Collecting vs. Hoarding

[noiseredux]

Disclaimers:

1. I feel like there MUST already be a similar thread. I cannot find it. If a mod knows where it is, feel free to combine threads.
2. I didn't know where to put this. Game Rooms seemed appropriate, as it deals with the space requirements of a collection. If it belongs elsewhere, feel free to move it.

Now on with the post:

As my collection grows, I'm getting somewhat conflicted about keeping certain games. For instance (and I mentioned this in another thread), I have Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue. I've had them both for months. I've never played either. The truth is I actually have very little interest in Pokemon. Just a personal preference. Because of my age and gaming habits at the time, I missed out on the fad. I got both titles in trades, and mainly have them (I guess) because they are always mentioned as essential GB titles. I guess in my head it would seem SHOCKING that a big GB collection would be missing those titles. But I have to wonder sometimes, why take up the shelf space to have two games I'll never play.

Similarly, I have some games that I've aquired mainly because I'm planning to go over them as part of a series in a blog post. Some of them I don't even like. But then I guess I feel like because I've "reviewed" them or whatever, that it seems funny to then get rid of them. I KNOW that's a rather OCD-ish way of thinking, haha. But, I don't know... I'm rambling now. Who's got similar or differing ways of thinking? Discuss.

[Flake]

I almost wrote up a thread like this just the other day because I have the same dilemma. I have stopped really enjoying playing the games and seem to just be buying them whenever I can.

I don't think that's what the founding fathers intended.

Whenever I do play games, I bounce from game to game, always thinking 'oh, I didn't want to play this. I really wanted to play that!' and generally finish nothing. Or I rush through a game just to see the credits because I want to move on to the next game.

I don't know if it's me that is to blame or the industry. When I was a kid it took months for another game I cared about to come out and that was assuming I'd be able to afford it. My collection was small but sacred. Now I'm an adult but even though I'm living on a tight budget, between vintage game stores, used game sales, downloadable games, and the endless cavalcade of new releases, I'm buried under a sea of shiny plastic cases.

Just out of curiosity OP and whoever else responds, how old are you? I am 26 and I'm thinking this is an issue that plagues our generation.

[noiseredux]

I'm 29. So yeah, I'm similar in situation to you. And yes, I believe it is a dilemma that's part of our generation of gamers. Like I said in my blog post on Skate Or Die: Bad N Rad, back then we played one game for a long time because we had to wait for our parents to buy us another. Now we can go to the used game shop and grab a pile of games for $20. Those piles themselves start to pile up and now we've got mounds of untouched and unloved games.

Although, there are plenty of games I enjoy. I'm just starting to wonder, should my collection be like every game that is deemed ESSENTIAL or just the games that I know I'll want to play? I'm starting to lean towards the latter. I tend to get caught up in trying to have an impressive collection, but ultimately who am I trying to impress?? It would probably be more beneficial to have a collection of games that are all ones I'll want to play. Right?

[AppleQueso]

If you're not going to play them, then there's no point in having them. All you're doing is depriving someone else from owning and playing those specific cartridges.

Give them/sell them to someone who will enjoy them more I say.

[DerekG52]

There is a very fine line between the two. Humans are naturally hoarders, going back to our early ancestral days. It is something innate that can be very difficult to control. I doubt you will hear many stories of people who have not fallen victim to their collector or hoarder mentality at some point in their lives.

As a personal anecdote, I have about 25 oXbox games, I've probably played about 6 of them, beaten none. I picked them up because they were considered essential and all of that collecting jazz. Now they sit in a drawer, waiting to be put back up on ebay.

I find it especially easy to fall into the trap when the games in question can be found extremely cheaply, and can have a huge time/cost reward. In most hobbies, the most prized possessions become scarce and increasingly valuable as time goes on. For the most part (excluding all the $40k track meet carts etc), video games are not scarce and become cheaper over time. In my case, I certainly won't buy any PS3 game at launch, and will rarely shell out more than $20 for a game.

[sevin0seven]

I'm 29. So yeah, I'm similar in situation to you. And yes, I believe it is a dilemma that's part of our generation of gamers. Like I said in my blog post on Skate Or Die: Bad N Rad, back then we played one game for a long time because we had to wait for our parents to buy us another. Now we can go to the used game shop and grab a pile of games for $20. Those piles themselves start to pile up and now we've got mounds of untouched and unloved games.

Although, there are plenty of games I enjoy. I'm just starting to wonder, should my collection be like every game that is deemed ESSENTIAL or just the games that I know I'll want to play? I'm starting to lean towards the latter. I tend to get caught up in trying to have an impressive collection, but ultimately who am I trying to impress?? It would probably be more beneficial to have a collection of games that are all ones I'll want to play. Right?

my friend, your right. but if i stumble upon a very rare game i'm sure tempted to get it. most of my collections i barely touch to play but for me games are like jewelry in my eyes. when i look at them sometimes i feel young again. playing them? well, it's been a different story now (i'm also 29). i know for sure if i ever sell or give a game/console i had many memories with i'll miss it for sure. i guess the only thing that will stop me from collecting is financial reason which i'm leaning towards in the near future very soon...

[Flake]

Noiseredux: Unless they start giving out medals for game collections, I think you've got the right idea. I've had to remind myself more than once that although I can grab a notable title on the cheap, what's the point if it's not something I enjoy.

Downloadable games are a particular concern to me, though. Buying those things is too easy and without that physical component to sit on my shelf, it's like I'm pissing money away. Something coming out on VC? Here you go Nintendo. And then I don't play it or even remember I've purchased it. I still haven't come up with a responsible creed for how to approach those games. One thing that bothers me is that I don't feel like I 'own' the games, since one unfortunate system bricking is all it would take for me to lose hundreds of dollars of titles.

[noiseredux]

Noiseredux: Unless they start giving out medals for game collections, I think you've got the right idea. I've had to remind myself more than once that although I can grab a notable title on the cheap, what's the point if it's not something I enjoy.

I know. Sometimes it's like, what the hell's wrong with me? Like if someone said to me "hey do you have Pokemon Blue?" and I said "no" and they said "so you're a big GB collector and you don't even have "Pokemon Blue" why couldn't I just be okay with saying "yeah but I don't like Pokemon"? It's like it'll bother me. Pfft. Pretty silly.

[sevin0seven]

I know. Sometimes it's like, what the hell's wrong with me? Like if someone said to me "hey do you have Pokemon Blue?" and I said "no" and they said "so you're a big GB collector and you don't even have "Pokemon Blue" why couldn't I just be okay with saying "yeah but I don't like Pokemon"? It's like it'll bother me. Pfft. Pretty silly.

[DerekG52]

It all boils down a peen measuring contest.