Thoughts on Collecting Games

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JustLikeHeaven
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Thoughts on Collecting Games

Postby JustLikeHeaven » July 17th, 2020, 11:24 am

So I just purchased Garou: Mark of the Wolves from Limited Run Games this morning. It's a fighting game that I believe was exclusive to the Sega Dreamcast back in the day. Complete copies routinely sell for $100+ and have done so for almost a decade. I bought the PS4 copy for less than $40 shipped.

I've always been a collector who valued systems by the exclusive games that you couldn't get anywhere else. Basically, I viewed these games as reasons for owing said systems. However, I've noticed in the past few years we've been getting updates of lots of games...many that used to be rare or hard to find games. They either become available via downloadable games or via niche boutiques like Special Reserve Games or Limited Run. I'm happy to purchase these new physical versions since I'm a gamer first and a collector second. I've never been a collector that HAS to have the game on the original hardware. As long as I'm able to experience the game I'm happy.

One side effect I've personally noticed is that I'm less inclined to go hook up my older systems. I actually find myself wanting more classic games to make the jump to modern systems for ease of play (as long as the gameplay is left intact and untouched). This has to do with the pain of getting older hardware working on modern televisions and the hassle of wired controllers etc...This is more of me getting older (man I remember when I found this site when I was 20 years old) and having less time dedicated to collecting/gaming.

It makes me wonder if in 5-10 years all the worthwhile games of say the SEGA Dreamcast are mostly playable on newer systems. Will I even have a reason to hook up my old Dreamcast? Will I still collect games for it?

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VideoGameCritic
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Re: The Value of Collection Games

Postby VideoGameCritic » July 17th, 2020, 7:30 pm

You've only been on this site for 20 years? Where the heck were you in 1999?! Slacker!

I agree it's very convenient to play old games on new systems. For example, I find myself trying to buy the Resident Evil games for the PS4, even though I have the originals.

But I think there's always value in having the originals. Holding them in your hand is like holding a piece of history as well as a part of so many childhoods. And for my money there's nothing that can quite match playing the original game on the original system with the original controllers. For example, Earthworm Jim is very sharp on the Evercade, but I'd prefer to play it on a Genesis on a CRT television any day of the week. It just feels right.

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velcrozombie
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Re: Thoughts on Collecting Games

Postby velcrozombie » July 18th, 2020, 10:34 am

JustLikeHeaven wrote:So I just purchased Garou: Mark of the Wolves from Limited Run Games this morning. It's a fighting game that I believe was exclusive to the Sega Dreamcast back in the day. Complete copies routinely sell for $100+ and have done so for almost a decade. I bought the PS4 copy for less than $40 shipped.

I've always been a collector who valued systems by the exclusive games that you couldn't get anywhere else. Basically, I viewed these games as reasons for owing said systems. However, I've noticed in the past few years we've been getting updates of lots of games...many that used to be rare or hard to find games. They either become available via downloadable games or via niche boutiques like Special Reserve Games or Limited Run. I'm happy to purchase these new physical versions since I'm a gamer first and a collector second. I've never been a collector that HAS to have the game on the original hardware. As long as I'm able to experience the game I'm happy.


"A gamer first and a collector second" is how I try to look at it as well. I actually just got a game in the mail yesterday that perfectly encapsulates this - Metal Wolf Chaos Xd for the PS4. A 2004 Japanese exclusive for the original XBox by From Software that gained a cult following in America courtesy of a handful of popular lets-players that was licensed by Devolver Digital (a studio that releases a lot of fun retro-minded games) and received a PS4-exclusive physical release via both Gamestop and Special Reserve Games. The original version used to go for hundreds of dollars and I just got my own copy on the PS4 for $7.

A younger friend from work who's been playing the recent Resident Evil releases bought both the HD digital version of Resident Evil 4 and the Resident Evil remake for a total of like $10 after I sent him a link. I played RE4 on the PS2 and own the REmake for the Gamecube and I do think there's value in experiencing game on their original hardware (of course the Gamecube was the original hardware in the case of RE4 but the PS2 version has the "Separate Ways" scenario) but I'm just glad he's going to be playing them at all. It's a lot easier to get kids interested in older games when you make them readily accessible.


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