While I did manage to rip the game (I realized it was damaged after I pulled it out), it’s no longer safe to use and its life is now limited.
We are approaching the time where the lifespan of CDs (DVDs, BlueRay etc.) from the late 90s and early 2000s reach their limit.
In general, factory-pressed CDs and DVDs are expected to last many years if you store them under ideal conditions, but the exact lifespan can vary. Some studies have suggested that factory-pressed CDs and DVDs may last for up to 20 years or more under ideal conditions, while others have found that they may begin to degrade after just a few years.
I believe it. I have a copy of the original Rayman on the PS1. Its scratches aren’t anywhere near as bad as others I have, but for some reason neither of my drives (DVD and Blu-Ray) could read it. I think it simply degraded enough over time that it’s no longer readable. :(
I once had a brand new disc (from a multi disk movie box) which has never been played. When I inserted the disc into a laptop disk drive (those where you have to press the disk onto the holder in the center) the disk completely shattered. It turned out that the material of the disk has aged to a point where it became brittle, despite of never been exposed to UV light or anything else. It probably could have been stored at wrong ambient temperatures in the warehouse. The said disc and the movie box was made in 2004.
Spicy frisbee
Yeah, this just happened to one of my Sega Saturn games. I think I might have to break down and get the Satiator. Looking forward to the day when a little $80 handheld from Anbernic or similar can emulate Saturn.
This is why, as much as I respect people’s support for physical copies, I remind them that it’s still not as good as a properly backed up DRM-free digital copy.
