Do you collect PC games?

[cyberfluxor]

I read a few people say that it's worthless to collect PC games because you must keep old systems around... WTF? So you have an NES and GameCube why?... exactly.

I don't collect old games, but I do buy hard copies of old games if they are worth it and I never got a chance to play it. I'm quite aware of downloading ISO/BIN, and other raw image files but it's not worth it to me if you don't have a hard copy to lean back on. Generally I do buy new games instead of old though because I'm supporting the cause of making good quality computer games, like when I put a reserve for Supreme Commander that launches next year. I do however still buy older PC games if they are cheap and in great condition plus I know they have great gameplay; also some are really difficult to find even on-line as downloads.

My friend loves to download ROMs and buys retail rarely. It's quite sick and I stomp on him often over it cause it's just so lame how much junk he downloads.

[Porkchop]

Technically all video games are computer games. :P

I pick up pre-IBM PC games when I find them cheap and some PC games, but I don't count them or even keep track of them yet.

[Iron Draggon]

The PC is the main system that I collect for now. I got rid of most of my old DOS games because it just didn't make much sense to me to hold onto them anymore when they can only be played through emulation or on a really old PC. But I kept everything from Windows 95 on up, including the few games that won't work in XP compatibility mode.

Mostly I have a ton of really crappy budget titles, mainly because as crappy and common as they are, at some point they're bound to become rare. Most people who bought them ended up using them as coasters or frisbees or just throwing them away, so eventually they're bound to be sought after. And if not, who cares? It's cheap as hell to collect them, and most people don't have alot of them.

Then I have all the big budget titles that really interest me. Mostly racing games and simulators. Coaster sims, train sims, trucking sims, sailing sims, flight sims, and any sort of racing game. I have more racing games than anything.

I also collect RTS games, but I never play them. So I'm not sure why I even bother collecting them, other than just to have them. I don't even have any of them installed. They just collect dust. But I do have most of the popular titles.

So I have hundreds of PC games in my collection. One of these days I'm gonna have to count them all, just to see how many I have. I have dozens of solitaire and mahjong games. I don't know why I collect those either. I just do.

But the main thing that I collect for the PC is video pinball games. I have almost every one ever made for the PC, as well as for all the consoles that I collect for. Pinball is my passion. So I would be the guy to talk to if you ever want to sell that old DOS pinball game that you've had for years.

As for centerpieces, my whole collection is a centerpiece to me. I have all the games and all their sequels and all their expansions. I even have some imports. How many people do you know who buy import PC games? That's hardcore!

So, count me in with all the people who don't understand why PC games don't count. Alot of what I have for the PC is all games that are also available on the current consoles, so I don't see why they shouldn't count. If they count for all the consoles then they should count for the PC as well.

BTW, I have to agree that the PC is THE system of choice to collect for. Even if you aren't into modding your games, which is the #1 advantage that the PC has over consoles, it is still WAY more affordable to collect for the PC. Most of the games for the PC are at least $20 cheaper than their console counterparts are when they're first released, and usually within 6 months or less they're discounted to only $20 or less total. You almost never see that happen with any console games. They sell for $50 and they stay there.

Now if we could just get our own PC gaming forum here, so I wouldn't have to try and figure out if my post about a PC game should go in Classic Gaming or Modern Gaming. I still think that we should have a PC Gaming forum here. I for one would be posting in it very regularly, and I'm sure that everyone else in this thread would be too. Long live the PC!

[Joker T]

A Computer Gaming Forum would be really nice.

[Nukie]

I don't collect for the pc per se, majorly because of the not working on my new box issue. I do buy games and play them a lot on the pc, it's actually my preferred for certain types of games (fps being the biggest, I suck with dual analog sticks).

[RegSNES]

Although I do have some PC titles (mostly Sega compilations), I don't count them in with my regular console games. I've never really been a PC gamer, even though everyone and their mother tells me FPS on PCs are teh pwnage.

[alec006]

I do collect some PC games,just the ones that i like and the ones that can run on my system,good oh DOSBOX

[Kai]

I too collect PC games, and they "count" as far as I'm concerned. I started collecting them pretty much by accident. Whenever I was out looking for video games at thrifts/garage sales, I never seemed to find much except for the random $5.00 Genesis sports title, but I was always finding old computer games cheap, so I started picking them up.

I think I have around 100 boxed games, and 90% percent of them I found in the wild for $3.00 or less, some more noteable titles being:

The Ultima Collection
Zork Anthology
Monkey Island I & II
Space Quest I
Baldurs Gate I & II
And a complete boxed Atari ST system with tons of games and extras ($25.00)

Pics of my collection here (56k beware)


http://pixeladventures.org/pccollection.html

[Griking]

I too collect PC games, and they "count" as far as I'm concerned. I started collecting them pretty much by accident. Whenever I was out looking for video games at thrifts/garage sales, I never seemed to find much except for the random $5.00 Genesis sports title, but I was always finding old computer games cheap, so I started picking them up.

I think I have around 100 boxed games, and 90% percent of them I found in the wild for $3.00 or less, some more noteable titles being:

The Ultima Collection
Zork Anthology
Monkey Island I & II
Space Quest I
Baldurs Gate I & II
And a complete boxed Atari ST system with tons of games and extras ($25.00)

Pics of my collection here (56k beware)


http://pixeladventures.org/pccollection.html

Very nice collection there. That boxed Daggerfall should be included in your list of notable games. It usually goes for a decent amount on eBay not to mention that it was a great game. Please keep me in mind if you sell any of it.

[exit]

I pick up old games if I see them for a cheap price. Just last week I got Enemy Zero off of e-bay for a penny, lucky for me the game actually works without a problem.

I would like to get the original Alone in the Dark collection, but I can never get them to run right with dosxbox.

[ghostangelofcky]

I don't collect PC games but when I see them cheap at Goodwill I'll pick one up.

But yeah, old Apple II games, thats a different story

[YoshiM]

I *kinda* collect old PC games. If I see something interesting at a thrift store for a good price, I'll pick it up. Usually PC games/software are dirt cheap used. Not too long ago I bought a complete in box Dungeon Siege for $1, complete Legend of Kyrandia CD collection for $3, complete King's Quest: Perils of Rosella for $2, complete "preview" edition of Wing Commander for $2 and Microsoft Office 2000 Professional for....$1. Hard not too pass up on those prices.

@sabre2922: I know exactly how you feel about PC gaming. It can be an uphill struggle....if you want to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak. I've always been behind the bleeding edge and to be honest I think it was a great move. Hardware upgrades become cheaper and the software you wanted gets chucked to the bargin bin or rereleased at a cheaper price or with more stuff (like the Diablo or Warcraft packs, Half Life packs, etc.). Sure you're not playing it first but eventually you will.

As for compatibility....well, that's just the "fun" of PC gaming :P . Honestly, lots of stuff gets fixed thanks to patches and driver updates.

[Flack]

Let's face it -- computer based games will never be as collectable or as valuable as their cartridge bound counterparts. In the aging war, chips will beat out magnetic media everytime. And yet still, I can't seem to pass up old computer games when I find them for a buck or two. I probably have around a hundred boxed Apple, C64 and DOS games.

Just to keep this ball rolling if you collect computer games ... Does it matter if they are boxed, or will you take loose? Do you play them or is it more about the collecting? For that matter, does it matter to you if the disks inside really work?

[Kai]

Just to keep this ball rolling if you collect computer games ... Does it matter if they are boxed, or will you take loose? Do you play them or is it more about the collecting? For that matter, does it matter to you if the disks inside really work?

I prefer them boxed, but if I see a good game for .50 at a garage sale, I'm not going to pass it up. I fully intend to play all the games I have, so I don't normally buy flight sims or racing games because I will never play them.

I haven't come across many disks that don't work (yet). I suppose it doesn't matter that much because the boxes & accessories are what make them more valueble to me, and if the disk is bad, usually they can be replaced cheaper than a complete set. And if all else fails they are usually downloadable.
I don't know if it's just me, but most all the 20+ year old disks that I have tested still work fine. I've found more corruption in disks that are less than 10 years old, and I wonder if it's a case of the manufacturers using cheaper materials over time. (such as it is with many things. Ex. My dad has a shop full of vintage 1930's woodworking tools that he uses, because they are better quality than most tools available today.)

[scooterb23]

Just to keep this ball rolling if you collect computer games ... Does it matter if they are boxed, or will you take loose?

In my case, I don't really care about box and docs...most PC games I buy tend to be in jewel cases only anyway.

I am noticing that a few PC games that I would like to have are pretty tough to find (You Don't Know Jack 5th Dementia, Links Extreme, the Whamo Disc Golf game) I'm sure there are more I've been looking for, but I can't remember them now.