RF Generation Message Board

Not sure if this is in the proper place, or, if it's even been asked before, but as I add my collection to the database, I find myself wondering something.  With each system, what is considered a good game ratio before a system is considered worth having?

Some systems have total games nearing a thousand, yet others can't even push 50.  If the one with 1k only has say 200 games worth having, yet the one with 50 has only 10, the ratio would be the same.  So, how many games does it take to make the system worth it for most?

Myself, I tend to believe if it's got at least 5-10 games, it's a worth it.  Anything less though and I tend to avoid it, anything more, even better.  Does anyone else weigh in the value of a system and if they'd consider it worth the initial purchase in a similar manner?

Honestly I feel the same way, a minimum of 5 games and ones that are to my interest for consideration (and I mean ones that I really like) with more the merrier. Sometimes though it takes a bit of research like with the 360 that wasn't considered due to that a lot of library shared with the PS3 that I already had however with some circumstances as well as some obscure exclusives to try at a cheap price ended up with a good collection. Then again like some systems such as the Wii U, it turned out that there wasn't much in the library and still disappointed by the console due to the games have been a bit of a let down for me luckily though it does have Wii BC so the issue isn't as bad as it could have been, also doesn't help that some that were cancelled on that that would have bought if existed.

It is the reason why I don't have a PS4 or an Xbox One since there aren't as many games to consider for a purchase. Slightly more on the Xbox One side thanks to the Forzas and Rare Replay but still not enough due to that both systems have a fair share of games that I already have on other consoles, more so this generation with the remasters. I mean Uncharted 4 isn't enough for me to sway to the PS4...

At the end of the day, it depends on what you like and that has some influence on a system. Like an RPG fan wouldn't consider an original Xbox, a sports fan wouldn't want a Vita or a racing game fan wouldn't want the Wii U due to only a few titles of those genres on those systems. There are systems that are all rounders that appeal to people due to the genres that people like.

Adding consoles to my collection is my favorite part, so I'm a little biased toward that. Thinking about it though, I think it's a console by console choice. I would own a Playstation for only Gran Turisimo, a Vectrex for only Minestorm and a Game Boy for only Tetris. I have them and more games besides but those are examples of games that were so good, they warrant owning the console themselves. People say that about the Tempest game for the Jaguar too but I haven't played it myself.

I'm more a console collector at this point, so use that to weigh my answer. When it comes to new systems, I need either a game that I know is one I'll play or replay enough times to get me to 50 hours spent with the console or enough exclusive games that I want to play that I'll spend that amount of time with the console. When it comes to handhelds, it's purely a matter of whether I own the variant or not. For older home consoles, if I don't already have an instance of it and it's a reasonable price, I pick it up whether or not I have games for it. I have 100 game systems, though, so I may be an atypical collector.

For me there's not really any magic number, I feel like I agree with nupoile that if there's even one game that's good enough then it's worth owning the console. That being said, if it's a really expensive console to own in the first place, I might be less interested in going for it.