Console renting?

[Nullface]

Would members here be interested in letting other people borrow your stuff while you borrow something of theirs? I have to buy consoles, put modchips in them and play burned games because I don't have space in my apartment and I move alot. I only play each console for about a month then sell it and buy another one and repeat the process. Sometimes going back to the same console after a couple of months. I just bought a Saturn last week so that's what I'm currently using. Would a service like this be worthwhile or interesting to anyone?

[Hobie-wan]

Back when you had carts and input devices without little knobs sticking up and could usually withstand being thrown against the wall this was a fine idea. With disc based consoles that can crap out because you let it overheat or let it fill up with dust? I dunno about that. I imagine most of us try to take care of our things, otherwise there's no way we'd be abel to still play our 10+ year old games. But the unwashed masses? I sure as hell wouldn't want to trust them with stuff. Without some lengthy agreement and deposit I wouldn't lend a console to a stranger. Even then you're going to get some jerk that breaks a system, sends it back, and swears until they're blue in the face that "it was working when I send it back" and "I don't even eat cheetos, I have no idea why the controller is orange". Then when you try to keep their deposit or charge them for the damage they'll screw you.

I worked at a store that rented DVDs before and most people are careless assholes that can't be trusted with other people's stuff.

[Nullface]

Yeah no doubt, but you would have feedback from other members and treat it as a trade or something.

[CRTGAMER]

Agree with Hobie. Too much time and effort invested to risk damage or even lost in the mail. The owner will take the most care, not the renter.

Rare systems - expensive and hard to replace.
Last Gen sytems - inexpensive, buy your own, save on the shipping back.
Current Gen systems - online play locked in, no way going to risk the downloads.

Maybe someone local that you personally know might be a better route.
At least you know where your stuff is at.

[Breetai]

F(#% no. No way in hell would that work. Hobie explained why quite well.

If you move around a lot and don't have much space, why not just stick to emulation on your PC, Wii, X-Box or DC? Heck, you can even do it legally with the Wii for a lot of games. The 360 and PS3 offer a lot of retro games as well. The 360 a bit more arcade still, and the PS3 has PS1 and PC Engine stuff (TONS if you buy a Japanese PSN card online).

For the price of shipping a console and some games, you could easily buy a few downloadables or a decent USB gamepad (heck, just use a PS3 or 360 controller on your PC if not a USB Saturn one).

[Nullface]

F(#% no. No way in hell would that work. Hobie explained why quite well.

If you move around a lot and don't have much space, why not just stick to emulation on your PC, Wii, X-Box or DC? Heck, you can even do it legally with the Wii for a lot of games. The 360 and PS3 offer a lot of retro games as well. The 360 a bit more arcade still, and the PS3 has PS1 and PC Engine stuff (TONS if you buy a Japanese PSN card online).

For the price of shipping a console and some games, you could easily buy a few downloadables or a decent USB gamepad (heck, just use a PS3 or 360 controller on your PC if not a USB Saturn one).

Saturn emulation sucks
Playstation 1/2 emulation sucks
No Xbox emulation at all
Still some lag with alot of cd based systems
Playing older games on an LCD monitor is blasphemy
Actual hardware feels better and more responsive

[sevin0seven]

...Even then you're going to get some jerk that breaks a system, sends it back, and swears until they're blue in the face that "it was working when I send it back" and "I don't even eat cheetos, I have no idea why the controller is orange".

[Breetai]

Saturn emulation sucks
1. Playstation 1/2 emulation sucks
2. No Xbox emulation at all
3. Still some lag with alot of cd based systems
4. Playing older games on an LCD monitor is blasphemy
5. Actual hardware feels better and more responsive

1. Saturn emulation is actually pretty decent on the PC.
2. Then use an X-Box as your emulation machine, and buy a Saturn to go next to it.
3. True, but it's not that bad really. It doesn't affect gameplay and it's usually a fraction of a second off, if at all.
4. I didn't tell you to do that. Hook up your PC to a CRT if you want.
5. Can't argue with that, but that isn't really an option for all consoles if you have space issues. For the record, 16-bit an under on the Wii is almost perfect control-wise. It IS perfect if you go the VC route. I have no issues with SNES/MAME and older on X-Box, except the control pad. PC is near perfect on DC and under (haven't tried PS2 on it), depending on your set-up.

For someone transient as yourself, wouldn't emulation/keeping just a few consoles make the most sense until you are settled?

If you were to go with a decent PC, 60GB PS3, modded X-Box and/or modded DC and/or a Wii with the homebrew channel (covers GC games, too), you would have almost all your bases covered. Maybe add-in a PS2 with the ability to play Japanese games, to get some sweet PS1/2 imports.

I currently have a 60GB Japanese PS3, US PS2 and a Wii with the homebrew channel on my TV. The rest of my stuff is in storage. I don't even really miss MAME on the TV, since most of the arcade games I have the PS1/2/PSN/VC versions of (shmups like DoDonPachi, Gradius/Parodius games, SFII, etc.). Sega Saturn USB pads on the PS3 are highly recommended!!!

[Nullface]

Saturn emulation sucks
1. Playstation 1/2 emulation sucks
2. No Xbox emulation at all
3. Still some lag with alot of cd based systems
4. Playing older games on an LCD monitor is blasphemy
5. Actual hardware feels better and more responsive

1. Saturn emulation is actually pretty decent on the PC.
2. Then use an X-Box as your emulation machine, and buy a Saturn to go next to it.
3. True, but it's not that bad really. It doesn't affect gameplay and it's usually a fraction of a second off, if at all.
4. I didn't tell you to do that. Hook up your PC to a CRT if you want.
5. Can't argue with that, but that isn't really an option for all consoles if you have space issues. For the record, 16-bit an under on the Wii is almost perfect control-wise. It IS perfect if you go the VC route. I have no issues with SNES/MAME and older on X-Box, except the control pad. PC is near perfect on DC and under (haven't tried PS2 on it), depending on your set-up.

For someone transient as yourself, wouldn't emulation/keeping just a few consoles make the most sense until you are settled?

If you were to go with a decent PC, 60GB PS3, modded X-Box and/or modded DC and/or a Wii with the homebrew channel (covers GC games, too), you would have almost all your bases covered. Maybe add-in a PS2 with the ability to play Japanese games, to get some sweet PS1/2 imports.

I currently have a 60GB Japanese PS3, US PS2 and a Wii with the homebrew channel on my TV. The rest of my stuff is in storage. I don't even really miss MAME on the TV, since most of the arcade games I have the PS1/2/PSN/VC versions of (shmups like DoDonPachi, Gradius/Parodius games, SFII, etc.). Sega Saturn USB pads on the PS3 are highly recommended!!!

Funny thing is that's my setup really. Besides the PS3. I use my Wii for all emulation except cd based systems. Which is the only systems I buy and mod. Aslo the only computer I have is an old desktop running Linux and a Netbook. So buying the CD based systems are needed for the most part.

[thelolotov]

Would members here be interested in letting other people borrow your stuff while you borrow something of theirs? I have to buy consoles, put modchips in them and play burned games because I don't have space in my apartment and I move alot. I only play each console for about a month then sell it and buy another one and repeat the process. Sometimes going back to the same console after a couple of months. I just bought a Saturn last week so that's what I'm currently using. Would a service like this be worthwhile or interesting to anyone?

Ugh, I would never trust anybody with my stuff. Now I'm wondering what I'm gonna do during college..... Guess it's time to start saving for storage space.