Does gaming feel like a chore for you?

Well, the holiday season is kicking in, and as a result, the release are really coming down on us, and I've been backlogged on my games pretty much since I first started getting my own income. There's so many old games I haven't gotten around to playing, and the ones I've playing I haven't gotten around to finishing. It just seems like so much, and at times, I force myself to play games, even when I don't feel like it, and it shouldn't be like that. You should never have to force yourself to play a game just because "I have to play this game to get it out of the way!" I can understand if you're playing games as a profession (game tester, reviewer etc), but when your hobby seems like work to you... it really turns you off from wanting to play all together.

That's kinda how I'm feeling right now. I "need" to keep playing Half-Life 2 Orange Box or it's "never going to be finished". What ends up happening is that I'm viewing it as a chore, and with all chores, I just put it off. So, if this has happened to you, how to adjust your frame of mind so you want to play the games again, not to "finish and move on the next", but to just have fun with them again.

It sounds like you buy more games than you can play. It's easy to do when you have the money, but no gamer should force themselves to play a game. Games are meant to be fun, not a chore.

Personally, I buy only one game per month.Depending on the game, I can usually beatthat game once or twice before buying another one. I have a HUGE list of games that I want to buy for my Wii, DS, GC, and 360, but I refuse to buy more games than I can play.There's about 10 games I want coming out this Christmas, but I'm only going to buy Super Mario Galaxy. I reallylike getting all of the value I can out of each game I buy, so finishing them is a must for me.

The only games that feel like chores are the ones with endless grinding just to progress, ugh! Also, trying to unlock things can be a chore.

But I don't feel pressured into passing games because I have to.

That's pretty much how I feel about it. I have bought so many games that I havent finished... the reason is, if I don't buy it now, I might forget to buy it. So I buy it and it sits on my shelf for a long time... and I keep telling myself "I need to play it"! I still havent played ninja gaiden sigma, metroid prime 3, or given any real time for halo 3... and I really want to focus on guitar hero the next few days. And then theres mass effect...

I can see where you're going with this, but I think there's another culprit- the game(s) you are playing just aren't THAT good. Games can seem great if that's the only thing out you are interested in, but the second you put them in a pile of games you are interested in, they come off looking weak.

It's a feeling I've had quite recently. I got MP3 and thought it was a pretty fine game...then I picked up a PS3 and GRAW2, Calling All Cars, the Hellgate demo, and gained access to a PS2 with Shadow of the Colossus, Baldur's Gate: DA and a few other games. So I'm certainly not dying for any new games. Anyway, went back to MP3...wow, how did I even put up with the game? It instantly became a chore to play and flatout wasn't any fun. So for me, MP3 is a game that just doesn't stack up when you put it with competition. When it was the only thing for me to play, it seemed great. Now, I kind of feel like Hellgate will be for me, SotC is flat-out amazing, and GRAW2 is an ok "backup" game. BG:DA is fine but pales in comparison to Hellgate, and those other games...well, I can't even remember them (though they seemed ok at first).

Just my opinion of the real problem. As for a solution, I think the best thing is just to play the games that you are most excited to sink your teeth into. So lets take HL2 for an example...put it aside now and start a new game that you're looking forward to starting. If in 2 months you still don't have the urge to play it, I'd say sell it- it probably wasn't that great (for you) in the first place, regardless of reviews.

Vampyro I don't think you can sell Steam games as they are forever associated to your account.

To the OP all I can say is, try not to get too worked up about the backlog and just enjoy what you play. Also, try not to buy every ''must-have'' game, instead just get the ones that you personally are really excited about and feel you really need to play. You'll be spending less and enjoying more of the games you get.

Gaming never feels like a chore to me.

I suppose recently I often have to urge myself to play games whereas in the past once I started I would lose track of time, as I explored every nook and cranny of a game or just frolicked around at my own leisure. I am not sure whether this dissatisfaction is the cruel price of age and maturity or whether this generation simply does not captivate me. I feel it is a combination of the two, the more I play the less exciting and fresh things seem to me, it is increasingly easy to realise you are playing the same games as ten years ago in a different mask.

There is the odd moment where I rediscover that sense of childhood wonder and curiosity that games once brought, I was very surprised yesterday when My Sims, of all games, actually kept me playing against my better judgement and responsibilities. I eventually had to drag myself away from the game rather than to it, as has been the case recently. I also feel that having too many games on the go at once leaves you very indecisive as to what to play, people talk of software droughts but they are a valuable time to catch up on unfinished games.

The recurring scenario for me is one of playing and enjoying a game then, for some reason or another, be it a difficult puzzle or a dull section of a game, I stop playing for a lengthy period. When I return to a game I often find that a) I cannot remember my objective or story or b) My skills have vanished. The former seems to happen very frequently with Castlevania games!

That's pretty much how I feel about it. I have bought so many games that I havent finished... the reason is, if I don't buy it now, I might forget to buy it. So I buy it and it sits on my shelf for a long time... and I keep telling myself "I need to play it"! I still havent played ninja gaiden sigma, metroid prime 3, or given any real time for halo 3... and I really want to focus on guitar hero the next few days. And then theres mass effect...

instantdeath999

Yeah, this is a main reason why I buy more than I can play. I'd rather have the game right away, just to not worry about either remembering to get it, or having to try to find it. Case in point: Disgaea 2. It's still sitting in my stack, unopened. I knew I wouldn't get to it right away, but I still bought it, since I remembered how hard it was to find a copy of the original after it came out.

And to bugsonglass, the Orange Box I'm playing is on the 360, although I don't sell my games anyway. :P

Yeah, I've had that feeling. So many games to play, I need to get crackin'! But it simply doesn't work that way. So I just let the backlog pile up (and I even don't buy that many games as it is) and I try not to get bent out of shape over it. Every couple of months I just take a break and don't play anything for up to a month after which I really feel reinvigorated and just start tearing through games (I'm in that particular mode right now).

Although I have to say, mentioning The Orange Box and "chore" in the same sentence....blasphemy!

That's pretty much how I feel about it. I have bought so many games that I havent finished... the reason is, if I don't buy it now, I might forget to buy it. So I buy it and it sits on my shelf for a long time... and I keep telling myself "I need to play it"! I still havent played ninja gaiden sigma, metroid prime 3, or given any real time for halo 3... and I really want to focus on guitar hero the next few days. And then theres mass effect...

instantdeath999

Yup...my 360 is going to be repaired right now and I´m pretty happy about it...I finally had time to finish God of War 2.I had to force me into playing it a bit,but had much fun,so it wasn´t that bad.But I have Persona 3 right there and originally I wanted to use the time playing Xenosaga Episode 3,but I got also so many games left I can´t decide...I got so many great games for my XBox left almost unplayed and yeah,there are some great free-MMORPGs for my PC that I could play further...sometimes it´s really awful.Almost good that I got no Job right now to buy new games.I have set one absolutely must-have game (Virtua Fighter 5 on the 360)for this year and think I stop buying after that for 3 to6 Months.There´s just too much coming...:P

[QUOTE="instantdeath999"]

That's pretty much how I feel about it. I have bought so many games that I havent finished... the reason is, if I don't buy it now, I might forget to buy it. So I buy it and it sits on my shelf for a long time... and I keep telling myself "I need to play it"! I still havent played ninja gaiden sigma, metroid prime 3, or given any real time for halo 3... and I really want to focus on guitar hero the next few days. And then theres mass effect...

JustPlainLucas

Yeah, this is a main reason why I buy more than I can play. I'd rather have the game right away, just to not worry about either remembering to get it, or having to try to find it. Case in point: Disgaea 2. It's still sitting in my stack, unopened. I knew I wouldn't get to it right away, but I still bought it, since I remembered how hard it was to find a copy of the original after it came out.

And to bugsonglass, the Orange Box I'm playing is on the 360, although I don't sell my games anyway. :P

My biggest problem is that I have a short attention span.  Games can definitely feel like a chore to me.  I have an insane backlog too.  *WARNING THIS LIST WILL SHOCK YOU*  I still haven't finished the following games that I own:

God of War
God of War II
Resident Evil 4, even though I've owned every version of it at one point or another... 
God Hand
Okami
Final Fantasy 7,8, and 9
Ninja Gaiden Sigma
Heavenly Sword
Every Zelda game that exists, I own most of them and have beat none of them...
Bully
Dark Cloud 2
Ico
Metroid Prime 3
Psychonauts
Shadow of Rome
Mario 64
Zone of the Enders 2

I have no reason to ever buy a new game until I beat all of these, but I keep doing it.  Someone stop me for god's sake!
rragnaar

[QUOTE="instantdeath999"]

That's pretty much how I feel about it. I have bought so many games that I havent finished... the reason is, if I don't buy it now, I might forget to buy it. So I buy it and it sits on my shelf for a long time... and I keep telling myself "I need to play it"! I still havent played ninja gaiden sigma, metroid prime 3, or given any real time for halo 3... and I really want to focus on guitar hero the next few days. And then theres mass effect...

JustPlainLucas

Yeah, this is a main reason why I buy more than I can play. I'd rather have the game right away, just to not worry about either remembering to get it, or having to try to find it. Case in point: Disgaea 2. It's still sitting in my stack, unopened. I knew I wouldn't get to it right away, but I still bought it, since I remembered how hard it was to find a copy of the original after it came out.

And to bugsonglass, the Orange Box I'm playing is on the 360, although I don't sell my games anyway. :P

I buy them right away becouse I can really have a hard time finding games to long after their release.

I dont know about your gamestores but it seems like if a game is older then six months its just drops off the face of the earth.

Great classics get swallowed up fast in the used sections and only the big sellers get any real shelf time. At least it feels that way to me.

The PC sections are even worse. I often wonder if they ever refill their stock of most games after the initial shipment is sold out.

But concering the OP, thast why I have a shelf load of games I have not played yet but rearely do they feel like a chore. But I did catch myself doing stuff I found boring just for achievments on my 360.... but when it dawned on me what I was doing I put a stop to that.

My next purchase is this week though... vf5 for the 360 with online play. Then its CoD4 for the PC and AC for the 360 in november. Anything not finished before I get vf5 with online play will likely not be finished until sometime in spring on a rainy day.

Well when I'm playing an RPG and it takes too long for me to level up I do feel as if it was a chore like VP2. It took me alot to level up and it wasn't enough for me to beat the main baddies easily!

Me and you are in the same boat there crybaby. Only If I was to post my backlog list it would shame yours by being much larger. Uhm that came out a bit wrong but anyways my backlog is over 50 games high right now. Yet I still but at least 4-5 games per trip to the EBgames store..... its.... its like im addicted to it, I love this trying to build a collection thing. At the same time my ADD is killing me..... 4 hours into a game and im rolling my eyes for it to end. Even the good ones most times... except really good rpgs its like ....argh I wish I didnt have ADD. BTW if we're sharing the same boat you're gonna have to learn the magic of modern hygenics, aka showering *plugs nose*GodModeEnabled