I just felt the urge to type today. No particular reason...just sitting here browsing the forums, fighting off a cold, and not really interested in any of the topics. I did see that there were people discussing the removal of GBA, GC, and Xbox from the navigation bar. That's sort of interesting. I actually hadn't noticed. But it is sad in a way. Here I am happily browsing then all of a sudden I got a sense of urgency that I should be out looking for the GBA and GC titles that I've wanted for my collection before they disappear from the market completely. But that's just stupid. Just because one website decides it's time to clear out the old and make more room for the new, doesn't mean I need to rush out in a blind panic and hunt down that copy of Star Wars Rouge Squadron that I traded in last year.

Or should I?

Once the Nintendo DS came out, I was extremely excited that I would be able to play all my GBA games...but there was a catch. Even with the wireless connection to other DS systems, you can't use it for GBA multiplayer games. And I can't hook up my DS to the Gamecube and play Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles with felllow DS owners. If I want to play Crystal Chronicles, I'll have to hunt down a couple of GBAs and link cables. And after being spoiled by the DS Lite, do you think I would settle for the old GBA system with no backlight? Hell no. GBA SPs all the way around! But what's this? Still $79 for a new SP? $59-$69 used??? Last I looked there weren't that many new games out for the GBA and with the DS Lite only $50 more, what's the point of an SP now? I still walk through Wal-Mart and see SPs and Gamecube systems on the shelves but the software is dwindling.

So how does this all tie together?

I have a feeling thatwe're about to go through a bad time for video games. Thhe old systems are cheaper and abundant (Gamecube and GBA) but the games are becoming hard to find due to backwards compatability (DS and Wii), so there's going to be this massive surplus of systems and the retailers are going to drop prices drastically to get them off the shelves and people will buy them thinking "there's tons of games out there for this system". And that's where they will go wrong. With thelack ofnew releases and newer consoles featuring backwards compatability, the Gamecube, GBA, and even Xbox and PS2titles are going to fade into obscurity making the demannd for them rise and collectors will start offering more and more for rare titles such as Ico and Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.

What's my point?

Well, is it time to bail out? When I heard Sega was dropping the Dreamcast, I traded mine the next week so I could get as much as possible for the system and games. The problem with this generation is that the games are worth more than the system since you can still play them with the Next-Gen consoles. Being somewhat less than fortunate in the salary department, I am not able to afford some of these new systems unless I trade my older things towards the purchase price. But where does that leave me? A system with nothing to play on it? No money to buy new titles because they cost 5 times (ormore)whatI pay for my current titles? Or do I just stick with my current consoles and hope that some day there will be a way to enjoy all the games I want on one all encompassing system?

And that's my thoughts for today...