• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Does your game library suffer from Disc rot?

Y

Yes Boss!

Member
For CDs?

That is news to me. Usually only with early DVDs...and dual-layer jobs at that. CDs, especially black PS1 discs can go under a faucet usually with no damage.
 
SonicMegaDrive

SonicMegaDrive

Member
Most of my games are carts.

However, I did have a couple of Sega CD games suffer from disc rot, including a copy of Earthworm Jim: Special Edition. Not a cheap game these days.

Fortunately, I was able to find a disc-only replacement for relatively cheap. Still, disc rot is some scary shit.

Never stack your games and never store them in cd wallets.
 
FrostuTheNinja

FrostuTheNinja

Member
I've only heard that this is an issue with Dreamcast games. Have a couple with the little see through dots on the disc. Sucks. :/
 
E

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
yikes this topic has triggered my OCD

I do have several hundred games spanning from PSone to now, and I stack them all vertically (disc NEVER lays flat) in their original case and are kept in a shelf or closet in my bedroom, to help keep them good for as long as I can. I know disc rot was a big thing for *some* early DVD movies but I haven't encountered anything in my collection yet
 
E

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
even with the risk I'll never go digital. I would give up gaming before doing such a thing (I have numerous other hobbies so I would survive)
 
D

DidntKnowJack

Member
Satchel said:
Ok I'm shitting bricks.

So do I sell my discs now and replace those games digitally?
Click to expand...
Stop worrying about it. All of your discs aren't going to suddenly start rotting.

Look guys, this happens for sure. But if you're very unlucky, this may affect a game or two out of a huge collection. Stop freaking out.
 
D

Dion Blaster

Member
MoeB said:
my steam library is starting to rot. wish i could trade my steam games.
Click to expand...

So much buyers remorse. But then I looked at my account and I've only spent $100 on like $500 worth of games. So many un-played games though, still feels like a waste.
 
S

SMT

this show is not Breaking Bad why is it not Breaking Bad? it should be Breaking Bad dammit Breaking Bad
My laser discs do. And many ciscero cd-r from my music collection. Never place in a humid place?
I have never had a PS1 disc rot, not yet.
 
K

kirby_fox

Banned
This is a thing?

Can't say I've seen, known or ever heard of it prior to this. But now it makes me want to dig into my Dreamcast games and check...
 
H

Het_Nkik

Member
Never heard of it. Checked a few of my more valuable games just now as well as some random Dreamcast games since people keep bringing it up and they're all fine.
 
U

Uncle Rupee

Banned
Kajiba said:
No. Never even heard of this.

My old library of disc games look good and they work.
Click to expand...

You have to look at them under a light to know if there is disc rot. Have you even done that? I have too many discs to say they all work perfectly - some I haven't played in more than 10 years.
 
N

NIGHT-

Member
Uncle Rupee said:
You have to look at them under a light to know if there is disc rot. Have you even done that? I have too many discs to say they all work perfectly - some I haven't played in more than 10 years.
Click to expand...

Not to mention it depends on how bad the rot is. Some won't affect the whole game just certain parts
 
C

CaptainSlow

Member
Wow. I've only ever heard of this happening to LaserDiscs, never to CDs or DVDs. It has to be a rare thing. I still have pleanty of PS1, Sega CD, 3DO and CD-I games and have never had this happen to any of them.

Moral of the story: Don't panic. It's a rare thing. Just take good care of your discs. This is one of those things that you can lose your mind over and it's not worth it.

EDIT: I just checked my 3 oldest Sega CD games and they're all fine and they're 20 years old.
 
S

Satchel

Banned
DidntKnowJack said:
Stop worrying about it. All of your discs aren't going to suddenly start rotting.

Look guys, this happens for sure. But if you're very unlucky, this may affect a game or two out of a huge collection. Stop freaking out.
Click to expand...

But...but DISC ROT!

I'm ocd as fuck. I already know ill be going over my hundreds of fucking discs now to check for rot.
 
V

Vamphuntr

Member
I checked my discs for this last summer when I learned about it and none of my games had holes under a light source. Guess it's fairly rare and depends how you handle your discs.
 
M

Mendoza

Member
Huh. Never heard of it, but my OCD triggered so I decided to take a look at a few random games.
If I'm understanding correctly what to look for, my Sonic CD and Panzar Dragoon seem to have 1 or 2 small holes visible by using a pocket LED light. What a bummer.

Do these little holes guarantee that at some point during gameplay that it will become unplayable, or music will stop working?
 
G

Goody

Member
I have to laugh about all the folks with OCD in this thread now panicking about their investments.

Because I am one of you.
 
D

Deleted member 8095

Unconfirmed Member
No, I protected mine by cleaning them in the toilet.
 
D

Daingurse

Member
Disc rot? Well fuck me and my Dreamcast games then. Is this some inevitable thing, or the result of exposure to too much humidity and shit?
 
H

Hylian7

Member
Briefly glancing at that, it looks like just the top of the disc is scratched, which is where the data is held. I didn't know it would rot away though. I used to work at a game store and we checked the discs for being scratched on the top mainly before they were traded in.
 
A

akidnamededdy

Banned
tumblr_kvhws8toSh1qzymhso1_400.gif


Auuugh...I only keep my DC games in a binder
but to be fair they're nearly all burned games anyway.
 
G

Gadirok

Member
I think its much more likely after 50 years of periodical use.


Even after 10-20 years I think they will be fine for me, and I probably won't ever be playing them and move onto the next big thing by then.
 
I

ixix

Exists in a perpetual state of Quantum Crotch Uncertainty.
My original Starcraft CD isn't usable anymore as a result of this. After it happened I went to the trouble of ripping images of all my game CDs as a sort of ad hoc means of securing my peace of mind, assuming that advances in emulation would enable me to play them again should the original discs themselves ever crap out.

This thread reminded me that I've bought some old disc-based games since then that I should add to the archive.

Daingurse said:
Disc rot? Well fuck me and my Dreamcast games then. Is this some inevitable thing, or the result of exposure to too much humidity and shit?
Click to expand...

There's multiple kinds. Wikipedia has a slightly broader overview than the article in the OP.

Sometimes it's a result of environmental exposure, sometimes it's a flaw in the manufacturing process, sometimes it's a bit of both.

Personally I deal with it largely by just accepting that data and the mediums on which it is encoded are inherently transient. Useless as a practical means of prevention, but it keeps you from obsessing over it.
 
L

LiK

Member
Never heard of this but I might need to check my collection. Pretty good excuse to sell my games that I can play digitally.
 
C

Cody_D165

Banned
Half the people in this topic right now:
133470251581347.gif


Luckily I've avoided disc rot for the most part, none of my games have suffered from it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

GameStop CEO Says Disc Drives Should Be Required On Game Consoles
Opinion Business 2 3 4 5 6
269
13K
TheBTL replied
Slay the Spire Downfall Mod Suffered Security Breach and Some Users May Be at Risk
Platform
0
460
Draugoth replied
Unintentionally Funny/ Weird Game Design Choices
Opinion Cringe Analysis
4
886
Angry_Megalodon replied
IGN: Black Myth Wukong Developer’s developers suffering from sexism
Drama Rumor Game Dev 2 3
128
11K
ChoosableOne replied
Gaming from a perspective of a 9yo whom gaming life I've possibly ruined
Social Cringe 2 3
105
7K
newtypepilot replied
Top Bottom