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.

[Necromancer]

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]

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 f*ck lives so they can show it off to people online who give 0 actual f*cks, 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 a$$holes 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]

yeah but people just throw that word around.

Retrobrite  (these dicks started it, I think)
Retrodicks
Retroclarity
Retrobox
Retrogaming retrof*ckingusetherightword

etc.

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

[Necromancer]

Retroblox!  Perpetually just around the corner. 

[Black Tiger]

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, f*cking 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.     

[Black Tiger]

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