Collecting vs. Just Playing Games

[scarper]

Recently, I made the decision to stop paying money for most of my games. Instead, I'm gonna be modding a few of my systems, and burning games for them.

I started collecting older games on a sort of half nostalgia, and half playing awesome games reason. I liked having the actual copies of these games, but I realized that the only real reason for my collecting was so I can play these games. Not sit and bask in their material glory.

Although having actual copies has always been fun to collect, actually playing the games is even better. And now that I can easily pirate a lot of the older games which I've been spending so much money on, it seems like its all been a huge waste.

Collecting is fun. I've been enjoying that to its fullest. But playing them seems so much better to me. I'm also going into college in a couple of years, and I don't want to have wasted all this money on video games.

The N64 and PSP will be pretty much the only consoles I'll be paying money for. And the 3DS whenever it comes out.

/rant

What I wanna know is why do some of you collect? Surely you must be playing these games, but to some of the hardcore collectors, why is having the physical copies important to you?

Edit: Sorry if this made me come of as an asshole. Just wanted to see what other people thought.

Edit 2: Piracy is baad. Stay in school kids.

[noiseredux]

Although having actual copies has always been fun to collect, actually playing the games is even better. And now that I can easily and legally pirate a lot of the older games which I've been spending so much money on, it seems like its all been a huge waste.

how exactly do you "legally pirate" your games?

[Limewater]

And now that I can easily and legally pirate a lot of the older games

WAT?

What I wanna know is why do some of you collect? Surely you must be playing these games, but to some of the hardcore collectors, why is having the physical copies important to you?

I collect games to play them. The games I don't play, I plan to play, even if I know they aren't very good. Having physical copies is important to me because I appreciate the games more, I enjoy playing them more, and I can be confident in the moral status of my actions.

[YoshiEgg25]

Although having actual copies has always been fun to collect, actually playing the games is even better. And now that I can easily and legally pirate a lot of the older games which I've been spending so much money on, it seems like its all been a huge waste.

how exactly do you "legally pirate" your games?

I know there are "legal" emulators called VirtualNES and VirtualGBX that basically take donations and buy old NES and Game Boy games, then upload them online while keeping the cart. It's basically an online library where everyone gets access to what they want when they want.

Unlike our competitors, VirtualNES.com is able to provide you classic NES games legally. We can only provide you with classic NES games that we have an original cartridge of, which have either been bought out of pocket or donated by Players Like You™. If we don't have the games in our possession, we can't have them online.

http://www.virtualnes.com/
http://www.virtualgbx.com/

[scarper]

Although having actual copies has always been fun to collect, actually playing the games is even better. And now that I can easily and legally pirate a lot of the older games which I've been spending so much money on, it seems like its all been a huge waste.

how exactly do you "legally pirate" your games?

I thought you could legally burn games released before 2002.

Yeah... Maybe pirate was the wrong word... lol

[Limewater]

Although having actual copies has always been fun to collect, actually playing the games is even better. And now that I can easily and legally pirate a lot of the older games which I've been spending so much money on, it seems like its all been a huge waste.

how exactly do you "legally pirate" your games?

I know there are "legal" emulators called VirtualNES and VirtualGBX that basically take donations and buy old NES and Game Boy games, then upload them online while keeping the cart. It's basically an online library where everyone gets access to what they want when they want.

Unlike our competitors, VirtualNES.com is able to provide you classic NES games legally. We can only provide you with classic NES games that we have an original cartridge of, which have either been bought out of pocket or donated by Players Like You™. If we don't have the games in our possession, we can't have them online.

http://www.virtualnes.com/
http://www.virtualgbx.com/

I'm not a lawyer, but no, that's totally not legal. That's kind of like all of the rom sites with their "delete this after 24 hours" bit.

There's a reason that libraries have to jump through so many hoops with their online offerings.

[Limewater]

I thought you could legally burn games released before 2002.

This is not correct. Some games have been released to the public domain, like Elite, but it's really, really rare.

[noiseredux]

I thought you could legally burn games released before 2002.

hahaha who told you THAT?

[Opa Opa]

The N64 and PSP will be pretty much the only consoles I'll be paying money for. And the 3DS whenever it comes out.

Well if you're going to be modding systems you could mod your psp. I'm not saying you have to but you wouldn't have to pay for games. Just an option I'm throwing out there.

I don't have a lot of time to play games right now but a lot of my free time is spent collecting games. It's really a fun hobby that doesn't take up much time although it can take a lot of money depending on what system it is I'm currently collecting for. I just like to have the shelves of my game room full of games and systems. I guess I feel like I have accomplished something by building up a big collection over the years. Each game represents different memories of years long past (like all those hours playing Goldeneye---Man, what a great game) and maybe future memories with others (one of my relatives got into collecting; it's pretty fun to help them out).

Physical copies of games is a personal preference. Some people don't mind downloading games from online services so they can save space, money, etc. More power to them. I, on the other hand, prefer something I can hold in my hand. I can't really explain it but it just seems more "right" to have it in my collection as opposed to on my computer or game system's internal memory.

[D.D.D.]

AFAIK the only way you can "legally pirate" games is: mod your system to play back-ups, buy said desired game, make copy of said game, sell game, rinse and repeat. That way, at the time of ownership, you were entitled to back-up your bought game and as the owner, you can sell it too. But that seems like an awful lot of work to make yourself feel the right to pirate.