What generation will you stop collecting at?

[revolutionika]

I will stop collecting or buying a system that does NOT have physical media!

[GameNinja]

I have been collecting on and off for the past 7 years. Whenever the bug hits me I collect and whenever it doesnt, I stop. I don't see myself ever not at least being interested in gaming/ collecting.

[Ze_ro]

I'll probably get out of modern gaming entirely after this generation, because there's too much stupid crap going on that's really putting me off... Though I can see myself collecting Xbox 360 in the future.

--Zero

[Robocop2]

Other than the current gen stuff and some PS1/2 and original Xbox games I only really dabble in NES and 16bit era stuff and a little Jaguar here and there. I don't really see that changing since I never really got too excited about the 32 bit era.

[Sanriostar]

I already just want to Multicart and AV hack all my systems and ride off into the sunset as it is.

[chrisballer]

I will collect everything as long as they keep coming out. As far as Complete Libraries though I change my mind a lot. I used to be all about the NES and now it is Atari and Xbox.

[Rickstilwell1]

I'll never stop expanding my collection. I always collect small segments of each system's library anyway. It's usually popular series and RPGs that get first priority for me. Even with downloads, I consider Sonic 4 and Vandal-Hearts: Flames of Judgement as part of my collection because they're not available elsewhere.

[synbiosfan]

I only wanted and completed a US Sega Saturn set. I ended up with a complete US 32X set too.

Now I just buy to play.

[Casati]

My largest collections are NES/SNES/Genesis, along with some Atari games, and I mainly buy these for play. I selectively collect PSX/2, N64, GBA and Gamecube games before they become expensive vintage games.

[Shingetter]

I will stop collecting or buying a system that does NOT have physical media!

This is what I plan on doing too. Though I did buy a used PSP GO because it was cheap. Didn't even charge it after testing.

[Edmond Dantes]

I'm deadlocked from the birth of the NES to the death of the PS2, with the exception of some PC games.

Though, my idea of "collecting" is "buy games I really want to play" and only recently have I become CIB obsessed (but not with PC games--since packaging is nonstandardized I don't see a point)

[megasdkirby]

I've decided to stop with the Dreamcast generation, tough exceptions exists. Although I won't collect for Playstation 2 or Xbox, i will collect (as much as possible) for GameCube games. I find them to be somewhat of an oddity for some reason.

Another exception is DS games, though that does not mean I will amass thousands of copies. I just try to get what I can, since many times I get them cheap, like when they are being liquidated at work. Otherwise, I skip them.

Also, I decided not to "collect" games I know I will never play, even for older consoles. I realized thst even if it's a hobby I enjoy, it's pretty much worthless to buy games that will pretty much rot in a shelf or to shell out insane amounts for a game I will never play. I realized this while trying to get a full Colecovision set. Now I just get the games I really want to get, and not spend 2K monies on a game I will never play.

[Trebuken]

I've decided to stop with the Dreamcast generation, tough exceptions exists. Although I won't collect for Playstation 2 or Xbox, i will collect (as much as possible) for GameCube games. I find them to be somewhat of an oddity for some reason.

Another exception is DS games, though that does not mean I will amass thousands of copies. I just try to get what I can, since many times I get them cheap, like when they are being liquidated at work. Otherwise, I skip them.

Also, I decided not to "collect" games I know I will never play, even for older consoles. I realized thst even if it's a hobby I enjoy, it's pretty much worthless to buy games that will pretty much rot in a shelf or to shell out insane amounts for a game I will never play. I realized this while trying to get a full Colecovision set. Now I just get the games I really want to get, and not spend 2K monies on a game I will never play.

I feel similarly. The Gamecube and DS seem more akin to the older generations than the PS2 and Xbox.

[goatdan]

I guess that I started collecting hardcore in the Jaguar generation, and stopped at the Dreamcast / Neo Geo Pocket one. And toss PS1 longboxes in there for some reason - I think I just really like how they look and the challenge of getting them.

I have my childhood games for the 2600, NES and SNES, and I have little desire to get any further games for those consoles. That isn't to say that I don't like them, just that I only got attached to the four systems above in a collection type way.

As for the disc rot question, early manufacturing processes had issues and the earlier your disc-based game, the more worried I'd be... but, at the same time, manufacturing for discs has turned out to be better than people originally expected (the age before disc rot is based on the original manufacturing methods) and discs are lasting much longer than we thought. It's pretty uncommon to find a game that suffers from disc rot, and games are now nearly 20 years old on disc format, so I think you're probably okay.

[Edmond Dantes]

Also, I decided not to "collect" games I know I will never play, even for older consoles. I realized thst even if it's a hobby I enjoy, it's pretty much worthless to buy games that will pretty much rot in a shelf or to shell out insane amounts for a game I will never play.

Same here, except in my case I've noticed another problem: the more games I have, the more trouble I have even *wanting* to play games because the sheer amount of choices is so overwhelming.

It's like, on my PSP where I only have nine or so games, its easy for me to choose something to play at a moment's notice. But on my NES, where I have forty games, I often don't even put a cartridge in because I can't make up my mind. Moreover, if I decide to play an old favorite like Kirby's Adventure which I've beaten millions of times, I feel bad because I have a copy of Adventure Island II that I've never beaten and only played for a few hours when I first got it. My mind tells me I should be playing the latter, but I actually want to play the former.

That's partly why I went CIB-only too--it helps limit my choices.

[mobiusclimber]

I only collect three types of games: 1) RPGs; 2) horror-themed games; 3) other stuff that I enjoy playing. I only collect for the NES up to the PS2 era. This IS collecting to me since, for one thing, I have an end in sight even tho #3 makes it sound like I might not (it's actually an incredibly narrow category, but does give me some sort of "out" for when I've "finished" collecting the other two categories but still have the collecting bug). I would also argue that since I expanded #2 from the original "survival-horror" that I'm now collecting some games I'll never really play, which takes it into uber-collecting, imo. Also, I only collect CIB games.

The thing is, I have a 360 and a Wii but I don't feel like collecting #1 or #2 category games. Too much junk that I don't care about and I just can't feel attached to the games. There are certain systems like this (Xbox and N64), but I think it's really all about the approach game developers have taken lately. I just don't find this stuff that much fun, usually. Even games that I like all seem to be missing something and I'm not even sure what it is. I just know it cuz I can feel it when I play them.

[Jaruff]

I've sold most of my PS2 collection (had 100+ games at one point, I probably have 25-30 now) and I plan on adding to my Sega and vintage PC collection.

Never was interested in Nintendo items and my interest in pre-NES stuff goes only to the systems since I like vintage electronics.

I will start collecting for the PS3 once the PS4 comes out and I can grab games for $1-10. Right now I'm selling my games off as I finish them but once they're in the bargain bin, I'll buy them again.

Like others have said, I'll probably stop collecting when/if physical media is eliminated.

[Zing]

Same here, except in my case I've noticed another problem: the more games I have, the more trouble I have even *wanting* to play games because the sheer amount of choices is so overwhelming.

I have the same problem. I wonder if somehow hiding the majority of the games would help. Maybe put them in a box and store it in the closet or even give them to a friend.

[Mr Mort]

I too am only willing to collect games I will actually enjoy & play. That being said, I intend to stop collecting games with the current generation with the possible exception of the PS Vita.

Part of the reason is that I don't like the restrictions that have been placed on gaming by publishers and console manufacturers. DRM, EULA's, online connectivity requirements, profiles, download-only titles, and the like have taken some of the simple joy out of gaming. It's nice to know that my NES carts only need an NES to play. Pop the cart in, turn the power on, and start playing, that's it.

That simplicity is all but gone now, and takes a lot of fun out of gaming for me, and that is part of the reason why I'm probably going to stop gaming & collecting at the end of the current generation.

Besides, I have dozens of games I've never played or opened to keep me busy for several years, and now that I have a child, I don't have that much disposable income any more.
Of course, I'm never going to say never, but I really don't think I'm going to go any further than the current gen.

[Edmond Dantes]

I have the same problem. I wonder if somehow hiding the majority of the games would help. Maybe put them in a box and store it in the closet or even give them to a friend.

I keep my games in drawers. Trust me, it doesn't help. Because the minute I open it, I'm still hit with the sheer amount of games I have.