Great video as always. I agree that the best way to start collecting retro games for most people is to get the mini consoles and the compilation disks. And then get a clone console to play the rest on a modern tv. I'm looking forward to the next generation of clone consoles for Sega CD, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, and N64. As you said, original hardware eventually fails or has issues. That is why I am so happy that I can play a lot of Xbox Original and Xbox 360 games on my Xbox One S. I think the market is starting to moderate, which is a good thing.
The failure rate for Dreamcasts was pretty high, so anything to help correct that in the future would be ideal. Though realistically it's more likely we'll see clone consoles just rip the data off the disc and play them off a hdd as the 360 eventually allowed.
@bUH sNUH I agree with you that would be the best way to go...for a hardcore retro gamer with money. But for the casual retro gamer, the clone consoles with HDMI output is good enough.
Agreed. I have most of the original consoles going back to NES and typically now only collect carts and discs of my favorite games. Everything else I play on a mini, a flashcart, burned disc, off usb loaded mod etc... just because it's way too expensive to collect for everything. The space is another issue like John pointed out where even playing different consoles is an issue because I don't have the room to put all my A/V cable consoles near my CRT, so I'm constantly swapping out wires and consoles. That's were the Raspberry Pi certainly comes in handy, something I don't own but I totally understand why it's a thing for retro gamers.
Great video John. Its important to talk about this topic with the community. Me personally, I consider myself a gamer first, and a collector next, so my priority and focus is to have an affordable and convenient way to play my games. The reason why I like to collect, is more for the preservation of physical media, and just because I really enjoy having a game room with my personal library that I can enjoy, is a physical representation that I can look at, I can touch and read the manuals etc, and play those original games on the original hardware the way they were programed for. Nowadays, I really use the best of both worlds, emulation and original hardware. A big hug from Portugal my friend.
I definitely think that the Playstation 2-era is the last really collectible generation. Given the rise of DLC and day 1 patches, the last two generations will have a lot of unplayable or incomplete games. It's really a shame, as there's a lot of good stuff that's come out for those systems.
@@saturnargentavis1901 I'd say the first half of that generation is fine around 2010 is where it shifts to dlc everywhere it's just gonna take awhile cause there were 80 million units a piece and the wii was 100 million
@Nintendo GangStar same. I wanted to play many games on the 3ds and nds but can't afford them because they barely drop in price. I also love getting my money's worth for a game and not feeling ripped off.
Back in the 2000s I had a huge collection in my house and it even took up my entire garage. I had an epiphany at one point and decided that I did not get enjoyment out of having the physical artifacts except for a select few things and I sold most of that collection off. I am much happier with owning just the things that were the most important to me personally. Thank goodness I was collecting before all the hype went nuts and prices got high.
Retro gaming is more popular than ever. It is mainstream to be a nerd nowadays. If you think about it video games are relatively new entertainment format. We are just now getting to a point that older people remember growing up with video games.
Searching for and randomly finding games is a big part of collecting for many people. Since these same people made hundreds of UA-cam videos about the cheap market at garage sales, flea/thrift stores everyone became aware. Prices went up and the remaining buried treasures were dug up and bought.
I personally sold my retro collection last year. I feel that with the increased popularity of emulators, NES/SNES classic, PSX classic coming out, it just makes more sense for the average person to play their retro games on one of those VS playing on original hardware. So I cashed out of my collection. I've seen many games I sold for high price come down at least 25%. I think it's a market correction, not crash as retro gaming on original hardware becomes less practical for the average person who just like to play games, not collect games. All that being said I'm glad I cashed out when I did. I made a lot of money.
Glad to see there are other people out here who are ok with emulation. I use to be a hardware purist but John is right younger generations dont want as much stuff. I was a huge pack rat and had a very large collection but decided to get out a few years ago because going forward I wasn't going to be able to afford getting anything I wanted. I had fun collecting but probably had more fun parting it out.
What 'average' person is collecting? Average people don't collect. That's why they are average. 'Average' people are stupid, tasteless, senseless, and greedy. Just look at the typical person of any country, let alone gamers. They want everything instantly, for free and on their iPhones if possible, and don't have any understanding of future investments, tangible pleasures, or the value of collecting hardcopies. Alas, one could argue the importance of having real items. They don't even play games because the games are great, let alone collect them -- they play what's popular, what friends play, and what will make them popular on Twitch, and then they move on.
Same with me i sold about half of my collection and made a good chunk of change and i honestly don't miss it. I kept the few games that have sentimental value and now have a lot more storage space for things that i use everyday. plus with selling off a collection it gives new people the thrill of hunting down that certain missing game they need
I really dislike people who collect the games and hold them to "cash out" or call it "cashing out," while people like me are out here collecting games to play them and put them on a shelf and replay them as often as possible. you are the reason retro game prices went up, and I hope the prices continue to fall as people "cash out" of their collections, so people who actually want to play and couldn't care less about the value have a chance to get the games they want that people held onto for a while to "cash out" on.
I love my physical media but i'm an oddball for a 29 year old. I think you're spot on. It's all going digital and no one is going to be interested in the older cartridge based games. The classic systems are going to be enough to scratch that itch for most people.
I hope the retro market collapses and games are dirt cheap again. I remember going to flea markets and buying games for 5 to 10 dollars, now everything is jacked up in price because one jack wagon paid 200 dollars so now all games are 200 dollars.
Don't know what world you're living in, but I very, very rarely pay more than $5 a game. It's usually closer to $2 or $3. Had a particularly active month and have added nearly 200 more titles to my collection. The single most expensive item out of the 200ish was a 3do title, which I paid $8.50 for. I'm constantly baffled by claims that people make about how expensive retro games are. Big time collector here and apart from a very select few titles, prices have *always* been hereabouts. Heck, try as I might I simply can not find games for the prices people claim they cost. Closest thing to it are those insane ebay listings that no-one actually buys so they stick around for a while.
@@beezle1976 I think the only place to find cheap retro games is in flea-markets, where people don't know what they sell. But there, you must be lucky, because you can't have the game you want, when you want it... Other than that most retro game stores as well as amazon- ebay, with the exception of the occasional seller, will sell most retro games (at least the famous ones) for at least 20$. How many copies of Mario Kart 64 have you found that cost 2-3$ or even less than 10 $?
@@beezle1976 It's the people that don't want to hunt down retro games. They simply just want the item now & go on eBay. There they find outrageous prices yet some people will pay that price cause they just want it this second. Best show to watch is the Game Chasers. They show you what it's actually like to be a collector & hunt down video games from the old school days. Even $5 is too much to pay for some games. But there will always be those couple rare games that are worth a lot of money.
@@alerommel1 Speculators are ruining the market. They get some random garbage game graded, get a 9-10 rating, then suddenly idiots on ebay raise their prices because 'well its obviously worth 9000 dollars now'.
Sitting on the couch in San Antonio watching John Hancock with the Metal Jesus Crew, than this popped up of course I had to click on it. I hate the fact physical media is dying.
Good thing about that is everything is cheap for guys like us, who want them. I am shocked I can get so many great blu-ray DVDs for very cheap! So, it's not dying for you, if you know where to look and buy what you care about at decent prices. That's what I do. I am a collector. I have many collections and they are pretty good, too. I have 500 DVDs and 80 games and 10 consoles so far. I also collect books, rocks, coins, tabletop wargaming figures, HP merch, and now I'm getting into blu-rays, Pokemon, VHS, records, Yu-Gi-Oh, and comic books. I have been gaming since I was 5-years-old and a 'collector' since I was around 8-years-old.
True, but I don't believe the gamers cause that. It's about control and profit. You can only hold a "platform" if you artificially lock it for third parties. It does not only hit the gaming markt hard, but all consumer-electronics involving a computer-system are suffering this mass-fraud. It's why you now, to play a mp3 on your phone, have to download an app in a useless complicated software construct, wich requires to personally register. It you want to send that mp3 to someone else to listen by wifi, you'll have a challenge. You're in a narrated environment that avoids do-it-yourself options for commercial reasons. In reality, the computer you're on is far superior to anything it can show with it's preinstalled system.
the romantic of finding a card on a second hand market is gone a while ago. when a kid this day's would ask me "how was it back then"? I would say it was heaven! Its just a feeling if I remember the 90's. The wall of sega genesis cards in every shop and second hand market. Now its like, you can buy online new games, old games and software anytime. My thoughts are just "the romantic is gone..." Internet is terminator for good and evil...brings you flowers and erase moments you had before you could buy online. Thanks for the videos I like them alot
All hobbies have peaks and valleys. Vintage lionel trains have swan dived for instance, the reason being all the ppl who bought those up and drove the prices are passing away now, they are going to estate sales and online and the market is flooded. One of my hobbies for decades has been vintage razors. 90s they were expensive for the rare stuff because it was hard to find stuff wo the net. Then the internet made it easy and the prices went well down, then the economic crash happened, newbies got into them as a means to save cash and the market skyrocked because they had no idea what was common or scarce, and then 5 yrs down the line they do and now the deep end is still the deep end and the common goes for common again. The retro game market just hit its fever pitch and now there is a market correction taking place. Once the enthusiasm wanes and sanity is injected you get the clear picture. It's honestly a good thing for guys who collect to collect because guys who overreached buying everything on speculation get their nuts cut off in the end if they hold too long and become non factors.
Good post. I paid a few high prices for a small handful of games but I bet the people that paid 150+ dollars for many of these games are feeling a bit guilty or feeling conned after the prices have dropped by 25% in the span of only a year.
You can genuinely see how much you love Retro Gaming. You're constantly smiling and you look genuinely happy in your videos, I got to admit it makes me excited to watch your content. Long live the immortal John Hancock!!
If software companies were smart they would be developing and aquireing and releasing NEW games and never released games on old systems with limited run. Creating collectables, embracing the hardware, supporting the preservation of the system, extending the life, creating value of collectable. People will pirate , but there is still the novelty of owning a physical copy of new limited edition game from a retro system. What do you guys think?
Retro gaming is mainly a second hand market and prices will change based on demand. The 80's crash was a completely different ball of wax that will most likely not happen again as modern gaming is has completely changed since than and games do not require the mass amounts of money to get to retail as they used to be.
I'm retro for life. I love sprites. I don't totally hate 3D, but it's got some banes. Final Fantasy becoming an action RPG, Resident Evil becoming a shooter. I like the old two button games. Playing Mega Man 1 and Dragon Warrior 1 right now. I'm not gonna beat Mega Man, that fire boss near the end is a doozy. I do agree with shops closing down for online sales, but like you say, it will be the wheeler and dealers that thrive with retro, and they'll be online shipping from home.
Well i dont have issues collecting retro cause i just focus in one console and thats it, trying to collect everything like this dude obviously in some point you going to struggle with the space, money, and time, i think the key is just be pacient, and if you going to collect video games PLAY THEM! cmon just collect them and not playin with them sounds like just a hoarding disorder.
Curious, do you feel the same about toys? Is leaving toys in their original box & not playing with them also considered a hoarding disorder, or is it acceptable? IMO, keeping a game in its original box(not playing with it) is no different than keeping a MOTU He-Man action figure in its original packaging/box(not playing with it). Same thing.
We find so much stuff out there. We all don’t live in the same places. Especially since there seems to be little focus on the culture in our town. Physical media disappearing is more so about how the producers of games don’t wish to split profits with companies that make physical media.... and brick and mortar won’t go away until instant delivery is a thing. I think it’s more about centralized hybrid business models. Like amazon is looking into heavily, and Walmart is attempting to replicate. It’s hard to predict the future of brick and mortar businesses. We just have to surf the waves 🌊. Thanks if you read this. Thanks John!
Isn't that something else, rather than changing? Going for PS2 or Xbox games instead of SEGA is not retro any longer, therefore, it's not changing, it's completely different! So, that argument makes no sense to my mind. Naturally, as time moves of, PS2, GameCube, etc. will be 'retro' for people, like how movies from the 1970s are very old for most of us now, even though 'real' old movies are, in fact, 1920s and 1950s, not 1970s. But, that doesn't change facts. I do agree with the latter, though. I want carts to be cheap so I can buy them! Also, speaking of the GameCube, that system costs so much now. I wish I got that at the time! Hhaha.
@Jenkem Muhdikken But that doesn't mean 'retro' magically changes just because you want it to or deem something 'old'. Look it up. Retro is 1970-1990s (PS1). Some people even say that PS1/1990s is modern, not retro! The PS2 puts you into modern gaming (along with every other 2000 console). The PS2 is a 128-bit system and seen as the first modern console. How is that 'retro'?! Yes, it's old, but that only proves 2018 is the 'hyper-modern era' or 'post-modern' or whatever. You don't downgrade modern to retro just because you've moved forward in time, that's not how timescales/classifications work...
@Jenkem Muhdikken They [Reddit] are saying either the consoles are retro or will be in about 2 years (20-year mark). That could make sense, however, the fact is, before the 2000s, they were old and 8 to 64-bit consoles. That is retro. But, post-2000s will forever be modern (or more correctly, early modern (128-bit and beyond, with other advanced technology such as blu-ray in the PS3)). Working on the former, in 20 years, you'll be telling me, '4k, PS5 is retro', which is stupid. SNES is retro, N64 is retro or even 'proto-modern' (as the first 64-bit console), PS2 is 'early modern', and PS3 is just 'modern'.
I think the word "crash" has a connotation that is sensationalized by current collectors. People that are concerned are either store owners or speculator/posers. Personally, I do see a crash coming. I don't know how soon though. I was in the thick of several collecting "fads." Eventually, the speculators and opportunists will hit the ceiling. Collectors will put their foot down, and say I refuse to pay that. No more. I saw it happen to comics, trading cards, beanie babies, etc etc etc. Once the speculators have destroyed their own market, they will move on to something else. (I have seen prices dip in recent weeks on "guaranteed" money makers.)
Took me 17 years to get my Saturn collection to where it is now. I'm just glad I started early. Even with emulation, I still love seeing the box art and memories from when those games were relevant. We had variety, awesome magazines, and a lot of fun.
The market is never 'crashing', even in 1984, there was no 'crash' so to speak, the market only changed from console gaming towards computer gaming, with the huge success of the C64.
In a way I wish it would crash. I love these old systems and would really enjoy having them to play but I can't pay the ridiculous prices some of them are going for these days. At least Atari 2600 stuff is still cheap; that's the system I grew up with so it's great to be able to buy and play all those old titles that I missed out on. I know there is emulation but that just isn't the same thing to me at all because you're losing the whole tangible aspect of it.
very true! I used to pick up tons of Atari 2600 games for 99 cents each at my local thrift stores. You just don't see them at that price today very often.
Hey, John, as a gamer and collector a few years your senior (oi...), I really appreciate your progressive insights, particularly since you could be totally biased toward original hardware given your preferences and the gaming history we come from and what that looked like. Thanks for being so open minded and pragmatic. And I am SO GLAD I got to experience what I did growing up and what that was like with video game stores and arcades, magazines and word of mouth, multi-player gaming IN THE SAME ROOM...etc. That being said, I think there is a tremendous opportunity being missed right now for "senior collectors" to pass knowledge down to the newer collectors that would really help invigorate and give credibility to an aspect of video game collecting as a hobby/passion-- I think of all the different board revisions and "chase" variants we grew up with that companies like Working Designs put out that many newer collectors know nothing about. Not to mention the different boards of different consoles such as the OneChip SNES consoles. There are all these variants and rarities on so many platforms that I and other collectors have sought out over the years. And even with more collectors, there are less of us that have any knowledge or awareness of the existence of these rarities and how satisfying it can be to seek out and collect these variants. Even among the less antiquated platforms such as GameCube. For eg, did you know there are 8 cover variants of Metroid Prime? EIGHT. That's nuts. I hope you'll consider maybe doing some videos on variants. There's tons of content there I think a lot of your viewers and fellow collectors would find interesting and informative. And as a completionist collector (even as it pertains to what "goodies" some games came with that others know little about and rarely see), I'm pretty sure your knowledge base and examples in your collection is quite high in this regard. We love to see the items you own and I encourage you to share them even more than you do. It's not showing off, it's interesting, I promise you. Always pulling for you, John, since you are one of the good guys. Keep up the great work. It's part of your legacy to put the time into these videos and it's worth it.
I don't see the market crashing, but I do see the focus changing from collecting for cartridge based systems like the Nes, Snes, Sega genesis. To collecting for disc based consoles like PlayStation, Game cube and Xbox. Those consoles games are rising in price and popularity as that generation is getting more disposable income. That generation is not going be as Interested in collecting the old cartridge games, as they didn't grow up with them. It will be interesting to see where Nes prices are in 20 years in the year 2038. The NES with be over 50 years old then and i just don't see there being a real demand for a game console that is that old. Great video man.
I think Gamestop (slowly) going out of business is an unrelated coincidence. Just like Blockbuster closed a decade ago, it didn't really affect the movie industry as alternative services like Netflix exploded since then. Nowadays with digital stores and storefronts like Steam, a lot less people buy physically and when they do, it's usually just and literally an empty case with a code to download the game (Bethesda infamously did it with their recent Fallout: 76) anyway, so it's normal that traditional stores (retail chains and otherwise) are losing money and going bankrupt left and right. Up until a few years ago, I lived in a relatively small town (60.000 people, now my hometown counts roughly 10.000 more) and we only had 1 videogame store which was run by a privateer and was not affiliated with any big franchise like Gamestop. Said store was "huge" during the PS1 and PS2 (and PSP) days because people had nowhere else to go if they wanted to buy games, but ever since the PS3 came out, a lot less people started going there because with the PSN there wasn't really a need for physical games anymore. The store survived for a while because we used to have a "big" local scene of kids and young adults playing TGGs such as YuGiOh, Magic and Pokémon and especially during the summer you could usually find around 100 people just playing and trading cards outside the small store which meant that the owner gradually started to sell a lot less games and more packs of cards just to stay open. Eventually, (a few more years have now passed) I think the store is technically still open for business because everytime I go back home every 6 months or so I usually walk past it from the bus stop to my house and I see it open, but there are no more kids outside playing TGGs and just very little activity in general, to the point that the owner is now using his own shop as a gathering point for meet-ups of the political party he's a part of instead, which is a shame. Anyway, after this long digression that admittedly has little to do with the topic of the video, (apologies John!), the point is that physical stores going out of business or switching to other markets won't really affect retrogaming much. It sucks for store owners, but the market itself is just as prolific as ever. I can go on eBay and find everything I want (being able to afford it is another thing entirely, though!) and in the off chance I don't find what I need there, I can go to Reddit, find a community dedicated to a particolar system and ask there directly. For instance, lately I've been looking for a PSP1000 because mine (also a 1000, pre-production unit from 2004) has been on active duty for 15 years now and I need to retire it now before it dies so I thought about buying one that was refurbished so that I could use it for another 15 years and store mine for safekeeping. People on eBay wanted between €50 and €100 for one without charger, case, box, pretty much everything else missing and usually in bad conditions. So I went to /r/psp instead and a while back I was hooked up with a guy in the UK that will sell me one for £40 shipped that has been serviced completely. Or a few weeks ago I was randomly browsing eBay and found an auction for a bunch of complete ZX Spectrum games with cases and whatnot (it was £2 for a lot of 9 games). As I don't collect for the system, I just posted the link to the auction to another community made by fans of the ZX and while at first I thought everybody ignored me there, I later got a few private messages thanking me for the heads up from the guy that ultimately won the auction and discovered it because of me. Apologies once again for digressing too much, but the point I'm trying to make is that with how widespread the internet has become, I think that we don't need the "middle man" (the retail stores, essentially) anymore. Prices might've gone up as a result of that, as it is to be expected when a lot of people have access to a lot more informations, but from what I've seen the retrogaming scene in general is pretty much healthier than it has ever been, albeit spread across multiple sub-communities dedicated to specific systems, with newcomers joining every day. I know I'm part of that new reality, as I've mentioned already in another video of yours that you're essentially my inspiration for finally using my disposable income on collecting games and enjoying what I have (or what I buy) rather than doing nothing with it. And Christ Almight, I've just scrolled up to proofread what I wrote and it's a bigger wall of text that I had anticipated.
@TheKumitechamp Indeed, but given the chance, I can't say that I wouldn't do the same. Not taken to the extreme like Gamestop and a few other retail chains do, but if I find something that is selling for 1/3 of its value and I don't need it, I will resell it for at least 2/3 of the price I paid for without asking too many questions. I think it's ok to make a profit on reselling games and collectors' items, but there's a fine line between being a honest seller (and especially buyer) and a dishonest one. However, while corporate greediness is finally biting Gamespot in the arse and it's glorious, I think that those who go there to sell their games are partially at fault aswell. You mentioned one of the latest CODs and that's the issue there. A lot of kids nowadays don't realize (or want to understand) that what they're trying to trade-in is basically worthless because: a) It's a relatively modern game, released in the last 5 years; b) It's a successull game that sold millions of units worldwide; c) It's a sports game more often than not. It's supply and demand 101. The more copies are sold, the lower its value is. Why would Gamestop pay more for a game if there're another identical 5 million copies around? Or why would Gamestop pay more for sports games like Madden, Fifa and so on that are only "valid" for one year because newer editions are made every 12 months? It's not uncommon to walk into a Gamestop and see lines of kids trying to trade-in these kinds of games and then get angry at the employee behind the counter when he tells them that their games are not worth how much they think they do. It's a double trend that dates all the way back to the NES and SNES. Even to this day in 2018, nobody would pay more than $5 for any of the NFL/NHL titles on both systems because of how many of those were sold and how quickly they became outdated by newer iterations year after year. Maybe they would go up to $10-20 depending on conditions, availability of the box and manual and such, but even then it would be a hard sell.
@@ChaosZero. I don't even bother touching a sports game due to the oveesaturated market and the problems that they create. I prefer JRPGs since several of them sell poorly here in he USA due to being made for a niche audience
Gamestop going out is due to a few factors, not so much of a coincidence: - Competing with too many major players that don't rely on games as a primary profit maker (Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc can undercut them) - Games dropping in price too quickly (makes it hard to speculate for trade in values that are fair for both customer and store, wipes out margins) - Digital delivery (which translates to less profit margin when selling codes and no games to trade in, as you said) - Basically being non-existent in the retro category (taking themselves out of retro games for a very long time, missing the bubble as it grew, trying to climb back on now as it deflates) The gripes about trade value have always been and will continue to be present and it's always been a balancing act for them, so those who say that's the main reason why aren't seeing the whole picture. They don't want those low trade in valued titles, so prices are low to deter that. They could stand to give more on recent games, but they have to make up profit margin somewhere and prep for games dropping in price, so I see why they do give less even if I don't agree with it. Retail stores - mostly your mom & pop type places, or "independent" if you will - that focus on selling used software only and try to keep prices competitive are doing a decent job out there. Be fair and people will patronize. Anything to avoid scalpers online and the people at flea markets who price everything high because they saw some expensive video games on some episode of Storage Wars or whatever. But those places had to have been established a while back, it's tough to get in that market now since it is becoming a bit saturated.
Had to sub after watching you in so many vids. You're awesome man. Keep posting your videos as much as you love them, I'll always watch someone with such passion!
I think you are right, it's a change. This is the coming of the Disk-Age beginning to become Retro. The previous 20 years was the Cart-Age. In 20 years time it'll be the Digital-Age that becomes Retro.
Heres my humble opinion on the subject, just my personal feelings about the current market: I agree with most things you said. Just about 5 or 6 months ago I thought wow, the crash is really here mow. the retro gaming crash, the bubble busting ..! But now Im really with you, its changing, not crashing (a good thing). we are in a market correction phase now, is been going on for bout a year. The really big hype is over and in general prizes are going down (but slowly). Everyone in the game says so who has been in this collection/buying/trading for 3 or 4+ years. Hipsters have left the hobby after joing it for 1-2 years, leaving them with a ton of unplayed overprized SNES games... ( no offense snes is cool!) its trending more towards good games or generally more interesting games and beloved franchises rather than full set collections, so this also determines the individual game prices. plus theres the mini consoles and emulation with pi and so, this also affects the market as
You hit on a lot of great points. As a collector myself, space and storage are always a challenge and an expense. I personally think that the retro market will only grow as there's always homebrews and rare finds to be had for the purest out there whom want that authentic experience that a clone or emulator can't give you. However, I believe that there are 3 things that damage the retro market experience for those whom are new to collecting. 1. Too many repro carts being sold as the real thing. 2. The overvaluing of games. and 3. Streaming services. It's only going to get easier for these companies to put these games on a streaming service at a cheap price to a device that you already have, making it impractical to spend hundreds of dollars for a "rare" game. For us old heads that want to relive that nostalgia of Atari, Commadore, Sega or 3DO and want that authentic feel that we remember, the market will sojourn on but for the gamers that grew up with Playstation and Xbox, I don't think that'll mean much if those games are simply made available on the PS store or Xbox live.
Very good video! I just wanted to share my opinion on it: 1. If someone asked me where to start the retro gaming, i think i would ask the person first if he had any console when he was young, because for me playing "retro" games means i am travelling back in time, to bring memories back when i originally played these games with my friends, i was young, and so it functions a bit like a time-machine for me, i love that nostalgic feeling so much. So if the person that asks me has no such experience, i doubt that he feels the same emotions that i (or we) do.. because i wouldnt really collect/play games that are 20 years or older just because other people suggest me to do so.. i do it because of my memories i had with them 2. While watching your video it reminded me a bit of the situation where the video cassettes were many years ago. its sad, but if you look right now, who has still hundreds of the tapes stored at home and collecting them, as you said, space is an issue, and convienience.. It kind of reminded me of you, seeing you collecting all the original games (like the tapes) and holding on to them, like holding on to the past, i like that, and in your situation a museum would really make sense! Crossing my fingers that this will happed one day! But on the other hand, i guess for the average Joe, as you said, this will not be the way to go, to experience these older systems, the market has changed already (see all the digital games you can download from AAA companies..Steam, Xbox, PlayStation), -> my only problem with that: in the future there has to be a way of trading digital copies as well, i sell a lot of my physical games after playing them, thats why i currently do not yet like digital copies Lets see where the market goes, I look fwd to find out ;) Many regards from Germany David
When you talk of "brick & mortar" the idea of a Gamestop never comes to mind. Haven't been in a Gamestop in years as also the same with other retro gamers I know. Retro gaming is about retro gaming and I would think that it would be difficult to gauge how it is doing. I have been heavy into retro for years and with each new console generation I get pushed deeper into it. I would say personally that retro gaming is very healthy and very much alive. My source of new games has mainly been ebay for the original stuff and Ali Express for the reproductions. There are a few local "Mom & Pops" brick & mortar that I visit occasionally, but not my main supply of collecting retro. I do agree that the retro gaming market is changing from many influences. The minis, clones, retro pi, multi carts, reproductions, to flash carts has had their affect on how a retro gamer gets their fix. Even the age of the gamer and their exposure to a generation of gaming they never knew, to the individual that grew up with it, each will have their own perspective in how and what they want to acquire. I personally enjoy the original hardware but I do like experimenting with clones. I am into NES, SNES, Famicom, Super Famicom, Sega Genesis, N64, PC Engine, TG16, and Atari Jaguar. Love cart based gaming on a home console. And I love all the portables, love portable gaming. I am always looking to expand my collection.
Some good points, but I think you missed something. For many just playing one of the classic mini consoles or using a multi-cart will be enough, but those are also gateways for some to get into full retro collecting. For myself I find that if I use an emulator with all the ROMs I play nothing because of analysis paralysis- there are simply too many options. Also if I got all the games for free or for cheap, there is a weird perceptual problem of them having no value. I’ve also run into game breaking bugs via emulation late into a game that can be a huge deterrent. So there is value to actually owning the original item and hardware beyond just its ever changing price in the retro gaming market. I also see FPGA systems that bridge original hardware authenticity with current technology and ease of use as the future of retro gaming. Along with a growing home-brew and indie development scene making NEW games for old systems, that is a spark ready to light a fire for a new generation of collectors.
I just don't want it to go to all digital games. I am worried about hacking, failed hard drives, corrupted accounts, not being able to share media, not being able to sell used media, and the lack of the thrill of the hunt.
Having all these unique options is usually beneficial to any market. I'm sitting in the niche where I want to play on authentic hardware, but am worried about old hardware kicking the bucket. That's why I have invested in FPGA-based clone consoles like the Super NT and a new motherboard for existing C64 hardware. I like how the retro community has at least got enough attention to have companies releasing new products for playing old games.
I came into this video thinking "no way is this guy about to spend 13 minutes talking about being able to buy games online" and I was happy to have been right. Interesting video~ But "the next step would be something that can play everything" you mean like, a desktop? Sure they're obviously going to be a bit on the large side unless you're paying extra for a decently cooled small form factor; though I would argue that with how prone the older systems like Atari and Coleco vision used to be to difficulties from things like small bumps, a reasonably sized desktop these days isn't really such an absurd alternative to having one or multiple game systems. You're quite right about some people wanting to downsize though! And there will absolutely continue to be those of us harboring physical videogame history that's still in working condition ^_^
My friend is liqudating his collection. I think as these classic consoles and pis to general populace increases, you'll see a decline in demand. I also think that we'll see a drop off in collecting for next generation when we'll see the majority of games go digital for the first time.
Totally agree, I’m a gamer and a collector, I don’t see the retro scene crashing, but in my opinion I see it slowing down as more people are getting into it and the demand for certain games and systems aren’t as crazy as they were., but the retro market will always be there.
Outstanding op/ed, John! I think too many people are throwing the word "crash" around on UA-cam (seen a few videos today) to an extreme.. The word "changing" or even "adjusting" is much more accurate. If the retro market was "crashing", the PS Classic would never been released, Nintendo would not have secured patents for their past devices, and 1Up Me AtGames would instead be making calculators or watches.
Great video IJH !! I think we will see a price decrease in the late 70's-early 90's retro games . Reason I say that is because of all the new mini retro systems that work with modern TV's, you mentioned this . The common stuff should drop but the uncommon and rare stuff will probably stay where it is .
Super cool video! I grew up with the ps1 and the ps2 and I've started to collect for those two systems. It's super nostalgic and as you said, so many good games that I have not yet played. It's a goldmine!
Here is the product I want to see - a mini-console with several control pads mimicking the great console control pads/sticks, the ability to play every game and version of every console and arcade game since Spacewar and Pong, and a Video Game Black Belt Master Platinum Champion Quest which starts with Pong and you play your way through each game in historical order through the year 2000 and with a super memory feature which allows me to pick up right where I left off.
You probably summed up the best thing possible. I want an online scoreboard for every single game. There should be a company called Video Games that own every game and make a console with all of them with every controller. The games are digital, the controllers are real.
Great video once again. Just earlier in this month I got a working copy of The Settlers PC version I had ordered from eBay. Came with the box, manual, and building chart. Disks still work, I backed them up, then installed the game, and runs just fine under DOSBox. And game is still beautiful to look at! I have Sega Mega Drive & Genesis collection from Steam. Good number of games for lesser cost than 1 individual game when it was new. I play those games with Mega Drive replica controller Hyperkin GN6. Lots of fun there, if life would give me more time... But some reviews (on Steam) claim it cost too much.
Great video, you explained everything so well to everyone. I am with you on this one I’m keeping my original hardware. And as sad as it is less and less people are buying original hardware so they will have to resort to playing the new HD retro game players. I will never be getting rid of my collection as long as I can. Right now I’m 13 almost 14 but I’ve almost been retro collecting and gaming for nearly 5 years. I have 3 crt TVs in my room and 1 HD tv in my closet.
Agree 100%, nothing is ever fully declining its just changing and when things change and evolve the old ways of doing things no longer work as well but new ways do. Like have the same goals but going about it changes over time. Your right about younger gens and limited space cause with me I own a lot of retro games in digital form on my Nintendo 2dsxl (like 50 or 60 downoaded) and it works great for me. I love to keep things streamlined for that reason. More software and less hardware for me. Yes when something is on the decline something else is usually on the rise. Just easy to focus on the declining ways cause those were the norm for so long. While the new ways are still developing with the evolution. I grew up at the tail end of the cartridge era and mostly in the CD Game and start of PC gamer age. So to those I remember playing a lot and discovering games made before my time at flea markets ect. Great Video btw
Great video John! I agree with you on telling people what to buy... if you just want to try retro gaming, buy a HD Retro console... one of the Flashback type, or get a Retron of some sort.... Or, give RetroPie a try, as it is not that hard to setup, and there are a ton of tutorial videos online. The only thing else I would say, is collect what you love! If you were a Playstation fan, and you remember that, collect that if you want to start picking up physical media. I am also from the Atari 2600 generation, that was my fist console so I still have a 2600 and some carts... my collection these days, mostly due to space is Commodore! Thanks for the great video as always!!
There are a lot of great products in the retro market right now whether it was released in the last two years or on the original electronics. Let's enjoy it and debate it while this is still the case.
Great video buddy! Its changing, I have been in the video game retail almost 20 years, many will close up cause they were chasing the bucks and can't adapt to the new market.
It is so true that the market continues to grow and evolve. As more and more generations of people the grew up with disc based games, I have noticed prices for cartridge games go down in price. I just picked up Super mario bros 3 from a retail store for 8 bucks. This is great for all collectors and maybe might bring a little more stability to the market itself. Maybe with all the new ways to play classic games, with or without the original hardware, might bring down some of the outrageous prices for some harder to find games. Great video as always! Keep up the fantastic work.
Being 41 now, I grew up with the NES, SNES and PlayStation. I now have a great deal of consoles and a couple of CRTs because Im a purist and I need to play my games on original hardware. But Im lucky to have the space for such a collection of items.
Hey man. Agree with so many of your points here. A lot of retro gamers i know in the uk really are against raspberry pi and emulation but for all the reasons you mention space, accessibility and mostly of all....cost..it wont go away. The technology is there. I have an odroid xu4 and it can play anything up to ps1 with ease. It struggles with n64 and dreamcast at times but that technology will improve and thats where we will be. In my eyes emulation is a great way for people to access retro games and why shouod those people be excluded. Love the old hardware and stuff and will watch your videos to get my fix of that. On that note I still have my originally boxed c64 with tape deck and over 100 games.....and ill never get rid of that. My pride and joy! Love from the uk! 😊
I was just chatting with my mate over Christmas about this, he’s down sizing his games because he won’t ever play them. I’m purely collecting and going the other way. Great video immortal one, keep up the good work.
John, first I have to say, you are a total bad ass! I learn so much about old school gaming and collecting, every time I watch your videos. Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication man. I would love to hear your take on the BS Legend Of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets. The SNES never got the two Zelda titles, like their other systems did and it was totally unfair. I mean, A Link To The Past has always been my all time favorite video game! So, as you can imagine, upon finding out that there may have been an official release for the second SNES Zelda title, that never happened just broke my heart! I know this is way off topic of the video, but I would love to hear what you have to say about this, as there simply isn’t much out there on this particular subject. Can you please make a video about this? I’m sure you, in all of your glorious wisdomy goodness can learn us real good about this lost Zelda title in America. Anybody else with me on this?
The SNES Mini changed the way I approached retro games, hacking it and adding japanese games and stuff made me appreciate ROM emulation and Ive ended up getting a DS flashcart rather than seeking out the expensive games I was looking to play; its great!
What I've noticed is that retro game stores, at least in the UK, have started to drop prices on the actual games and lean more on the community or unique things they can offer. I'm seeing retro stores dedicate space to card games, having tables for casual matches and tournaments and rare cards for sale at the counter next to the more desirable games. I'm seeing gaming cafés appearing in-store, bunch of consoles, CRTs, and coffees. Stores have started offering to mod and repair hardware. I think they're being smart and saying "Okay, we're fighting eBay, Facebook swap groups, etc. What can we do that would make them come to us?"
I totally understand how both original hardware and modern convenient compilations appeal people. Granted, I’m a college student so I don’t have a lot of money or time to collect, but I love collecting original hardware, whether it be Atari 2600, NES, SNES, N64, and so on. It’s fun! But at the same time, I have the NES and SNES Classic, and a mini arcade machine built out of a Raspberry Pi. I definitely think there’s nothing wrong with enjoying both emulation and original hardware
This is a really good topic and video as always. I appreciate the time and effort put into this John, keep making them and i'll keep watching them. Thanks again.
I’d love to see you play through a Genesis Ghosts and Goblins live! I love the idea of archiving the gameplay of games in case “heaven forbid” something happen to a cartridge or disc
The Retro Game Market / Collection Value will never crash. They are pieces of history. Especially when we go completely digital, The prices will just raise more.
I think in the near term the retro collecting scene will just continue to change. Like you mentioned, carts are for old fogeys like us that remember growing up with them, and eventually collector interest will wane and later generations will be in favor. It's just the cycle of things. I think there will always be some kind of demand for NES and up as long as UA-camrs and Twitch streamers continue to cover them regularly (and they will), and from a collecting standpoint in particular, obscure and actually-rare stuff will always remain pricey.
Hey John. The market is with out a doubt changing. I can see a huge difference even in the 10 years I've been collecting. I do see the PS2 market growing, but this is good for people like me who are collecting for their Genesis, SNES and other consoles that came before the PS2. I find PS2 games all the time out at sales and if I can flip games I already have or don't necessarily want it will help me grow my older collection. For me I'm always going to sell to collect and when games become more popular I can earn more and put more into what I want. Thanks for the video!
I'm in agreement on its changing. I grew up in the same era of gaming as you. Atari and Sega are the systems that keep a smile on my face when I play. My collection is tiny but fun. With that said I am not a fan of download games and not having a box or something to hold when I buy a game. I do feel a game crash coming but for the collector that's a good thing. Keep up the great work John.
Love your videos, and fully agree with your opinions stated. Growing up with cartridges and PlayStation, I am stuck on original hardware and games as well as disc based. I see ups and downs for all of them in my local stores... One year you can't find SNES games, next year they are everywhere but can't find N64.
I think certain more popular system will still have popularity in collecting the physical as well as playing them. But I agree with your statement on the megadrive collection, Nintendo's eshop and pstore. If people have a desire to play a retro game these days there are multiple ways for them to play them wether that's physical or a digital copy. Keep up the great work!
I'm a 50 year old gamer and I love twitch.. love watching people play video games. At first I thought what am I doing ? But then I thought I love football ( soccer ) and boxing and I watch them as much as I can . I basically get enjoyment from watching people on twitch as much as I love watching people play soccer or fight in a boxing ring.
i think the best part about retro gaming is the fan translation scene. Over 20 years later we got new games we can play that we couldn't. And I just discovered an app where you can take pictures of japanese text and it will translate it for you. Very tedious for RPG but its something, to help out with menus and such.
I'm with you on this. I don't think the retro market is crashing. Fair weather collectors come and go, brick and mortar stores just can't compete with online, and with the prevalence of these mini consoles (and the ever growing emulation market) makes it less necessary for people who haven't been collectors to get the most bang for their buck.
Majority of times, repairing older consoles isn't difficult. And yeah, I hate how physical media is going away. And while I consider my collection massive (not near you or MJR size), I'm running out of space also. But also my game room is only 20x14
I went to a video game expo in Sacramento this past weekend. It was a bit smaller than last year but one thing I noticed was that there were less Nes sellers. CIB was quite limited. Last year a vendor told me that he noticed that buyers were wary or a bit guarded. These are clear signs that the market is changing and in the long tail end for systems like the NES. Collectors and gamers will always be around. The market is huge. Even if sales for one system crashed or experienced a market correction other systems are still sought after. Personally I quit collecting for the NES because the sky high prices are absurdly stupid to me. For the past year and a half I have been focused on snatching up dirt cheap PS2 games and the thrill of collecting and finding games out there is still abundant for systems like that.
@Nintendo GangStar I saw a 3DO at the gaming convention that I mentioned above. Nice! Super swell thrift store find. That is pretty funny. Unbelievable that it was mixed in with the DVD players but I am not surprised. Good eye.
An excellent way to benefit the future museum you want to create is to have footage of as many games as possible. Have dedicated playlists for every console. Obviously seeing physical cartridges would be great, but that leaves out the entirety of gameplay, which is the essential function of games.
I definitely see it changing into something else for the better. I’m also on the hardware collecting boat with you, but like you I’m limited in space and so I only collect the games and hardware from my era. I simply can’t do earlier consoles earlier than the Atari 2600. I just acquired a Atari Jaguar, Neo Geo, 3DO and a Xbox 360 from eBay and I already have every PlayStation, Sega, and Nintendo consoles.
I'm currently curating a collection of over 500 games on my hacked ps1 classic. You can't beat it. The hacking community has really made a gem of this mini console. I keep the entire SNES library on my SNES mini as well as the entire GBA library, Genesis, and more. I keep Atari, NES, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Master System/ Game Gear, MAME 0.78 library, and more on my NES classic. It's a whole new world with the classics and rom collecting. I have more games then I could ever play so I spend time curating the collection by culling games I don't like or trying out games I missed from other Regions. It's a great time to be a retro gamer on a budget.
Great video as always John! I think the market is actually changing because of the change in generations and what people grew up with. While there is quite a few titles across the disc based systems (ps1,ps2, ps3, etc.) the current generation will buy more of those as their are a ton of solid titles at affordable prices and yes I completely agree on space being an issue ;-)
I played snes and genesis at my mom's friends as a kid. But my 1st gaming experience was spyro on a PS1 jampack demo cd. So of course I'm partial to playstation. I remember being excited af when my dad bought me and my brother a PS2 for Christmas in 2000! I see a rise in CD based retro games, especially playstation games in a few years. I mostly collect for my PS2, and I've noticed the games keep getting more and more expensive on ebay and amazon. I'm struggling to find Marvel Vs Capcom 2 CIB right now for under 75 bucks....
I agree that the retro market is changing its much like music and the change from physical to mp3 to streaming. However, folks are still buying vinyl and CDs. I think retro gaming is here to stay and folks will still want the original issues but are happy to consume content in other formats. It’s what’s available and easy to consume. For me I love the original stuff I guess I love vinyl and cassettes too for that matter!!!
Totally agree with you John, am happy you cleared out the physical shops situation. Was thinking as well what was happening. But yea, online you find anything, only some asking prices are close to soulja-boi level of insulting ...
Being that I grew up the original NES and collect all original cartidge base games,for now. I completely agree with everything you said. Nothing beats the original system & cartidges aka nastologic feeling and gaming. Yes, it's easier to buy a NES mini for you HDTV. But to me your not getting the full experience being that they are preloaded games and like we saw with Playstation. They used PAL games for NTSC just to show one example of things that just kills me has a nostalgic collector personally. But I will say it's great way for the younger generation to get into the our "old" world of games. I don't think the retro market will ever go away because I know people who order online and the best way for me being a nastoglic collector is to see it in person from a retro store or 3rd party/private seller. Photos & video can only do so much not to mention it can be altered etc.
I agree you are right on the money. Its more of a change in the market from both consumer demand for new products and for what is currently "in" among those of a collector mindset. Some things are going to drop in value and correct to a more stable price *cough* SNES *cough*. Other things will be on the rise like PS1, OG Xbox, Saturn, and Dreamcast. Others will crater as more options become available. A good genesis classic and re-releases like the new switch collection will both cause the price of carts to drop but not crash.
Wether it’s physical or digital space will always an issue. Even with 1tb on the new consoles. That space goes quick. At least with physical media you actually have a cart or disc. Digital is just that digital both will have a point of degradation over time even digital media can become corrupt. I guess what I’m trying to say is buy how you want and is feasible for you. As for the market dying, I don’t see that, actually in my area there is a resurgence of retro gaming. Like with everything there is ups and downs, Vinyl is case and point, it is making a big comeback and CDs are dying out. Anyway, everyone has their opinion and ways so it is what it is. Another great video, John!
I think the rise of limited run/special reserve games is an important factor for collectors. Many digital only games getting a physical release in limited numbers and no reprints. Some of those games are already on the market for lots of cash.
A lot of the things you brought up in this discussion are things that I currently do. With my SNES games, I use an everdrive because it's convenient and it allows me to play the games that I want to play without dropping hundreds of dollars at once on a few choice carts. With that being said, am I still grabbing SNES carts? Absolutely, but it's a very slow build. I'm also on Twitch playing all of these SNES titles for everyone to see. Sometimes I'll have an audience and have a random joe say, "Hey I remember this game," or "I haven't seen this game before," and it's gives me something to talk to them about. I do agree that it's not so much crashing, but it's changing for convenience. But who knows, maybe that same convenience could cause a crash in physical carts.
Great video as always. I agree that the best way to start collecting retro games for most people is to get the mini consoles and the compilation disks. And then get a clone console to play the rest on a modern tv. I'm looking forward to the next generation of clone consoles for Sega CD, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, and N64. As you said, original hardware eventually fails or has issues. That is why I am so happy that I can play a lot of Xbox Original and Xbox 360 games on my Xbox One S. I think the market is starting to moderate, which is a good thing.
The failure rate for Dreamcasts was pretty high, so anything to help correct that in the future would be ideal. Though realistically it's more likely we'll see clone consoles just rip the data off the disc and play them off a hdd as the 360 eventually allowed.
@bUH sNUH I agree with you that would be the best way to go...for a hardcore retro gamer with money. But for the casual retro gamer, the clone consoles with HDMI output is good enough.
@@ZaireXIII Still got a Day 1 DC from Nov 1998 still going strong and 9 others for the past 18 years that are fine.
Agreed. I have most of the original consoles going back to NES and typically now only collect carts and discs of my favorite games. Everything else I play on a mini, a flashcart, burned disc, off usb loaded mod etc... just because it's way too expensive to collect for everything. The space is another issue like John pointed out where even playing different consoles is an issue because I don't have the room to put all my A/V cable consoles near my CRT, so I'm constantly swapping out wires and consoles. That's were the Raspberry Pi certainly comes in handy, something I don't own but I totally understand why it's a thing for retro gamers.
Great video John. Its important to talk about this topic with the community. Me personally, I consider myself a gamer first, and a collector next, so my priority and focus is to have an affordable and convenient way to play my games. The reason why I like to collect, is more for the preservation of physical media, and just because I really enjoy having a game room with my personal library that I can enjoy, is a physical representation that I can look at, I can touch and read the manuals etc, and play those original games on the original hardware the way they were programed for. Nowadays, I really use the best of both worlds, emulation and original hardware. A big hug from Portugal my friend.
I definitely think that the Playstation 2-era is the last really collectible generation. Given the rise of DLC and day 1 patches, the last two generations will have a lot of unplayable or incomplete games. It's really a shame, as there's a lot of good stuff that's come out for those systems.
Very true. Its day one patches and dlc thats turning a lot of people back to retro gaming because they are so tired of being ripped off!!!
@@saturnargentavis1901 I'd say the first half of that generation is fine around 2010 is where it shifts to dlc everywhere it's just gonna take awhile cause there were 80 million units a piece and the wii was 100 million
@Nintendo GangStar same. I wanted to play many games on the 3ds and nds but can't afford them because they barely drop in price. I also love getting my money's worth for a game and not feeling ripped off.
@Nintendo GangStar I usually have to resort to emulation to play hard to get games. Makes things a whole lot easier.
@@JetWolfEX I know because I still have my ds.
Back in the 2000s I had a huge collection in my house and it even took up my entire garage. I had an epiphany at one point and decided that I did not get enjoyment out of having the physical artifacts except for a select few things and I sold most of that collection off. I am much happier with owning just the things that were the most important to me personally. Thank goodness I was collecting before all the hype went nuts and prices got high.
A10Pilot Yep spot on, if you’re holding onto something, and it doesn’t give you joy, it’s just called hoarding.
Retro gaming is more popular than ever. It is mainstream to be a nerd nowadays. If you think about it video games are relatively new entertainment format. We are just now getting to a point that older people remember growing up with video games.
Searching for and randomly finding games is a big part of collecting for many people. Since these same people made hundreds of UA-cam videos about the cheap market at garage sales, flea/thrift stores everyone became aware. Prices went up and the remaining buried treasures were dug up and bought.
Physical copies are my jam but having space is something I need to keep an eye on while collecting.
I personally sold my retro collection last year. I feel that with the increased popularity of emulators, NES/SNES classic, PSX classic coming out, it just makes more sense for the average person to play their retro games on one of those VS playing on original hardware. So I cashed out of my collection. I've seen many games I sold for high price come down at least 25%. I think it's a market correction, not crash as retro gaming on original hardware becomes less practical for the average person who just like to play games, not collect games.
All that being said I'm glad I cashed out when I did. I made a lot of money.
Glad to see there are other people out here who are ok with emulation. I use to be a hardware purist but John is right younger generations dont want as much stuff. I was a huge pack rat and had a very large collection but decided to get out a few years ago because going forward I wasn't going to be able to afford getting anything I wanted. I had fun collecting but probably had more fun parting it out.
What 'average' person is collecting? Average people don't collect. That's why they are average. 'Average' people are stupid, tasteless, senseless, and greedy. Just look at the typical person of any country, let alone gamers. They want everything instantly, for free and on their iPhones if possible, and don't have any understanding of future investments, tangible pleasures, or the value of collecting hardcopies. Alas, one could argue the importance of having real items. They don't even play games because the games are great, let alone collect them -- they play what's popular, what friends play, and what will make them popular on Twitch, and then they move on.
Same with me i sold about half of my collection and made a good chunk of change and i honestly don't miss it. I kept the few games that have sentimental value and now have a lot more storage space for things that i use everyday.
plus with selling off a collection it gives new people the thrill of hunting down that certain missing game they need
I really dislike people who collect the games and hold them to "cash out" or call it "cashing out," while people like me are out here collecting games to play them and put them on a shelf and replay them as often as possible. you are the reason retro game prices went up, and I hope the prices continue to fall as people "cash out" of their collections, so people who actually want to play and couldn't care less about the value have a chance to get the games they want that people held onto for a while to "cash out" on.
@@TheClassicWorld lol, or people who just want to play games without collecting, the term average is a generalization, and only idiots generalize.
I love my physical media but i'm an oddball for a 29 year old. I think you're spot on. It's all going digital and no one is going to be interested in the older cartridge based games. The classic systems are going to be enough to scratch that itch for most people.
I will never go all digital. It's sad it's heading that way. You can buy games online you won't even own.
I hope the retro market collapses and games are dirt cheap again. I remember going to flea markets and buying games for 5 to 10 dollars, now everything is jacked up in price because one jack wagon paid 200 dollars so now all games are 200 dollars.
Don't know what world you're living in, but I very, very rarely pay more than $5 a game. It's usually closer to $2 or $3.
Had a particularly active month and have added nearly 200 more titles to my collection.
The single most expensive item out of the 200ish was a 3do title, which I paid $8.50 for.
I'm constantly baffled by claims that people make about how expensive retro games are. Big time collector here and apart from a very select few titles, prices have *always* been hereabouts. Heck, try as I might I simply can not find games for the prices people claim they cost.
Closest thing to it are those insane ebay listings that no-one actually buys so they stick around for a while.
@@beezle1976 I think the only place to find cheap retro games is in flea-markets, where people don't know what they sell. But there, you must be lucky, because you can't have the game you want, when you want it... Other than that most retro game stores as well as amazon- ebay, with the exception of the occasional seller, will sell most retro games (at least the famous ones) for at least 20$. How many copies of Mario Kart 64 have you found that cost 2-3$ or even less than 10 $?
@@beezle1976 It's the people that don't want to hunt down retro games. They simply just want the item now & go on eBay. There they find outrageous prices yet some people will pay that price cause they just want it this second. Best show to watch is the Game Chasers. They show you what it's actually like to be a collector & hunt down video games from the old school days. Even $5 is too much to pay for some games. But there will always be those couple rare games that are worth a lot of money.
@@alerommel1 Speculators are ruining the market. They get some random garbage game graded, get a 9-10 rating, then suddenly idiots on ebay raise their prices because 'well its obviously worth 9000 dollars now'.
very true... sellers today can easily access the net to find prices that are often over inflated and then base their price on that.
Sitting on the couch in San Antonio watching John Hancock with the Metal Jesus Crew, than this popped up of course I had to click on it. I hate the fact physical media is dying.
Good thing about that is everything is cheap for guys like us, who want them. I am shocked I can get so many great blu-ray DVDs for very cheap! So, it's not dying for you, if you know where to look and buy what you care about at decent prices. That's what I do. I am a collector. I have many collections and they are pretty good, too. I have 500 DVDs and 80 games and 10 consoles so far. I also collect books, rocks, coins, tabletop wargaming figures, HP merch, and now I'm getting into blu-rays, Pokemon, VHS, records, Yu-Gi-Oh, and comic books. I have been gaming since I was 5-years-old and a 'collector' since I was around 8-years-old.
True, but I don't believe the gamers cause that. It's about control and profit. You can only hold a "platform" if you artificially lock it for third parties.
It does not only hit the gaming markt hard, but all consumer-electronics involving a computer-system are suffering this mass-fraud.
It's why you now, to play a mp3 on your phone, have to download an app in a useless complicated software construct, wich requires to personally register. It you want to send that mp3 to someone else to listen by wifi, you'll have a challenge. You're in a narrated environment that avoids do-it-yourself options for commercial reasons. In reality, the computer you're on is far superior to anything it can show with it's preinstalled system.
I hate it too! But it is dying sadly ....
the romantic of finding a card on a second hand market is gone a while ago. when a kid this day's would ask me "how was it back then"?
I would say it was heaven! Its just a feeling if I remember the 90's. The wall of sega genesis cards in every shop and second hand market.
Now its like, you can buy online new games, old games and software anytime.
My thoughts are just "the romantic is gone..." Internet is terminator for good and evil...brings you flowers and erase moments you had before you could buy online.
Thanks for the videos I like them alot
You black?
All hobbies have peaks and valleys. Vintage lionel trains have swan dived for instance, the reason being all the ppl who bought those up and drove the prices are passing away now, they are going to estate sales and online and the market is flooded. One of my hobbies for decades has been vintage razors. 90s they were expensive for the rare stuff because it was hard to find stuff wo the net. Then the internet made it easy and the prices went well down, then the economic crash happened, newbies got into them as a means to save cash and the market skyrocked because they had no idea what was common or scarce, and then 5 yrs down the line they do and now the deep end is still the deep end and the common goes for common again. The retro game market just hit its fever pitch and now there is a market correction taking place. Once the enthusiasm wanes and sanity is injected you get the clear picture. It's honestly a good thing for guys who collect to collect because guys who overreached buying everything on speculation get their nuts cut off in the end if they hold too long and become non factors.
Good post. I paid a few high prices for a small handful of games but I bet the people that paid 150+ dollars for many of these games are feeling a bit guilty or feeling conned after the prices have dropped by 25% in the span of only a year.
You can genuinely see how much you love Retro Gaming. You're constantly smiling and you look genuinely happy in your videos, I got to admit it makes me excited to watch your content. Long live the immortal John Hancock!!
If software companies were smart they would be developing and aquireing and releasing NEW games and never released games on old systems with limited run. Creating collectables, embracing the hardware, supporting the preservation of the system, extending the life, creating value of collectable. People will pirate , but there is still the novelty of owning a physical copy of new limited edition game from a retro system. What do you guys think?
Retro gaming is mainly a second hand market and prices will change based on demand. The 80's crash was a completely different ball of wax that will most likely not happen again as modern gaming is has completely changed since than and games do not require the mass amounts of money to get to retail as they used to be.
I'm seeing prices drop on video games which is great because I don't have a lot of time to play and don't want to spend $1000 to get what I want
I'm retro for life. I love sprites. I don't totally hate 3D, but it's got some banes. Final Fantasy becoming an action RPG, Resident Evil becoming a shooter. I like the old two button games. Playing Mega Man 1 and Dragon Warrior 1 right now. I'm not gonna beat Mega Man, that fire boss near the end is a doozy. I do agree with shops closing down for online sales, but like you say, it will be the wheeler and dealers that thrive with retro, and they'll be online shipping from home.
Well i dont have issues collecting retro cause i just focus in one console and thats it, trying to collect everything like this dude obviously in some point you going to struggle with the space, money, and time, i think the key is just be pacient, and if you going to collect video games PLAY THEM! cmon just collect them and not playin with them sounds like just a hoarding disorder.
Curious, do you feel the same about toys? Is leaving toys in their original box & not playing with them also considered a hoarding disorder, or is it acceptable?
IMO, keeping a game in its original box(not playing with it) is no different than keeping a MOTU He-Man action figure in its original packaging/box(not playing with it). Same thing.
Good point. It still is sad, though, that so many games of our childhoods are locked away in collectors' basement being unused.
We find so much stuff out there. We all don’t live in the same places. Especially since there seems to be little focus on the culture in our town. Physical media disappearing is more so about how the producers of games don’t wish to split profits with companies that make physical media.... and brick and mortar won’t go away until instant delivery is a thing. I think it’s more about centralized hybrid business models. Like amazon is looking into heavily, and Walmart is attempting to replicate. It’s hard to predict the future of brick and mortar businesses. We just have to surf the waves 🌊. Thanks if you read this. Thanks John!
You are right. It’s just changing. I hope people just get excited about PS1 and newer. Then they will leave the carts for me. Mwa ha ha ha 😂
Isn't that something else, rather than changing? Going for PS2 or Xbox games instead of SEGA is not retro any longer, therefore, it's not changing, it's completely different! So, that argument makes no sense to my mind. Naturally, as time moves of, PS2, GameCube, etc. will be 'retro' for people, like how movies from the 1970s are very old for most of us now, even though 'real' old movies are, in fact, 1920s and 1950s, not 1970s. But, that doesn't change facts. I do agree with the latter, though. I want carts to be cheap so I can buy them! Also, speaking of the GameCube, that system costs so much now. I wish I got that at the time! Hhaha.
Never !
Changing because every cheap manufacturer is or was trying to cash in, and Flooded the Market with Crap, Not Collectables
@Jenkem Muhdikken But that doesn't mean 'retro' magically changes just because you want it to or deem something 'old'. Look it up. Retro is 1970-1990s (PS1). Some people even say that PS1/1990s is modern, not retro! The PS2 puts you into modern gaming (along with every other 2000 console). The PS2 is a 128-bit system and seen as the first modern console. How is that 'retro'?! Yes, it's old, but that only proves 2018 is the 'hyper-modern era' or 'post-modern' or whatever. You don't downgrade modern to retro just because you've moved forward in time, that's not how timescales/classifications work...
@Jenkem Muhdikken They [Reddit] are saying either the consoles are retro or will be in about 2 years (20-year mark). That could make sense, however, the fact is, before the 2000s, they were old and 8 to 64-bit consoles. That is retro. But, post-2000s will forever be modern (or more correctly, early modern (128-bit and beyond, with other advanced technology such as blu-ray in the PS3)). Working on the former, in 20 years, you'll be telling me, '4k, PS5 is retro', which is stupid. SNES is retro, N64 is retro or even 'proto-modern' (as the first 64-bit console), PS2 is 'early modern', and PS3 is just 'modern'.
I think the word "crash" has a connotation that is sensationalized by current collectors. People that are concerned are either store owners or speculator/posers. Personally, I do see a crash coming. I don't know how soon though. I was in the thick of several collecting "fads." Eventually, the speculators and opportunists will hit the ceiling. Collectors will put their foot down, and say I refuse to pay that. No more. I saw it happen to comics, trading cards, beanie babies, etc etc etc. Once the speculators have destroyed their own market, they will move on to something else. (I have seen prices dip in recent weeks on "guaranteed" money makers.)
Took me 17 years to get my Saturn collection to where it is now. I'm just glad I started early. Even with emulation, I still love seeing the box art and memories from when those games were relevant. We had variety, awesome magazines, and a lot of fun.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you as well.
The market is never 'crashing', even in 1984, there was no 'crash' so to speak, the market only changed from console gaming towards computer gaming, with the huge success of the C64.
In a way I wish it would crash. I love these old systems and would really enjoy having them to play but I can't pay the ridiculous prices some of them are going for these days. At least Atari 2600 stuff is still cheap; that's the system I grew up with so it's great to be able to buy and play all those old titles that I missed out on. I know there is emulation but that just isn't the same thing to me at all because you're losing the whole tangible aspect of it.
very true! I used to pick up tons of Atari 2600 games for 99 cents each at my local thrift stores. You just don't see them at that price today very often.
Ditto games that you wouldn't take a second look at are nuts with price
Hey, John, as a gamer and collector a few years your senior (oi...), I really appreciate your progressive insights, particularly since you could be totally biased toward original hardware given your preferences and the gaming history we come from and what that looked like. Thanks for being so open minded and pragmatic. And I am SO GLAD I got to experience what I did growing up and what that was like with video game stores and arcades, magazines and word of mouth, multi-player gaming IN THE SAME ROOM...etc. That being said, I think there is a tremendous opportunity being missed right now for "senior collectors" to pass knowledge down to the newer collectors that would really help invigorate and give credibility to an aspect of video game collecting as a hobby/passion--
I think of all the different board revisions and "chase" variants we grew up with that companies like Working Designs put out that many newer collectors know nothing about. Not to mention the different boards of different consoles such as the OneChip SNES consoles. There are all these variants and rarities on so many platforms that I and other collectors have sought out over the years. And even with more collectors, there are less of us that have any knowledge or awareness of the existence of these rarities and how satisfying it can be to seek out and collect these variants. Even among the less antiquated platforms such as GameCube. For eg, did you know there are 8 cover variants of Metroid Prime? EIGHT. That's nuts.
I hope you'll consider maybe doing some videos on variants. There's tons of content there I think a lot of your viewers and fellow collectors would find interesting and informative. And as a completionist collector (even as it pertains to what "goodies" some games came with that others know little about and rarely see), I'm pretty sure your knowledge base and examples in your collection is quite high in this regard. We love to see the items you own and I encourage you to share them even more than you do. It's not showing off, it's interesting, I promise you. Always pulling for you, John, since you are one of the good guys. Keep up the great work. It's part of your legacy to put the time into these videos and it's worth it.
I don't see the market crashing, but I do see the focus changing from collecting for cartridge based systems like the Nes, Snes, Sega genesis. To collecting for disc based consoles like PlayStation, Game cube and Xbox. Those consoles games are rising in price and popularity as that generation is getting more disposable income. That generation is not going be as Interested in collecting the old cartridge games, as they didn't grow up with them.
It will be interesting to see where Nes prices are in 20 years in the year 2038. The NES with be over 50 years old then and i just don't see there being a real demand for a game console that is that old.
Great video man.
I think Gamestop (slowly) going out of business is an unrelated coincidence. Just like Blockbuster closed a decade ago, it didn't really affect the movie industry as alternative services like Netflix exploded since then. Nowadays with digital stores and storefronts like Steam, a lot less people buy physically and when they do, it's usually just and literally an empty case with a code to download the game (Bethesda infamously did it with their recent Fallout: 76) anyway, so it's normal that traditional stores (retail chains and otherwise) are losing money and going bankrupt left and right.
Up until a few years ago, I lived in a relatively small town (60.000 people, now my hometown counts roughly 10.000 more) and we only had 1 videogame store which was run by a privateer and was not affiliated with any big franchise like Gamestop. Said store was "huge" during the PS1 and PS2 (and PSP) days because people had nowhere else to go if they wanted to buy games, but ever since the PS3 came out, a lot less people started going there because with the PSN there wasn't really a need for physical games anymore. The store survived for a while because we used to have a "big" local scene of kids and young adults playing TGGs such as YuGiOh, Magic and Pokémon and especially during the summer you could usually find around 100 people just playing and trading cards outside the small store which meant that the owner gradually started to sell a lot less games and more packs of cards just to stay open. Eventually, (a few more years have now passed) I think the store is technically still open for business because everytime I go back home every 6 months or so I usually walk past it from the bus stop to my house and I see it open, but there are no more kids outside playing TGGs and just very little activity in general, to the point that the owner is now using his own shop as a gathering point for meet-ups of the political party he's a part of instead, which is a shame.
Anyway, after this long digression that admittedly has little to do with the topic of the video, (apologies John!), the point is that physical stores going out of business or switching to other markets won't really affect retrogaming much. It sucks for store owners, but the market itself is just as prolific as ever. I can go on eBay and find everything I want (being able to afford it is another thing entirely, though!) and in the off chance I don't find what I need there, I can go to Reddit, find a community dedicated to a particolar system and ask there directly. For instance, lately I've been looking for a PSP1000 because mine (also a 1000, pre-production unit from 2004) has been on active duty for 15 years now and I need to retire it now before it dies so I thought about buying one that was refurbished so that I could use it for another 15 years and store mine for safekeeping. People on eBay wanted between €50 and €100 for one without charger, case, box, pretty much everything else missing and usually in bad conditions. So I went to /r/psp instead and a while back I was hooked up with a guy in the UK that will sell me one for £40 shipped that has been serviced completely. Or a few weeks ago I was randomly browsing eBay and found an auction for a bunch of complete ZX Spectrum games with cases and whatnot (it was £2 for a lot of 9 games). As I don't collect for the system, I just posted the link to the auction to another community made by fans of the ZX and while at first I thought everybody ignored me there, I later got a few private messages thanking me for the heads up from the guy that ultimately won the auction and discovered it because of me.
Apologies once again for digressing too much, but the point I'm trying to make is that with how widespread the internet has become, I think that we don't need the "middle man" (the retail stores, essentially) anymore. Prices might've gone up as a result of that, as it is to be expected when a lot of people have access to a lot more informations, but from what I've seen the retrogaming scene in general is pretty much healthier than it has ever been, albeit spread across multiple sub-communities dedicated to specific systems, with newcomers joining every day.
I know I'm part of that new reality, as I've mentioned already in another video of yours that you're essentially my inspiration for finally using my disposable income on collecting games and enjoying what I have (or what I buy) rather than doing nothing with it.
And Christ Almight, I've just scrolled up to proofread what I wrote and it's a bigger wall of text that I had anticipated.
Feels good to get things off your chest.😉
@TheKumitechamp Indeed, but given the chance, I can't say that I wouldn't do the same. Not taken to the extreme like Gamestop and a few other retail chains do, but if I find something that is selling for 1/3 of its value and I don't need it, I will resell it for at least 2/3 of the price I paid for without asking too many questions. I think it's ok to make a profit on reselling games and collectors' items, but there's a fine line between being a honest seller (and especially buyer) and a dishonest one.
However, while corporate greediness is finally biting Gamespot in the arse and it's glorious, I think that those who go there to sell their games are partially at fault aswell. You mentioned one of the latest CODs and that's the issue there. A lot of kids nowadays don't realize (or want to understand) that what they're trying to trade-in is basically worthless because:
a) It's a relatively modern game, released in the last 5 years;
b) It's a successull game that sold millions of units worldwide;
c) It's a sports game more often than not.
It's supply and demand 101. The more copies are sold, the lower its value is. Why would Gamestop pay more for a game if there're another identical 5 million copies around?
Or why would Gamestop pay more for sports games like Madden, Fifa and so on that are only "valid" for one year because newer editions are made every 12 months?
It's not uncommon to walk into a Gamestop and see lines of kids trying to trade-in these kinds of games and then get angry at the employee behind the counter when he tells them that their games are not worth how much they think they do.
It's a double trend that dates all the way back to the NES and SNES. Even to this day in 2018, nobody would pay more than $5 for any of the NFL/NHL titles on both systems because of how many of those were sold and how quickly they became outdated by newer iterations year after year. Maybe they would go up to $10-20 depending on conditions, availability of the box and manual and such, but even then it would be a hard sell.
CAPCOM784 lol
@@ChaosZero. I don't even bother touching a sports game due to the oveesaturated market and the problems that they create. I prefer JRPGs since several of them sell poorly here in he USA due to being made for a niche audience
Gamestop going out is due to a few factors, not so much of a coincidence:
- Competing with too many major players that don't rely on games as a primary profit maker (Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc can undercut them)
- Games dropping in price too quickly (makes it hard to speculate for trade in values that are fair for both customer and store, wipes out margins)
- Digital delivery (which translates to less profit margin when selling codes and no games to trade in, as you said)
- Basically being non-existent in the retro category (taking themselves out of retro games for a very long time, missing the bubble as it grew, trying to climb back on now as it deflates)
The gripes about trade value have always been and will continue to be present and it's always been a balancing act for them, so those who say that's the main reason why aren't seeing the whole picture. They don't want those low trade in valued titles, so prices are low to deter that. They could stand to give more on recent games, but they have to make up profit margin somewhere and prep for games dropping in price, so I see why they do give less even if I don't agree with it.
Retail stores - mostly your mom & pop type places, or "independent" if you will - that focus on selling used software only and try to keep prices competitive are doing a decent job out there. Be fair and people will patronize. Anything to avoid scalpers online and the people at flea markets who price everything high because they saw some expensive video games on some episode of Storage Wars or whatever. But those places had to have been established a while back, it's tough to get in that market now since it is becoming a bit saturated.
Had to sub after watching you in so many vids. You're awesome man. Keep posting your videos as much as you love them, I'll always watch someone with such passion!
I think you are right, it's a change. This is the coming of the Disk-Age beginning to become Retro. The previous 20 years was the Cart-Age. In 20 years time it'll be the Digital-Age that becomes Retro.
Heres my humble opinion on the subject, just my personal feelings about the current market:
I agree with most things you said. Just about 5 or 6 months ago I thought wow, the crash is really here mow. the retro gaming crash, the bubble busting ..! But now Im really with you, its changing, not crashing (a good thing). we are in a market correction phase now, is been going on for bout a year. The really big hype is over and in general prizes are going down (but slowly). Everyone in the game says so who has been in this collection/buying/trading for 3 or 4+ years.
Hipsters have left the hobby after joing it for 1-2 years, leaving them with a ton of unplayed overprized SNES games... ( no offense snes is cool!)
its trending more towards good games or generally more interesting games and beloved franchises rather than full set collections, so this also determines the individual game prices. plus theres the mini consoles and emulation with pi and so, this also affects the market as
If prices on Ebay are anything to go by then there's definitely no Crash.
You hit on a lot of great points. As a collector myself, space and storage are always a challenge and an expense. I personally think that the retro market will only grow as there's always homebrews and rare finds to be had for the purest out there whom want that authentic experience that a clone or emulator can't give you.
However, I believe that there are 3 things that damage the retro market experience for those whom are new to collecting. 1. Too many repro carts being sold as the real thing. 2. The overvaluing of games. and 3. Streaming services. It's only going to get easier for these companies to put these games on a streaming service at a cheap price to a device that you already have, making it impractical to spend hundreds of dollars for a "rare" game.
For us old heads that want to relive that nostalgia of Atari, Commadore, Sega or 3DO and want that authentic feel that we remember, the market will sojourn on but for the gamers that grew up with Playstation and Xbox, I don't think that'll mean much if those games are simply made available on the PS store or Xbox live.
this man deserves 80 million subs
The Retro pi is like the MP3 player of video games. Best thing ever for modern convenience
Very good video! I just wanted to share my opinion on it:
1. If someone asked me where to start the retro gaming, i think i would ask the person first if he had any console when he was young, because for me playing "retro" games means i am travelling back in time, to bring memories back when i originally played these games with my friends, i was young, and so it functions a bit like a time-machine for me, i love that nostalgic feeling so much. So if the person that asks me has no such experience, i doubt that he feels the same emotions that i (or we) do.. because i wouldnt really collect/play games that are 20 years or older just because other people suggest me to do so.. i do it because of my memories i had with them
2. While watching your video it reminded me a bit of the situation where the video cassettes were many years ago. its sad, but if you look right now, who has still hundreds of the tapes stored at home and collecting them, as you said, space is an issue, and convienience.. It kind of reminded me of you, seeing you collecting all the original games (like the tapes) and holding on to them, like holding on to the past, i like that, and in your situation a museum would really make sense! Crossing my fingers that this will happed one day! But on the other hand, i guess for the average Joe, as you said, this will not be the way to go, to experience these older systems, the market has changed already (see all the digital games you can download from AAA companies..Steam, Xbox, PlayStation),
-> my only problem with that: in the future there has to be a way of trading digital copies as well, i sell a lot of my physical games after playing them, thats why i currently do not yet like digital copies
Lets see where the market goes, I look fwd to find out ;)
Many regards from Germany
David
When you talk of "brick & mortar" the idea of a Gamestop never comes to mind. Haven't been in a Gamestop in years as also the same with other retro gamers I know. Retro gaming is about retro gaming and I would think that it would be difficult to gauge how it is doing. I have been heavy into retro for years and with each new console generation I get pushed deeper into it. I would say personally that retro gaming is very healthy and very much alive. My source of new games has mainly been ebay for the original stuff and Ali Express for the reproductions. There are a few local "Mom & Pops" brick & mortar that I visit occasionally, but not my main supply of collecting retro. I do agree that the retro gaming market is changing from many influences. The minis, clones, retro pi, multi carts, reproductions, to flash carts has had their affect on how a retro gamer gets their fix. Even the age of the gamer and their exposure to a generation of gaming they never knew, to the individual that grew up with it, each will have their own perspective in how and what they want to acquire.
I personally enjoy the original hardware but I do like experimenting with clones. I am into NES, SNES, Famicom, Super Famicom, Sega Genesis, N64, PC Engine, TG16, and Atari Jaguar. Love cart based gaming on a home console. And I love all the portables, love portable gaming. I am always looking to expand my collection.
Some good points, but I think you missed something. For many just playing one of the classic mini consoles or using a multi-cart will be enough, but those are also gateways for some to get into full retro collecting.
For myself I find that if I use an emulator with all the ROMs I play nothing because of analysis paralysis- there are simply too many options. Also if I got all the games for free or for cheap, there is a weird perceptual problem of them having no value. I’ve also run into game breaking bugs via emulation late into a game that can be a huge deterrent. So there is value to actually owning the original item and hardware beyond just its ever changing price in the retro gaming market.
I also see FPGA systems that bridge original hardware authenticity with current technology and ease of use as the future of retro gaming. Along with a growing home-brew and indie development scene making NEW games for old systems, that is a spark ready to light a fire for a new generation of collectors.
I just don't want it to go to all digital games. I am worried about hacking, failed hard drives, corrupted accounts, not being able to share media, not being able to sell used media, and the lack of the thrill of the hunt.
Yep that's why u shouldn't support digital gaming.
I play digital cause I end up selling my physical copy but I don't want physical to go away
@@johnlawful2272 well if your all about that digital it involuntarily pushes toward all digital even if u still want physical media
Like the guy who lost all his EA Origin games because the EA servers somehow lost his account. I don't trust digital.
Having all these unique options is usually beneficial to any market. I'm sitting in the niche where I want to play on authentic hardware, but am worried about old hardware kicking the bucket. That's why I have invested in FPGA-based clone consoles like the Super NT and a new motherboard for existing C64 hardware. I like how the retro community has at least got enough attention to have companies releasing new products for playing old games.
It seems like for the past 10 years people have been constantly saying that retro gaming is
"A bubble that's about to burst!"
Which is so untrue
I came into this video thinking "no way is this guy about to spend 13 minutes talking about being able to buy games online" and I was happy to have been right. Interesting video~ But "the next step would be something that can play everything" you mean like, a desktop? Sure they're obviously going to be a bit on the large side unless you're paying extra for a decently cooled small form factor; though I would argue that with how prone the older systems like Atari and Coleco vision used to be to difficulties from things like small bumps, a reasonably sized desktop these days isn't really such an absurd alternative to having one or multiple game systems. You're quite right about some people wanting to downsize though! And there will absolutely continue to be those of us harboring physical videogame history that's still in working condition ^_^
My friend is liqudating his collection. I think as these classic consoles and pis to general populace increases, you'll see a decline in demand.
I also think that we'll see a drop off in collecting for next generation when we'll see the majority of games go digital for the first time.
I’ll never stop collecting. Love your videos, always a good vibe.
Totally agree, I’m a gamer and a collector, I don’t see the retro scene crashing, but in my opinion I see it slowing down as more people are getting into it and the demand for certain games and systems aren’t as crazy as they were., but the retro market will always be there.
Outstanding op/ed, John! I think too many people are throwing the word "crash" around on UA-cam (seen a few videos today) to an extreme.. The word "changing" or even "adjusting" is much more accurate. If the retro market was "crashing", the PS Classic would never been released, Nintendo would not have secured patents for their past devices, and 1Up Me AtGames would instead be making calculators or watches.
Great video IJH !! I think we will see a price decrease in the late 70's-early 90's retro games . Reason I say that is because of all the new mini retro systems that work with modern TV's, you mentioned this . The common stuff should drop but the uncommon and rare stuff will probably stay where it is .
Super cool video! I grew up with the ps1 and the ps2 and I've started to collect for those two systems. It's super nostalgic and as you said, so many good games that I have not yet played. It's a goldmine!
Here is the product I want to see - a mini-console with several control pads mimicking the great console control pads/sticks, the ability to play every game and version of every console and arcade game since Spacewar and Pong, and a Video Game Black Belt Master Platinum Champion Quest which starts with Pong and you play your way through each game in historical order through the year 2000 and with a super memory feature which allows me to pick up right where I left off.
You probably summed up the best thing possible. I want an online scoreboard for every single game. There should be a company called Video Games that own every game and make a console with all of them with every controller. The games are digital, the controllers are real.
Great video once again. Just earlier in this month I got a working copy of The Settlers PC version I had ordered from eBay. Came with the box, manual, and building chart. Disks still work, I backed them up, then installed the game, and runs just fine under DOSBox. And game is still beautiful to look at!
I have Sega Mega Drive & Genesis collection from Steam. Good number of games for lesser cost than 1 individual game when it was new. I play those games with Mega Drive replica controller Hyperkin GN6. Lots of fun there, if life would give me more time... But some reviews (on Steam) claim it cost too much.
Great video, you explained everything so well to everyone. I am with you on this one I’m keeping my original hardware. And as sad as it is less and less people are buying original hardware so they will have to resort to playing the new HD retro game players. I will never be getting rid of my collection as long as I can. Right now I’m 13 almost 14 but I’ve almost been retro collecting and gaming for nearly 5 years. I have 3 crt TVs in my room and 1 HD tv in my closet.
Agree 100%, nothing is ever fully declining its just changing and when things change and evolve the old ways of doing things no longer work as well but new ways do. Like have the same goals but going about it changes over time. Your right about younger gens and limited space cause with me I own a lot of retro games in digital form on my Nintendo 2dsxl (like 50 or 60 downoaded) and it works great for me. I love to keep things streamlined for that reason. More software and less hardware for me. Yes when something is on the decline something else is usually on the rise. Just easy to focus on the declining ways cause those were the norm for so long. While the new ways are still developing with the evolution. I grew up at the tail end of the cartridge era and mostly in the CD Game and start of PC gamer age. So to those I remember playing a lot and discovering games made before my time at flea markets ect. Great Video btw
Great video John! I agree with you on telling people what to buy... if you just want to try retro gaming, buy a HD Retro console... one of the Flashback type, or get a Retron of some sort.... Or, give RetroPie a try, as it is not that hard to setup, and there are a ton of tutorial videos online. The only thing else I would say, is collect what you love! If you were a Playstation fan, and you remember that, collect that if you want to start picking up physical media. I am also from the Atari 2600 generation, that was my fist console so I still have a 2600 and some carts... my collection these days, mostly due to space is Commodore! Thanks for the great video as always!!
There are a lot of great products in the retro market right now whether it was released in the last two years or on the original electronics. Let's enjoy it and debate it while this is still the case.
Great video buddy! Its changing, I have been in the video game retail almost 20 years, many will close up cause they were chasing the bucks and can't adapt to the new market.
It is so true that the market continues to grow and evolve. As more and more generations of people the grew up with disc based games, I have noticed prices for cartridge games go down in price. I just picked up Super mario bros 3 from a retail store for 8 bucks. This is great for all collectors and maybe might bring a little more stability to the market itself. Maybe with all the new ways to play classic games, with or without the original hardware, might bring down some of the outrageous prices for some harder to find games. Great video as always! Keep up the fantastic work.
Being 41 now, I grew up with the NES, SNES and PlayStation. I now have a great deal of consoles and a couple of CRTs because Im a purist and I need to play my games on original hardware. But Im lucky to have the space for such a collection of items.
Hey man. Agree with so many of your points here. A lot of retro gamers i know in the uk really are against raspberry pi and emulation but for all the reasons you mention space, accessibility and mostly of all....cost..it wont go away. The technology is there. I have an odroid xu4 and it can play anything up to ps1 with ease. It struggles with n64 and dreamcast at times but that technology will improve and thats where we will be. In my eyes emulation is a great way for people to access retro games and why shouod those people be excluded. Love the old hardware and stuff and will watch your videos to get my fix of that. On that note I still have my originally boxed c64 with tape deck and over 100 games.....and ill never get rid of that. My pride and joy! Love from the uk! 😊
I was just chatting with my mate over Christmas about this, he’s down sizing his games because he won’t ever play them. I’m purely collecting and going the other way. Great video immortal one, keep up the good work.
John, first I have to say, you are a total bad ass! I learn so much about old school gaming and collecting, every time I watch your videos. Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication man.
I would love to hear your take on the BS Legend Of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets. The SNES never got the two Zelda titles, like their other systems did and it was totally unfair. I mean, A Link To The Past has always been my all time favorite video game! So, as you can imagine, upon finding out that there may have been an official release for the second SNES Zelda title, that never happened just broke my heart!
I know this is way off topic of the video, but I would love to hear what you have to say about this, as there simply isn’t much out there on this particular subject. Can you please make a video about this? I’m sure you, in all of your glorious wisdomy goodness can learn us real good about this lost Zelda title in America.
Anybody else with me on this?
The SNES Mini changed the way I approached retro games, hacking it and adding japanese games and stuff made me appreciate ROM emulation and Ive ended up getting a DS flashcart rather than seeking out the expensive games I was looking to play; its great!
What I've noticed is that retro game stores, at least in the UK, have started to drop prices on the actual games and lean more on the community or unique things they can offer. I'm seeing retro stores dedicate space to card games, having tables for casual matches and tournaments and rare cards for sale at the counter next to the more desirable games. I'm seeing gaming cafés appearing in-store, bunch of consoles, CRTs, and coffees. Stores have started offering to mod and repair hardware. I think they're being smart and saying "Okay, we're fighting eBay, Facebook swap groups, etc. What can we do that would make them come to us?"
I totally understand how both original hardware and modern convenient compilations appeal people. Granted, I’m a college student so I don’t have a lot of money or time to collect, but I love collecting original hardware, whether it be Atari 2600, NES, SNES, N64, and so on. It’s fun! But at the same time, I have the NES and SNES Classic, and a mini arcade machine built out of a Raspberry Pi. I definitely think there’s nothing wrong with enjoying both emulation and original hardware
Great Video John Hancock! Even though I admire all your videos,this one,and your PS1 Classic are one of the best I seen you do this year! (2018)
It's always changing and sometimes we see large shifts as tech changes. The retro market isn't crashing, oil tsunami alive and well.
This is a really good topic and video as always. I appreciate the time and effort put into this John, keep making them and i'll keep watching them. Thanks again.
I’d love to see you play through a Genesis Ghosts and Goblins live! I love the idea of archiving the gameplay of games in case “heaven forbid” something happen to a cartridge or disc
The Retro Game Market / Collection Value will never crash. They are pieces of history. Especially when we go completely digital, The prices will just raise more.
Great video. Yeah, it is hard to find space for all my stuff...
I think in the near term the retro collecting scene will just continue to change. Like you mentioned, carts are for old fogeys like us that remember growing up with them, and eventually collector interest will wane and later generations will be in favor. It's just the cycle of things. I think there will always be some kind of demand for NES and up as long as UA-camrs and Twitch streamers continue to cover them regularly (and they will), and from a collecting standpoint in particular, obscure and actually-rare stuff will always remain pricey.
Hey John. The market is with out a doubt changing. I can see a huge difference even in the 10 years I've been collecting. I do see the PS2 market growing, but this is good for people like me who are collecting for their Genesis, SNES and other consoles that came before the PS2. I find PS2 games all the time out at sales and if I can flip games I already have or don't necessarily want it will help me grow my older collection. For me I'm always going to sell to collect and when games become more popular I can earn more and put more into what I want. Thanks for the video!
You're the best John keep up the good work! Never listen to negativity. You get me pumped about gaming and your positivity is infectious! Thank you!!
I'm in agreement on its changing. I grew up in the same era of gaming as you. Atari and Sega are the systems that keep a smile on my face when I play. My collection is tiny but fun. With that said I am not a fan of download games and not having a box or something to hold when I buy a game. I do feel a game crash coming but for the collector that's a good thing. Keep up the great work John.
Love your videos, and fully agree with your opinions stated. Growing up with cartridges and PlayStation, I am stuck on original hardware and games as well as disc based.
I see ups and downs for all of them in my local stores... One year you can't find SNES games, next year they are everywhere but can't find N64.
Great video John I tend to shop online for my retro games but I really wish there was more retro gaming stores in my town
Awesome video! Makes perfect sense!
I think certain more popular system will still have popularity in collecting the physical as well as playing them. But I agree with your statement on the megadrive collection, Nintendo's eshop and pstore. If people have a desire to play a retro game these days there are multiple ways for them to play them wether that's physical or a digital copy. Keep up the great work!
I'm a 50 year old gamer and I love twitch.. love watching people play video games. At first I thought what am I doing ? But then I thought I love football ( soccer ) and boxing and I watch them as much as I can . I basically get enjoyment from watching people on twitch as much as I love watching people play soccer or fight in a boxing ring.
Great video John! Very informative. There is just something about GameStop's business model that I haven't like over the years.
i think the best part about retro gaming is the fan translation scene. Over 20 years later we got new games we can play that we couldn't. And I just discovered an app where you can take pictures of japanese text and it will translate it for you. Very tedious for RPG but its something, to help out with menus and such.
I'm with you on this. I don't think the retro market is crashing. Fair weather collectors come and go, brick and mortar stores just can't compete with online, and with the prevalence of these mini consoles (and the ever growing emulation market) makes it less necessary for people who haven't been collectors to get the most bang for their buck.
Majority of times, repairing older consoles isn't difficult. And yeah, I hate how physical media is going away. And while I consider my collection massive (not near you or MJR size), I'm running out of space also. But also my game room is only 20x14
I went to a video game expo in Sacramento this past weekend. It was a bit smaller than last year but one thing I noticed was that there were less Nes sellers. CIB was quite limited. Last year a vendor told me that he noticed that buyers were wary or a bit guarded. These are clear signs that the market is changing and in the long tail end for systems like the NES. Collectors and gamers will always be around. The market is huge. Even if sales for one system crashed or experienced a market correction other systems are still sought after. Personally I quit collecting for the NES because the sky high prices are absurdly stupid to me. For the past year and a half I have been focused on snatching up dirt cheap PS2 games and the thrill of collecting and finding games out there is still abundant for systems like that.
@Nintendo GangStar I saw a 3DO at the gaming convention that I mentioned above. Nice! Super swell thrift store find. That is pretty funny. Unbelievable that it was mixed in with the DVD players but I am not surprised. Good eye.
An excellent way to benefit the future museum you want to create is to have footage of as many games as possible. Have dedicated playlists for every console. Obviously seeing physical cartridges would be great, but that leaves out the entirety of gameplay, which is the essential function of games.
I definitely see it changing into something else for the better. I’m also on the hardware collecting boat with you, but like you I’m limited in space and so I only collect the games and hardware from my era. I simply can’t do earlier consoles earlier than the Atari 2600. I just acquired a Atari Jaguar, Neo Geo, 3DO and a Xbox 360 from eBay and I already have every PlayStation, Sega, and Nintendo consoles.
I'm currently curating a collection of over 500 games on my hacked ps1 classic. You can't beat it. The hacking community has really made a gem of this mini console. I keep the entire SNES library on my SNES mini as well as the entire GBA library, Genesis, and more. I keep Atari, NES, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Master System/ Game Gear, MAME 0.78 library, and more on my NES classic. It's a whole new world with the classics and rom collecting. I have more games then I could ever play so I spend time curating the collection by culling games I don't like or trying out games I missed from other Regions. It's a great time to be a retro gamer on a budget.
Great video as always John! I think the market is actually changing because of the change in generations and what people grew up with. While there is quite a few titles across the disc based systems (ps1,ps2, ps3, etc.) the current generation will buy more of those as their are a ton of solid titles at affordable prices and yes I completely agree on space being an issue ;-)
I played snes and genesis at my mom's friends as a kid. But my 1st gaming experience was spyro on a PS1 jampack demo cd. So of course I'm partial to playstation. I remember being excited af when my dad bought me and my brother a PS2 for Christmas in 2000!
I see a rise in CD based retro games, especially playstation games in a few years. I mostly collect for my PS2, and I've noticed the games keep getting more and more expensive on ebay and amazon. I'm struggling to find Marvel Vs Capcom 2 CIB right now for under 75 bucks....
my local retro game shop guy basically just sells online and never opens his shop... kinda sucks
I agree that the retro market is changing its much like music and the change from physical to mp3 to streaming. However, folks are still buying vinyl and CDs. I think retro gaming is here to stay and folks will still want the original issues but are happy to consume content in other formats. It’s what’s available and easy to consume. For me I love the original stuff I guess I love vinyl and cassettes too for that matter!!!
Totally agree with you John, am happy you cleared out the physical shops situation. Was thinking as well what was happening. But yea, online you find anything, only some asking prices are close to soulja-boi level of insulting ...
Being that I grew up the original NES and collect all original cartidge base games,for now. I completely agree with everything you said. Nothing beats the original system & cartidges aka nastologic feeling and gaming. Yes, it's easier to buy a NES mini for you HDTV. But to me your not getting the full experience being that they are preloaded games and like we saw with Playstation. They used PAL games for NTSC just to show one example of things that just kills me has a nostalgic collector personally. But I will say it's great way for the younger generation to get into the our "old" world of games. I don't think the retro market will ever go away because I know people who order online and the best way for me being a nastoglic collector is to see it in person from a retro store or 3rd party/private seller. Photos & video can only do so much not to mention it can be altered etc.
You def need space if you plan on collecting original hardware. Running out can happen easily. Great video John!
Good little chat
I agree you are right on the money. Its more of a change in the market from both consumer demand for new products and for what is currently "in" among those of a collector mindset. Some things are going to drop in value and correct to a more stable price *cough* SNES *cough*. Other things will be on the rise like PS1, OG Xbox, Saturn, and Dreamcast. Others will crater as more options become available. A good genesis classic and re-releases like the new switch collection will both cause the price of carts to drop but not crash.
Wether it’s physical or digital space will always an issue. Even with 1tb on the new consoles. That space goes quick. At least with physical media you actually have a cart or disc. Digital is just that digital both will have a point of degradation over time even digital media can become corrupt. I guess what I’m trying to say is buy how you want and is feasible for you. As for the market dying, I don’t see that, actually in my area there is a resurgence of retro gaming. Like with everything there is ups and downs, Vinyl is case and point, it is making a big comeback and CDs are dying out. Anyway, everyone has their opinion and ways so it is what it is. Another great video, John!
I think the rise of limited run/special reserve games is an important factor for collectors. Many digital only games getting a physical release in limited numbers and no reprints. Some of those games are already on the market for lots of cash.
A lot of the things you brought up in this discussion are things that I currently do. With my SNES games, I use an everdrive because it's convenient and it allows me to play the games that I want to play without dropping hundreds of dollars at once on a few choice carts. With that being said, am I still grabbing SNES carts? Absolutely, but it's a very slow build. I'm also on Twitch playing all of these SNES titles for everyone to see. Sometimes I'll have an audience and have a random joe say, "Hey I remember this game," or "I haven't seen this game before," and it's gives me something to talk to them about. I do agree that it's not so much crashing, but it's changing for convenience. But who knows, maybe that same convenience could cause a crash in physical carts.