Thanongchai Talavanich, owner of O-Corner (6/F, MBK, 02-611-4880. BTS National Stadium) tells us about his passion for retro gaming and how he started his store.

How did you start your shop?
I was a gamer since I was young. I experienced these video games from their very first generation. At that time, I was studying veterinary medicine at Chulalongkorn University and during my fifth year, I had a lot of free time. I decided to take a Japanese language course and I began to frequently visit Japan. My friends would always ask me to bring back games. I had this Japanese friend in university and, one day, he saw me holding a bag from his parent’s shop in Japan! Selling video games was his family’s business. So, two years after graduating, we came up with this idea of opening a shop at MBK and importing new and used games from Japan.

What is your first video game and console?
The first game that I seriously played was “Mario” on the Family Computer by Nintendo, although “Pong” on the Atari is even older.

Is your entire collection for sale?
If you’re thinking of being a seller, you cannot be possessive. Maybe I’ll have a console of which only three exist in Thailand. But if someone out there wants it more than I do, I’ll sell it to them. I’d rather the game or console be with someone who really wants it. After selling it, I miss it, though. I’m also a collector that way. But I never regret it. I’ll have a chance to find more in Japan, whereas my clients only have my shop. There is this one console I’m really attached to. It’s a Gameboy booth that comes with a big screen. My friend said I could have it after we had been running this shop together for three years. There are less than five in the whole world that are still in working order.

What is your favorite console and game?
My first experiences were on the Family Computer by Nintendo which is also my inspiration for starting this business. But today, my favorite one is the NEO-GEO by SNK because you really get that feeling of playing in an arcade. The NEO-GEO is the most expensive console in this shop, though—it’s 50,000 baht. Also I’ve grown up, I have less free time, and I like games you can finish quickly. My all-time favorite game is Mario 3 though, because of the exquisite graphics. I never feel bored playing it, even though I’ve finished the games 50 times or more.

What do you think about TCDC’s Digiplay exhibition?
There’s about 40 items from my shop that have been put in the exhibition. At first, I couldn’t believe that they were really interested, because TCDC is about design. After I’ve saw the exhibition, I realized that they’re right; video game consoles have been carefully designed to impress people. I think it’s a good exhibition. It feels like a museum of retro games.

Do some people buy these consoles for decoration?
Yes. Here, we’re talking about rich people whose homes have entertainment rooms full of different consoles and they can play them on a huge screen. Sometimes they decorate their walls with these games. These people are actually pickier than game collectors because every game has to be playable. It’s like showing off and upgrading your social status. Interview by Rattikarn Suwithayaphan

DigiPlay is on display until May 22 at TCDC.