on cartridge battery life

[guyjin]

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/193374-battery-life-of-old-game-cartridges/

So this guy over at Atariage is claiming that, according to his calculations (which he doesn't 'show his work' for), NES carts' battery backup should last 60-80 years (so they'd start dying around, say, 2047) but that certain Gameboy carts will start losing saves in the next few years.

The conventional wisdom, back in the day, was that they'd last 12 years. It's been twice that now, depending on the game, and I've yet to see a cart with a dead battery.

So I thought I should point this out to our more electronically savvy people, and see what they think. How long do you think it will be before people have to start replacing batteries in old game carts?

[Bernie]

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/193374-battery-life-of-old-game-cartridges/

So this guy over at Atariage is claiming that, according to his calculations (which he doesn't 'show his work' for), NES carts' battery backup should last 60-80 years (so they'd start dying around, say, 2047) but that certain Gameboy carts will start losing saves in the next few years.

The conventional wisdom, back in the day, was that they'd last 12 years. It's been twice that now, depending on the game, and I've yet to see a cart with a dead battery.

So I thought I should point this out to our more electronically savvy people, and see what they think. How long do you think it will be before people have to start replacing batteries in old game carts?

Im not so sure on his NES battery calculations.  But, Im also not an expert, so maybe someone else will weigh in.

[futureman2000]

The only dead battery I've encountered was with Warriors of the Eternal Sun for the Genesis. I've seen others online who have had problems with the same cart, too. Aside from that I've been surprised by the longevity of cart batteries.

[SuperDeadite]

I'd be more worried about those damn Sega carts with FRAM then batteries, way bigger pain to replace.

[VestCunt]

Strange.  I had an Actraiser battery die ten years ago and a Zelda 1 battery die eight years ago, but I wasn't the original owner of those games.  All of my original purchases are doing fine, except Super Mario Kart died last year.

[Arkhan Asylum]

Considering I have 2 copies of LoZ for NES that won't save, a GBA game that won't save, and replaced the save in two SNES games, I'd say that guy is a retard and should  be ignored.

They fail when they fail.  Replace when they do.  Durp.

[Shrapnoid]

Strange.  I had an Actraiser battery die ten years ago and a Zelda 1 battery die eight years ago, but I wasn't the original owner of those games.  All of my original purchases are doing fine, except Super Mario Kart died last year.

I've had that happen with a second hand Super Punch-Out which really sucked because, it's so much fun to play whether for sport or just because you feel like pounding someone.

It seems like their was a lot of talk back in the NES days that suggested that battery life in the carts were rated at about 5 years.

That's rough when you have to deal with those detestable external line-head screws that you have to order those specialty bit screwdriver kits for.

[SignOfZeta]

I don't really collect NES, but I was under the assumption the batteries had been dying for years and years now. I have a Starfox cart with a dead battery.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I don't really collect NES, but I was under the assumption the batteries had been dying for years and years now. I have a Starfox cart with a dead battery.

These are Atarians making these claims.  They don't do anything right.

I mean look, CMOS batteries fail, watch batteries fail, Saturn save batteries fail.

They're not immortal.  They run out of juice and then you replace them.  lol.

the guy probably owns a 2600 and doesn't actually own anything with battery backed saves.  

EDIT: oh , it says hes 19 on Atari Age.

That means he's some goober that just got ahold of Electrical Engineering 101 and thinks he just learned everything ever about hardware.

[SignOfZeta]

My first Saturn battery lasted 8 or 9 years. Now I replace them with cheap shit multi-pack batteries from eBay and those last about a year and a half.

I do worry about the one in the Power Memory cart though. Those things are prone to corruption as it is.

[Arkhan Asylum]

My first saturn battery lasted about that long too.  It sucked though, the battery died right after I'd finished Magic Knight Rayearth and got all the gems.

[esteban]

I have encountered many carts where the battery was suspect/failed. This holds true across platforms/media.

SuperFamicom carts have burned me a few times (frustrating!).

[TheClash603]

My Saturn battery died, but worse than that was that my Gameshark (where I had all of my saves) won't read in my Saturn anymore.

I have never had a game with a battery in it that doesn't save though, guess I've been lucky so far.

[Tatsujin]

I wouldn't count more than 10 years for those basterds. Sure if you're a lucky one, it may last 20 years+ (used a very new batch of battieries at time of production, excellent manufacturer, good storage temperature/weather/humidity condition etc.).

But kids shouldn't play with the fire? Right?

Batteries are like humains, some die early some get very old.

[RegalSin]

It really depends.

1. The cart battery was damaged even before you opened the package. You will never know this, especially for new games.

2. The cart was damaged due to transport or inhuman conditions. Like some of my carts saves stopped working and began working.

3. The cart has a save but the save is not reading. This has happen tons of times. It could be the game was not  properly inserted, a dirty contact. It even happens with newer save devices.

4. The battery was cheap to begin with. Take pokemon.
Red and Blue games are still functioning but Gold and Sliver games are all erased. They say it is because of the storage trick that people used to cheat, and all the names positions. Long names + stats + item. Also the game also got data from all kinds of devices. Pokemon data had all kinds of data, on it. Nintendo had all kinds of things planned.

You know what, who really cares. To me they are just bricks of plastic gold, covered by cardboard, and drapped in durlar. They will stay that way because I am not taking them out for a very long time.

[SignOfZeta]

My Saturn battery died,

Everyone's Saturn battery has died. At this point in time the newest Saturns are something like 14 years old. No CR2032 lasts that long.

...but worse than that was that my Gameshark (where I had all of my saves) won't read in my Saturn anymore.

Its the cart slot.

[Arkhan Asylum]

a dirty contact

You're a dirty contact.

 

You know what, who really cares. To me they are just bricks of plastic gold, covered by cardboard, and drapped in durlar. They will stay that way because I am not taking them out for a very long time.

Only LoZ1 and 2 on NES are plastic gold.  Is that all you own?

[RegalSin]

I see your trying to be funny, ha ha ha. Try again. That is what I call videogames, plastic gold, along with all this other techno monstrocity.

[DragonmasterDan]

I've had quite a few NES, SNES, N64 and even an SMS cartridge with dead battery backups. I have some that are over 20 years old and still saving, and others that are still working fine. I think it depends on the quality of the battery, storage condition and just luck.

[xcrement5x]

My Saturn battery died,

Everyone's Saturn battery has died. At this point in time the newest Saturns are something like 14 years old. No CR2032 lasts that long.

I actually have a Saturn that still has that little piece of fabric you had to pull out to touch the contacts to the batter stuck in it.  I've no clue if it's still a functioning battery, but it's kind of neat to know it's the original.

[Sparky]

all my SMS batteries are holding there saves still, Phantasy Star, Miricle Warrriors etc....
I think i need to go back and kick "Dark Falz" ass again in PS hell, even maxed out that guy is still tough to beat.

[SignOfZeta]

My Saturn battery died,

Everyone's Saturn battery has died. At this point in time the newest Saturns are something like 14 years old. No CR2032 lasts that long.

I actually have a Saturn that still has that little piece of fabric you had to pull out to touch the contacts to the batter stuck in it.  I've no clue if it's still a functioning battery, but it's kind of neat to know it's the original.

Yeah, real neat...until is starts leaking and ruins your Saturn. Recycle that fucker before it ruins the system. There are a LOT of arcade boards and Gameboys  in dumpsters because of what the batteries did to them.

[Shrapnoid]

How about the Dreamcast's VMU's going dead super quick? I got tired of that in a hurry so, I modded one with a 4x AAA enclosure with an on/off switch and long braided wires for positive and negative.
After that, no more replacing batteries while training Chao creatures.

[Tatsujin]

Yeah, real neat...until is starts leaking and ruins your Saturn. Recycle that fucker before it ruins the system. There are a LOT of arcade boards and Gameboys  in dumpsters because of what the batteries did to them.

Reminds me of a friend who collects every GB(C,A) hardware in existence as NEW/unopened versions, and recently faced the horrible fact that 90% of the bats started to leak and ruined the inside of the box completely.

[ChuChu Flamingo]

The batteries do seem pretty random in how they die. Thankfully we don't need them anymore to contain data. It amazes me that GBA pokemon games had batteries, almost seems like planned obsolescence to me.

[SignOfZeta]

Well, the alternative is flash, like the Neo Geo Pocket or DS use. This will probably lead to the entire game disappearing some day, and not just the ability to save.

[Bernie]

Well, the alternative is flash, like the Neo Geo Pocket or DS use. This will probably lead to the entire game disappearing some day, and not just the ability to save.

Dont scare me like that!!!

[xcrement5x]

My Saturn battery died,

Everyone's Saturn battery has died. At this point in time the newest Saturns are something like 14 years old. No CR2032 lasts that long.

I actually have a Saturn that still has that little piece of fabric you had to pull out to touch the contacts to the batter stuck in it.  I've no clue if it's still a functioning battery, but it's kind of neat to know it's the original.

Yeah, real neat...until is starts leaking and ruins your Saturn. Recycle that fucker before it ruins the system. There are a LOT of arcade boards and Gameboys  in dumpsters because of what the batteries did to them.

I've never seen a CR2032 leak, but I'll take your word for it.  It's more of an oddity than anything else.

I don't think the guy who owned the system ever figured it out because when I picked it up there was a memory cart that looked like it had been put in the system once and never removed!