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It's good to have a backlog!

T

Tenrius

Member
At least that's what I think. People would often say "oh no, I have a huge backlog and now I bought game X, what I'm gonna do!", but I can't relate to that way of thinking. Having games in your backlog simply means that you always have something to play, and if you have a lot of games in it, it means you'll have a lot to choose from, too! Of course I enjoy beating games (I've beaten 24 since the start of the year) and having a backlog doesn't hinder that in any way. I also don't feel the need to finish a game I happened not to like just because I bought it — I'll just sell it or let it rest in my collection till the brighter days.

So it is my opinion that people who continue to feel bad about their backlogs are clearly doing something wrong. Just relax and have fun! That's what the games are about after all.
 
T

truestatic

Member
It can be suggestive of wasteful spending. How much of what's in your backlog will be cheaper by the time you play it? How much of what's in your backlog will go totally unplayed forever? "Always having something to play" is a nice way of looking at it, but it's not the only way.
 
A

apricot

Member
truestatic said:
It can be suggestive of wasteful spending. How much of what's in your backlog will be cheaper by the time you play it? How much of what's in your backlog will go totally unplayed forever? "Always having something to play" is a nice way of looking at it, but it's not the only way.
Click to expand...

Sums up my feelings perfectly
 
U

UnlovedJew

Member
I'll just keep buying games that I just do not want to start. I have darksiders 2, max Payne 3, RAGE, and home front just sitting by my Xbox sealed. It's a terrible habit. Cheap games just are too much an addiction.
 
legacyzero

legacyzero

Banned
The trouble about a backlog is that you sometimes forget that you have something there.

I was looking through my list yesterday and saw that I had pre-ordered Red Orchestra 2: Rising Storm, and that the Beta was loaded.

I was like FUCK YEAAAAAH
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Member
I juggle my backlog.
I actually have finished it. Then it just grows right back up into a beast.
Usually when I decide to take breaks and not jump on every game deal, I can do a good dent into it.
 
R

revolverjgw

Member
It's a good problem to have, but it's still so daunting to look at your backlog and seeing so many games and only having so many hours to play them. The list gets bigger and I get more anxious to play them and more depressed that it's just not possible
 
R

Red Chocobo

Banned
I'm not a fan of backlogs. I like to have one game going at a time, or I end up being spoiled for choice when I come to pick something to play.
 
A

A Sentient Keyboard

Member
I've been really cleaning up my backlog recently. Discounting games I have no intention of finishing whatsoever (Skyrim and the like), I'm down to about 20 games.

Phonomezer said:
While we're on the subject of backlogs, I have some free time coming up.

Should I play Fallout New Vegas or Deus Ex?
Click to expand...

I had a good time with Deus Ex Human Revolution (that's what you mean, right?), so I recommend that.
 
T

Tenrius

Member
Wario64 said:
The bad thing is that you're wasting your money. Money that could be spent elsewhere.
Click to expand...

I think that applies mostly to extreme cases, like people buying lots of games they'll actually never play, perhaps at full price. I get most of my games on the cheap and I do play most of them, but my gaming habits are somewhat irregular. Thus, I'm happy with having a lot of games at the ready, bought some time ago for the cheap price I'd pay for them anyway, rather that buying one game at a time and playing it through. So in this scenario, it cannot be considered wasting any more that gaming in general can be.

UnlovedJew said:
I'll just keep buying games that I just do not want to start. I have darksiders 2, max Payne 3, RAGE, and home front just sitting by my Xbox sealed. It's a terrible habit. Cheap games just are too much an addiction.
Click to expand...

This indeed seems like a problem.
 
N

nailbombxx

Member
When I was younger, I always wished that I could have a big selection of video games I could play whenever I could.

Having a "backlog" is much better than the alternative.
 
G

G_Berry

Banned
It's not good if, like me, you keep buying systems / games when you already have 100's sitting there unfinished.
 
S

Semblance

shhh Graham I'm still compiling this Radiant map
It can be nice, yeah. I do try to keep it manageable though - don't wanna just blow money out my ass.

Phonomezer said:
While we're on the subject of backlogs, I have some free time coming up.

Should I play Fallout New Vegas or Deus Ex?
Click to expand...

New Vegas. Hyoyeon would agree.
 
R

Red Chocobo

Banned
Backlogs make me rush through games so I can move on to the next.

Not intentionally, but I just find myself doing it. Which isn't good. You should never rush.
 
K

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
To be fair, one shouldn't assume everyone with a backlog / large collection bought every game new at $60. There's also the point of nabbing games you know will be good later in the bargin bin.

Before the digital age this actually could make a lot of sense especially since eventually almost all games would become rare.

These days, it seems Steam sales are the primary method for gathering a large catalog of ready to play games for cheap. It would definitely be wasting money however to keep buying games on day 1 if you still had 20 other day 1 purchases unplayed.
 
P

Philia

Member
Farrow said:
Backlogs make me rush through games so I can move on to the next.

Not intentionally, but I just find myself doing it. Which isn't good. You should never rush.
Click to expand...

Well, if your attention span is short like mine or easily distracted, rushing helps me a ton in finishing my games promptly.

There's ton of players whose interest would falter badly 75% into the game or at least near end. I'm the opposite, I'd pick it up play for 30 mins to 10 hours or so (depending on the genre ofc), then drop it. But when I try to invest more, I really rush towards the end once I've reached the middle of the game.
 
K

Kajiba

Member
No it's not. Buying alot of games you'll never get the chance play is just stupid.

I can understand people who have huge backlogs and playing the games they have and slowly getting down to zero. Those people are cool. But those people who just buy games and have up to 100-200 games and never really going to play them is just honestly silly.
 
C

ConsumerSquare

Member
Tenrius said:
At least that's what I think. People would often say "oh no, I have a huge backlog and now I bought game X, what I'm gonna do!", but I can't relate to that way of thinking. Having games in your backlog simply means that you always have something to play, and if you have a lot of games in it, it means you'll have a lot to choose from, too! Of course I enjoy beating games (I've beaten 24 since the start of the year) and having a backlog doesn't hinder that in any way. I also don't feel the need to finish a game I happened not to like just because I bought it — I'll just sell it or let it rest in my collection till the brighter days.

So it is my opinion that people who continue to feel bad about their backlogs are clearly doing something wrong. Just relax and have fun! That's what the games are about after all.
Click to expand...

Well, there you go. It's more about time than anything. I genuinely want to play my backlog. I want to finish my long RPGs and my short action games, and also commit to those long-term titles like Gran Turismo and VF5.

But then I also have a backlog of books that I want to read, two magazine subs I'm behind on, a gym membership, a wife, a bicycle, and a ton of booze I need to drink.

Stresses me out, man!
 
B

Bronetta

Ask me about the moon landing or the temperature at which jet fuel burns. You may be surprised at what you learn.
I'm one of those people who always has a steady backlog of 10-20 games spread out over PS3, 3DS, and Wii U (not counting Steam, because really that inflates the number to a ridiculous amount). I never buy a game for $60, there are always sales and promotions going on, you just have to keep an eye out.

I have some friends who cry about having no games to play on a weekly basis and always ask me for suggestions. Not to mention they always want to borrow games which I don't mind but it would be nice if they had something to let me borrow once in awhile, I'm not running a charity here. Don't be that guy amongst your friends.
 
P

Philia

Member
Bronetta said:
I'm one of those people who always has a steady backlog of 10-20 games spread out over PS3, 3DS, and Wii U (not counting Steam, because really that inflates the number to a ridiculous amount). I never buy a game for $60, there are always sales and promotions going on, you just have to keep an eye out.

I have some friends who cry about having no games to play on a weekly basis and always ask me for suggestions. Not to mention they always want to borrow games which I don't mind but it would be nice if they had something to let me borrow once in awhile, I'm not running a charity here. Don't be that guy amongst your friends.
Click to expand...

Totally know that feel. We're our own rental store lol to our friends. No biggie though, just two of them and they rarely game anyway.
 
T

Tunavi

Banned
I'm not going to buy a single game til I'm done clearing mine out. 5 games to go. I hate having a backlog and I miss just playing games cause I want to, not just forcing myself to finish them
 
B

Boogiepop

Member
I still feel I need to get on top of mine a bit more, but when it's down to just a handful then it's not so bad. Like, I think I have like 6 DS games left to beat (though I'll definitely pick up some more in the future), which seems reasonable. On the other hand, I still have like 20 PS2 games from back when Gamestop was doing a buy 2 get 2 clearout, and I honestly probably could've been a bit more picky. Trying to buy at least a little smarter nowadays and pick up things I could definitely see myself playing soon instead of just grabbing things whenever I see them cheap...
 
SolVanderlyn

SolVanderlyn

Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
Nobody should ever consider a backlog a problem. It means you have very first world problems and live comfortably enough to afford a backlog in the first place. Be a little appreciative of your position in life.
 
A

astronautcowboy

Member
I'm not completely against building up a backlog, if it's within reason. Limiting yourself to specific systems, or genres, or keeping it under a certain number -- that's fine.

Going crazy and buying 200 Steam games is just a waste.

Personally, I only consider my Japanese games as part of my backlog now (http://www.backloggery.com/cappazushi). I plan to sell off most of my US collection when I move back home.
 
T

Tomat

Wanna hear a good joke? Waste your time helping me! LOL!
SolVanderlyn said:
Nobody should ever consider a backlog a problem. It means you have very first world problems and live comfortably enough to afford a backlog in the first place. Be a little appreciative of your position in life.
Click to expand...
The only time someone should "consider it a problem" is when they're looking to buy a new game. You gotta think about whether you really want that new game RIGHT NOW because you've got a buncha games you picked up to play already.
 
T

Tenrius

Member
Kajiba said:
No it's not. Buying alot of games you'll never get the chance play is just stupid.

I can understand people who have huge backlogs and playing the games they have and slowly getting down to zero. Those people are cool. But those people who just buy games and have up to 100-200 games and never really going to play them is just honestly silly.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what I was talking about. Doesn't even need to be huge, I'm just saying that having a (possibly small or maybe big) stack of games you can play and choose from is perfectly fine.

As opposed to reasoning like this, for example:

Tunavi said:
I'm not going to buy a single game til I'm done clearing mine out. 5 games to go. I hate having a backlog and I miss just playing games cause I want to, not just forcing myself to finish them
Click to expand...

No offense, Tunavi! I just have a friend who uses a very similar logic.
 
S

Swarley

Member
I like having a backlog (as long as it's not absurd). I have plenty of games that I haven't played yet, and I like that when I finish one, I have quite a few choices. I usually only buy games for my backlog that are part of a pretty good sale, otherwise it'd be a waste. I also keep my non PS3/360 game purchases to a minimum as I don't need a massive backlog on 5-6 systems.
 
Y

Yes Boss!

Member
Tunavi said:
I'm not going to buy a single game til I'm done clearing mine out. 5 games to go. I hate having a backlog and I miss just playing games cause I want to, not just forcing myself to finish them
Click to expand...

Huh? That makes no damn sense. Read it back to yourself.

People have a backlog (whatever that means) so that they can do just what you are saying you like: play games, any type, whenever they feel like it. Knocking off games just to clear them is way more constricting...almost like those achievement junkies.
 
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