Married to the Game

[Genesis Knight]

I'm reading "Fooled by Randomness" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. At the end he is making an argument about the way we tend to get irrationally tied to a position - say, an idea, or a thing we possess - once we've invested resources (time or money) into it, even when rationally we should change our ideas or sell the possession. He uses an illustration about owning expensive paintings that struck me as having some relevance to those of us who continue to hold on to - but don't play - games that have appreciated in value (due to the retro gaming boom) since we bought them.

To paraphrase:

Say you own a Sega Saturn game you bought for $20, and owing to rosy conditions in the retro gaming market, it is now worth $400. If you didn't own the game now, would you still acquire it at the current price? If you would not, then you are said to be married to your game. There is no rational reason to keep a game you would not buy at its current market rate - only an emotional investment. Many people get married to their games all the way to the grave.

Page 240. This is definitely me.

[gamevet]

That’s over simplifying it. I would not pay the amount of money an Atari Jaguar and some of its games demands. Now, if I was in desperate need of cash, the Jag and it’s games are gone.

[Leynos]

Yeah but the sex is great. I get to play her everyday and night.

[Black_Tiger]

This is random collector logic. You don't need to pay for the most expensive version of a game and games don't cease to exist if you don't a 32nd hand seller a bunch of money.

Especially in today's classic gaming climate, actually playing a game more than once is an extraordinary act of gaming love.

Shelf candy is more commonly associated with game apathy.

[Baloo]

I did the opposite of this and sold my entire collection in bits and pieces 5 years back. I'd say a majority of the games I don't miss having at all. Only after 10 months of COVID-19 am I bored enough to want to reacquire a SELECT few of them. I repurchased a Sega Genesis and only have a Sonic 3 Complete cart. That cost about $100 total for the system and games. Plays better than the Mini console. I really do think collecting is a waste if you aren't going to use it. It's interesting to think that something that has more value than you would buy it at should be sold. I am inclined to agree, but then again I have never sold anything that I want back so badly as to pay tenfold for it. Would having Snatcher and Popful Mail and Shining Force III and the like be nice right now? Only to sell them at the new prices, not to play them.

I think this only works for games though if theyre not being used. If I spend an amount of money on artwork that I continually enjoy in my house and others enjoy when they come over, it should not be sold. Likewise for games that friends play. The last thing I held onto was the N64 because it was what my friends and I played together. But video games will never have the same beauty that good art or furniture or whatever does, nor do I think will it ever hold the same nostalgic value to be honest.

[gamevet]

I got rid of my SNES, NES, Genesis and Sega CD collections right about the time the 32-bit consoles were arriving. I was getting burned out on those old games. Several years later (@ 1997) I found myself missing some of those old 16-bit classics. Luckily, a lot of those games and systems were still really cheap, so I bought what I'd missed and played quite a bit of those old games. I never did get another Sega CD though.

[Blades]

For me games are like music or books, albeit a little more volatile since a lot (like Panzer Dragoon Saga) will probably never be rereleased again in original form. The games I don't like get sold, and the ones I like I keep to revisit. This way, my collection stays under control.

Never understood why people buy games and don't play them. Why not buy a grand piano and let it gather dust while you're at it.

My things won't belong to me forever anyway...

[Team Andromeda]

Never understood why people buy games and don't play them. Why not buy a grand piano and let it gather dust while you're at it.

Many people do just that I bet. Looks at some of those people who collect cars and never drive them or collect paintings and never display them. We now also have the 'Immortals' on YouTube who have to the complete collection for no other reason than some sort of fame on Youtube or Twitter. I'm thankful I kept most of my Saturn and Mega CD collection, but quite regret selling or even just giving away my Amiga, SNES, Zx Spectrum, Neo Geo stuff but would never look to go into debt to buy games for any of those systems and these days with SD cards and the like holding on to games isn't that much of a big deal it once was, thanks to being able to play ROM's on the original hardware for the pure experience.

[BubsyFan1]

To paraphrase:

Say you own a Sega Saturn game you bought for $20, and owing to rosy conditions in the retro gaming market, it is now worth $400. If you didn't own the game now, would you still acquire it at the current price? If you would not, then you are said to be married to your game. There is no rational reason to keep a game you would not buy at its current market rate - only an emotional investment. Many people get married to their games all the way to the grave.

I take it this paragraph applies to games people hold on to but don't play? Does it include people who hold on to games they have already played?

[Ecco]

I'm reading "Fooled by Randomness" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. At the end he is making an argument about the way we tend to get irrationally tied to a position - say, an idea, or a thing we possess - once we've invested resources (time or money) into it, even when rationally we should change our ideas or sell the possession. He uses an illustration about owning expensive paintings that struck me as having some relevance to those of us who continue to hold on to - but don't play - games that have appreciated in value (due to the retro gaming boom) since we bought them.

To paraphrase:



Page 240. This is definitely me.

Hmm you know what, I think he's saying that being a collector of anything, should basically have its enjoyment factor ignored, and completely outweighed by the financial value of selling it.

So I think he's basically just against enjoying any kind of objects that have some sentimental value.

Some people just don't think of their possessions as having any sentimental value, in any way, in general. My dad is that way.

But I mean, my dad is not always selling everything, I'm just saying that he doesn't usually have any kind of sentimental connection to most of his stuff.

Whereas other people actually enjoy having certain things, and I think it's completely fine, lol.

It's more a perspective on life, I think.

(But I haven't read the book so I may be going off in the wrong direction.)

[profholt82]

Ha! That is probably 90% of my video game collection (and baseball card, comic book, blu-ray, record, etc, etc). I've certainly accumulated a wealth of stuff over the years. What can I say, I'm a collector. And with games and records in particular, I did most of my buying when they went for pennies on the dollar compared to their worth now, and I can't see myself spending huge money on what they go for now. As far as expensive Sega stuff, I'd probably still pay whatever the going rate is to rebuy MUSHA and Snatcher, but any other big money games (say, over $150 or so), I don't think I would.

The thing is though, that if I were to sell, all I'd have is the money for it, and at some point I may want to play that game again. Then where would I be? I like having a library of stuff that I can access at my leisure. I have the space, and I'm fortunate enough to be financially stable. Now, if money is ever an issue in the future or some terrible disaster happens, I don't forsee myself hesitating to sell my stuff. I don't have a ton of emotional investment in any of it, at least physically with the games. For the games I love, they can always be played with a rom cart or whatever.

I like collecting things that interest me and give me pleasure. And as long as we have the money to pay our bills and keep the kids fed, I'll continue to do so. But like I said, if money is ever an issue, there are more important things in life, and I won't hesitate to sell.

[WarmSignal]

It's all shelf-candy now, and yes I'm married the idea of shelf-candy, not the game. I certainly would pay a ridiculous sum of money for one that I don't already have, if I wanted it enough. But it's all pointless now. Flash carts, optical discdrive emulators, etc. There's no fucking point in paying a bunch of scalpers exorbitant amounts for these little pieces of plastic candy anymore, but I still do it. I'm married to the idea of my game collection, because I'm already thousands of pieces into it. So I tell myself it's the only way. I tell myself I don't want to play roms, I want to play legit copies. But that's all they are, just copies of plastic that were mass produced. None of the profits going to the developers now, all disappearing into the pockets of grimy fingered resellers. Yet I trudge on, sticking with my vows.

[j_factor]

I think of my game collection like an old-timey rich man's "private library". They didn't go through and read every book. They curated a selection of books that they might need or want, and kept them accessible. I'm not rich but I've managed to accumulate a small library's worth of games. The problem with "don't keep games you don't play" is I don't know which of my games that will end up being. I don't have an itinerary of when I'll be playing which old games in the future. I have a ton of games that I intend to play, an understanding that I won't get to all of them, and an unwillingness to pre-decide. Maybe I'll go on a Sega CD binge this summer. Maybe I won't. Maybe I'll play Mr. Bones next year, or maybe I won't play it again for 7 years. I could give up my collection, and lose the ability to do that. Or I could maintain a small collection, constantly buying and selling games. I did that for a short time when I was younger, but no thanks.

That said, I would be happy if more people sold their shit and the going prices for stuff came down. Even though that would reduce the value of my large collection.

[xelement5x]

Oh I'd probably have to agree I'm married to the concept of having the games. I actually normally just play like the same 5 games over and over a majority of the time instead of playing something new, yet I've got piles of games for different systems. At this point, part of me wishes I could just sell it all at the current "value" in one swoop, and then just use ODEs or flashcarts. The reason I don't is probably a fear that I'd regret selling it all despite the immense amount of money I'd make.

Also, what does it mean when you've made game collecting and being a gamer such a large part of your identity just to sell it all? Do you feel empty knowing that something you poured the last 30+ years of your life into is now completely gone? Or relief that it's gone and you can do something different? I honestly don't know and plenty of it contributes to the fact that I don't sell anything but duplicates from 10 years ago at this point.

[Virtua Hunter]

I think in my case I'm married to the idea to continue playing the original thing.
The collection is just a side effect of this.

Yeah now it's easier to access games between emulators, flashcarts, mini console, even repro controllers, but it all taste different.

Unfortunately with the ludicrous price of retrogaming, buying the original stuff became an hassle.