life span of games

[wrldstrman]

How long will games actually last I know the atari 2600 is closing in on 30 years and all my carts still work..Ive heard and I dont know if its true or not that a disc game will only last 20 years..anyone have any info on this.

[Pop Culture Portal]

I think it really depends on what the CDs/DVDs are coated with or what they're made of.  I think  most CDs are coated with aluminum and that can easily get corroded, making the disc unreadable.

Most manufacturers claim CDs, of any kind (music, movies, CD-Rs), will last between 20 and 100 years...BUT, a study back about 15 years ago (?) by the United States National Archives and Records Administration determined most, if not all CDs can, and often do, begin to deteriate within 2 years...I can't find the reference for that article I read, but it's somewhere on the National Archives' website.  Ultimately, I think it depends on how the CDs are stored and how well you've taken care of them that will determine its lifespan.

The study was 15+ years ago and you can assume technology has advanced alot since then.  Plus, we can't assume all CDs are created the same.  The cheap CD-Rs you buy at Wal-Mart or Best Buy can become unreadable within 5 years...I've experienced that first-hand.  But as far as formats like those for the PS2, Cube...who knows.  I believe CEDs and LaserDiscs are guaranteed by the manufacturers for 100 years.  So, my point is....hell, I guess I don't have one!

[ganonbanned]

for CDs it depends on how good you take care of them.  anywhere from 2-200 years.  how long do cartridges last?

[sailorneorune]

That would probably depend on how they are kept as well. My brother's poor abused Shining Force II cart quit on him (at least the battery backup did) after a mere decade), but my own Phantasy Star IV cart, that I've had for just as long, keeps rolling on.
All of my cart-based games save fine, and the disc-based games that haven't been scraped on the sidewalk work fine as well.

I hope to have a nice, functional collection for years to come. 

[Izret101]

Last i knew (approx a year ago) Dans Zelda NES games still had saves on them from when he beat it as a kid(early 90's).

CDs i have had crap out on me in only a couple months.
But that was because i used it as a drink coaster and it was a crappy brand anyways.

[Cobra]

I work at a recycling plant, and some people throw out games in with their recyclables, guess cause the plastic portion of them :s

Anywho, some guys at work collect 'em clean 'em, and they still run fine. So if a 2600 game still works after that, there maybe no limit to their life span when actually get taken care of.

Something with a very limited life span tough, C64 data tapes.