Are we living the twilight of Classic Gaming as we know it?

[sfchakan]

Yeah, I can say the same about younger kids being surprisingly into it. Perhaps it's because they have less money, or they're just genuinely interested.

My kids have my library of stuff to play, so it's hard for me to really tell with them. They play random shit all the time.

My boss' 13 year old son is into Genesis, PS2, Xbox, and PS3. That's what he's got and he doesn't get a ton of money coming his way, so he gets a good bit of value for $50 versus buying one game and being done with it in a couple of days.

[Tron 2.0]

Right now the people I see clamoring for vintage video games are teens, I just saw today some teens in a thrift getting all excited over finding Sega Master System stuff. The only thing I saw that they bought was a copy of Phantasy Star for $7.99 missing the instructions, at least they left the rest of the games which were junk and also missing the instructions. Still they were excited to just see the games. I'm pretty sure I saw one of them later carrying around a VHS VCR while looking through the video tapes for action films, or it was few different teens. I didn't bother to stick around to see if they bought it all, I just know the Phantasy Star was gone when I later came back to the store. Usually when teens are into something in groups, it's just fads that don't last long term. Five to ten years from now I'm not sure if collecting video games will still be as popular, at least as popular with common games. Actual rare stuff will always be sought after.

Really damn,that for me means more competition some 'thing i don't like.When it comes to collecting for older consoles at least.I wonder for younger people are they doing it because they think it's cool or just a trend for them.In in any case,it does seem to be at it's peak.At this point i'm i just hoping it will become a fad and in the future,for prices to drop.

[Aussie2B]

Prices have gone up, way up, but as time goes, I don't see them getting cheaper, if anything more expensive.
Nothing deemed collectable rarely ever gets cheaper with time.

Have you ever seen one of those Antiques Roadshow update episodes? "Collectables" lose value pretty commonly, if interest in those types of items wanes. There is always an ebb and flow. Or just look at pre-crash collecting. The truly rare stuff isn't getting any cheaper, but interest in pre-crash games in general has definitely cooled, as have the prices on the common stuff.

Anyway, getting back to the main topic question, it's all relative. For those of us who have been collecting and a part of the scene for a long time, things may seem worse and less interesting, but I'm sure a new collector/retro gamer can find a lot to be excited about. Also, us older collectors are stuck in our old ways. We're go to the same old boards and the same old sites and wonder why things are dying off, but things change and move on. Message boards and fan sites are old news. Young collectors are connecting on social media, Youtube, blogs, etc. Personally, I don't think these outlets tend to foster as thoughtful discussion and thorough documentation/research, but what can ya do.

[Scotterpop]

I got into collecting games in about '97 or so... right about the time I gained access to the internet. Information I would get from message boards and eBay really stoked that desire to collect all the stuff I wanted as a kid but never could afford. And those first couple of years of collecting were GLORIOUS! I would find great stuff every time I headed out to the thrifts, yard sales, estate sales, and flea markets. And there were so many different game stores back then, little mom 'n pop places that would eventually get run out of town by big corporate stores like Gamestop. Around the early to mid-2000's is when things really started to cool off here. Prices went up, finds became scarcer and less frequent, and everywhere I go now I see speculators with barcode scanners and cell phones frantically looking up eBay prices. Yep, the Sumguy has become high-tech... God help us all!

Classic gaming as we know it will, in my opinion, continue to shift toward digital emulation. I simply can't afford to collect physical copies of games and systems like I did before because most of the stock is now in the hands of resellers. I have a hacked PSP Go and a Dingoo and they do a pretty good job of providing my classic gaming fix. Sure, nothing will EVER replace the experience of playing a cart on the original hardware, but that's a luxury I now have to start to let go of. So, barring another catastrophe like the crash of '83, it looks like the glory years of affordable collecting are behind us.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I think in general, classic gaming is stagnant. younger gamers see simplistic games with pixel graphics as something that belongs on a 99 cent iphone game and not a console, and fewer new developers are willing to risk new retro style games.

On the other end, we - the classic gaming crowd - will continue to get older and become less and less relevant to marketers who will continue to push the latest war fps onto the 13-15 year olds who will increasingly replace us as the dominant market.

Prices are in a boom phase, but the bubble will burst someday - maybe not for decades, but I think there will come a time when collections of any physical media will become almost worthless.

Does anyone expect a kid born in 2050 to grow up and want to play an NES game - especially on an ACTUAL NES with an ACTUAL cartridge?

Like it or not, classic gaming is in a dying market that isn't changing with the times.

I think for it to thrive once again, pixel art games need to showcase they have worth as an art style and that they can be just as complex as 3D games.

[Atarileaf]

I often wonder why retro gaming is becoming more popular, hence more competitive and pricier. Is it because more people want to play these games or is it simply another thing resellers can buy to make a profit? In my area it's both but reselling is definitely taking a huge chunk of the available finite stock. The same people are listing on Kijiji day after day, usually the same things with some additions and subtractions as they sell their wares.

I actually think Kijiji, Craigslist and like-minded sites have more to blame than ebay - simply because these sites are free to use, there are no fees, no packing, no shipping, no feedback, no chargebacks, etc - you can have people come to your house and hand you cash which is so much easier and profitable for resellers. With retro games or other collectibles, you can even build up a nice regular customer base. People who may have balked to buying to resell on ebay will readily do it via online classified ads.

I truly believe that if these sites started charging fees to post ads you might see a decline in reselling but until then, its a 100% profit for resellers and retro gaming can make you a lot if you know what to look for.

On the other hand, resellers do what they're doing BECAUSE retro gaming and collecting are more popular and the reason they're more popular is that as time goes on, there are more systems and games that become classic and retro. When I first started collecting, SNES, Genesis and TG-16 were current gen systems, now they're a huge part of the retro gaming scene and attracting millions more people who grew up in the 16-bit era.

I think though that pre-crash is starting to decline slightly, and mainly those that collect for those systems, like myself, are all but finished their collections - there's simply nothing left from that era that I'm actively looking for as an example (although I'd never say my collection would ever be "done")

[rmaerz]

Like it or not, classic gaming is in a dying market that isn't changing with the times.

Isn't that the whole idea?

[MetalFRO]

I often lament the hike in prices for stuff. SNES games still command awfully large amounts of money, even for cart-only copies, for common games that aren't rare. There are some game shops and retailers who price them more fairly. For example, I paid $8 each for Metroid Prime and Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo (I thought that was pretty good a couple months ago), but when I'm paying the same $8 for Bio-Metal, it's not quite right. And forget about buying boxed SNES carts without taking out a second mortgage on your house or getting a second job. Gaming is a much more expensive hobby than I ever bargained for. I secretly snicker when I overhear people talking about hunting and the $6,000 shotgun they just bought, because it has taken me years to sink that kind of money into my mostly used gaming collection. But it's becoming more difficult to afford to be a collector unless you're more choosy about what you buy or seek out deals and trades whenever possible.

[ReaXan]

I think a lot of the 90's/2000 collectors are now in their early to mid 40's and aren't collecting for the 2600 era as much as they once were. They might have moved onto other more expensive hobbies as a lot of people in their 40's are making the majority of money out in the real world now. I think they have dictated the change in the market more than anyone as they come from the video game pioneer generation.

[GhostDog]

Retro gaming has become mainstream big time but my days of collecting older games are long gone. I sold off most of my games on eBay a couple of years ago and haven't looked back. I had my fun collecting but at the end of the day I barely played any of the games. I do still enjoy looking through 90s gaming magazines like EGM and Gamepros to relive the good 'ol days. The internet is also great in reliving some of those memories with plenty of content on Youtube.

[sparf]

If the hobby is diminishing, I haven't noticed, but then I haven't been looking, either. I learned the lesson of what these games meant to me the hard way. Fortunately it happened before the boom of recent years.

I worked at [LARGE GAME RETAILER] and traded in a LOT of my older games (NES and SNES) in order to acquire the newest PSX titles and PS2 stuff at that time. I was able to get most of it back later once I realized how much I missed those games. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, yes, but these were also fantastic titles! Final Fantasy III(VI), Super Metroid, Mario RPG... I even traded my systems at one time. Once, the NES was fetching $60 in trade credit (which we turned and sold for $99).

We may be in a slowly dying hobby as technology outpaces our old loves. But that's okay. Because if we're doing this for anyone but ourselves, then we're doing it for the wrong reasons.

[RyanR]

Like most things it will bubble up and then burst, just a matter of time. A lot of the problem is just nintendo stuff, sega stuff is still priced well for the m ost part and iseaasyto build a good library of games,especially if you want CIB.

This is one of the reason I started collecting for the Genesis/Mega Drive. A lot of the games are reasonably priced, and its easer to find CIB.

[bigbacon]

This is one of the reason I started collecting for the Genesis/Mega Drive. A lot of the games are reasonably priced, and its easer to find CIB.

same here, I went pretty much SMS, GG, Genesis as nintendo stuff is just outrageous in price especially since almost everything out there is a loose cart. I mean the mark up on popular and most widespread games is crazy. I would like to own a copy of contra and super metroid but not at 30+ bucks. For $30 bucks i could get 3 or 4 CIB genesis games.

I think a lot of the problem is resellers and people with a HUGE nostalgia footprint on what they have. New retro gaming stores are popping up left and right around here, they come up with the most amazing finds and then turn it around and sell it for big money (or try to) and those with the huge nostalgia problem see those prices and also they just feel that because of their attachment that it is worth huge money. At the same time there are those that just don't know and you see them selling stuff at their garage sale for stupid money. I see that a lot.

obviously there must be a lot of people out there paying the money because the prices don't seem to be dropping.

though, I would like to hope for a huge crash....

[RyanR]

New retro gaming stores are popping up left and right around here, they come up with the most amazing finds and then turn it around and sell it for big money

I found a retro gaming store in my area not to long ago. So I decided to stop by and look at some games.

I asked the guy behind the counter about a price of one of the games. Then he reached into his pocket got out his phone and started messing around with it. I asked "what are you doing" he replied "I'm looking up prices on ebay." I just laughed and walked out of the store.

[ninjistar]

I found a retro gaming store in my area not to long ago. So I decided to stop by and look at some games.

I asked the guy behind the counter about a price of one of the games. Then he reached into his pocket got out his phone and started messing around with it. I asked "what are you doing" he replied "I'm looking up prices on ebay." I just laughed and walked out of the store.

I too have seen a surge of retro gaming stores open in my area. That's hilarious that the worker flat out told you how he's pricing his inventory! That seems like a fairly greenhorn move on his part. Next time, you'll have to list 10 copies of whatever you're looking for, starting at 0.99 I kid, but you have to admit, it's interesting where we are at in the retail video game space!

I've been wanting to go into some of the retro gaming stores in my area, but so far, I've avoided it. The main reason is that unless I feel some absolute NEED to have an item right away, I look for a good price first. If you keep looking, you tend to find what you want for sale these days. I know that these guys are buying things at the same places I buy, and then reselling. There's nothing wrong with that, but I can't imagine paying what they're asking.

[PreZZ]

I think nes games, snes and genesis are perfect for younger children because games are simpler and fun. my 5 year old nephew loves his genesis! He also has a ps2 and xbox, but theres too many buttons and games are too complicated. He enjoys Sonic 2 and can get to the 3rd world easily.

[Kevincal]

i think prices peaked when the economy peaked in 2006. downhill since then. you guys arent looking hard enough for the good deals. more and more people are selling because more and more people are having money problems. ebay is flooded with any game you need more than ever. systems too. competition is fierce for sellers on ebay, i know. tough out there. good time to buy for anything. world is in a depression.

i will say i dont see much point in collection the systems that are easily emulated, basically anything under 32 bit. well, what i mean is, cool to collect affordable games, but the handfull of rare games that sell for 50 or more dollars, doesnt make much sense when you can easily get it free and play it in rgb with save states and such.

32 bit and 64 bit collecting is where its at if you ask me, that stuff is much harder to emulate properly. and i just prefer those games over 8 and 16 bit.

classic gaming collecting and community was much more fun in the early to mid 2000s than the last 5 years. i will say. theres been a flood of annoying noobs because in the last 5 years its become cool and mainstream to be a dorky nerd also in the last 5 years girls finally see it as cool to play video games. the young guys age 20 and under are clueless about the classic stuff n64 and earlier. for the most part.

[Steven]

Interesting topic and question.
The prices have exploded but to me it's none of my business, as I wrapped up "active buying/collecting" last year when I finally found a 3 Ninjas Kick Back SNES box. But really, I finished buying most of my wants by 2008, fortunately. So whenever people bring up prices nowadays, I just thank my lucky stars that the nostalgia bug hit me in 2006 when the market was still pretty friggin' awesome.

In terms of message boards, the glory days of retro gaming discussion has seemed to come and pass. I too remember the late '90s and early 2000s as a time where people were recalling their childhood, discovering emulation and using the internet as one big sandbox of their childhood. Topics cranked out at a crazy clip, lots of replies and the "community" seemed to buzz. I guess you can only talk about a game for so long though, as topics have slowed over the years, and perhaps does not contain the same "vigor" as before. I remember posting on usenet, remember rec.video.games.sega in the late 90s to early-mid 2000s? Them some fun days.

In terms of my own personal gaming journey, I am still into SNES as I was when I got back into it nearly 8 years ago now. I am having a blast beating these games one at a time... but I know too that eventually, I'll beat them all, and after that it'll be a point of reaching for an old favorite off the shelf for the random playthrough. I probably still have a good 3-4 years until I get to that point though.

I find, it's best to just enjoy each season as it comes.
You never know when the fun ends, or you burn out, or life alters drastically and your interests shift.
Don't get caught up in comparing yourself to other retro gamers, be pleased where you're at, and just enjoy yourself.

[spman]

The surge of retro stores selling old stuff at eBay prices and above is just a ludicrous concept to me, and a terrible business model. Outside of having a physical presence that provides you with more opportunities to make deals on old games, what advantage does having a physical store have over selling online? Yeah, the 80 copies of Blades of Steel you have for NES will never sell online for the $8 each you have them tagged for in your store, and yeah you might find a couple of suckers dumb enough to come in and pay that, but it's never going to be enough to cover overhead.

Anyways, prices will settle down eventually. It's just a fad, probably 70% of the demand right now is just from resellers looking to make a quick buck and hoarding inventory. eBay definitely does a lot to affect prices. There's a couple of issues with eBay that I hate, which causes prices to go up in an unnatural fashion. The first is that when an item sells on eBay, there is no clear indication of whether the item was actually sold and paid for at some ridiculously inflated price, or if the item was just bid up by a scammer, or by the seller themselves. So now when people search the completed listings on eBay, they see that one loose copy of Super Metroid that sold for $65, and the prices just slowly creep up from there.

The other issue is the automated bidding bots people use. People use sniper bots and set them to win a certain auction, regardless of the price. If three or four or more people are using bots on the same item, it turns into an unnatural bidding war that drives the price of the item well above what anyone should reasonably pay. So your bot wins the item for you, and you only expected to pay $30 for the item, but competition from other bots drove the price up to $75, so a new price point is now set.

What will eventually happen is that the bubble will burst, much like it did with Atari 2600 cartridges which are now largely worthless except for a handful of maybe 100 or so super rarities. The stuff that is common will drop like a rock, back to where it should be. The rare stuff however will stay where it is, maybe drop a little, but still stay high priced.

[xelement5x]

The other issue is the automated bidding bots people use. People use sniper bots and set them to win a certain auction, regardless of the price. If three or four or more people are using bots on the same item, it turns into an unnatural bidding war that drives the price of the item well above what anyone should reasonably pay. So your bot wins the item for you, and you only expected to pay $30 for the item, but competition from other bots drove the price up to $75, so a new price point is now set.

If that's how you're using a sniping tool you're doing it all wrong. What you should do is put in the max you want to pay and have it snipe at the last 5 seconds or so. If you wind up paying your max, that is that, and other people would have bid the same amount as well, you just gave yourself hope it would end lower. If you pay under your max, consider it a score. If you think you overpaid, then it's your fault for putting in a max bid that was more than you wanted to pay.