Facebook Files: Gaming vs. Collecting

By Ishaan . October 25, 2009 . 7:25am

Facebook Files: Gaming vs. Collecting

Welcome to Facebook Files #3! Here’s a rundown of how it works: Every week, we look through our Facebook group for interesting community discussions. The ones that stand out will be published on Siliconera as part of this feature every weekend. Oh, and if your topic isn’t chosen one week, don’t lose heart…it might get picked up the next.

 

Anton (Somato on the site) started up an interesting discussion on gaming vs. collecting early in the week, and it really caught on. There are a ton of collectors on Siliconera, and despite claiming to not have enough money for all the games we want, a lot of us are still guilty of buying stuff that never even gets taken out of the box.

 

Anton wrote:

For many years I have been buying games to play, but also to collect. There are games in my collection that I have not opened, and some games that I don’t plan on opening. For certain titles, I have even bought two copies: One to play, one to display.

 

Recently, it seems like most of the games I buy are specifically for collectors purposes. This may also be due to the fact that I don’t have as much time to dedicate to actually playing games.

 

Recently, friends of mine were looking at my collection and were commenting on all of the unopened games I owned. I explained that some of them I may open if I get around to playing them, but others would likely remain sealed as they were parts of my collection. Most of them didn’t understand my hobby and said that it was a "shame" that the games would never be played.

 

So, what do you think? Am I a disgraceful gamer buying only for collecting purposes? Do you also collect? Any items you’re proud to own?

 

The response — as expected of a community of proud, nerdy Siliconerites — was pretty strong, and there were opinions from both sides of the fence. A few readers pointed out that, especially with games, buying simply for the sake of collecting isn’t always intentional. Sometimes, there’s so much to play, you just don’t get around to ever opening the games lower on your priority list, even if you initially intended to.

 

Jeremy wrote:

I’ve noticed when I buy games for the sake of having them I don’t end up playing them or other ones either. Cool to have a collection, but I constantly have to remind myself the idea is to "play" them not just have them.

 

Mattias wrote:

This is currently a big issue for me. I’m a decent collector (not that sealed game business though) and at the moment I just have WAY too many games to get around to playing. This is sometimes so overwhelming that I end up not playing anything, making the piles of games in my shelf pile up even more since I continue to buy… I’m definitely in the same position as Jeremy.

 

I guess in my mind I hope I can retire early and just sit around playing all games I didn’t get around to playing now.

 

My collection: http://anosou.com/games/

Facebook Files: Gaming vs. Collecting

 

Nice collection, Mattias! Naturally, there were also opinions from the crowd that felt value for money was far more important than maintaining a pristine collection. And for a lot of us who simply can’t afford to pay $60 for every new game we like, the used market — or even waiting for a price drop — is usually a lucrative option. After all, even buying something for cheaper counts toward your overall collection

 

Fabio wrote:

As for myself, I like accumulating games more than collecting them. A collector will want his new, sealed, untouched copy to have on display. Me, I’m fine enough with used games, sometimes even if their condition ain’t that good. You can only see their side when they are on the shelf anyway.

 

On the other hand, this allows me to have far more games, because rather than spending $60 on a new game, I can just spend $60 on four used ones. I filled about 5 shelves this way. But selling/exchanging them ain’t an option. Even if it’s not that good, it’s still my collection.

 

Also, since most are already used, I have no reason not to play them. Of my 400+ games, I have played almost everything, except maybe a couple – and even then, I still at least tried them to make sure they worked. At least I don’t have to buy two copies if i want to play them

 

Antonio:

Nowadays, if I buy a game, I am going to play it until I’m bored with it as with Logan mentioned, you never really know if $60 is going to be it’s value for long. And with the collectors editions of many current generation games, it’s almost a waste of money to get them and watch their values plummet over the next few weeks.

Of course, Anton wasn’t alone in his quest for being an obsessive collector. Far from it. Here are links to a few more of our readers’ collections:

 

Fabio’s collection

 

Adam’s collection (note the multiple N64s and four copies of Chrono Trigger)

 

So, what’s the verdict on the site side of things? What are your collections like? Do you play every game you buy? Do you buy multiple copies of stuff so you have a sealed version to show off and an unsealed one to play? Do you buy every limited edition you possibly can?

 

Also, for those interested, there are probably going to be collection pictures going up on the Facebook group from all of these guys, so feel free to show off your own if you like! The full discussion is viewable here.


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  • http://denpanosekai.blogspot.com denpanosekai

    Good discussion. I enjoy “hunting” down good games I previously missed. For instance yesterday I picked up The Red Star and Samurai Western for 10$, absolutely mint condition. Will I play them at all? Chances are I'll never pop them in the PS2 (I played both on a friend's console). It's just the thrill of uncovering them in pristine condition, in the wild, for dirt cheap. Hop in a great big plastic box they go, along with the +500 other games my IGN list says I have. I move around too much to justify spending time and money on a display showcase unit thingy.

  • squall3031

    10-20 years down the track, they'll worth $$$$$$$$$$ practically like a small gold mine.

    y'all will be sorry for not collecting. lol

  • bandaka

    For me, nothing is more satidfying than having the game complet with a box and manual. The box art is worth the extra money in my oppinion. I hate buying used games from gamestop becuase they put these disgusting stickers on them that ALWAYS leave a sticky residue when you try and peel them off!

  • http://www.youtube.com/matman125 matty

    I only “collect” what I plan on playing again and again. The exception is maybe a game like ICO, but even then I might want to show a friend how to play.
    That's my only other reason to keep a game – to show a friend that a game like Mister Mosquito exists. If I don't see much play value from a particular title I don't keep it, just keeping the memories are enough.
    So, I actually have a very small collection of games that I absolutely love.

  • malek86

    I still need to take a photo of my collection.

    Anyway, these games also serve as a way to fill shelves, you know. You can't always have just books on there.

  • http://www.youtube.com/matman125 matty

    Sometimes they put a sticker on the manual, too!
    That another thing; in each game generation, people don't seem to keep the manuals. Whenever I see other people's collection or what they're selling online nearly half of their games don't include the manual.
    That always blew my mind. Do they just toss it 'cause they don't read them at all or what? lol!

  • http://www.youtube.com/user/xxHiryuuxx Hiryuu

    I'm not an over-the-top kinda but if I am interested in a game I'll usually be after its limited edition or a version of it that has the extra stuff attached to it as long as it's not extremely expensive.

    I will say having the whole thing of Growlanser V has to be a rarity. I've not seen it locally after a week of its release in its box set.

  • http://twitter.com/Slashlen Slashlen

    Throw me in the “not intentionally” group. Every game I buy I plan to eventually play, but I seem to buy them faster than I finish them. I currently have 58 games in my backlog. Maybe 70% of that is unplayed.

    The nice thing about having a huge backlog though, is that I feel like I can wait on a game if I don't plan on playing it day 1 and I can wait for a deal. The bad thing is that getting stuff cheaper allows me to buy more which increases the size of the backlog.

    Maybe I can catch up after Christmas. There's nothing coming out then, right?

  • wildarms

    meh if it anything more besides the game it will make me want to buy it more, thats all

  • http://www.genkaibreak.com Code

    rar, haha I got Samurai Western back when I ran a gaming website, it was one of the first reviewable copies Atlus sent me >w<! That game cracks me up, and was surprisingly enjoyable despite everything I was expecting.

  • http://www.siliconera.com Ishaan

    Haha, no. In fact, everything got delayed to next year so it's going to be worse than ever. >_>

  • cubejunky

    I'm way more of a collector then a gamer anymore, I have over 600 games and 55 different systems starting from the Atari 2600 all the way up to the PS3. I will buy games and have every intention to play them but 8/10 times I don't or I will play them for an hr or so and just stop. Over the past 2 weeks I bought Demons Souls and Riddick for PS3 I have yet to even open them, they sit on my stand still in shrink rap….. I need help!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=685251645 facebook-685251645

    I noticed that I'm starting to buy more games then I have the time to play. Like recently with the Toys R Us sale Buy 2 Get one free, I ended up picking up Uncharted 2 & Brutal Legend for my PS3, and Layton 2 for my DS.

    This is despite the fact that I only got my PS3 Slim at launch at the end of August, and now I own 7 games for it, none of them beaten. So far I haven't opened up Uncharted 2 or Brutal Legend, and haven't played much of my other PS3 games. :/

    I'm fixing to buy Ratchet & Clank Future 3, Muramasa, and The Conduit at the Best Buy sale By 2 get 1 free, though the latter two are gifts for my brother.

    I find this a great site to keep track of your collection but you have to enter everything manually, but it doesn't bother me. Everytime I get new games I update is so. Check out my collection here: http://www.backloggery.com/midnightscott

    But as far as sealed games those are the only two I have that are sealed. I'll open them up eventually. But I have a ton of games I haven't finished so :/

  • ndjn3979

    I used to be a semi-collector. Then I realized having games just for the sake of having them or showing them off just hurts my wallet in the long run, without accomplishing anything.

    I traded in DDS1, DDS2, and Nocturne for Demon's Souls. Feel free to flame.

  • eliel

    i keep the games i like and sell/trade in games i don't like or know that i won't b playin it again…..

  • ElTopo

    It was limited to 5000 units, all though it probably won't be of much value for a while, if ever. It wasn't very popular at all.

  • ElTopo

    You should have kept those, or sold them on ebay where you would have gotten real money for them.

  • kupomogli

    I'm a collector, probably about 500+ games. I don't buy second copies of games to keep unless there is actually something different about each copy. For example, Persona 3 with slipcover and artbook, Persona 3 FES, and then Amazon selling Persona 3 FES with P3 slipcover and artbook.

    The rarity thing about video games is definitely not true. The majority of games will not become rare, especially this generation. Now there are games that have been released on older systems that are rare, but not as many as you think. I can tell you most games won't pull the original suggested retail price. There are some games that really aren't that rare just over priced(Final Fantasy 7.) Then there are rarities like Rendering Ranger, Suikoden 2, Tactics Ogre, Brigandine, etc, or the real rarities like limited quantity promo items, championship cartridges, etc. I'd say specific arcade systems are also more rare than most console games.

    I wonder how many people own the Halo 3 Legendary Edition pack with hopes that it would be rare and the fact that Microsoft knew people would buy into it to the point there were so many that they were eventually given away for free before being thrown away. A ton of money for now worthless plastic.

  • ElTopo

    That's why I generally steer clear from “special editions” or “collectors editions” unless you know they are going to actually receive a limited print run (or contain something actually worthwhile). The Blazblue Limited Edition and the Demon's Souls Collectors Edition were 2 games this generation that were actually limited to a set production.

  • ElTopo

    Its usually not that bad, and when it is, rubbing alcohol will clean just about anything, from NES games to dirty PS2 slip cases.

  • Aoshi00

    I keep telling myself “buy the absolutely must-play”, yet I end up buying games that I feel like or limited edition that I think would become rare later. When I talk about backlog, I alrdy write off last gen (PS2/gamecube), since for the current gen, I have ~50 games for the Wii (the system that I don't even touch), ~50 games for 360, and ~25 games for PS3, of which only a handful I've managed to play from beginning to end.

    I recently just bought Demon's Soul Collector's Edition when it's announced it's sold out. I'm not sure if I even want to play that game.. maybe I should sell it right away while it's still hot to make a little money. I buy all domestic and imports new since I can't stand wear and tear. I almost never sell anything either, even the games I regret buying, since I'm too lazy to put them up on ebay..

    I have to agree though, w/ digital d/l being more common in recent years, chances are games would never get truly rare. Okay, new year resolution for 2010, only buy games that I “need”, when Thanksgiving comes, I'll be buying more crap…

  • ElTopo

    Personally I can't stand the idea of “collecting” games just to have them, i.e. sealed game collecting. There's a small community called Sealed Game Heaven, they run a forum and I think its still active, and all these people do are collect games, that they never open or play. Just seems like they're missing the point entirely.

    I'm trying to complete my collection from the previous generation by picking up games I've been wanting. Trying to fill it out before they become too hard to find; this is building a big back log of games, which I'll try and get to at some point. I have around 250 games across every generation.

  • http://twitter.com/ravenschwann Tim Nguyen

    So many awesome comments here, you guys should totally see the Siliconera Facebook group. More where this came from.

  • http://albotas.com brownkidd

    I was a Team Leader at a Game Crazy store a few years ago and there was this one guy who would always come into the store and buy rare games for his “sealed” collection. I honestly think that this hoarding is nothing short of gluttony. The guy straight up told me that he had no intentions of selling his sealed rarities, he just locks them in a fireproof safe. It's a shame because those sealed games collecting dust could be in the hands of someone who truly wants to play them as opposed to winding up forgotten about in some safe at the hands of a game-hoarding glutton.

  • http://albotas.com brownkidd

    The guy I posted about below was actually part of this group and tried getting me to join! I told him that I buy games to actually play.

  • EdgeKun

    *raises hand*
    Yet another gamer who unintentionally falls into the collecting scheme. My biggest problem is that I'll instinctively buy “must-have” (ie good/great/awesome in my book) games if I see them for a reasonable amount or know they're going to be somewhat limited. (Atlus games come to mind here) It's for this reason that even though I haven't beaten / gotten far in them, I do own Nocturne, DDS1, and DDS2. All 3x are amazing games I fully intend on visiting some day, even if I have others first.

    I see a lot of users here mentioning their game lists, but surprisingly no mention yet of Backloggery. It's a site i've personally been using that is a fun way to track what games you own, and what % of your library is still unbeaten.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Antonio-Flores/100000368746401 Antonio Flores

    lol! I was quoted in an article!

    Thanks guys. ;)

  • Somato

    There has definitely been some good discussion going on in the Facebook group.
    I always enjoy hearing people's opinions or thoughts in these discussions. =3

  • Soma

    There has definitely been some good discussion going on in the Facebook group.
    I always enjoy hearing people's opinions or thoughts in these discussions. =3

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