The "Backlog" effect

[Vault101]

I've been thinking

does pilling up on a list of games "to play" make you lose interest/ruin your enjoyment?

and by that I mean you feel frustrated at "needing" to get through games rather than excited for playing them? where looking at it feels like a daunting task rather than somthing to look forward too?

does it depend on the game and its quality?

recently I I traded in a whole bunch of games, it struck me that I didn't feel the need to hold onto them

some of them I have finished..some of them I didnt and was never going to (dark souls/skyrim)

but thats beside the point

see Batman Arkham city is an awsome game...I loved Arkham Alylum and I loved AC when I started

but of coarse that was months ago and I kept piling on games to my list because the novelty have having a console handt worn off

and now I just am not interested in AC...at all..I mean I plowed through the uncharted series in no time (then traded them all in) started several games..finished some (Deus Ex, Deadspace)

and I've started Infamous 2 which I love the absolute shit out of

but I'm just not interested in Arkham City...its like the "new"ness of it wore off

 

[T_ConX]

You want to talk about Backlogs?

How about this? I finished my first year of Engineering two months ago. During the school year, I decided to swear off video games altogether. As a result, I built up a backlog of 30 games.

In the last two months, I've beaten five (Xenoblade, AC:Rev, Katawa Shoujo, inFamous 2, and Catherine), am currently plowing through Skyrim and Tales of the Abyss 3D, and waiting for the Steam Summer Sale to get a few more games...

 

[FalloutJack]

No, I'm going to say it doesn't. What it DOES do is make me hate the fact that there's only so much time in a day.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

No, I'm going to say it doesn't. What it DOES do is make me hate the fact that there's only so much time in a day.

agreed. Although I do love having such a huge library/backlog now, I can shrug off shitty/overhyped releases and go play my other games I have picked up through steam sales or GoG instead of possibly caving in and getting those games.

 

[Norrdicus]

Having a huge backlog stresses me out combined with my slight "completionist OCD" tendencies

At the very least it limits the amount of playthroughs I'll do. I've been planning my Fallout New Vegas "genocide playthrough" for ages, but my rather large backlog keeps me from starting it.

 

[Ruzinus]

http://www.backloggery.com/Ruzinus

This thing tells me that 12% of my current collection is things I haven't even played. I think the main cause of this is buying a bunch of things during a sale. It could be off... I don't always bother to update it with my play progress, but it's probably a good estimate. The number may seem a bit high... but so what?

If you let your backlog be an obligation then you're turning something that should increase your luxury into something that... well it's different for every person there, but letting entertainment feel like an obligation generally has a negative effect.

The way I choose to view these things is an increase in your options. When you want to play something and you're not sure what, it's nice to have a library to choose from.

 

[Vault101]

No, I'm going to say it doesn't. What it DOES do is make me hate the fact that there's only so much time in a day.

agreed. Although I do love having such a huge library/backlog now, I can shrug off shitty/overhyped releases and go play my other games I have picked up through steam sales or GoG instead of possibly caving in and getting those games.

the only difference there (as far as I can see) is they are in a store rather than on yoru shelf....

and with less obligation...I guess I just really like going to the store...browsing the games even though 99% of the time I know what I'm therefore

[small/]and yes storeperson..I know your obligated to ask me every fucking time but if I wanted upcoming x title that bad I would have already pre ordered it...so thank you..but no...NO I DO NOT WANT STOP ASKING ME THINGS[/small]

 

[SweetShark]

Well, I had in the old days a Backlog full of games that I keep thinking I will someday I will try a finish them.......but I don't...
Cause of my recent work I have and other personal things I must do, I don't have the time to finish them all. It is very frustrating I must tell you...

That why I decided to change that and do something really weird:

I created backlog with the games I am waiting to come out. With that I have only few games to see to play in the future [like Hitman 5, Grim Dawn, X-com: EU 2012 etc.] and I left my "fight" to play older games.
Why you ask?
Cause I am no longer hype for these games anymore. Indeed, the reason I played a game I really liked is because of the hype I had for this game.
Of course I was waiting to see from reviews and from other users to see if the games I wanted was ok.
Also I know I will never play a game base of the hype I have, but this i y new way to "care" for the recent games.

My other tactic I have is to make a list with my favourite Publishers/Developers/Persons of Videogames. I know this sound weird, but when I am doing that, I have the feeling that I am not missing these games, that I still "remember" that forgot to play this games.........yeah, I know is weird, but still....

And that are my solutions I have to make a smaller backlog of games. I hope I helped.

 

[Vault101]

snip.

I think somthing is kind of wrong though if hype is the only reason to play a game

back when I "started" gaming I had quite alot of good titles cheap at my dispoasal...I couldnt afford new games so it was about what interested me rather than what was new

Fallout 3
Bioshock
mass effect
dead space
darksiders
saints row 2
Assasins creed


I had to make good choices because games were expensive, (that and I guess time had distilled the list of potential games)


that said there were games like Deus Ex and Dead space 2 I took loooooong breaks from..but finished anyway and they remain my favorites, (got dead space 2 when it came out..finished a few weeks ago) so mabye it just has to do with whim and the game

I mean Infamous 2 isn't any worse because I started it last week and not when it came out and neither was Infamous 1

 

[SweetShark]

snip.

snip

That why I said it is not a good way to play a game only if you are very hype, but for me it worked very well.
As you said yourself, it took you sometime to finih a game cause you take a break.
Me personaly if I take a long break from a game I started, most od the times I stop playing anymore.
The reason very simple: Even a game is good, the game doesn't made me to care for this game anymore...
When I really like a specific videogame, I never take a break. I am always trying to fimd a little time for myself to play even for an hour to finish the game I like.

If I remember right there was a user that he got a backlog with 60 games!!! He said he started to playing some game. but he eventually made a huge mistake: He wanted also to try the other games...
THIS is a giant mistake right here.

If a game doesn't make you to play it until the end, then I think you shouldn't push yourself to finish the game, even if the game is good.

And that why I create the specific backlog. At least I know I am interesting to play these games in the future.

 

[Soopy]

Don't have this problem. I'm very fussy with games, I only have maybe 3 that I actually enjoy.

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

Pfft... HAHAHAHAAA!!

You want to talk backlogs then you should see my Backloggery:
http://www.backloggery.com/retrovortex

Oh, and its out of date, quite badly so.

I probably have a lot more games to play now! XD
(Maybe along the lines of 500-600 maybe. (I'm not kidding...))

EDIT: Yeah... I'm a bit of a smourgashboard gamer. I like to have a selection of loads of different games to choose from to randomly play.

(Shame that a lot of the time. I can't actually decide what I want to play! X'D)

Currently playing Theatrhythm and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.
(I always these sort of games pretty regularily)

 

[ResonanceSD]

Solution:

Buy games in summer sale

Play them in the rest of the year.

Pfft... HAHAHAHAAA!!

You want to talk backlogs then you should see my Backloggery:
http://www.backloggery.com/retrovortex

Oh, and its out of date, quite badly so.

I probably have a lot more games to play now! XD
(Maybe along the lines of 500-600 maybe. (I'm not kidding...))

Why would anyone actually be impressed by a backlog? All you're doing is trumpeting your poor impulse control. So, well done you! Good job! Now, I've got a bridge for sale, would you be up for it?

 

[Still Life]

I try not to buy too many games because feeling pressured to finish one to get to the other isn't really an enjoyment of the hobby.

Which is why I tend to be really picky.

 

[SweetShark]

Pfft... HAHAHAHAAA!!

You want to talk backlogs then you should see my Backloggery:
http://www.backloggery.com/retrovortex

Oh, and its out of date, quite badly so.

I probably have a lot more games to play now! XD
(Maybe along the lines of 500-600 maybe. (I'm not kidding...))

EDIT: Yeah... I'm a bit of a smourgashboard gamer. I like to have a selection of loads of different games to choose from to randomly play.

(Shame that a lot of the time. I can't actually decide what I want to play! X'D)

Currently playing Theatrhythm and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.
(I always these sort of games pretty regularily)

A very good example why we must sometimes forget about the old games.
If you are telling the true that you have to play 500-600 games, just stop. You will never make it.
Just create a list with this games you like or something similar with the one I have an update just to relax and have fun. With that will not have the feeling you "left" this games.
Just play the recent ones only.

 

[SweetShark]

I try not to buy too many games because feeling pressured to finish one to get to the other isn't really an enjoyment of the hobby.

Which is why I tend to be really picky.

Also this.
Even I am hype for some games, it is very rare a game to make me feel that way.

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

Solution:

Buy games in summer sale

Play them in the rest of the year.

Pfft... HAHAHAHAAA!!

You want to talk backlogs then you should see my Backloggery:
http://www.backloggery.com/retrovortex

Oh, and its out of date, quite badly so.

I probably have a lot more games to play now! XD
(Maybe along the lines of 500-600 maybe. (I'm not kidding...))

Why would anyone actually be impressed by a backlog? All you're doing is trumpeting your poor impulse control. So, well done you! Good job! Now, I've got a bridge for sale, would you be up for it?

Oh. I'm not proud of it. Not at all.

Infact quite the opposite. I'm pretty ashamed of myself!
But it is pretty funny though.

(I am making more effort to play them. I'm actually planning to NOT buy any new consoles. Not even a WiiU, so that I can go back and play some of these games)

I'll be honest. My best friend, (also an avid gamer), finishes most of his games because he has two things I don't:

- Isolation (having one's own room helps. I can't actually GET IN my bedroom, since my little brother basically lives in there!)
- The ability to play a game for more than an hour or two
(I struggle to play games for a long time. I get hand cramps, even with constant breaks. Only portables I play for a long time really, which is why I tend to get further into them)

I need to save up for a new PC really, I got loads of GOGs and Steam games I haven't even touched because I don't really have the hardware to play them.
(Everytime I jump on a PC. I get kicked off. In terms of pecking order, I am the lowest in the household. , and though a laptop might be good for playing The Binding of Isaac, its not exactly ideal for Skyrim or Just Cause 2, even with a 360 controller for it!)

Eh, but in the end of the day, I have fun with the games I play, even if I don't finish any of them. Isn't that all that matters! XD

 

[dimensional]

When I start to get a serious backlog I just become really picky in what games I buy if I am not going to play it straight away I wont get it as it would be pointless (and it gets cheaper with time), some games will never get finished though as I hated them so they dont count but if a games good I can still enjoy it regardless of age (ok to an extent) I just finished my SNES backlog last year and now need to focus on the PSX but the trouble is the older the game is the more its out of my mind and the less likely I am to play it especially if I have to set a new console up or configure my comp to play it.

 

[havoc33]

The backlog is frustrating in the sense that I rarely allow my self to buy a new game on release anymore. I have like 6-7 games at home that I have not finished or maybe not even started, and as such it "prevents" me from buying new games on release. I know I can buy whenever I want, but what is the point of having 50+ games laying around and you never finish them? Life was easier when I was a kid; back then I could only afford like 2 games a year, so the games I bought was carefully planned and needless to say, the anticipation was sky high each time.

 

[TrevHead]

As others have stated getting hyped up for a game can really make playing it a pleasure, backlogs tend to take that feeling away unless its some old gem of a game that you have just discovered.

For myself i'm a fickle gamer and tend to change what genre I have that iche to play from month to month so I tend to buy a game and lose the urge to play before I get around to it. I'm finding it's best to leave a game unplayed on my shelf, and resist the urge to play it and let the anticipation build up. As just like hype it's the feeling of been unable to have something that makes enjoyment so much better, having games sat on my shelf / HD ruins that

The best thing would be to just not have a backlog and buy games when I need them.