Support NeoGAF

[Humdinger]

Interesting. Two things come to mind:

1. Consumerism. We have a culture that encourages us to consume -- mainly "stuff," but also movies, books, and other forms of entertainment. I read more than I play games, and I've been watching a lot of "Booktube" channels lately (the part of Youtube where people talk books). You will see a consumerist mentality there. "Look how many books I read," or "look how many books I bought," or "look at the all pretty books I have." Some Booktubers talk about how the consumerist mindset affects them, and how it makes reading less enjoyable. Some of them have hundreds of unread books piled in their house.

I'm not sure if that "consumerist" mentality is part of what is going on for you, but I thought I'd mention it.

2. The Paradox of Choice. You may be familiar with this already, since you said, "I need some way of limiting my options." That's one of Schwartz's thoughts, too. If you're not familiar, Schwartz says (among other things) that people can be divided into "maximizers" and "satisficers." The former want "the best," and the latter are fine with "good enough." The former tend to be unhappier and less satisfied.

I'm not sure whether the "maximizer" profile might fit you, but some of what you say sounds a little like that (e.g., "I feel as if games must be categorized and placed in spreadsheets to be cataloged so I can find the optimal mix of genres that are complimentary while also being manageable"). If so, you might check out his work for some insights.

 

[stn]

Yeah, its true. Unfortunately, when I had a lot of free time when I was younger, I wanted to party and socialize a lot more. Nowadays my job is very demanding and I have little time to play. Which is also bittersweet because now I make a lot of money and can actually afford gaming as a hobby, whereas before it was tougher. Its always either time or money that is missing.

 

[realcool]

I feel as if games must be categorized and placed in spreadsheets to be cataloged so I can find the optimal mix of genres that are complimentary while also being manageable.

this sounds like, probably, the worst deck-builder ever.

 

[Fbh]

As someone who started his own business recently (so working more than ever...and not really making much money right now lol) I've just embraced it.
I no longer stress over playing every major release the second it's available
I just play games at my own pace and go through them 1-2 at a time.

It's not that bad. I can usually buy them way cheaper and they also tend to be in a better state than at launch. And though there's a lot I'd like to play, there is also some comfort in knowing that at any give time there's like 10+ games that interest me (with new stuff every 2-3 months) so I'm not going to run out of new stuff to play anytime soon,

I still indulge in some day 1 releases every now and then (Elden Ring DLC will be day 1), but for the most part I'm living in backlog land right now.

 

[Lambogenie]

Comes with age.
Used to foolishly think why would anyone play games on Easy... but I get it. I still don't do it but the idea is definitely on my mind.

I try to avoid multiple big RPGs; DD2 is more of a rinse and repeat and farm. But VII Rebirth. God damn. It doesn't need to be this long!

Even the idea of playing on commute fails because I'm never in the mood!

Gone are the days of playing 10+ games in a year thoroughly.

 

[drotahorror]

I feel this thread, I feel sometimes I'm buying games just to have my collections seem complete vs actually playing games.....

I've noticed sometimes I even go back to buy DLC when it's on sale for games I never even completed or played in the first place.

I didn't even like Dirt 5, but a few months ago I bought the season pass cuz it was on sale.

Just HAD to complete MK11 DLC (buy, I did not even play), even though I can't stand the game.

Loved RE4 Remake, bought the Ada DLC on day 1, haven't touched it.

I did stop grabbing free games via giveaways, or just adding games to my account because I bought a humble bundle (I keep them for trade now, have done so for a few years). So that's something atleast. Still have over 1k games on steam, and 800+ dlc.

I honestly can't keep up with shit right now. Even if I had 16 hours a day to play. There is so much I still want to play (still need to go back and beat RDR2, fuck, even GTAIV I've been wanting to go back to). And so much on the horizon.

 

[THE DUCK]

I've noticed sometimes I even go back to buy DLC when it's on sale for games I never even completed or played in the first place.

I didn't even like Dirt 5, but a few months ago I bought the season pass cuz it was on sale.

Just HAD to complete MK11 DLC (buy, I did not even play), even though I can't stand the game.

Loved RE4 Remake, bought the Ada DLC on day 1, haven't touched it.

I did stop grabbing free games via giveaways, or just adding games to my account because I bought a humble bundle (I keep them for trade now, have done so for a few years). So that's something atleast. Still have over 1k games on steam, and 800+ dlc.

I honestly can't keep up with shit right now. Even if I had 16 hours a day to play. There is so much I still want to play (still need to go back and beat RDR2, fuck, even GTAIV I've been wanting to go back to). And so much on the horizon.

Yep and the free games at a point almost become spam, and you have to sort them out! Sad probably as the result is likely some good games missed, but you have to prioritize at some point.

 

[Coconutt]

Me and videogames.

 

[consoul]

Don't give up!

Keep kidding yourself that you'll be able to dig into your backlog when you retire, like I do.

I'll die of a heart attack before then, but my boy'll inherit a sweet collection.

 

[BossLackey]

Mate, transition to film and book.

Seriously, they respect your time a hell of a lot more and the story telling is on another level compared to how shit games are.

As for games, stick to AA. They are shorter, better and labors of love.

Not trying to be rude, because there's no way you'd know, but those are two very large passions for me lol. I never said I play games exclusively.

 

[MaestroMike]

115 hours in zelda totk playing it since last summer and i've still a good amount left to do i move at a snails pace its fine with me not playing everything the journey is the reward I guess I just don't purchase a lot of games. its a big event/celebration beating a game for me nowadays lol beating a couple of games a year unless its a huge open world one still lets me play the best of the best as long as I'm consistent and a lot of good games will be completed when its all said and done.

 

[SHA]

 

[MastAndo]

 

[StereoVsn]

You need t get rid of that spreadsheet, and just play what yo feel like playing, and feel free not to complete games, if a game is not doing it for you. Move on to something else.

Yep, and test it as a library and not a backlog. Don’t be in the hurry to buy the new shiny.

There is no reason to exclude whole genres, that’s silly. Play a game which looks good to you, and if doesn’t pan out, drop it.

Your time is more important than some completionist mindset.

 

[Arsic]

Play all the games you want OP! … just stop trying to complete them all. Play till you’ve had your fun then move onto the next one.

The ones I complete are in the 10-12 hour gap. Anything above that it has to really hook me to go there.

It’s ok to dive into a 150 hour jrpg, play 20-30, and go ok, what’s next? Some games overstay their welcome, some games aren’t good enough to keep grinding out.

 

[Guilty_AI]

At 34 years old, I find my free time at an all-time low while my income is at an all-time high. Combined that with my collector mentality and the hours of potential play time are accumulated faster than I can possibly complete them.

I need some way of limiting my options. I like limitations. I fear I may have to divorce my newest wife. JRPGs.

And yet I love her.

Have you tried not sleeping?

 

[Krathoon]

I do this weird thing where I get old games to work in modern windows. I don't really play the games much, I just get them to work.

Recently, I got this Thunderscape demo to work. It turns out not all versions of Dosbox can run it. It is a good way to find the best version of Dosbox.

It turns out it is Dosbox Staging.

 

[Krathoon]

I have also been playing old PlayStation 1 demo discs. You can't stop me!

 

[FinalBossWithTheMostPower]

This is pretty much where I'm at in life, too.

Gamer at heart, I buy whatever I want, but it's been harder and harder to pick up and play anymore. My son keeps me interested.

Big on collector's editions, if the value is there. Last one I bought was Alone in The Dark.

I know I really liked a game if I finish it.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Why can't my brain be normal?

As a video game expert I can even recognize 500 to 700 different video games... My brain is an automated computer, so you are not alone...

 

[sigmaZ]

Glad I gave that mindset up years ago. I just play games to enjoy the experience and to analyze the mechanics and direction of the project. Simple joys.

 

[Damigos]

At 38 with 2 jobs, a wife and a kid i can relate. I ve stopped being a collector and i only buy games in deep sales. Having an endless backlog, PS extra and gamepass PC makes it irrelevant to buy new games.

 

[FoxMcChief]

I learned this a while ago. Very few games are worth playing, and even fewer are worth owning.

 

[three_muffins]

Do what makes you happy. If completing games makes you happy, do it. If playing a lot of games but dropping them after a while makes you happy. Do it. Dont ask other people about their habbits, opinion, or definition of gaming. If completing games does not make you happy, feels like a chore, but you cant seem to stop. Drop them completely. Think of these kind of games as a "unhealthy substance".
There is not "right" way to play games.
Dont think of it as "playing a game". Think of gaming as "making the best of the free time you have whith things that make you happy, calm, or satisfied in that very moment".

 

[gaming_again]

Interesting. Two things come to mind:

1. Consumerism. We have a culture that encourages us to consume -- mainly "stuff," but also movies, books, and other forms of entertainment. I read more than I play games, and I've been watching a lot of "Booktube" channels lately (the part of Youtube where people talk books). You will see a consumerist mentality there. "Look how many books I read," or "look how many books I bought," or "look at the all pretty books I have." Some Booktubers talk about how the consumerist mindset affects them, and how it makes reading less enjoyable. Some of them have hundreds of unread books piled in their house.

I'm not sure if that "consumerist" mentality is part of what is going on for you, but I thought I'd mention it.

2. The Paradox of Choice. You may be familiar with this already, since you said, "I need some way of limiting my options." That's one of Schwartz's thoughts, too. If you're not familiar, Schwartz says (among other things) that people can be divided into "maximizers" and "satisficers." The former want "the best," and the latter are fine with "good enough." The former tend to be unhappier and less satisfied.

I'm not sure whether the "maximizer" profile might fit you, but some of what you say sounds a little like that (e.g., "I feel as if games must be categorized and placed in spreadsheets to be cataloged so I can find the optimal mix of genres that are complimentary while also being manageable"). If so, you might check out his work for some insights.

Yeah, reading is my primary hobby and the slow gamification of it online has been awful to see. I avoid all book stuff online now. I don't even talk about books irl. Goodreads is responsible for hugely damaging the culture.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

I'm rather fortunate in this regard in that I usually latch onto specific games that I'll play indefinitely. World of Warcraft and Halo being my most played games. I'll buy a console for a single game like Halo. Consequently, I have no backlog. All the games I bought a Switch for I've finally played through. Now I'm just waiting on Prime 4. I still believe The Last Night will eventually release as a multiplatform game, which is the only other game I'm still really hoping comes out.

 

[Alan Silvestro]

Welcome to the club!

 

[Hudo]

Skill issue.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Backlogs are just a hoarding-issue and FOMO, imo.

What’s the point in buying games if you barely have time to play them?

 

[JimmyRustler]

Used to think like this until I went hard on my backlog over 2 years some time ago. Realized that for most genres I just have rose tinted glasses and don't acutally enjoy playing these games.

Fast forward to today I regularly run out of games to play and have to replay older games when I get the gaming itch.

 

[crackajack]

Yeah, it kinda sucks to like many genres, also often the supposed to be meh-games many can easily ignore. That broadens the possibilities to unmanageable variety. But I dont play Fifa, Fortnite or other mp timesinks much, so it's somewhat balanced.
Plus, while even extending the list, is helping a lot. I just play the interesting games from the leaving soon section and if I have time left I mix in some other game(s).
The Essential games usually get on the backseat, since they will not disappear, and big games are also usually "for later" and might never be touched. The amount of games in the backlog increased, but it is somewhat more planned out, by Sony. Thx Sony, and thx MS due to GP being the trigger.

 

[Aurelius]

Nothing wrong with collecting games, but treat it as a nice library where you can pick something from when you are in the mood, instead of as a to-do list.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

I've been there. too. What helped was ditching physical as with digital licenses, I don't see any value in them. They're just ones and zeros on your hard drive that someone else can take away from you whenever the fuck he wants. Thst made me buy fewer games, thus having more disposable income for things that might be more valuable. I love physical, but the way I grew up with these types of mediums certaintly didn't help become a responsible consumer later when I was no longer restricted financially.

 

[Randall365]

It’s millenia of hunter-gatherer instinct within us. It would have been very useful to pile up food and supplies in our cave years ago - it would mean the difference between life and death.

Now our brain is giving us the same urge to collect jrpgs on Steam, which is essentially pointless.

Still - buy them all and the urge is sated!

 

[Humdinger]

Yeah, reading is my primary hobby and the slow gamification of it online has been awful to see. I avoid all book stuff online now. I don't even talk about books irl. Goodreads is responsible for hugely damaging the culture.

I haven't spent much time on Goodreads, but I was thinking about exploring it, because I'm not having much luck on Booktube. I figured it would be nice to have someone to talk about books with. I've joined local book clubs, but they're always dominated by women and women's taste (80% of fiction readers are women). The same is true for Booktube, which is dominated by young and middle-aged women, many of whom carry the woke mind-virus -- you know, talking about "problematic" authors, judging books based on how they "represent" a particular racial/whatever category, having meltdowns over JK Rowling, that sort of thing. I see it in some of the men, too.

But yes, the "gamification" of it. "Check out my latest book haul! (Few of which I'll actually read, but isn't it exciting?)" Lots of videos on how you can read faster, read more books in a month. People bemoaning that they have only read 5 books this month, rather than hitting their goal of 10 or whatever. That consumption mentality.

 

[SCB3]

The fuck I can't...

...Don't check my backlog

For some advice, don't be afraid to drop something you're not enjoying, I've learnt to do that more these days, for example I didn't enjoy Final Fantasy 2 despite being a massive FF fan, so I dropped it and was fine with that and will eventually move on to 3

 

[Ibara]

You can experience almost anything in life, but you can’t experience everything.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

The backlog is real. But often I will replay something I enjoy as opposed to something on the backlog. But it is nice to have it on the chance I do want to play it. I collect mainly because when I was young I never wanted to get rid of my games, I loved the idea of having a "game library" and it just being on the shelf if I wanted to play it. That's pretty much where I'm at. I don't buy many MSRP titles for the last few years, just every so often when I'm truly hyped or whatnot and will definitely be playing the game. Otherwise I mostly build my collection by purchasing on sales or buying used games. Lately I am buying a lot of PS3/360 around 5-10 USD a piece and some PS4 sprinkled in because it's very cheap to acquire that stuff presently. I have a PS5 now for almost one year, but only have about 5 games and only two games were full price launch purchases when instead my PS3 and PS4 collection blossoms comparatively.

I don't mind having more than I can play for now, there's always the future and if I don't get to everything,

 

[gaming_again]

B

I haven't spent much time on Goodreads, but I was thinking about exploring it, because I'm not having much luck on Booktube. I figured it would be nice to have someone to talk about books with. I've joined local book clubs, but they're always dominated by women and women's taste (80% of fiction readers are women). The same is true for Booktube, which is dominated by young and middle-aged women, many of whom carry the woke mind-virus -- you know, talking about "problematic" authors, judging books based on how they "represent" a particular racial/whatever category, having meltdowns over JK Rowling, that sort of thing. I see it in some of the men, too.

But yes, the "gamification" of it. "Check out my latest book haul! (Few of which I'll actually read, but isn't it exciting?)" Lots of videos on how you can read faster, read more books in a month. People bemoaning that they have only read 5 books this month, rather than hitting their goal of 10 or whatever. That consumption mentality.

Book clubs are basically cult meetings. Writing workshops are even worse.

Also, those pictures of chick lit books on a patio table with a coffee mug next to them surrounded by fallen leaves. Ugh!

 

[Humdinger]

Also, those pictures of chick lit books on a patio table with a coffee mug next to them surrounded by fallen leaves. Ugh!

Don't forget the little tea lights strung on the bookshelves. It's all about that feminine aesthetic.

 

[Filben]

Why can't my brain be normal? I just want to play what I want to play,

Do that. Try to keep a journal and log your plays. It helps me to keep tab on things and I have the feeling I didn't just waste my time. It's a reminder of the joy I had while playing a game and to remember it. Of course I can remember without journaling but it helps. Jotting down your thoughts and achievements (even if it's like "play 1 hour") helps with organising your thoughts.

Also, a game isn't finished when the credits roll. Some people keep playing after that, new game plus, etc. Why shouldn't it work in the other direction? If you feel like you've finished and have seen everything (you want), just stop, make a log and journal entry and be done with it. Move on.

 

[Diseased Yak]

I haven't spent much time on Goodreads, but I was thinking about exploring it, because I'm not having much luck on Booktube. I figured it would be nice to have someone to talk about books with. I've joined local book clubs, but they're always dominated by women and women's taste (80% of fiction readers are women). The same is true for Booktube, which is dominated by young and middle-aged women, many of whom carry the woke mind-virus -- you know, talking about "problematic" authors, judging books based on how they "represent" a particular racial/whatever category, having meltdowns over JK Rowling, that sort of thing. I see it in some of the men, too.

But yes, the "gamification" of it. "Check out my latest book haul! (Few of which I'll actually read, but isn't it exciting?)" Lots of videos on how you can read faster, read more books in a month. People bemoaning that they have only read 5 books this month, rather than hitting their goal of 10 or whatever. That consumption mentality.

Hah the same problem you mention for Booktube (I've never visited that before) is exactly what you see on Goodreads. The top reviews on a lot of books I go check reviews on (usually horror, scifi, or noir crime) are almost always some effusively written, meme-gif riddled reviews posted by the purple hair crowd that seem to only serve the purpose of farming upvotes? I can't tell what the point is, otherwise.

RE what the OP posted: I'm 49, and have the same problem. Too many games, not enough time. However, I've just accepted that this is my fate. For instance, I'm working my way through the Trails series (currently up to Trails to Azure), I recently 100%'d Elden Ring on Steam, I also recently beat FFVII Remake+Intermission, and have now started Rebirth, and just yesterday I got in Unicorn Overlord and Rise of the Ronin. All of that doesn't even scratch the surface of how many games I've started recently but haven't finished. So much money spent, but I love it.

 

[sloppyjoe_gamer]

 

[Spukc]

Buy everything play some
You silly consoomer

 

[Humdinger]

OP, have you tried setting up limits for yourself? For example, "I won't buy any new games until I finish my backlog" (or "until I reduce my backlog to 5 games" or whatever)? I find that when my backlog grows over a certain amount, I start to feel pressured, like I am falling behind or something. I need to keep it low.

If you don't like that, you might be able to come up with other self-imposed limits that work for you.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Not only are there too many games to play, there are probably too many GOOD games, especially the last several years. On top of that the industry is remaking a lot of the best games from the past. Furthermore, there are lots of games that you might enjoy replaying, and live service games that are continuously churning out new content. It's impossible to consume all of the content being created, even if you only stuck to what you'd enjoy. That sounds disappointing - who would want to miss out on an experience they'd enjoy?


You should stick with the best and your most anticipated games, and need to accept there will always be games you'd love, but will not be able to play for some reason (time, money, responsibilities, attention, etc). By raising your standards, you might be limiting yourself overall, but the games you DO play will be the cream of the crop.

 

[Don Carlo]

It seems to me that you're more than just blessed. Just be grateful that you get to do all these things i.e. collect stuff, spend on video games. Play whatever you want, whenever you want. Ain't no damn exam coming up asking you about the games you have and whether you've played them or not.

 

[GamesDontSuck]

I've been loosing the war of collection vs games played now for years. I still have a sealed copy of Uncharted 4 ready to go on my shelf. Probably there 4 years now.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

I'm building up my collection after switching from PC to console at the start of this gen, and I know that most likely I won't be experiencing even 50% of the games I currently have in my library, and tbh I'm ok with that.

 

[BossLackey]

I'm building up my collection after switching from PC to console at the start of this gen, and I know that most likely I won't be experiencing even 50% of the games I currently have in my library, and tbh I'm ok with that.

Curious as to why you went from PC to console? I play on both, but more and more because of my job, I don't want to sit at a desk anymore in the evenings when I play stuff so I've been playing on consoles and handhelds a LOT more.

And as much as I love PC gaming, there's something to be said about dedicated hardware. On PC, I'm more than likely going to fire up YouTube on the other monitor while I play stuff. Have GAF open. Get distracted, etc.

Sometimes it feels good to get away from that. Hell, I'll even go to the extent of turning my phone off and disconnecting my PS5/Switch from the internet while I play.

Makes it feel like the early 90's again lol.