I got the idea for Super Pear Down in 2020, when just about everyone and everywhere was locked down. My partner and I lost our jobs from Covid and my landlord sold the house we were living in, so we moved in with my parents for a while. We kept most of our belongings packed up during our stay. Everything from our apartment was now crammed in boxes and put anywhere if would fit, which was mostly in our room and the dinning room. Everyday I’d see those boxes and think about all those video games just sitting in there, not being used or enjoyed by anyone. I always got that feeling when I’d go to a video game store; every time I went I’d see Snatcher still sitting in a glass case with it’s 300 dollar sticker on it when it could be in someone’s Sega CD, being experienced and enjoyed (I still need to play that game).
That is not to say I hate game stores or game sellers. I understand capitalism, the market, rarity; that’s just how things are. When something is rare or considered valuable, it’s price goes up. That’s just how it has always been. But I don’t have to like it. And I don’t like it.
Things got even worse during the pandemic. Retro game prices skyrocketed, WATA cruised in and capitalized on it, everything got worse. I love video games, dude, like way too much and I was getting priced out of my own hobby.
Yet, at the same time, here I was with my 599 games (I counted them) in the corner of my parent’s house, boxed up for no one to enjoy. Art is meant to be consumed, viewed, enjoyed, and experienced. You don’t lock art in boxes or closets or plastic. Fuck plastic. You look at art, you feel art, you learn and grow from experiencing art. You spread art as far as you can and build communities from that love of the feeling you get from art.
I thought about selling them but I couldn’t go through with it. These games mean something to me and I want them to mean something to someone else. Like, say, TMNT 2 The Arcade Game for NES. I love that game, it’s fun as hell, but it’s not like my favorite game ever (Gradius II on TurboGrafx is my favorite game ever and I don’t even own it or a TurboGrafx). Maybe, just maybe, through Super Pear Down I could get it to someone who thinks TMNT 2 The Arcade Game is the best game ever. Or maybe I could get it to someone who’s always wanted to play it and never had the chance, because they’re broke or their parents sold it at a yard sale or whatever. Or maybe I could get it to someone who lost their copy years ago and wants to show their kids the games they used to play. If I sell my games, they’re just going to go to the person with the most money, and we all know the person with the most money sucks.
I’m still gonna keep some video games. Video games are my favorite thing after all. But I’m only going to keep the games I treasure and love, the ones that shaped my tastes and the person I am today. I’ve got a list going I’ll post on here one of these days (hopefully soon!) of all the games I’m giving out through Super Pear Down, so if you’re interested in this project, keep an eye out for that. And check out my video on Castlevania! https://youtu.be/Z-ZJMQE-BzY It’s the first game I’m giving away! And thanks for reading! Make art! <3 SPD
0 Comments