My mom used to fix this pork chop dinner that may have been a precursor to beef jerky. I wasn’t allowed to get up from the table until I had finished the meal. Many glasses of water and what seemed like an eternity later I was able to walk away from the table with pride.
I wish mom had that kind of power over me when it comes to the games I buy—new and used. I’ll admit I’ve not been the best at completing games. I like what Jason does at Unfettered Blather tracking his purchases compared to the enjoyment he gets from the game. I’m a stat junkie. Things like time compared to cost and enjoyment entertain me.
Somehow, I don’t think I’m alone. I would venture to say that more gamers don’t complete the titles they have or get. If so, why do we fork over the big bucks for the latest titles? Consumerism? Materialism? The need to fit in? Why do I do it? Why purchases games and then just play them a little bit? I’ve got five $60 titles on my shelf now that I’ve played once or twice. Yes, time may be an issue for some games (RPGs), but I think there there has to be more. I’ve not really thought about why I do it.
I’d like to explore this topic a little more. Here’s where you come in. I’ve created a little poll. Cast your vote.
[poll id=”2“]The post will be availavble on this post and in the sidebar.
Jeffool says
I typically do finish the games I buy (and I’m the sole voter as such, thus far.) But that said, I don’t buy many games, either. Maybe I’m just a cheap bastard, but I tend to wait until there’s a game I’m near certain to enjoy to buy/play. To call it “having standards” makes me sound like an arrogant prick… So I’ll go with that. I have standards. 😉
Chad says
Like you guys, I have this list of games that I’m trying to knock off, one at a time. I’m still gaming on a PS2, so I feel like I have to finish those games (or play to a certain level of satisfaction) before I can justify spending $500.00 bucks for a PS3. My PSP is getting considerable attention now as well, which is distracting me from all those games on my shelf. I’m often left wondering if I shouldn’t just sell the games on the shelf and put the money towards a now-current-gen console. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel like I was playing catchup. At the same time, I love paying less than 20 bucks a game right now, so I’m currently getting a huge amount of entertainment for my dollar. Keep up the good work.
Brock says
I try to finish games or at least come as close to finishing them as I can.
That said, it might take me a LONG time to finish a game. I usually like that quick hit of a game when it comes out that gets me over that “Oooh! What is THAT game like?” impulse and often I’ll end up putting the game back on the shelf for a while before finally coming back to it when I’m looking for something to play.
I have finished a lot of the games in my collection but I also have a lot more that I haven’t. That’s ok if I’ve at least sunken a decent amount of time into the games and feel like I got my money’s worth out of them. It’s the ones that I buy for $50-60 and then shelve only to find being sold for a fraction of that price a few months later that piss me off, but it’s all my fault.
Point in case, the local indie shop is selling Disgaea for the PSP for $8 new while I’ve got my copy, which I paid full price for several months ago, laying unplayed in my PSP case. Grr.
With two kids and a full-time job, I’ve finally come to the realization that I just can’t play every game the second it comes out, nor should I. I’m trying to not buy any games (aside from the odd Downloadable game) this summer in order to focus on playing through my backlog.
These past two years have been bad for me as I’ve been buying a bunch of new systems (PSP and 360 last year, PS3 this year) and that ramps the costs up conciderably, esp. while you’re perusing the library of those systems. The sad thing is that I’m finding myself playing Diablo 2 on my PC and will be using my PS3 mainly for playing through my crazy pile of PS2 RPGs.
What I need to do is stick to renting games via my gamefly-esque service and only playing the games I own. It’s hard though. I’m not only fighting the piles of marketing and hype that I subject myself to, I’m also fighting about a lifetime of habit when it comes to buying games. I just haven’t synched my old habits up with the new reality yet. A few games a year should be fine. Every game that comes out isn’t…
Tony says
Even though I’m pulled in different directions (306, Wii, DS) I try really hard to concentrate on one game at a time, per system, to finish it to completion. I haven’t touched any other 360 games (other than XBLA titles) since I started GTA IV. I have a bunch I want to play, but I’ve got to stay focused.
That being said, time is the biggest factor. Work, kids and other tasks take priority. I’d love to have 2-3 hours a day free to play, but it usually turns out to be a lot less than that.
Never mind time taken up with blogging.
That may change now that I signed up with GameFly and with a sports game like NCAA coming out. I guess my sleep schedule will just have to suffer.
Jason O says
I think I was vote #12 on there.
I play a game until I feel like it’s given me everything it has to offer. If I lose interest quickly, that means it has done a bad job of keeping me involved.
The most recent example is Half Life 2: Episode 2. I know the game changes dramatically in the last 3rd. I just can’t bring myself to keep playing though. It just feels like too much of the same no matter how much they try to sell it.