How do you plan for the long long long term?

[Keatah]

How do you plan for the long long long term? By this I mean various things.

 

How do you plan to keep experiencing your prized vidyagamez and computers in, say, 20 or 30 years from now? What special things are you doing with your hardware to ensure it'll be around then? Are you counting on emulation to pick it up if that hardware dies off?

 

How do you plan on gaming and computing when you're old and decrepit in the nursing home? Will you be yelling about the showers? Will you have even remembered what a classic computer is?

 

Personally I'm going the emulation route as most of you already know. Recently I've been thinking about the vintage manuals more and more. They do capture a lot of nostalgia, and aside from free original hardware or cheap emulation, they're a pretty good value. They "talk" to you now the same way they talked to you back in the day. Identically. And it's great amusement and comfort to read them on a rainy nor'easter evening, for example..

 

I'm beginning to see manuals are essential companions to emulation and the vintage experience. Whether they be in scans or in print, they'll bring back a whole different side of nostalgia. Especially if you've read them or used them as a kid.

 

They're neat because, while they degrade with time, I think they'll do so at a much slower rate than any hardware. Not to mention they're so much simpler. Naturally. And it'll be easy for your caretakers to bring you a stack of books to read and a laptop for emulation. Far easier than hauling in original hardware and trying to set it up in a community bed when you can't even roll over. Ghastly? Some of us may be there in 20 or 30 years.

 

Or maybe we'll have forgotten all the genuine classic stuff, and settle for some LCD games given away at Thursday night Bingo..

[CaptainBreakout]

Yow! Heavy. Still, good topic since I like to joke that the ultimate purpose of my emulation machine is for the nursing home.

 

Well, I know I'm kinda new to actually vocalizing my opinion here at AtariAge. I've been reading this place for years tho, and now know it's my community so I'm owning it. Also I'm 40 today. So I can do what I want. Snap.

 

I'm a mix. First I was strictly restored hardware, than emulation, which then became vintage. The emulators and systems I made were around long enough to become vintage themselves. Heh.

 

Still use them. I have an operational GUS, Roland, Voodoo... Much more. You can play Vampire Saviour, Descent, Acid Tetris... Untold thousands of things in my gameroom mostly on 'the legacy', which is emulation based, but still using real arcade hardware and VESA tweaking TSRs to achieve something like what I'd like to this is a perfect way to run the game. All scripts I wrote behind the menu system.

On the other hand, I love actual hardware too.

I've worked for video game companies and also video production companies. Learned a bit, but in the end I settled for a second hand Trinitron for my main display. I read somewhere that the only true way to experience atari is with the electro-magnetic interference patterns that lull you to sleep. I loved that observation. So my TV has that.

I even built a modded 2600 with... What was it... S-video? Component? Whatever... i don't use it. That's what emulation is for. I go there too, but there's got to be a dividing line.

 

So yeah. I have emulation, and I have vintage hardware too. And the main thing is functionality and what kind of experience the player wants.

 

If a player wants to pick something from a huge list with music and fanfare... Emulation on the arcade cabinet. If holding a real cart and reading a real manual with a real controller is more appropriate, the the Trinitron and console cabinit is ready to go.

 

That cuts down a lot of space.

 

A console with some carts and controllers. Easy.

 

A computer with disk drives keyboard, peripherals, modifications to make it into easy to run entertainment rather than the family computer... Hard.

 

I split the difference. Keep them indoors. Easy to use stuff is all hooked up with a video switch and a cart rack. Hard stuff (computers) is all in an emulation case that looks and functions like an arcade game.

 

All of it needs to be indoors where no mice and elements can get to it. Should go without saying, but these days all our precious electronics end up there the moment someone in charge decides they are uninteresting.

 

So yeah. Thanks for the ramble. For me in short... Emulation when necessary, real hardware when manageable and fun to experience (mainly as long as it's in no way tedious).

Edited March 14, 2018 by CaptainBreakout

[Flojomojo]

Treat your stuff the same way you treat your body. Don't smoke. Stay out of the sun. Move don't sit. Use it or lose it.

[ubersaurus]

I've got a few CRTs around and a framemeister, so I'm *too* concerned about not being able to play old hardware readily in the years to come. I'm also working to keep my hardware working properly - repairs where needed, recapping when necessary, etc. when custom ICs start burning out and are too difficult to replace, that could be a problem, but in the meantime I'll keep doing what I'm doing. And I try to keep heat management in mind for systems like the Astrocade - which I only will run with a laptop cooler running underneath it - or the c64, wherein I've attached heat sinks to their custom ICs that get hot. Finally, I'm opting away from magnetic media in most cases for old computers by getting flash solutions, such as the CFFA and the Ultimate 1541. I haven't done such a thing for the Famicom Disk System yet, but I'm sure I will at some point.

 

My long term will probably involve donating this stuff to a museum or archive. It's possible I'll have offspring or friends that want some of it, but if not I'm sure I can find someplace to take it. If I'm old and in a nursing home, I'm sure whatever equivalent to the NES Classic exists in 40-50 years will be just fine for me.

[Flojomojo]

P.S. There is no "long long long term," it's later than you think, and you can't take it with you.

[Recycled]

Yep. To tell you the truth, I'm just going with the flow. I'm 49.....I'm HOPING to be lucky enough to be around for 30 or 40 more years. I'm sure if I want to play video games in the future, there will be something I can use that will work. I'm not a collector, so archiving isn't really an issue for me. That's my plan for the long term.

[Silverfleet]

I always envision myself as an old man sitting in my mansion's "library", smoking a pipe and having a scotch, sitting in a high back winged chair, and selecting Castlevania off the shelf to play.

 

At age 36, I'm firmly in the "collection maintenance" phase, and now I'm going back and enjoying some of the games I missed out on or bought and never played. I suspect that will be the case from here on out. Emulation definitely has a place in this for sure. Recently, I modded my PSP 2000 and started playing the SNES classic Secret of Mana on there. It's one of those games I've started and never completed. Hopefully this time around I will get through it.

[Trinity]

If I can get a Classic Nes Edition for msrp this summer, I'll call it a day...

[icemanxp300]

I don't.

[godslabrat]

A lot of this, and I mean 99% of it, is going to involve how much my daughter (now 4) ends up enjoying the hobby, and how much her tastes run parallel to mine. If she really gets into it, I will gradually parcel out what I have to her, so that it will ultimately be her collection and I’ll just be borrowing it. If she’s not into it (a very real possibility) then I will probably continue the trend of upgrading my tech to make playing more convenient... not really to the point of pure emulation, but into HDMI clones, flashcarts, and console compilation packs.

[Flojomojo]

My daughter (now 10) likes games, just not the old-fart games that I liked at her age.

 

A person could do worse than to embrace change and try new things.

 

Here's what we're playing: https://wormate.io... basically Surround or Snake in a multiplayer online arena. Works in a browser and also on mobile, play casually or create a persistent login to track your score and stuff.

 

[Tanooki]

I'll do what I can depending where the interest lies. Planning that far down the road into uncharted territory on how long old carts and their consoles, not to mention plastic discs and those drive motors and lasers, seems pointless as they never were meant to last forever. I take it as it comes, do an upgrade or a change as needed to keep things going I care to keep going. Gamecube I got that HDMI adapter out of the digital port, odds are it will (console) fail before HDMI plugs go away like RCA is going now. Other stuff, who's to really say. OSSC will get outdated by I'm sure something nicer, stuff that can still harness the old wiring. When the wall approaches, hit it then, go another route, or bail.

[Pixelboy]

I like to picture myself in a couple of decades playing all the RPGs I (somewhat voluntarily) missed out on during the 8-bit/16-bit days. I recall finishing the very first Final Fantasy on NES, but I never got around to playing the others in that series for any length of time. Same goes for Phantasy Star. Never played the likes of Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, etc. even though I know they're all excellent games.

 

I'm keeping all those RPGs for when my reflexes will no longer allow me to play the action-oriented platformers, shooters, etc. which I can still play today. Not sure on what medium I'll play those RPGs when I reach that point, but it will probably be emulation, assuming there will be Super-NES, Genesis, etc. emulators available on the future home computers of the 2030s and 2040s.

 

I do wonder whether nursing homes will allow the installation of video games in any capacity. Electronics can get stolen in a heartbeat in such places, much like in hospitals where they don't recommend bringing any electronics or jewelry because of the constant possibility of theft. The best option for nursing homes will probably be something like a virtual console service built into the TVs, so all you'll need to do is access a dedicated TV channel, and use a cheap wireless controller to select and play whatever "old" game you want. If it does turn out this way, I just hope the Final Fantasies, Chrono Trigger, etc. will be on the list of available games.

[Keatah]

Or maybe one of those compute-sticks or bolt-on VESA-mount boxes.. I'm sure they'll be selling them out of vending machines for $5.00 in the near future. And they will outperform even the most honk'n desktop.

[Silverfleet]

I like to picture myself in a couple of decades playing all the RPGs I (somewhat voluntarily) missed out on during the 8-bit/16-bit days. I recall finishing the very first Final Fantasy on NES, but I never got around to playing the others in that series for any length of time. Same goes for Phantasy Star. Never played the likes of Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, etc. even though I know they're all excellent games.

 

I'm keeping all those RPGs for when my reflexes will no longer allow me to play the action-oriented platformers, shooters, etc. which I can still play today. Not sure on what medium I'll play those RPGs when I reach that point, but it will probably be emulation, assuming there will be Super-NES, Genesis, etc. emulators available on the future home computers of the 2030s and 2040s.

 

I do wonder whether nursing homes will allow the installation of video games in any capacity. Electronics can get stolen in a heartbeat in such places, much like in hospitals where they don't recommend bringing any electronics or jewelry because of the constant possibility of theft. The best option for nursing homes will probably be something like a virtual console service built into the TVs, so all you'll need to do is access a dedicated TV channel, and use a cheap wireless controller to select and play whatever "old" game you want. If it does turn out this way, I just hope the Final Fantasies, Chrono Trigger, etc. will be on the list of available games.

 

This right here. I have a HUGE backlog of RPG's from the PS1 era-up that need to go through. Hopefully those discs don't succumb to disc rot by then!

[+davidcalgary29]

By living in a place that has a climate like Mars. Done!

[Pixelboy]

This right here. I have a HUGE backlog of RPG's from the PS1 era-up that need to go through. Hopefully those discs don't succumb to disc rot by then!

I'd be more concerned about the consoles than the discs, if I were you. Will you even be able to connect them to the future TVs with HDMI-7.5x as standard?

[Inky]

I've already decided that all of my crash-era videogames and computers (Exception of my ADAM) will be donated to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry

[Flojomojo]

This right here. I have a HUGE backlog of RPG's from the PS1 era-up that need to go through. Hopefully those discs don't succumb to disc rot by then!

 

I'd be more concerned about the consoles than the discs, if I were you. Will you even be able to connect them to the future TVs with HDMI-7.5x as standard?

 

 

This is where Playstation 3 shines! Backwards compatibility is the best. And if not, PS1 is easily emulated.

[NE146]

The only thing "planned" long term for me is consistent investment into a diversified mix of index funds over the next 30 years

 

For games, I just play them! Sometimes I haven't touched a game in decades/years and then I think about it and it becomes a hunt to find it in my house.

Edited March 14, 2018 by NE146

[Silverfleet]

 

 

 

This is where Playstation 3 shines! Backwards compatibility is the best. And if not, PS1 is easily emulated.

 

I haven't had a real PS1 hooked up in at least 17 years. Between the PS2 and PS3 being backwards compatible, There just hasn't been a need!

[BydoEmpire]

I don't care, to be honest. I've been selling off bits of my collection over the last 10 years, anyways. I do have a list of "retirement games" that I know I'll never have time to play unless I ever retire. In which case I hope my systems still work (I bought the FF anthologies for PS1 but never played any of them... they're on the list, for example. My original ps1 still worked as of last year). If for whatever reason I can't play through a couple of Final Fantasy games it won't bother me. There are a dozen other things I worry about way more than what happens to my games and whether or not I'll be able to play them in 20-30 years. I don't want to be overly negative. I hope I'm able to spend some retirement time playing some of these games I never got around to.. but if it doesn't happen I won't lose sleep over it. There are other things I'll want to spend time with.

[fiddlepaddle]

Don't worry about it. When a game or system stops working, there are plenty of other games left to play. As long as I am interested, there will be good games available.

 

And the average stay in a nursing home is 2-3 years, mostly physically declining, often mentally declining as well. Sad, but in that environment I'll likely be more challenged by real life than any game; and family and friends should be where my focus goes anyway.

 

And it's more likely some nurse will be choosing which TV channel is placating all us slobbering, drooling, drugged-up zombies.

[Newsdee]

What I'm doing is getting rid of all magnetic media, securing SD or CF card adapters for all the consoles and computers I have. I have transfered all my disks already and have backups on various media.

 

That is also why I'm into open-source FPGA projects. In theory one could achieve a perfect clone with modern components. That would also guarantee longevity of the hardware, keep a similar usage experience, and even lower power draw than the originals as bonus.

[Schizophretard]

I will try to avoid nursing homes because of potential abuse; not of me but from me because I'm likely to be a cranky old bitch that has nothing better to do than harass nurses. Anyway, some things I am doing or planning to do:

 

1. If I get a child raise it to accept retro gaming as their religion. That seems to get most people interested in things for the long term.

 

2. I'm currently moving my wife's and my collections slowly into our new house. We got a three bedroom home just so we both could have our own collection rooms.

 

3. Maintain and add to my CRT collection. I try to have a few big ones with everything up to component video and many small ones all the way down to a 5" color Watchman.

 

4. Get flash carts, A/V mods, etc. for back-ups and to have as much compatibility with my CRT's as possible.

 

5. Not treat my collection as I would as a child but keep everything clean and maintained.

 

6. Get consoles refurbished when necessary.

 

7. Collect console revisions to also serve as back-ups.

 

8. Get some FPGA consoles and maybe get into software emulation.

 

9. Make it clear to trespassers that I value my collection infinitely more than their lives which will end by getting shot off my SKS's bayonet.

 

10. Survive until the Singularity so that I can become Borg.

Edited March 15, 2018 by Schizophretard