This was a huge factor. Remember back then most games were fairly short compaired to current games.
Exactly. In my first several months I didn't have a memory card since my family didn't know that games would need one, so I had to beat everything in one sitting, or at least try. I'll never forget the joy of getting my first memory card as a surprise gift.
I also think this list discredits the significance of both rentals and the used game market which were both quite large and growing back then. Those were lovely days, not just with the big chains such as Blockbuster but even for over a decade grocery stores also had a rental section for movies and games. It was an incredible and cheap way to try new games or rent our favorites again. From the NES to Genesis it was really one of the few ways I could try new games, as my family wasn't well off. It carried well into the PS1 life cycle, and some of my favorite games were played through rental means.
Then later on having my first job in the final years of the PS1 and Dreamcast into PS2, going to the mall and getting used games from EBGames and Blockbuster before they went tits-up was a great way to build up my library and play the great games I had missed. It sucks that the companies that made those games weren't supported, and perhaps that guilt is what pushes me to support the little guys and buy day 1.
Finally in regards to games like Frogger and the Namco Collection, it was a big factor in many family's decision to get a new system, it had games for the kids who wanted that cool new thing, and then a familiar point of entry for the older gamer, a mom or pop who wanted to try the new fangled toy. To see their childhood now in some form of 3D. Also, Frogger was heavily discounted and always on sale around here, it made a great easy stocking stuffer.
I really miss those days, game having shorter and less expensive dev time was a boon. So many great stories and new game design. I still kind of wish we could have that stage in the industry at least for more game variety and less focus group generic crap. Plus all the social media mob campaigns. Back then it was much more of a passionate hobby, where a new game type could generate huge buzz from word of mouth alone, with E3's and booth babes being equally awesome! It was a Rad time.
