Tired of gaming? Has CAG broken me?

reibeatall

reibeatall

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First off, I love this site. Second, since I joined a year and a half ago, I've probably tripled my current-gen game collection, and I did it all for tons cheaper than I would have anyway.

But I've stopped playing all the games I buy. At this point, I'm pretty much just playing Rock Band. I keep buying games, though, because you guys keep posting amazing deals. I apparently have no will-power. But when I go to play a game, there are so many games I've bought that I haven't really played, and I almost get overwhelmed by choices, so I instead browse CAG and buy more games. Not really the best solution.

Do you guys get in a gaming rut every once in a while? What do you do to get out of it?
 
No, I haven't gotten in a gaming rut since I stopped buying shitty games like some kind of moron. Everybody buys a lot of shit when they first join CAG, and that makes gaming less fun since... you're playing garbage.
 
Tired of gaming? No.

Buying too many games that I'll never play just because I keep finding the real good ones at cheap prices no thanks to this community? You bet your ass.

I still have some GameCube games that I bought last year that are in their plastic wrapping, all because I got them cheap thanks to everyone here.

YOU'RE ALL TO BLAME FOR ME SPENDING ALL OF MY MONEY! :cry: BUT I STILL LOVE YOU GUYS!
 
Nah, even with these good deals, what good is buying the game if you're not going to do something with it like playing it or selling it for a profit? I tend to only buy 2-3 games at a time and then make sure I beat those before buying my next batch.
 
[quote name='Tsukento']Buying too many games that I'll never play just because I keep finding the real good ones at cheap prices no thanks to this community? You bet your ass.

I still have some GameCube games that I bought last year that are in their plastic wrapping, all because I got them cheap thanks to everyone here.
[/quote]

*looks to sealed copies of Fire Emblem and Star Fox Assault*

Yeah, me too. But man, THEY WERE SO CHEAP. Totally worth it.
 
Basically you have to live by this one rule when it comes to CAG, "Just because it's cheap doesn't mean that I have to have it." We have stated this time in time again because a lot of people end up like you my friend with a huge backlog with no time to play it. I did one time have too many systems and games to the point I knew if I didn't get rid of most of them I just wasn't up to playing everything I had at the time.

I have to stop myself sometimes because I know that I could keep buying games but then when a great one comes along like Call of Duty 4 that monopolizes my time I try to stay away from getting more games. But, in contrast to most here my backlog is only a few games because most of the time when I lose interest in a game I sell it or trade it in.

So the best advice I can give you is to focus only on getting titles you know you really want to play and anything else just leave it alone because you probably won't get around to playing it anyways.
 
I think a lot of gamers go through a similar phase; it's not just because of CAG deals. I know when I was just a kid I relied on my parents allowing/getting me the game. So the budget was tight and I would only get one or two games a year. This meant spending a lot more time on one single game.

Now that I'm grown up and have a job I can buy a lot more games. I've only played maybe 30% of the games I have. Others mentioned it but some of the games I have are probably mediocre junk. Solution: try all the games and if it's not somewhat fun, get rid of them. or set a budget and force yourself to be more selective.
 
before i joined cag i wasnt much of a gamer anymore. but i knew i needed to get some deals on games cause for someone like me that doesn't really play as much as i used to, im not paying full price for them. thats how i found out about this site. i play a little more than i used to but i buy more than i play.
 
I've made it my rule that for awhile I won't be buying any more games until I play the bulk of the ones I have now. I have just passed off many great deals these past few days but enough is enough, I can't be flooded with games, no matter how good the deal is.

And no one knows a game is bad until they play it, you can't trust reviews, that's why it's good to pick up some games you'd normally never pay full price for for a nice deal.
 
[quote name='Chacrana']No, I haven't gotten in a gaming rut since I stopped buying shitty games like some kind of moron. Everybody buys a lot of shit when they first join CAG, and that makes gaming less fun since... you're playing garbage.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that's exactly what happened to me. I bought any and everything that was cheap because I figured it was only $5 or $10 so why not?

I still buy shit games from time to time but now it's only if I actually have some interest in it.
 
I have the same issue time to time myself. I remember once getting a GREAT deal on Fable. I think it was through Gamefly's end of the year sale and I think I got it at $35 w/ free shipping. I didn't end up playing the game until you could buy it new for $20. Since that specific incident, I do as many others say here: I don't buy games until I've beaten the ones I've gotten or if I KNOW I will play the game I'm buying. If you think about it, getting a great deal on a game 3 months after release isn't as great a deal as getting 1.5 years after. (witness above)
 
I used to do a lot of review researching and demo playing before I made any sort of purchase for the original Xbox, then I would play the hell out of those one or two games before moving on.

Then I joined CAG (and college) so now I'm backlogged all the way to FF12 and MGS3 on PS2 and Dead Rising on 360.

I find myself not appreciating each individual game as much anymore...mainly because when I near the end, I just want to finish so I could move on.
 
If you're playing (and enjoying) Rock Band, you aren't tired of gaming. You're just getting full enjoyment from a game you like, which is better than playing games just to complete them.

[quote name='reibeatall']But when I go to play a game, there are so many games I've bought that I haven't really played, and I almost get overwhelmed by choices, so I instead browse CAG and buy more games.[/quote]

I had a similar problem. I would have a few hours to sit down and play a game, so I would look over my shelves for one that I wanted to play. I'd almost pick one, but then I'd see something "better," and that would continue until I got overwhelmed and end up browsing the internet, sometimes also going onto CAG and buying more games, making it worse.

Recently, I settled on a solution to this "problem." When I buy games, I play them until I'm done with them. Not once I've beaten them, but once I've gotten all of the enjoyment I could from them. In the meantime, I let the backlog just accumulate. At one point, I tried to beat games quickly to clear the backlog, but ended up not enjoying the games I was playing and became burned out on gaming, which led to the backlog rebuilding itself.

By keeping an active queue of 1-3 games per system (or in one case, 5) spanning different genres, I no longer have to decide on a specific game to play from the backlog. I pick a console, and then choose a game from the reduced selection. Decision making is much easier when it's between (for example) Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect, and Skate rather than Final Fantasy XII, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, and Rogue Galaxy. When I decide that I'm done with one of the games, I rotate it out, and rotate a new game in that doesn't share a genre with one of the other active games. I don't place a limit as to how long I "should" continue to play a game while I have other, newer games to play (I still have Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee in my PSP's active queue).

Having a neverending backlog isn't a bad thing. It just means you'll never run out of games to play.
 
I stopped getting games for the 360 cuz of the achievement points.

I bought everything for the past few months on ps3 and I enjoy games much more now
 
I'm in the same boat as you OP. I'm not so much getting burned out but I find myself with a back log of games that I've never had before. Granted 90% of the time I buy games I know I am going to play but I'm down to spend $10 on a game that looks interesting or has a new/cool concept (Wartech). However, because of CAG I have SO many games right now and I always get overwhelmed when I'm trying to pick one to play. I find myself either picking a game that I play a lot of or coming on here to find better deals. I thought I was the only one but I'm glad to see that I am far from it.

I've been dealing with this problem by printing out a calendar of each month (no more than 3 months ahead) and for each day, I write down the type of game or a specific game that I am going to play that night. For instance on Thursdays, I have an RPG written down, Tuesdays are for sports games, Fridays are up in the air, and so on. It helps me space my games out and never allows them to become stale. I have also told myself that I will not buy any more games (unless it's a game that has a ridiculous price on a game that I've been eyeing for a while) until I have had my enjoyment out of them. It's been working out so far and I'm enjoying my games much more than I did previously.

Hopefully I will open up Uncharted tonight because I have been wanting to play that game for months now :bouncy:
 
[quote name='G33']By keeping an active queue of 1-3 games per system (or in one case, 5) spanning different genres, I no longer have to decide on a specific game to play from the backlog. I pick a console, and then choose a game from the reduced selection. Decision making is much easier when it's between (for example) Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect, and Skate rather than Final Fantasy XII, Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria, and Rogue Galaxy. When I decide that I'm done with one of the games, I rotate it out, and rotate a new game in that doesn't share a genre with one of the other active games. I don't place a limit as to how long I "should" continue to play a game while I have other, newer games to play (I still have Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee in my PSP's active queue).
[/QUOTE]

I do the exact same thing. I like to have three or four games I'm currently of different genres, so that I don't get burned out on a single game or have too much to choose from. It also keeps me from beating half an RPG, getting bored with it, coming back four months later, and starting over because I have no clue what the hell is going on anymore.
 
I have so many games which I've barely played, nearly finished but 'gave up on' because I got that next cheap deal on a game that I 'couldn't resist'.

Of course, I have finished many games, but many titles seem to be less satisfying in their endings anymore to me. It's almost like I expect TOO MUCH from a game, though some games seem like they intentionally leave the ending open to interpretation so that the devs can ponder a sequel.

And unfortunately, we all know how some sequels end up sucking ass, so I wish game devs would simply END a game with a definitive ending.
 
I only have 3 Xbox 360 games, and im Thinking of getting rid of one for a total or 2 that i actually play

I have 3 PSP Games, and 2 I still actually play. I like the community here, and it has more deals on this site than just games. But ive gotten alot back from this site.
 
[quote name='Chacrana']No, I haven't gotten in a gaming rut since I stopped buying shitty games like some kind of moron. Everybody buys a lot of shit when they first join CAG, and that makes gaming less fun since... you're playing garbage.[/QUOTE]

You can say that again.
 
yeah i have i once didnt play at all for a year
i was depressed or somethingjust didnt feel like playing just like the collecting part.

do you ever get that feeling where you have so many games yet not enought time to finish them,plus you want more games
 
[quote name='whitedeath']a gaming rut i agree with. sometimes a backlog is a major depression[/quote]

Actually, if you're gonna have a problem, this is a good one :D
 
You know you have it bad when you buy games for a system that you don't even own. I started buying games for PSP about a month before I bought it. I knew that I was definitely going to buy it (I was waiting for the Star Wars bundle) so it wasn't that bad.

I have yet to play Kotor or Kotor 2 (xbox). I bought them for $13.xx at CC and I don't own an Xbox. My only hope is if I get a 360 instead of a PS3 this year. Everytime I go to Fry's, Halo ($10) calls out to me.
 
[quote name='reibeatall']First off, I love this site. Second, since I joined a year and a half ago, I've probably tripled my current-gen game collection, and I did it all for tons cheaper than I would have anyway.

But I've stopped playing all the games I buy. At this point, I'm pretty much just playing Rock Band. I keep buying games, though, because you guys keep posting amazing deals. I apparently have no will-power. But when I go to play a game, there are so many games I've bought that I haven't really played, and I almost get overwhelmed by choices, so I instead browse CAG and buy more games. Not really the best solution.

Do you guys get in a gaming rut every once in a while? What do you do to get out of it?[/QUOTE]
I thought I was the only one. I buy games worth playing, so I'm not buying complete shit. But yes, I feel incredibly overwhelmed by choices. Do I strictly stick with current gen so I'm up to date on gaming or go through that nice little stack of PS2 RPGs I got from the EB's buy 2 get 1 free? It's an overload.
Ah well, I got a ton of time to play through games assuming I don't do something dumb like die or something.
 
Im in the same boat as the op... the common demoninator is Rock Band. We opened it on Christmas day and despite all the problems, its the only thing Ive been playing. In all fairness its the only thing my family plays too and when we all rock out its a good time and nothing else seems like its worth opening right now.

Ive got R&C :FToD and Assassins Creed sealed, with Uncharted and Heavenly Sword still in the Gamestop bag. I beat the Uncharted demo so I know its a great game and I wanted to buy it, and my son rented R&C and just HAD to have it. Now we have them and havent played either.
 
[quote name='Rozz']Actually, if you're gonna have a problem, this is a good one :D[/quote]

Yeah, I guess being depressed because you have too many games is better than some drug addiction... however, I may need to start popping pills if I'm going to get through this backlog. WHO NEEDS SLEEP ANYWAY?
 
I don't game as much as I use to but I blame this on the 70+ hour work weeks the systems I play most right now are the psp and ds when ever I can sneak in a nice 30 mins here or there
 
I can totally relate to the crazy backlogs. I've basically been playing Call of Duty 4 period since it came out, and have since been piling a ton of unplayed or barely played games up. I'm only halfway thought the halo 3 campaign, didn't finish skate., and to top it all off I got three new games for Christmas along with a Wii.

Add to this collection a mass of unopened HD-DVD/Blu-ray movies and you've got yourself a model CAG here.
 
I blame Mass Effect and Puzzle Quest for my current backlog. Spent way to much time on those games and my backlog just added up. I have finally admitted defeat and started getting rid of some stuff.
 
I've had a backlog since I stopped buying games I had a good interenst in playing when they came out for full price or close to full price. For example I bought Suikoden when it came out and played though it right away and bought Suikoden II when I found it cheaper and never got around to playing it.

The first game I didn't play though (or at least put in a decent amount of hours if I didn't finish it) was Wild Arms which I got when it came out but the reason I didn't really make any progress was because it kept locking up on me when I would leave town as it was loading up the world map as back then I didn't realize that putting the PS1 on it's side would fix this and CG videos from skipping like crazy.

I started waiting till most game came down and price to pick them up around the fall of '97 (Final Fantasy VII & Goldeneye on the 64 being the exceptions that fall) which is when I started to get a backlog from buying more then I was able to play though.

Like others I still end up keeping up with buying games if the price is right as I will still buy any game I'm interested in if I see a good price that I feel is the best price I'll be able to get it for even if I don't know when I'll get around to playing it. Also I keep up with buying since I don't forsee (sp?) having much if any luck finding buying rare/unconmon or niche type games cheap in 5-20 years at yardsales or in the wild like I do sometimes with say NES games and will be stuck with eBay (most likely) being my only option for anything I missed out on.
 
I've been crafting a perfect Gamecube collection since getting it last year in preparation for the Wii but haven't actually played very many of the games.
 
I mentioned this before, but about half my 4000 games are unplayed at this point. I am SLOWLY playing them but with some taking me 40-50 hours over 2 months, I dont see getting through all of them. Well, maybe in like 15 years or something.
 
[quote name='emg28']You know you have it bad when you buy games for a system that you don't even own. I started buying games for PSP about a month before I bought it. I knew that I was definitely going to buy it (I was waiting for the Star Wars bundle) so it wasn't that bad.

I have yet to play Kotor or Kotor 2 (xbox). I bought them for $13.xx at CC and I don't own an Xbox. My only hope is if I get a 360 instead of a PS3 this year. Everytime I go to Fry's, Halo ($10) calls out to me.[/quote]

LMAO! I'm in so much of a backlog i could probably hit the hundred mark :).

And i bought Zak and Wiki and No More Heroes for $15 each....but i don't have a wii....
 
Every once in a while, I get the sudden urge to just sell everything, get out of the whole hobby, and find something worthwhile to spend my time on....

Seriously. I feel like such an ass when I spend $30 on a game, and then listen to a story on NPR the next day about how hundreds of thousands of people across the world lost everything they have to a frickin' hurricane or earthquake...
 
[quote name='chrisnsally']Every once in a while, I get the sudden urge to just sell everything, get out of the whole hobby, and find something worthwhile to spend my time on....

Seriously. I feel like such an ass when I spend $30 on a game, and then listen to a story on NPR the next day about how hundreds of thousands of people across the world lost everything they have to a frickin' hurricane or earthquake...[/quote] Same here.
I have a huge backlog of games from playing almost nothing but pokemon pearl online with people all of last summer, and through February. I've bought tons of games in between that though. I constantly think of selling all of my collection to buy games that I'll actually play, but can't part with them.
 
Yeah, at one point my backlog was so huge. I just focused on one console at a time and got through all the games. When im done with my backlog on that console I move on to the next one.
 
yes i'm in the same situation. But it's not just because i have a variety of games to play I'm preoccupied with other things. I noticed that when I do game I usually play the same games as well. Most of the time I'm either too tired or too lazy to go back and complete the games I've started. I know what you mean by buying and not playing -__-
 
I have the problem of most people in this thread. I only have a 360, so it's not TOO bad, but I have 16 games and nothing I want to play. Hopefully I will be able to pick up a GC soon so I can have a bit more of a selection, but you never know...
 
I burn out from time to time, so I don't force myself to play, just go back to my other hobbies, eventually the old urge comes back. Or I sell off the stuff I don't play and buy something I will, works for me
 
I tend to come and go. But when I stop gaming it is usually because I am a bit busy, or just feeling lazy.

My backlog is huge, and I really don't know why I can't just stop buying games. I will start something, and then something new will come out and I will play that and put aside the first thing I started...and that will continue for quite a while. But I do have lots of games that are still sealed.

Sometimes I do contemplate selling, but I am a collector by nature so it's next to impossible for me to want to get rid of anything (even that hideous Star Wars Episode 1 Racer on the PS2).

I do like the idea of dedicating certain nights to certain games. I may have to try that. It would allow me to make progress through several games at the same time.

I'm back on a high note right now. Gaming just about every night. But right now I am trying to get through GTA4, the MGS Collection, and working on my CoD4 online stats...it feels like I am making no progress at all.
 
Yeah, been there before. The best fix, I think, is stop buying up games immediately. Just spend your gaming time on the few games, even if it's only one, that keeps your interest. Play the hell out of it, beat it... get your money's worth, like most of us useta' have to as kids with our few games.

Do that for awhile and it'll prolly help.
 
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