The Interweb says, “Wow! Look at the Great Deal I Got!!!” and “Only 78 to Go!”

The internet gives us a ton of freedom to communicate, share, research, and discover – especially when it comes to video games. I love hearing and seeing about a game that I missed throughout the years and spending a couple hours researching the development, production, and release or discovering a really fun-sounding saga — then the hunt begins to find it of course!

What I kinda hate or loathe though, and I’m not a negative guy, is when I scan social media and see dozens of posts a day about people who score “game x” for “y dollars.” A large percentage of these posts feature uncommon games, rare titles, or franchise cornerstones. Some are almost impossible to believe, some are just cool to see a game I hadn’t thought about, and others have to be practical jokes designed to engage trolls like Little Samson for $25. I just really don’t get the point.

Am I supposed to care you got A Link to the Past for $5? How does that help me? What impact do you want it to have on me? I love when friends get a good score, of course, but for the game not what they pay for it. That’s the main problem I have with all these posts. In our Pawn Stars/American Pickers world we’ve been lead to prioritize the price we pay over the way we find it – and that turns my stomach. Sure it’s cool that you get a $60 game for 10$ but what should be cool is the game, not the price! Instead, it’s the other way around. It’s like saying the bat-mobile is the reason you watch Batman movies. It’s backward. As a collector, and most of my friends will agree, the game, in this case, is worth what you’re willing to spend. So if you come across Panzer Dragoon Sage for $350 and you want it, grab it! If you find it for $500, and still want – grab it! It makes no difference to me what you paid for it, so quit including that aspect in all your posts! It’s like people feel the need to impress upon others that they have a certain degree of business savvy instead of game savvy. I could totally be wrong of course and maybe that’s the point of a lot of collectors these days – get the game the cheapest regardless of when. I’m not like that and, a handful of others that I share my finds with, are the same. We prioritize the opportunity and condition over price – every single time.

When making “The NES Club: Nintendo Quest” (www.nesclubmovie.com) we made a very conscious decision to not broadcast the prices of Jay’s finds because we wanted to focus on the games and not the prices. On top of that, some store owners didn’t want us to share the deals Jay got on camera, so it worked out for everyone. It’s a decision I’ll never regret because prices and trends  always affect the value of a product; but the actual product, video games in this case, won’t change. The magic of Super Mario Bros. remains awesome regardless of the price point and that was something we wanted to be our main focus. So what’s your focus? Is it the price? The game? The story behind the acquisition? Make it matter for the sake of my sanity!

This brings me to my next concern, though this one doesn’t irritate me nearly as much: countdown to a complete collection. Having made a film about a guy trying to complete an entire collecting in 30 days without using the internet, I get the appeal of wanting to share that story with people. That said, I chose to make a film about Jay getting a complete collection not because I wanted to show a complete collection but because it was his life long dream. Now, I hope there are a lot of other dreamers out there too going for a complete collection because you’re my target audience for “The NES Club: Nintendo Quest”, but you’re also the folks that can help explain WHY you feel the need to update your countdown with every single acquisition you acquire. No offense, I’m not emotionally connected with your updates or your nine-year journey to get all the Sega Genesis games – unless you compel me to care, and YOU CAN! Like my film, and you’ll find out soon, I wanted everyone to care about Jay’s dream as much as him so I introduce you to his world, his hopes, dreams, fears, friends, and family so that everything he goes through in order to get  games resonates on a deeper level. Make no mistake, “Nintendo Quest” is much more about a guy attempting the insane and as viewers, you get to see how he transforms, for better or worse, by having gone on that journey. So take me on a journey. The price you pay for your games doesn’t matter to me. The numbers of games in your collection doesn’t matter to me. Hook me with a reason to care. Tell me your journey.

We really want “Nintendo Quest” to forge a new kind of community that binds us together with not only our love for gaming and game collecting but the stories and adventures that we go through for something we all love. That’s relate-able. That’s universal. The only way, however, that this community will manifest is by the actions of everyone out there. It’s about prioritizing the right ideals and eliminating the competitive aspects that breed ego for the sake of ego. We no longer live in a world where we have to compare toys and whoever has the better toy collection is the better person –  that’s ridiculous, but that’s the maturity level that seems to permeate part of the social media scene. So let’s talk adventure, trials, and the most unbelievable things ever. Welcome to the Club. Game On.

About the Author:

Robert McCallum is an award-winning filmmaker and director of the upcoming documentary “Nintendo Quest.” @Pyreproductions • www.facebook.com/theNESclub • @theNESclub

The Hidden World: Video Game Store Environments

Traveling across the country in search of great retro games, you come into contact with a lot of great people but you also discover some unique stores too. Now, not every store is magical by any means but there are some great spaces out there that really transport you to another world. Every “trip” is different too; there isn’t a typical type of store though it’s nice to report that every store The NES Club went into, the staff was positive, friendly and willing to help us in any way. Here’s are the big three categories what we found was cool in our travels and I hope that some other store owners can take these ideas and make their store even better!

Signage: Do your store logo up with some heart and passion and carry that aesthetic inside you store.

Organization: Have the store layout make sense and even, take the customer through mini areas full of eye candy; encourage exploration passively through active choices when laying out merchandise, artwork and furniture.

Art/Decor/Ambiance: Probably the most important element to appeal to anyone off the street is to create a space that literally looks like another world. We saw stores that hung anime posters, game art, played music, had props, statues and more and everything was of a similar theme and connected with every other item. In other words, there was though behind the look of the store not just random game posters framed or not framed on the wall.

The goal with a store, from a customer’s point of view, and I should clarify that I have very little retail experience so by no means am I an expert, is to provide an experience – and the more addictive that experience, the better. The experience can be pure escapist where you feel like you’re in a game when you walk through the door. The experience can be more social where the staff chat about games in a friendly manner but encourage your input and repeat visits.

It’s very clear when a store is set up as a commercial enterprise first and foremost; The prices, the layout, the staff, and the turnover of product, all reflect that attitude instantly and gamers can smell it from a mile away. This is why gamers feel less comfortable in stores like Gamestop and other more corporate entities – it’s clear they are designed to make money regardless of who’s paying and their unique tastes. Now, I also love aspects of Gamestop and other smaller chains trying to find a balance but the number one thing that will keep people coming through your door as an independent retailer is to put passion in everything you do. As a filmmaker I often have choices where I can pass on shooting more, or settling and saying “that’s good enough.” And admittedly, there are days where I’ve done that and it’s always come back to haunt me so I’ll never do it again –  the crew of The NES Club knows this best: Long hours are a must in the world of passion projects and you take advantage of every opportunity possible.

So the next time you’re in a store, take a look around, make some notes about what you like and share with other gamers, store owners and friends because the best part of gaming is discovering the people and places that share our interests.

 

About the Author:
Rob McCallum is a filmmaker with multiple awards for his short subject material and the director of the upcoming feature-length doc, “Nintendo Quest”

So, What’s a “Gamer”?

 

Of all the debates in the game world, there’s none that gathers more opinion than then definition of what it means to be a “gamer.” Filming the NES Club several crew members were asked at different points if they were gamers like Jay or myself; of course it’s hard to say “I’m a gamer” in the presence of a guy who’s trying to get an entire library of games in 30 for fear of competition, ridicule or more perhaps but sure enough, at different points throughout the trip, I observed them gaming, or in the gaming spirit in one way or another.

I like to start with the broadest of all possible definitions and perhaps whittle it down. I simply ask people if they game instead of being a gamer. You see, as a guy who’s played drums with Green Day on stage three times I would never call myself a drummer, BUT I know the basics. I think the same can be said for people that game. Some people game on the casual side and some invest a lot of time and effort not only during the “play” side of it, but alsothrough research, conversation and exploration and certainly, through collecting.

I think it’s safe to say almost everyone has gamed at some point. Whether its playing cards, table top varieties, heck even playing TAG at school is a form of a game, let alone the wide world of sports. But when it comes to video games, I think a gamer, more properly, is someone who chooses to actively invest time and energy in the practice of gaming and engages those within the culture. If you get together with friends, online or in person, and play games, then you’re a gamer. If you read the latest insights on the next big release, you’re a gamer. If you hunt down an entire library of games across 10,000 miles, then you’re a gamer as well.

 

Of course beyond that dividing definition that’s in flux and allows people to go back and forth, that barrier that puts active participants inside the gaming group and passive participants on the outside, there’s still jockeying for position on who’s more of a gamer or a better gamer. Now, for me, this is just a measure of displayed passion. For a guy like Jay, our star of The NES Club, he’s okay with being filmed for 30 days as he hunts downevery last cart but some people hate the camera and would never dare enter the spotlight – that doesn’t mean they’re less of a gamer though; not in my eyes. Record hunter games, those individuals who work tirelessly for a world record achievement not only get criticized for their performance on said record but also in the title they choose with suggestions like “oh that’s not a real gamers game. that’s an easy one.” This is about the point I roll my eyes and also smile because it’s this sense of competition between gamers that allows the definition of a gamer to continually evolve. Im sure there are folk out there that only consider a world record holder in the “top ten” games with a collection over over “X” number of carts from X different eras is only a true gamer.

Next time you hear someone ask another if they are a gamer or not, feel to make your own assessment or interjection. The bottom-line is if you wanna be a gamer, all you have to do is declare so by your own criteria. Collectors, have the same kind of debate, but that’s for next time!

 

About the Author:
Rob McCallum is a filmmaker with multiple awards for his short subject material and the director of the upcoming feature-length doc, “The NES Club.”