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Who would have thought it - that in the 21st century, interactive media via optical discs such as CD's, DVD's and GameCube's very own OD's would all be in cases of exactly the same size and very similar insides?
Back in the ancient 20th Century, around mid-century, games were packed in large wooden boxes filled with moulded polystyrene. This was to protect the games, which was especially important seeing as they were stored on large machines which consisted of what we'd not consider to be an obsolete computer system connected to a television screen. However, these were rare at the time, and the games very, very simple in design.
It wasn't til the last quarter of the century that gaming really took off. They were still packed in masses of polystyrene but had slightly better CPUs and had a better screen system. The games were also much colourful and looked much better. But that's not the point, they weren't really games you were able to buy off the shop, so the casing didn't have to be appealing in any way to buyers.
However, 1980, the ZX80 was released and games came on a removable storage medium which had become ever so popular as a replacement to records: Cassettes. Cassettes could store enough data for games of the time. Other consoles such as the Commodore 64 and Amstrad used cassettes as their main medium too. So naturally, games came in a normal cassette case, with just enough room for a folded inlay card which displayed the 'front cover', and on the inside the instructions for the game. Some games however were in a case very similar to the current DVD cases. There was a rectangular slot for the cassettes to slot into on the right hand side, and on the left some space for the instruction manuals. These cases were rarely used, but were handy for games with complex instructions, and they stood out above the normal cassette cases and were more likely to catch a gamers eye.
When later consoles came out, and games were being produced on cartridge, most games were released in rectangular boxes that were as thick as the cartridge, though tall/wide enough for the manuals. PC games, although most on floppy diskettes though some bigger games starting to be released on Compact Disc (a type of Optical Disc - see Nintendo weren't the first to use the term) but the games were released in rectangular boxes of all sizes. However, there was one company that knew better....SEGA. SEGA used what we'd now view as comparably similar cases to the DVD cases, although a bit thicker, they were of similar design. Maybe SEGA were onto something? Maybe they had seen the old ZX Spectrum tape cases, the ones mentioned above, and decided that they'd be a good practical storage medium for their cartridges on the Mega Drive. After all, they're protective, they're stronger than cardboard, they're easy to store, and cheap to produce en-mass.
Most other games companies stuck to the old boxes although things changed when games (other than Nintendo) became CD based. Some PC games, mostly cheap-budget games, were released in jewel-cases, which are nothing special, much like the old cassette cases, though Sony and later SEGA used their own designs of the Compact Disc case to store their games in. They were about two and a half times thicker than a normal jewel case, just thicker than a cassette case, and could store multiple discs. However, I haven't had this problem with the Playstation cases, but I've found the plastic on the Dreamcast cases to be very brittle and easily snaps, even on first use! The cases are good, but too weak for constant use.
It wasn't til the turn of the century, when DVD's had been out for a while, that games started coming out in the DVD-style case. The first I can remember was Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 on the PC. I disliked the idea at first, but found it much more practical in the long run for games like this to be stored like that. Now if you go into a games shop, most games you will see on the PC will be in DVD syle cases, with only a few of the older games still in boxes. The Sony Playstation 2 managed to become the first to use these cases as a complete replacement for the old-version cases. They included a slot to put memory cards in too! Nintendo, who recently switched to their own type of Optical Disc (OD) instead of the ancient cartridge format (that will be well missed) and now use their own style of DVD cases, which, much like Sony's, have a slot to keep memory cards in, however in my opinion they look cooler on the inside - which doesn't make any difference to the games I must add. Microsoft are using these cases too, in a bright radioactive-green I think, but as I don't have the console, I cannot mention much about them accurately.
The reason for these cases? They're cheap to produce, they're thin so more can be packed together for transport, and they're much easier to store and are user-friendly. There's nowt more fiddlier than a CD-jewel case, or a Nintendo Game Boy Advance box, whereas it takes little effort to open a DVD case, which can store everything you need for a game.
So there we have it, the case about cases, we got from crates, to DVDs in under...10 minutes if you're a very slow reader (or 10 hours if you're the typist who is doing other stuff the same time). Yep it was boring and pointless, but you opened up the topic, and you read some of it atleast!
Back in the ancient 20th Century, around mid-century, games were packed in large wooden boxes filled with moulded polystyrene. This was to protect the games, which was especially important seeing as they were stored on large machines which consisted of what we'd not consider to be an obsolete computer system connected to a television screen. However, these were rare at the time, and the games very, very simple in design.
It wasn't til the last quarter of the century that gaming really took off. They were still packed in masses of polystyrene but had slightly better CPUs and had a better screen system. The games were also much colourful and looked much better. But that's not the point, they weren't really games you were able to buy off the shop, so the casing didn't have to be appealing in any way to buyers.
However, 1980, the ZX80 was released and games came on a removable storage medium which had become ever so popular as a replacement to records: Cassettes. Cassettes could store enough data for games of the time. Other consoles such as the Commodore 64 and Amstrad used cassettes as their main medium too. So naturally, games came in a normal cassette case, with just enough room for a folded inlay card which displayed the 'front cover', and on the inside the instructions for the game. Some games however were in a case very similar to the current DVD cases. There was a rectangular slot for the cassettes to slot into on the right hand side, and on the left some space for the instruction manuals. These cases were rarely used, but were handy for games with complex instructions, and they stood out above the normal cassette cases and were more likely to catch a gamers eye.
When later consoles came out, and games were being produced on cartridge, most games were released in rectangular boxes that were as thick as the cartridge, though tall/wide enough for the manuals. PC games, although most on floppy diskettes though some bigger games starting to be released on Compact Disc (a type of Optical Disc - see Nintendo weren't the first to use the term) but the games were released in rectangular boxes of all sizes. However, there was one company that knew better....SEGA. SEGA used what we'd now view as comparably similar cases to the DVD cases, although a bit thicker, they were of similar design. Maybe SEGA were onto something? Maybe they had seen the old ZX Spectrum tape cases, the ones mentioned above, and decided that they'd be a good practical storage medium for their cartridges on the Mega Drive. After all, they're protective, they're stronger than cardboard, they're easy to store, and cheap to produce en-mass.
Most other games companies stuck to the old boxes although things changed when games (other than Nintendo) became CD based. Some PC games, mostly cheap-budget games, were released in jewel-cases, which are nothing special, much like the old cassette cases, though Sony and later SEGA used their own designs of the Compact Disc case to store their games in. They were about two and a half times thicker than a normal jewel case, just thicker than a cassette case, and could store multiple discs. However, I haven't had this problem with the Playstation cases, but I've found the plastic on the Dreamcast cases to be very brittle and easily snaps, even on first use! The cases are good, but too weak for constant use.
It wasn't til the turn of the century, when DVD's had been out for a while, that games started coming out in the DVD-style case. The first I can remember was Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 on the PC. I disliked the idea at first, but found it much more practical in the long run for games like this to be stored like that. Now if you go into a games shop, most games you will see on the PC will be in DVD syle cases, with only a few of the older games still in boxes. The Sony Playstation 2 managed to become the first to use these cases as a complete replacement for the old-version cases. They included a slot to put memory cards in too! Nintendo, who recently switched to their own type of Optical Disc (OD) instead of the ancient cartridge format (that will be well missed) and now use their own style of DVD cases, which, much like Sony's, have a slot to keep memory cards in, however in my opinion they look cooler on the inside - which doesn't make any difference to the games I must add. Microsoft are using these cases too, in a bright radioactive-green I think, but as I don't have the console, I cannot mention much about them accurately.
The reason for these cases? They're cheap to produce, they're thin so more can be packed together for transport, and they're much easier to store and are user-friendly. There's nowt more fiddlier than a CD-jewel case, or a Nintendo Game Boy Advance box, whereas it takes little effort to open a DVD case, which can store everything you need for a game.
So there we have it, the case about cases, we got from crates, to DVDs in under...10 minutes if you're a very slow reader (or 10 hours if you're the typist who is doing other stuff the same time). Yep it was boring and pointless, but you opened up the topic, and you read some of it atleast!
Little Hobbo wrote:
> I've started collecting the internet connection ones, like AOL. Then
> I swap cases with my older cases that are sadly under-cased. Nice.
I did that when an AOL disc came though...first the sent me a nice CD sized case...then a DVD sized one....anymore would be welcome AOL (especially cos I don't use them lol)
> I've started collecting the internet connection ones, like AOL. Then
> I swap cases with my older cases that are sadly under-cased. Nice.
I did that when an AOL disc came though...first the sent me a nice CD sized case...then a DVD sized one....anymore would be welcome AOL (especially cos I don't use them lol)
I've started collecting the internet connection ones, like AOL. Then I swap cases with my older cases that are sadly under-cased. Nice.
When I realised all 3 console's games would be stored in DVD cases I was almost as excited as I will be when I finally get my GameCube!!
It's brilliant for me, as I can finally get Nintendo games that don't come in an easy to squash box where you also have to jam the manuals down the side, ruining the corners of pages, and making it all look cheap and tatty in general.
But DVD cases are hard, strong and compact, and allow you to keep all your games safely stored away, and keep all other stuff included inside and safe.
I also like the fact that you can keep Memory Cards in there too.
Technology these days, eh!
It's brilliant for me, as I can finally get Nintendo games that don't come in an easy to squash box where you also have to jam the manuals down the side, ruining the corners of pages, and making it all look cheap and tatty in general.
But DVD cases are hard, strong and compact, and allow you to keep all your games safely stored away, and keep all other stuff included inside and safe.
I also like the fact that you can keep Memory Cards in there too.
Technology these days, eh!
Yeah, thoses plastic cases were quite handy. I managed to buy 4 for 50p from Game a few months ago, and bought quite a few sets... though how they got so many and managed to sell them second hand I do not know.
Anyway, I bought some unofficial ones for Game Boy Advance just before Christmas and they're so damn hard to open!
I reckon Nintendo just wanted to save some money. It's not like there weren't carry cases you could buy to store the games in.
Talking about GBA carry cases, how come you can buy some which'll store the Game Boy Advance and the one game inside, when chances are you'll have and want to play more than one game?
Anyway, I bought some unofficial ones for Game Boy Advance just before Christmas and they're so damn hard to open!
I reckon Nintendo just wanted to save some money. It's not like there weren't carry cases you could buy to store the games in.
Talking about GBA carry cases, how come you can buy some which'll store the Game Boy Advance and the one game inside, when chances are you'll have and want to play more than one game?
My question is this: when did Nintendo become so cheap that they stopped shipping games in plastic cases. Those things were useful in the days of the original Gameboy: but by the time I got a Gameboy Colour you just got a cartridge by itself. Now I realise I shouldn't have stored the games inside the hoover bag but, even so, they were bound to get a little bit dusty - unless you toted them around in their cardboard boxes, which kind of defeated the point of a PORTABLE system.
...and relax, the pointless rant is over...
...and relax, the pointless rant is over...
Who would have thought it - that in the 21st century, interactive media via optical discs such as CD's, DVD's and GameCube's very own OD's would all be in cases of exactly the same size and very similar insides?
Back in the ancient 20th Century, around mid-century, games were packed in large wooden boxes filled with moulded polystyrene. This was to protect the games, which was especially important seeing as they were stored on large machines which consisted of what we'd not consider to be an obsolete computer system connected to a television screen. However, these were rare at the time, and the games very, very simple in design.
It wasn't til the last quarter of the century that gaming really took off. They were still packed in masses of polystyrene but had slightly better CPUs and had a better screen system. The games were also much colourful and looked much better. But that's not the point, they weren't really games you were able to buy off the shop, so the casing didn't have to be appealing in any way to buyers.
However, 1980, the ZX80 was released and games came on a removable storage medium which had become ever so popular as a replacement to records: Cassettes. Cassettes could store enough data for games of the time. Other consoles such as the Commodore 64 and Amstrad used cassettes as their main medium too. So naturally, games came in a normal cassette case, with just enough room for a folded inlay card which displayed the 'front cover', and on the inside the instructions for the game. Some games however were in a case very similar to the current DVD cases. There was a rectangular slot for the cassettes to slot into on the right hand side, and on the left some space for the instruction manuals. These cases were rarely used, but were handy for games with complex instructions, and they stood out above the normal cassette cases and were more likely to catch a gamers eye.
When later consoles came out, and games were being produced on cartridge, most games were released in rectangular boxes that were as thick as the cartridge, though tall/wide enough for the manuals. PC games, although most on floppy diskettes though some bigger games starting to be released on Compact Disc (a type of Optical Disc - see Nintendo weren't the first to use the term) but the games were released in rectangular boxes of all sizes. However, there was one company that knew better....SEGA. SEGA used what we'd now view as comparably similar cases to the DVD cases, although a bit thicker, they were of similar design. Maybe SEGA were onto something? Maybe they had seen the old ZX Spectrum tape cases, the ones mentioned above, and decided that they'd be a good practical storage medium for their cartridges on the Mega Drive. After all, they're protective, they're stronger than cardboard, they're easy to store, and cheap to produce en-mass.
Most other games companies stuck to the old boxes although things changed when games (other than Nintendo) became CD based. Some PC games, mostly cheap-budget games, were released in jewel-cases, which are nothing special, much like the old cassette cases, though Sony and later SEGA used their own designs of the Compact Disc case to store their games in. They were about two and a half times thicker than a normal jewel case, just thicker than a cassette case, and could store multiple discs. However, I haven't had this problem with the Playstation cases, but I've found the plastic on the Dreamcast cases to be very brittle and easily snaps, even on first use! The cases are good, but too weak for constant use.
It wasn't til the turn of the century, when DVD's had been out for a while, that games started coming out in the DVD-style case. The first I can remember was Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 on the PC. I disliked the idea at first, but found it much more practical in the long run for games like this to be stored like that. Now if you go into a games shop, most games you will see on the PC will be in DVD syle cases, with only a few of the older games still in boxes. The Sony Playstation 2 managed to become the first to use these cases as a complete replacement for the old-version cases. They included a slot to put memory cards in too! Nintendo, who recently switched to their own type of Optical Disc (OD) instead of the ancient cartridge format (that will be well missed) and now use their own style of DVD cases, which, much like Sony's, have a slot to keep memory cards in, however in my opinion they look cooler on the inside - which doesn't make any difference to the games I must add. Microsoft are using these cases too, in a bright radioactive-green I think, but as I don't have the console, I cannot mention much about them accurately.
The reason for these cases? They're cheap to produce, they're thin so more can be packed together for transport, and they're much easier to store and are user-friendly. There's nowt more fiddlier than a CD-jewel case, or a Nintendo Game Boy Advance box, whereas it takes little effort to open a DVD case, which can store everything you need for a game.
So there we have it, the case about cases, we got from crates, to DVDs in under...10 minutes if you're a very slow reader (or 10 hours if you're the typist who is doing other stuff the same time). Yep it was boring and pointless, but you opened up the topic, and you read some of it atleast!
Back in the ancient 20th Century, around mid-century, games were packed in large wooden boxes filled with moulded polystyrene. This was to protect the games, which was especially important seeing as they were stored on large machines which consisted of what we'd not consider to be an obsolete computer system connected to a television screen. However, these were rare at the time, and the games very, very simple in design.
It wasn't til the last quarter of the century that gaming really took off. They were still packed in masses of polystyrene but had slightly better CPUs and had a better screen system. The games were also much colourful and looked much better. But that's not the point, they weren't really games you were able to buy off the shop, so the casing didn't have to be appealing in any way to buyers.
However, 1980, the ZX80 was released and games came on a removable storage medium which had become ever so popular as a replacement to records: Cassettes. Cassettes could store enough data for games of the time. Other consoles such as the Commodore 64 and Amstrad used cassettes as their main medium too. So naturally, games came in a normal cassette case, with just enough room for a folded inlay card which displayed the 'front cover', and on the inside the instructions for the game. Some games however were in a case very similar to the current DVD cases. There was a rectangular slot for the cassettes to slot into on the right hand side, and on the left some space for the instruction manuals. These cases were rarely used, but were handy for games with complex instructions, and they stood out above the normal cassette cases and were more likely to catch a gamers eye.
When later consoles came out, and games were being produced on cartridge, most games were released in rectangular boxes that were as thick as the cartridge, though tall/wide enough for the manuals. PC games, although most on floppy diskettes though some bigger games starting to be released on Compact Disc (a type of Optical Disc - see Nintendo weren't the first to use the term) but the games were released in rectangular boxes of all sizes. However, there was one company that knew better....SEGA. SEGA used what we'd now view as comparably similar cases to the DVD cases, although a bit thicker, they were of similar design. Maybe SEGA were onto something? Maybe they had seen the old ZX Spectrum tape cases, the ones mentioned above, and decided that they'd be a good practical storage medium for their cartridges on the Mega Drive. After all, they're protective, they're stronger than cardboard, they're easy to store, and cheap to produce en-mass.
Most other games companies stuck to the old boxes although things changed when games (other than Nintendo) became CD based. Some PC games, mostly cheap-budget games, were released in jewel-cases, which are nothing special, much like the old cassette cases, though Sony and later SEGA used their own designs of the Compact Disc case to store their games in. They were about two and a half times thicker than a normal jewel case, just thicker than a cassette case, and could store multiple discs. However, I haven't had this problem with the Playstation cases, but I've found the plastic on the Dreamcast cases to be very brittle and easily snaps, even on first use! The cases are good, but too weak for constant use.
It wasn't til the turn of the century, when DVD's had been out for a while, that games started coming out in the DVD-style case. The first I can remember was Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 on the PC. I disliked the idea at first, but found it much more practical in the long run for games like this to be stored like that. Now if you go into a games shop, most games you will see on the PC will be in DVD syle cases, with only a few of the older games still in boxes. The Sony Playstation 2 managed to become the first to use these cases as a complete replacement for the old-version cases. They included a slot to put memory cards in too! Nintendo, who recently switched to their own type of Optical Disc (OD) instead of the ancient cartridge format (that will be well missed) and now use their own style of DVD cases, which, much like Sony's, have a slot to keep memory cards in, however in my opinion they look cooler on the inside - which doesn't make any difference to the games I must add. Microsoft are using these cases too, in a bright radioactive-green I think, but as I don't have the console, I cannot mention much about them accurately.
The reason for these cases? They're cheap to produce, they're thin so more can be packed together for transport, and they're much easier to store and are user-friendly. There's nowt more fiddlier than a CD-jewel case, or a Nintendo Game Boy Advance box, whereas it takes little effort to open a DVD case, which can store everything you need for a game.
So there we have it, the case about cases, we got from crates, to DVDs in under...10 minutes if you're a very slow reader (or 10 hours if you're the typist who is doing other stuff the same time). Yep it was boring and pointless, but you opened up the topic, and you read some of it atleast!