Why games are a bad investment
Just saw this on eBay today. At first glance that looks like a pretty impressive price. Definitely more valuable than the average Super Nintendo game, and far more valuable than anything in my collection. Even still, if you look at that game solely as an investment, it still wasn’t worth it.
Warning, old geezer talk to follow:
When that game came out in 1992 it sold for $59.99. And while granted the game is worth more today than it was back then, your money still would have been better placed into the stock market. Over the last 20 years that average rate of return that the stock market has provided is 9.4%. So if you would have invested that $59.99 into an average performing mutual fund on the day this game came out and left it alone. Today that investment would be worth $390.28. Almost $300 more than what this game sold for.
So if you’re holding on to all those old games thinking they’ll be worth something someday… you’re doing it wrong.
But if you love PLAYING these old games… then keep ‘em. Because there’s nothing like blowing into an old cartridge, clicking on a power switch and saving a princess. After all, if you never sell it, who cares what it’s worth!
Too late to blog
Aye carrumba. I think that’s how you type it. It’s far too late to be up doing this. 1am in fact. Tomorrow I’ll be staring at the computer screen at work, eyes glazed over and thinking about how my eternal goal of setting up some kind of Utopian sleep schedule may never be attained. Though if it where attainable, it wouldn’t be Utopian then would it. Oh should I have such clarity of mind tomorrow at 3:17pm.
Today was Andrea and I’s 3rd wedding anniversary. It was astoundingly unremarkable. We had plans of going out to eat in Hays and making a deal of it. But after we got home following a few kinks in the plan… it just seemed so forced to me. Whether Andrea felt the same, I’m not sure. But we decided to postpone the festivities. We had a really awesome “breakfast for supper” and spent some time together just talking. The whole time I was thinking about how this wasn’t really an anniversary, it was just another day… but BEING on our anniversary I couldn’t help but think of how much I LOVED being with her… every day.
She drifted off to sleep early, busy growing a baby, you know. And I had some things to do. I was waiting on some video to encode for work and somehow stumbled upon this story. I had forgotten I’d even written it, and forgotten most of the things I had written about. As I read through what was an unusually coherent story for me, I really reflected on where I’ve been. Where I am now. And how much I have (and haven’t) grown up.
You know there aren’t any chapters in life. It’s all such a slow process that you don’t even notice the time that’s passed until you lift your head up from the page you happen to currently be writing and look at everything you’ve already “written”. And you have that “holy crabcakes” moment where you think “I’ve been so deeply consumed with what’s been right in front of me for so long I’ve lost track of all that I’ve done“. It was amazing to read that old story and think that that really was me. And to recall those decisions I made at that time having no f’ng clue what all would happen in the next seven years.
The sobering thought for me is that I had a plan then. Probably a plan with even greater clairvoyance than the plan I have now for life. Remarkably much of what was planted back then has blossomed now and continues to grow. Andrea and I are married 3 years, and Luke could conceivably be here any day now. I’m still in radio after quite a bit of adversity and some really scary job moves. If you asked me if I am where I thought I would be by now… I probably couldn’t give you a straight answer. I’m somewhat where I expected to be, but got here ENTIRELY unlike anything I ever dreamed of. Certainly a path I couldn’t have planned for, yet somehow walking distance from the original course.
As I read that it brought back a lot of personal thoughts about myself of the sort you never really share with people. Not the dark or embarrassing kind. The kind you don’t share because when people ask “How you been” they’d really rather not know anyway. ”Doing well” is efficient and expected in these encounters. Had they or I been up for it, I could have opened with the oft overused, “I HAVE been pretty shitty and confused, but right now I feel quite effervescent so please don’t feel awkward. I can only hope you are better than you have been as well!“
I feel like I’ve grown… A LOT in seven years. More mature, confident and determined than the clueless kid with a positive attitude I was back then. But you ask me where I’ll be seven years from NOW, and I feel just as apprehensive, courageous and positive as I did back then. I’m still intimidated about how I’m going to provide a living, now not just for myself, but my family. How to grow in my career as to be a more valuable team member, and how to expand my skills should god forbid something unforeseen head my way. If history is any indication you can be assured it will. As intimidating as it all is, knowing what challenges have already come and gone, and how even the monstrously tough decisions did little in the way of straying us from our original path, it’s hard to be scared.
Weird Gamestop Experience
This probably isn’t what you think. It’s not a traditional observation of the clueless and/or opinionated GameStop employees, or the ignorant mothers coming in to buy the latest M rated game for their 10 year old. This is more a personal observation on how my GameStop experience has changed.
It’s probably been two or three years since I’ve been into GameStop to “preorder” anything. Which was the majority of the business I did at the store. I stayed pretty well informed on the gaming “scene” and I’d preorder the games I was interested in, and I’d be there bright and early on release day to pick ‘em up. Gaming really was a big part of life, and one of the few things I looked forward to when everything else was pretty crappy.
So I walk in the other day, and it just felt weird. There was a lot of stuff that really didn’t appeal to me, and there were a lot of games, that I just didn’t have a clue what they were. I kinda felt like the guy at the party who doesn’t know anybody except the old friend he came with. It was the first time I really realized how much I had changed. Don’t get me wrong, there was still plenty of cool stuff there, and if I had the money I probably could have walked out of there with a hefty bag full. But I didn’t see anything that I just HAD to have…like I used to. Even seeing the new Mario Kart Wii on display was cool, but it seems like its changed so much.
I always said I’d be playing video games when I was 90 years old in the rest home. Don’t get me wrong, I still spend plenty of time with Guild Wars, or Animal Crossing, but I don’t have that need anymore to have the next coolest game I’ve been reading about. I’m content to play the heck out of a few games as time allows. I can go to the mall and walk by GameStop and not feel the need to go in “just to see what’s there”. I don’t know if it’s any healthier, but it sure is cheaper!
I guess this turned into more of a rambling than a detailed description of the experience, but it just took me by suprise how my biggest hobby has made room for things like getting married, working on the car, and just regular boring grown up stuff. I don’t think I’m out growing it. I just think I have less free time.
My new mission…No more Wal-Mart
I’ve recently been doing some reading about Wal-Mart. How underhanded their tactics are and how they’ll leave people high and dry. There’s all sorts of stories about how terrible Wal-Mart treats their help, etc. etc. And while terrible that may be, it doesn’t really effect me directly.
I’ve always HATED going to Wal-Mart exclusively because of the mad throngs of people that you have to weave through. Screaming kids. People yakking on cell phones. But like most of the people in there I’ve often gone to Wal-Mart primarily because of their prices. They’re plain and simple the lowest prices in town 95% of the time. But I had a shocking realization just the other day when I stopped in just to get some garlic bread for supper, and walked out with $20 worth of stuff…
I went in to get a $3 box of bread and ended up leaving with the bread, a steering wheel cover for the car, and an air freshener. So while Wal-Mart did have the cheapest bread in town. I spent $16 MORE than if I’d just gone to the grocery store…all because I thought I’d be saving a buck! That’s some pricey bread!
I stopped and thought about it, and probably at least half the time I go to Wal-Mart, I end up buying something “just because I was there”. And that’s the way they plan it. I’ve spent a long time spending more and feeling like I was actually saving. I feel like such a statistic. So I made up my mind that I’m going to avoid Wal-Mart at all costs. And if I do have to go there, it will be only to pick up an item on a list and nothing that isn’t on the list.
I figure even if I break even financially, by paying a higher cost at another store, I at least won’t have to face the Wal-Mart throngs…and that it worth at least 10 bucks a trip right there!
Am I the only one who doesn’t lose sleep over the environment?
Lets be honest…how many of you go to bed each night worrying about all the carbon emissions you put in the air as you drove to work, errands, heating your home, you know…the things that make day to day life possible? Even IF this global warming is a man made creation…Never mind that you’re an infantecimal part of a global trend. Worse case scenario, you’d just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. And even if you DO decide to step out of the line and “go green” the guy that was behind you will still be the tipping point. You just decided to make your life a bigger pain in the ass in the meantime, before the whole world spirals out of control. Although you will be entitled to preach how you are holier than thou, while we all burn a fiery death.
Welp, sorry. I’m not going to buy into the status of it all. Like somehow making it known that I spend more money than a person has to just to reduce my carbon footprint makes me less of a narcissist. And don’t give me the “what about the children crap?” My children won’t care because they won’t know any better. You know there was a time when jet contrails didn’t criss cross they sky 365 days a year. What about that unspoiled beauty that I missed out on? Thanks a lot baby boomers.
But no matter how much I say, I can’t say it as well as C. Montgomery Burns:
“Oooh, so Mother Nature needs a favor?! Well maybe she should have thought of that when she was besetting us with droughts and floods and poison monkeys! Nature started the fight for survival, and now she wants to quit because she’s losing! Well I say, hard cheese”
I finally watched 300
Okay, so I’m a little late to the show on this one. To be honest based on the previews, I wasn’t all that interested in seeing it. I like Greek and Roman history, but the previews sold the movie as endless violence and blood and guts. I didn’t see much substance in the previews and I’m not big on the gore. Andrea wanted to see it though and started watching it, and I must say I was rather impressed. While the violence was obviously a big part of the film, but the presentation was surprisingly artistic.
Some may have seen the movie, some maybe haven’t so I don’t want to do a plot summary, but rather point out some misconceptions I had about the film. The whole show is basically an almost mythical re-telling of a story. Small little details impressed me, like the Spartans slaying these thousands of Persians. Blood is obviously flying everywhere but the Spartans never get a drop on them. The way the Persian leader, Xerxes walks on the backs of his servants as if they’re stairs as he steps down from his throne visually symbolizes his treatment of the Persian people. All the little nuances of the movie (for me) are what made the movie. The dialogue is exceptional as well, much of which I assume is taken directly, or based on the book.
I only wish the previews would have better explained the need for the story of the 300, rather than focus on the gore. But I guess when you’re trying to get people to buy tickets, violence sells.
More to sleep than sleeping?
There’s few things about day to day life I dislike more than waking up. Seems like no matter how much or how little I sleep, I never wake up feeling rested. Sure after about 10 minutes of being up I feel rejuvenated and ready to face the day. But that first waking moment that you’re laying in the bed squinting at the sun filtering in through the blinds, there’s nothing I’d rather do than go back to sleep. I’m just not a morning person I guess.
I usually go to bed around midnite or 12:30 and set my alarm for 8:30. I figure that’s a good eight hours of sleep. Today I decided to change up my routine for one reason or another, I set my alarm for 7:30 instead. I still hit the snooze button once, but I got up much more easily today than in recent memory. There wasn’t the general haziness, I was up out of bed and alert…weird.
I’ve always heard you can sleep too much, but I thought they meant like ten hours (not eight) being too much! They also say you’re supposed to set a consistent time to go to bed and a consistent time to get up. I believe that, and I guess that’s why I’m so surprised I got up as easily as I did the same day I changed it.
So less sleep is more I guess? Fine with me. It just gets in the way of things I’d rather be doing anyway!
I’m not “hardcore”.
I just realized today after messing around on the IGN Message Board, that I’m not a “hardcore gamer” anymore.
The poll was:
Is there anyone else who considers themself a hardcore gamer, and only owns a Wii?
- Yes, I am a hardcore gamer, and I only own a Wii (117 votes)
- No, I am a hardcore gamer, and I own Wii and 360 (47 votes)
- No, I am a hardcore gamer, and I own a Wii and PS3 (5 votes)
- No, I am a hardcore gamer and I own a 360 and PS3 (10 votes)
- No, I’m not a hardcore gamer, but I only own a Wii (5 votes)
I realized I don’t fall into any of those categories. There was a point in time not too long ago that I had a Gamecube, PS2, and Xbox and plenty of games for all of them. But I haven’t picked up and really haven’t played any of the new consoles at all. I guess that doesn’t make me “hardcore” like I used to be.
I don’t know that my interest in video games has decreased a whole bunch, I still often find myself wishing I had more time to play. And according to my Xfire profile I’ve racked up almost 300 hours playing Guild Wars. But it’s just not like it used to be back in the day. Not that I wish I were a hardcore gamer like before, I just didn’t realize I wasn’t anymore until I read that poll. Never really thought about it I guess.
No wonder!
Remember that old red car that was in too many accidents to count? Well I always had this little guy riding around with me as my co-pilot.
Ain’t he CUTE!?
But as we were packing, I discovered something about this little buddy that I should have figured out long ago.
WELL THAT EXPLAINS IT!
Not to be confused with another famous “Buster”.
A lil’ history.
Well, this all started probably a month ago when I decided to take an alternate drive out to Hays to visit Biebs. I decided to take Old Highway 40 instead of boring ol’ I-70 the whole way. It was a really pretty drive, and a lot of old downtown areas. There were also a lot of old stone buildings too. Outside of Junction City, I drove by an old schoolhouse. I remember as a kid, driving up to Sabetha, and when we’d get close to Junction City, Mom would tell us to look off to the south and you could see her old house, and that it was an old stone church.
I thought for sure this was the place!
I was wrong. But hey! In my defense, it’s not like I had ever seen the place before! I had been talking to Grandma on the phone for a while and she said it was further down the road. About 6 miles from Junction City. A couple days later, I got some pictures in the mail of the old house.
I think I recognize those pillows!
And I also got a few pictures of family.
So armed with this new information and a rare sunny day, I set out to find the place as it exsists today.
The guy that Grandma sold the house to, Lyman Budden still owns it. I got to talk to him a bit, and he’s a pretty interesting guy. He put the addition on the front. Said he pulled it in on a trailer with a pick-up truck, backed up the the house, then let the air out of the tires of the trailer to set it down and hasn’t moved it since! He said he bought the house back in the day for $10,000. Now the road that heads up to the house is a paved path. There’s several small buildings he built around it for vehicles and equipment. And from what it looks like a lot more trees.
As we chatted, he talked about shortly after he moved in, and he was out in the pasture northeast of the house, and he found a bunch of marbels on the ground. He raked them up and still has them to this day! Think mom, and uncle David played with these?
The old guy sure liked to talk, and while I found it interesting, I think he’s a bit of a storyteller. He said he took these marbels to an antique shop in Junction City and a guy told him there was a marbel in there worth $1200, and that that whole dish was worth $1500. I find that hard to believe, but then again…I don’t know much about marbles!
One last question was…was it a schoolhouse, or was it a church? Grandma kept saying it was a schoolhouse, Mom always said it was a church. Maybe it was used as both. But the corner stone displays the date the building was erected, and that it was…a church.
“In memory of Chas N. Mc??? by his wife Susan.”
So it’s been an exciting adventure for me at least. I find things like this interesting. Imagining what it was like to be around then, all the stories these places could tell. I hope you find it interesting as well!
Was Deal or No Deal Staged?
I was at home last night enjoying a frosty Miller Highlife watching one of the few shows on TV I can tolerate, Deal or No Deal. I’m a pretty analytical thinker, so I enjoy any games where you’re up against mathematical odds. And I’m here to say the final round on last nights Deal or No Deal beat so many odds that I’m convinced there’s no way that it could have happened without some sort of scripting.
First of all, I don’t think that the entire show is rigged. Just the last round of the show on Tuesday with “Matty” the teamster from New York. As I watched, I didn’t think much of it other than he was just another typical flamboyant contestant that frequented the show. But as the round went on, and it became more sensational with each chosen case, I began to become suspicious that something was amiss. That perhaps the entire round was staged to be as exciting as possible (while still being believable) to garner up ratings for the season premier.
First off, the guy pulls a Babe Ruth and calls his first case. Predicting that it will be the $0.01 case. Sure enough it is! He had less than a 4% chance of guessing one cent case correctly.
He goes on to choose other small cases with the occasional big amount mixed in leading to the largest 2nd, 3rd, and 4th offers in the history of the show. Now this can be somewhat explained that 3 million was on the board for the first time in the history of the show and would naturally drive up the bank offers as long as it was on the board.
At one point the bank offer is $400,000. Now the bank offer is calculated based on the known amounts left in the cases on the board, and the odds that the player has the highest possible dollar amount in the case they chose at the beginning of the round. So the bank offer can only be calculated from the cases that are remaining at any given time. In other words, you can’t predict the next bank offer until the player picks the next case.
So when the bank offer comes up as $400,000 the banker himself would only have known the offer for a few seconds. Yet two beautiful women bring out two cases full of $400,000 CASH. There wasn’t enough time to see the offer, fill the cases with cash and bring them out, if they didn’t know what the banker was going to offer before hand. So either they stuff the cases with a random amount of cash that they planned on bringing out regardless off the offer amount, or they knew what cases he would pick before he picked them. Either way, it was a planned attempt to sensationalize the show.
Everything about this guy was character-like. When they brought the cash out, he picked it up, sniffing it and scowling like some bookie that just got paid off after his thugs broke some legs. Also, you know how everyone is allowed to bring three people with them? Well gets four, two of them being his twin daughters. What do they count as one person or something!? Add that to the fact that he keeps saying “I’m good at this game” when there’s absolutly NO WAY that a person can be good at guessing random numbers. It’d be like saying I’m good at winning coin tosses. It’s just not something you can be “good” at!
As the round is nearing the end it becomes almost predictable. He whittles away at the cases until what remains? Only $1 and $1 million and $3 million! Oh what sensational television! He takes the offer of $600,000 or so, but come to find out, he had the three million dollar case all along! (Which he also called at the beginning of the game.) The odds of him picking the $3 million case first and then calling the one cent case like he predicted were 1 in 600.
It couldn’t have been a more exciting round, and it just so happened to be the show’s season premier, where you want to hook everybody for the rest of the season. Coincidence or not? You tell me.
