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The NeoGAF 1 year challenge: stop buying games*

zkylon

zkylewd
So in these few days I bought RAGE and Spec Ops: The Line. On the process of playing them at the moment, enjoying some parts of each, not so much the others.
 

george_us

Member
Is it too late to join? If so I'd like to place myself on a 4 new game limit until Christmas 2013. I don't have a massive backlog but I'm finding that a lot of the new games I've bought this generation haven't been worth full price.
 

Biff

Member
I will never understand Backlog-GAF.

I think you guys all have OCD (being serious here). I don't see how you can care so much about something so irrationally arbitrary. Who says you need to complete your entire library? Do you feel guilty about spending all that money in the first place? Your issue is with budgeting and fiscal maturity then, not a "backlog".

And yes I don't know why I care about you guys caring. Maybe because it's annoying reading posts referring to how "bad" a sale will be on your backlog. Or how you can't buy a new game because it will add to your backlog.

I consider it the equivalent of people who avoid Facebook telling you that they do not have Facebook. Just keep it to yourself.
 

zkylon

zkylewd
I will never understand Backlog-GAF.

I think you guys all have OCD (being serious here). I don't see how you can care so much about something so irrationally arbitrary. Who says you need to complete your entire library? Do you feel guilty about spending all that money in the first place? Your issue is with budgeting and fiscal maturity then, not a "backlog".

And yes I don't know why I care about you guys caring. Maybe because it's annoying reading posts referring to how "bad" a sale will be on your backlog. Or how you can't buy a new game because it will add to your backlog.

I consider it the equivalent of people who avoid Facebook telling you that they do not have Facebook. Just keep it to yourself.
wat

That's exactly what you're doing.

You're telling me to stop buying stuff on an impulse by telling me you don't do impulse buys.

Like you said, just keep it to yourself.
 

Ledsen

Member
I will never understand Backlog-GAF.

I think you guys all have OCD (being serious here). I don't see how you can care so much about something so irrationally arbitrary. Who says you need to complete your entire library? Do you feel guilty about spending all that money in the first place? Your issue is with budgeting and fiscal maturity then, not a "backlog".

And yes I don't know why I care about you guys caring. Maybe because it's annoying reading posts referring to how "bad" a sale will be on your backlog. Or how you can't buy a new game because it will add to your backlog.

I consider it the equivalent of people who avoid Facebook telling you that they do not have Facebook. Just keep it to yourself.

I don't think anyone will argue that it's rational. Unfortunately us humans aren't rational creatures :(
 

Biff

Member
wat

That's exactly what you're doing.

You're telling me to stop buying stuff on an impulse by telling me you don't do impulse buys.

Like you said, just keep it to yourself.

Okay, so then it boils down to an issue of impulse buying?

I'm trying to figure out why people band together to talk about how terrible their backlogs are. If it's people working together to reduce impulse buying, I'm 100% okay with that. I'd encourage it.

The way I'm seeing it is people banding together to say how big of a gamer they are because of how big their backlog is in a strange nerd-dominance kind of thing. In that reading of the situation, it irks me.
 

Ledsen

Member
Okay, so then it boils down to an issue of impulse buying?

I'm trying to figure out why people band together to talk about how terrible their backlogs are. If it's people working together to reduce impulse buying, I'm 100% okay with that. I'd encourage it.

The way I'm seeing it is people banding together to say how big of a gamer they are because of how big their backlog is in a strange nerd-dominance kind of thing. In that reading of the situation, it irks me.

Well, if you read the thread title and OP, that's exactly what we're doing. I think you're in the wrong thread, there is a backlog thread but this isn't it.

In other news, I just talked myself out of buying a $5 Asura's Wrath on account of the ending being a further $5. Still don't know if i regret it or not, but at least I'm keeping my promise :)
 

zkylon

zkylewd
Okay, so then it boils down to an issue of impulse buying?

I'm trying to figure out why people band together to talk about how terrible their backlogs are. If it's people working together to reduce impulse buying, I'm 100% okay with that. I'd encourage it.

The way I'm seeing it is people banding together to say how big of a gamer they are because of how big their backlog is in a strange nerd-dominance kind of thing. In that reading of the situation, it irks me.
I don't know if you're a PC gamer or not, but in case you're not, in PC you often come across criminally cheap offers that cloud your judgement and you end with tons of indie/old games you were never gonna play in the first place.

Say, I bought The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom because it was 50c like two years ago and never played it. The point of this thread is to avoid being wasteful and to give purchases the thought "am I gonna play this game right away?" before clicking on the "add to cart" button.
 
I will never understand Backlog-GAF.

I think you guys all have OCD (being serious here). I don't see how you can care so much about something so irrationally arbitrary. Who says you need to complete your entire library? Do you feel guilty about spending all that money in the first place? Your issue is with budgeting and fiscal maturity then, not a "backlog".

And yes I don't know why I care about you guys caring. Maybe because it's annoying reading posts referring to how "bad" a sale will be on your backlog. Or how you can't buy a new game because it will add to your backlog.

I consider it the equivalent of people who avoid Facebook telling you that they do not have Facebook. Just keep it to yourself.

The only good point I think you make is that it's a mistake to think every purchased game is a backlog game. The only games that actually are that are games that you really want to beat or at least spend more time with.

Other then that, it's pretty healthy to stop wasting mony by piling up purchases of games that you don't have time or will to play.
 

Ledsen

Member
Is it too late to join? If so I'd like to place myself on a 4 new game limit until Christmas 2013. I don't have a massive backlog but I'm finding that a lot of the new games I've bought this generation haven't been worth full price.

Of course not, jump right in! Welcome :)
 

Glass Rebel

Member
I will never understand Backlog-GAF.

I think you guys all have OCD (being serious here). I don't see how you can care so much about something so irrationally arbitrary. Who says you need to complete your entire library? Do you feel guilty about spending all that money in the first place? Your issue is with budgeting and fiscal maturity then, not a "backlog".

And yes I don't know why I care about you guys caring. Maybe because it's annoying reading posts referring to how "bad" a sale will be on your backlog. Or how you can't buy a new game because it will add to your backlog.

I consider it the equivalent of people who avoid Facebook telling you that they do not have Facebook. Just keep it to yourself.

I will never understand not-reading-OP-GAF.
 

Biff

Member
^ well, in my defense I read this:

My Steam/360/DS/PS2 backlog is enormous (a couple of hundred games at least), and I get irrationally stressed over it even though I try to sell as much as possible, constantly tell myself I shouldn't care, it's not a backlog it's a library, just play if you feel like it, no pressure, just a hobby, yada yada. Keeping a Backloggery or similar list just makes things worse. Well, let's do this shit for real. No new games until Steam Christmas sale 2013. Join me if you want, feel free to set your own time limit.

And focused on the 360/DS/PS2 part more than the Steam part. I mean... A PS2 backlog?

I don't know if you're a PC gamer or not, but in case you're not, in PC you often come across criminally cheap offers that cloud your judgement and you end with tons of indie/old games you were never gonna play in the first place.

Say, I bought The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom because it was 50c like two years ago and never played it. The point of this thread is to avoid being wasteful and to give purchases the thought "am I gonna play this game right away?" before clicking on the "add to cart" button.

Fair enough, that explains it much better to me. Not really a PC gamer beyond the occasional major title, so me looking at it from the console side of the equation was confusing.

In that case, good luck everyone!
 
Do rentals count?

I have a backlog of bought games that is just.... embarrassing and like the OP, really stressful... like this never ending nagging list of things I just didn't get around to. I am, in one sense, the virtual equivalent of the morbidly obese person eating MacDonalds Drive Thru (because they are too disgusted with themselves to sit in the in restaurant in front of real people, which is self defeating as the one thing they really want is an actual real world friend) , knowing the very food they cannot stop shoveling down their throat (yes, they really do want fries with that) is the reason they are fat and disgusting and their whole, sorry, empty, worthless life comes down to this one thing. But no, they carry on and on and on and on, endlessly stuffing their fat face into all eternity, feeling more and more empty no matter how much more deep fried cheese they gobble down their greasy, socially inept, ever-expanding gullet. Then they go home and fruitlessly masturbate their tiny penis, which itself sits of top of bollocks that don't produce testosterone (or semen) and hence would be of much use even if the sickening sub-human thing they are attached to could ever get a shag.

In short, I would really like to tackle my backlog....

I need to know more about this plan.
 

Ledsen

Member
^ well, in my defense I read this:



And focused on the 360/DS/PS2 part more than the Steam part. I mean... A PS2 backlog?



Fair enough, that explains it much better to me. Not really a PC gamer beyond the occasional major title, so me looking at it from the console side of the equation was confusing.

In that case, good luck everyone!

Yes? It consists of jRPGs I bought 5-10 years ago, when such games often had small print runs and became rare and expensive quickly. I've also got ~20 games I bought when I lived in Japan and bought all at once to bring home with me. I don't know who you are to judge people like this.
 
Bad news, I bought Dust, Fez, and Trials on sale past my cut off date. I was worried that sales would be far between on Xbox ($25 bucks I think).

Good news is that I beat Skylanders with 1000 achievement points and gave it away to a kid. I got through The Walking Dead, and am almost done with P3P.
 

Katzii

Member
I will never understand Backlog-GAF.

I think you guys all have OCD (being serious here). I don't see how you can care so much about something so irrationally arbitrary. Who says you need to complete your entire library? Do you feel guilty about spending all that money in the first place? Your issue is with budgeting and fiscal maturity then, not a "backlog".

Hahahah, seriously?

I also like the fact that you read a post about someone having a "PS2 backlog" but didn't read the original post which is about trying to curb people's purchasing.

Hell... I've got a NES backlog. I've got a backlog on many, MANY systems, one which totals over 400 games. I'm also very good with money and save a lot monthly (something I obviously wasn't in the past when I bought a large amount of games that I've not completed), and don't buy masses of games (any more), so to me, this is more of an attempt to see through completing some of these instead of starting them and leaving them.

To be honest, I don't quite understand why you felt the need to come and post in here purely to be negative. Seems rather... Arbitrary to me.

(although I will compliment you on your username)

In other news, I did get some games for Christmas and have updated my backloggery accordingly. I will write more with my weekly update at the end of the week (beginning of next or before the end of this week, most likely, as I will be looking to be away over the weekend).
 

Ledsen

Member
So I bought Hotline Miami and finished it in about 3 hours. Such a great game!

Bad news, I bought Dust, Fez, and Trials on sale past my cut off date. I was worried that sales would be far between on Xbox ($25 bucks I think).

Good news is that I beat Skylanders with 1000 achievement points and gave it away to a kid. I got through The Walking Dead, and am almost done with P3P.

So what you're saying is... you failed the challenge?
 

Vrakanox

Member
SIGN ME UP LET'S DO THIS! I need to cut back on buying games because it's killing my bank account. I know I will be getting Metal Gear Rising and beating it. I still have Xenoblade Fatal Frame 2 Wii and Last Story in my backlog.
 

Guevara

Member
This is a great idea for a thread. I realize I'm late but I didn't receive any games for Christmas and that's ok. Instead I played an old game I never got to (Black Ops). The only gaming-related thing I got was a new Xbox controller, which was well needed.
 
This is a great idea for a thread. I realize I'm late but I didn't receive any games for Christmas and that's ok. Instead I played an old game I never got to (Black Ops). The only gaming-related thing I got was a new Xbox controller, which was well needed.

Accessories don't count. Also, there isn't anything about late. Just do it or be part of the thread if you want to.

On another note, started playing Mass Effect 3 again, played some single player a while back but I was stuck up with the multiplayer that I ignored the campaign.
 

Tech_Junk

Neo Member
My problem is sales. Whenever a game comes up on sale that I'm even only mildly interested in playing, I buy it. I worry that it'll never go on sale again, or that when I actually get around to wanting to play it, I'd have to pay full price for it or wait another six months for it to go on sale again.

Part of me also wants to encourage Sony and Microsoft when they have some nice discounts on games. I rationalize that if I buy something on one of their sales, it might send the message that customers want more of these sales and they need to keep having them and maybe eventually they'll offer Steam-like discounts.

I'm screwed either way.
 

Ledsen

Member
How are you guys doing with the escape clause? I've used it too many times I think... so far:

Syndicate
Far Cry 3
Hotline Miami

and just now... Mass Effect 3. It was $9, I couldn't resist! As soon as I get back to my gaming computer I'm going to play the shit out of it, I can guarantee you that! There will be no failing the challenge on my end, no sir!
 

Glass Rebel

Member
As I mentioned, I only used the escape clause on Tiny & Big by mistake but it's only been 6 days. As for the next year, so far I can see myself only using it for Bioshock Infinite and Lords of Shadow 2 unless Metal Gear Rising is ported to the PC.

Edit: is there a list of comprehensible list of upcoming games? I really lost track of releases.
 

CvGz

Neo Member
The SO has basically decided to impose a similar budget constraints to this challenge. I accept! I may reserve my escape clause for Fire Emblem 3DS and the Last of Us. I just got P4G for Christmas, that and my backlog will keep me busy.
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
I'm thinking of joining. My backlog is at least several hundred games long, and I have money issues related to saving up for a move out if Florida. I really only want to buy five games this year- Anarchy Reigns, Bioshock Infinite, Aliens Colonial Marines, Project CARS and whatever Need for Speed title EA cranks out.

The first game is $30, the first three games are Q1 releases, the latter two are Q4 releases, and I'm certain that Aliens Colonial Marines, Bioshock Infinite, and the next NFS will all have some Black Friday/Steam sale discount at one point.

So, no new games after Anarchy Reigns comes out until the day after Turkey Day. I think I can do this. Count me in, then, and add me to the list.
 

Katzii

Member
I think looking at that list, I'm probably for the most part okay.

Basically, the games I want this year that we know about thus far are:

Rayman Legends (but I'm only getting this when I've completed Origins)
Animal Crossing: New Leaf (definitely getting at launch since it's a special series to me)
Lego City Undercover (want to possibly get near launch but can wait if I can't)
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (can probably wait on this one for a little while)
Pikmin 3 (GETTING THIS AT LAUNCH GET OUT MY WAY)
The Cave (getting this one at launch thanks to a friend giving me PSN credit for Christmas)
Picross-e2 (getting this one at launch thanks to a friend giving me 3DS credit at Eurogamer)

Other games I may be interested in will be:

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (want but can probably wait)
Carmageddon Reincarnation (can definitely wait on this)
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (can definitely wait on this)

In the meantime, I will continue to play what I have!
 

plake

Member
Considering my ginormous backlog and PS+ I'd like to say that I'm in, however, I'm sure GTAV would make my efforts moot. Other than GTAV though I'm not planning on buying anything new for a while.
 

RpgN

Junior Member
Welcome to all the new people who is joining the challenge, don't be shy now!

Game completed:

Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing

New game/gifted:

Canabalt

As luck would have it, Tizoc was giving codes away from SCEE for another minis game, this time it's for Canabalt. Luckily, this game doesn't have any ending or any sort of progress. This will be another game that won't really affect my current backlog, that doesn't take away that it's a nice and enjoyable game!

Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing is a very good take on Mario Kart formula, I did grand prix mode on easy and normal, did all the missions with AAA rank and did Time Trials mode. That's about enough with the game.

I also played more of Velocity, currently 35 missions out of 50 have been completed with mostly zilver and gold ranks.

About 70% is complete with Xenogears, I have to go to Babel Tower to contact Shevat.
 

DJ_Lae

Member
I think I could probably hack this.

I have a couple of active preorders (Tomb Raider, Luigi's Mansion) but other than that there isn't much that interests me and due to an already massive backlog and little time to game, I could quite easily make it a year. I also don't have a ton of spending money so that aspect is probably more appealing than actually playing some of the games that have been piling up.

Sign me up. Well, in half an hour after I go and buy a cheap copy of Dark Souls, as I've been meaning to rebuy it after trading in my copy a while back.
 

quartet4

Neo Member
Sign me up.

I got into PC gaming again about a year ago after a decade long hiatus and bought so many games on Steam that are just sitting there, waiting to be installed.

No new games for me unless maybe the next-gen systems come out in the fall.
 

Ledsen

Member
Holy bananas, I'm teetering on the edge of the acceptable here you guys.

After getting Mass Effect 3, and realizing I won't be able to play it for another week...
I also "couldn't resist" (see a pattern here?) Book Of Unwritten Tales. Of course, I started playing it immediately, and was hoping to finish it quickly so I wouldn't have to juggle both that game and Mass Effect 3 at the same time. But then, a seemingly innocent chat with Yian Garuga on Steam led to him generously gifting me the prequel to BOUT! So I don't really know how to handle that situation... it WAS a gift, so I'm not beholden to starting it immediately. On the other hand, I'm thinking I'll want to start it right after finishing BOUT, but then I'll have to play it simultaneously with ME3... oh pickle. What I will say is that I'll be finishing BOUT (and possibly the prequel) and ME3 before touching anything else, just like the challenge demands. But while buying and finishing these games won't make my backlog bigger, it also won't make it smaller... I'll try to refrain from using the escape clause too much from now on (yeah right).

Escape Clause so far:

Syndicate (finished)
Far Cry 3 (10 hours in, decided I didn't want to play anymore, so finished)
Hotline Miami (finished)
Mass Effect 3 (will start next week when I get home to my gaming comp)
Book of Unwritten Tales (currently playing)
 

zkylon

zkylewd
Holy bananas, I'm teetering on the edge of the acceptable here you guys.

After getting Mass Effect 3, and realizing I won't be able to play it for another week...
I also "couldn't resist" (see a pattern here?) Book Of Unwritten Tales. Of course, I started playing it immediately, and was hoping to finish it quickly so I wouldn't have to juggle both that game and Mass Effect 3 at the same time. But then, a seemingly innocent chat with Yian Garuga on Steam led to him generously gifting me the prequel to BOUT! So I don't really know how to handle that situation... it WAS a gift, so I'm not beholden to starting it immediately. On the other hand, I'm thinking I'll want to start it right after finishing BOUT, but then I'll have to play it simultaneously with ME3... oh pickle. What I will say is that I'll be finishing BOUT (and possibly the prequel) and ME3 before touching anything else, just like the challenge demands. But while buying and finishing these games won't make my backlog bigger, it also won't make it smaller... I'll try to refrain from using the escape clause too much from now on (yeah right).

Escape Clause so far:

Syndicate (finished)
Far Cry 3 (10 hours in, decided I didn't want to play anymore, so finished)
Hotline Miami (finished)
Mass Effect 3 (will start next week when I get home to my gaming comp)
Book of Unwritten Tales (currently playing)
You're hanging in the balance, dude! Be fucking stronger god damnit!

I'm escape-clausin' Spec Ops and RAGE at the moment, and it's all goood.
 

Keikaku

Member
Awful news
Turns out OP is disturbingly bad at this.

I haven't bought any further games for personal use though I did have to play through the following for work (I was reimbursed for these):
- FTL (Beaten on Easy, unlocked several of the ships)
- King of Dragon Pass (Finished, in a sense. Hit the endgame several times but it's a sort of choose your own adventure deal)

Working at an indie games company sometimes has it's perks :p. I'm currently working on the 3DS games I got a while back, before the challenge started-Final Fantasy Theatrhythm is 70%+ beaten . . . on the easy course lol
 
I want to try this for at least a few months, albeit with a few caveats. I have enough of a console/handheld/Steam backlog to not need any new games for a while and plan on not buying any PAL new releases on release until I've finished off some stuff. Imports I will likely buy on day one though, seeing as how they rarely go down in price online and I'd rather have them ready and waiting.

Does that count, or am I just skirting round the fact that I have a problem? :p
 

Ledsen

Member
damn you guys, I won't break! I'll finish BOUT before I get home ME3, I will. I really like it so far so powering through it will be a pleasure. Also I can't help if people generously gift me stuff out of the blue :(
 

Keikaku

Member
damn you guys, I won't break! I'll finish BOUT before I get home ME3, I will. I really like it so far so powering through it will be a pleasure. Also I can't help if people generously gift me stuff out of the blue :(
The only thing anyone gifted you was the sequel to BOUT right? So you bought:
  • BOUT
  • ME3
  • Hotline Miami
  • Far Cry 3
  • Syndicate
Hmmm . . . seems to me that this challenge should really have been "For 1 Year-Buy games and beat them immediately" :p

I mean, here's your escape clause:
can buy new games... if I play them to completion/until I don't want to play anymore ever immediately upon purchase. Fortunately for this challenge, that almost never happens.

Hate to break this to you Ledsen, but your escape clause is becoming the norm for you! You're already broken son!
 

twinturbo2

butthurt Heat fan
I'm thinking of buying Anarchy Reigns at launch and invoking my escape clause because I really want to support the developers and because it's only $30. Is that okay, guys?
 
So I bought Hotline Miami and finished it in about 3 hours. Such a great game!



So what you're saying is... you failed the challenge?

I think so, even with the clause! I'm still going to get through my backlog at some point, and moderate my spending. Good luck to everyone else, it's a noble cause. I'll probably just go to the backlog thread.
 

zkylon

zkylewd
I've been doing my share of purchases, but just been playing through them after another.

Bought RAGE, Spec Ops: The Line and Thirty Flights of Loving. Of those the only one that remains to be beaten is RAGE.

Spec Ops was great, the story is very unique and powerful and I just loved pretty much everything about it. Shooting mechanics aren't anything to go crazy but the combat was tense and challenging enough. Took me a bit longer than most, because I really took my time with the bit of exploring you're allowed to and just admiring the vistas. Really, I knew from the start I was gonna like it but I'm surprised by how much.

Thirty Flights of Loving (and Gravity Bone), are curious little things. I like that it's funny and super cool with Blendo's signature 50s cuban vibe, and how rough and janky it felt.

Off to beat RAGE, then.
 
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