Gemini-Phoenix
09-25-2006, 04:33 PM
Early Cd's (Circa 1982-1988 )are afflicted by "Bronzing" (Where the tin layer of the Cd becomes corroded over time and starts to warp and blister) ~ So what's to say that in about ten years time our prized game collections will all start to deteriorate and become worthless?
Like many of you, I have spent a lot of money investing in games, and all will be for nothing if the condition of the games I buy start to deteriorate through time through no fault of my own. I know Cd and Dvd technology is more advanced than it was in the 80's, but that doesn't mean that in ten to fifteen years time our prized games will start to degrade and be useless. As a collecctor, this worries me a lot.
Carts, for example, are prone to certain components wearing and thus making the cart useless. Rubber components in some consoles become brittle and degrade and some mechanisms stop working. Back-up batteries in consoles (And significantly cart games like SNES and GameBoy games) fail. Many people are lucky, and their games work as well as the day they bought them, but it is definitely something worth considering when buying used games from people on eBay or your local car boot... After all, you don't want to get your newly aquired Terranigma home after paying some guy a fiver down the boot sale, just to find that the battery back-up no longer works...
Worse for people like me who tend to pay big bucks for PlayStation and N64 games. Who is to say that in a few years, these games will be useless? But it is a bit of a Pandora's mystery for collector's like me, as the games are kept sealed, so you never really know what is going on inside the case... For example, some PAL dreamcast games (Like Rez) are reported to have batches which just don't work. But who is to know if the game is never played? Likewise, who is to know that a certain PlayStation game isn't degraded in fifteen years time if it's kept sealed and new as the day it was released?
Obviously the usage of certain games wears them further. A scratch here, a fingerprint there... Lasers always on them... I am sure this does not help matters, and the more you use it, the more likely it will wear. The beauty of Cd's and Dvd's is that they are hard wearing (So long as you look after them), but like all things, they won't last forever... So what is the half-life of a Cd or Dvd, and how long do these game companies expect the games to last for before they degrade and become unplayable?
We already see plenty of SNES and GameBoy games for sale which have failed battery back-ups, and also Saturn and Dreamcast batteries (Although replaceable) are not uncommon. Some NES and Atari 2600 carts just refuse to work due to their age, and the contacts on some cart games have worn through useage...
What are your concerns about durability of games and their condition?
Like many of you, I have spent a lot of money investing in games, and all will be for nothing if the condition of the games I buy start to deteriorate through time through no fault of my own. I know Cd and Dvd technology is more advanced than it was in the 80's, but that doesn't mean that in ten to fifteen years time our prized games will start to degrade and be useless. As a collecctor, this worries me a lot.
Carts, for example, are prone to certain components wearing and thus making the cart useless. Rubber components in some consoles become brittle and degrade and some mechanisms stop working. Back-up batteries in consoles (And significantly cart games like SNES and GameBoy games) fail. Many people are lucky, and their games work as well as the day they bought them, but it is definitely something worth considering when buying used games from people on eBay or your local car boot... After all, you don't want to get your newly aquired Terranigma home after paying some guy a fiver down the boot sale, just to find that the battery back-up no longer works...
Worse for people like me who tend to pay big bucks for PlayStation and N64 games. Who is to say that in a few years, these games will be useless? But it is a bit of a Pandora's mystery for collector's like me, as the games are kept sealed, so you never really know what is going on inside the case... For example, some PAL dreamcast games (Like Rez) are reported to have batches which just don't work. But who is to know if the game is never played? Likewise, who is to know that a certain PlayStation game isn't degraded in fifteen years time if it's kept sealed and new as the day it was released?
Obviously the usage of certain games wears them further. A scratch here, a fingerprint there... Lasers always on them... I am sure this does not help matters, and the more you use it, the more likely it will wear. The beauty of Cd's and Dvd's is that they are hard wearing (So long as you look after them), but like all things, they won't last forever... So what is the half-life of a Cd or Dvd, and how long do these game companies expect the games to last for before they degrade and become unplayable?
We already see plenty of SNES and GameBoy games for sale which have failed battery back-ups, and also Saturn and Dreamcast batteries (Although replaceable) are not uncommon. Some NES and Atari 2600 carts just refuse to work due to their age, and the contacts on some cart games have worn through useage...
What are your concerns about durability of games and their condition?