2021: where are you as a collector and/or gamer right now?

[bikingjahuty]

I feel like the activity level on this site and on several others I post or lurk on occasionally has significantly decreased and it makes me wonder why? My only guess is that people are way too preoccupied with the daily shit storm of negative current events in the real world, but more directly as it relates to video games, I think a lot of this has to do with game collecting becoming over saturated and insanely expensive. Likewise, it's been a slow year and half in terms of new releases. But it made me think about what everyone is doing right now as a collector, as a gamer, or just in general as it relates to gaming.


For me personally collecting is something I pretty much only do passively now. I still go to places where deals on retro games can be found, but I'm honestly there just as much to find movies I'm after, comics/manga that interest me, or scifi books. Adding anything to my retro game collection is a very rare occurrence these days and can probably count the amount of additions to that on both hands during the past year.


Most of the game purchases I make are new releases now, including stuff released on sites like LRG.


Unfortunately I haven't been playing games nearly as much this year because I've picked up a new hobby within the realm of gaming; modding, repairing, and restoring retro consoles. I feel like I've flirted with doing these things for a while, but the influx of ODEs and HDMI mod kits over the last few years has really made me interested in these things, as well as finding ways to future proof my collection. This all started with just installing plug and play mods like the Terraonion MODE in my Saturn, but has blew up to me completely overhauling the PS1, Saturn, and Gamecube to make them the "Ultimate" versions of what they can be at this time. I've recapped several consoles, brought several rare and highly desirable consoles back from the dead, and have restored several to as close to what they looked like new out of the box as possible. In a lot of ways this has really become my passion as of late and I've spent most of my time as a lover of video games doing this since the new year started.


So what's everyone else been up to as it relates to video games or are you still into video games at all?

[leonefamily]

Just like you, I do lots of console mods/repairs as well. Right now I am doing 2 Xbox mods for a customer, and have one guy waiting to bring me his PS3 so I can jailbreak it. But in terms of game collecting I am still as active as I was, just in the last 30 days I have added about 50 games to my backlog, plus a 3DO console coming next month.

[oldgamerz]

Since both of you posted that you can successfully mod and or repair retro consoles. without totaling them, like I might do on accident.

Makes me want to recommend you both, to try creating your own Facebook page or online website, and set up your own private retro console or PC repair business. Creating a Facebook page or group is free of charge unless you want to pay for advertisements for people to know you exist. but anyway, a lot of people are into retro gaming, including myself, AND these old consoles are not going to fix themselves. if I were you and IF you think you are up for the challenge, I'd set my own business up if I were you.

The modern gaming industry is making things unfair and companies like SONY seem like there giving collectors the retro middle finger. I am giving Microsoft a little more slack because. At least they are supporting a lot of the physical retro games for the Xbox One Series X.

I am mostly a digital collector now, but if I want some more games I'd go for another multi-cart, OR compilations console, that I have lots of them already

[sworddude]

I think the reason for less activity on sites is because most people moved on to discuss stuff on reddit or Discord.

As far as collecting goes. Have been doing that less over the years slowly crossing titles of my list. Slow and steady wins the race.

As far as modern stuff goes if prices are low enough I'm alright with digital I don't really feel the need to have a physical item for modern stuff if the price is actually allot lower. It's not really the same as older generations for my taste. But I'm super picky with modern

Personally as far as modding and console repair goes. I avoid that stuff like the plague. In some occasions replacing some caps but otherwise I'd much rather play games. It's really time consuming and I don't really enjoy doing that kinda stuff. It's good to see people having a passion for it though but it's a really different side of the hobby.

[NickAwesome]

I'm still collecting and slowly knocking off titles on my wishlist. The hustle never stops. I'd share more of my grabs on here but I'm too lazy. It's so much easier to just snap a picture on my phone and post to instagram or facebook.

I recently did a big purge of some of my extras/dupes and made some cash. Also started dipping my toe into ebay selling for games that had rapid price spikes. Most of my stores were too slow for the ps3/psp/vita crazy price jumps and I made a killing.

The old ways I used to find and collect games does not work as well anymore. I've had one in the wild pickup this year. Part of that is being busy with life as there are still always deals to be found, just a lot more competition and I can't spend as much time looking. The only way I have been able to find an edge is to catch stores slipping on price, and sell/trade at true market value rate for the titles I still need. Am I part of the problem? Yeah probably but with game prices spiking, it's the only way I've been able to still add games without maxing out my credit cards. Also been networking with collectors on facebook- recently worked out a trade for a beautiful copy of Fire Emblem Path of Radiance.

Gaming wise- I went on a tear early this year and beat 12 games in 2 months. Had quite a bit of downtime on paternity leave when the baby was sleeping. But after returning to work, I have so little time to play- I'm hoping I can meet my goal of beating 26 games this year but I haven't beat a single game since February- hoping I can add Nier Replicant to the beat list soon and get back on the wagon. 

Gameroom is a bit of a mess, but I've made a really cozy spot to play some games. Once my work/school life calms a bit this summer, I'm looking forward to having more time to do that. 

[kamikazekeeg]

I don't collect much stuff anymore, I shifted towards toys in general, though I want to start grabbing boxed N64 stuff this year if I can.  For gaming, nothing has really changed, I still buy a bunch of new games when they come out.

[emporerdragon]

I'm still buying games, but just not as much as the older stuff just isn't as abundant or at the prices I'd be willing to pay for them right now, and then a lot of the newer releases don't interest me a huge amount. So, instead I find my hobby money is primarily going into my other collections, like my board game, Lego, or manga collections. What's also slowing me down collecting-wise is that I've just dropped a large amount of money on new furniture and want my accounts to recover.

I'm still playing games though, just not as much, but that's primarily due to a lack of energy from being an "essential" employee in the middle of a pandemic. Where I work is hemorrhaging staff and can't replace them because starting wages are hot garbage, leaving me and a few others trying to keep everything above water (Thankfully, I rejected the company's attempts to make me salaried a few months prior, so I'm not working 80+ hours a week like some of the people that took the "promotion" at other stores). Needless to say, it's a bit draining physically and emotionally.

[Warmsignal]

I'm still going strong with the collecting insanity. Paying out the ass sure, but happy as ever to take from the wish-list and add to the collection. This year, I've added a good bit of SEGA stuff and a fair amount of SNES to my library. Not sure how much longer I can withstand the price hikes, but I'm also coming ever closer to rounding out all of my nostalgic era console collections. I don't collect a whole lot for 6th gen or onward, anymore. I've also been trying to keep up with certain types of Switch physical releases. Not "limited" ones, but small publisher releases. Other current gen, I don't even pay any mind right now. Just no interest.

I've been involved in a very long and drawn out of process of setting up my new computer/game room as well as installing new flooring throughout and building a new setup for my somewhat recent UHDTV that'll be playing my HDMI consoles on. I've been sort-of tossing around the idea of possibly scrapping the CRT in the game room, getting another UHDTV and picking up the upcoming Retrotink-5X for playing all of my classic consoles on a modern TV as well. It's a much more convenient solution to getting a decent picture of my classic systems rather than modding a bunch of stuff. I'm not super picky about that, I just want it to look right, and so far the reviews have been quite favorable.

[bikingjahuty]

I don't collect much stuff anymore, I shifted towards toys in general, though I want to start grabbing boxed N64 stuff this year if I can.  For gaming, nothing has really changed, I still buy a bunch of new games when they come out.

Boxed N64 WAS towards the top of my retro game wants, but I can't even imagine paying some the prices certain games are going for. Luckily I did grab a decent amount before prices really took off, but I'm happy waiting until prices come back down to earth...if they ever do. Same things goes for CIB Genesis and SNES too. I'd also like to start collectING Saturn again like I was, but we all know how that'f going right now.

[covfefe2020]

I had a surge in activity here until I slowly stopped checking every new post regardless of whether I would have something interesting to add to it.

As a gamer I´m gearing up to have an amazing summer. I´m finished with Halo 3 and almost done with Reach, meaning that I can trade my friends 360 back to him for my ps3. I´ve mostly been playing counter strike source as my free time game.  My plan is for my purchase of Fallout 1 PC to be the last game I buy in a while, as I've created the largest backlog Ive ever had with all the games being top rated. By the end of the summer I want to have finished at least 5 of the following games that Ive bought in 2021
-Half Life Opposing force
-Half life 2 (and DLC)
-Fallout
-Fallout 3 (And DLC)
-Skyrim (And DLC) (Super stoked for this one)
-Dark Souls
-Batman Arkham city
-Super Mario Advance 4, Super mario world.

On top of that I just got back into Clash of Clans with some friends, If I breeze through the aforementioned games (which I doubt I will) and still need something Ill look into playing left 4 dead or Deus ex.  I´m in a weird position where I recently got my first real job and feel like I went kind of overboard with spending money on games that looked good simply because they had a decent price. Like I said, I dont remember a time where Ive ever actually had a game backlog.

[mrkonasoni]

Most of the stuff I am buying right now are games that I am sure I would like or I do want.

I have never liked the concept of buying stuff you won't like just for collection purposes, but that's just my personal thought.

[koemo1]

I'm trying to add the 3DS Eshop games for Europe, in the meantime, most focus is on writing my thesis and occasionally playing some Fortnite.
I'm still enjoying gaming and I have already beaten around 10 games this year, including RDR2
However, my 17-year-old ps2 has bitten the dust last month.

Collecting-wise, stores have been closed for around half a year, so there is no real way to buy stuff until this month.

[ignition365]

I haven't really been buying much since covid started... mostly a can't be thrifty anymore, deals just aren't there.  I also own a lot and there isn't a ton left that I'm really seeking out anymore.  And then prices skyrocketed across the board so even less interested in buying... and now I'm boxing everything up because we're planning on selling our home.  I don't think I've really played anything but PC games in the past 2 weeks and even then it's pretty infrequent, I maybe play twice a week.  I'm having a hard time not pushing myself to sell huge chunks of my collection and just plan to rebuy stuff in a year or two when things cool down.

[tripredacus]

Buying really took a downturn once I decided to join the 52 games challenge this year. Also not leaving the house to go to places that sell games like I used to.

[xaviermsama]

Well.... I think it's my first post here, since I usually stay at vgcollect to have some kind of crontrol of my collection without using the forum.

At my 40s, and with a daughter, I don't have much time to play, but i'm still buying new and old games, retaking my MSX collection (to honor my father, who introduce me to the video games world with that computer) and increasing my PS4 collection with games i'll like to play but I know I'm not gonna have time for them.

Damn, adulthood.