replacement Sega CDs case competition

[bradhig1]

 

 

Two companies compete ting to make replacement Sega CD , Saturn , and Long Playstation cases. Never had any games that came in them. Got cut by a normal jewel case once. Are these things really that badly designed and fall apart easily?

[spacecadet]

Are these things really that badly designed and fall apart easily?

 

The originals, you mean? In my experience, no - it's exaggerated. They *are* more fragile than some other case designs, but I think the main problem is just that a lot of people don't take care of their games. Look at games for *any* system on Ebay. I mean I'm pretty careful with what I buy, but still 3 out of the 5 Wii and Wii U games I've bought on Ebay recently have had busted up cases (you just couldn't see it in the pics). Look at how many NES, SNES, N64 or Atari games don't even have a box at all - either people threw them out or they wore out from use (or misuse).

 

So the Saturn/Sega CD case thing has always been one of those gaming myths that's just gotten stronger as time goes by. It's kind of a groupthink thing. One person made a joke about it once, somebody laughed, then they made the same joke, and on it spread until it was accepted as fact.

 

I think one problem is that the Saturn came in between some of the toughest case designs out there... after the Genesis with its clamshells and before the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube with their own version of a modern disc-based clamshell. Compared to those, yes the Saturn cases are very fragile. But even compared to the PS1's jewel boxes (and Saturn's in Japan), I don't think the Saturn's US big cases were any more prone to breakage.

 

I think the big reason for this competition to make new cases is that these are totally proprietary - you can't get them any other way anymore - and the Saturn never sold well enough in the US for there to be a large number of spares floating around. That said, I did buy a 10 pack of original Sega blank cases just after the Saturn's demise in the US, and I still have 2 or 3 of them left unused after all this time.

[+GoldLeader]

I think if you bought the games when they were NEW, then kept them in your collection, they're probably just fine.

 

OTOH, If you ever bought any of them used,....Good luck!

 

I agree with Space Cadet that people don't take care of their games, but also that some things break way too easily in shipping. If you've ever bought Sega CD games, PS1, Saturn, or even CDs and had them shipped, you've probably seen busted and cracked cases. Unless you got a good seller, selling mint cases, and bubble wrapping them, maybe putting those into a box in another box...

 

In fact if you've ever found such a game at a pawn shop or thrift store, or yard sale, you've seen cracked cases...

 

And if we're talking about CD jewel cases, it used to be easy enough to buy replacement cases. I used to get them cheap at my local CD and record store...

 

Unfortunately they didn't sell Sega CD cases...

 

So, this is good news!

[spacecadet]

I'm not saying Saturn cases didn't crack, just that I don't think they cracked really any more often than other systems' games on sale at that time, or most other systems' games before or since.

 

Tons of my Japanese Saturn game cases are cracked and those are just in regular jewel cases. I bought most of my PS1 games new so they're mostly ok, but I've got a lot of music CD cases that are cracked and those are the same jewel cases. The difference is just that you can pick up jewel cases all over the place, even today, so people don't complain about them as much. I think it's mainly the lack of supply for Saturn replacement cases that made them such a hot topic and forced people to treat them as if they were Faberge eggs. If you *did* crack one of your cases, there was nothing you could do about it short of buying a common game and raiding it for its case. But it's hard to find common games with really good cases (especially now that so many people have already raided them).

[+wood_jl]

I have a lot of Saturn games, I am careful with all of my game cases, and my Saturn cases cracked and broke like Mo-fos anyway. I think they are more fragile. The tabs on the front part (where the little nubs are that function as a hinge) seemed to warp over time and stick out (rendering the case into two pieces) and becoming even more vulnerable. In my opinion, it was an absolutely terrible design choice. The only advantage was the nice game art on display so large. Like CD jewel cases, it's also some of the most easily-scratched plastic I've seen.

 

Of course, many/most of my Saturn titles were purchased used, so many were broken already and yes - many people don't take care of their games and will break anything. This, however, does not negate that fact that the Saturn (Sega CD, early PS1) cases are indeed more often broken than not. It seems rare to find a game with an intact case, in my experience.

 

I tossed all my broken Saturn cases and put the games into a CD binder booklet, but kept all the artwork and manuals. If these cases are ever offered reasonably, I'd be down to buy them back, however!

[djour]

I know many people only like original anything, but for many of us this isn't as important or an option. I made custom cases and discs for my SEGA CD collection. I used easily available 7mm thinpack DVD cases. They are very durable and inexpensive.

 

I used lightscribe for the CDs and adjusted available artwork for the inserts to fit the 7mm size. I have all of the files and will gladly share with anyone who would like them.

 

The entire SEGA CD library fits on 6 shelves of a small bookcase.

 

[spacecadet]

It seems rare to find a game with an intact case, in my experience.

 

Well then I've got to have a pretty valuable collection, because not one of my US Saturn cases is cracked or broken. (As I said, many of my Japanese games have broken cases that I just haven't bothered replacing.) And I've only had to replace a few cases over the years, but then I've had to replace a few cases for every system I own.

Edited May 6, 2018 by spacecadet