The Definition of a Game system

[echo]

I'm posting this to get educated opinions on just what one would clasify as a game system. I have been collecting systems for many years now using my own definition which is as follows. To be a system would require the item to have different parts, some from of removeable software or memory. (The older Pong style units were not systems as they were a self contained unit not requiring any other components.) Through out the years this seems to be the only simular trait. The type of software has changed, as controllers and even if they needed a seperate screen or came with there own. (IE the Vectrex or any poratble system.) Also they needed to have gaming as there primary market and function rather then a computer or entertainment system that could also play games. (The Coleco ADAM or Philips CDI ). This is the "rule" that I have used in my collection just to give it some peramiters, just wondering what other ideas are out there. :AST:

[brucebidder]

Interesting question. I have debated over this for some time. Most people simply classify them in the following three categories.
1. Removable media makes it a system.
2. Any self contained is a pong like system, built in games no removable media.
3. Stand alone computer systems.

THere gets to be some confusion though on certain systems. THe original odyssey is one example it has removable media but the game cards do not contain eproms on them thus they are simply a series of jumpers so is it really removable media.

What about system like the Adam that really is a decked out coleco vision with computer abilities? The Mattel Aquirius and Commodore 64 were designed as computer systems but really had more gaming functions and use than a typical computer and they also had removable gaming carts...

I myself collect in two ways. First if there is no removable game carts, cd-roms or other media and is basically a stand alone I consider it a pong style system.
Anything including Odyssey I I classify as a system. I also c.lassify any computer system that had cart like removable media instead of simply disks as a system ie. Aquirius, TRS-80, COmmodore 64, TI-99.

It all comes down to personal preference. Luckily there are collectors across all genres.

ANother good question is whether you collect only first party systems or also any of the legal or illegal after market systems. ie. the original NES, or any of the recent clone NES. Ort any one of the illegally produced Atari 2600 systems... THe beauty of this type of collecting is you can decide what your opinion is and regardless of what it is there will be many others that feel the same way... Its like 2600 collectors and collecting each game or collecting each variant. It also comes down to how much room you have to store and display....

[echo]

That would be the true deciding factor there! It really all comes down to how much space you have, one of the two most valuable things in life the other being the time to enjoy any of it.:AST: