Post by wafflerevolution on Sept 12, 2013 19:26:53 GMT
Basics
Member of the CCU since February 10, 2010
How many games do you currently have in your collection?
Currently I have 2541 games in my collection.
How many systems do you own?
I think it is up to 40 now. It is getting crowded.
When did you start collecting?
Around age 13 I started keeping games with the intention of collecting them.
What was your first system?
A Colecovision.
What was your first game?
LadyBug
Where does your screen name TwarBlackshire come from?
Good question. It is a rather odd story as well. Back in my teens I bought Ultima Exodus for NES and me and a buddy got home and started up the game. We had to name/create 4 characters so we laughed and said we would name each others whatever we wanted. I think I remember I called his Zappora and Smig or something like that and he called mine Ratsa and Twar. The latter name was chosen by my buddy for my tank/warrior character and for some reason I took a real liking to that name. I have used it ever since when naming characters in games. Chances are if you run into a Twar in an MMO or in some forums it is most likely me. I added the 'Blackshire' part as a last name when playing LOTRO (Lord of the Rings Online).
When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?
During my teens I realized I just never wanted to get rid of the games that I got. It didn't seem to matter if I finished a game or simply ended up disliking a game, I had an urge to keep them all. That was an obvious tipping point to me.
What do you do for a living?
I'm a professional drummer. I've toured across Canada, U.S., Europe, and even went to Africa. I currently teach about 50 students a week.
Awesome!
Let's talk about your collection
What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them?
My goals are pretty silly when I realistically look at them. I basically won't stop collecting games until I had them all (lol at self). This is completely unrealistic but that is the driving force behind all my collections.
I simply will buy any game that I don't have with the only restriction being the price. I'll pick up any game if the price is right, but will only buy a few choice games without fear of cost because I just 'need to have it!'. Skyrim collector's edition would be an example of that impulsive need.
Since my goal as a collector is to increase my collection total, I use every avenue available to me that will help me get the most bang (being games) for my buck. These include garage sales, 2nd hand stores, and craigslist-type sites. Nothing is more enjoyable than going to see a large collection of games that the owner is willing to let go at a very reasonable price!
As long as I continue to find deals and boxes to fill with games I will be happy with my progression towards my collection goal.
That is a lofty goal indeed! Something almost all CCU members can relate to though. What's your favorite part of your collection?
Probably all my RPG's as that is generally my favorite type of game to play. The top of the RPG list would be my Advanced Dungeons & Dragons gold box games like Pool of Radiance, Curse of Azure Bonds and Secret of the Silver Blades. So many good memories came from playing those games on my first PC.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Gold Box games (by S.S.I.)...
What would you like to improve in your collection?
I would like to get a few more consoles/handhelds that I don't currently own (of which there are quite a few). Honestly I just want everything lol.
Which handhelds are you currently missing that you would like to get?
I would love to get my hands on a Atari Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket Color, N-Gage, TurboExpress, and a Wonderswan Color to name a few.
How many games, systems, etc. are "enough"?
All of them. That would be adequate.
What's your proudest moment as a game collector?
When gmsnpr included me in the monthly CCU leaders list after posting my collection pics. I felt in some way that I had arrived.
What's your least proud moment as a game collector?
I can't really think of anything at the moment in regards to actually collecting.
What's your biggest game collecting blunder or missed opportunity?
Probably missing out on all the early Atlus titles and rare PS1 titles that I saw but waited for the price to drop. /kick self
What item in your collection do you feel you most overpaid for?
I honestly can't think of anything that I would think I overpaid for. I just remember all the killer deals...
What do you think was your best deal while game buying?
Buying the yellow NES Zelda testing station cartridge for $1. It has sold for $600+ on ebay. Quite a deal haha.
Wow. *jaw dropped* I have to say that is one of the best deals I have ever heard of! Amongst your non-gaming friends, are you proud of your collection or is it something you don't bring attention to?
I generally leave non-gamers to non-gaming conversations. However, I have been surprised at a few of my non-gaming friends' interest in my collection. One in particular loves hearing of my latest deal when it happens so I take advantage to brag to him whenever I can.
Did you ever have to defend your collecting to someone, and if so, how?
I have to deal with my wife's general dislike of gaming at least once a week. She often asks me why I own more games than anyone can finish in a lifetime and I tell her I don't get all the games to play them all but to collect them all which is a totally different demon. I liken it to collecting stamps or coins except that you can't interact very well with such collections. At least with video games you can use your collection as hands-on entertainment.
What do you feel is the most valuable and/or rare item in your collection?
I already mentioned the yellow NES Zelda testing cartridge earlier in the interview but it probably is both the most valuable and/or rare item in my collection. Possibly some of my early DOS RPG's are quite rare and pricey as well.
What kind of prices can you get for DOS RPGs these days?
Well I have to say that it is a strange market. Most gamers collect console-based games and so the value reflects that. Truly rare titles such as Ultima I,I,III in good condition have gone for hundreds. They are rarely on ebay that I have seen and I just don't want to drop that much on each one so I'm waiting for a bit of luck to come my way that might help me find them while looking on Craigslist or at someone's garage or yard sale. Some people try to sell things for obscene prices so using ebay as the bible on the matter isn't really precise. If anyone knows of a site that shows the value of PC games I'd be happy to hear of it!
Other favorites in my PC/DOS collection would be my Ultima collection...
What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection?
I would have to say that the Dreamcast game 'Typing of the Dead' has to be the strangest game that I own. I love the concept but it gets the 'weirdest trophy'.
What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have?
That I don't own a PS3 or a Xbox 360. It surprises me to even see me type it.
Do you have a funny story about your collection?
I told this story once on the CCU forums but it still makes me laugh. I have two longbox editions of Resident Evil for PS in my collection for a good reason. The first one I bought had a pretty scratched disc but it worked up to the end battle and when the final fight started the screen would freeze. I tried to clean/fix it but no matter what I did it wouldn't work. I then spent the next year or so finding another copy. I bought it with fingers crossed as the new copy also had a scratched disc. I tried it and to my horror it didn't load. I was so bummed out but I thought of one more thing I could do. I used the old copy to get to the boss, then inserted the new disc and to my surprise it worked and I finally beat the game. Only time I've needed two copies of a game to finish it once!
Where/how do you store it all?
My collection is spread out between my house and studio. In my home I have my kid-friendly games displayed for the Wii, GameCube, and DS systems. Sadly, the rest of my collection is in boxes in a storage area above my studio or displayed in my drum room with my CD/vinyl collection.
Here is a picture of 3 of my rarer collector's editions of some PC games that got to see the other side of the box during this photo shoot...
What gaming resources and game collecting tools do you use?
I keep record of my collection on GameSpot, and Backloggery sites and as a Word document. I use the game rarity guide online as well to help give me an approximate value to some of the rarer titles that I'm looking for.
Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like?
No I've lived in my current house for over ten years which has been the bulk of time in which my collection has grown to where it is now. I probably added 2000+ titles to my collection while living here.
Can you recall which of your games was on your "hit list" for the longest time? The game you knew you wanted, but took you the longest time to acquire?
I have so many games on my "hit list" that it is hard to think of any particular game that I could single out as one that I thought about more than the others. I think acquiring Lunar: Silver Star Story for Sega CD was a good example of a game I was wanting to track down and was quite excited to finally get and cross off my list.
What's at the top of your game wish list right now?
I would love to get a cd-i console as well as the Zelda games for it. Equally important for me is to get Ultima I,II,III for PC as those are incredibly rare and would look good in my collection.
In addition to collecting games, do you collect any other game related paraphernalia?
I have a small collection of Zelda franchise collectibles including childrens books, novels, and action figures. I will pick up merchandise for any game I'm fond of if it won't break the bank.
Is there any way you'd ever stop collecting?
No, as long as I have breath I'll be collecting something. I've always collected something, though that has always changed. I started with Star Wars figures, moved on to comics (Robotech and early Star Wars series), Tolkien books (around 100 now), records (now close to 2000 vinyl albums/45's), CD's (1500 or so), Lord of the Rings figures (almost to entire collection), and finally video games.
What are you going to do if physical game media become a thing of the past?
I would continue to try and complete my collection (lol which again isn't going to happen) of all remaining 'physical game media' that I don't have. Then I would just adapt to the new way of gaming. I'm not really anti-download or anything, I just like having a physical manual in my hand rather than as a pdf file. I'm a bit old school that way. I do like gaming in any form it comes in so I would be just fine if things changed.
Plus it doesn't hurt that you already have a massive collection of physical games at your disposal. If your significant other told you no more games, what would you do? Or does your significant other collect as well?
I'd laugh and say too bad. I've collected as long as I've known my wife so an ultimatum of any kind would be scoffed at. I don't collect at the cost of my family so it would be truly unfair for her to think I should stop. I would be surprised if that ever happened.
Let's talk about the gaming side of this hobby
How many of your systems are hooked up and ready to play?
I have my Wii, GameCube, Xbox, N64, SNES, 3D0, and Genesis hooked up on different TV's in my house and studio. I guess you could add my PC and Mac as well.
What kind of audio-video setup do you experience your games on? (For example, 40 inch LCD tv with surround sound?)
All my TV's are pretty average size and are quite old. I don't even own a HD TV. I'm behind the times when it comes to a notable entertainment room.
What percentage of your games are still sealed?
Around 3%. I find little use in collecting sealed games. I would way rather sell them to buy a good copy that I could play.
What percentage of your games have you actually played? Completed?
I've probably played around 15% of all my games and completed around 3% of my current total. Sad when I think about it, but I do have a busy life with work and family. I love spending time with my two boys and sometimes that involves some heated multiplayer gaming.
As a gamer, do you have many opportunities to play games co-op?
I do spend about half of my gaming time playing MMO's so I am frequently playing with other folk. I do have a few friends that live near me that will play co-op games on some of the consoles that I have. If a game has the option to play the main campaign in co-op mode I will always make time to play it that way as I love beating a game with someone else.
Where do you get your gaming news?
I don't spend a lot of energy keeping up on the current gaming news. I stop at a lot of gaming stores and check out what is coming out by 'window shopping'. I do get quite a bit of news on GameSpot and if something interests me I will check out the odd spot light on what is coming out. I also get a kick out of watching E3 footage and conventions like it.
Of the current generation consoles, what do you spend most of your time playing? Collecting for? Why?
Most of my gaming time is spent on my PC but if I do choose to do some current console gaming it is on my Wii or PSP. I collect everything with equal intent so it doesn't matter to me if it is current or not. I have always felt that a good game will be enjoyable on any generation console just as a bad game will not be enjoyable on any generation console. The only difference to me is that the graphical quality will be a lot better on current systems. A good mix makes me tick.
Do you consider yourself unbiased with regard to the other systems on the market?
Yeah. I don't really follow the politics behind what gaming companies are up to. I just like gaming and collecting. The more the merrier in my mind.
Thanks TwarBlackshire for your time!
Thanks someNONSENSE for taking the time to interview me. I hope the rest of the CCU finds it enjoyable! Cheers!
Member of the CCU since February 10, 2010
How many games do you currently have in your collection?
Currently I have 2541 games in my collection.
How many systems do you own?
I think it is up to 40 now. It is getting crowded.
When did you start collecting?
Around age 13 I started keeping games with the intention of collecting them.
What was your first system?
A Colecovision.
What was your first game?
LadyBug
Where does your screen name TwarBlackshire come from?
Good question. It is a rather odd story as well. Back in my teens I bought Ultima Exodus for NES and me and a buddy got home and started up the game. We had to name/create 4 characters so we laughed and said we would name each others whatever we wanted. I think I remember I called his Zappora and Smig or something like that and he called mine Ratsa and Twar. The latter name was chosen by my buddy for my tank/warrior character and for some reason I took a real liking to that name. I have used it ever since when naming characters in games. Chances are if you run into a Twar in an MMO or in some forums it is most likely me. I added the 'Blackshire' part as a last name when playing LOTRO (Lord of the Rings Online).
When did you feel a tipping point from gamer to both gamer and game collector?
During my teens I realized I just never wanted to get rid of the games that I got. It didn't seem to matter if I finished a game or simply ended up disliking a game, I had an urge to keep them all. That was an obvious tipping point to me.
What do you do for a living?
I'm a professional drummer. I've toured across Canada, U.S., Europe, and even went to Africa. I currently teach about 50 students a week.
Awesome!
Let's talk about your collection
What are your goals as a game collector, how have you developed them, and how do you feel about your progress toward them?
My goals are pretty silly when I realistically look at them. I basically won't stop collecting games until I had them all (lol at self). This is completely unrealistic but that is the driving force behind all my collections.
I simply will buy any game that I don't have with the only restriction being the price. I'll pick up any game if the price is right, but will only buy a few choice games without fear of cost because I just 'need to have it!'. Skyrim collector's edition would be an example of that impulsive need.
Since my goal as a collector is to increase my collection total, I use every avenue available to me that will help me get the most bang (being games) for my buck. These include garage sales, 2nd hand stores, and craigslist-type sites. Nothing is more enjoyable than going to see a large collection of games that the owner is willing to let go at a very reasonable price!
As long as I continue to find deals and boxes to fill with games I will be happy with my progression towards my collection goal.
That is a lofty goal indeed! Something almost all CCU members can relate to though. What's your favorite part of your collection?
Probably all my RPG's as that is generally my favorite type of game to play. The top of the RPG list would be my Advanced Dungeons & Dragons gold box games like Pool of Radiance, Curse of Azure Bonds and Secret of the Silver Blades. So many good memories came from playing those games on my first PC.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Gold Box games (by S.S.I.)...
What would you like to improve in your collection?
I would like to get a few more consoles/handhelds that I don't currently own (of which there are quite a few). Honestly I just want everything lol.
Which handhelds are you currently missing that you would like to get?
I would love to get my hands on a Atari Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket Color, N-Gage, TurboExpress, and a Wonderswan Color to name a few.
How many games, systems, etc. are "enough"?
All of them. That would be adequate.
What's your proudest moment as a game collector?
When gmsnpr included me in the monthly CCU leaders list after posting my collection pics. I felt in some way that I had arrived.
What's your least proud moment as a game collector?
I can't really think of anything at the moment in regards to actually collecting.
What's your biggest game collecting blunder or missed opportunity?
Probably missing out on all the early Atlus titles and rare PS1 titles that I saw but waited for the price to drop. /kick self
What item in your collection do you feel you most overpaid for?
I honestly can't think of anything that I would think I overpaid for. I just remember all the killer deals...
What do you think was your best deal while game buying?
Buying the yellow NES Zelda testing station cartridge for $1. It has sold for $600+ on ebay. Quite a deal haha.
Wow. *jaw dropped* I have to say that is one of the best deals I have ever heard of! Amongst your non-gaming friends, are you proud of your collection or is it something you don't bring attention to?
I generally leave non-gamers to non-gaming conversations. However, I have been surprised at a few of my non-gaming friends' interest in my collection. One in particular loves hearing of my latest deal when it happens so I take advantage to brag to him whenever I can.
Did you ever have to defend your collecting to someone, and if so, how?
I have to deal with my wife's general dislike of gaming at least once a week. She often asks me why I own more games than anyone can finish in a lifetime and I tell her I don't get all the games to play them all but to collect them all which is a totally different demon. I liken it to collecting stamps or coins except that you can't interact very well with such collections. At least with video games you can use your collection as hands-on entertainment.
What do you feel is the most valuable and/or rare item in your collection?
I already mentioned the yellow NES Zelda testing cartridge earlier in the interview but it probably is both the most valuable and/or rare item in my collection. Possibly some of my early DOS RPG's are quite rare and pricey as well.
What kind of prices can you get for DOS RPGs these days?
Well I have to say that it is a strange market. Most gamers collect console-based games and so the value reflects that. Truly rare titles such as Ultima I,I,III in good condition have gone for hundreds. They are rarely on ebay that I have seen and I just don't want to drop that much on each one so I'm waiting for a bit of luck to come my way that might help me find them while looking on Craigslist or at someone's garage or yard sale. Some people try to sell things for obscene prices so using ebay as the bible on the matter isn't really precise. If anyone knows of a site that shows the value of PC games I'd be happy to hear of it!
Other favorites in my PC/DOS collection would be my Ultima collection...
What do you feel is the strangest or weirdest item in your collection?
I would have to say that the Dreamcast game 'Typing of the Dead' has to be the strangest game that I own. I love the concept but it gets the 'weirdest trophy'.
What item(s) do you not have in your collection that people are surprised to hear you don't have?
That I don't own a PS3 or a Xbox 360. It surprises me to even see me type it.
Do you have a funny story about your collection?
I told this story once on the CCU forums but it still makes me laugh. I have two longbox editions of Resident Evil for PS in my collection for a good reason. The first one I bought had a pretty scratched disc but it worked up to the end battle and when the final fight started the screen would freeze. I tried to clean/fix it but no matter what I did it wouldn't work. I then spent the next year or so finding another copy. I bought it with fingers crossed as the new copy also had a scratched disc. I tried it and to my horror it didn't load. I was so bummed out but I thought of one more thing I could do. I used the old copy to get to the boss, then inserted the new disc and to my surprise it worked and I finally beat the game. Only time I've needed two copies of a game to finish it once!
Where/how do you store it all?
My collection is spread out between my house and studio. In my home I have my kid-friendly games displayed for the Wii, GameCube, and DS systems. Sadly, the rest of my collection is in boxes in a storage area above my studio or displayed in my drum room with my CD/vinyl collection.
Here is a picture of 3 of my rarer collector's editions of some PC games that got to see the other side of the box during this photo shoot...
What gaming resources and game collecting tools do you use?
I keep record of my collection on GameSpot, and Backloggery sites and as a Word document. I use the game rarity guide online as well to help give me an approximate value to some of the rarer titles that I'm looking for.
Have you ever had to move your collection to another house? What was it like?
No I've lived in my current house for over ten years which has been the bulk of time in which my collection has grown to where it is now. I probably added 2000+ titles to my collection while living here.
Can you recall which of your games was on your "hit list" for the longest time? The game you knew you wanted, but took you the longest time to acquire?
I have so many games on my "hit list" that it is hard to think of any particular game that I could single out as one that I thought about more than the others. I think acquiring Lunar: Silver Star Story for Sega CD was a good example of a game I was wanting to track down and was quite excited to finally get and cross off my list.
What's at the top of your game wish list right now?
I would love to get a cd-i console as well as the Zelda games for it. Equally important for me is to get Ultima I,II,III for PC as those are incredibly rare and would look good in my collection.
In addition to collecting games, do you collect any other game related paraphernalia?
I have a small collection of Zelda franchise collectibles including childrens books, novels, and action figures. I will pick up merchandise for any game I'm fond of if it won't break the bank.
Is there any way you'd ever stop collecting?
No, as long as I have breath I'll be collecting something. I've always collected something, though that has always changed. I started with Star Wars figures, moved on to comics (Robotech and early Star Wars series), Tolkien books (around 100 now), records (now close to 2000 vinyl albums/45's), CD's (1500 or so), Lord of the Rings figures (almost to entire collection), and finally video games.
What are you going to do if physical game media become a thing of the past?
I would continue to try and complete my collection (lol which again isn't going to happen) of all remaining 'physical game media' that I don't have. Then I would just adapt to the new way of gaming. I'm not really anti-download or anything, I just like having a physical manual in my hand rather than as a pdf file. I'm a bit old school that way. I do like gaming in any form it comes in so I would be just fine if things changed.
Plus it doesn't hurt that you already have a massive collection of physical games at your disposal.
If your significant other told you no more games, what would you do? Or does your significant other collect as well?I'd laugh and say too bad. I've collected as long as I've known my wife so an ultimatum of any kind would be scoffed at. I don't collect at the cost of my family so it would be truly unfair for her to think I should stop. I would be surprised if that ever happened.
Let's talk about the gaming side of this hobby
How many of your systems are hooked up and ready to play?
I have my Wii, GameCube, Xbox, N64, SNES, 3D0, and Genesis hooked up on different TV's in my house and studio. I guess you could add my PC and Mac as well.
What kind of audio-video setup do you experience your games on? (For example, 40 inch LCD tv with surround sound?)
All my TV's are pretty average size and are quite old. I don't even own a HD TV. I'm behind the times when it comes to a notable entertainment room.
What percentage of your games are still sealed?
Around 3%. I find little use in collecting sealed games. I would way rather sell them to buy a good copy that I could play.
What percentage of your games have you actually played? Completed?
I've probably played around 15% of all my games and completed around 3% of my current total. Sad when I think about it, but I do have a busy life with work and family. I love spending time with my two boys and sometimes that involves some heated multiplayer gaming.
As a gamer, do you have many opportunities to play games co-op?
I do spend about half of my gaming time playing MMO's so I am frequently playing with other folk. I do have a few friends that live near me that will play co-op games on some of the consoles that I have. If a game has the option to play the main campaign in co-op mode I will always make time to play it that way as I love beating a game with someone else.
Where do you get your gaming news?
I don't spend a lot of energy keeping up on the current gaming news. I stop at a lot of gaming stores and check out what is coming out by 'window shopping'. I do get quite a bit of news on GameSpot and if something interests me I will check out the odd spot light on what is coming out. I also get a kick out of watching E3 footage and conventions like it.
Of the current generation consoles, what do you spend most of your time playing? Collecting for? Why?
Most of my gaming time is spent on my PC but if I do choose to do some current console gaming it is on my Wii or PSP. I collect everything with equal intent so it doesn't matter to me if it is current or not. I have always felt that a good game will be enjoyable on any generation console just as a bad game will not be enjoyable on any generation console. The only difference to me is that the graphical quality will be a lot better on current systems. A good mix makes me tick.
Do you consider yourself unbiased with regard to the other systems on the market?
Yeah. I don't really follow the politics behind what gaming companies are up to. I just like gaming and collecting. The more the merrier in my mind.
Thanks TwarBlackshire for your time!
Thanks someNONSENSE for taking the time to interview me. I hope the rest of the CCU finds it enjoyable! Cheers!