I love to play and talk about video games, so it’s always a pleasure to buy something new and see the cover on my shelf. So let’s talk about the ins and outs of collecting and my experiences with it. How is collecting games as a newcomer?
For starters, money is the obvious barrier for me as I don’t currently have a full time job; so I have to resort to buying just the new releases for both the current generation and previous generation consoles, especially the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 lineup often drops in price, so I don’t have to not to worry about breaking the bank on those titles. However, I am a Nintendo fan and play almost exclusively on my Switch; this poses a problem because Nintendo doesn’t keep their games on sale as often.
As someone who enjoys playing the system it’s hard to collect for the Switch as I’ll probably pay £60 to physically own a game. I then have to prepare for the next release, the next, and so on. That’s without even mentioning any DLC and Collector’s Editions. What I’m trying to say is that collecting for current systems is difficult because some companies either refuse to list their games for sale or rely too much on post-launch content. If they changed these business practices, it could lead to a kinder market. But what about the fossils?
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and the original Xbox – all of these systems and more keep rising in price to the point where you can almost guarantee you won’t get a bargain on some of them. Especially the GameCube, some games on this system push the thousand dollars here in Canada which is unacceptable for those who want to enter the market. I know there is a game of supply and demand but I don’t care because in my opinion people should be able to access any console they want regardless of what scalpers think.
What a great follow-up to our next topic, access. I don’t have a driver’s license, so I depend on other people to get me where I need to go. I could shop online, but my shipment may be delayed or arrive in substandard condition. The obvious answer is learning to drive, but I wish retro game stores were more common. Before I moved, the closest place to buy games was a Walmart, and if I wanted to find retro titles, I’d have to look for somewhere that sells them, which doesn’t even guarantee I’d see what I want. Video games aren’t as widely recognized as we might think, but disregarding that, preserving the medium isn’t taken as seriously as it should be when it’s almost crying out for it.
The thought that all these consoles could die on us and rot these old drives away makes me want to keep this medium more than any other. So that brings us back to access; not being able to drive is a major barrier, online shopping for classics is not as developed as it should be and preservation is a serious problem. What do these problems mean to me? It means I might miss out on good deals on games considered some of the best in their field, and it seriously hinders the accessibility of a community that prides itself on being available to all.
Collecting games is a fun hobby, so when was it all about having everything in pristine condition and submitting everything to a rating agency? This topic doesn’t touch everyone directly, but it’s a bit daunting as a copy of Super Mario 64 sells for an absurd amount online, and everything around it goes up in price. All this brings us back to what this hobby is all about. Is it because you want every game on your shelf? Is it because you have some extra cash and want to spend it? Or are you going for preservation? None of the above? That’s the beauty of it all; game collecting has no rhyme or reason. It can be achieved by anyone, in any way, at any price, which brings us back to the beginning.
How is it as a newcomer? Is it friendly to newcomers? My answer is yes, because there is no way to do it without going through some challenges. So you might as well start because now you have some preparation. I know this article is negative, but I want to emphasize that collecting is for fun and everyone should always treat it as such. These three topics are just some of my problems with the hobby. I really enjoy it, but I would like to enjoy it even more. So go out and buy whatever you want any way you want, because that’s how video games should be. As a newcomer, I love it and I hope you love it too.
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