Classic games economics and ethics

[Betagam7]

This is a very interesting rant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE31c-5Urak

and another (much sadder) one:

[Jmustang1968]

This is a very interesting rant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE31c-5Urak

and another (much sadder) one:

The first one, that guy is just an obnoxious douche.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Glad I don't collect games.

[Betagam7]

This is a very interesting rant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE31c-5Urak

and another (much sadder) one:

The first one, that guy is just an obnoxious douche.

His channel is an unusual one in that he sets out to play an obvious character but never really keeps it up in any of the videos I've watched. I found his naivety in believing his investment in the housing market to be bulletproof to be showing a rather alarming and amusing lack of awareness of recent history...which is ironic considering that he seems to be something of a history buff. I thought his delivery aside though, he did raise some interesting questions about the motivations of collectors, although the insensitive way he discussed mental health problems and autism was crass and unecessary.

However when you watch the second video, that guy is arguably validating some of the things that Top Hat gaming Man is saying about collecting being a dangerous condition for some. I went into the second video thinking it would be a guy who had simply had enough of the current state of the market, but it turned out to be a guy suffering from a serious problem of addiction and the parallels to Luke Morse and his infamous "final" video were troubling.

[ElkinFencer10]

I understand the arguments against game collecting, especially retro game collecting, with the ease these days of either emulating or finding legitimate digital or compilation copies, but I can't stand these guys who just rail on it and belittle it. I enjoy collecting games. Not just playing them - I enjoy collecting them. Weird as it may sound, growing up, I always WANTED to collect something. I tried collecting coins, but I got bored of that. I tried collecting stamps, but that eventually lost its charm, too. I tried collecting marbles and Pokémon cards and - most unusually - decks of playing cards, but sure enough, I was never able to find any fulfillment in any of those. Then I started collecting video games, and I've never stopped loving it. Even though I often play through a game once and then shelve it, I love knowing that it's in my library if I ever want to replay it, let a friend borrow it, or just take down every now and then and reminisce. And the great thing about hobbies? It doesn't fucking matter if anyone else understands why because a hobby is about making you happy and nothing else. Is it basically just glorified hoarding? Probably. Is it a waste of money? Definitely. Does it make me happy? Yeah, and that's what makes it worthwhile.

Certainly buying so many games that you can't meet your basic needs and obligations is a problem, but if you can do that, what's the point of accumulating money? Maybe other folks are different, but pulling up my bank account online and seeing a big number on my balance doesn't do anything for me. Looking at a stack of bills doesn't make me happy. Looking at a Wolfenstein 3D cartridge for Jaguar, though? That's something I can sit down and enjoy or bond with friends over. Sure, money opens opportunities, but by itself, money isn't going to make me happy. Playing games with my friends and seeing the looks on their faces when they see my library or ask me to borrow a game so they can experience it, too? That brings a smile to my face.

[MrPopo]

Turns out doing anything to a self destructive level is bad.

[Sarge]

something something moderation

[Anayo]

Who is Luke Morse and what happened in his "final" video? I'm morbidly curious.

[Gunstar Green]

and another (much sadder) one:

I can definitely understand where he's coming from. Finding new games makes you feel good so you buy new games and your collection grows and you're happy for a little while until you're not and you have to find new games again. It's a vicious cycle that's easily amplified by depression. People always ask when does collecting become hording or an addiction and my answer is always when it negatively effects other aspects of your life. A hobby you do for fun should never cause you any stress. That goes for anything.

I was never as extreme as the guy in the video but I eventually had to reach the point of deciding that I have pretty much everything I want to. I have a library of games that are personally important to me in some way and I don't need anymore. Maybe I'll find something I want every few months but for the most part I'm done with the collecting part and I've just become a gamer with a library.

Every time I walked into a flea market or a retro game store I used to leave with something. Now I can't remember the last time that's happened. I still like to browse them and look at the prices but I haven't bought anything from a physical source in a while and I've only spent a few dollars here and there online in the past year.

[alienjesus]

Who is Luke Morse and what happened in his "final" video? I'm morbidly curious.

He's a video game youtuber who lived in Japan and got way to into buying games, mucking about with consoles etc. His wife left him and took his kid with her iirc, and he posted a final video telling people not to put their hobby ahead of their everyday life.

I think he actually continued making videos after a hiatus though? I dunno, I didn't watch his stuff.