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Thread: Differences between console and computer collecting?

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    Cherry (Level 1) JustRob's Avatar
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    Default Differences between console and computer collecting?

    Basically, I'd like to know what everyone's opinions about console vs computer game collecting would be. On the console side, I'm primarily a Sega collector, but I've been bitten by the classic PC game bug. Sitting in a closet, I've got a C64 and an Apple //c just collecting dust. I've been watching gameplay and tribute videos on youtube for these things and am thinking about adding them to my "buy-on-sight" list.

    Specifically, I'd like to know how everyone feels about finding original disks/packages vs downloading roms and transferring them to disk for play on the these things. For now, I think I want to just explore the gaming side more than the collecting side for these old machines. There is tons of original software on ebay etc but also 100x more roms available, just for playing.

    So, what do you all think?

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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    I will digress here, I am sure.

    You can be a collector or you can be a player. Some only like originals and some only collect copies (roms) - It's just a matter of preference. I find that the more I collect stuff, the less I actually play them, but that's just me. I get caught up in all the stuff I "could" do and never do it.

    As far as the real thing vs. emulation, my stance is that it's good to get an idea of a system, but it's nothing like the real thing. The tactile feeling of the keyboard and disks/tapes, and connecting it to a CRT is a much better experience for playing the games than running an emulator on your wide-screen LCD.

    I even have a VGA box hooked to an LCD, and while the picture is good, it loses something.
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    old school computer media tends not to hold up very well well honestly no computer media holds up well lol. so unless your really into collecting for computers i dont think its worth it. by comparison console media is VERY rugged atari 2600 games still work more often than not floppys from that era are corrupt 9 times out of 10. as for old school games i tend to go the abandonware route if the company is insolvent or doesnt currently sell the product i want.
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    Quote Originally Posted by MrSparkle View Post
    old school computer media tends not to hold up very well well honestly no computer media holds up well lol. so unless your really into collecting for computers i dont think its worth it. by comparison console media is VERY rugged atari 2600 games still work more often than not floppys from that era are corrupt 9 times out of 10. as for old school games i tend to go the abandonware route if the company is insolvent or doesnt currently sell the product i want.
    Unless someone used a poorly-cleaned disk drive, disk media is fairly rugged (pre 1994ish that is). I've gone through 100s of floppy disks I wrote back from 1988 forward and 98% of them work fine.

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    Cherry (Level 1) JustRob's Avatar
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    Uhm...first let me apologize for the incoherence of my first post. I went to the doctor today with foot pain and found that I have a tumor in my right heel. He gave me oxycodones for the pain, and well, I've never had to take anything that strong. The first one I took just happened to hit as I was typing the OP. So, yeah, sorry. But, ya know, DAMN these things work...hehe

    Anyway. This wasn't meant to be a console vs computer debate. It's sort of a spin-off from the floppy resotration thread going on.

    I'm a 50/50 gamer/collector, with the ratio going to 10/90 depending on my mood and my hopelessly obsessed geek factor for learning about the history and lore of a system. I bought a C64 from another forum member earlier in the year and haven't had a chance to play with it yet, and my Apple II is just collecting dust. Watching the previously mentioned videos got me in the mood to experience the gaming goodness these systems offer that I missed because I was too young to know of them back when. (Aside from the apple II we had in school in the early-mid 80s).

    My question was, is it worth going after the original media/packaging from the start, or just downloading roms and making disks from them? I know, at least for my own way of doing things, that as soon as I start playing games and exploring the system, that I'll want to own originals of whatever I happened to enjoy.

    What would you do in this situation? Read and research what were the gems of the libraries and just buy the originals, or download the roms, create disks and leave it at that?

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    Strawberry (Level 2) Technosis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JustRob View Post

    My question was, is it worth going after the original media/packaging from the start, or just downloading roms and making disks from them? I know, at least for my own way of doing things, that as soon as I start playing games and exploring the system, that I'll want to own originals of whatever I happened to enjoy.

    What would you do in this situation? Read and research what were the gems of the libraries and just buy the originals, or download the roms, create disks and leave it at that?
    Well since you mention the C64, whenever I come across a system in the wild such as a garage sale or something it invariably has software, but almost always "pirate" games on generic disks (which is how many people got their gaming fix back in the day...). In my experience, actual packaged software is quite rare.

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    Computer collecting of systems from the 70's and early 80's are pretty common. Atari, Commodore, Amiga, etc. True gaming computers, of which the Amiga was the last, and largely died out by the start of the 90's. Many of these systems used cartridge games, the same as the consoles. Those are fair game. However, I would agree that the condition of the old equipment and media, particularly the floppy disks and drives, would likely be a wreck by now. However, many of the old computer games had similar if not better box artwork, manuals, inserts, etc. Personally, I still have a ton of old PC games (CD) and some 3 1/2" disks. But I cannot be bothered installing them and getting them to work. It was always such a hassle. Therefore, I would stick with games that run without installation, like the old Amiga or Tandy did. In terms of rarity, I would figure complete games from the 80's would be pretty hard to find these days. But how do you collect for a Commodore 64, where many of the thousands of games were available via modem download or mail order, and most were clones of something else and stunk?
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    Cherry (Level 1) JustRob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg2600 View Post
    But how do you collect for a Commodore 64, where many of the thousands of games were available via modem download or mail order, and most were clones of something else and stunk?
    Well, I hadn't really thought of that part. I suppose I'd have to limit it to commercially released games that were distributed on physical media (or electronics distribution only, *that'd* be an interesting collection to complete). Then, by genre, publisher, programmer, box art specifics...shit, anything can be used to structure the collecting. Then again, that's true of any collection building scheme.

    Personally, I'd narrow it down to physical media, graphical adventures, sci-fi, horror, cyberpunk type themes...

    Uhm, any recommendations for those btw?

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    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    Me personally I collect both video games for consoles as well as for computers from the 1970's thru the very early 1990's. It's true, it's much harder to find the original computer games in their original packaging complete like that, but when you find one of them out in the wild, so to speak, it's definitely worth all the searching. I've found some great adventure/RPG games on 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" disk formats for Apple, Commodore 64, PC, Amiga, etc. usually for around $1-$3 each (and complete) just hitting various thrift stores from time to time. Some of these games I owned way back in the day, and some I didn't. But for such a minimal cost, I feel it's worth the risk of not enjoying the game. And who knows, maybe someone else would like the game better. Good luck with your search!

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    I prefer to play on the original systems if at all possible. I've got a 7800, a Colecovision, a Turbografx 16, a NES, a SNES, an American Saturn, a Japanese Saturn, a Dreamcast, an American PS1, a Japanese PS1, and an American PS2. All of them see use.

    On the other hand, while I have an extensive collection of old computers (Atari 8 bits, Commodore 8 bits, and an Atari ST), I generally emulate those. This is because I have copied all of my disks over to the PC, and I worry the disks on the computer will die at any time. My ST monitor just died (after I'd just replaced the floppy drive!) so I use STEEM.

    Somehow, disk based software feels less collectible to me. As much loyalty as I had to Atari back in the day, it's not a big deal for me to play on it in the comfort of my own keyboard and monitor.

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    drowning in medals Ed Oscuro's Avatar
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    I have bought a fair number of classic PC games, but honestly don't have the drive to check 'em out. Part of the problem is that my earliest PC is a Win 95 machine - not really ideal. I could start piecing together a good 486 machine from what I have about, though.

    Anyhow, I've been able to find a remarkable number of classic PC games locally, even valuable ones. Early on I had bad luck with games looking complete but missing a disk; haven't had that happen in a while though.

    Other "personal computer gaming," the Japanese side, is actually a lot like the market here; not a lot of domestic demand. There's just a number of people who know they can sell arcade ports to people like me who will pay too much for them :P I have a sizable collection of X68000 games, pretty proud of it actually.

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    Default hmmm...

    collecting is only as rewarding as the games you find, and the harder the search the greater the reward...

    If you expect game collecting to last a life time and do not see yourself growing out of it then you should have time to explore all the angles.

    Console collecting easy easier for the most part, though getting more difficult. Less common systems like the CD-I can be tough to hunt for, akin to PC games.

    You might start collecting PC Games from the early 90's, they are cheap and easy to find. Then work your way back and forth from there. PC Collecting also requires a more tech. You might have to build your machines or troubleshoot them...hunt for drivers, etc...

    i think collecting for PC's is the next level after console collecting, but that is not to say it is superior, just more complicated...

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