When quantity is quality

[Flojomojo]

An old friend who had a big appetite but not a lot of money used to say, "quantity IS quality." Graduate students and buffets are a match made in heaven.

 

Someone from here posted a link to his Atari 8-Bit computer cartridge collection on eBay, and I was immediately envious and almost tempted to bid. It's over $300 now so I think I'll abstain ... but damn that stuff looked nice. HOT DAMN

 

I'm a 21st century person, practical and anti-clutter, generally preferring modern technology to vintage charm, but there's something about a buttload of variety that is super compelling. Another friend who borrowed Oblivion from me some years back and 100%'ed it while I only dabbled in a few quests said he was like a dog with a bone, and I was like a kid with a bag of Skittles. Lots of little things are great! OH YEAH

 

I remember trading away my N64 and a handful of games for 20+ Playstation launch-era games, only to buy a new N64 when Goldeneye launched. SO MANY

 

And don't get me started on the jumbo multipacks that are the Flashback systems, all packaged to look like old games. OH MY GOD

 

I stumbled across this lot when looking at the Atari 8-Bit computer cartridge collection. I think cartridges are inefficient and dumb, and I have most of the non-rare games in this lot, but JUST LOOK AT IT

[JDTAY]

E.T. and Pac-Man??? Quality overload!

 

(Seriously though, this post reminds me that carts and boxes are half the fun of Atari games. Poor Steam users are missing out.)

[BassGuitari]

It's definitely part of the appeal! I can easily identify it as one reason I love collecting for the Atari VCS and VIC-20. The variety of cartridge shapes and styles from different publishers alone is stimulating.

On the other hand, with systems like the Odyssey 2 and Atari 7800, there's something to be said for utilitarian uniformity, as well. Especially if you have obsessive-compulsive tendencies like I do.

(I'd collect more for the Atari 800 but $$$$$ so I more or less stick to the "greatest hits" and the odd cheapish "deep cut" cart here and there like Journey To The Planets or something.)

[Flojomojo]

Poor Steam users are missing out.

 

Kinda -- but cartridge-only people are missing out on the joys of firing up Big Screen Mode in Steam and seeing all the arcade-style marquees for everything in the library, and installing on demand. Thanks to my own obsessive problems, and many bundles and sales, I have over 1000 games in my Steam library.

[Tanooki]

True but Steam members are missing out on the joys of ownership and all that entails vs just basically a digital lease with a DRM loader on the front of it.

[TPA5]

True but Steam members are missing out on the joys of ownership and all that entails vs just basically a digital lease with a DRM loader on the front of it.

 

Steam users also miss out on the joys of not being able to play their bleeding games because they aren't connected to the bleeding internet.

 

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

 

I really enjoy physical media. Even with an e-reader and a tablet, my favourite way to read books is with a physical copy. And there's something very satisfying about the "click" of a cartridge when you slap it in the console. Or the whirr of a disk-drive when you insert a CD game.

Edited June 28, 2017 by TPA5

[accousticguitar]

That is nice all right, but when I see a lot of 69 games going for $300 I just think how nice it is to have my Ultimate Atari Cart for 1/3 the price.

[Tanooki]

And I look at the price of some MVS games and smile knowing I have my banana cart which has 161in1 on there (more like around 100 after hacks) which include some expensive things like Viewpoint and Money Idol Exchanger. I'd take a multi-cart over a DRM shuttered rom dump and emulator. There would have to be something special, like that NES/SNES CE or the HD Genesis from ATgames to make me change my mind. Steam vs Stella +some downloads, no thanks.

[Flojomojo]

Steam users also miss out on the joys of not being able to play their bleeding games because they aren't connected to the bleeding internet.

 

I've heard of people like that, though not many Steam users making that complaint. Do they have outdoor toilets, too? Internet access is like running water around me. I suppose I like comfort, not really one for "roughing it," which is why I like video games in the first place.

[CatPix]

Steam users miss out on price cuts too.

I mean when the same game, released day one (so there is no Steam sales in action) both cost 60$/€, physical and on Steam.. Are you shitting me? I mean, you're not even TRYING?

[Flojomojo]

Anyone paying full price on Steam is doing it wrong.

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/28-06-2017-steam-summer-sale-2017-best-deals-cheapest-games-biggest-bargains-when-does-the-steam-sale-end

[CatPix]

Well it's why I said "day one".

Else yeah, You can wait 40 years and any game will be abandonware...

[Skippy B. Coyote]

It's that classic conflict between the collector and player sides of a gaming enthusiast. Part of you always wants to have a big massive shelf/drawer/whatever of cartridges to look at and ogle over and think to yourself "Look at all these wonderful things I have!" Then there's the other more logical part of you that says "How many of those am I actually going to spend any decent amount of time playing?" The problem is compounded further if you're on a tight budget, because then that rational player side also has to contemplate the cost of said stack of games and try to validate the expense.

 

In short, unless you're incredibly passionate about whatever system you're collecting physical games for and know you'll spend more than your money's worth of time playing every game you buy for it then there's always going to be that conflict of interests to deal with. Personally I've never found a good solution for it, but the fine folks of AtariAge be the first to know if I ever do.

Edited June 28, 2017 by Jin

[CatPix]

What bothers me with Steam (and many DVD released games today anyway) is that you no longer have a hold of the game data.

Steam always said that if they were to close, they would make it so that connection to their servers isn't required for peopel to play with. But what if they lie? What about the peope lthat remove games from their comptuer to get more room, how will they access their game data again?

Even if it's jsut a plastic box with no refined collectibles of even a decent artwork, a physical media allow you to have the game, and to install it and play it at your will.

With Steam, you can only hope that theiy will always be there and always allow you to download your games at mush as you want.

[Flojomojo]

In my case, it would probably be an improvement to my mental and physical health for it to go away. Computer games aren't a great use of time or money anyway! Life would go on. I bought these to enjoy today, not necessarily to keep for fifty years.

 

I've purged a lot of old crap from my life. It's a good feeling. It would be a drag to lose Steam, GOG, PSN, App Store, Humble Bundle, or other outlets, but I doubt they'd all vanish at once.

 

Except in the case of an electromagnetic pulse or something ...in which case we would all have other things to worry about.

[homerhomer]

Gaming services like steam are amazing but they miss out on the physical tangable quality that carts had. There just so much more than playing that game. The details that went into making it a thing.

 

Arcades are a perfect example of this. I like playing games on MAME, but give me the real arcade cabinet any day. The bezels, little logos, just it's physical presence. All awesome.

 

Now if that arcade game didn't have a cabinet it would still be fun but...

Edited July 9, 2017 by homerhomer

[TPA5]

 

I've heard of people like that, though not many Steam users making that complaint. Do they have outdoor toilets, too? Internet access is like running water around me. I suppose I like comfort, not really one for "roughing it," which is why I like video games in the first place.

Try living in rural Canada. Internet out here ain't the same.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Flojomojo]

Try living in rural Canada. Internet out here ain't the same.

 

No thanks!