Guy Keeps Console on for 20 Years to Keep Gamesave Alive
Wow.
Gamesaves are important, but how far would you go to ensure yours remains intact?
One Japanese gamer left his Super Famicom (known as the SNES in the US) powered on for twenty years to make sure he didn't lose his save for Umihara Kawase, a platforming game released back in 1994.
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The ultra-dedicated fan tweeted about the gamesave scenario back in September, and the story is picking up traction again this week. The fan--@UMIHARAKawase--tweeted a picture of the classic game console running the game, as well as his game save data.
ちなみに、20年以上SFCの電源を入れっぱなしにしてある初代 #海腹川背 は、稼働時間は 18万時間を突破しているものと思われます。 電源落とすとリプレイデータは消失します。たぶん pic.twitter.com/6ZJfLi997x
— Wanikun (@UMIHARAKawase) September 30, 2015
#海腹川背 ねとらぼ記事は意外と反応が多くてびっくり。 実は停電でデータが消えちゃってるんじゃないの、という疑問をみかけましたが現在の自宅では記憶にある限り停電はありません。 サントラ収録のときのデータもそのまま残ってます。 pic.twitter.com/gIoXGhyARg
— Wanikun (@UMIHARAKawase) October 7, 2015
As Siliconera explains, the fan was worried that he might lose his save data because the cartridge used Static RAM (SRAM) with lithium-ion batteries. As long as the battery stayed charged, the save data would remain intact. If he turned the console off or removed the cartridge, it would eventually lose its charge and the gamesave would be gone.
The fan says his console has been powered on and running Umihara Kawase for over 180,000 hours as of September 2015. He switched off the console just one time when he moved, but claims he was able to power it back up before the cartridge lost its battery.
This is all pretty wild--his dedication is impressive. What's the oldest gamesave you have? Let us know in the comments below!
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