Has collecting ever affected you emotionally?

General Category > General Discussion

<< < (3/4) > >>

cynicalmatt:
Absolutely.

I grew up with an Atari 2600 and as soon as I could manipulate that joystick, I was a gamer. For me, collecting games is extremely emotional because I have so many countless memories tied to specific games and systems.

I remember trying to beat that blasted worm room on The Immortal (Genesis), or staying up all night with friends to unlock all the secret characters in Eternal Champions on Sega CD. I remember finding Shining Force CD at a local used record shop for $30, the crushing disappointment I felt when I went into Toys R' Us to discover they were out of Ghosts 'n' Goblins on the NES. I remember selling my NES and all my games to buy a Genesis - the first system I ever bought with my own money instead of a "family" system - and how I regretted it. Not because I didn't love my Genny (it was, and remains, my favorite console) but because I missed playing all the great NES games I had amassed.

I remember being so indecisive over whether to buy NightWarriors or X-Men: Children of the Atom for my Saturn that I ended up just buying them both, and picking up Panzer Dragoon Saga and Dragon Force together off eBay for $225 several years ago (the most expensive gaming purchase I've ever made, but quite a deal looking back).

I remember where and how I obtained tons of games, both console and PC, and I have so many memories of playing them I could write a book.

A house fire nearly destroyed my collection in 2009, and while my carts were lost, amazingly all but one of my disc-based games survived (though the cases and artwork suffered smoke and/or water damages from the hoses). After that, I didn't want to collect for a while, but when the Retron 5 was announced I realized I would need a collection of classic games to play on the console.

As the months rolled on with no release date in sight and I amassed a collection of great titles, I found a great deal on a Genesis, Sega CD, and 32X on eBay - just like I had lost in the fire. I bought it...then I bought an NES...and a top-loader...and a SNES, and so on. I am now 24 games shy of 1,000 titles, and I have them all stored in a spare room in my house, affectionately referred to as the Game Vault. Ironically, I did buy a Retron 5, which had a non-working Genesis cart slot that erased my Phantasy Star II saved game, and I ended up returning it and sticking with the original consoles.

When I was little and saved up for weeks to buy just one new game, I couldn't have imagined having a collection like the one I have today. I feel I am very young at heart, and my love of gaming is a big part of that. I still get so excited when I see my local shop got in a classic game that's on my wishlist, and I rush up there to pick it up, just like when I was little and I'd scour stores that sold used games and find gems for a few bucks.

Einhander:

--- Quote from: Hoggs17 on December 20, 2014, 03:44:01 PM ---For me, the collecting of old games is all about nostalgia. I will try and get the games that I used to have as kid because it reminds me of being a kid and that's pretty cool sometimes. Also, if i find a game that I never had as a kid, but saw in a magazine then i will buy that because I never had it. Luckily most of those games are only a few bucks on ebay. I'm not talking Earthbound here. 34 year old Hoggs is the hero to 10 year old Hoggs. If you would've told that kid that he would own all these games, he would've been very happy!

--- End quote ---

I agree. Getting games you never had but saw. However have you ever had this feeling where you get games you never hard of, but FEEL like you played them in a past life? Like now I'm getting PS1 and Saturn imports that I have never heard of, but because I feel that they are from my time, they give me almost a nostalgic feel, even though they're not technically nostalgic since I'm sure I've never played or heard of them in the past.

Hoggs17:
I have not felt any deja vu when playing a game that I've never heard of. Perhaps these new games remind you of your experiences with previous familiar games and your mind is giving you that nostalgic feeling based on the similarity between the two? Kinda like playing Shovel Knight for the first time.

hoverboots:
Yes. Shovel Knight was such a sublime experience for me... It was like everything I knew, but so very fresh all at once. Brilliance.

mojoeskateco:
Like a lot of others here, collecting can affect me emotionally, however, it is important to ensure other important things in life aren't neglected. Significant others, friends, family, and other hobbies need time as well. I think it's a good to approach it as fun. If a game is $200 and worth playing I will get it eventually but only if I have funds available that are not spoken for. I try not to take the attitude that I need something though .. more along the lines of: it would be nice to have this if one is available at a decent price I and have the funds available.

It's all about balance and being responsible financially as well.

I give myself $100 a paycheck to buy games with and try my best to stick to it. If I don't spend the $100 it rolls over and I have $200 next pay, etc. My account balance is about $400 right now as I didn't buy anything during the Holiday season.

I also go to garage sales and check locally online for deals or items that I can trade for something I want. This helps cut down the amount I use from my biweekly allowance mentioned above.

Navigation

 Message Index

Go to full version