Video Game Sale
Nov. 30th, 2003 06:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ralphmeltonLast things first: at Kevin's showing of the extended edition of The Two Towers last night, he mentioned that Playland in State College is going out of business, and having an auction of all their arcade games. This could be a chance to get the Tetris arcade game that I've fancied for so long.
But this forces me to question whether I really want it, or I've just had it on my wish list.
I really like the arcade version of Tetris--I preferred its leveled approach and its variegated challenges to the 'keep going with what you have' approach of most home-computer Tetris versions. (That leveled approach was probably put in as a way of sucking more quarters by allowing one to continue a game, but that's okay.) And I've talked for years about how cool it would be to have an arcade game of my own.
On the down side:
- I don't play reflex games much any more. I've hardly played Tetris itself since college. I probably could find ROMs for the arcade game online, but I haven't bothered to look.
- A Tetris console is likely to be 10-15 years old. I don't know what shape the joystick will be in, or what other maintenance it might need.
- If it does need maintenance, it'll be difficult to get parts.
- The right place to put it is in our basement, but we have water problems in the basement currently.
My real worry comes down to this: what if it's the case that I've wanted this not for itself, but as part of some idealized bachelor pad that doesn't fit my current lifestyle even if I could achieve that ideal?
(Part of this is no doubt triggered by Kevin's new house, which really is a fabulous bachelor pad.)
And so I waffle. Waffle waffle waffle. My current thought is to ask Kevin to bid on it, up to a price that would be a wonderful deal if it won the auction. In that case, hey, great deal.
But this forces me to question whether I really want it, or I've just had it on my wish list.
I really like the arcade version of Tetris--I preferred its leveled approach and its variegated challenges to the 'keep going with what you have' approach of most home-computer Tetris versions. (That leveled approach was probably put in as a way of sucking more quarters by allowing one to continue a game, but that's okay.) And I've talked for years about how cool it would be to have an arcade game of my own.
On the down side:
- I don't play reflex games much any more. I've hardly played Tetris itself since college. I probably could find ROMs for the arcade game online, but I haven't bothered to look.
- A Tetris console is likely to be 10-15 years old. I don't know what shape the joystick will be in, or what other maintenance it might need.
- If it does need maintenance, it'll be difficult to get parts.
- The right place to put it is in our basement, but we have water problems in the basement currently.
My real worry comes down to this: what if it's the case that I've wanted this not for itself, but as part of some idealized bachelor pad that doesn't fit my current lifestyle even if I could achieve that ideal?
(Part of this is no doubt triggered by Kevin's new house, which really is a fabulous bachelor pad.)
And so I waffle. Waffle waffle waffle. My current thought is to ask Kevin to bid on it, up to a price that would be a wonderful deal if it won the auction. In that case, hey, great deal.
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no subject
Date: 2003-12-01 06:39 am (UTC)Be warned, though: most of the Playland machines, at least when I was at Penn State -- will have significant cigarette burns on the case.
CU