When it comes to video games, I feel that there is a very fine line between materialism and appreciation.
One of the things that I hold true about video games is that it's not about the CD, the cartridge, or the console. You don't love the physical aspect of the video games. You love the experience. That experience comes across in a number of ways. It can be in the gameplay. It can be in how the presentation makes you feel. It can be memories of playing with friends.
It can be any number of things, but there is also a physical aspect that cannot be denied. This usually comes in the form of the chase. Sometimes these are the extremely simple memories of being in your parents' car while driving to Toys R Us to buy a new game and remembering a particular fence on the way there. Every time you see that fence, you are reminded of that day. Other times it's babysitting all summer so you can afford the big blockbuster in the fall.
The thing I find hard to stay too terribly attached to is the cartridges and CDs. In fact, this was one of the things I thought about when getting my CMVS a few months ago. My plan was to sell a bunch of my old NES and SNES games to offset the cost of my CMVS. I now have flashcarts for those systems, so I can still play them.
However, there is still a nagging feeling when it comes to some of those old pieces of plastic and silicon. Sure, I can play Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing on my PowerPak, but I wouldn't be playing the cartridge that my aunt gave me for my 9th birthday. I could play Excitebike on my PowerPak, but I would no longer have the very first NES cartridge I ever received as a child. (Santa left Excitebike under the tree with a note telling me to check the TV stand. It was there that I found my NES with Mario/Duck Hunt all set up and ready to play.) Hell, I've already decided to never sell Mega Man 2 and probably 6, so where do I draw the line? Then I have to backtrack when I realize that I likely will never actually use those old cartridges again because the flashcarts work so much better, so how much use am I really getting out of having the originals?
Even though I already have my CMVS, I still haven't sold any of the games I planned to.
And that begs the question, "Why even buy a CMVS to begin with?" Well, you've got a point there. To be honest, I spent a lot of time playing Neo Geo games via emulation. I know, it's emulation, but I never had a chance to play many Neo Geo games before I got into emulation in 2001. Just about the only game I ever played in arcades was Bust a Move. There were a few other very early Neo Geo games, but I'd never even seen a Fatal Fury beyond the first one or any KOF games at all. I heard about Neo Geo in emulation circles, and I tried it out. NeoRageX became one of my most-used programs before too long. I spent more time with the MOTW prototype than many games I owned.
So now I'm sure you're still wondering why I wanted a CMVS. Well, I just wanted one. There's not much to explain. It was just a feeling. I couldn't put it behind me. The Analogue Interactive console was what sparked my interest, but I was having a hard time justifying spending so much money on one. I came awfully close a few times, but I ultimately decided against it long enough to find an excellent deal on a 4-slot CMVS on ebay. I am extremely happy with it. I play it all the time, and it's nice to finally go legit with a bunch of games that I loved on emulators for so long. I even have a legit MOTW, and having it is like a dream come true.
As for the hardware... That's the tricky part. I do fancy myself a bit of an original hardware nut, so I do like owning the original consoles. Now, that can necessitate owning a lot of cartridges and CDs. Flashcarts facilitate the usage of original hardware without needing the original software. When done well, they work better than the original software and open up many extra possibilities that the original software would never allow. When not done well, as seen in the MVS multicarts, they can be a drag. That's one of the main reasons why I only have original MVS carts.
Getting back to the point of the hardware itself, emulation isn't perfect. It has its ups, such as better audio for Genesis games, and downs, such as the lack of good Saturn emulation for the longest time. I'm normally not too picky about how well something gets emulated for me to enjoy something, but I find that, more often than not, there are still a few games that just aren't quite right or flat out aren't supported with emulation. I do have an SDTV HTPC connected via S-video for emulation purposes, but I've gravitated even more towards original hardware in the past year or so specifically because of the nuances of the original hardware.
Now, original hardware isn't always easy. I know it's going to get harder when I move on to HDTV, too. (The only HD display in my home is my PC monitor.) I've already researched upscalers, and I've pretty much resigned myself to getting an XRGB Mini or whatever is best at the time I make the jump into the HD realm. And I know about failing caps and electronic components. I've got the soldering skills to handle that, though.
Because of reasons such as those, some people may not want to ever become original hardware nuts. It wouldn't be worth it for them. However, it works for me. It maintains the immaterial nature of video games best for me.
That's not to say that I've always been immaterial about my video games, though. I had a phase where I was collecting just about every NES game I could find. I even have a number of Color Dreams and Wisdom Tree games. I could probably sell them no problem. I have over 100 NES cartridges. I know I don't enjoy many of them. Whether or not I will sell them remains to be seen, but it has affected what games I buy today. Mainly, I only buy what I want to play. I adopted that mentality from my comic book reading. (Yes, reading. Not collecting.) I've found myself to be much happier with what I buy these days. Even on my Steam account, with its over 100 games, I have played many of them. The games I haven't played are usually just collateral damage from well-priced packs containing games that I did want to play.
Do whatever works for you.. If you like to buy and keep what you enjoy playing, go right ahead. If you like to have an AVGN/Gamester81 museum of video game hardware and software, you do that, too.
Me? I'm a gamer. Somebody give me a Ferrari F355 Challenge 2 multiple monitor cabinet. I'll play the heck out of that.
But they are on the bucket list.