Backlogs and Hoarding

[Pink Gregory]

Like many people here I'm sure, I have something of a backlog of games, and I'm aware of yet, and yet I don't stop buying them, perhaps not out of impulse, but perhaps trying to provide for possible lean times ahead, and since it's mostly Steam/Gog.com sales and older/used games, the idea that it just *might* not be there later, or the price will rise.

Yet there are many that I haven't played, because I don't want to spread my attention too thin, and yet I don't stop.

So what's your opinion on gaming backlogs?

 

[Sp3ratus]

Well, I have quite an extensive backlog as well and with regards to keep buyin games, I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. It's hard to say no to a good sale, since almost all the games I buy are games I know I'll play eventually, I just don't know when. That's why I like having the games available to me, whenever playing them strikes my fancy, but having bought them much cheaper than if I buy them, right when I want to play them. Also, having a wide variety of genres to play, keeps me from burning out on any particular genre.

 

[GamingAwesome1]

I used to have a backlog, then I realised that the only reason I had one was because I was forcing myself to play games that I wasn't very keen on.

Then I dropped that backlog, if a game can't compel me to play it and I have to force myself to out of some sort of sense of duty then it's probably not a stellar game. Might revisit it should I ever have the time, but otherwise, I move onwards to a more compelling experience.

 

[Padwolf]

I have a rather large backlog, but that's mainly due to me buying games in a sale and not being able to run them on my laptop. I have a new laptop now, and it's nice to finally play the games I bought 2 years ago. But I still have that backlog there and I keep buying more. I can't resist the steam sales. I can't resist sales in general, I can't resist the good prices in CEX for xbox games and old gamecube games. Especially CEX since it's all used games and some are really hard to find and rare, it may not be there next time so I have to grab it there and then.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

I have a huge backlog, it's mostly because there are series I want to get into and I'd prefer playing the games in chronological order. I'll pick up the box set at the discounted price and just never start playing them, or I'll start playing an older game in my backlog and stop when a new release that I've really wanted comes out, then I never return to the older game.

 

[Iwata]

I have a gigantic backlog for the PS3 alone, never mind the PC, but it's alright. That means I can afford to wait until newer releases drop in price.

 

[Korten12]

I have a really big backlog on my PC... Not so much on my 360 and PS3, but I do have one or two games on both of those I need to beat. But I do have many on PC. I plan on going through a good many of them this winter break. 1 Month of Break = Time to make a check list of games to beat.

 

[Rose and Thorn]

I know this guy who has SUCH a large backlog it hurts me a bit. He has only played Skyrim for the last 6 months so he takes awhile to playthrough games. Granted, Skyrim is a LARGE game, just wait until get gets the expansion packs...

Now he is looking after three kids, two of which are his own, so he only gets to play games at night.

I have my own backlog, but I keep it managable. I just bought 4 games from Steam, so it got a bit bigger.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I have a huge backlog that I'm sitting upon like a game obsessed dragon. In my defense though I'm seriously ill and I'm finding hard to do anything but sleep :< they will get devoured soon enough after I have my op!

 

[BreakfastMan]

I got myself quite the backlog, I must say. It mainly comes from the fact that I have more money now to actually purchase things, yet less free time to enjoy them. :\

As far as my opinions on backlogs go... I think they are a natural part of being a hardcore gamer. Sometimes things just pile up, you know?

 

[daveman247]

snip

My physical backlog pile aint too bad, but sales from gog are starting to stack up. Especially since they are all quite time consuming games ¬_¬ They managed to put games on sale from my wishlist (waiting for such a sale) on three consecutive weekends.

 

[daveman247]

As far as my opinions on backlogs go... I think they are a natural part of being a hardcore gamer. Sometimes things just pile up, you know?

Especially at this time of year, where many of the games you have been waiting for come out, or the ones too pricey at the time go on sale XD

 

[Krantos]

I got myself quite the backlog, I must say. It mainly comes from the fact that I have more money now to actually purchase things, yet less free time to enjoy them. :\

Pretty much this.^

Yay! I have a real job! I can buy new releases now! ...what do you mean I only have 5-10hrs a week to game?

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

My backlog is massive. So massive that I stopped counting somewhere around 50 games unplayed. That's not unfinished, that's "have yet to see the title screen." That's from taking advantage of DD sales (not just Steam) and pay what you want bundles. What's nice about it is I'm too broke to be buying new games at the moment[footnote]college student, no job, about six months left until I've graduated and (hopefully) started working in the field[/footnote], even if they are on sale, but I've got such a big backlog it doesn't matter. So a huge backlog can be a very good problem to have.

 

[Kyr Knightbane]

My backlog is pretty severe. I have games from like 2006 ish waiting to be played. I just recently bought Dragons Dogma and Midnight Club Los Angeles Complete Edition and got them for dirt cheap during a sale. Dragons Dogma is taking up pretty much all my free time and Midnight Club is probably one of the funnest racing games i've played in a very long time. And the customization is pretty sick. I still have yet to complete my Oblivion GOTY i bought on steam a year ago for about 8 bucks. That and Borderlands 1 and 2. The list goes on and on.

 

[COMaestro]

A backlog is nearly unavoidable for the average gamer. There's always a game that you are anxiously waiting for and once it is released and acquired, whatever you are currently playing gets tossed on the back burner. This can especially happen around Christmas or birthdays, where you may receive a couple of games at the same time then you either try both, or just play through one entirely before touching the other one. Of course, in the meantime, you may pick up yet another game which stops you from playing the others you received.

For example, last Christmas, I received Demon's Souls, Metal Gear Solid HD collection (which is 3 games), and Goldeneye 007 Reloaded with the PS Move. I had been going between playing Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Uncharted 3 and Batman: Arkham City to try to get all the trophies, but I had at least finished both games so moved onto something new. I really got into Demon's Souls, however I had a newborn son and low and behold Demon's Souls has no pause button. The older my kid got, the more immediate attention he needed, so DS has been put on my back burner as I couldn't guarantee being able to drop the controller at a moment's notice.

I started Metal Gear Solid 2, but trying to go back to older controls after 3 and 4 was hard. I decided to spend my time trying to Platinum Dynasty Warriors 7 (which I did), then went back to Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage to Platinum it (which I also did). Went back to Metal Gear for a bit, but then it was getting close to my birthday (in July) and I picked up Way of the Samurai 3 since I found it cheap and loved the first one. Played it a bit before my birthday hit and I got Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 (big fan of DW and Gundam), and Sorcery for the PS Move. Started with Sorcery because I heard it was short, but it being summer the house was often too hot for frantic waving of the Move, so it's on the backburner (and since it is Winter, will probably be played again soon) and went on to DW:G3. I played through that to nearly Platinum (just some multiplayer to do), but picked up Borderlands 2. This being more fun with friends, I haven't finished it since it's hard to get us all together to play. Then Assassin's Creed 3 came out and I am currently working through it.

So in one year my backlog has added Metal Gear HD collection, Demon's Souls, Way of the Samurai 3, Sorcery, Goldeneye, and Borderlands 2. This is on top of wanting to play Metal Gear Solid 4 again since the trophy update, and wanting to go back to finish a bunch of games that I started (Devil May Cry 4, Stranglehold, Folklore, Fallout 3 and NV, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, and some others and still wanting to go back to Uncharted 3, Batman AC, Assassin's Creed Revelations). All these games I do want to go back and play, but with having a kid and full time job and spending time with my wife, gaming time can be hard to come by. Plus the holidays are here again so there are some more games in my future. I don't see my backlog shrinking any time soon.

 

[porous_shield]

I have a bunch of games from the Humble Bundles, GOG, and Steam yet to see the title screen (10-15 games) but I don't really feel bad about it because I never buy games more than $4.99 so even if I never get to them, it's not that much money invested. Most of these games are games I know I'm going to like with another few being experiments. I got Hydrophobia for a little over a dollar because it looked interesting, but I know it has gotten terrible reviews, so even if I play only a couple hours I feel I got my money worth out of it.

I bought WarCraft II in 1996 and I've only beaten it last year. I know I'll beat all the games eventually. It just takes me a while.

 

[Redd the Sock]

Guilty. As others have said, sales are crippling as formerly $60 games start to go 10 - 15 and become irreistable. For some of us there's a secondary builder of genre. I like JRPGs which can have low print runs, so while you know Skyrim or GTA will be on the used shelf regularly, others knid of have to be bought now or lose the chance. And they always take longer than I expect. You think you'll be done by the end of the week, then some hard part pops up, or that minigame got way too addictive, or you've grinded for 3x as long as you thought you would, or the story went into high gear with an hour long cutscene.

At least I've limited my impulse for completist files.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

I agree with many here that if you love games the way Escapist members are apt to do, a backlog is just going to build up. I've got a giganto-normous backlog spanning many console, handheld, and PC systems, but I collect games and systems (they're taking over my house and may eat me in my sleep).

Recently I've forced myself to be much more picky and specific about what I want, and gaining more insight into what kind of experiences I truly love. A game like Dishonored is critically acclaimed, loved by many, but I know it's not my thing. I know I'll want to love it and I'll just feel bad for not having fun. If I feel that way, I'm not doing it right and wasting my time. Let's Plays and "WTF is..." are glorious for helping with this.