A new downside to digital downloads

[Vita Mayo]

just because im wondering now, How long are the shelf lives of Cart based games?

i know they wont last forever but i have no idea how long circuit boards will last.

Some one with more electronic engineering knowledge than I would be helpful

Carts can outlast us. The consoles have the shorter lifespan. As long as the metallic portion of the cart doesn't corrode it should last a good long time.

This, truly, madly, deeply.

Most of my NES cartridges still work, except for those cartridges that became home of the f****** cockroaches. Most of my PS1 games died already. Cartridges can endure the abuse, CDs just don't. My PS2 DVDs are still well though.

[Menegrothx]

Most of NES cartridges still work, except for those cartridges that became home of the f****** cockroaches.

I'd even say that it is hard to find an Atari 2600 cartridge from late 1970s/early 1980s that does not work.

Cockroaches, in video game cartridges? Eww. I'm glad I dont live in the Philippines

Any one familiar with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_rot
I some times feel kinda reluctant to actually collect CD based games because of things like this and scratching. I've never had problems with Sega CD, Atari Jaguar CD, 3DO, CD-i etc so far though and cartridge and floppy disk games are actually in minority in my collection.

Cassette tape games also suffer from the same problem that casette music has.

[Vita Mayo]

[


Cockroaches, in video game cartridges? Eww. I'm glad I dont live in the Philippines

And I forgot about the lizards too. They lay eggs inside of my NES cartridges. RIP Formation Z.

[Hobie-wan]

Any one familiar with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_rot
I some times feel kinda reluctant to actually collect CD based games because of things like this and scratching.

Disc rot happens because they were manufactured improperly, or one has scratched through the varnish layer on top letting air get at the aluminum. You are probably more likely to encounter music CDs with the problem. Or if you're unlucky like me, you bought a lot of expensive import CDs from an indie record company that were pressed by a factory that screwed up a lot in the early 90s.

[weaponepsilon]

This, truly, madly, deeply.

Most of my NES cartridges still work, except for those cartridges that became home of the f****** cockroaches. Most of my PS1 games died already. Cartridges can endure the abuse, CDs just don't. My PS2 DVDs are still well though.

Hoy kaibigan. Alam mo ba ito? http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Nintendo-NES ... 4ab6d83e46 Pretty good if you need to tame the fauna of Baguio...

[Damm64]

[


Cockroaches, in video game cartridges? Eww. I'm glad I dont live in the Philippines

And I forgot about the lizards too. They lay eggs inside of my NES cartridges. RIP Formation Z.

I have the need to open every single one of my games now...

[BoneSnapDeez]

Any one familiar with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_rot
I some times feel kinda reluctant to actually collect CD based games because of things like this and scratching.

Disc rot happens because they were manufactured improperly, or one has scratched through the varnish layer on top letting air get at the aluminum. You are probably more likely to encounter music CDs with the problem. Or if you're unlucky like me, you bought a lot of expensive import CDs from an indie record company that were pressed by a factory that screwed up a lot in the early 90s.

I concur. The only disc rot I've ever seen are from a handful of DIY/indie CDs I bought back college. I've never seen it on a game disc.