The Rules of Video Game Collecting

[+Ransom]

Good list, DaytonaUSA. Especially...

 

10. All game systems must be hooked up. If it's not hooked up, it won't be played.

 

Thanks for contributing!

 

Was that sarcasm? If so, and if someone already said that, I'm sorry >_>.

 

Nope, no sarcasm. Just appreciation from a like-minded enthusiast.

[DaytonaUSA]

Good list, DaytonaUSA. Especially...

 

10. All game systems must be hooked up. If it's not hooked up, it won't be played.

 

Thanks for contributing!

 

Was that sarcasm? If so, and if someone already said that, I'm sorry >_>.

 

Nope, no sarcasm. Just appreciation from a like-minded enthusiast.

 

Whew, thanks man . It's so hard sometimes to tell when someone's being sarcastic or not in text, so I figured I'd ask . Great idea for a thread btw

 

As a side note, I really think a modern system should be made that uses Saturn type disk cases. I don't care what the system can produce as far as graphics, I'd buy it in a heart beat. haha

Edited March 28, 2009 by DaytonaUSA

[Ryanw]

Right now my rules are NES only, game I can afford that I don't have yet, and carts only

[grandcross]

One little 500GB WD Passport. Sweet. Everything right there. The lady doesn't get pissed, you don't waste money on storage, you don't get bogged down in the physical world. You always have a backup. Your collection is safe. You can transcend yourself to a higher plane of ecclesiastical experiences.. the list of advantages rolls on!

 

I know that I will be able to play arcade gyruss at a moment's notice and not have to worry about relying on a cranky arcade unit with a misaligned crt that has burn-in and weak caps. Or a sticky joystick or rotting pressboard. Or loosely socket chips that make intermittent contact. Emulation is the way to go. Besides where would I house all this trash anyways?

 

I ain't trying to be batty or strange or anything, just offering a unique and different way of seeing things, that's all.

 

I really can't fault the logic here as it really seems to work for some people, but this is not the case for me.

 

I honestly think Keatah is trolling by mentioning emulation in a video game collecting thread. He really makes it sound like it's something to be proud of as well, as though it were an obviously superior choice in comparison to being a collector. You do realize that by admitting you use emulation, you're using roms, right? Isn't that...I don't know, illegal? You may be saving money or space by using emulation/roms, but using stolen things is something I'd never be proud of.

 

And really. "You can transcend yourself to a higher plane of ecclesiastical experiences.." Who are you trying to kid? What's there to get ecstatic about with an artificial experience? If that's enough to satisfy you, that's fine, but you're really pushing something that in my opinion pales in comparison to the real thing.

[Mirage]

I can actually understand the route of doing only emulation, in a way. Less physical stuff to worry about, obviously less space required, and you can have everything for little to no cost. As long as you don't care about accuracy in all the various ways that emulation inherently falls short. However, Keatah's other posts and "opinions" that are clearly based in sheer ignorance of the subject matter he chooses, combined with the fact that his first posts here were focused on telling everyone how incredibly intelligent he is (or thinks he is), make me think he's not really a troll so much as just someone messing around... well, maybe that's a troll. A very odd troll, at any rate.

 

But, the all-emulation route does have some merit. Got to give him that.

[+Ransom]

And one can't disregard the "emulation is forever" argument. Some day, there won't be any way to make the consoles work -- both on their own, and on some sort of display device that can handle them.

 

Hopefully that day will be well beyond my time, though.

 

But if it's not, I'll certainly be using emulators. And I'll legally own the games, so I won't feel bad about it.

[Artlover]

You do realize that by admitting you use emulation, you're using roms, right? Isn't that...I don't know, illegal? You may be saving money or space by using emulation/roms, but using stolen things is something I'd never be proud of.

Is it not possible to say emulation around here without this crap?

 

1: This very site hosts roms

2: Many people on these forums use emulation

3: Legality is, at best/worse, a gray area

 

[Atariman]

1: This very site hosts roms

2: Many people on these forums use emulation

3: Legality is, at best/worse, a gray area

 

 

Erm... I think the "legality" is pretty well spelled out. If you don't own the original, you shouldn't own the ROM. It's not whether or not it's illegal, it's the likelihood of being prosecuted.

[SnapCraft]

So, here are my rules. What are yours?

 

1. I will only buy the games that I truly enjoy playing.

2. I will only buy games that are complete in box.

 

Humm..."complete in box" really limits yourself. Haven't you guys noticed this? Intellivision and Vectrex are easy to collect "in box" because the box itself was a storage device. Colecovision, Atari 2600, and NES--not so. I remember trying not to destroy the Colecovision boxes when I got the games new because I new I'd want to keep them for later. I went through the trouble of dismantling the top and bottom so I could store them flat (why keep the cart in the ripped open box? The rip made them ugly.)

 

Your limiting yourself with rule #2. I kept that rule for Intelli and Vectrex, but I've modded it for Coleco. Rule #2 (Coleco): Game must be complete with overlays and instructions (ie. Mousetrap).

 

But I understand--the collection needs to be perfect.

[+Ransom]

Humm..."complete in box" really limits yourself. Haven't you guys noticed this? Intellivision and Vectrex are easy to collect "in box" because the box itself was a storage device. Colecovision, Atari 2600, and NES--not so. I remember trying not to destroy the Colecovision boxes when I got the games new because I new I'd want to keep them for later. I went through the trouble of dismantling the top and bottom so I could store them flat (why keep the cart in the ripped open box? The rip made them ugly.)

 

Your limiting yourself with rule #2. I kept that rule for Intelli and Vectrex, but I've modded it for Coleco. Rule #2 (Coleco): Game must be complete with overlays and instructions (ie. Mousetrap).

 

But I understand--the collection needs to be perfect.

 

Well, so far I haven't had any trouble getting what I want CIB for the systems I have (see my signature). But I haven't started on Coleco yet, so we'll see how that goes. Fortunately, I have some of those Atari vinyl binders that fit both 2600 and Coleco carts, if it comes to that. But I hope not!

[cubejunky]

Jee... I don't really have rules, I just buy what ever makes me feel good. So if having a box makes me feel good I do it but if I don't care I will just get the cart. I'd say about 70% of my carts do not have boxes. Yet all my CD games have original cases and manuals except most of my Saturn games that's only because when I bought the system he gave me a bunch of games w/o cases, anyones I bought beyond those have cases.

 

 

Actually I do have one rule when it comes to systems the must have all original parts with them and in good shape, I don't want cracks, major scratches, missing pieces, I actually don't mind if they are dirty but I can clean that. I actually enjoy cleaning a dirty console I love the before and after effect you get.

[Crazy Climber]

Rules of video game collecting...

Keep them away from light

Keep them away from water

and never feed them after midnight....

Edited April 17, 2009 by Crazy Climber

[darthkur]

Rules of video game collecting...

Keep them away from light

Keep them away from water

and never feed them after midnight....

 

[zeropolis79]

My rules for my collecting

 

1) Anything I get has to be at a resonable price. The most I've paid for a second hand system is £40 for an Amiga 600 but that came with a ton of games on top of everything else and it also included postage (I brought it from someone on LemonAmiga). The highest though, is £60 plus p&p for a Megadrive with MegaCD and Master System adaptor plus tons of games.

 

2) Games I buy for any of the systems I have have to be in reasonable condition and at a fair price. Over my local car boot sale last week, I picked up 6 games for hte Megadrive and Master System for £5.

 

3) For consoles, genuine games only. when it comes to the Amiga and ST, I don't mind pirate games because in some cases, that is the best way to get certain game. For instance, I've never seen a geuine copy of Escape from Colditz and that is one of my favourite games on the Amgia.

 

4) Packaging is not important, because most of the time, it'll just get filed away where it will gather dust. A few older games with good packaging will be dismantled and either thrown away or cut up to stick in scrapbooks or something like that.

[Rik]

Rules were meant to be BROKEN On a serious note,i have only 1 rule,NO sealed games!!!!!!!!I have a very economy sensitive job,cant afford nice sealed games anymore.For me,food and bills take the priority now.

Edited April 18, 2009 by Rik

[Crazy Climber]

First rule of video game collecting....NEVER talk about video game collecting

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

First rule of video game collecting....NEVER talk about video game collecting

 

Second rule of video collecting..........NEVER talk about video game collecting

[Nukey Shay]

Erm... I think the "legality" is pretty well spelled out. If you don't own the original, you shouldn't own the ROM.

Actually, that also is irrelevant (except where the copyright holder specifically states that it's OK). Any type of redistribution is a potential copyright violation...whether it's a dump of a rom chip, a cassette recording of a record, digital transcription of a novel, etc. "Backups for personal use" has and probably always will be a tolerated practice.

 

 

It's not whether or not it's illegal, it's the likelihood of being prosecuted.

...and that is why the latter doesn't happen unless it involves party-to-party redistribution (moreso if cash money is involved as well). Potential loss of sales to other interested parties. This blanket can also cover computer programs not sold with the permission of being networked into multiple systems, for example.

 

 

What constitutes "copyright violation" will always be a grey area, because they can rewrite the rules at any time. The only time it doesn't apply is with the original product itself - in it's original unaltered form.

[ilovethevectrex]

THERE ARE RULES?!?! ha jk i love spending my time organizing my collection