Editor's Note: Collections Agents

[Susan Arendt]

Collections Agents

The urge to complete the perfect gaming collection drives some to pursue Achievements, and others to collect rings, but Susan Arendt would be content with just a flashlight.

Read Full Article

 

[VanityGirl]

I know how you feel actually. I was an avid collector of video games. When I had money, I would buy a game even if I was only slightly interested so I could add it so my gaming collection.
Now, due to a smaller living space and smaller income, I am unable to collect my games anymore. I only buy a game I really, really want.

 

[Crimson_Dragoon]

That story really hits home. I was at Toys R' Us and saw this awesome Galactus figure. It was over a foot high and had small figures of the Avengers and Fantastic Four fighting it. I passed it up (it was only $20, what was wrong with me?) and have never been able to find it since.

 

[Monshroud]

I am working on building up my Video Game and related collection. I have rare games, various collectors editions, figures, posters, etc... I don't collect everything, just certain things for certain games really. Although I don't tend to sell or throw away anything game related since I pawned off my NES when I was a kid so I could buy a Genesis. Don't regret the Genesis, I regret the NES games I pawned off that I still had boxes and instructions for. Some of which are worth quite a bit of money now....

 

[Dastardly]

Editor's Note: Collections Agents

The urge to complete the perfect gaming collection drives some to pursue Achievements, and others to collect rings, but Susan Arendt would be content with just a flashlight.

Read Full Article

I love it! This is the rightful place of gaming discussion--the psychology behind why we do what we do, whether "we" means the developers, the publishers, the dissenters, or (in this case) the gamers. Some great stuff going on lately!

And we can really start to get into the difference between "achievement" and "collection" as it applies to games.

Do we collect as a means of achieving (or a byproduct), or achieve as a means of collecting? In some cases, is it so simple as, "I have 99 of those widgets, so I must get the 100th to feel finished!" It's a great topic to address, with the potential for equal parts fun and weighty discussion--enough "steak" to support the "sizzle," so to speak.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I have a huge collection of tiny zip lock bags.
Don't ask me where they came from.
Being a once diligent 40k army builder, my video game collection is pretty much the games themselves. However my wife did get me the CE of Fallout 3 and that was very cool: however the bobblehead doesn't seem to make me any stronger or smarter and I have yet to convert the lunchbox into an improvised high yield explosive devise.
It's still cool though.

 

[Legendairy314]

I'm not much of a collector of game trinkets but I am slowly replacing the walls in my room with game posters. I started about 3 years ago and every time I see a poster relating too any game that isn't shovelware or a sports title I try and find a place for it. Magazines sometimes have what I need and other times it's those big posters you can find at your local movie store. Hopefully one day I won't be able to see the actual walls. Now that would be something to look at.

Once I get a more stable job though I can definitely see me looking for something besides posters.

 

[The Random One]

This is the worst part of gaming for me - how it defines itself by the 'collection'. What could have been a cultural movement ends up looking just like (and often being) a mere consumist subculture. Can you imagine it if music fans met to brag about how many songs they have in their iPods?

I think that one of the best things to happen to me in gaming was when I realized I wouldn't be able to keep up with latest releases and stopped trying. I certainly wouldn't be playing as much great old and indie games today if I hadn't.

Looking forward to this issue.

 

[vxicepickxv]

Sometimes, a practical gaming based collectible item isn't a bad thing. I've found myself needing a flashlight every once in a while, so it's not bad. If I had the CE of Fallout 3, I'd probably use the lunchbox to hold some lunches.

It's the stupid, useless things that come with a lot of the CE games that I don't seem to get. I don't have a use for Master Chief's helmet, so I got a regular copy of Halo 3. Sometimes you figure out if you could have a use for a collectible, or you just downgrade to the regular version.

I don't collect for collection's sake. If it has a practical use, then I MIGHT pick it up, otherwise I'm not going to upgrade.

 

[Goro]

My neighbour put a perfectly good Foosball table on the nature strip for hard rubbish collection. I didn't want to look like a bin scab so I stood on my verandah, thinking.... Then when I mustered up the courage to go and get it, it was gone.
I also wish I'd bought Jetfire instead of Optimus when I was a kid. The resale value is now huge. Optimus lost a fight with Megatron and was crushed under a concrete slab, along with thousands of dollars of star wars figures. Now I'm patiently re-building my giant robot collection, cursing and muttering along the way - but with NO hesitation!