What's in a format (or, paper is better)

I've recently purchased a Wii (yes, just in time for Nintendo to stop making them).  I've been thinking about exploring the world of games, and thought I'd jump in at the cheap end to work out if it suits me before laying out serious money for the latest toys.

As it seemed appropriate, when buying a Nintendo console, the first two games I've tried have been "classic" Nintendo franchises:  Mario Kart and Zelda.  May as well.

Mario Kart was a bit boring, I have to say (although, I'm probably not playing it properly, and I expect it would be more fun if I was racing against a real-live person, rather than the machine), but I've been enjoying Zelda.  It's quite supportive for a noob like me - giving me two entire tasks to complete just to get used to using the game before sending me off on the "serious" quest.  Although I did just spend an hour chasing a floating house around with a clay jar, and I still haven't figured out how to throw the dang thing in order to hit the bell, so that was annoying.

I've always suspected the story-based games would be a bucket of fun, and I think I might be right.  But I'm suddenly aware of one big, honking way in which honest-to-goodness paper-based products like books and board-games are better than video games.

You see, I'm enjoying this Zelda game, but it didn't occur to me that I wouldn't be able to play the other games in the series.  Zelda has been around for 25 years, and part of me always assumed I'd be able to play the other games like The Wind Waker or Ocarina of Time one day, when I felt like it.  But now I know that those games were only designed to work on particular consoles.

It doesn't matter that they were Nintendo games, and I'm using a Nintendo system.  Unless I have either a GameBoy or a WiiU, I can't play Wind Waker, and unless I have a Nintendo 64, I can't play Ocarina of Time.

You don't have that problem with books.  If you discover one of the later Dragons of Pern books, Miss Marple mysteries, Jack Reacher thrillers,or something like that, and you want to read the earlier books in the series, you can!

The thing about paper is that it's version free - and completely platform neutral.  If I buy a deck of cards in Switzerland, I can still play with them on my Australian table.  If I find a board game from thirty years ago, I can just open the box and play it.

I don't think the makers of video/computer games have really thought through the longevity issue.  Surely I'm not the only person who has just started playing games and wants to be able to find and play the "classic" games without waiting for a re-issue (which will, no doubt, be formatted for *another* console I don't have).

Paper.  Still No.1.