I think I've got a gaming problem

Or lack of maybe?

I constantly go out and buy new games and hardly play them or I don't even open them up. I'm not talking about brand new on the shelf games that run $40-50, but new unopened games. I pride myself as being a cheap gamer, so it's not like I'm spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on just released games, but I am nickle and diming all over the place.

In the past 6 months, I've purchased nearly 20 games and I've only opened 6 of them and actually played those 6 a little bit. The other games just sit on the shelf....I want to play them, but at the same time I don't.

Perhaps I'll just start collecting games.....

Anyone else out there have a similar problem? Too many games, not enough time or enough gumption to get to them all?

Anyone else out there have a similar problem? Too many games, not enough time or enough gumption to get to them all?

i have this problem right now. i bought a whole bunch of games in the past few months, and i don't have time to play them. but the summer is just around the corner. i have an exam today, and that's it. i plan on spending a good deal of my summer playing those games. so no, i don't have the same problem that you do, but i can sympathize with the last part of your post.

I do that, too. I think it's called growing up.

When I was a kid, games were christmas and birthday things. I'd get two a year. If I saved my pocket money and did odd jobs for family and neighbours, maybe I could double that number. But anyway, the point is, I got very few games.

And that translated to dozens or hundreds of hours of lifespan per game. I would play the hell out of every game - I had no other choice.

Then, disaster! I grew up (physically, anyway, I'm still emotionally a 12 year old) and I got a job and I had plenty of disposable income. Whenever I wanted a game, it was mine a few clicks later. That game looks neat, click click click, it's mine. It arrives a few days later - hey, it's not so great? No biggie, throw it on the pile and look for something better.

I have bought probably a dozen games in the last year that I've played very little of, or not played at all. I recently bought Dreamfall, Arcanum and knights of the Old Republic, and they've all gone straight onto the maybe later pile. I ordered myself a copy of CoD1 today. I don't know if I'll ever play it.

I've played too many games too often for most of them to hold much appeal any more, and because I still have giant bags of cash sitting around, I'm buying any game that looks even remotely appealing, and throwing it on the pile when it turns out to be less than stellar.

I kind of wish I was 14 again, at times. Gaming still held some wonder, and every game was a priceless treasure. Today, it's either not worth my time at all, or it's competing for my affection with other games that I might not even be actively playing.

It's depressing. Maybe what we both need is to take a break from gaming for a few years.

I think anyone with extra money is going to have this problem. So many things today look decent. If it's not a problem for you, go ahead and continue! If you're not, my advice would be to heavily research the available games, pick the one you like best, go take a cold shower, go buy the game, and make a commitment to play the game until you beat it! Rinse and repeat.

Of course you need self control and determination to do this, but it'll save you money, and probably give you a better sense of gaming satisfaction!

Even though I'm older now, I still only get maybe 4-6 games a year if that. I can't waste too much money on games, a 50 doller game can equal to lots more meals and clothes.Taloskai

Only on the rare ocassion do I spend a full $40-50 on a game that is my own money. If I have a gift card, like the $50 BestBuy card I had at Christmas and the $50 gift card to GameStop, only then do I pick up the spendy games. Like Crysis when it came out, I used one of my gift cards on it.

Otherwise, I wait till games drop to $10-20....sometimes the odd $30 one. Or I'll hop on Amazon.com and snatch up a ton of cheap older games that may or may not be very good.

I guess maybe my lack of time and that so many look damn fun to play is my problem. Oh well, here's hoping I get more freetime!

Never enough time....solid_mario

Amen to that. There was a time when I would buy a game and finish it or at least play the hell out of it (for open-ended games). Now, i rarely finish a game anymore. I puchased F.E.A.R. a little ways back (months I think) and just only finished it yesterday. Usually it takes less than a month for me to finish games like F.E.A.R.

It's depressing. Maybe what we both need is to take a break from gaming for a few years.

fatshodan

Yes i think both of you do. You need a nice long holiday! Especially from the forums..

Heheh, that'll do...

Oh yes I'm still typing.. ahem

[QUOTE="fatshodan"]

It's depressing. Maybe what we both need is to take a break from gaming for a few years.

biggest_loser

Yes i think both of you do. You need a nice long holiday! Especially from the forums..

Heheh, that'll do...

Oh yes I'm still typing.. ahem

BioShock sucks!

[QUOTE="biggest_loser"][QUOTE="fatshodan"]

It's depressing. Maybe what we both need is to take a break from gaming for a few years.

fatshodan

Yes i think both of you do. You need a nice long holiday! Especially from the forums..

Heheh, that'll do...

Oh yes I'm still typing.. ahem

BioShock sucks!

No it doesn't. You must be thinking of another game.

I know the feeling about the bags of cash laying around. I found it is helpful if you take 4 bags of cash and put a flat surface on them to make a table. You can put something heavy on the top of the surface at each of the four corners to ensure it stays put. Here, this is a diagram so you see what I'm saying:

But anyways, to your gaming problem. Yeah, I have the same issue. I actually haven't played any games in like 2 months :( Too much stuff to do. But I think in a few months my schedule will clear up and I can get back to gaming.

Here's a tip. I have found that the games I enjoy the most are the ones that I look up and read about, and follow for a while before I buy them. If someone recommends it, then I read an article about it, and then go out and buy it. It seems more like a gem to me then, and not so spur of the moment. Not sure if that helps :)