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My games library is probably in no better shape than my ebook library. I have bought games on gog and steam while not owning any hardware capable of playing them. I have rebought games multiple times without ever finishing them. I don't really see it as too much of a problem, as long as I strive to keep a lid on it, as I do with ebooks.
I think the situation now - with the likes of gog repackaging old games with emulators; with console manufacturers emulating old systems on new hardware; with games being ported to iOS and android for smartphones - is better than it has ever been for preserving old games.
I also feel that games now are typically written in a more agnostic way - they aren't so tied to the hardware - and can be updated and ported more easily. I rather suspect the Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate is easier to work with than the original.
Whether or not a game feels dated is another question. On the one hand, yes, there are obvious technical shortcomings on older games, particularly those with young technologies - Wolfenstein might look blocky, because it's at the start of the 3D wave, but something contemporary like Final Fantasy V still looks pretty great because 2D Sprite art was mature - and they are going to look primitive unless they are rewritten. On the other hand, is the failure to see past the primitive graphics actually a lack of sophistication in the audience? Like not being able to appreciate a black & white film, or a silent film? The game of Wolfenstein is still pretty fun.
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