Disc Based Systems?

[Quazick]

I am just wondering..

In about say 10 or so years will disc based systems like Playstation and Dreamcast even work anymore?

I'd have to say, no.

It's hard to find a cd player from around 1993 that works so what makes me think a PSX will work in 10 years?

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Everything depends on how well taken care of the machine in question is. I have VCRs, CD players and camcorders that old or older, all working very well. Then again, I am the house retro-tech specialist. :P

[dreamcaster]

Well, first model Saturn's and PSX's are in their eighth year this year and mine (Saturn) isn't giving me an ounce of trouble.

My Mega CD's almost 10 years old and that hasn't died yet.

And turbografx cd's are about 10 years old by now? And 3DO.

[omnedon]

It's about care and use. I collect busteds of everything, and am accumulating spare parts NOW. I beleiev this will be an issue of sorts in the future.

That said, backwards compatibility with CD systems (PS2 - PS1 anyone) is likely the wave of the future. Playing should be possible, for that system (systems) anyway.

I treat my 3DO like priceless china.

[MarkM2112]

I am actually more concerned about stuff that almost certainly will fail in these things, such as the rubber spindle belts. Unless you keep your machine in a total humidity controlled environment, they WILL get brittle and fail.

[Cafeman]

I wore out my Saturn. It started to load long times, then lock up/ reboot. But I admit I got a LOT of mileage out of the system, nearly 5 years, and lots of 5-hour+ gaming nights. I was surprised it bombed out since our Playstation (whose hardware is oft-maligned) from the same era is still working fine!!!! However, I barely ever played the system, only my kids really played it for long sessions on Crash Bandicoot and similar games, maybe that is why. Use.

My Dreamcast (original 9/9/99 model) also bombed out last year, so I bought another used system which is working good. Again, I played the DC quite a bit, as did my kids. But I was disappointed it bombed out so quickly. I play all my systems on a carpet. This is sometimes said to be a no-no, but this is the flattest shag-free carpet you ever saw. But I wonder if that had any effect .

You know I've wanted another Sega CD for a while ever since I foolishly sold my original one. So one day I took my trades and went to the flea mart lady who sells games in Pittsburgh/North Versailles (some of you might know her, "Carolyn"). She is a bit pricey but usually has well-kept stuff -- I saw a Gen+Sega CD and bought it from her. Got home, the Sega CD will turn on but the CD drive doesn't spin. I stopped trying to get her to return calls so I still have the thing in my garage. I wonder if I could fix / replace anything in it? It's the side-mount Sega CD.

So, from my experience, almost all of my older CD based systems have had problems.

[stonecutter]

I have feared this type of situation as well. I have much more faith in the longevity of my cart based systems.

[Ed Oscuro]

At my job we've had Laserdisk players working pretty much every day for at least 8 hours since 1998 (the players probably date from 1996 or earlier), and even though they haven't been well maintained most work just fine.

And for all the people who've been holing their CD based systems away inside cubbyholes or laying them on carpets...it serves you right that they've burned out! Don't, DON'T play a system unless it's got proper ventillation. That's all there is to it.

[Arrrhalomynn]

Hopefully pc's will be powerfull enough by the time psx's, 3d0's and saturns are all broken, to accurately simulate the games.
I don't care much about the actual console anyway, it's just a tool to play the game.

[Ed Oscuro]

Hopefully pc's will be powerfull enough by the time psx's, 3d0's and saturns are all broken, to accurately simulate the games.
I don't care much about the actual console anyway, it's just a tool to play the game.

Well, you can already emulate a PSX very well. It helps if you have a non-shit PC, though.

[chadtower]

Yeah... and with a PS2 too... so the computer issue is moot. It's things like saturn and sega cd you'd have to worry about, things that either aren't emulated well or can't be without ridiculous amounts of work that aren't likely to happen.

[Arrrhalomynn]

There are already several saturn emulators. They don't work perfect yet, but I'm sure they will in some years.
So that's not something to worry about.

[den68]

I've got several CD based game systems, CD-I, 3DO, PSX, Saturn, Sega CD, Dreamcast. at the moment all are working great. My DC and PSX were bought new so they've been well cared for and well ventilated. I believe care is the main issue in a systems length of life.

The systems I bought used will get this same care but I have no way of knowing what abuse they recieved before I got them. They looked fairly well cared for and real clean but who knows. I suppose they could bomb out at any time.

It's a perfect justification to have multiples of the same system. "well, it's old. it may break down and I need some backups."

[Raedon]

when you are 50 you will have 1) a bunch of dead cd consoles with a bunch of games you cant play and 2) an N64 with no good controllers.

I don't collect the CD games because I don't feel like upkeeping anything with moving parts for 30 years.

[Quazick]

when you are 50 you will have 1) a bunch of dead cd consoles with a bunch of games you cant play and 2) an N64 with no good controllers.

I don't collect the CD games because I don't feel like upkeeping anything with moving parts for 30 years.

Hmm that's an intresting observation..


N64 the new Atari 5200...

[GrandAmChandler]

The Key is to have your CD based systems to sit on a couple of SNES Game Sleeves ;-)

[bargora]

For ventilation?