Stupid Game Chasers

[Rob]

Here is a photo of a divorced couple dividing their collection in front of a judge because they could not manage it unsupervised.

Hilarious. If people can't even stay together for the Beanie Babies.

[Strider77]

Beanie babies are worthless now...

[Ed Oscuro]

I still don't know how I'm suppose to store movies in 1080p WITH 1 for 1 studio masters (HD audio formats) practically. Sure I could get HHDs but that would take a ridiculous amount of space.

You'll get no argument from me that it's for everybody, but like I said, with a good digital distribution system you wouldn't have to store it.

I get that people are basically still hunter-gatherers, and we like to have some thing we can carry around and identify with the thing, even though a movie is not a disc or film anymore. But for all the modern stuff today, it's really not economical to try to have a collection of everything.

I also suspect that people might feel better about libraries if libraries could do for all digital media what they have traditionally done for books. People like not having to keep every book they'd want to read in their house, so there's a library for that.

Here is a photo of a divorced couple dividing their collection in front of a judge because they could not manage it unsupervised.

Hilarious. If people can't even stay together for the Beanie Babies.

At least they didn't show us the pictures fighting over the dog or the baby

[pestro87]

So it's now socially accepted on here to make fun of people with hobbies that are different from our own? Seriously?

Also, while I personally do "buy games -> play games", it is still just an opinion but there seems to be an undertone in this thread that if you're solely into collecting games, you're not getting as much enjoyment out of a single game as if you buy to play games. This is just an opinion. How do you measure how much enjoyment a collector gets out of a nice VGA graded shelf piece? Perhaps he gets even more enjoyment out of owning that game than person B gets from playing it.

[BryanM]

VGA graded

pwahahahaha

A+ gag post

[Ed Oscuro]

I've been an on-and-off collector of things, and I've been close to many collectors on the 'net. There's nothing wrong with collecting things - but I think it should be part of a balanced life. Maybe this sounds too Catholic or Buddhist, but there it is. It's as simple as not eating all the sweet things, or not watching House reruns all day, every day. That's all I'd ask of people - to not let their hobbies run their lives.

"VGA graded" is another great example of collecting that doesn't make sense. Coins and stamps have well-known, reasonably respectable organizing bodies, standards, and the science of keeping these simple objects is known. The same is true for artwork and even furniture. But games are high technology and the science of preserving technology is not known. A "VGA" stamp has no purpose if it can't provide an assurance of a game's true state and preservation underneath the plastic.

Of course, I could also say that the MS-65 grade for coins has no purpose over using your eyes, but the difference is that there is a group which is understood by the majority of coin collectors to have a standard on which you can reasonably safely bet on what its worth is. It also is no problem to seal up a coin in a way that assures it will remain safe, because a coin is an inert lump of metal with no functions other than to be a representation of some ideals, and a token of commerce, which it can accomplish just as well being sealed up.

I still don't know who the VGA people are. I don't trust them, and even if I did, I trust the idea of sealing up a game even less.

Beyond that, I get that people might enjoy the aesthetics of games but not gameplay itself. However, I think you can enjoy many of those aesthetics without actually hoarding the objects themselves. I don't have to hang a Rembrandt or go pray in a church by Augustus Pugin to enjoy their work, right?

[pestro87]

I definitely agree that any hobby should be practiced in moderation. In reality, this is easier said than done if you have a strong passion for something. I personally find it useful to try and distance myself from things every once in a while, whether it be a score that I'm currently working on or what have you, and then come back to it with fresh new eyes. Just like how you need to take vacation every once in a while. Perhaps the couple above would still be together if they had done that, one can only guess.

I personally don't have a clue what the appeal of collecting VGA graded games is. It all seems like a big scam to me but I'm curious to hear from someone who's into that stuff their perspective on things. I doubt it's for preserving them but I like the coin collector parallel. I'm guessing that it has to do with that they get an acknowledgement that they own something nice from a collector's point of view.

You are right in that you don't need to hoard objects in order to appreciate the aesthetics but it's hard to say exactly what it is that other people may value in things, one can only guess. I suspect that collectors gain satisfaction from watching the collection grow over time and so they build up an attachment to it. I think we can all relate to having an affection for inanimate objects e.g. your fond memories of the TV that you used to play your video games on as a kid. As such, I can relate to the whole gotta-collect-em-all mentality even if it's not for me.

[BIL]

I've always sympathised with collectors of other stripes... we're all a bit nuts to some degree, even the strictly "buy to play" types. Someone on the NeoGeo.com forums likened completing his AES shortlist amidst rocketing prices and widespread counterfeiting to escaping an exploding building. I felt about the same towards the end of my FC and MD chasing. MISSION ALL OVER.

I do inevitably feel an empathetic "god damn dude" for fullset-oriented collectors, though. Saw a guy lamenting the masses of random sports games in his yet-to-be-completed Genesis collection... I know human suffering when I see it. 3: I'm sure there are completionists who do get a rampant woody for CIB Bulls VS Lakers, but I wouldn't imagine them bitterly complaining about it.

There for the grace of god goes someone else, I suppose. 3:

[BryanM]

I do inevitably feel an empathetic "god damn dude" for fullset-oriented collectors, though.

Ah, Pat's collection was so immense, it took 7 videos and ~100 minutes just to wave a camera over everything.

[Strider77]

BryanM, who is that girl in your avatar?

[Strikers1945guy]

I do inevitably feel an empathetic "god damn dude" for fullset-oriented collectors, though.

Ah, Pat's collection was so immense, it took 7 videos and ~100 minutes just to wave a camera over everything.

Never understood their types. Everyone has a niche. You know shmups or rpgs or platformers. No one wants the shitty sports games and barbie games. Who the hell collects a whole consoles catalogue? Fucking stupid

[pestro87]

I do inevitably feel an empathetic "god damn dude" for fullset-oriented collectors, though.

Ah, Pat's collection was so immense, it took 7 videos and ~100 minutes just to wave a camera over everything.

Never understood their types. Everyone has a niche. You know shmups or rpgs or platformers. No one wants the shitty sports games and barbie games. Who the hell collects a whole consoles catalogue? Fucking stupid

I assume that these people go for complete collections because they either love the system or they just enjoy collecting for the system (and/or they have an attachment to their own collection and enjoy watching it grow). In any case, I doubt that they intend to play the sports/barbie games. Found this article on a guy who intends to collect every single PAL PS2 game:

http://www.gamesradar.com/city-destroyi ... some-shit/

Pshyched pointed out that there are 68 Singstar games

[stryc9]

Yeah, full set collectors: I don't get it either, I always lived by the motto it's what you don't have that counts. Diluting your collection with garbage is ridiculous.

[BryanM]

He definitely admits to having some psychological issues. A lot of people wanted things when they were kids and have impulses when they grow up.

It's healthier than the hoarders who collect jars of their pee and deflated cats, at least.

BryanM, who is that girl in your avatar?

Out of the loop I see. C'mon, at least I know who Herbert West is!

Here ya go enjoy : D

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14101&start=2550

[Strider77]

LOL... I remember that now.

[the_last_shmupper]

The more people get Youtube channels for retro games, the more prices go up.

People buying online raises the price because of shipping. No one wants to get rid of something for less money.

That divorcing couple is wow... I don't have words.