What is a console's lifetime?
So what defines a console's lifetime? Support? Games produced? Consoles produced? Some other arbitrary distinction?
What say you?
edit: if this wasn't clear, it's for the purpose of collecting for the console, not whether or not your Fairchild Channel F is still kicking.
What say you?
edit: if this wasn't clear, it's for the purpose of collecting for the console, not whether or not your Fairchild Channel F is still kicking.
Comments
But I guess with what you're asking I would say while games are still produced. It will slowly be phased out with a newer version, but it's still around and doesn't really die until no more games are coming. I couldn't say the Wii is still active even though a game or two is still being released for it. That's a 'dead' console that gets occasional releases. I'd say they'd have to still be somewhat frequent.
The term is subjective.
Well, yes, if there was a definitive answer, there's no need for the poll.
I go back and forth between the first two options. For NES, I would say the lifetime goes up to 1995 with Sunday Funday or Lion King. For modern consoles that just won't die like the PS2 and Wii, it's more about retail availability of the console itself. It's hard to still consider this the Wii's "lifetime" because it gets a Just Dance game once a year.
As long as it keeps breathing it isn't dead. If Just Dance comes out once a year that is enough to keep the Wii alive.
If you want a concrete timeline then I would say for sure that a span of 2+ years (24 months or more) with no new games and you will have a dead system. Anything released after this is aftermarket.
For many it might be shorter but IMO anything more than 2 years is clearly dead.
If there are still games being officially produced and licensed, the console is still alive. Once games cease to be made, its over.
Even if Nintendo released Star Fox 2 today as true SNES cart with box and manual I would not count it towards the SNES "full set".
Originally posted by: pegboy
Last game within a certain window of time defines the end (Same thing buyatari is talking about basically). Now you can debate that window of time, but I agree with 2-3 years without a new game being the cut off.
Even if Nintendo released Star Fox 2 today as true SNES cart with box and manual I would not count it towards the SNES "full set".
So the 8 month gap between tony hawk pro skater 3 and nfl blitz special edition on N64 is allowed in your book?
What is dead may never die!
Ill pay the iron price for an m82
Originally posted by: Koopa64
Originally posted by: pegboy
Last game within a certain window of time defines the end (Same thing buyatari is talking about basically). Now you can debate that window of time, but I agree with 2-3 years without a new game being the cut off.
Even if Nintendo released Star Fox 2 today as true SNES cart with box and manual I would not count it towards the SNES "full set".
So the 8 month gap between tony hawk pro skater 3 and nfl blitz special edition on N64 is allowed in your book?
Yeah, I think 2-3 years would be my limit.
Last game within a certain window of time defines the end (Same thing buyatari is talking about basically). Now you can debate that window of time, but I agree with 2-3 years without a new game being the cut off.
Even if Nintendo released Star Fox 2 today as true SNES cart with box and manual I would not count it towards the SNES "full set".
So the 8 month gap between tony hawk pro skater 3 and nfl blitz special edition on N64 is allowed in your book?
I'd say so yes. Many systems have a gap of ~1 year for the final release.
FWIW, if Nintendo released a brand new SNES game on a cart like Star Fox 2, I would totally personally count that as being in the US licensed SNES set. If Capcom released an updated Street Fighter instead of just a repro, I would count it as a new unlicensed release too, same as Unholy Night is. I don't think there's a time limit where suddenly everything "stops counting" and gets thrown into the bin of homebrew games that are their own special thing, but I get that people want conclusive beginnings and ends to the sets they collect.
Time is very important.
The only difference between a homebew and an unlicensed cart is when it was made.
FWIW, if Nintendo released a brand new SNES game on a cart like Star Fox 2, I would totally personally count that as being in the US licensed SNES set. If Capcom released an updated Street Fighter instead of just a repro, I would count it as a new unlicensed release too, same as Unholy Night is. I don't think there's a time limit where suddenly everything "stops counting" and gets thrown into the bin of homebrew games that are their own special thing, but I get that people want conclusive beginnings and ends to the sets they collect.
Time is very important.
The only difference between a homebew and an unlicensed cart is when it was made.
I've seen the homebrew developers (GradualGames specifically) argue that the difference is the style of development: a professional team (i.e. those SNK guys who made Unholy Night) vs. hobbyists reverse engineering and figuring out development themselves. I've also heard people say unlicensed games only count if sold at retail, the rest is homebrew. Personally, I don't see much difference between any of it so long as it was sold to the public at one point. A homebrew game is a new unlicensed release to me.
Time is very important.
The only difference between a homebew and an unlicensed cart is when it was made.
I've seen the homebrew development guys (GradualGames specifically) argue that the difference is a professional team (i.e. those SNK guys who made Unholy Night) vs. hobbyist guys reverse engineering and figuring out development themselves. I've also heard people say unlicensed games only count if sold at retail. Personally, I don't see much difference between any of it so long as it was sold to the public at one point. A homebrew game is a new unlicensed release to me.
That point seems to ignore that a number of unlicensed developers in the NES days DID reverse engineer things and figure them out for themselves, to some extent.
FWIW, if Nintendo released a brand new SNES game on a cart like Star Fox 2, I would totally personally count that as being in the US licensed SNES set. If Capcom released an updated Street Fighter instead of just a repro, I would count it as a new unlicensed release too, same as Unholy Night is. I don't think there's a time limit where suddenly everything "stops counting" and gets thrown into the bin of homebrew games that are their own special thing, but I get that people want conclusive beginnings and ends to the sets they collect.
Time is very important.
The only difference between a homebew and an unlicensed cart is when it was made.
I've seen the homebrew developers (GradualGames specifically) argue that the difference is the style of development: a professional team (i.e. those SNK guys who made Unholy Night) vs. hobbyists reverse engineering and figuring out development themselves. I've also heard people say unlicensed games only count if sold at retail, the rest is homebrew. Personally, I don't see much difference between any of it so long as it was sold to the public at one point. A homebrew game is a new unlicensed release to me.
They can make these arguments all they want but it is a fact that the date of production alone keeps them off the unlicensed list.
There are low budget unlicensed Atari 2600 games for which only two dozen or less were ever produced ie Red Sea Crossing.
Or did you mean to post this in the Star Fox 2 thread?
Can someone explain the time limit thing to me? Like, explain that, hypothetically, if Nintendo produced and sold physical copies of Star Fox 2 carts that worked in an SNES, how would that not count towards a full set? Literally the only difference is time, but why does time play a factor? I've yet to hear a good argument as to why.
they wouldn't, so there's no sense arguing it.
Can someone explain the time limit thing to me? Like, explain that, hypothetically, if Nintendo produced and sold physical copies of Star Fox 2 carts that worked in an SNES, how would that not count towards a full set? Literally the only difference is time, but why does time play a factor? I've yet to hear a good argument as to why.
When discussing "lifetime", Time is the only factor.
Maybe they should be collecting for virtual boy instead, only 14 games released in the USA.