Game Collecting Burnout

Myrddin

So, some of you will know that I've packed some systems away as I don't really have the space for them currently. The wip bartop unit will fill the void until I've more options for displaying them, so all is well for now. A strange thing has occurred though, now that I've only five consoles & there games on display (360. PS3. PS4, Wii & Wii U, I find myself somewhat rejuvenated in terms of collecting again.

It wasn't until I watched this video that I sort of understood why that was. I'm seriously looking at my Wii collection & am very tempted to focus on just that for a while, similarly the PS3 & Gamecube. I think when I had everything out on display, I couldn't just focus on one machine, & the collection just seemed to blur together into one big monster, rather than little subsets of collections. Anyway, whatever, I found the vid somewhat interesting

elfy4eva

I agree it can be very overwhelming trying to keep an ordered collection on display especially with new consoles coming out by the barrel-load lately. I've stored away away most of my retro gear, but I keep a small side table with easy access to power sockets and the back of the telly so I can quickly set one up if I ever get the urge

Jack burton

I was also just listening to that podcast yesterday and Ian was talking about curating his Pc engine collection. Really got my thinking of whittling down collections for systems so no matter what you go to your shelf to play is going to be gold.

Going for full collections really does burn you out, especially for us lads here because we're are a lot of ebay and online purchasers. Not like we have a ton of sunday markets for hunting in

Myrddin

Jack burton wrote: »

I was also just listening to that podcast yesterday and Ian was talking about curating his Pc engine collection. Really got my thinking of whittling down collections for systems so no matter what you go to your shelf to play is going to be gold.

Going for full collections really does burn you out, especially for us lads here because we're are a lot of ebay and online purchasers. Not like we have a ton of sunday markets for hunting in

Yeah I thought that was a good point he made. Not that'd I'd be going for a complete collection for any system, but I've so much to buy for every systems, still tons of games to get...& as a whole it just seems like it's impossible to get anywhere without spending huge money. By removing a lot of systems from the equation, the added focus this gives seems makes collecting seem a little bit fresh again. Granted those systems not in use will go neglected for the time being, but without thousands to spend, you simply have to prioritize

OwaynOTT

I found that I suffered seriously from collecting creep where I ended up getting stuff I never originally intended to get and half the time never actually played the games.
I had started out back years ago to get all the Mario games available and at one stage had a fair chunk of them but a lot of them were crap or just not worth it - like Mario Party 3 - and it became more about finding the stuff for cheap and getting it than actually playing the game (at times).
I found that it no longer was about just Mario games when I discovered some really great titles that I had never heard of before and started looking out for those as well. So the likes of Sega Saturn, Megadrive, Dreamcast, Neo Geo Aes, Neo Geo Pocket, and PS1 were being added to my collection and it spiralled out of control. And I was looking out for good famicom AV, turbo express, turbo duo deals.
Eventually when I went back to college I realised I would have to sell of most of my stuff due to less working hours and the missus being made redundant. At first I was slightly miffed but now I don't mind as much. The burden of collecting stuff before it becomes too expensive, or its too cheap to pass up and good that looks cool were lifted and I found I actual started to play more - I nearly 200 hours on Fire Emblem on gamecube and 3ds. At the moment I'm only getting 3ds stuff, maybe WiiU stuff in the future, cheap and good Wii stuff and picking up the one or two gamecube stuff I haven't got (not much here to be honest).
Somewhere along the line I will get some sort of cab as well and maybe in a few years - when hopefully the market has crashed - I might go back to collecting for other systems.


It is a real pity we don't have a market like the US or even the UK here. Where we can still pick up a lot of stuff in the wild. I got Fire Emblem for the Wii the other day in Gamestop and I was mightily chuffed with myself.
Could yu imagine just browsing some stall and picking up Ninja Gaiden Trilogy for the Snes or even a Pocky and Rocky.

Myrddin

OwaynOTT wrote: »

The burden of collecting stuff before it becomes too expensive, or its too cheap to pass up

That's been a huge thing for me over the years...you simply can't keep up, not without limitless cash. Removing systems from the equation has helped reduce that 'pressure' somewhat, but it's only a blindfold really as I'll go back to them later on & the games I've wanted will have increased in price

OwaynOTT

Myrddin wrote: »

That's been a huge thing for me over the years...you simply can't keep up, not without limitless cash. Removing systems from the equation has helped reduce that 'pressure' somewhat, but it's only a blindfold really as I'll go back to them later on & the games I've wanted will have increased in price

Cash is not the only issue, time is another big factor. I don't have that much time to spare to the pursuit of princesses and unless a game is definitely going to get the attention it deserves - like the at least 50 hours that Fire Emblem needs - it won't be bought no matter how cheap it is at with only a few mins to go on the auction.
Handhelds are great in my view and I can really get my teeth into games there. And the vita, psp, 3ds, ds, gameboy, gba, and other handhelds mean there is a massive catalogue of quality stuff to choose from and usually at a nice price.

Myrddin

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Cash is not the only issue, time is another big factor. I don't have that much time to spare to the pursuit of princesses and unless a game is definitely going to get the attention it deserves - like the at least 50 hours that Fire Emblem needs - it won't be bought no matter how cheap it is at with only a few mins to go on the auction.
Handhelds are great in my view and I can really get my teeth into games there. And the vita, psp, 3ds, ds, gameboy, gba, and other handhelds mean there is a massive catalogue of quality stuff to choose from and usually at a nice price.

I'm less worried about having the time to play them, & more so increasing cost as time goes by. In my mind, once they're there...they're there...& Ill get to them eventually. This mindset in itself is a problem, & adds to the sometimes frantic & irrational nature of retro collecting.

Admittedly, I struggle with handheld gaming...I just don't enjoy it as much I do console gaming for whatever reason. I know there's some amazing handheld games, I think it's more to do with the less immersive nature of those systems though for me

CiDeRmAn

I think, because of the gradual, incremental and Mrs Ciderman would say insidious nature of my own personal collecting habit I have simply collected very slowly over 15 years now.
I'm not so worried about not getting to finish all of them.
I'm not even worried about not getting to play all of them, at least on any kind of regular or in some cases annual basis.
It's kinda cool to know, if you ever wanted to play Super Ghouls'n Ghosts that you can put your hand on it and be playing it in a matter of minutes.
A lot of them are steeped in nostalgia and just seeing the menu screen brings you somewhere else, or rather somewhen else.
So, I won't be bundling anything into storage anytime soon, unless I can go in there with them all!

Atavan-Halen

I can definitely understand being burned out by collecting and some really good points mentioned that I can relate to. I too also enjoy the thrill of the hunt so to speak and will definitely pick something up if it's going cheap if even if I'm not interested in the series or have no intention of playing it. I never really had a goal or focus when I started collecting retro stuff 6 or so years ago apart from collecting pokemon stuff so my collection is a mish-mash of everything. From the start of this year or so I have kinda felt that I have way too much stuff and I am running out of space so maybe it's time to cut back on buying so much stuff. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not going to stop collecting altogether but maybe just go for the stuff I really do want instead of buying lots of stuff I'm not fully interested in.

I am lucky in a way that although I'm not loaded by any means, I have no real bills and about 85% of my wages is disposable income so I can spend it all on games if I want. However lately I've been focusing my efforts and finances on other interests in my life like music, by going to lots of gigs this year and getting tattooed (not to everyone's taste but always been a love of mine :P), and I'm really enjoying it. It also gives me time to revisit my collection and play games I've started but never finished rather than playing new stuff I've bought for an hour and then leaving it on the shelf.

Now this post isn't to say I've lost interest in games altogether or I'm stopping for good, definitely not happening, but rather to say sometimes it's nice to take a little break and focus on other interests from time to time

o1s1n

There's a difference between collecting and hoarding. Collecting sets aims and goals which you can achieve, there's a purpose to it.

I started off with a hoarder mentality as things were very cheap and I had a feeling they were only going to increase. So tried to get as much as I could.

Now that they've started going that way, I've dialed back on my collecting greatly.

I stopped actively collecting consoles ages ago now as I just have everything I want really. The recent Famicom purchase was a real exception and the first I've bought in ages. (and I'm super excited about it)

The only consoles I'm actively interested in buying more games for at the moment are the Megadrive and Snes. Actually, seeing the beginnings of my Megadrive collection laid out on a shelf has put ideas in my head about going for a full collection again... will have to nip that in the bud!!

Retr0gamer

I find it hard to keep up as well. I've been mostly focusing on current gen stuff that might become rare. If I had a more secure job then I'd be buying more. I'm finding it frustrating keeping up and seeing the prices of everything creeping up so much. I know that when I do have the money I probably won't e able to afford this stuff

You really do just have to limit yourself to the stuff you want and will play. I'm still waiting to become jaded with modern gaming so I can go back to my backlog but that doesn't seem to be appending anytime soon!

o1s1n

I'm terrible with modern games. Have a feeling it will be no different from previous generations, I'll end up playing games years after their original release date.

Was all set to pick up Dark Souls II last weekend. Started Symphony of the Night from the beginning again instead. (set on getting to the inverted castle this time!)

Enjoying it so much that I've put Dark Souls II on hold.

Actually part of the reason for that too is the fact that I just can't bring myself to spend €60 on a game which won't hold it's value. The idea makes me feel sick!

ghostchant

At this point I've almost completely stopped buying old-gen stuff, at least on day-to-day/month-to-month basis. I'm more concerned with current gen stuff (well PS3/3DS/Vita/DS actually) at the moment. As other have said, my focus changes back and forward over time - I think it helps to keep things fresh.

Though on the retro front I do allow myself to go bananas in Tokyo each year, buying as much as can fit in my suitcase. May 31st and that 30kg baggage allowance can't come quick enough

Optimus Prime

Im currently in the process of selling off everything ive collected over the last few years, that i didnt own when i was younger. Im only going to keep my nintendo stuff and my commodore 64 and handhelds. everything else is going. When i started collecting all the older stuff i bought everything i could get my hands on, a few years later, i realized i only really play the nintendo stuff.

Having a kid on the way and having to give up my games room pushed me too haha. I havent played a current gen game in about 2 years other than 3ds. I used to get all the games\consoles sent out to me for nothing for the website i ran to review and that really killed my interested in gaming. being forced to review cr*p games, trying to write a review for a new guitar hero when the only difference is the songs, reviewing terrible games.. forcing yourself to play them.. ughh haha..

From now on, im only collecting Nintendo and arcades! Though have recently started collecting Transformers Masterpiece figures, expensive hobby.

Retr0gamer

When I was doing my short stint reviewing games I found I wasn't enjoying gaming as much either. It wasn't that I was forced to review crap games it was that I was on a deadline so I had to force myself and play, maybe even finish a game and then write a review. I much prefer taking my time and playing a game I'm in the mood of play not because I have to do it. I found I was losing interest in gaming as well. Maybe the best thing I did was to give that up.

o1s1n

I find it interesting the way some people just can't mix hobbies and work.

They say you should try to do what you love career wise - however I've found that any time I've tried to do that, I end up no longer enjoying whatever it was.

Retr0gamer

Doing what you love is good advice but you have to remember that some jobs are far different to what you think. Games reviewing, like game testing, is not the same as relaxing and playing a videogame in your spare time.

Kimbot

I had a huge collection, multiple versions of each console and alot of odd and rare ones too but I lost interest over the last few years as I never play the games anymore. I dont get much time to game so when i do its normally online gaming and retro has no room in that. I have sold alot of my collection now and only have 1 container left that I will be selling off soon.

ghostchant

o1s1n wrote: »

I find it interesting the way some people just can't mix hobbies and work.

They say you should try to do what you love career wise - however I've found that any time I've tried to do that, I end up no longer enjoying whatever it was.

I found that during my PhD - I lost all interest in reading up on other areas of physics and science in general; I'd always end up thinking about my own research and stressing out. Now that I'm almost 2 years out my interest has picked up.

When I finished I contemplated going into the games industry, though more on the engine side. But I know it would have resulted in me not wanting to have anything to do with games in my spare time - I just can't compartmentalise that kind of thing. I figured it was best left as a hobby for now.

Retr0gamer

Honestly when I was making that ipad game during the summer it definitely didn't decrease my interest in videogames. Game design and coding is just so different from playing games that I don't equate them at all. There's cross over there at all. Even when you are testing your game you are looking at things like the feel or how to improve it. It's nothing like playing a game (and you end up hating what you are making most of the time!).

If you are going into engine dev it's even further removed since the coding has more to do with advanced problem solving and maths than playing games.

ghostchant

Went into financial software in the end. Same amount of problem solving and at least as much maths, and luckily I had no strong feelings towards financial markets to begin with :P