How anal do you get with your games, when company is over?

fatherpain

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How anal do you get with your games, when company is over?

Hey guys,

was wondering if anyone else gets anal regarding their games or if I'm just a lone freak? I'm close to having all my games working and nice now and have just started opening up the garage on family functions.... something I've been looking forward to since joining the hobby..

The Problem is, I've noticed that I'm anal about the games. Little things, like reminding kids to wash their hands before playing games if they've eaten so oil doesnt get onto the games...Laying the law down on 5 year olds if they're running around in the garage with toy swords or something that might scratch them.. It makes me nervous, and its kind of pathetic on my part. Seeing 3 or 4 kids piling into afterburner deluxe at the same time bugs me. The absolute, worst is when we set up the barbeque.. the only place we can set it up is right next to the garage and smoke enters the vents and slowly fills the room. I'm paranoid it will leave my games smelling like charcoal and lighter fluid so I set up fans to blow the smoke elsewhere. I've explained why the fans are needed to my wife and she just shakes her head. My in-laws doing the cooking think I'm nuts and keep turning the fan off, just so I can come over and turn it back on again, lol.

Do any of you guys have these anal, OCD tendencies or any others? What kinds of things bother you when opening up your game room to company? Does anything bother you guys at all or am I just being a douche, and need to relax?

Thanks,
Tom
 
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I don't think it's anal at all, I spent way too much time, work, and effort to make the games look as nice as possible, I'll be an asshole all day if that's what it takes to keep them that way.

Most of what you stated would be common sense to me but I understand others might not see it that way, cause they didn't have to do any of the work..... :)
 
I don't want to encourage behavior that could cause damage to my games but I don't think I'm overly cautious. I probably wouldn't want kids running around swinging swords. I definitely put a stop to kids who try to hang on joysticks. As for the smoke thing you mention, I'm not sure where I stand on that but I would be pissed as hell if folks were turning off the fan. Bottom line, it's my house and my rules. If you can't respect that then don't come over.
 
Not anal at all. Most people will not respect your stuff as much as you do, especially if they're not in the hobby.

I'm the worst with pinball machines. I had to tell a guy not to leave the flipper button pressed. What a dumbass. I don't get upset about my video games unless I see some kid hanging on the joystick with all his weight like he's trying to break it off. Now that's upsetting.
 
I'm definitely the same way. I love to share the games with family and friends just like many of us do, but I want people to respect the fact that I put a lot of time and money into them and just because they are games doesn't mean they can be abused. Truthfully I don't have to worry about anyone abusing the games and most family and friends know how I can be a bit anal about it. One of my rules is that certain games cannot be run unless I'm there to supervise. Those two games right now are Tempest and Red Baron (cockpit). I've also been known to ask people not to put their free hands on the side of Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-man even though there is some wear already there.
 
I usually don't let kids play my games (btw I don't have any) and have found that adults that grew up with these games truly appreciate them the most.. I have a Xbox 360, ps3, and PSP that I am willing to let them play all day though. I guess the reason is, the last time I let kids play my games was when a friend was over, and they were just smashing the buttons and killing the joysticks and not even really playing the games.. just playing them because they were there. It would be different if a kid really wanted to try to play the game and was respectful that it's a 30 year old game... :)

And most of my friends know that I am a collector who's anal about the artwork, etc., so they don't set drinks on machines and are mindful.. otherwise they don't get into the mancave!!
 
I wouldn't say I'm anal. But it's not a toy room so playing with toys can be done elsewhere, and food and drinks can be had elsewhere too (although I wouldn't go so far as to make sure everyone washed their hands before going into the game room). I do demand respect for the games though.
 
My 1 rule: Don't set drinks on the games. 1st offense: your 1 warning. 2nd offense: no more free drinks on savit4l8r. No 2nd offenses to date yet... :D
 
Its not anal these games take a ton of money, sweat & blood. I gripped at my niece & nephew for filling all of my quarter mechs with tokens from my slot. It took quite a while to clean them all out
 
I have one big party a year on July 4th and I let the kids play them unsupervised. The games sometimes get a bit dirty but otherwise end up okay.

Most of my games are not perfect and never will be.
 
Not anal at all. Most people will not respect your stuff as much as you do, especially if they're not in the hobby.

I'm the worst with pinball machines. I had to tell a guy not to leave the flipper button pressed. What a dumbass. I don't get upset about my video games unless I see some kid hanging on the joystick with all his weight like he's trying to break it off. Now that's upsetting.

Agree 100%. I do not restore my games to mint for that very reason. If they are too nice to be played with, then they are just huge space wasters. But that does not mean that I won't tell somebody's kid to knock it off it they are abusing the games. I tell them not to bounce on the couch too.

ken
 
The Problem is, I've noticed that I'm anal about the games. Little things, like reminding kids to wash their hands before playing games if they've eaten so oil doesnt get onto the games...Laying the law down on 5 year olds if they're running around in the garage with toy swords or something that might scratch them.. It makes me nervous, and its kind of pathetic on my part. Seeing 3 or 4 kids piling into afterburner deluxe at the same time bugs me. The absolute, worst is when we set up the barbeque.. the only place we can set it up is right next to the garage and smoke enters the vents and slowly fills the room. I'm paranoid it will leave my games will end up smelling like charcoal and lighter fluid so I set up fans to blow the smoke elsewhere. I've explained why the fans are needed to my wife and she just shakes her head. My in-laws doing the cooking think I'm nuts and keep turning the fan off, just so I can come over and turn it back on again, lol.

A little anal? :eek:

At what point do the games stop being fun and like Ken said, just become space wasters? They are games, let em be played. How many times did you wash your hands as a kid at a Pizza shop before you played? These things can take a beating. Wipe em down when your guests leave.
 
i generally don't get too anal, just mainly when little kids are around. we had a party last year and some of my cousin's kids who are 2 and 3 were jamming nickels into the coin mechs, banging on the glass of my dk cocktail and attempting to beat the snot out of some of the joysticks, so they were booted out of the game room.
 
A little anal? :eek:

At what point do the games stop being fun and like Ken said, just become space wasters? They are games, let em be played. How many times did you wash your hands as a kid at a Pizza shop before you played? These things can take a beating. Wipe em down when your guests leave.

I'm afraid I disagree. Everything Fatherpain brings up would be an issue with me too. I'm not sure if you have kids but I make wash daughter wash her hands all the time because I don't want "stuff" all over everything.....grease, syrup, drink, whatever. If you have any kids in a car for awhile all you have to do is look at the windows to see all the smudges and handprints. Picture that all over everything in the house.

As far as the smoke....hell yeah! Would they want smoke blowing on their furniture, golf clubs or anything else? No. That's why you barbecue outside and not in the house.

These things are too expensive to nasty up. It's easier to clean up something that's 6 months old than it is for something that's 30+ years old.

Would that behavior be acceptable in a home theater room? Probably not. I fail to see the difference. Just because it's a game doesn't mean it shouldn't get the same respect as any other piece of furniture, remote control or any other item in the house.
 
I don't get too anal because I bought the games to be played. How fun would it be for my kids if dad had all of these neat games and they can't touch them. I have taught them to respect them, and I know that they tell their friends the same thing.

Quite honestly the worst offenders have been guys my own age, usually on my Golden Tee. It's amazing how many that I have had to show that it is all in the roll of the ball, not whether you can push on the machine so hard that the back of the machine hits the wall behind it!
 
I don't get too anal because I bought the games to be played. How fun would it be for my kids if dad had all of these neat games and they can't touch them. I have taught them to respect them, and I know that they tell their friends the same thing.

Quite honestly the worst offenders have been guys my own age, usually on my Golden Tee. It's amazing how many that I have had to show that it is all in the roll of the ball, not whether you can push on the machine so hard that the back of the machine hits the wall behind it!

Well don't get me wrong.....I want them to have fun. I get alot of enjoyment watching others enjoy them. They just need to treat them like they would anything else.
 
I'm afraid I disagree.

Everything Fatherpain brings up would be an issue with me too. I'm not sure if you have kids ...

Would that behavior be acceptable in a home theater room? Probably not.

I do have kids, but they aren't old enough to play these things yet. BTW - I will "wipe" my sons hands after he eats (its sanitary to do so) but never would I say go wash your hands before playing a game.

Home theater rooms? Have you been to a movie theater lately? There is shit EVERYWHERE. Of course you don't want kids walking into your home and dumping shit on the floor, but with little ones, shit is going to spill, things are going to get dirty, and things are going to happen. If my games are that pristine that I don't want anyone touching them, I would get rid of them.

To each his own though.
 
I have three kids and mine seem to respect the work that went into them and most of there friends from young adults to five years old do the same but this past Christmas my best childhood friend was over and his 7 year old son was hanging on joysticks and when I walked around the corner he was jumping like a mad man pulling on the gun on my last action hero. I opened the coin door to show him all the room in there and polity told him if he ever acted that way again that's were they would find him looking out that little coin slot. He's been great ever since now I direct the smaller kids to the wii.
 
I don't just see them as games but also as art, is that messed up???

When i have lots of people over (New Years party, Hockey team, etc..) i do a quick thanks to everyone for coming over and that i would and (i actually say) politley remind everyone that these games have been restored and are 25 to 30 years old. Right there that usually gets everyones attention, i ask they don't put drinks on the game. No eating in the Arcade, and to please remove their watches/braceletts as they F*#*#*k up the games cpo's (espcially when playing SI and Gorf). Most of the time it's just 2 or 3 friends and i have never had to tell them anything. They are all cool and have lots of respect as they have watch me restore them. I will say that we do put are beers on top of Donkey Kong when we are playing, or DKjr, ect.. but i am kinda glad all the games aren't FLAT on top lol.

After that it's party on. My kids are all teenagers so it's never been an issue with kids running around.
 
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