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When too many games is enough

BlogIt occured to me a few days ago that I have far too many unfinished or even unplayed games. Yet despite these I have continued to purchase more? Why? This blog post will be a confession of the horrible atrocities I have committed.

A quick Steam count pegs me at 51 games (not including expansions and add-ons). Add that to a number of console titles and other PC games I have come up with these lists:

Unfinished Games

Unplayed Games

My PlayStation 2 has a dead optical out port, so that's my excuse for the PS2 games. Half-Life Source has a very slow start which turned me off. (Shock someone said something bad about Half Life!) I cannot feel any desire to finish Twilight Princess, and I did get riiiight up to the end just before the boss.

Mass Effect is an ongoing process, as is Splinter Cell

So, I have decided to resume at least some of these titles. Yesterday I opened up Dragon Age: Origins to remember why I couldn't be bothered last time; the game has decided I'm not entitled to the premium content that came with my collector's edition. 2 hours comprising of working out how to uninstall a service in Windows 7 and re-install it via the command prompt I fixed the problem. Turns out moving my entire Steam data from one drive to another didn't suit the game well.

I'm really enjoying the game again, a wonderful blend of fantasy, violence, mature themes and a quality story/setting. What will happen with the rest of the games? I'll get there eventually. Full-time university and 2 full days of work a week leaves me pretty much the weekend for gaming/anime.

So, how many of you are in the same boat? Am I the only one with this issue? Do people put down games for other reasons than the fact that they suck?

  • Posted by Alex
  • http://videogam.in/s2076
Alex's Blog / 2010 / July / 31

Poll Question: Are there any games you haven't finished? Aside from the titles that don't suit your tastes, are there any you just put down for no real reason?

  1. 57.1%8
  2. 35.7%5
  3. 7.1%1
  4. No Votes
14 Votes
Forums / Sblog Discussion /

When too many games is enough

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  1. Dude, that list is massive.

    My playtime is dictated my my mood, which vacillates violently between the urge to play different genres and settings. Whether or not I'm in the mood for an RPG or a platformer, a whimsial game or a survival horror all changes from day to day. As such, I always have a few games open at any given time.

    But I don't have a disorder or anything. You might want to seek professional help for this one, Alex

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  2. So I'll first say, DONKEY KONG COUNTRY what the @#$% etc, did you get stuck in the snow levels for forever like I did? Did eventually beat it here, but that was one of the most intense trials of my childhood right there.

    I too am notorious for this shit: roughly half of my videogame collection is unfinished games. I've made enough progress in each of them to get a general vibe for how awesome they are, but there's definitely a few on my to-do list that are frankly embarassing (yo Earthbound crew, feel free to murder me for not finishing such a gem.) Really gotta knock those out.

    The good news is we are far from alone, as venues like The Backloggery would have me believe.

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  3. For me I'd have to say that GameStop is to blame. Their prices for used PS2 games are usually only $5 to $10 dollars. Because of this I'll get like 2-3 games, pop them in one time just to make sure that they work, then put them back in the case and tell myself that I'll come back to it later. However, I've done this a few times and now I have about at least 15 games that I still need to play just for the PS2.

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  4. I have quite a few games on backlog. There are a lot of games I've started and haven't beaten. I too have failed to beat Donkey Kong Country. King K. Rule is too hard

    I think a lot of us probably have too many games now. But I'm not sure it is such a big deal. I definitely feel like I'll get to most of them, even if it takes a long time. My only evidence is that I have indeed done this. And at least our thirst for consumption is fueled by bargain bin deals (for the most part) and not the "MUST HAVE NOW" mentality that is all too common today.

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  5. I used to have this backlog problem a while back but then I got real obsessed with owning less stuff (I feel better for owning only what I need, call me weird I dunno) and only owning the best of the best. I feel that if I don't finish a game, and that I don't come back to it, I write it off as not worthy of my attention. I've found the keepers in my collection I come back to all the time aaannd that I actually finish before I move onto something else (unless it's handheld). Here are the games I've held onto:

    Games of recent (say 2 years ago and onward) that I've discarded due to me having no interest in finishing them:

    It's helped me thus far to get the most out of my dollar. I'm a full-time student as well and my current gaming trend is the best for my life style. If there's any advice I can give then it would be to get what you love most and cut the fat that sits outside of that. Sometimes your desires will overwhelm you and you'll buy something out of compulsion (i.e. T vs C in my case) but if you can will it off, you'll be much better for it financially.

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  6. Let's build on this topic. What games have recently been added to your backlog and why?

    This week I resolved to pick up No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, based on some random blurbs and positive reviews that all marvel at the improvements over the original, which I passed on.

    As I mentioned in the Killing Samus topic, I've also been resigned to pick up Metroid: Other M eventually, though considering its poor retail performance, I'll be lying in wait till this one goes to the bargain bins.

    Want of Kirby's Epic Yarn is on the tipping point. It's getting pretty much spectacular reviews. Does anybody have some insight that could help me tip it one way or the other?

    Finally, I've been seriously considering grabbing myself a DSi XL, DESPITE 3DS being a mere few months away. I never upgraded from my precious old well-worn DS Lite because there were no GBA slots in either of its two upgrades (which is total bullshit, especially considering how massive DSi XL is). However, I recently acquired a Game Boy Micro, which I was resolved to do long ago, but finally did after checking out this Game Boy Micro porn. Being in China and swimming in pirate waters, I recently picked up a DS R4 card, which has given me great liberty to try out games before I buy them. One true gem that I discovered that I would have otherwise passed on is Dragon Quest IX, which I'm really, really enjoying. I've also amassed a trove of other games that is giving my DS a renaissance of sorts, and I'd like to experience it on the best possible platform.

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  7. @Matt that is a seriously provocative Gameboy Micro photoshoot. Holiday temptations...

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  8. @Matt I'm just gonna say that I was not impressed with Kirby's Epic Yarn. Aside from the fact that it looks like it was intended for 5 year olds, the game does little in the challenge department. There were very few levels where I didn't get the gold medal ranking and the three hidden items on the first playthrough. Btw, you dont even have to get the gold, just as long you get the bronze it still counts towards your medal completion %, so whats the point? Really, my main hang up with this game is that you can't die.....ever. That may sound strange coming from a videogamer, but I felt that that brought down the "enjoy-ability" immensely. While this is the ideal game for introducing a child to the world of video games, serious and even adept gamers may feel stupid, even cheated by playing this game.

    If I had to give one piece of advice it is don't buy this game, rent it or GameFly it if you have to; don't make the same mistake I did. Luckly, my girlfriend thinks its the cutest thing in the world, so I'm just gonna give it to her as an extra christmas present.

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  9. @Son_Gara Thanks for the input, I'll pass on it for now.

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  10. I've had about ten days with DSi XL, and I'm really happy that I upgraded.

    After an Amazon.com promo, it came to about $145. The screen is big and bright and, surprisingly, not too pixely, even with an incredibly pixely game like Dragon Quest IX. It also feels remarkably snug and comfortable, even moreso than the Lite and, if I'm recalling correctly, the original DS.

    Battery life has not been a problem at all so far, though I haven't taken it on any trips yet. So far the battery seems to far outlast the well-worn battery of my old Lite system. According to some specifications, it has better battery life than the smaller DSi, but slightly worse than the Lite.

    It might be that my Lite's speakers were worn out, but XL sounds noticeably better. Fortunately for us, Iwata asked and the answer is that, although XL is outfitted with identical speakers seen in its predecessor, the speakers are contained in larger speaker enclosures, enabling them to produce louder sound.

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  11. @Matt The only reason I chose the Lite over the DSi, was that the DSi isn't compatible with Game Boy Advance games. I have many GBA that I still enjoy playing from time to time so the choice was obvious for me, also my Game Boy Advance SP broke so I figured it was time to upgrade. The other reason I wanted a DS was because I heard DQIX (which I have played religiously since it came out) would only be available on the system.

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  12. My backlog right now is mostly PlayStation 2 games because they are so cheap.

    • Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - A recent addition. Making huge headway with holiday time off right now. I'm probably finish it soon.
    • Silent Hill 2 - Got at the same time as ZotE2. I doubt I'll play it anytime soon because I need the right mood for survival horror.
    • Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga - Working through this when I have the time. I bought this a long time ago but didn't start because I had just finished Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 and wanted a SMT break. It's very intriguing. The random encounter rate is so high, though, that I can't play for prolonged periods.
    • Disgaea: Hour of Darkness - Started this and thought it was cool, but I didn't feel like investing the time to study a party building strategy guide, so I put it back on my shelf for now. I'm not good enough at SRPGs to play on my own without some heavy study time upfront.
    • Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - This one is back on the shelf. I watched my friend play a lot back when it came out. It was really awesome. But I'm really bad at the controls, so I had to stop. Not sure if I'll pick this one up again anytime soon.
    • Dragon Quest VIII - Back on the shelf. I died several times out of the starting city. Pretty demoralizing. On top of the intro boring me quite a bit, I'm not sure if this one is still going to get played. I've heard such good things, though....

    I'll edit this post or post again when I feel like elaborating on my PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Network backlogs.

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  13. @Nels I thought MGS3 was far and away the best game in a truly stellar series of vigeogames. The controls are pretty complex, but very much worth learning. I hope you'll pick it up again and enjoy it as much as I did.

    As for DQ8... I thought it was totally lame. I don't remember it being too hard, but I don't remember much about the 20 or so hours I put into it, so...

    However, so far I'm really digging Dragon Quest IX. It's definitely the best RPG experience I've had since Final Fantasy XII. I even started on this here game guide.

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