Will you miss cardboard boxes?

[joshnickerson]

I was buying a GBA game the other night, and a thought occured to me. Once the GBA has been retired, there will be no more games that come in cardboard boxes. All the other consoles and handhelds have made the switch to plastic cases, which I assume the eventual GBA2 will use as well.

My question to you is, will you miss the cardboard boxes? On the one hand, plastic cases for DS or PSP games are easy to take care of, and can withstand a substantial amount of abuse better than the flimsy cardboard of yesteryear. But on the other hand, there is a certain amount of satisfaction for the collector type who manages to keep those flimy boxes in crisp condition.

[Ulticron]

I don't really know how to Vote Josh. I mean honestly if you can keep your cardboard boxes in minty fresh condition then you're definately the man at collecting.

While Plastic may be more durable let's both look back at the Genny an the SMS games. They came in plastic boxes too, and there's tons of them lying around at dirt malls loose. So while they're more durable they'll suffer the same problem of being found everywhere incomplete.

I guess I'll vote for the cardboard boxes eventhough we both know I have some that aren't minty fresh and a geat deal that don't even have cardboard boxes.

[TurboGenesis]

Personally I won't miss them. I have many cardboard boxes from NES and Turbo Grafx days and they are very tedious to store. My Turbo boxes have been stored since I bought the games and I came arcoss them the other day and are starting to show some damage just from sitting for 15 years. I can't keep them with the game or store them in the boxes as I play my games on a regular basis. I like plastic cases as they store the game nicely and display on a shelf neatly.

As for people disposing of cases, you can thank all the chain game stores as they throw them away to save space. and thus store them in....sleaves . Further more, it is game stop that has the motto, "No case, no instructions, No Problem - we make trading easy!"

[Pedro Lambrini]

I HATE cardboard boxes! I think they're just cheap and nasty. Ever since I started playing games on my Vic-20 I realised that plastic cases were just much nicer from a practical point of view. Even as part of a collection I think that, say, my DS games look much nicer than my GBA games. Same goes for my SMS collection vs my NES collection etc, etc. The only cardboard boxes I like are the old school big PC game boxes - but only the ones that came with extra goodies like posters or comics and the like - I do miss those.

[esquire]

I was 50/50 on this. Cases/Boxes will be lost or destroyed regardless of what they are made out of. The fact that Gamestop/EB/Gamecrazt/Gamerush all sell loose current gen games is a testament to that. I choose cardboard because when the plastic cases, in particular PS2, start to get used a lot, they get all scuzzy and covered with food and "hand cheese". I can't count the number of times I've handled used PS2 games whose cases grossed me out.

[Pedro Lambrini]

^
But, at least, you can wipe the cases down with a damp cloth. Or even replace fairly easily.

[unwinddesign]

Cardboard boxes are a pain in the ass to store. Plastic cases are where it's at. Plus, you can replace them if you f*ck one up.

[Jumpman Jr.]

I actually like the look of cardboard boxes. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I think it might have something to do with me being "anti-Sega." Obviously, they're not as durable and whatnot, but I've always liked the look of the NES and SNES boxes. So, I guess I will miss them (if I haven't allready started missing them).

[hezeuschrist]

Well, plastic cases certainly do make "complete" collecting easier. Beleive it or not since the release of the DS and the PSP I've online had maybe a dozen total loose games across both systems traded in at my store.

On the other hand, I love cardboard boxes. I'm very proud of my SNES and GBA collections because they are so difficult to preserve or find in good enough condition to call your own.

From now on I guess it'll just be a bit of nostalgia. "Hey, remember when games used to come in CARDBOARD BOXES! HAH!"

[slip81]

I like the cardboard boxes, and I never really had trouble storing them. I just keep em in a box, and they seem to be doing fine.

I still have my original SMB2 and 3 boxes from when the games first came out, and they are still in what I would call near mint condition.

[Damaramu]

Nope. Never liked cardboard game boxes. Hated them then, still hate them today.

[Aussie2B]

As much of a pain as they can be, yeah, I'll miss cardboard boxes. But as long as I keep collecting old games, I'll always have a stream of cardboard boxes headed my way. :P

It's probably all in my head, but cardboard boxes have always seemed more "artistic" to me. I can hardly think of a single hard case game that has box art that really captures my interest, but nearly every other Super Famicom box impresses me.

[expospourtoujours]

i hate those cardboard boxes. So many of them have a dent or have been crushed, even brand new factory sealed games aren't exempt from this.

[Ed Oscuro]

Plastic case games can be tough to keep in shape, discs as well are tougher. Personally I like games that are easy to maintain.

I agree that cardboard boxes in good shape are the mark of a good collector, however!

[Slate]

I am going to miss them.

Even though they are a pain sometimes.

[DTJAAAAMJSLM]

I'm one of the monsters who tossed out cardboard boxes, so I don't really mind...

[johno590]

+ to plastic cases and - to cardboard boxes.

I just bought a new GBA game today, and it reminded me how much I don't like the carboard boxes. I would much rather them come in a plastic case, just because it would be better to keep.

[2Dskillz]

I think that the plastic case by far are more approachable with gaming being interactive it is nice to be able to set the case on the coffee table without the thought of a stray water circle causing permenant damage.

Props to those that do maintain the cardboard boxes, but that maintenance limits the usability of them, right now I wish I had a clam shell case for my Castlevania Bloodlines because I dread every time I open that box knowing that the flap could eventually just wear loose.

[DigitalSpace]

Plastic. Imo, cardboard game boxes should have been obsolete a long time ago.

[briskbc]

I like carboard case but prefer plastic. I especially like games that came in jewel cases. I just like the hard clear plastic over the more flexible black / green plastic DVD cases.