimes.

[DTJAAAAMJSLM]

I'm one of the monsters who tossed out cardboard boxes, so I don't really mind...

[johno590]

+ to plastic cases and - to cardboard boxes.

I just bought a new GBA game today, and it reminded me how much I don't like the carboard boxes. I would much rather them come in a plastic case, just because it would be better to keep.

[2Dskillz]

I think that the plastic case by far are more approachable with gaming being interactive it is nice to be able to set the case on the coffee table without the thought of a stray water circle causing permenant damage.

Props to those that do maintain the cardboard boxes, but that maintenance limits the usability of them, right now I wish I had a clam shell case for my Castlevania Bloodlines because I dread every time I open that box knowing that the flap could eventually just wear loose.

[DigitalSpace]

Plastic. Imo, cardboard game boxes should have been obsolete a long time ago.

[briskbc]

I like carboard case but prefer plastic. I especially like games that came in jewel cases. I just like the hard clear plastic over the more flexible black / green plastic DVD cases.

[Nez]

I dont like paper boxes either, just opening a game usuall creases the damn box so there damn near impossible to keep mint.

[FantasiaWHT]

I had such a bad experience with Shining Force II and Phantasy Star IV...

I can't believe I paid $100 for PS4 and it came in shitty cardboard!!! MAN alive that drove me nuts.

Plastic with insertable sleeves is the way to go. That also opens up the possibility for special cover inserts like God of War (thanks EGM!)

[Fighter17]

Cardboard boxes don't last long. ;)

[goatdan]

After my Jaguar collection, I decided that I would never collect for another system that had cardboard boxes again. I hate them with a passion.

On the other hand, for the GBA, which I wouldn't say that I'm "collecting" for, I cannot stand getting games without some sort of box. They just seem to small too me to get individually. With very few exceptions (two, I think), all of my GBA games have minty boxes because of this, and I will only buy used when they have the box (Lunar Legend and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga were both boxed, hooray!)

I am seriously considering collecting for the DS because I love the cases so much. I started a PAL Dreamcast collection simply because I love the cases so much. Stupid? Perhaps. But that's where I sit.

[Lothars]

Well I think that cardboard boxes are not abd but I definitly prefer the harder boxes especially like the DS boxes

otherwise though it's all good. im kind of glad to see them go but in a sense im not either.

[NintendoMan]

I thought about this too before, I will miss the cardboard boxes! Even though the plastic cases are by far better for storage and last longer, something about the cardboard boxes I like. (I guess old memories or something)

[Ed Oscuro]

The main good thing about cardboard is that all six sides can be plastered with artwork, unlike a DVD case which just has an insert. On the other hand, you can scan an insert, something I like doing for MD/Genesis/x68K games...

[Tron2005]

well im gonna miss the cardboard but i like the durability of the plastic on the whole i think however the game is easier to store thats how they will be used .. for example with Genesis it was easy to put the games back in the box and store them that way but with cardboard boxes people just took the out. and now we are to the point of cd type media for the games the GBA is the last cartridge based system. yes the DS is a cartridge esque type system but they need to be stored in plastic to prevent ESD and physical damage to them.

I always kept my Intellivision Boxes either way since i had overlays and in some cases, playbooks to store..

[AMG]

I will not miss cardboard boxes one bit.

[devilman]

Hate cardboard packaging. I'm currently scanning and tidying my N64 stuff and some of it is in a mess, not from me not looking after the games but other people (usually Ebay) being careless with them. They squash pretty flat! :/

That said, I'd much rather have cardboard than blister packaging... damned Game.com games.

[FantasiaWHT]

Oh stocking N64 games on shelves was ANNOYING because one of the ends didn't have the name of the game on it...

[drwily008]

I started hating cardboard boxes way back when the Nintendo plastic "rental style" cases came out. I remember thinking: "Why doesn't Nintendo just ship all of their games in these instead?"

Then the Master System came into my life with it's sweet cases and made me even more pissed.

I hate cardboard boxes and can't wait for them to go!

[drwily008]

You know what I was thinking last night when I went to go look at my DVD's?

"The guys who will miss cardboard will always have collector's editions!"

Think about it, almost all "Special Editions" come with an outer carboard wrap. What better thing to love and nurture than a special edition?