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In addition to the stash of games that I’ve been saving over the years for “some day”, I also have a (sort of) shameful pile of games that I do not play anymore. Its not that I don’t enjoy the games, I just don’t have the time to play them anymore. Over the years I’ve collected a variety of games, mostly because they were the latest and greatest at the time. However, even games that I had high hopes for, like Medal of Honor, never really panned out as I hoped they would.
Oh boy, I’m going to have to do this one again. I had this article written and then it was stolen by a user that just copied it and added a few things. So I am going to have to redo this article and just post it where it belongs. I have a bunch of articles waiting for people to post in them so this should be quick.
We all have valid reasons for taking a break from video games. Maybe it’s time to go to work, your partner wants to go on a date, or something new and sparkly is released.
It’s easy to forget about games in your library. I imagine the wicked monkey from Family Guy raising a finger of accusing every time I pass by them.
Later, I’ll finish.
But, because games aren’t inexpensive, why do we leave them by the side of the road after a pleasant trip through the woods? You wouldn’t leave a movie in the middle of it (in most cases). Why don’t we stay around for our games when we paid good money for both (in most cases)?
Stop ignoring them and consider what you have on your Gaming Pile of Shame. Gamers are a finicky bunch. A game may be set down for a time if there is a pause in the action or if I have to make a tough choice.
“Do I rescue the orphans or the kittens?” says the narrator. What sort of late-game effect will this have?”
“You want 30 raptor hearts after I gave you 20 raptor teeth?” Why couldn’t I have them both at once?”
“So I have an option of returning to the same dungeon or driving 20 minutes to the next one? Consider the might of my OFF button!”
We spend a lot of money on video games, yet we seldom play them again or finish them. Friends say it’s possible that I’m simply being lazy. Is that to say that if I took time away from studying to play games, I’d be less lazy? Could someone please clarify it to me?
Defeat sloth and capture Pokemon.
Insufficient Time
If you play for two hours on weekdays and six hours on weekends, you’ll have a total of 16 hours of solid gameplay. In a week, you could probably scratch the surface of Fallout: New Vegas, which has 100+ hours of gameplay.
Finishing big games is getting more difficult. I’m not referring to real difficulties. Games with 50+ hours of playtime are now available; they are referred to as “near endless” games. Many of these hours are just padding, which we soon tire of. Just Cause 2 was said to feature over 100 hours of gameplay.
Yes, I could probably spend 100 hours playing the game. However, that involves at least 50 hours of travel time. Why do games offer us lengthy sequences of travel that we don’t see in movies (unless it’s a pursuit scene)?
A good, entertaining game does not have to be lengthy or drawn out. Portal was a hit with gamers; it was just four hours of eerie humour, but it was well worth it.
Some don’t have any speech, yet they’re nonetheless scary.
There’s Too Much Choice
We don’t have enough time to play all of the games that are now available. For the SNES, I had Super Mario Kart and Mario All Stars when I was younger. You can bet I had gold on all the Cups with just two games available to me. So, what exactly is the problem? Is it because there are more games accessible today, or because I have more money (barely), or because I have less time to play?
It’s no surprise that we put games down with so many AAA titles coming out every day to distract us. You can’t blame me if I get sidetracked by….. oh, shiny. What was I doing, exactly? Right.
You could always return later, but then you’d have to deal with it. “What was I up to?” …oh, yeah, before the difficult boss fight, I’m re-watching this cut-scene.”
JRPGS To be certain,
Too Hard?
Sometimes the game is just too difficult, to the point where anger quitting is unavoidable. When the game pauses to suggest reducing the difficulty level, it’s both a gift and a slap in the face.
Devil May Cry was the first game I came across that accomplished this. Until you killed two or three times in the first chapter, you couldn’t even access easy mode.
Where are the Rainbows and Difficult Ice Cream?
Developers must devise strategies to counteract the “Gaming Pile of Shame.” Our game’s creators, without a doubt, want us to complete them. Otherwise, all of the effort put into the super-secret twist finale would be for nothing.
Games are gradually acquiring features such as the ability to adjust the level as you play. Some games, such as Left 4 Dead 2, even altered the difficulty on the fly based on how inexperienced you were.
Other Formats
In both movies and literature, the conclusion is significant. The narrative comes together after all of the hard effort of battling against unclean alien hordes. The loose ends have been tied, the major twist has been resolved, and the good people have once again triumphed. Bad endings have ruined many games.
You assault the wicked alien dictator’s stronghold. Only to have time stop and the man from the beginning inform you that the adventure is finished unless you purchase the sequel. I’m referring to Half-Life 2.
Just for you, I’m playing the world’s tiniest violin.
My Shame
What is the most embarrassing game I’ve ever wanted to complete? Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a video game that was released in That’s true, I couldn’t make up my mind whether I wanted to murder my brother or join his terrorist group. It’s still regarded as one of the best games of all time, yet I haven’t completed it yet.
But think about it: what’s on your shame pile? Please let us know in the comments section below.
Oh my goodness, (insert game title here) 3 is coming out shortly. Take a look at those gleaming new visuals.
Dan would appreciate it if you followed him on Twitter and kept him up to speed on your newest pile additions. Check out our weekly overview to see what the crew has been up to.
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You know how you throw away a game and maybe a couple of your friends will ask why you did that? It is natural to feel bad about it. You may have an entertaining story or explanation, but odds are they won’t buy it. If you have more than one console, you probably have enough games to fill that pile you made. Why you waste money on games you will never play?. Read more about how many games in your backlog and let us know what you think.
Related Tags
This article broadly covered the following related topics:
- pile of video games
- pile of shame steam
- overwhelmed by game backlog
- pile of shame warhammer
- gaming backlog
