Storing Video Games
Although I still have a lot of love for retro video games and the old arcade games, I’d be lying if I said I don’t love the newest generation as well. In the last couple of years I have owned a Playstation 3 and an Xbox 360. Because I am an adult, I have money to spend. As a passionate game enthusiast, this usually means that I buy more games than I should.
The only reason I have been forced to confront the size of my video game collection is because I have to store it. I didn’t realize that the numbers had crept up on me until I bought the new Batman game and then couldn’t find a shelf to put it on. And honestly, the storage shelving I had been using was not as adequate as I had thought, at least not for the disc format.
Until all games become downloadable, the disc is the game medium that we will be dealing with. Storing video games presents a challenge that anyone who has ever owned a CD will be familiar with: how do you use them frequently and keep them from getting scratched? It is the most annoying thing in the world to buy something, enjoy it, and then have it quit working because you were careless.
I am currently storing all of my games in binders that contain many sheets with plastic sleeves. Each sleeve holds one game. I believe this is the best method, provided you buy a binder that is big enough for your buying habits, and that you are responsible enough to put the game away when you’re done with them.
A couple of other warnings for anyone storing games in a binder:
Temperature
Do not leave that binder in places with temperatures hot enough to soften the plastic on the sleeves. I made the mistake of leaving mine in a car once in July. When I got to my friend’s house and unzipped the binder, the sleeves had expanded and sagged, causing a waterfall of Xbox games to spill out onto the floor. None of them broke, but they did sustain some scratching.
One game per sleeve
If you are an impatient person, you may be tempted to slip two or three games into one sleeve. Do not do this. This is the opposite of choosing a wise video game storage solution. It will almost certainly scratch your games, even if you face the side of the discs with the title and artwork towards each other. It is not worth the risk, unless you have unlimited funds to buy a new game every time you want to play it.
With a little bit of vigilance and some personal accountability, you shouldn’t have any problem making your games last a long, long time.
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