However, if and when the disc rot worsens, luck will eventually run out and render a game completely unplayable. Or the data that was wiped by an instance of disc rot may be referenced in another spot of the disc so the laser could just read that other spot instead. Most DVDs and CDs with game data on them do not fill up the entire thing. A little bit of disc rot may not even effect your gameplay. It makes sense, as if the disc is already damaged it will just continue to be. As these holes are in the data layer, and the data layer is not the outer layer of discs, you cannot fix it.Īs time goes on the disc rot gets worse. Scratches, by the way, can be buffed away. These little holes in the data layer require you to really look to see them, as they're not as apparent as scratches on the disc. It doesn't look disgusting, but there will be little holes that form in the data layer of the disc. Disc rot is when the disc, well, starts to rot a bit. The layer with data is not directly on the bottom, of course, and in fact it is actually very close to the label side. If you've ever looked at discs, you can see they have multiple layers. Disc rot is a lot like what it sounds like. The reason why is because it terrifies me. I keep putting off explaining what it is. Of course you should keep discs in a moderate temperature.īut still, this is all due to the handling of your items. That makes sense, and to some degree is the owner's fault. Apparently quick changes in temperature or storage in overwhelmingly hot or cold places will weaken discs and such. I thought at first disc rot might be something that depends wholly upon the owner's treatment of the disc. I know that discs get scratches, obviously, but as long as I'm taking care of them, that's really not going to happen. Now, disc rot is something I'd never heard of before. Taking care of your cartridge-based games will keep them in playing condition. As long as you don't jam your cartridges into consoles or throw them around the contacts won't get ripped off or anything. The contacts of the cartridge may be messy, but there's nothing a good cleaning won't fix. The internal batteries will go out at some point, but those can always be replaced. Well, that they don't even necessarily last 20 years. Now, when I first started seriously getting interested in collecting games I quickly learned that cartridge-based games don't last forever. The point is this article I saw on RF Generation. I know tons of gamers but I don't really know many game collectors, at least any who are as seriously into it as I am. There's something comforting about talking with or just reading what people have to say when they as into the same hobby as you are. As I fall deeper in love with the hobby of game collecting I find myself hanging around on these websites more often. Last night I was screwing around online (when am I not) and found an article penned early this year on a video game collector's site.