Young collectors?

[Austin]

I just posted this over at NintendoAge, but figured this might make for decent discussion here--

 

Earlier today I hit up the 'ole used books/movies/and more store today. As of about two years ago, they began carrying used videogames, and I've been hitting them up on at least a monthly basis since. Generally when I go there, I walk out with stuff, but I rarely see anyone else there. At least not collector-wise, anyway (someone might come in and be like, "awww snap look at that sonic jonx yo!", but we all know those don't count).

 

However, today, while at the counter checking out, a kid came in and asked a clerk if he could buy a NES game. And not just any old NES game--Contra. Fucking CONTRA. I said to the checkout clerk, "Damn!? Starting young these days, I see." He was like, "Well, at least he's starting with the good stuff!" I just smiled--agreeing wholeheartedly--and nodded. But seriously--this kid couldn't have been more than 12 years old. Where (and how) the hell are they finding out about this stuff? It's awesome, but sheesh--I never would have thought kids this young would be into this stuff. This kid was ADAMANT about it, too. He was like, "Hey, I want that right there--Contra. Thanks."

 

How are these kids finding out about this stuff? I mean, don't get me wrong--I was about 14 when I started re-discovering retro games in the '90s. However, even at that age, I had still at least grown up with the retro stuff (for me, my parents had an Atari VCS/2600 when I popped out of the womb, and that was my first experience with videogames).

 

Discuss!

[MagitekAngel]

Many AA'ers are parents, and a few probably have grandkids. They have undoubtedly passed down a healthy appreciation for the classics. Maybe the kid you saw has a parent that posts here regularly!

[Austin]

Many AA'ers are parents, and a few probably have grandkids. They have undoubtedly passed down a healthy appreciation for the classics. Maybe the kid you saw has a parent that posts here regularly!

 

 

I was actually contemplating that the kid might actually post on NintendoAge, haha. It would be funny to get a response like, "Yeah, that was me. This game is awwwweeesssoooomeee!!"

[atarilovesyou]

I have no idea to explain how, or why, but it's great that some kids out there are tracking down the good ol' games! I think in a way it's like rediscovering Led Zeppelin...it was good then, it's good now and it'll be good in the future...until you get sick of it, and then move onto another band (or maybe Jackal).

 

I grew up in the 80s with video games, but not in abundance: games were always scarce, and we were still too young to go to shady arcades to get our fix. By the time Nintendo came out, I was already a gaming junkie.

 

Maybe it's all those videos on youtube, with the play-throughs and stuff. I'd like to think that kids are turning to games of the past because there's something they're not getting from today's games. Which is completely believable in a music context, so I don't see why it would be any different for video games.

[Spoon]

Many AA'ers are parents, and a few probably have grandkids. They have undoubtedly passed down a healthy appreciation for the classics.

 

Yep, that's how it is with me. My oldest boy is 12, and I started him off on the Atari 2600. He likes the modern stuff more as that's what all his friends gravitate towards, but he definitely likes playing the older stuff with his old man. Plus we don't live very far from Funspot, so he's spent plenty of time with the classic arcade games, too.

 

Ironically, Contra is one of his favorite games. For the most part, a good game back then is still a good game today.

[Rex Dart]

I'd like to think that kids are turning to games of the past because there's something they're not getting from today's games. Which is completely believable in a music context, so I don't see why it would be any different for video games.

 

Makes sense to me. Especially when new games can cost $60, who wouldn't pick up Contra for 12?

[SlowCoder]

Retro-kids are pretty few and far between, but they exist. I recently gave a N64 (I know, not truly retro) to a friend's kid with a small pack of games. Every time I go there he tells me how far he's gotten in Mario. He's got a Wii, PS2 and 3DS.

 

I'd like to think that kids are turning to games of the past because there's something they're not getting from today's games.

How about simplicity? Just being able to turn it on and play for a few minutes, and still getting the satisfaction of beating something without the let-down of not being able to actually move forward in a game. How about the bootup time? I let my son play in 30 minute increments. That 30 minutes includes the bootup time for the PS3 and the game, so he loses about 2-3 minutes just for that. There are a lot of benefits to retro games over the new stuff.

[SoulBlazer]

Retro-kids are pretty few and far between, but they exist. I recently gave a N64 (I know, not truly retro) to a friend's kid with a small pack of games. Every time I go there he tells me how far he's gotten in Mario. He's got a Wii, PS2 and 3DS.

 

I'd like to think that kids are turning to games of the past because there's something they're not getting from today's games.

How about simplicity? Just being able to turn it on and play for a few minutes, and still getting the satisfaction of beating something without the let-down of not being able to actually move forward in a game. How about the bootup time? I let my son play in 30 minute increments. That 30 minutes includes the bootup time for the PS3 and the game, so he loses about 2-3 minutes just for that. There are a lot of benefits to retro games over the new stuff.

 

Wow, only 30 minutes a day? I'm glad I didn't have YOU as a parent.

 

Back when I was a kid (Middle/High School) was the late 80's to early 90's so the NES and SNES were my systems of choice. My parents never really set a limit on me playing, but they were more tolerant of it on the weekends or days off school. In return, I knew not to do anymore then about 3-4 hours at a time. I also had to keep my grades, do my homework and chores first, and not let videogaming be the only fun activity I was doing. In return for that, my Mom would let me get any game I wanted from the video store she managed at a time and they would buy me new games for the holidays.

 

Nowdays, with longer games, if I had a young kid, I'd make allowances for the fact that a good game like Mass Effect requires about 50-70 hours to beat and go from there.

 

Back on topic -- I suspect that he either had a parent who was into older games or discovered it on emulation. He probaly also had a old NES handed down to him and went online looking for good games for it. And I agree -- while some games have not aged well over the years (Final Fantasy 7 is a poster child for this!), rule of thumb is a game good 20 years ago is still good today.

Edited May 28, 2012 by SoulBlazer

[SlowCoder]

Wow, only 30 minutes a day? I'm glad I didn't have YOU as a parent.

Increments, man. INCREMENTS! Not 30 minutes a day. What the hell would all my systems do if they only got 30 minutes of play a day? They'd , that's what.

 

On the weekends, the kids usually get at least a couple hours of game play in a day. I just break it out into 30 minute sessions so they'll get off their butts and do other things like playing outside or getting creative by drawing or reading. That way they don't grow up .

[SoulBlazer]

Wow, only 30 minutes a day? I'm glad I didn't have YOU as a parent.

Increments, man. INCREMENTS! Not 30 minutes a day. What the hell would all my systems do if they only got 30 minutes of play a day? They'd , that's what.

 

On the weekends, the kids usually get at least a couple hours of game play in a day. I just break it out into 30 minute sessions so they'll get off their butts and do other things like playing outside or getting creative by drawing or reading. That way they don't grow up .

 

Ah, I gotcha. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Yeah, they do still say you should take a 10-15 min break each hour of game play, which I end up doing anyway cause of going to the computer, using the bathroom, etc.

[SlowCoder]

Yeah, they do still say you should take a 10-15 min break each hour of game play, which I end up doing anyway cause of going to the computer, using the bathroom, etc.

So you can't go more than an hour between pr0n fixes, eh?

[IntellivisionDude]

I also think Youtube does have a lot to do with it. There are hundreds of young kids who are getting into retro gaming all the time. More everyday. They are influenced by channels like Gamerster81, AVGN, and hundreds of other youtubers. Plenty of young kids sub to me as well.

[FireStar]

The GBA having backwards compatibility with the Gameboy (And gamestop carrying GB games still) was the major factor that got me interested in older games, though stuff on the Internet (I think just wikipedia for me, though) and Early AVGN videos helped too. I think it's only been 3 years since I got my Genesis which started my collecting and I've already amassed a decent collection.

[HatefulGravey]

The kids in my family are exposed to it all the time. I talk about it, they play my games, they see what I look for at the flea market, and they learn. Its like antiques, some people just get into it out of the blue.

 

The comments about YouTube I'm sure are a big part of it as well. It adds a "cool factor" for the kids to have that game AVGN is talking about or who ever they happen to be watching that day.

[the.golden.ax]

My kids are in to it because of me. They are more knowledgeable on classic games than most game store (mom n pop) clerks (gamestop doesn't count, those clerks can often not find their ass with both hands).

[Seob]

My kids must be having a really bad youth. Since the oldest who is now almost 4 years old was 3 and a half when he played his first game on a vtech. Maybe when he is a few years older I let him play more gamew. But for now he is oke playing with his Lego and playing outside.

When he and the youngest one is old enough I think I will be telling them all about the retro games.

[Arkhan]

I attribute it to the internet.

 

I'm not exactly old (24), and I collect a TON of stuff, mostly from before I flew out of my mom.

 

but, theres this wave of middleschool/highschoolers (12-16) year range that are suddenly like HRHRHRHRHRH RETRO GAMES.

 

Alot of them are pretty dense, some are pretty legit.

 

Its the internet. There's a ton of webcomics/spoofs on youtube that all feature old game stuff, often made by people in their late 20s/early 30s.

 

These kids see the stuff online, laugh at it, and then get curious.

 

They google it, find NES emulators that run in browsers...

 

and then start buying the crap.

 

 

What doesn't help is stores like Best Buy/FYE/Hot Topic all carry old-school video game stuff all the sudden.

 

You'll see NES tshirts, Yoshi stickers, and all kinds of stuff you'd have expected to see in 1989-1992.

 

Not in 2012.

 

 

 

What then happens is, the kids buy it, completely ignorant to what they're even wearing...

 

and eventually, that curiosity kicks in again and they de-retard themselves.

 

 

Or, they stay full-retard. It depends on the kid.

Edited May 30, 2012 by Arkhan

[HatefulGravey]

Maybe it is just the hipster thing that is going around. It makes everything old super cool again and people will get it just because they can put it on the shelf and get hipster points from their friends. I have seen more and more "art" from classic games lately and its starting to upset me. Ruining perfectly good games to make a chair out of NES games or something dumb like that. Damn hipsters man.

[Arkhan]

Best anti-hipster tactic:

 

 

challenge them to actually play a game.

 

Most of them quickly stop with the "whoaaa bro lets play some Super DUCK HUNT maaaan" shit as soon as you pound their skull into the pavement in a game of Skate or Die or get farther than the first pitfall in a Mega Man 3 stage.

 

^^^ true story by me.

[HatefulGravey]

I do worry that most of the games that show up in the local thrift stores are going to these hipsters. I'm sure they are not playing them and as far as I'm concerned that means they are being wasted. Worst yet I'm pretty sure when this hipster fad passes those games are pretty likely to end up in the trash somewhere.

[NinjaWarrior]

They might not be young collectors kids just to play the game

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

Honestly, I started noticing on youtube several young collectors and yeah, the majority are just "Hipsters" or looking for attention or just trying to fit in with a certain crowd. It is usually pretty easy to spot the one's who are truly into it and give a damn compared to the one's faking it. I find it funny seeing some 12 year old with his shaky video loading E.T. for 2600 screaming and shouting how it "Sucks and was the only reason for the videogame crash" blah blah blah, yeah just another kid who read that for the millionth time and decided to get in on the fun. But occasionally I have the pleasant surprise of stumbling on a young collector that not only has done their research, not only makes a decent attempt to make a well produced and well thought out video but you can tell that the enthusiasm and interest is REAL, sometimes the mention something that even I did not know which is pretty incredible considering I loved through it and have followed it for years! Good for them, you can tell in some cases they are even picked on or laughed at by schoolmates or "friends" and yet they love it and they stick with it regardless of what others say, always does my heart good to see this as it reminds me of myself at that age.

Edited May 30, 2012 by OldSchoolRetroGamer

[Hatta]

What makes me sad is that for several years my GF's daughter would come to stay with us for a week or so twice a year. From ages 6 to 9, we always enjoyed playing The Oregon Trail. She turns ten, and all of a sudden she tells me, "I don't like that game, it doesn't have good graphics". Haven't been able to get her to play anything but Toontown since. Just sad.

[IntellivisionDude]

I love this kids videos. He is my favorite young collector that i am subscribed to. He appreciates everything he gets and shows a huge passion for retro collecting.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibyt7uA3Fqo

[mister_pal]

I remember I got into this at the at the ripe age of 12/13 because my mother inadvertently bought me an issue from the first volume of Retro Gamer.

Edited June 2, 2012 by mister_pal