Anyone else have to deal with....

[Malon_Forever]

Ok, first off. This is in the classic fourm, because I'm talking more about older games, but applies to newer ones too.

Anyways, does anyone else have to deal with people in your family putting down video games, or saying "You waste to much money on video games" or "So you got some money? Don't go waste it on games". Everyone in my family (except my one brother) thinks its a waste of time, money, and energy. Whenever I get a package in the mail, its always, "You bought more games!?!?" Its really annoying, not having any support for what my interest is. Ofcourse, I have some friends that like gaming, but a lot of them call me "crazy" for putting so much money into. I love collecting, and almost no one in my family cares. Does anyone else have to go through this?

[Xexyz]

My parents and sisters seem acceptable to my hobby. Although my mother will throw the "oh my god you bought more games" line at me when I come home with a large haul from the flea market (I.E. the past two weeks when I brought home 15 & 20 boxed NES games, respectively), she's generally just joking. My dad accepts it because he himself had his own, large collective hobby, baseball/football/basketball cards.

[McBacon]

My brother always tells me to take them all to GameStation, trade them in and get some "proper" games.

[Doom Gaze]

My mom and dad both think it's stupid and a waste of time. They don't care that I spend so much money on it and think it's okay I have a hobby but they always tell me "you need to study/work/not have fun more".

My friends aren't very conducive to classic gaming -- the fact that they use the term "old-school" for it (no classic gaming enthusiast uses this ebonics term) shows what they know.

They play crap like Madden, and tell me I need to "get wit da timez an' stop playin so much sega n nintendo lol"

Guh.

[scorch56]

Next time someone bitches and moans about your collecting and flea-market finds.. tell them the story about jollerancher's expedition. That'll shut them up. It worked with my friends and relatives.

[Steven]

honestly, my dad could care less (he's an interesting father, lol), my mom complains about it but never makes any threats....and my bro is too wrapped up in FF XI to notice, REALLY.

They have no idea how MANY games I have. If they did, they might snap...

The thing is, I'm lucky because I'm usually home first. So I pick the mail first. And of course, I'll store my games away and put the bubble mailers in a safe "hideaway" spot (I like to reuse bubble mailers, saves me a lot of money -- I got like 50 left, lol). So my family comes home in the evening, with NO clue that, say, 8 games came in the mail that day.

I'm lucky, coz if they knew, they'd really be all over me. I remember when I was in college, I had labs where I would be gone from 9 AM to 7 PM... always worried that that day would be the "big one."

[christhegamer]

My parents don't really care for my hobby. whenever I get something they just always smile, even though they have no idea what the hell a battle arena toshiden is x_x

[dreamcaster]

Dad and brother think it's cool - more games for them to play. :P

Mum's a bit indifferent. She figures I'm an adolescent, and if I weren't wasting my money on games, I'd be wasting on something else.

She occasionally got on my back about when I was a lot younger but no more.

[Flack]

I think at one point or another all of us, whether it's from a parent, girlfriend of spouse have had to deal with this.

One thing you can tell yourself is that gaming is forever, while all these people will be dead someday.

[Pico956]

I have never really been put down by my family for being into video games.

Now, I have some female friends that feel that video games are lame. I just let them know that they are my hobby. It's better than smokin crack or being a pimp (well maybe not bein a pimp).

There's nothing wrong with coming home from a long day of work and relaxing with some good 'ol video games. It lets off stress for me and puts me in another world for an hour or two.

[smork]

My friends aren't very conducive to classic gaming -- the fact that they use the term "old-school" for it (no classic gaming enthusiast uses this ebonics term) shows what they know.

Just trying to be offensive there, bub? For the record, I use the term "old school" all the time, and I don't speak ebonics. Perhaps I am just not a REAL classic gaming enthusiast. :roll:

Anyway, I'm sure my family doesn't really "like" me spending money on old games, but considering I graduated high school 16 years ago their opinion (on trifles like my hobbies, at least) doesn't hold much sway with me. I'm sure my mother would rather me save my money, buy a nice house, move closer to home, etc, etc, etc... But hey, I make my own decisions :)

Many of my friends off-line are into classic gaming, and we spend many hours going head to head (or co-op) on the classics. Having a Neo CD fest in a few weeks once I return home....

[jajaja]

Not about using money, but taking space. My mom gets pissed sometimes when there are boxed and mess everywhere hehe. But i clean up and all is ok :) Im moving for myself soon so it wont be more mess here.

[Jumpman Jr.]

Almost all of my friends that are girls, think that what I'm doing is stupid. However, they have sort of come to realize that I am really passionate about collecting old games and it doesn't really matter to me what they say.
I usually get girls saying "Why don't you buy me clothes with all that money?"
Or, "Do you know how big my wardrobe would be if you bought me clothes instead of buying yourself video games?"

[Doom Gaze]

My friends aren't very conducive to classic gaming -- the fact that they use the term "old-school" for it (no classic gaming enthusiast uses this ebonics term) shows what they know.

Just trying to be offensive there, bub? For the record, I use the term "old school" all the time, and I don't speak ebonics. Perhaps I am just not a REAL classic gaming enthusiast. :roll:


Heh, all right, sorry. But the term "old school" is the only one that a lot of average Joes will use. The face is that they tend to associate "classic" with stuff like.. Halo 2, and "old school" and only "old school" with anything pre-PS2 kind of shows their different poitn of view than that of a collector/retro gamer.

[8bitnes]

The first thing that struck me when I read this thread was, "Wow, I had no idea so many people on this site who collected classic gaming items still lived at home."

I guess you could move out and then no one can question how you're spending your money. Of course, that would leave you with $500+ less each month to spend. Or you'd have to get *gasp* a job and then would have no time to play.

Ok, enough sarcasm. I am out on my own and I used to hear it from my girlfriend all the time, she got off my case ironically around the same time when she got a ring and we are now happily married. She even supports my cause now. It was never the money, but rather the time she claims she loses with me.

[alec006]

My Mom and Dad all think its a bunch of "junk" and dont understand it at all. My sister loves some of it thou,she plays sonic everyday because i gave her one of my genesis systems. Most of my friends think its cool guys and girls btw but some say its a waste of time.

[padrepio]

My parents does like it, because I tell them when I get "new" stuff that I am going to sell it and earn money :)

[mills]

I'm 23 I live in my own place with my wife, sometimes when I buy some games she says "but you already have X amount of games at home" Which is true, I should be playing alot of the games that I bought before and don't. She's very supportive most of the time though.

[Doom Gaze]

The first thing that struck me when I read this thread was, "Wow, I had no idea so many people on this site who collected classic gaming items still lived at home."

I guess you could move out and then no one can question how you're spending your money. Of course, that would leave you with $500+ less each month to spend. Or you'd have to get *gasp* a job and then would have no time to play.

Ok, enough sarcasm. I am out on my own and I used to hear it from my girlfriend all the time, she got off my case ironically around the same time when she got a ring and we are now happily married. She even supports my cause now. It was never the money, but rather the time she claims she loses with me.


I'm 16, and started gaming (in any capacity when my dad bought me a Virtual Boy on clearance) in 1998. I had a Gamecube before I did NES, SNES, or any classic system. I got into collection without any nostalgic memories.

Obviously "getting my own place" is far outside my limited set of human rights or the small degree independence I get.

[wallydawg]

My mom doesn't seem to care all that much, except for the fact we really don't have room to store all this stuff. When I come back from shopping she's like "I'm almost afraid to ask if you found anything." LOL

My dad mentions that I buy too much stuff, but I go to a lot of pawn shops and to goodwill. Gotta buy it when you see it because it's not going to be there the next time you go back.

[bangtango]

My folks support it, since they were the ones who originally bought me a few of the systems I own as birthday or Christmas gifts. This goes all the way back to Odyssey 2 and the 2600, when I was growing up. These I got new in the box. They are probably just happy I am still getting use out of these gifts after all these years. I take more heat for my current attempt at writing a juvenile fiction book than I do for my gaming. But I am also old enough that none of it has mattered for quite a few years.

[aaronpetrosky]

I always do, but I think that goes for anything that you buy and if it's something someone don't like or agree with.

[tholly]

everyone i am close with right now (girlfriend, family, friends) support my hobby....

....my ex-girlfriend however did not.....(hence why she is my ex, among other differences we had)......


and, besides games, i have a lot of dvds (nearing 200), and they are all supportive of that (even more so sometimes because everyone can watch them / benefit from me having them)

so, i get to own what i want and not get harrassed....games for myself and movies to share + for myself.....works out great....

[ProgrammingAce]

I occasionally get flack from people when someone blurts out that i have over a hundred systems at my house. That is, until i tell them what i do for a living, and they generally understand. If someone mentions how much of a waste games are, i just show them my 4 screen system link i have setup in my livingroom. 4 player halo with each person having their own screen generally shuts people up.

[dunkoff]

My fiancee bitches everytime I buy games. When I show her that, even with the amount I keep, I still turn a profit selling some, she says "But you have too many, stop buying them and get rid of what you have"

I point to her closet/dressers/floor and say "But you have too many, stop buying them and get rid of what you have". Usually I get a nasty look and the conversation ends.

[Mr.Faxanadu]

I live with my girlfirend who more or less supports my collection. I guess my collecting rules help with this - My two rules are that I can only spend the money I make selling games on eBay and I can only store the games in my Cabinet (see pic in sig) so when I get new games I have to sell old ones to make space. These rules help keep my collection costs and size down.

As for my friends (both male and female), they love the look of my gamining room. I have an Xevious stand up arcade right next to the NES cabinet.

I can't recall any negative comments about my collecting.

[rbudrick]

Back in '97, when my true collecting really started, I got a lot of crap from everyone for it, yeah. But now, everyone is completely supportive of it. My friends all think it rocks.

If you can pay your bills and support your family and still buy games when you want to (or when you can), then it's all good. No one gives a crap then.

-Rob

[mailman187666]

I have people look at the games and say "oh you're too into it." or "you are out of your mind." While I may be out of my mind, it doesn't mean i can't be a normal person and collect videogames. Any girl that i meet, i tell her what I'm into and video games collecting is one of the things i tell her, then i show her right off the bat what i have. That pretty much secures the fact that I'm going to be collecting them whether I'm with her or not. As far as friends go, most of them thinks its awesome and get excited to play some of the older games. My friend's girlfriend says some bitchy shit about it but I just give her shit right back like saying things like "well if this is 'uncool' then what is cool in your book." But I have been blessed with a whole family that supports my videogame collecting. This includes my mother (who has a nice collection of her own believe it or not) my brother (who is into collecting just as much as me, and who i trade with and find things to sell/give to each other) my father (who has given me his digital camera for when i list things on ebay) and my grandfather (who has let me borrow money to buy games to make money off of). I've been blessed with a whole family that supports my collecting, and I love it.

[Cmosfm]

I guess I'm pretty lucky, I just recently decided to sell my massive collection and start over, my fiancee, mom and brother almost FORBID me from selling it because they loved it. My mom has no interest in games but she loved it because I did, my fiancee loves playing them all and so does my brother.

It's all good, I'll get back to where I was though. :)

[kentuckyfried]

Heh, my parents were refinancing their place and ended up lumping in another 6k so I could buy out a collection I wanted :)

And no, I don't live at home ;)

[udisi]

I don't really get it too much from my family though I have had people say these things to me. It does bother me when someone says I waste my time on them. I always explain it like this.

You like to go get blitzed every weekend at the bar, or you like your 18 pairs of nike's. I like my games. I'll except that my games are a stupid waste of money only when everyone else admits that their $200 nike's, $500 proda purses, or $200 bar tabs are a waste of money. You can pretty much insert whatever excess item you want in this, it's all the same. granted games don't really do anything constructive, but they're not supose to. they're an extertainment expense, the same as buying dvd's or going out to eat, or to a baseball game.

People just chose to spend their money differently. You want a $50,000 dollar car. fine, if you'd rather a cheaper car that cost $10,000 and spend the other $40,000 on games, clothes, proda, (sex, drugs, and rock n roll), fine by me. It's a personal thing. you may want season tickets to the cardinals, I know people who would say it's crazy to pay $8000 for season baseball tickets, but to the person who likes baseball, that's the best use of their money. Same goes for the gamer/collector.

[diskoboy]

My parents hate my hobby. But I tell them that video game collectors are the 'record collectors of the 21st century - plus games were practicaly my whole childhood'. Then I tell them I work to make my money - so I'll spend it however the fuck I want. All my bills get paid on time, so they have no right to complain. They just think a 32 year old shouldn't be playing games.

My girlfriend is alot more understanding since both of us grew up during the Space Invaders/Pac-Man era. She doesn't mind the console collecting at all because I keep it out of the way. As a matter of fact - when my Odyssey 2 was stolen, who do you think had a backup? She even has a few games I don't! She also loves my Dreamcast and DS. :D

BUT - she did limit me to 5 arcade games unless we get a bigger place. I've got 2 before I hit my limit.

[Cmosfm]

The part that hurts the most about selling my collection is dissapointing my Fiancee, she was really excited about having a huge game room when we get married. I know this is completely random but I guess I'm gonna really have to work on building it all back up...I hate dissapointing her. :(

[mizarkgram]

My family are all kinda on the edge about the whole collecting idea.

I live (when I am not at school) with my father, and he is in teh process of downsizing and moving to a smaller house. So, his only beef is the storage of all my stuff until I finially get out on my own for good. He also kinda likes the idea of bringing cash in from selling stuff (thoug that usually just goes to paying for more stuff for the collection)

My mom just thinks its an easy way to find christmas / birthday presents for me

My brother and sister think its a big waste of time and money, but won't think twice about playing the games when they want to. I just remind them that they respectively spend more money on bodybuilding crap (brother) and booze (sister) than I do on games.

The gf likes some aspects of my gaming collection. She likes some games I own, and like shtat I have a way to unwind. She does, however hate the time I will spend on RPGs when I get into the game (I'll burn out for like 6 hours straight). And she reminds me daily that we dont got no room for all that stuff until we get a bigger place (not happening soon).

Though, when I was considering selling it all to help pay for school, she talked me outta it. She didnt want to have to slowly rebuild the collection to where it is (as I would not really be happy until it had gotten back there)