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[Moonjt9]

I have a pvm and a bunch of retro games and systems and while yes emulation is easy and accessible, you can’t beat the original thing. That said, nothing wrong with people enjoying emulation on modern displays. The more people enjoying retro games the better!

As far as collecting goes, it’s really hard to find games anymore. eBay is becoming the only place to even find games to buy, so it really has become just looking at auctions and trying to get deals that way, or the occasional BIN for a lower than average price.

I go to a local game market every few months and even though it’s higher priced I just pick out one game and get it. Spreads out my expense over a longer period and I slowly build a curated collection. Yeah I’ll never find a grail like Chrono trigger for cheap, but then that time has passed, and just have to adapt expectations to the new paradigm.

The WATA and huge auctions stuff is an obvious scam by big money collectors of comics and other things. The quicker people realize that and ignore that stuff the better retro game prices will be.

 

[MrFunSocks]

I find it crazy that some people prefer sharp pixels over a CRT/scanline look, old games were never meant to be displayed that sharp. You lose something in the artistry with raw pixels, the graphics were designed to benefit from a CRT display.

Using retroarch you can use filters to make the games look like they’re played on a CRT. Looks amazing.

I don’t agree with the “nothing beats the real thing” in regards to some people’s opinions on emulation. Emulation can be made to be identical to the real thing, or much, much better.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Using retroarch you can use filters to make the games look like they’re played on a CRT. Looks amazing.

I don’t agree with the “nothing beats the real thing” in regards to some people’s opinions on emulation. Emulation can be made to be identical to the real thing, or much, much better.

They can look better than without shaders, but it still is nowhere near the same level as original hardware.

 

[SpongebobSquaredance]

There are way to many advantages with emulation these days: mods changing gameplay or graphics, mods & hacks that improve upon the original game, widescreen, 60 FPS, shaders, controller mapping, rewind, save states, the convenience of having the game digitally etc. etc.

This will just further advance and in plenty if not most cases it is the best way to play the game. I'll take all the additions that emulation brings to the table over the visual improvements of a real CRT.

 

[SegaShack]

Emulation is to emulate, aka to try and be like something. I've always been into the original hardware. In Highschool I remember someone playing Banjo Kazooie on their PC and it looked so clean and fake. Some are into that but it's not my thing.

Get some everdrives and call it a day. Hardware isn't expensive unless youre looking for a 3DO or something obscure, or arcade games.

 

[MrFunSocks]

They can look better than without shaders, but it still is nowhere near the same level as original hardware.

Why do you say that?

 

[DGrayson]

I never thought that emulation could match the original experience but its diminishing returns. I'm fine with an experience of 90%+ to the original

 

[shoplifter]

I've been sitting on around 4000 various titles in my collection, and have come to the conclusion that for all of the enjoyment I had in collecting them, all they do is sit on my shelves and take up space. My kids aren't interested in playing any of it. I'm just going to start liquidating it all. It was a better investment than the stock market, so I'm not gonna feel too bad about it.

 

[Drizzlehell]

Thanks for providing the summary OP, saves me 18 minutes of watching some bozos that would probably just annoy me for the reasons that you already outlined.

 

[DGrayson]

I've been sitting on around 4000 various titles in my collection, and have come to the conclusion that for all of the enjoyment I had in collecting them, all they do is sit on my shelves and take up space. My kids aren't interested in playing any of it. I'm just going to start liquidating it all. It was a better investment than the stock market, so I'm not gonna feel too bad about it.

Message me If you want some tips on selling a collection

 

[cireza]

This has nothing to do with the emulation per se, and more to the screen you are outputting to.

I am well aware of this as stated in the very post you are quoting. This is still going to require a lot of stuff, tweaking etc... compared to a plug and play console. You are still going to resort to emulators, and won't be using original controllers. Also you can get RGB through SCART on consoles, not sure that you can get the same thing with your Raspberry.

 

[shoplifter]

Message me If you want some tips on selling a collection

more likely i'll be piecing and parting out the majority of it, then bulking the 'non-valuable' stuff

 

[cireza]

Using retroarch you can use filters to make the games look like they’re played on a CRT. Looks amazing.

No filter in the world fixes the inherent problems of modern displays with motion blur.

 

[DGrayson]

more likely i'll be piecing and parting out the majority of it, then bulking the 'non-valuable' stuff

Ya thats the strategy I used

 

[InfiniteCombo]

I never thought that emulation could match the original experience but its diminishing returns. I'm fine with an experience of 90%+ to the original

This can't be said loudly enough.

There is some portion of the retro gaming community that is fairly obnoxious with their pursuit of "perfection" (whatever the hell that means). And they never seem to be happy anyway.

In the past, it used to be the "lag" people, until they were proven to be full of shit because any perceived lag in emulators was either not perceived by most players, or didn't really matter.

Now it's the "image quality" people. I posted some pictures of a game in one of our retro threads (I think it was the RetroTINK-5X thread) and someone came in all like "that looks horrible! Ghosting! Artifacts! What equipment are your using?") and when I explained that it was a RetroTINK upscaler with an original console with RGB SCART cables from Retro Access.... They never came back to the thread.

It's like a lot of these people just parrot terms they see on forums or hear from YouTubers, without even understanding what the fuck they're talking about. For some, it's become a fetish.

TL;DR I play both emulated games and on original consoles. And like you said, emulation is perfectly fine for 90% of uses (I'd argue higher).

 

[Mr Rawnch]

I think this behavior contributes to the high cost of new games today. Developers see what people are willing to pay, so we keep getting incomplete, DLC-ridden, Kinko's filled collectors editions of 'ok' games.

I remember when EB games handed out party favors just because people bought the game on day one. Yeah, you would get stuff like posters, stickers, keychains, figurines, etc. Fast forward -- now people are willing to pay three to four times over MRSP to have stuff you can get done at a local printing shop.

EDIT: This is why I think there is a good opportunity for reproduction games. Yes, I think they should say "Repro" on the label to keep things ethical. It's a good route to go for those who are looking for some kind of physical representation of a catalog without breaking the bank.

Always physical shouldn't mean always broke.

 

[Kazza]

A new HappyConsoleGamer videos for the haters who said that he was just another youtube game collector (not that any of them bothered to watch the video in the OP...):




In the video, he invites an old childhood friend to discuss his GOAT game, Phantasy Star on the Master System. The friend talks about how he and a bunch of friends had to drive to the US from Canada in order to buy it, and how they then all took turns playing it in the back of a van in an American camping site, before driving back to Canada (which is when the HappyConsoleGamer would first see the game). He managed to buy the exact copy of the game they are talking about, which shows how much it means the physical copy to him. I think he could tell a good, personal story about pretty much every item in his collection.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

 

[ArgleBargleFooferah]

Collecting just before Ebay existed and added a dollar value to everything was the golden age.

Price charting hasn't helped.

Game collecting is exhibiting all the same problems that comics did in the 90s when people speculated on/overinflated prices and catered to completionists with OCD.

 

[ArtemisClydeFrog]

A new HappyConsoleGamer videos for the haters who said that he was just another youtube game collector (not that any of them bothered to watch the video in the OP...):

I'm not going to watch that one either with the cringe thumbnail. Who is attracted to these types of videos, 12 year olds with ADHD?

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

Isn't Happyconsolegamer one of the paid shills by Nintendo to review the switch using the exact same script/words and give an "honest" review.

 

[dave_d]

Price charting hasn't helped.

Game collecting is exhibiting all the same problems that comics did in the 90s when people speculated on/overinflated prices and catered to completionists with OCD.

When a game as terrible as Spiderman Web of Fire goes for that much you know there's a problem. (Ok, so I'm perturbed I sold mine for $80 in the early 2000. Who's going to want a terrible game for an unpopular system I thought.)

 

[Impotaku]

Isn't Happyconsolegamer one of the paid shills by Nintendo to review the switch using the exact same script/words and give an "honest" review.

Yup him & quite a few others did pretty fake shilltastic reviews of the switch i remember a video where they were all called out over it and a montage of all the selling points nintendo told them to say & all of them did the exact thing it was pretty hilarious to watch. Hence me only using youtube for seeing game footage & thats pretty much it, reviews i use my own judgement as youtubers are totally untrustworthy.

 

[AmuroChan]

I've been sitting on around 4000 various titles in my collection, and have come to the conclusion that for all of the enjoyment I had in collecting them, all they do is sit on my shelves and take up space. My kids aren't interested in playing any of it. I'm just going to start liquidating it all. It was a better investment than the stock market, so I'm not gonna feel too bad about it.

That happened to me last year. I had a huge collection of games dating back to the mid-80s. Last year as we were preparing to move to another house I decided to sell my collection because it was just taking up so much space. All in all I netted about 35K. I still have about 500 or so games left from my collection, but it was the right decision and I don't regret it one bit.

 

[GamingKaiju]

I tried to get into it years ago but trying to hunt down every console and game even the rare stuff must be a headache this is before we even get into the resource element of collecting and storing such a huge amount of games and consoles.

 

[JORMBO]

I keep all my current stuff now rather then trading stuff in or selling when I was younger. For the retro stuff it is easier to just emulate things now. As an RPG fan all the older games I would want to buy are $100+ on EBay. I have a small collection of older games that are classics to me, but all that I can fit on to a single shelf. Most of those games are just stuff I kept from a long time ago though rather then anything I paid a ton for recently.

 

[McCheese]

I've been contemplating clearing out some of my stuff, initially there was no other way to really play them as emulation was shitty so I kept them around, but other than the N64 almost everything older than that has a cycle accurate FPGA core now which just gives the exact same experience but without bags of expensive cables and step-down converters clogging up an entire room.

I was pricing up some of my collection today with a quick look on ebay, and it's really shot up the past few years to "it's fucking stupid" prices, my Neo-Geo AES collection could pay for both kids to go to uni; and as you get older you realise all the, not sure the word, but mental debt having a collection builds up, constantly worrying about it, checking it's all stored safe, finding space for it.

My advice would be to get a MisterFPGA, save a fortune and have an entire 90's console collection that can fit in a shoebox.

 

[nush]

Price charting hasn't helped.

Game collecting is exhibiting all the same problems that comics did in the 90s when people speculated on/overinflated prices and catered to completionists with OCD.

I have in my possession actual shipped production numbers of console games across a number of generations. Actual hard internal data, that I'm not going to release because it's editable and people would abuse it.

Let me tell you that the price charting and rarity ratings are for the most part absolute bollocks. I like the idea that there factual data of an actual rarest game that people completely ignore and devalue (Sub 1K units made) and that people that could own the rarest game have no idea. While another game with production numbers up at 30K is selling for three times the price.

If I named that rarest game the price would shoot right up and people would hoard them. So there you go collecting buddies just in it for the games not the value you can easily get the rarest game and you might already own it.

 

[ArgleBargleFooferah]

I have in my possession actual shipped production numbers of console games across a number of generations. Actual hard internal data, that I'm not going to release because it's editable and people would abuse it.

Did you get it from your uncle that works at Nintendo?

 

[nush]

Did you get it from your uncle that works at Nintendo?

I am the uncle that works at Nintendo.

 

[MrFunSocks]

A new HappyConsoleGamer videos for the haters who said that he was just another youtube game collector (not that any of them bothered to watch the video in the OP...):




In the video, he invites an old childhood friend to discuss his GOAT game, Phantasy Star on the Master System. The friend talks about how he and a bunch of friends had to drive to the US from Canada in order to buy it, and how they then all took turns playing it in the back of a van in an American camping site, before driving back to Canada (which is when the HappyConsoleGamer would first see the game). He managed to buy the exact copy of the game they are talking about, which shows how much it means the physical copy to him. I think he could tell a good, personal story about pretty much every item in his collection.

That's great, but people like that are the 0.1%. I also have fond memories of gaming as a child, importing games from overseas because here in Australia we got inferior PAL versions that literally ran a slowed down version of the game due to 50hz vs 60hz, but cherishing those memories and having a need to have a physical copy of the game on a shelf somewhere are 2 completely different things. Probably my favourite game of all time is Sonic 2. I've still got the original copy of mine somewhere, packed away in storage. I own half a dozen digital copies of it too, and those ones don't give me any less nostalgia than the physical megadrive one.

Digital copies and emulation have pretty much completely removed any value other than sentiment from old games. I can play battletoads on a dozen different machines at 99.9% the same it plays on a NES with an original copy, so the original copy is worth next to nothing dollar wise IMO.

 

[Dr. Claus]

The more I read from some of the folks in this thread, the more I question if y'all even like games and instead just want to bitch about them and those that like them.

 

[rofif]

Retro game collecting is larger than it's ever been and only continues getting bigger.

That's not the point of a video.
He complains about prices being inaccessible for normal people

 

[McCheese]

That's not the point of a video.
He complains about prices being inaccessible for normal people

This is just as much a problem with companies not creating a digital catalog of their old titles.

Folks who just want to spend a few quid to play a game they remember from their childhood again, just need a proper "PlayStation Museum" or Nintendo "Virtual console" app that has their full catalogue and retains your purchases across console generations, or even a subscription model.

Having someone to buy an old console and game, and then figure out how to maintain it and use it on a modern TV.. that's not the best route, even if it was cheaper.

Imagine if you could only digitally buy albums released in the past 5 years, it's madness that console manufacturers haven't rewritten their contracts to facilitate this sort of digital archive already.

 

[Dr. Claus]

This is just as much a problem with companies not creating a digital catalog of their old titles.

Folks who just want to spend a few quid to play a game they remember from their childhood again, just need a proper "PlayStation Museum" or Nintendo "Virtual console" app that has their full catalogue and retains your purchases across console generations, or even a subscription model.

Having someone to buy an old console and game, and then figure out how to maintain it and use it on a modern TV.. that's not the best route, even if it was cheaper.

Imagine if you could only digitally buy albums released in the past 5 years, it's madness that console manufacturers haven't rewritten their contracts to facilitate this sort of digital archive already.

It isn't as simple as re-writing contracts. There are a lot of moving parts in the development and retail of games, from who owns the IPs, who starred in them, who owns publishing rights, who owns the music rights, etc. Sure this is less of an issue for a game like Super Mario Bros. than it is for Need for Speed Underground 2, but it isn't as simple as "rewriting contracts" at that point.

Plus, if a company can earn more money - they are going to try everything to earn more money.

 

[nush]

importing games from overseas because here in Australia we got inferior PAL versions that literally ran a slowed down version of the game due to 50hz vs 60hz,

As a British guy gaming in the 90's

 

[Havoc2049]

A new HappyConsoleGamer videos for the haters who said that he was just another youtube game collector (not that any of them bothered to watch the video in the OP...):




In the video, he invites an old childhood friend to discuss his GOAT game, Phantasy Star on the Master System. The friend talks about how he and a bunch of friends had to drive to the US from Canada in order to buy it, and how they then all took turns playing it in the back of a van in an American camping site, before driving back to Canada (which is when the HappyConsoleGamer would first see the game). He managed to buy the exact copy of the game they are talking about, which shows how much it means the physical copy to him. I think he could tell a good, personal story about pretty much every item in his collection.

Great story. Cool episode.

As for retro gaming on original hardware and games, ya the prices are way too much now and it isn't worth it in my opinion. I have a fairly large retro collection, but I've pretty much stopped buying retro games and just play what I have. Paying $100 to $1000+ for a single retro game isn't worth it for me.

I'm mainly a contemporary/modern gamer who's retro collection has happened naturally over time. Many of the games in my collection I bought at retail or used right after that current gen ended and a new gen began. Screw paying collectable or investment prices for games, unless it is just as an investment.

 

[Inviusx]

I'm not sure who's worse, the retro game collectors or the CRT people.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Great story. Cool episode.

As for retro gaming on original hardware and games, ya the prices are way too much now and it isn't worth it in my opinion. I have a fairly large retro collection, but I've pretty much stopped buying retro games and just play what I have. Paying $100 to $1000+ for a single retro game isn't worth it for me.

I'm mainly a contemporary/modern gamer who's retro collection has happened naturally over time. Many of the games in my collection I bought at retail or used right after that current gen ended and a new gen began. Screw paying collectable or investment prices for games, unless it is just as an investment.

One of the reasons I have moved to buying JPN versions. Typically non-censored for the games I enjoy and far, far cheaper. Plus almost always CIB.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

One of the reasons I have moved to buying JPN versions. Typically non-censored for the games I enjoy and far, far cheaper. Plus almost always CIB.

Actually its the Japanese games that get censored the most. Yes they have their Lolita porn and DVD sections open to public like its nothing but surprisingly in games they try to censor a lot of stuff. Hence the reason tentacle porn exists, there is no official rule like there is for regular porn so it gets everywhere.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Actually its the Japanese games that get censored the most. Yes they have their Lolita porn and DVD sections open to public like its nothing but surprisingly in games they try to censor a lot of stuff. Hence the reason tentacle porn exists, there is no official rule like there is for regular porn so it gets everywhere.

...I am not talking about porn games here, mate. Actual, real video games. We have an entire thread dedicated to the issue with unneeded western censorship of JPN properties. I suggest you take a look at it. Censorship |OT|

 

[P.Jack]

Price charting hasn't helped.

Game collecting is exhibiting all the same problems that comics did in the 90s when people speculated on/overinflated prices and catered to completionists with OCD.

This indirectly affects me. I buy games to play and bought most of my retro games back when they where somewhat cheap. I have a almost complete shmup collection for saturn and checking price charting makes me wonder if I should even continue using my discs. Same with my old nintendo games; do I let my kid play with them knowing their worth?

At the end of the day I try not to think about it and instead keep in mind what I payed for them. Games are meant to be played goddammit!

 

[Great Hair]

 

[The Pleasure]

No filter in the world fixes the inherent problems of modern displays with motion blur.

They call thecfix plasma. There was a tv there once. It's gone now.

 

[cireza]

They call thecfix plasma. There was a tv there once. It's gone now.

You did not expect the better technology to actually win ? Come on, you know how dumb the world is.

 

[SALMORE]

yesterday i picked up a complete copy of the original Crash on ps1 for 2$ !! just sayin

 

[PayoLoko]

A lot of the problems gaming has these days is a result of them exploiting the obsessive compulsive crowd.

Yeah man... I agree completely

 

[TheDreadLord]

I've been contemplating clearing out some of my stuff, initially there was no other way to really play them as emulation was shitty so I kept them around, but other than the N64 almost everything older than that has a cycle accurate FPGA core now which just gives the exact same experience but without bags of expensive cables and step-down converters clogging up an entire room.

I was pricing up some of my collection today with a quick look on ebay, and it's really shot up the past few years to "it's fucking stupid" prices, my Neo-Geo AES collection could pay for both kids to go to uni; and as you get older you realise all the, not sure the word, but mental debt having a collection builds up, constantly worrying about it, checking it's all stored safe, finding space for it.

My advice would be to get a MisterFPGA, save a fortune and have an entire 90's console collection that can fit in a shoebox.

Getting a Mister FPGA is the next thing I will do. The emulation (if you can call that) is almost 1:1. If you notice any difference is because you are trying hard to find one (that perhaps is only in your head).

 

[AlteredForms]

Unlike most people in this thread I’m not personally interested in starting large collection for series that I don’t think about too often. I’m a huge Ultima, Wizardry, M&M and Elder Scrolls fan and would collect games in those series and be content as they’re the hallmarks of the RPG genre.