Question: "Retro Gamers" VS "Retro" Collectors

[turboswimbz]

So it is my hope to have an actual conversation here on the topic.  Without condemning either side.

Do you believe there is a difference between the those called retro gamers and retro collectors?  If you do where is line that makes one a collector and a gamer?

     I know for many of us who have been around for a while, and got into this for friends, and to play a few games we never got to, the rise in prices, collecting, and overall "hype" surrounding them has been a bit of a gut check.  With it came some really crappy things like gouging, stealing, and flipping.  but also some nice things, better lists of games, companies, and a renewed look at history. Many of us myself included have become somewhat of collectors ourselves. 

      I personally have believed the difference is that collectors get the enjoyment from the thrill of finding a new game and play less than 50% of their collections.  While gamers get the enjoyment from actually playing the games, and play a majority of their games.  And by play I mean attempt to defeat and put real time into a game. But a lot of times I question this easy divide in my mind. I'm not even sure if it's right.   

    I feel like this argument generally causes strife in the communities we participate, and really at times takes a lot of the fun out of it for me.  So I Turn to the good people here for their thoughts on the Rise of "retro", collecting, and what it means to you to be part of these online and real life communities.

[Medic_wheat]

If I understand your use of terminology there appears to be a stated difference.

A retro gamer to me is an individual who enjoys the act of playing older video games despite availability of modern/current gen games/systems. However, said individual may not activity collect any of the games/systems and play them by other means (emultion/simulation)

A retro collectors transverse collects said retro games/systems/perifanelia but may not activity play/use them. As a collector by any means simply collects and curated the item of interest.

Similarly how a vintage car buff might enjoy owning a classic car but not to drive/use said car. It's purely a display pice.

[MobiusStripTech]

That's how I would take it as well. Personally I think it's a waste to be a pure collector, but those are the people that act as a museum and are able to show us what consoles or games looked like when they were new.

Now that being said, I don't hate collectors, it's just not for me. I prefer to do a mix of both. I personally have 50+ consoles, many are duplicates, I obviously don't play all of them. Some of my consoles are "show" pieces but I will still use them. Same with games. I own multiple copies of some games. Some copies I play, some I don't because I like the game so much I want to keep it in good shape.

I would much rather be a mix of the 2 than purely one way or the other.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Agreed, most everyone is a mix of the two.

Owning hundreds of games, it's a fact that many of my games will spend a lot of time sitting on the shelf; I'm trying to play 'em all through to the end, but that takes time and means most won't be revisited soon.  I also own multiple versions of Turbob systems, but the main system gets 95% of usage..... and only a collectard really needs an LA, PC-FX, or Print Booster set up.

The only collectards I hate are the ones that barely play anything.  We all have real life issues that limit our play time, but you're doing it wrong if you spend far more time making unboxing videos and trolling ebay, garage sales, and thrift shops looking for deals than you do actually playing the stuff you've bought.  If your first hand knowledge is limited to how much they cost, their rarity, and how hard they were to find, I don't want to know you.

[BigusSchmuck]

I equate it to how much time you spend at a retro convention playing games in the gaming area to how much is spent at the vendor area (unless you are there just for the swag and that's completely different). Then again, I know some people go to these things just to hang out and listen to the speakers. I can't imagine folk going to these things going for "deals" when the prices are so inflated that they make Ebay look great, but that's an entire different discussion all together.

[turboswimbz]

That's how I would take it as well. Personally I think it's a waste to be a pure collector, but those are the people that act as a museum and are able to show us what consoles or games looked like when they were new.

Now that being said, I don't hate collectors, it's just not for me. I prefer to do a mix of both. I personally have 50+ consoles, many are duplicates, I obviously don't play all of them. Some of my consoles are "show" pieces but I will still use them. Same with games. I own multiple copies of some games. Some copies I play, some I don't because I like the game so much I want to keep it in good shape.

I would much rather be a mix of the 2 than purely one way or the other.

This is basically the way I take it.  I just saw several articles, threads, and videos recently making a clear distinction Generally lauding this other made up "pure" side as lunatics.  I honestly get our need to want to split things into categories, but I feel in cases like this it is just a waste of time.

[Arkhan Asylum]

RETRO IS THE WRONG WORD THEY'RE BOTH IDIOTS.

none of this shit is retro.   

In any event, collectors are generally people who are more concerned with hoarding a ton of stuff to fill an empty void in their boring as fuck lives so they can show it off to people online who give 0 actual fucks, and are looking forward to them dying first so they can dupe their wives into selling their cool shit on the cheap so the cycle can repeat itself.

gamers are people who are now buying everdrives because of the assholes mentioned ^^^above^^^


There's a weird overlap of gamers who are collectors that aren't total assclowns.   

Collectors that don't play the things they hoard are dumbasses. 

[turboswimbz]

Hence why Retro has "" around it.

[Arkhan Asylum]

yeah but people just throw that word around.

Retrobrite  (these dicks started it, I think)
Retrodicks
Retroclarity
Retrobox
Retrogaming retrofuckingusetherightword

etc.

I hate buying stuff that says retro.  Especially when its my only option (like someone making cables or something)

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Retroblox!  Perpetually just around the corner. 

[CrackTiger]

There isn't simply a large group of primarily collectors and primarily players who overlap into the other.

There is a massive amount of people who don't play games enough to even factor it, if they literally play anything at all and this the majority of people within the umbrella of "retro gaming".

Their time is spent on their true hobbies, which include so many variations of non-playing video game related activity such as buy/sell/trading/flipping only, social media picture porn/faking haul galleries/videos, making youtube videos about games without ever playing them (using clips ripped from other people's videos), retrogaming as a quirky personality trait supported solely by Nintendo t-shirts and random references, modern bootleg collecting, fake hardware collecting, fake packaging collecting, fucking rom collecting and something becoming increasingly obvious and too frequent: people participating in retro game discussion with their only other exposure being wikipedia and talking youtube heads.

People who play and/or collect real hardware and games are the minority now.

[turboswimbz]

BT:  this is a valid point.

As a rather long and lengthy side note:
 I think this a larger whole world societal problem among developed countries where "power" or "precised points" generally thought of as money (It's why expensive games have more prestige even if they suck) directly effects peoples egos.  In other words showing off my 9K games gives me some sort of points and recognition to other people even if a subset on the internet which doesn't actually hold true power of any kind.  These people live for the attention of OMG what a haul or the ability to throw around knowledge to other people.  Before the internet doing these sort of things required being face to face and truly interacting.  Now you can just throw anything up and wait for people to come to me to make comments and in fairness it's not just Video games, similar things can be seen in most other hobbies and lifestyles now as well.  Keeping up with the internet is a sure fire way to be sad.

It's interesting how people will follow illusions if that's all they see.  I mean it's great survival mechanism, but not a great metaphysical way of approaching life. 

[CrackTiger]

A lot of the retro enthusiasts who don't really play or collect actual old games are still actively involved with modern gaming. They're just fascinated by the novelty that Nintendo is still around today, an entire decade after they invented video games, back when everyone got around by horse and buggy.

[SignOfZeta]

As BT said, it's a false dichotomy. Next question.

[Gredler]

I like to play videogames

[crazydean]

I knew Arkhan was going to make a big deal about the word "retro". However, I didn't expect two posts about it!

+1 epeen to turboswimbz

[Arkhan Asylum]

You gotta raise awareness about dumb shit so it can stop being dumb shit.

[crazydean]

You gotta raise awareness about dumb shit so it can stop being dumb shit.

While I agree with your sentiment, everyone is still using the word "retro". Personally, I prefer "vintage" or "classic" because if you're talking with a co-worker or family member, it makes you look like less of a dumbass to use "vintage" over "retro". Retro makes me think of a fad or some goofy kid shit whereas vintage or classic has a more mature appeal.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Everyone doing it doesn't mean it's right, lol.

See: Justin Bieber fans.

[ClodBusted]

I'm a vintage gamer. And I play old games, too.

[turboswimbz]

I knew Arkhan was going to make a big deal about the word "retro". However, I didn't expect two posts about it!

+1 epeen to turboswimbz

I hope he posts 52834137468 more posts and people actually stop using the damn term.

[nopepper]

I knew Arkhan was going to make a big deal about the word "retro". However, I didn't expect two posts about it!

+1 epeen to turboswimbz

I hope he posts 52834137468 more posts and people actually stop using the damn term.

Words take new meanings all the time, even if initially it was a misnomer, and the use of the word "retro" in such a way has been around at least since the Namco museum series for the PSX, so we are talking mid-90s here.

To me, it seems pedantic to place so much emphasis on the use of that word. Why do you guys care so much?

[LostFlunky]

I love my old Atari and Nintendo tapes.

[Arkhan Asylum]

any old video game thing that comes out has RETRO slapped all the fuck around it.


Its stupid.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Call it "retro" and slap on some wood grain - instant hipster profits!

[turboswimbz]

I knew Arkhan was going to make a big deal about the word "retro". However, I didn't expect two posts about it!

+1 epeen to turboswimbz

I hope he posts 52834137468 more posts and people actually stop using the damn term.

Words take new meanings all the time, even if initially it was a misnomer, and the use of the word "retro" in such a way has been around at least since the Namco museum series for the PSX, so we are talking mid-90s here.

To me, it seems pedantic to place so much emphasis on the use of that word. Why do you guys care so much?

I don't much care, and it is pedantic.  that doesn't mean that I have to like the fact that every stupid thing that comes out is called Retro something, or watch my Retro Youtube. I am not a retro gamer.  I am not a gamer.  I am a dude that likes some old video games, and some new.  while I'm not going to go out and shout it from rooftops I'll give ARK the old HOHO when he says itis dumb.  because it is dumb.

[LostFlunky]

I knew Arkhan was going to make a big deal about the word "retro". However, I didn't expect two posts about it!

+1 epeen to turboswimbz

I hope he posts 52834137468 more posts and people actually stop using the damn term.

Words take new meanings all the time, even if initially it was a misnomer, and the use of the word "retro" in such a way has been around at least since the Namco museum series for the PSX, so we are talking mid-90s here.

To me, it seems pedantic to place so much emphasis on the use of that word. Why do you guys care so much?

I don't much care, and it is pedantic.  that doesn't mean that I have to like the fact that every stupid thing that comes out is called Retro something, or watch my Retro Youtube. I am not a retro gamer.  I am not a gamer.  I am a dude that likes some old video games, and some new.  while I'm not going to go out and shout it from rooftops I'll ARK the old HOHO when he says itis dumb.  because it is dumb.

I realized I wasn't a gamer when I saw some WOW competition on Conan O'Brien.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Call it "retro" and slap on some wood grain - instant hipster profits!

^^^^^^

Retro is things like how they come out with those egg-shaped space-chairs and call them retro.

That's some 1960s styled shit.

The PT Cruiser is retro.  It's trying to look like a mafia car or whatever.  It's driven primarily by old people who go get groceries and prescriptions instead of executing mob hits, but whatever.  Close enough.

Kung Fury is retro.

You don't like retro music when you crank a Kiss album. It's not retro.  It's the thing retro things throwback to. Some music now is retro. 

Satellite Young is retro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=NYzGnXxtVsI

You can't make retro games for a PC Engine.   It's the wrong word.

Fight the power.

[turboswimbz]

WOW and Conan. hahahahaha

those peeps need lives

although WOW has one of my favorite clips ever:

[ClodBusted]

Is there retro porn? If so, I wonder what it looks like.

[crazydean]

Is there retro porn? If so, I wonder what it looks like.

Attractive women and fat, hairy men in high def? Also, every man is either a pizza delivery boy or plumber.

[seieienbu]

When I think of collectors I think of guys on youtube with a wall of games behind them; games that they know little to nothing about actually playing.  I by and large can't watch the sort of youtube show which is just guys showing off what they bought.  It's even worse when there's no footage of actual gameplay (though if the footage is just of how they are bad at the game that's not a lot better).

With that said I've got a lot of games and do continue to buy more.  If a game looks fun I try to buy it.  If I liked playing a game when I was a kid and had less money?  I'll try to pick it up.  I have a bit of a backlog and a hard time finishing most stuff I buy but I play everything at least a bit.

[OldMan]

Is there retro porn? If so, I wonder what it looks like.

Also, every man is either a pizza delivery boy or plumber.

They were called "art films" back then, and yes they exist.
See Deep Throat / Taboo / The Devil In Miss Jones.

... and not a plumber or delivery guy in sight

[Gypsy]

I like to play videogames

Me too.

I've cleared quite a few games this year new and old.

[SignOfZeta]

Is there retro porn? If so, I wonder what it looks like.

Also, every man is either a pizza delivery boy or plumber.

They were called "art films" back then, and yes they exist.
See Deep Throat / Taboo / The Devil In Miss Jones.

... and not a plumber or delivery guy in sight

That's not Retro porn, just old, and it gets a LOT older than that. Some anthropologist theorize that the earliest known examples of art were porn. Porn may have created art.

Retro porn also exists, but it just means they wear leg warmers and play Bauhaus in the background.

[Arkhan Asylum]

When I think of collectors I think of guys on youtube with a wall of games behind them; games that they know little to nothing about actually playing.  I by and large can't watch the sort of youtube show which is just guys showing off what they bought.  It's even worse when there's no footage of actual gameplay (though if the footage is just of how they are bad at the game that's not a lot better). 

I made a post about this once before


People like AlphaOmegaSin and them.

all that

*back to wall/shelf full of shit*

WHATS UP GAMERS

*insert tryhard angst/humor*

They're all garbage.

"content creators"

they suck.  they dont deserve money.   Nobody deserves money to film themselves rambling in front of a fucking shelf about games.

[BigusSchmuck]

Is there retro porn? If so, I wonder what it looks like.

Afros in every orifice? Maybe a Sylvester Stalone look alike called Rambone? Anyway, I came across that Metal Jesus gal at PRGE this year and she was selling a bunch of boxed PC games. What made me laugh it was the same games her and Metal Jesus had made a video about how cheap they got 600 games for $75. Of course they were inflated beyond Ebay prices (Christ Descent 1 for $30), but still they could have sold them for a $1 a piece and still profit. I guess since its "retro" it gives greedy folk to price things at a premium.

[Arkhan Asylum]

was it the Descent with 900 floppies?

[BigusSchmuck]

was it the Descent with 900 floppies?

No it had 5 I believe. A drop in the bucket compared to having the install say for Windows 98 lol.

[seieienbu]

Iirc OS/2.1 was  like 24 disks.

I think the largest game I ever installed via floppies was Quest for Glory 4 with 9.

[SignOfZeta]

You haven't lived until you've played Amiga Dragon's Lair on floppy. They only get one or two levels on a disc and you're swapping the things out like mad. It helped a lot to have a HD. I think it's seven discs.

[ClodBusted]

I played a port of Street Fighter II or some other fighting game on a friends Commodore Amiga (or Atari ST, how should I know) back in the day. Imagine having to load the playable characters and backgrounds from several disks between fights. Impressive, lol.

[crazydean]

I played a port of Street Fighter II or some other fighting game on a friends Commodore Amiga (or Atari ST, how should I know) back in the day. Imagine having to load the playable characters and backgrounds from several disks between fights. Impressive, lol.

Kids these days are spoiled.

[Arkhan Asylum]

You haven't lived until you've played Amiga Dragon's Lair on floppy. They only get one or two levels on a disc and you're swapping the things out like mad. It helped a lot to have a HD. I think it's seven discs.

I played through Ultima V on the Commodore 64.

PLEASE INSERT TOWN DISK

*accidentally walk back out of town*

PLEASE INSERT OVERWORLD DISK

*enter dungeon*

PLEASE INSERT DUNGEON DISK

They are lucky that game was so good, because that shit sucked.

[mitsuman]

When I think of collectors I think of guys on youtube with a wall of games behind them; games that they know little to nothing about actually playing.  I by and large can't watch the sort of youtube show which is just guys showing off what they bought.  It's even worse when there's no footage of actual gameplay (though if the footage is just of how they are bad at the game that's not a lot better).

I made a post about this once before


People like AlphaOmegaSin and them.

all that

*back to wall/shelf full of shit*

WHATS UP GAMERS

*insert tryhard angst/humor*

They're all garbage.

"content creators"

they suck.  they dont deserve money.   Nobody deserves money to film themselves rambling in front of a fucking shelf about games.

I'm on a retro gamers group in FB that is basically chocked full of people like this. Pristine set ups, TONS of cardboard every where, with multiple versions of the same box except for one small different colored call out on each box.
And generally no TG16/PCE stuff, or any other "oddball" systems. Just the main stuff from Nintendo and Sega.

WTF is the point?

[seieienbu]

Every facebook group I've been in seems full of idiot collectors.  Between the ridiculous "Check out this haul!" unboxing videos and endless screenshots of the title of a rare game that someone claims to like (but you'll note very seldom a screenshot of the ending unless it's specifically Mario World or something similar).  All this but no discussion of actually playing games. 

Facebook gaming groups suck.

[nopepper]

You haven't lived until you've played Amiga Dragon's Lair on floppy. They only get one or two levels on a disc and you're swapping the things out like mad. It helped a lot to have a HD. I think it's seven discs.

I played through Ultima V on the Commodore 64.

...

Reading all these stories makes me happy I always stuck to consoles to get my gaming fix. I guess it was one of the advantages of growing up poor...

[majors]

Facebook gaming groups suck.

Preach it brother. Only thing good about FB groups is it keeps some of the filthy casuals off the forum. If they do take a detour here, they can all run back to fb when they get butt hurt.

[Arkhan Asylum]

FB groups sometimes have a brief moment where they aren't moronic.

Electrohaze's group isn't bad.   The main pages are mostly insufferable dingtards though. 

and the moderation sucks in the one.

I got re-moderatered in the one, though, apparently.

I guess they wanted Sheriff Arkhan back on the job.

lol, I got summoned back to Tatsujin's group to go off on someone, but apparently that person blocked me already so I couldn't enact justice.

Buttfuckers.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Star Sheriff Arkhan?  So nothing happens ever!