Messages

16

General / Re: How do y'all handle your backlogs?

« on: June 12, 2020, 10:38:17 am »

Back when I actually put effort into my backlog, I once took and old purse I wasn't using, filled it with slips of paper with game names on it, and literally drew a slip to pick a new game. I gave up on that becuase, eventually, you draw a slip for something you just don't wanna play- eventually it starts to feel like work, not fun.

I have accepted at this point, that there are games I may never devote a good, proper play attempt to anymore. I'm okay with that- I at least buy every game with an intent to play it, which helps keep me from grabbing whatever's around and cheap. One thing I am trying to work on- don't buy a whole series run until you've actually played a game or two in it! For example: I have the first 3 Darksiders games, but I haven't played one yet. I really didn't need to buy Darksiders 3 when I did... sure, it was on sale, but it's literally going for 5 bucks now. I could've done better. Especially since technically, I don't even know if I like these games yet! One side effect I've noticed of trying to stick to this is, it helps push me towards trying these games out! I started Yazkuza Kiwami when I was seeing the Remastered collection links coming up- basically telling myself 'you already bought Kiwami and Zero, play one of them before your buy more!' Turns out I enjoy Yakuza, although I feel hard into the Animal Crossing hole before I finished Kiwami. I need to do that!

17

General / Re: Dangerous Console Video Games We Have Encountered

« on: June 12, 2020, 10:21:46 am »

Demo arrived.  First PS2 wouldnt read it.  Second PS2 did.  Successfully formatted memory card with corrupted data

So it DOES work! Oh that's good to know- I always thought that disc could be a valuable tool for collectors/retro stores that might need to fix a corrupt card!

18

General / Re: Value Increase of Games Lately

« on: June 12, 2020, 10:16:00 am »

Like seriously the xenoblade one has a vinyl record like wtf it's definitely getting out of control with CE being super big and filled with trinkets.

Why make such huge collectors editions if physical is on the delcine, also seen quite some young ladds spending their money on those as in it being cool. and that's modern stuff. Collectors editions need to be dead before we can see full on digital because atm it's kinda insane with them big ass collectors editions and collector fests.

It's two factors, really. One- there is a specific group of collectors who treat these oversized, overpriced CEs like trophies. They stick the latest & greatest somewhere prominent so visitors & people watching their Twitch stream can tell them how cool it is that they have it. It's the videogame equivalent of showing off some designer label accessory. Or putting a deer head on your wall. Two- tat is cheap. It's easy for a company to slap together an artbook, some postcards, and a big lump of plastic shaped like a game character and charge you a premium for it. It's almost certainly more profitable than just a game disc. The digital factor isn't a problem- just stick a paper with a code in the lootcrate you're calling a Collector's Edition and you're done! There's still a desire for stuff in people, even if that stuff isn't actual media.

19

Off Topic / Re: Has Anyone Stolen One Of Your Packages Lately

« on: June 09, 2020, 08:41:01 am »

I've not had anything stolen- even with that, our post office put in cluster boxes a few years back with parcel lockers, so anything coming USPS that isn't huge typically goes in there. The only package I would have worried about was my Xbox One, which I ordered during a Prime Day sale & Amazon opted not to box it. At all. Just stuck a shipping label on the retail box & sent it. It's also the only time the UPS driver ever knocked, and I appreciate that man greatly for putting my console directly into my hands.

I sincerely doubt anyone is hacking your wifi to monitor your shipping information to stalk your packages. That's a lot of effort for very little return (it's not like much of what people buy actually has resale value once it's away from a store.) I imagine your typical package thief is doing the far simpler task of- just knowing when the delivery trucks are out. Why go through the effort of tracking a group's shopping habits in the hope they'll buy something AND ship it somewhere unsecured, when you can just follow the amazon truck around & wait for it to leave something on someone's porch?

Remember, most theft is based on opportunity- you're not likely to be targeted directly unless you're flaunting your wealth pretty fiercely.

20

General / Re: What's the best free haul you've ever gotten?

« on: May 25, 2020, 03:46:28 pm »

I dunno man, in a situation like that I'd have offered them back after everything cooled down. I would def feel like I took advantage of a friends bad situation.....

I actually did- she told me she had a second SNES are her dad's so it was fine. She then got pissed at me later becuase she decided she wanted Zelda back for said other system, & I offered to buy her a new copy becuase me & my siblings already had save files going... apparently it was a my game but she somehow expected I wouldn't play it?

You also wouldn't feel as bad if you knew how many of my discs (CDs & games) she borrowed & lost/scratched to the point of death... I'm lucky we could get my copy of Lunar: Silver Star Story fixed.

21

General / Re: What's the best free haul you've ever gotten?

« on: May 17, 2020, 10:19:15 pm »

Very nice!

My best hauls were years ago, before there was really a market for this stuff. I had a co-worker who knew I played old games ask me if I had a Dreamcast. I did not. "oh, I just found all my old games & thought you might want them". I told him for free games I'd go buy a Dreamcast! I forget what all was in the lot, but I know it had Magnetic Neo, Record of Lodoss War, Shemue… and Shemue 2. The European release. With a boot disc to run it. That was awesome. I later bought Evolution 2 from a Gamestop blowing out DC games, mildly disappointed they didn't have the first one. Got home, took the tape hold the case shut off, and a disc fell out. But the disc was still in the case? I picked up the mystery disc- Evolution 1. I'm not sure that counts, though.

The REAL haul was a couple years before that. I went over to a friend's house, and she was having a fight with her mom over owning too many videogames. She eventually says "FINE- hey, do you want my SNES?" Of course I said yes (I tried to argue that I already had 7 consoles, which was more that what my friend had, but it did not appease mom.) You know what games came with that SNES? Amongst others: Donkey Kong country 1-3, Zelda: Link to the Past, Mario World, Mario RPG, Starfox, frickin' Evo: Search For Eden... Literally a trove of gaming by today's standards. I caught one heck of a break thanks to angry mom!

22

Marketplace / Re: In need of thoughts and maybe help

« on: May 04, 2020, 11:12:09 am »

I'm really not the right person for this specifically, as I'm very much of the idea that games are to be played & consoles used, so the idea of collecting multiples of the same system is odd to me- like, I only need one PS4 to play my games, why would I buy more just to have different colors?

However, as someone whose been collecting for 20 years now, I can say this: JUST. WAIT. Right now, this generation is still current, still relevant. Having a rare PS4 or Xbox One at the moment is something of a boon- good for bragging rights. However- the next run of systems is looming on the horizon. Soon, no one will care what PS4 or Xbox One you have becuase no one will care about those consoles. Much like my Pink Nintendogs DS was once so sought-after I was randomly asked on the street if I'd sell, now it barely breaks 50 bucks on Ebay.

Sort out your cash flow, THEN start looking for these consoles. With any luck the double-whammy of 'new generation out now' and 'I went broke due to global pandemic' will result in you having multiple options. Just don't rush to spend the little money you do have on something that, 100%, WILL lose value in the next 2 years.

23

Site Feedback / Re: Wish List Estimated Value

« on: April 29, 2020, 10:59:41 am »

I don't believe there is, and unless you plan on buying the entirety of your wish list in the next 3 or so months, I doubt it would help you. Prices change all the time. I cannot tell you how many times I've waited on a game becuase 'it's cheap, I'll get it later'- and then it isn't anymore. Solatorobo is the big one off the top of my head- MONTHS I saw that sittin' around $25-30, waiting to see if it dropped below $20. Then it was gone. Then it was decidedly NOT $30 anymore.

Similarly, you never know when a deal's gonna come smack you in the face either. I was once at a game store doing a big clearance- let's get rid of ALL games older than PS2 (This was awhile ago), $5 bucks each, we don't care. You know what I found with the stack of disc-only PS1 games? Suikoden 2. I wouldn't let go of it at the counter so they couldn't change their minds, I just held it out to be scanned. I've watched the prices of Final Fantasy 7 and Disgaea bounce up and down like a basketball.

I'd probably just focus on how much a month you can comfortably devote to games, and price titles in small groups as you prepare to buy them. You'll be better equipped for price changes, or just changing interest in a title.

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General / Re: What Are Some Video Games That Have Angels In Them?

« on: April 23, 2020, 08:55:58 pm »

I'm gonna second El Shaddai- it's literally dripping with proper Christian lore- it's actually based on passages from the Dead Sea scrolls. For example, the scribe of God you play as? That's Enoch, father of Methuselah, who was raptured into Heaven becuase he was just that pure. Seriously, pop over to Wikipedia with the info from this game, you'll have a field day of Classic Humanities.

25

Off Topic / Re: Who do you think killed Kennedy?

« on: April 23, 2020, 01:55:17 pm »

It was Kennedy himself- brought back from an alternate timeline becuase some idiots from the future messed up Oswald's shot, but his survival tore the country apart when his various indiscretions were exposed & he was arrested. Plus, it drives the conspiracy nuts crazy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6naJ08Tskk

26

Off Topic / Re: I can't bare to spend money

« on: April 21, 2020, 10:01:06 am »

Day 107 of urinating in plastic Gatorade bottles. The musk of my room resembles that of Bigfoot's genitalia.  Morality is a giant spectrum of many shades of grey white and black. I see no sun. Only Darkness. I do number 2 in Plastic Walmart bags.  Because I am ashamed of my toilet. . The toilet has done nothing to deserve my butt to be placed upon it.  The harder I try the further I fall, I have lost all contact with human life and quarantine has been one insufferable, vortex of self loathing.  Oh God, Harry S Truman, Daddy. Nuke my bikini Atol Daddy. I want all that radiation. I bet I Never Surrender. Sufferin Succotash, We are artist trapped in our own drawing slaves to our own mental prison. Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? Dispute a question my protoplasmic encephalopod

I have no idea what this means, but it was fun to read!

27

Off Topic / Re: I can't bare to spend money

« on: April 14, 2020, 12:10:27 pm »

I would say: YES, you have a problem.

Wanting to free yourself from the need to work is an understandable goal- everyone wants financial security, it's one of the biggest stressors in the world. Here's the thing: investments are a risk. The businesses using your money may be paying out now, but they could fail tomorrow. I mean, for crying out loud, look around- there's a pandemic destabilizing investments worldwide. Companies are begging their governments for bailout money, then firing half their employees to cut costs anyway. There is NO guarantee you won't wake up tomorrow & your money will be gone. I've seen it happen: my stocks were a gift from my grandfather, and they lost 90% of their value during the housing market crash in the 2000s. Thank goodness it wasn't something I was living on!

I can't make your choices for you, but if I were you: I'd take the money left over after paying bills & necessities every month, & divide it into 3 chunks: one to invest, one for a more stable savings (think a standard savings account, a CD, bonds- something that doesn't lose value), and one with which to do whatever you choose. Buy games? Sure? Buy nothing but gummi bears? I mean, you'll probably end up toothless & diabetic, but ok. Put it into an investment anyway? Fine- but remember that you chose that. That was your entertainment, that was your vacation, that's what you decided would be fun to do. You wanna look back in 10 years and reminisce about choosing stocks? It's your life, go for it. But if that sounds kinda shitty, if you're not having fun, if you're looking at everyone running around playing games & seeing shows & feeling jealous or left out- stop! Go do the things! You don't have to be out every night or buying every new release, but yes, treat yourself! You're allowed to be happy now & plan ahead- and it's probably the better idea becuase you could be dead tomorrow anyway & never actually get to reap the rewards of your investments (assuming they hold through all this). Find a way to split the difference so you can live now & be ready for tomorrow.

28

General / Re: Earthworm Jim HD was delisted from PSN Store

« on: April 13, 2020, 07:30:08 pm »

Wait, I'm confused- if it's delisted, what does borrowing an account accomplish? If the proper account owner deactivates your console from his account, then the game wouldn't run becuase you wouldn't be authorized to run it. If you've bought it before, you should still be able to re-download it without help.

Methinks it's time to grab a parrot & run up the skull & bones, if you catch my drift.

29

Classic Video Games / Re: Do You Consider The SONY PlayStation 3's A Failure

« on: April 09, 2020, 08:36:21 am »

Otaku's are not the reason that Sony does so well or else the Vita wouldn't have flopped.  The Playstation 5 is guaranteed to do well short of them doing something completely out of left field like Xbox did at first with the Xbox One.  This kind of talk really serves no purpose, it's toxic and hyperbolic, and it blows up an issue that is incredibly minor and affects very few games.  I understand what it is about and I don't agree with most censorship short of real hateful or downright ignorant garbage, but perv games getting some light tweaks or some ass not getting fully shown off in Devil May Cry 5 does not justify wanting bankruptcy from a major pillar of the gaming industry.

*Slow clap for truth*

Sony didn't go bankrupt because they had money to burn from the PS2 success, & because they eventually got their stuff together- the second part of the PS3's run got some amazing gems. The Last of Us & Uncharted were PS3. Demon's Souls inspired the genre-defining Dark Souls. There are some really incredible games on the machine.

If Sony was looking to be 'saved' by ecchi games, why did Record of Agarest War only hit digital on PS3? The 360 got a physical release- it even got a limited edition with a '3D mousepad' and 'pillowcase'.

Niche games do not populate on a system to 'save' it, they do so because there's a high enough install base to land sales. Vita, for example, is not being saved because of American anime fans- Vita performed better in Asia overall. Those are the fans being sold to. As a result, the people who are willing to import games are disproportionately Vita owners.

Your complaints are unbecoming- just buy a Switch or a nice gaming PC & relax.

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Modern Video Games / Re: What did you think of the PS5 specs announcement?

« on: April 08, 2020, 11:02:14 am »

I'm fairly 'meh' on it- at first I was concerned because the buttons looked flat, like it was a touchpad... but I finally found the not front-on photo & confirmed it is buttons.

I know a lot of people are going to want an all-black option, so I hope they offer that.