The Gamer's Quarter

friedchicken · . Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 496 Location: Port Land, OR

So. I just got back from a week-long vacation in Utah/Arizona/Nevada. While I took my DS with me along with a full compliment of games, I made a last minute snap decision to avoid them until at least the plane ride home. Let's face it, on a good vacation where you plan it yourself, you should have a plenty of stuff lined up to do. And we did. To make a long story short, I was surprised that I didn't miss games all that much. (I did, however, miss easily-accessible vegan food like I have at home-- thanks for nothing, Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge!)

On the trip back, BTW, I played an entire game of Super Mario Bros 3!

That got me thinking. I feel like I need to simplify my gaming life. I buy way too many games thinking that I'll get around to them one day, so that I end up not appreciating what I have, or playing through half way until the next interesting game comes out. As an example, I still haven't finished Killer 7-- there have been three or four games that I've gotten since I started playing it, each of which I bought after it.

But where do I start? The problem is I've become way too invested in too many genres and series that I feel I can't let them go. Add to that the fact that I've reduced my game playing time by about half in the last year or so, and my problem becomes obvious.

So I was wondering who else has this problem, and if you've overcome it, how did you do so? The answer can't be as simple as "stop buying so many games".

SuperWes · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:01 am Post subject: Re: Going cold turkey

dhex · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 11:03 am Post subject:

we need some discipline in here!

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player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

Stop buying games.

Seriously.

Or, at least, stop buying games you've already played.

For me, games take as long a time to complete thoroughly as books. And while I can and do polish books off in a weekend (thanks, class), I mostly don't find myself enjoying it. I feel the same way about games. If I buy more than one game a month, I end up feeling burned out on games. Of course there are exceptions (Winning Eleven, anyone?), but even some of my favorite games take a while to sink in and digest. Killer 7 happens to be one of those...

Actually, I want to play P.N.03, Resident Evil 4, and then Killer 7 in a row. That's probably going to push my gaming schedule back more than a month.
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SuperWes · Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 11:58 am Post subject:

player 2 · . Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 585 Location: Madison, WI USA

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

I had this problem, and still do to a lesser extent. I found that the best thing to do is drop RPGs in general. Aside from maybe one a year or so I don't really play RPGs. I thought I did, but they just make the back log of other games build. Think that you can probably play about 4 games in the time of one RPG. This does not solve your problem, but it does make it feel like you are wasting less money.

Then go into trying to only buy games you know you will play. This is a bit harder because you can always convince yourself you will have time. If you just realize that you need to put game X off until you beat games A and B then most likely by the time that you beat games A and B that you will have forgot you wanted to buy game X and moved onto game Y.

Another thing to do is to just move over to collecting up the games that you always wanted to play and not buy any new games for X amount of time (aside from one or two that you plan in advance). I will frequently do this for 3 month stints.

Another option is to get into emulation more heavily. I know it is a bit more gray area, but if you just build up a queue of games you are going to beat and play it will distract you enough to let most frivolous game purchases pass you by.

friedchicken · . Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 496 Location: Port Land, OR

Hey Shaper, you're back. Or have been back, you know what I mean.

You're right about RPGs. They're dead for me, except for portables and Nippon Ichi (which is a big problem right there). It helps that my wife can't stand them.

I've followed your second piece of advice lately-- mostly for money concerns-- we'll see how it turns out. The problem is we have so many series that we're fairly well invested in that if one of those comes out in the middle of, say, Killer 7, I feel like I need to buy it. Add to that the trend that games I get really excited about seem to come out within a week of each other, and the problem compounds.

Another aspect of this is how games are sold these days. Your Halos and your Zeldas aside, a lot of games utterly disappear within months of coming out, rather than getting cheaper. Then it's eBay or nothing once you decide you really missed something. A great example of this is the domestic version of Rez, but GBA games are the worst offenders. For every GBA game you can get for a song without manual or box, there are three or four you either just can't find anywhere (Mr. Driller A), or which go for a load on auction sites (can't think of an example right now).

So yeah, I'm going to try and force myself to be really selective. I might even sell/trade off some of my backlog, just to get some value out of it. I think I saw a trading topic somewhere around here, so maybe I'll post there.

simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

One of the things I'm doing currently is forcing myself to finish games in order. So Battalion Wars doesn't get bought until I finish Advance Wars 2 & Dual Strike, Makai Kingdom doesn't get bought for a year at least (I'm still on La Pucelle), Dawn of Sorrow is awaiting completion of Aria, Fire Emblem GC waits for Sacred Stones, etc.

Knowing the release dates well in advance helps curb impulse buys too. I've avoided several new DS titles cause I know I've got Shadow of the Colossus and Fire Emblem coming out soon.

But I am a little worried that things like Lost In Blue, Pheonix Wright and Trauma Center may just disappear after a couple months.

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

dhex · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 10:48 am Post subject:

here's another idea:

don't use credit cards for any game purchases. only buy in cash. if you have to order something online, only buy something when you already have the cash equivalent for it.

actually, this is a good strategy for any non-essential entertainment item.
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Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

Sushi d · Moderator Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 239

heh heh heh...

the way i got past "overgaming syndrome" was to limit the amount of games i play...

i do this by forming a bond with a game and not playing (outside of a multiplayer session) or buying or "yaaaarghh"-ing other games until i feel i've completed it or i am pissed off with it.

it works for me so you can often find me incessantly babbling over a certain game for an extended periodd of time. the longer the time, the more i am liking it.
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Swimmy · . Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 990 Location: Fairfax, VA

I'm almost jealous. I feel like I don't play games nearly enough. I've been spending all of my time making papercraft thingamajigs.

SuperWes · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 12:54 pm Post subject:

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

SuperWes · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:06 pm Post subject:

Legal Step · . Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 81 Location: Los Angeles

simplicio · . Joined: 03 May 2005 Posts: 1091

nICO · . Joined: 19 Feb 2005 Posts: 120 Location: WVUSA

I usually tend to buy games only when there is a buy 2 get 1 free sale going on at my local game store, Gamestop, or EB.

The downside of this is I don't have a wide selection of games to choose from since used games are all that are under this deal, and given my distaste for spending more than $50.00 at a time on games (or anything, really), I almost always limit myself to $20-ish games. And of course, my purchasing schedule is dictated by finding a sale. I also feel bad for not supporting games that I feel I should support. Killer 7, Kirby's Canvas Curse, and Paper Mario 2 are the only new games I've bought all year, I think, and PM2 was a gift.

The upside is that I get more games for cheaper, I can play most of the games I get between sales without being too overloaded (even if I rarely beat them), and I have a nice way of limiting my spending.

I've seen three such sales in the past couple weeks, and have made out pretty well with Silent Hill 2, Kirby's Dream Course, Mischief Makers, Sim City (SNES), DK Jungle Beat, extra bongo, Meteos, Diddy Kong Racing, and Pilotwings 64 all for about $70.

I also try to purchase games in a nice rhythm. I'll buy an involving title along with or followed by something more lighthearted or for mostly collection purposes. For example, on my last few purchases, I got Silent Hill 2, Meteos, and Mischief Makers which I've been spending (or will spend) a lot of time on. Then I also got Sim City, Diddy Kong Racing, and Pilotwings because they were only a couple dollars each all together and I'd only play them a little before filing them away.
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Brauner: Damn you, humans... You selfishly start wars and despoil the earth. Perhaps justice wasn't on my side but I will never admit that it was on yours.

Tablesaw · . Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 303 Location: LACAUSA

SuperWes · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 9:45 am Post subject:

dhex · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:18 am Post subject:

far cheaper.

assuming you correct for inflation, of course. otherwise, bread's still a nickel, etc.
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SuperWes · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:30 am Post subject:

dhex · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:32 am Post subject:

yes, but correcting for inflation that copy of romance of the three kingdoms i paid 70 dollars for (after working my ass off for nearly six months) when i was 12 is the equivalent of about 110 dollars today. that's pretty impressive.

mass produced electronic commodities always get cheaper. it's one of the many reasons marxist economic theory exists only in literature programs.
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