Featured in BPM magazine

[can_dude]

Thought I'd mention that I was featured in an article for the May issue of BPM Magazine. I just got my copy today (really late).

Here's a link to the article, it's 400K though so be forwarned that it just a big scan.

http://students.washington.edu/nob/bpm_small.jpg

It turned out pretty well save for a few discrepencies, such as my name (O'Brien not O'Brian) and that my collection has grown since it was written...I'm also pleased that the editor didn't edit any of my quotes (save for a single misquote [where it says Hong Kong it should say Taiwan]). Really excited about it.

[Flack]

Wow, congrats! Nice article! As retro gaming becomes more mainstream, I'll bet even more of us will appear in the media. Great picture, btw!

[can_dude]

Wow, congrats! Nice article! As retro gaming becomes more mainstream, I'll bet even more of us will appear in the media. Great picture, btw!

Yeah, I especially like that they used the one where I look like I have down syndrome, oh well, it's still a cool pic none the less.

[Ed Oscuro]

Heh, you can clearly see on the "autographed cart" that it says O'Brien.

They shoulda done something about that blue pixel low on your shirt...makes the rest of the shirt look like NOT a shirt...heh.

There's another bit of a typo with FM Towns, instead of Townes.

As for the "fall of game collecting" - well, the U.S. Mint doesn't sell (or make) Morgan silver dollars anymore, but there's still a market there! I think years from now there will be an increased focus on hardware (not to say the focus on games will be diminished, of course), as right now it's pretty common to find working NESes and such, but new, original hardware with no replaced parts (i.e. NES cart connector) will eventually carry a big premium, sort of like the folks who bring out their old Ferraris and Pontiacs and have competitions in which having all original parts is a bonus just as having a clear, unscratched coat of original paint is. Unlike cars, there are (most likely) going to be more working consoles left since you don't usually break, crash, trade-in or wear out consoles, but many will be in bad shape cosmetically. Disk games demagnetize, and of course we've all heard about the dreaded bit-and-CD Rot! ;) It's true that simply using a system (especially an arcade machine) can degrade its condition, though, via dips and spikes in power, and humidity takes its toll. I don't think people will necessarily have a lot of room for old systems, either, so perhaps owning an old game console or computer system in the distant future would be like having a piece of old furniture is today.

While lots of game consoles carry a significant premium now for people who enjoy the game, in the future there will be a large number of collectors who view these games somewhat as a literature connoisseur might one of Shakespeare's Folios, with an increased focus on art and history. Eventually collectors who buy stuff just because it looks good on their shelf will show up, though that might be a long, long time from now. But a price crash? Never, unless you’re looking at items which have been boosted far above their value like a Van Gogh in the ‘80s – then that will simply be a settling back to true value. People will always appreciate the old games.

The assertion that classic gaming is disappearing, and I suppose that means simplistic games, is groundless, much as is the assertion that the inability to get a 10 year old games at a retail store decreases demand for them – aren’t stores irrelevant to the gaming experience, when all is said and done? Arcades, movie theaters, and game stores are unfortunate in that they provide a service that can be provided in your house. Doing it in your house doesn’t necessarily diminish the social experience – I could easily imagine a system whereby you could virtually attend a movie with friends, an integrated version of what you see when a group of teenagers download the latest flash movie and comment about what they’re seeing on AIM.

There's a slew of popular PS2 games, but I see a lot of folks spend hours with Flash and Java-based cellphone games (the latter is biggest in Japan, thus far) and as a rule these games tend to be simple. No matter how much farther out we get, there will be people with pure visions who will create games and game modifications/scenarios with a classic feel. There will always be kids making simple RPGs or Tetris clones (or something similar) as their introductory computer science semester project. I also think there's a chance that, at the industry level there will be a push (as Nintendo seems to be doing) to get more people playing games by increasing the focus on simple, classic-style gameplay. I believe the use of the stylus in various Nintendo DS games shows clearly that to be a classic game one does not need to be limited to joysticks, dials and buttons.

[can_dude]

that blue pixelated thing is actually my legs crossed and the photographer "artistically" enhanced the image to, well, elongate, I guess would be the word, the pixels down so the blue part looks more like an EA playstation controller than legs that are crossed.

[Ed Oscuro]

I mean there's a "strategically placed" bluish/dark pixel that separates a couple of the tan pixels from the rest of your shirt there. Oh well, not that terrible anyways :P

[can_dude]

I mean there's a "strategically placed" bluish/dark pixel that separates a couple of the tan pixels from the rest of your shirt there. Oh well, not that terrible anyways :P

oh, i see what you're saying, yeah, kind-of weird

[slapdash]

Another typo is "Gekken TV Boy" instead of "Gakken TV Boy".

[ianoid]

I definitely don't see the game stores not selling NES as the fall of collecting. It wasn't the start and it ain't the fall. Most collectors don't get all their stuff from Game Stop or EB anyway. With eBay, old games of all kinds are available to everyone.

I actually believe that the game stores closing will increase the supply of cheap games to those of us bottom feeders into yard sales and flea markets, and lower prices on eBay.

[Ed Oscuro]

Hmm, I thought the photograph was really good otherwise, Can_dude! I thought you were younger, or at least that you'd look younger.

Anyhow, forgive me for writing with a tone; didn't mean it to have an edge.