Are you a COLLECTOR, or are you a GAMER?

[Nemoide]

Like most folks, I'm both. On one hand, I won't buy a game unless it's something I want to play. This would be a solid rule, except I can think of an exception: I saw a Dreamcast game for sale in a nearby FYE for less than $1 and bought it, even though it didn't look like something I would enjoy - NFL Quarterback Club 2000.

I also have a tendency to get overzealous about my ability to play through my games. So I end up with a pretty gigantic backlog. I also "collect" them in the sense that I really like having games CIB. The box isn't THAT important for cartridge-based games, but I at very least want the manual; to me, that's part of the game.

While I can see myself going for a complete collection of 32X games at some point, I would also try my damnedest to beat all of those games.

[ElkinFencer10]

I'm definitely both, but I'm more of a collector than I am a gamer (it's about a 60/40 split in my mind). I have shitty games that I bought just because they were shitty, but they were SO shitty that they're amusing (ET for 2600 and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for NES, for example). I admit, I do like seeing my collection grow in quantity more than in quality if I had to pick, but I do typically try to get games that I want to fill that space rather than just any games. I certainly don't buy games that I will never EVER play (unless it's shittiness is legendary like the aforementioned games), but there are many games that I buy, play through once, and never touch again even if they're fantastic games (I'll probably never re-beat Phantasy Star, for example, but it was my best Master System experience yet).

[Curlypaul]

I'm slowly turning into more of a collector, although I still play as often as I can without letting it get in the way of the rest of my life.

I've found that since I started buying games for the pleasure of owning them, I get less stressed out about the amount of games I have that I've not played yet.

[scarper]

The only games I collect actual copies of anymore are DS/3DS games. That combined with my modded Saturn makes me more of a gamer.

However, there was a point in time where I practically hoarded for several different consoles. It consumed me too much, so I decided to cut down and simplify the shit out of my gaming life. Took advantage of the 100+ Saturn ISO's I downloaded. I still have a strong respect for classic games, and gaming in general, but it is not a tremendous part of my life anymore. Just a hobby.

[Gamerforlife]

Lately, I'm becoming a gamer for the newer stuff (like Mass Effect 3), collector for older stuff (just got a CIB copy of The Ninja Warriors Again Japanese version that I want to put in a plastic box protector to maintain the great condition that it came in)

[Pichu]

Similar to Gamerforlife, I'm divided by generation. I tend to buy modern stuff to play, and retro stuff to collect. Though I fully intend to play every game in both collections, I'm a 70/30 collector/gamer to be quite honest.

Exceptions are my goal to have all 296 U.S. released N64 games, and the fact that as soon as 8th gen hits, 7th gen becomes ripe for the collection, and not just for gaming.

[Cronozilla]

One of the problems I ran into was, I'd buy games to play them ... then I went to university and my buying habits didn't change, but my playing habits did. I'm still trying to get into the swing of playing games regularly and it's been a couple years.

[foxhound1022]

I would like to say that I am a gamer, then collector. I defintely intend to play all of the games I purchase, but I simply buy them too rapidly to keep up. The fact is working 10-12 hrs. a day doesn't allow very much time to keep up, hence I have a tremendous backlog.

I can honestly say that I have bought some games based on rarity alone, but they had to fall within a genre of my interest. I truly believe that unless I had an unlimited disposable income; that I'll never be satisfied with my collection because as I age and my interests grow and evolve, so will my tastes in gaming. Also, since I am very hesitant to sell anything from my collection, unless I replace it with nicer copies, it will continue to grow. So I suppose I am a collector in an equal respect. Plus, I just get so caught up in the hunt to ever stop collecting; it's half the fun.

[flojocabron]

Leaning more towards collector. I do wish I had more time to play the games that I get, but life and busy schedules say otherwise.

I'm happy just owning the game. Thankfully I am not a completist. Theres not one brand or company I'm loyal to. I just like having at least one of each that I can get.

I would be even more broke if I collected CIB games and not play them at all. Thats why I'm happy just having the game. I can happily spend $7-10 bucks for an SNES game (with no box) and not play it.

I cant see myself paying $50 for a popular common game complete and have it sitting on my already cramped cabinet.

I myself find it hard to part with my games, but if the time comes, it has to be done.

[Crabmaster2000]

I'm split somewhere right down the middle. I get a fair amount of gaming time in, but I actually enjoy picking up/researching/restoring/displaying/etc my games about as much as I enjoy actually playing them.

I think that a lot of the gamers that poke fun at game collector's dont understand that collecting can be very enjoyable and doesnt necessarily have much to do with gaming.