Sell Video Games You Don’t Play Anymore
Last November I traveled to Florida to see my family. Spending time with my cousin is always one of my favorite parts of the trip. We were discussing our favorite video games when the topic of Pokémon came up. When we were younger I had given him my Gameboy Color and the first six Pokémon games. He talked about how he wished he hadn’t sold them.
I talked about how I wish I had never given them to him. Of course, I was joking. I am glad we both got a ton of use out of those items. At the same time, I sometimes have feelings of regret about the video games I have sold.
Nostalgia can be a pain sometimes. We can’t keep everything we own. Items break or become antiquated. Space limitations can force us to sell or give away items that are not in use. This is all fine until you get the urge to use an old item. Video games fall into this category for many people.
We have recently seen a revival of old games. People are collecting old cartridges. Games of the past are taking on new forms or getting update re-releases. Indie developers are using old school aesthetics in their projects. For many of us this is a great time to be a gamer. However, as we delve into the past we may find ourselves missing our old gaming equipment.
Your Aesthetic Preferences
Some people prefer regular books over reading digitally. They love the feel of the paper and outside turning the page. Who doesn’t love that great musty smell of used books? Digital media lovers may prefer the convince of having all of their reading material on a single device. It is all about our personal preferences.
The same concept applies to gaming. For some people, having a digital copy of an older game may not be good enough. Some may feel that their gameplay experience is diminished without the original cartridge/disc and controller. This may not bother other people. Personally, it is hard to play Nintendo 64 games without the awkward three-handed paddle we grew up love-hating.
Our feelings about game hardware aesthetics will inform us on whether we should sell our physical games. While alternatives may be available, the nostalgic experience of the specific medium may not be obtainable.
Physical Games Take Up Space
Some of us may not have the room to keep all of our consoles and physical games. Much like an MP3 player, many digital products can be stored on a single device. Luckily, a lot of gaming today is digital. Much like music, our stacks of items are now conveniently held on a single hard drive or streamed over the internet. This means we may no longer need our cartridges and discs.
This is where practicality comes into play. While we might want to hold on to our old games, we also don’t want the storage and maintenance to become a burden. Products such as Raspberry Pi and Retron consoles can alleviate the hassle of storing a large amount of consoles and games. Like any collection, we do not want the volume and quantity of our possessions to impact our living experience.
Selling Games For The Money
Selling our old games can help us afford new games. Who cares if we no longer have our old games? They are old news. It is time for us to move on to something more current. This is one of the biggest reasons why I no longer have my old games. I sold most of them over the years to buy new games and gear. It always seemed like a good idea at the time. I wasn’t playing them anymore. No one told me that I would miss the game a year later. I never seemed to learn my lesson.
We should be weighing the pros and cons when deciding whether to sell games. Some games just aren’t for us. This means we most likely won’t miss it. For example, some of us are not the biggest players of sports games. Holding on to a 2003 football game may not trigger our resentment in the future. However, there are certain RPGs we may want to pick up for a month or so every year.
This concept also works the other way around. Companies are pumping out versions of older games for newer consoles. These games can be extremely appealing. The title is conveniently available on your console of choice. Many of these games are also fixed up and remastered which can offer a sharper experience of the original. Though this is enticing, how many times are we willing to pay for the same game?
I’ve purchased Skyrim for three different systems. Bethesda games are some of my all-time favorites. However, do I really need this game three times? I do not play it much anymore, but once or twice a year I get the itch to put in a dozen hours or so. Instead of buying this game for PS4, I could have just fired up my PC. This would have saved me a lot of money.
Not every game is going to get an HD remaster, or get ported to a newer console. A lot of times these ports do not run as well as the original game. These factors can help us decide whether to get rid of the physical copies of our games. Our preferences of aesthetics will also come into play.
Should we hoard our games for the sake of being able to play them on a whim? Maybe. Our thirst to experience a certain game is not the only factor in play. We must consider how this collection can impact our lives. All of the standard rules for collecting items and saving money apply here. It is important that we are seeking what we love while balancing the core aspects of our lifestyle.
What Do You Think?
Do you sell video games when you are done with them? Let me know on social media!
