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On Videogame Storage Solutions
Thanks to GameSpy for its article discussing a variety of possible ways to store an extensive videogame collection. The author points out: "The more video games you buy, the more storage space you need to keep them all. You'd think this goes without saying, but a lot of people don't give it much thought until their bedroom's paved in CD cases, piles of NES carts have transformed into makeshift tables, and ... is that an Intellivision peeking from the fridge?" He goes on to suggest that "...the ability to maximize vertical space and the ability to adjust the height of individual shelves" is most important for game storage, and "a more modular approach: stacking plastic drawers" is advisable for "boxes of controllers, cables and lightguns."
The best storage solution, by far, is keeping everything on a hard drive. Unfortunately, game companies won't allow us this convenience.
This is one of those cases where Emulators rule the day. I've been collecting massive ammounts of games for a long time, and it got to the point where it was just too much.
;)
I was able to snag almost all the ROMs for the games I had on all my systems. This allowed me to store them all on one micro-ITX based PC and move all my physical carts to boxes in the closet for storage. Now I can enjoy my entire collection through one small system, but still drag out the physical collection whenever I need the feel of the original controllers in my hands.
If you're against emulation in general, I recommend a good, solid, bookcase. You can stack them all in order up against the walls and on other shelves, but it's a major pain to constantly have to dust them all off.
then what will I sit on?
If you lack storage space because of how many games you have, take a break, go outside, and enjoy some fresh air. OH... SP btw.
...
i'm sure a lot of people are in my situation. I have over half a dozen CD spindles full of backups of music, games, data, etc. For now, they're in a cardboard box I added a makeshift shelf to. The problem is that they're a bit unorganized. Any categories I apply to them have to have contents in increments of 50 (or 100, depending on the spindle). The only solution I've found in my price range (I'm looking to spend under $100 for ~1000 CDRs) are those huge binders. I already have one that I use to cary around music. I figure I can get 5 200 CD binders for ~$20 each. I'm not sure how organized I could keep those, as adding a CD in the middle would mean rearranging every other CD in there. Does anyone have a cheaper solution that procides more flexability? Some home made project would be cool, but something commercial might be easier.
I call it the "self-proliferating directory" system.
Its based on a storage unit I call a "directory." A directory usually starts when I spill food on the carpet, and throw a book or something over it to cover it up. When I have something that needs storage, I put it on an existing directory.
The "self-proliferating" part comes into play when a directory reaches about four to six feet tall. By that time, it usually collapses, at which point I sort of shove it around until it forms several smaller directories.
Things that don't get stacked well are kept in a large directory between the couch and the wall.
I've never lost a thing using this system. It's all in this room... somewhere...
The more interesting part of the article is near the end on the 2nd page: Retro Review: Bionic Commando about a game that kind of reminds me of Turrican but older. I keep stacks of cd's next to my never-been-opened box of cd cases near my never-been-used cd rack. I give my cartridges and consoles away in a "borrow" sense, then never ask for them back. I obtain the ROMS if I feel like it and they're available. I stopped buying consoles playstation era. I do relate to his cord problems, but with the computer instead. If you need this guy's tips for acceptable solutions to a surplus of games then you're helpless. He had few and obvious tips. He goes on about how if you go through your games and throw out the bad ones this really reduces total. DUH. -_- I mean, c'mon? Most of us I'm sure just play it by ear and rarely stress about our "game storage problem". >_
I knew how to combine all my games and my computer software into an area approximately the size of my computer case, but brain damage made me forget and I bought another game console.
Keep your systems together, keep your accessories together, but use that all important "depth". One bin might be for Nintendo cartridges A-D, organized in a very insert efficient fashion. It looks pretty terrible, but is very effective and space saving. Plus the bins double for controller and accessories.
Sometimes you get lucky... A Longs drug store plastic bin happened to be the exact dimensions for storing SNES cartridges. They were too small for a serious collection, but for the first 60 or 70 games they were perfect.
The ______ Agenda
....Is to just keep the good games. I have a lot of video games, but this time around with the classics, i just bought the good ones. With the new ones, i just try before i buy. There aren't, in my opinion, enough truly great games to be worried about how to store them.
"Damn TV, you've ruined my imagination, just like you've ruined my ability to -- to, um...uh...oh well."
Other than the games that I play on a regular basis, I'm starting to keep some of my games in the garage now. On one wall hangs my gardening tools and on the other I've attached steel shelfing to the wall. I live in a moderately humid climate so to prevent the games from going mouldy and keep bugs out at the same time I keep the games in air lock bags which in turn at placed inside covered storage boxes.
I find a lot of people store old video game collections on eBay...
Philip Sandifer's academic website
This is one reason why I was looking forward to the launch of the Phantom console. As I understand it, all games were to be purchased and downloaded without any hard mediums. Thats ducky with me. With broadband and gaming, apps as services makes sense for a variety of reasons- including eliminating the stack of game boxes clogging my shelves.
Does spelling count?
Seriously...I don't lose my games, and they're (somewhat) protected. Having to dig a bit to find a certain game can be slightly irritating, but it's such an easy fix that it's worth it.
Goo goo g'joob.
...is not to have the money to buy them. And I don't mean spending too much money on other things, but rather not earning enough money to buy too many games in the first place.
P.S. This helps for storage problems of all kinds of material things, even food (whether stored inside or outside of your body). Don't economize too much on the food, though.
The Hacker's Guide To The Kernel: Don't panic()!
I think the problem for gamers regarding this topic is the fact that most gamers are just lacking the time to clean up such minor things. Think about it : The average console RPG these days goes for roughly 30-70 hours without trying to do things like unlock every secret in the game. (Or try to unlock every ending in Chrono Trigger which can take over 100 hours just leveling up/playing through over and over.) PC RPGs are even longer (Neverwinter Nights, Morrowind, KOTOR) thanks to the insane amount of content in them, not to mention downloadable mods. After sitting down for hours watching FMVs, saving the world from destruction, and tracking down the last hidden item : are you going to go to sleep or are you going to spend time cleaning up piles of mini-discs, DVDs, CDs, strategy guides, and whatever else you had laying around?
If you go to Walmart, you can (well, idunno about you, but if I go to Walmart, I can) pick up some "CD Wallpaper." There like sheets from a CD Binder, only bigger (20 discs about) and they fit nicely on your wall, take up no space, and are pretty stylish too (if you have the right type of friends ^_^).
Whoever mentioned the drawer full of GB games was right on. OK, it's not very organized at all, but it does make a great way to store all your cartridges (GB or otherwise) that you (gasp) DON'T have the manual and box and little cloth map thing for.* Underbed storage containers work good for this too, because a bunch of NES "tapes" will fill a drawer rather quickly. This also will work for old peripherals and the like.
For the rest of your collection (the games in nice shape) you'll obviously want to keep them stored better. I'd suggest one of the rotating cube/towers mentioned in the article, but try and get one that doesn't rotate on the top - that way you can stack up multiple cubes and put your Mortal Kombat figures on the top. ^_^ These fit nicely in corners.
Well, that's all I got. Hope that "helps" or whatever. ^_^
* Oh, and about those cloth game map thingies - I SWEAR I'm gonna make a quilt outta those sometime. ^_^ Goodnight everybody...
If I had a legitable way to keep my genesis and older systems shelved... I probably would have kept it.
I find myself selling games back to Gamestop just because I don't want to keep too many games lying around collecting dust.
Why collect them? It seems so redundant.
Better to just play whats around and available, and not be encumbered by crap.
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
I haven't got a photoe available, but Ikea bookshelves do a fine job of storing video games. Wall units, media towers, boxes -- what's so big an issue that it needs a /. story?
I heartily second the recommendation for the Sterlite ultra storage drawers. I've been using the 1804. I have only been able to find them at Wal-Mart, but the price runs an affordable $3-4 for a single drawer.
The drawers are a good size for holding all formats including old carts, cd-sized cases and newer dvd-sized cases. They are also a good size for holding misc. cables, and controllers, etc. Too small for holding the console generally, though (except for handhelds).
If you're organizing CD-shaped game media, by all means please check out my cd dividers: DiscDividers... tabbed plastic divider cards for CDs, they work with jewel cases as well as sleeves.
DiscDividers tabbed plastic CD dividers: divider cards f
I've got my own system i've figured out. Games I'm somewhat likely to play sometime go in the bottom few rows of my CD Tower, below my music cds, and the rest go in a drawer under my bed. It works well, and everything is easily accessible.