Top 10 Reasons That Game Collecting Is Dying?

[theshaka2]

hey all, i thought you might like this article

http://diehardgamefan.com/2010/02/03...ting-is-dying/

of course i wrote it but as someone who loves games and still collecting, it's a summary of my struggles with not being able to collect full collections due to changes in the games market

[backguard]

Wow. No.

[jcalder8]

I hope I'm not insulting you but that was satire right?

[buzz_n64]

I hope I'm not insulting you but that was satire right?

Sounds like it to me. I just read the article, and I can't take it seriously. I just have the feeling that the writer lost his love of collecting and is trying to justify it to others. Collecting for me is not about the value, having the box, or playing a game upon hours, it's about having a game you like in your collection.

[Snapple]

You (the TC) have a lot of balls to say an entire hobby is dying just because YOU want classic games to be more expensive (huh?). Don't try to impress your personal and largely ridiculous gripes onto the rest of us. You're not the voice of the majority.

Games appear for different systems? oh noes. This certainly wasn't the case ten years ago! So classic gaming must be dying.

[theshaka2]

Sounds like it to me. I just read the article, and I can't take it seriously. I just have the feeling that the writer lost his love of collecting and is trying to justify it to others. Collecting for me is not about the value, having the box, or playing a game upon hours, it's about having a game you like in your collection.

that was my point exactly actually - it only matter to have the game in your collection. i have mega man 7 in the gamecube megaman collection. it's instantly playable on the wii, on my hd tv, without a long setup and maybe-working cart/snes. i'm saying if you remove these factors - the attachment to a physical box, the perceived value of having a rare game - it can be freeing

this is my realization that to collect and enjoy a library of games, it doesnt have to be by hoarding tons of older carts and physical games. most of the time is then spent in maintenance and shelving and setup. if the end goal is to play lots of awesome games, there are better ways... i can replace with downloads, compilations and what i truly play, not just having every game for the sake of it

[theshaka2]

You (the TC) have a lot of balls to say an entire hobby is dying just because YOU want classic games to be more expensive (huh?). Don't try to impress your personal and largely ridiculous gripes onto the rest of us. You're not the voice of the majority.

Games appear for different systems? oh noes. This certainly wasn't the case ten years ago! So classic gaming must be dying.

classic gaming is booming and amazing! collecting old physical games is dying

[shopkins]

Holy shit man, Super Widget! I must have looked at the box for that dozen times in the video store I rented games from every weekend, but I always rejected it for something else figuring I'd get around to it later. Later never came, I guess. If I had that in my collection I'd play it in a heartbeat just to see what it was like.

[G-Boobie]

Good read. Also, I didn't know Diehard GameFAN was around anymore. You learn something new everyday.

[The 1 2 P]

Although some values are going down, game collecting as a whole will never die. It doesn't matter if this current gen(the 7th) is the last gen of consoles or the one before the 8th starts, I will continue to collect until I play everything......or die. Which ever comes first.

[Fuyukaze]

While trying to avoid sounding a total dick, I must say way to go captain obvious. These things apply to damn near everything that can be collected. Every year the sports card market gets new sports cards but the collector keeps on buying em anyway. Even though complete sets drop in price untill long after the players are out of the game. Download games having just poped up effects collectors diffrently. Some dont even count them as games twords a collection. Some love buying the same game all over again. Modern systems that still get support can never be completed as they are STILL seeing support. The reason collectors can get everything on dead systems is because they have a defined number of titles to purchase and have a goal to work twords. Be it the low 30's like the 32x or the 700's like the NES, collectors know what's out instead of what may come out. I'd go on and on attacking each and every point with reason but instead, I'll point out the blaring omisions you obviously overlooked.

1.budget-the economy is tanking and people are having to take hard looks at their collection. it's kinda hard to give a shit about owning every nes game when you could get fired and loose your house.

2.relationships-yeah, blame the woman. or the kids. or the parents. or god. thing is, not everyone looks at your games like they are the most important thing in the house. yeah, it aint nice but when you take away the emotional attatchment and break it down to the basics, there are more important things you can do with the money and the space. not all are anywheres near as fun but that's life.

3.life changes-sometimes people change. what they used to think was the most important suddenly isnt. something they used to love and cherish suddenly isnt.

4.space-we'd all love to live in a wharehouse where we can stash our collection but even with our own home we have to live within our means. most times that applies to money, but sometimes its the amount of space you can store stuff.

5.moving-every item takes up space. everything. house furniture, your clothes, your collection. even if you has a surplus of boxs, it can be hell boxing it all up knowing you'll have to unbox it all. getting rid of a collection before a move can be a liberating feeling cause you know you'll only have to unpack what you need and not have to search thru 50 boxs just to find an alarm clock. think it doesnt add up to all that much? try boxing everything in your gaming collection up then. you'll find it adds up super damn fast and suddenly you've got more shit then you could imagine. I've done it before. I'm doing it now and it scares the hell out of me how much crap I got and I still havent even got half of one room finished. 28 boxs used and not even half.


I do apologize if your insulted or offended as I dont intend either but damn man, couldnt you atleast try to do better? I read it expecting atleast something interesting. I havent been this disapointed sense watching paranormal activity thinking it would be good.

[Richter Belmount]

hey all, i thought you might like this article

http://diehardgamefan.com/2010/02/03...ting-is-dying/

of course i wrote it but as someone who loves games and still collecting, it's a summary of my struggles with not being able to collect full collections due to changes in the games market

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSSxSmm9tFM

My counter

[ryborg]

yeah, i pretty much stopped playing video games b/c some manuals were in black and white. also there are a lot of ps2 games, which is a total bummer -- i need them all.

GOOD ARTICALLL KEEP UP TEH GOOD WOORK

[ryborg]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSSxSmm9tFM

My counter

I see, I see. My response:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbZMnF1VNlE

[Ed Oscuro]

"Battery backups are dying"

lern 2 soder

Ain't nothin versus the troubles arcade collectors can run into.

p.s. guys you can't have a true half-life or even counter-strike experience without the full size Taito and Namco arcade games and networking, this is heartbreaking to the extreme

Anyway I'm not seeing that game prices "plummet" when digital distribution comes in; people have been pirating PSX games for a long while, to use your example, and the minor price dip (reflected on eBay) in copies of SotN is nothing compared to all the free press it's gotten online over the years.

Also, "digital only" Contra games didn't start with the Wii release. There's been at least one BREW-based version (that may or may not be an adaptation of a BlackBerry version) since at least 2006, and that's a format that I still don't think has been cracked, let alone shared 'bout the Internet.

Nothing is permanent, but it won't stop people from trying. Until the papers and plastics crumble to dust (long after we're gone) people will collect the physical relics of gaming. (James 5:3 from the Bible seems appropriate perhaps.)

[rodarkone]

Are you a game collector or are you a gamer ?

If you are a game collector -> your objectives are - buy all the game for a specific platform (or all platforms of interes) at the lowest price posible, to conserve resurces/money needed in other purchases.

If you are a gamer -> your objectives are - play all the games that are WORTHY to play - try a game for a few minutes, or a few levels - if you don't like .. don't play anyfurther - the time is your main concerne here.

The 2 concepts doesn't exclude themself but - one is strictly material concept (the collector) and one is spiritual (the gamer).

Regards.

[Ze_ro]

if the end goal is to play lots of awesome games, there are better ways... i can replace with downloads, compilations and what i truly play, not just having every game for the sake of it

Well I hate to say this, but I'm afraid you've missed the point entirely.

--Zero

[Icarus Moonsight]

1) It is impossible to have a complete collection of physical games for any current-generation system.

And so what? Things change... Evolve, quit or die.

2) Most PS3 games require large hard drive installs, making regular play of more than a few dozen games arduous

Fair enough... That's one reason that I don't have one... YET! I'll enjoy playing on one when these things will no longer be an issue. That's even if I care.

3) Older systems and games have a limited shelf life

Nothing is forever. Nature of existence. Deal.

4) The value of older games plummets when they are released as digital downloads

Great time to buy huh? If this model gets more games out and exposed to more people, this is a good thing. Examine your priorities if this bothers you.

5) It’s unwieldy to continue collecting forever

See my response to #3. Highlight, bold, italic and double underline it in your head to save me the trouble.

6) It’s impossible to play every game in my collection

If you're a collector... Not so bad. If you're a player first, well, it's got two edges. Better way to look at things is you'll never be at a loss for a new experience.

7) It’s redundant to have the same game on many systems

Sure, so where's the problem? Redundancy is not always waste or bad. Set your bounds and priorities.

8) Most game companies produce black and white manuals

But no black and white games right? Odd. It's PAPER! Want colorful paper? Collect Lisa Frank shit.

9) Battery backups are dying

Ed, you da man!

10) It’s better to have downloadable versions

In some ways, true. But this is not absolute.

Pretty much, it's a litany of your problems with game collecting... Not fatal problems with game collecting itself, which it was billed. Sorry dude, you missed. All your issues are solvable, if you got the stones.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

hey all, i thought you might like this article

http://diehardgamefan.com/2010/02/03...ting-is-dying/

of course i wrote it but as someone who loves games and still collecting, it's a summary of my struggles with not being able to collect full collections due to changes in the games market

I agree with a lot of your points, but your idea of game collecting differs from mine, and probably from a lot of other gamers. For myself, I don't collect for profit, so if the value goes down on something that I own, I dont care because I'm keeping it. I also don't collect unopened boxes because I like to play the games. Most importantly, I don't try to collect EVERY game. If I know that a game is bad, I have no need to own it.

I think we all agree that digital downloads have changed collecting though.

[neuropolitique]

Damn, I could have sworn Game Boy game prices have been through the fuckin roof lately. Weird.