Damn... this was by far the worst year I've ever had. Even the most stressful problems and situations I had to deal with my entire life were nothing close to all this sh** that I've been through in the last several months. Too much stuff.
I've just entered the Playstation 20th anniversary competition in order to try to win one of those beautiful limited edition consoles. Unfortunately, I don't think I stand a chance. Last year I managed to strike gold by winning one of the Ducktales Remastered press kits from Capcom. I still can't believe how that happened and you can't even imagine my reaction when I opened the message saying that I won, I wish I had recorded that. It was the first time in my life that I've actually won something that big (free toys inside cereal packages or kinder surprise don't count...).
I live in a country with a relatively small videogaming market but at the same time it's the most important market for Playstation in the world (at least that's what people say... hmm, hmm) Yet, that means nothing when it comes to the availability of important items like the PS4 20th anniversary model. It simply won't be available for sale over here. Why???? PS1 is my favourite system, the one where this entire collection started. This model is so beautiful and special that it bothers me a lot to know I almost don't stand a chance to get my hands on it. I can't live with the fact that I won't be able to get one*.
*I obviously can easily live with that, but this is the internet, the place where it's too easy to troll, dramatize, throw tantrums and insult people.
Now Sony came up with those words about the PS4 being sold on ebay. Yeah, it's a shame to see such a beautiful and limited model created with pure intentions being sold on the internet for easy money. This is not what you guys at Sony wanted. Guess what: it's obvious this would happen. Welcome to my everyday world as a collector. A world where scalpers and resellers steall all the good or important deals and the put them for sale for a lot of money. Easy profit. Yeah, it's a shame that people like me and many other folks out there, who wanted the 20th anniversary console, will miss these or pay big cash for them. Out of the 12300 systems, many will be available for sale now or in the future.
Over the years I've done the best I could to get some of the most illusive editions I currently own, and that was not easy at all. I seriously thought that it would be impossible for me to get some of those. I guess I could say the same about the Limited Edition PS4 console.. that it's just a matter of time until I eventually find one... That PS4, much like many other items I am still missing, are just too far away from reach. Usually I would go as far as I could to get them. But, unfortunately, I'm already tired of doing that and this must stop at one point in my life. After so many years trying so hard to get the editions I wanted, things couldn't be worse for a collector:
1. An overwhelming level of speculation;
2. Resellers absolutely everywhere, even in crappy local advertising websites;
3. Stores with exclusives that refuse to send overseas because of their policies (this can be a PAIN);
4. Preorders sold out in a few hours that I easily miss and they become nightmarish to find;
5. Generic 2nd hand stores that had all the bargains now selling for higher than you can find on eBay with postage included;
6. Digital Media Rights that require online and dedicated servers, which turn any physical version into something useless once the servers are gone;
7. Not to mention all the digital stuff, DLCs Updates etc that you can't collect.
All these things are taking away all the fun of collecting games in general. If there's no fun, I can't call it a hobby.
Anyway, this is probably my final post this year. 2015 will certainly be a much better year than this crappy 2014 that I'll try to erase from memories because there really isn't anything good that I can squeeze out of it.
I wish you a Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate in your religion (if you have one). If you don't celebrate anything, then please have a great day. I also wish you a great 2015. I am very positive next year will bring good things this time around.
