HoshiChiri

I'm not super worried about it- I imagine the high-end prices will come down for sure, but I don't see any serious market changes. On the one hand, people can't get out to buy games. On the other, so many are sold online these days & people are stuck indoors & after games as a result. There is certainly some kind of recession on the way, which will hurt sales of frivolous things like games- but it also means cheaper options will be more desirable, which could pull more people into retro since, typically, it IS cheaper (especially if you can get an everdrive). As far as sanitation- either you're buying from a good seller who did the cleaning for you, or you really should have some sort of hand covering until you can clean the item... that's just always been the case. It's not like gamers are known for their cleanliness- everyone's got their stories!

There's two main reasons I don't bother with Best Offers- the number of sellers who won't accept even 5% off, the number of sellers who don't respond to an offer so I have to wait for 2 days without trying other auctions, and eBay Bucks (need to make the purchase within the window to qualify). It's a nice feature, & I've gotten some great deals from it- but it's not often the best way to go.

It's a nice option, but it's hardly a requirement- it's genuinely difficult force lot of retro players- myself included- to get others to even consider playing with them. Just the reality of things.

While you're probably right about the translation hurdle, this isn't a good example- these aren't letter based hints (I see no way for fried egg & ramen to become 'ouille'). This is just 'rat, cook, food'- a description of the movie, holds for any language. We'd need to see more clues to know just how important spelling tricks are to solving the pictograms.

So far, so good- job 1 went on a 2 week furlough. Paid, but about half of what I'd make working. Job 2 is currently still going, so maybe I can get extra hours out of them. A bit concerned since I naturally have a cough from my blood pressure medication, so the only symptom to watch for is a fever. Got a thermometer & check myself every morning- seems I run a degree or so lower than most (explains why I hate the cold!) More concerned about passing it to others than actually having it myself- I'm young enough that I should be OK, but even the job that's open still has a lot of elderly customers, so I don't want to be a carrier!

Of all the things not to bring up! Anyway- I'd open up your system & just start taking bits off & cleaning them. My SNES did a similar thing awhile ago- I even bought a replacement deck to try and fix it, but neither output video (it wasn't the cable, I checked it on my N64). I just started messing with pieces- why not, if it's not working? It randomly sprung back to life after about an hour & it's been fine since. I wasn't paying too much attention, so I don't know if I managed to swap the right components or just cleaned the right connection- but it certainly couldn't hurt anything to just poke its guts awhile.

It's not the cartridge boxes that are the problem, it's the system boxes. I'm sure I could fold down a couple of them, but most have foam inserts that would need to be stored anyway- all for a box I'll probably just keep in storage forever. I'm just debating on if it's worth it, y'know? I'll have time to figure it out, though- I did just get furloughed for the next 2 weeks, so closet cleaning is a-go! Storage boxes are easy, I've got that part sorted- although I do go for form-fitting boxes, so the sizes do vary- I enjoy the challenge of finding boxes that both fill the shelfspace well while being ideally sized for the games stored in them, and I think I've done pretty good. You can fix that boring look of your file boxes easily- get some nice gift wrap/paper rolls, and some double-stick tape. Wrap carefully for homemade decorative storage. You can add ribbon, washi tape, or label stickers for a more finished look.

Love the new trailer, and WAS excited about the VIP preorder... until I saw the color options. I want the PURPLE one, Tommy! Let me order the PURPLE one!

I'll be honest- I actively work NOT to have my gaming spaces look like that. Accessibility is a big thing for me: if playing a certain system/game means emptying half the closet, then I won't play said game/system... and if I'm not gonna play it why should I keep it? It doesn't mean I don't have things that involve emptying half a closet to reach, but at the moment it's exclusively empty console boxes I'm keeping for warranty/collector's sake... and if my work(s) opt to shut down awhile amid this whole virus thing, I'm going through that closet and seriously reconsidering keeping those empty boxes. I mean- I doubt I'll ever want to display them, so perhaps I really don't need to have them- and I would like a more accessible closet.

I've never used them before, so I'm not 100% sure. It's based in the UK, so you'll get charged in pounds- my bank added a dollar for a conversion fee, your mileage may vary. Plus, you will get billed upfront unlike Amazon. There's definitely reasons to stick with them... I just really wanted that case!

Eh, I'm not worried about this being the 'last' PlayStation. The thing's not even out yet, we've got at least 4-6 years of figuring out where the market will even be to know if another one makes sense or not. That's a LOT of time for things to happen. Maybe we'll see broadband internet go cheap nationwide & spur on a digital-only future. Maybe some big cloud server will fail, people will lose their data, & the backlash will push people back towards physical media. Maybe Coronavirus will mutate & bring about the Zombie Apocalypse and we won't have time to play videogames. It seems silly to worry about it now. Personally, I still say digital only/cloud based gaming won't be truly viable until broadband internet is cheaply available everywhere. There's still a lot of places where you just can't get a great connection becuase the population is too spread out to make the infrastructure upgrade economically viable. As long as there's enough people who want the physical release, either for practical use or just a preference, someone's gonna sell it to them. My thoughts exactly- can't be number one against the current competition? Change leagues! Doubly useful when your new 'competition' is failing despite not having anyone up against them before.

The release date given in my Coronavirus delay email was May 22nd- take that for what it's worth. The 10 carts coming at release are: Atari Collection 1 & 2 Interplay Collection 1 & 2 Data East Collection 1 Namco Museum Collection 1 & 2 Piko Interactive Collection 1 Mega Cat Studios Collection 1 Technos Collection 1* Two more carts, the Atari Lynx Collection & the Xeno Crisis/Tanglewood double cart, are due to release this fall. I ordered via Funstock since I ran into the same issue on Amazon- plus, getting the All-In bundle gets you a free case, and I'm big on cases for portables. *The Technos cart was a later announcement for the launch lineup, so it's not part of the Funstock All-In bundle. If you add it to that preorder though, they knock 5 bucks off the cart.

It's worth noting that the person doing the selling may not be knowledgeable enough to troubleshoot even a basic issue & conclude the unit's busted when it's not. I once gave a friend a Dreamcast I found cheap at a thrift store. She called me later to say it wasn't working. I came over- she didn't have the power cord all the way in. Heck, I just sold an SNES here a few weeks ago with a 'dead' AC adapter. Didn't work on the one for sale, didn't work on my deck, put it in the box when I sold it anyway... buyer said it's fine. I have no idea what happened there- maybe the mailman jostled a loose connection back together. Worked out great for my buyer! I've seen plenty of youtube videos of guys buying lots of broken consoles, and discovering the only issue on many of them was dirty connectors. If you have the means, it can be worth your time. Plus, if you have the means it's probably something you enjoy doing, so the chance to tinker could be worth the cost by itself.

The obvious choice from the big 3 is Microsoft. They've re-engineered Xbox over this current generation so that it's no longer intrinsically tied to a console box. Pretty much every Xbox game can be played via PC thanks to the Play Anywhere program. They've gotten chummy with Nintendo so some of their biggest digital indies are making the jump to the switch (Cuphead & Ori come to mind.) Even their controllers are easily mapped to PC & mobile devices for many services. Basically, if sales of dedicated Xbox machines don't meet expectations, it's easy for Microsoft to finish converting the Xbox brand into a service. It's pretty much just re-branding Windows Gaming into Xbox, everything else is pretty much already in place. Of course, sales will have to be pretty abysmal for this to happen- this setup they've got going actually takes the edge off needing strong console sales to build an install base. They've got access to PC players, mobile players, even dedicated Nintendo fanboys are now within reach- offering standalone consoles seems to be three things: a way to reach those who don't/won't game on any of the above, a buy for those who just like having powerful tech toys, and a giant middle finger to Sony (the one install base they're cut off from). The 10th generation is going to be interesting, becuase based on current info, the only one still playing the ol' console war game is Sony. Nintendo's been doing Nintendo for years, and Microsoft's put down roots in so many places they can pick & choose what's working for them. It's not a race anymore- it's a 3 ring circus.

I have less space to work in, so this is my way of dealing with it: what am I going to do with this system right now? Keeping a backup is all well & good, but who's to say your backup won't also break down when you need it anyway? Or that by the time you do need a backup, they'll be some awesome new things on the market you'll want instead. Think stuff like the Analogue systems, or some cool mod that would warrant letting someone do a repair & mod job on your console. If the only reason to keep a system is 'I might need it later', it's not enough. My biggest 'doubles' collection is the 4 GBAs, which I keep as controllers for the Gamecube. The stupidest reason I keep a double around is in the 2 GBCs. One is mine from when I was a kid, the other's my fiancé's from when he was a kid. The reason there is Sentimental Attachment. Which is fine- it's not like the Gameboys are taking up much room. I don't actually really have much in the way of doubles at all, and it's all handheld related.

It seems to clearly be folks just doing keyword searches & replying to anything they find with the thing they're looking for, regardless of age. While a PM would be the polite solution- why would these people bother? They don't intend to contribute to the forum, they don't care if they're reviving irrelevant topics- they want to buy a thing & leave. I'm also thinking at this point they're resellers, considering the last necrobump was for an Odyssey Voice... which went for sale proper a couple days later at a fair price, and remains unsold (I know cuz I'm keeping tabs on it while trying to sort out my finances). If they guy really wanted one, you'd think he would've been back- I'm inclined to believe he only wanted for last decade's going rate so he could turn a profit.

None of the companies with carts are the ones who make the unit- it's all licensed fare. I'm not 100% sure on this, as my google-fu is weak, but: If you look at photos of the back of the thing, it's marked for 'Blaze Entertainment'. Looking up that name brings up a British business listing stating they used to be 'Xploder Limited', who made cheat devices (think a Game Shark for your PS4). Looks like some guys in the dying grey market of cheat devices are opting to go a lil' more legit. I did my preorder though Funstock (seems to be the main distributor). I bought the all-in edition, which is the first 9 announced carts, the system, a case, & a coin (new addition there). You can get the Technos cart at a discount if you order it at the same time as the all-in edition... so basically, I've got everything in the launch lineup for about $225 shipped. The low pricing is a big part of why I decided to buy it- the good reviews are a factor of course, and I like that it's supporting new retro studios like Mega Cat (interesting angle there), but finding out how cheap it could be had for was the deciding point. Shame it got delayed to May.

Looking at this guy's account, he joined in January & the only posts he's put up are ones looking to buy old VR headsets. I think we are at the point of needing to limit new account's access to sales forums... like, you can't post/reply for 60-90 days after joining without Mod clearance. I have no idea if that's something we can set up or not.

I appreciate it, but I try not to 'hold' things- I try to allot for life stuff getting in the way (which did happen this week!)

Argh! Payday is TOMORROW! Quick, take this down for a day, would ya? ( I kid, I kid! If it's unclaimed I'll be back!)

Yep! Not so much by the time we had the Genesis, but fairly often on the NES. Mom was the Tetris champion of the house. What I remember most was getting the NES Christmas Day & everyone playing Mario. Mom was the first one to get to Bowser's castle & half-panicking through all the fireballs. She managed to finish the stage, and we were celebrating- Mom beat the game! Then Toad informed us the princess was in another castle. We found out the next day there were EIGHT stages! Our lil' minds were blown at the scope of that game. Ah, youth...

I like the Vita as an answer- it's a solid system that feels good to just hold & mess around with- but still has some incredible gems on it when you want to get serious. Great screen clarity & battery life, cross play, even import support- you have no idea how surprised I was when I plugged in my Japanese Orgarhythm cart & the game ran in English! And somehow, not only did it never catch on, it feels like stores dumped it before it had a chance. Like, I never saw a Tearaway demo in a store because the kiosks were already gone. Only 1 other person in my circle's even got one. It's like... you make this wonderful handheld, & immediately drop it when the launch lineup doesn't catch the world on fire. Who does that?! As a second, I'm gonna say the Atari Lynx (I think handhelds in general are underrated.) I got mine almost on a whim- after all, public consensus says it's bulky & has terrible games. But when it came, I was surprised. It's not hard to hold despite the size. The ability to turn the system is a fun gimmick. And while the bad games are quite bad, the good games are, in fact, pretty darn good! I spent more time with it than expected- not to mention it's graphically impressive for its era. It's definitely got a worse rep than it deserves.

So, I logged out (on my phone)- marketplace still visible. Furthermore, I popped over to Google & searched "odyssey 2 voice for sale"- and it specifically brought up a list of links from the sales forum (see attached image). I don't know if that's google tailoring hits to my usage, but clearly the search bots have the data.

The cracks are mostly through the clear front piece (with the UMD logo)- although on one side it goes through the clear front into the white along the edge. The back is fine, although very heavily scuffed. I thought about harvesting the case from a family guy UMD my system came with, but then it would have the wrong symbol.