I am very keen on smells.

I of course prefer lovely smells, but I do find that I seek out all kinds of smells. I was once told that perhaps I did this too much in public. I super do not care.

One of my absolute favorite smells is new game smell.

Oh yes.

It is already wonderful enough when a new game releases, but it is even better when it is finally in your hands, you peel off the plastic, pop the case open, and take a great big whiff.

Mmmmmmmmm.

Now I realize this may be an odd thing to write about. But it was on my mind. And there are two new games releasing on the 24th that I will be able to smell to my heart’s content: Bloodborne, and The Handsome Collection.

I don’t know what it is exactly. I don’t have a particular fondness for new car smell, nor new anything else smell (save for books, which, let’s be honest, smell amazing). I don’t find myself smelling used game cases. It’s just something about that lovely sealed plastic. That glorious newly pressed disc (do they press at any time during the process? I have no idea…). That weird new booklet smell (assuming, of course, that they come with a booklet at all). I love it all.

I suppose this (amongst the rapidly used hard drive space) is another of the reasons why I prefer physical, rather than digital, copies of my games. Sure, having the physical copy means less hard drive space taken. And sure, it means if I am not super keen on the game I have a physical copy to trade in or sell, but really what this boils down to is, you can’t smell data.

Or, at least, I haven’t figured out how to smell data. Yet.

I picked up Screamride at GameStop and, though it happened to be a new copy, it had already been opened and put on display. And guess what? It didn’t have the smell. How very moderately disappointing.

As another random thought, it was exceptionally difficult to find a decent photo or image that would depict new game smell for this piece. I searched and searched and nearly gave up. How do you illustrate a smell that promises adventure and trophies?

See? It’s harder than you think.

And now, I will file Screamride along with the other games I have that no longer have such a smell.

I don’t love those games any less. I just smell them less.

Do any of you have odd gaming rituals such as smelling them upon opening? Do tell. Confess. We’ll all feel better.