How to deal with the backlog?

[Charl]

So sitting with close to 40 games on PS3/ Xbox/ PC that I have yet to finish. Some of them are small, but most of them are 'AAA' budget games. My main gripe is that its just growing. Every time I tell myself 'No, finish what you currently have first', but then I always end up buying new releases Day 1. I then play it for a few hours, perhaps even days and then bam! 4-5 months go past without me touching it.

I would love to say that this is a time constraint issue, but I find myself staring at my screen after work, wondering what I should do. Perhaps this is caused by the idea of overwhelming choice?

Anyway I need a system. I'm starting to get afraid that my mindset of not finishing games will cause me to lose interest in the hobby itself. What's the point of buying games if I only spend a few hours playing them and then ignoring them! It feels like I'm in a broken relationship with electronics, where each purchase is just a new way of me trying to make it work, but sadly the new purchase is just a charade of not accepting that my hobby is dying for me.

The other problem is that looking at my backlog, the amount of time it will take to actually deal with it is super intimidating.

But then I get excited at the idea of new games coming out. Everytime I see a well made launch trailer or read a hands-on preview on a game I 'need to own', I get goose bumps. Yet come a few days after I bought it, I end up ignoring it.

I've tallied it up and sitting on close to R16 000 worth of games I have yet to finish, 5 of them have yet to be opened :<

I need a support group :|

So anyone want to share their system of dealing with a backlog?

[Charl]

Gah wrong place, could a mod move this to general gaming. Sorry about that
(If it can't be moved, can it be deleted so I don't dupe)

[steaksauce]

I have the perfect sollution for you! You see, I am sitting with exactly the opposite problem that you have. I feel I don't have enough games and that I constantly need to challenge myself with a new one. I come home after work, staring at my screan, wnadering what am I going to play today. I propose you ship some of your stash to me. I think if I take some off your hands its like a win-win situation. Maybe the loss will make you want to play your remaining backlog a bit more often.....?

[Grimspoon]

Charl - Don't fret my friend, I am in the exact same boat as you, except I may have a fairly valid excuse, 2 kids that keep me seriously busy.

Alas, I still find myself wondering wtf I should play when I do in fact get 5 minutes to do so.

I keep saying "I will get to that, I will get that" and never do. I have stopped buying games, will only buy what is SERIOUSLY necessary, like Gears of war 3 for example. I also have about 5 or so games still wrapped

Otherwise I will enjoy the titles that I haven't gotten to and I am also going to trade in a ton that I don't / won't play.

[Tinman]

I would suggest figuring out what it was about each game that got you so excited, and try re-experience that. Choose one of the games on your list and go watch some trailers and read some reviews. I find I tend to stop playing games I love for long periods of time, but then I'll be at work and come across a trailer or gameplay video which instantly inspires me to want to play again. This has actually recently happened with 3 games I love but don't currently have time to play: Bad Company 2, StarCraft II and Shogun 2.

Also, try and forget about all the other games you have to play when you're playing one. The problem is that you're spoiled for choice. The same happens with me and music - if I buy 5 CDs and take them home, there is a good chance that I won't get into any of them, whereas if I were to have just bought one, the chances would be higher that I would end up really enjoying it.

It sounds like you're procrastinating because in your head you have made your pile of games a task which you must get out the way, instead of simple entertainment. That pressure is likely what's causing you to keep putting them off.

Also, you need to stop buying games man

[hideinlight]

Pick 1 you really want to play then randomly choose 4 others. When you finish 4/5 then replace those 4 and put the 5th one in a separate pile, the "leftover pile". That way the "leftover pile" becomes your new backlog.

[Charl]

Big ol post incoming!
Thanks for moving the thread mod.

I have the perfect sollution for you! You see, I am sitting with exactly the opposite problem that you have. I feel I don't have enough games and that I constantly need to challenge myself with a new one. I come home after work, staring at my screan, wnadering what am I going to play today. I propose you ship some of your stash to me. I think if I take some off your hands its like a win-win situation. Maybe the loss will make you want to play your remaining backlog a bit more often.....?

Heh, with those route, I'm truly pissing away my money then
But I get what you mean. might actually be a decent idea to get rid of some of them, the loss would make it easier to manage and justify

Charl - Don't fret my friend, I am in the exact same boat as you, except I may have a fairly valid excuse, 2 kids that keep me seriously busy.

Alas, I still find myself wondering wtf I should play when I do in fact get 5 minutes to do so.

I keep saying "I will get to that, I will get that" and never do. I have stopped buying games, will only buy what is SERIOUSLY necessary, like Gears of war 3 for example. I also have about 5 or so games still wrapped

Otherwise I will enjoy the titles that I haven't gotten to and I am also going to trade in a ton that I don't / won't play.

Yeah, I justify my excuse by watching movies. I think my main problem is that I just can't find a way to juggle between work and my hobbies. If I have to go through my complete recreational backlog, like movies I bought/ books I bought. I will be completely bonkers.

Are you children still young? Or do they always keep you busy, irrespective of age?

I would suggest figuring out what it was about each game that got you so excited, and try re-experience that. Choose one of the games on your list and go watch some trailers and read some reviews. I find I tend to stop playing games I love for long periods of time, but then I'll be at work and come across a trailer or gameplay video which instantly inspires me to want to play again. This has actually recently happened with 3 games I love but don't currently have time to play: Bad Company 2, StarCraft II and Shogun 2.

Also, try and forget about all the other games you have to play when you're playing one. The problem is that you're spoiled for choice. The same happens with me and music - if I buy 5 CDs and take them home, there is a good chance that I won't get into any of them, whereas if I were to have just bought one, the chances would be higher that I would end up really enjoying it.

It sounds like you're procrastinating because in your head you have made your pile of games a task which you must get out the way, instead of simple entertainment. That pressure is likely what's causing you to keep putting them off.

Also, you need to stop buying games man

I think that's exactly what happens. Thanks. Looking back now, esp to the game i completed and return to, its mostly caused by exposing myself to the game through another medium. Be it a trailer/ game play footage or even something I read online. This actually happened to me with infamous. I completed the game in the same week it was released. I've completed it twice since then, mostly because of the infamous 2 announcement and the hands-on impressions since then.

I think the main culprit for not seeing gaming as entertainment, is due to calculating the growing sum I spend on games. I should really stop doing that :/

Pick 1 you really want to play then randomly choose 4 others. When you finish 4/5 then replace those 4 and put the 5th one in a separate pile, the "leftover pile". That way the "leftover pile" becomes your new backlog.

Thanks, I have a version of this going on at the moment. Throwing games into stacks based on 'degree of completion'. Consists of 3 stacks. Need to complete | Want to complete | Don't care to complete.

I usually end up trying to play some of the games in the need pile and then send them to either 'want' or 'don't care'. The system works .. until a new game comes along, then everything gets moved aside :/

I think the best advice I can take from this is simply: I need to stop buying games on release date, with a little self-control, I might be able to pick up the titles I want when there is actually a special running.

I should also stop reading up on games. I honestly need to get away from the hype machine, that is gaming media.

[phoenix]

Another approach would be to assemble all of your games in one place, then go through them and consider which of them you could do without playing. Perhaps you bought some of them on impulse? Once you have worked through your collection and [hopefully] eliminated the bulk of your titles, sell or give these away and concentrate on what you think you really want to play.

This is what I am busy doing, though I shall probably end up binning those that are too old to interest anyone.

I would probably get more gaming done if I did not spend quite so much time on the internet.

[matt]

Personally I tend to finish whatever game I'm busy with before I get new games. If I have half played games lying around they will drive me crazy, and if you pick up a game halfway after not playing it for a few months, you'll have forgotten what's happening in the story, how the controls work, etc, and generally suck at the game because you're trying to relearn how to play it at a point where you should be well practised.

The upside to this is that when I do get round to buying a new game eventually, it's often not so new anymore, and the price has come down nicely.

I would say that if you have a stack of games that you're not particularly interested in finishing, sell them and concentrate on the ones you do want to finish.

[axon1988]

Phoenix don't bin them! Let me know which titles you want to get rid of. I'm a collector of sorts :P Same goes to anyone else who want's to get rid of some. The only advice I can give to you is maybe take a small break and try to figure it all out. Make a mental note as to which games you have to do and do them... take your time with the others and when a new game comes out just add it to the list don't put everything aside for it. It's not a race!