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[RetrospectiveLamb]

My "spark" comes from trophies and not wanting my money go to waste for the games I buy lol, I feel a sense of accomplishment like I got my money's worth when I complete a game. I've stayed away from buying multiple games at once and it's very hard for me to finish an RPG that requires a huge time commitment because as a full-time student working part-time my hours in the week to play is limited.

In short, be selective about the games you play. I'd recommend Indie titles that are about 4-6 hours long

 

[kubricks]

As an adult, married with two kids, I finish games more often than I used to compared to my college days, that is because by now I understand what kinds of games I will enjoy, and that I am less distracted by newer games in general; thus my chance of finishing the game is much higher, albeit rather slowly.

Of course there are still games I don't like after I bought it, I sell them almost immediately.

Mind you, I only complete 3 to 5 games a years, that's all the time I got for them.

EDIT:
On average it took me 6 to 8 months to finish one JRPG.

 

[cHinzo]

That's why I like co-op games myself. Playing through a campaign with a buddy is much more enjoyable, than playing alone and it can even makes boring games fun. U also need to be picky sometimes, so u don't end up with a huge backlog. I don't buy games which I'm not interested in playing. :d

 

[Arion]

I get really restless if i start a game and don't finish it. I feel like im doing a disservice to the game by not playing through at least once.

On the other hand I rarely play games twice any more.

 

[Fbh]

I finish more games than I didn back in the day (because I can buy them and not only rent them).

Sure, I have less time now but I don't see how it affects my ability to finish a game.
Yeah that RPG that 10 years ago I could have finished in a week and a half will no probably take me a month and a half, but that won't keep me from finishing the game.

It's actually nice at times. Now I can buy something like Dragon Age 3 and be like "I'll have fun for about 2 months with this"

 

[GiantBombGamer]

My problem isn't that games are long or arduous, its that as an adult I have more disposable income to spend on games as they come out, and during fall deluges I get started on games and then compulsively buy and start the new ones.

Now that even February/Spring time tends to have a few relatively big games makes things even worse. Then PS+ and Games with Gold pile on top.

Slowly but surely I'll get through them...having major surgery on the 1st with a 6 week recovery period should help...although DA:I might encompass all of that time.

 

[QaaQer]

Find a game you like and play that ignoring everything else. If it takes six months to play one game, what's the problem? Missing out on other games? If you are only playing games to beat them, you are doing it wrong. Find something you like and savoir it.

I've been playing nothing but drive club for about 6weeks now and will probably play it for at least six weeks more. I think I'm starting to see the appeal of never ending games like dota , lol, and even wow.

 

[Memorabilia]

I made a rule last gen and sticking with it this gen. No more than 2 games in rotation. And no further purchases until said games are done.

I have a bad habit of doing the same OP. I start a game, then about halfway through I move on to something else. Now when I feel that creep in, I go to the other game. It's worked out great so far.

This is a great idea. I sort of do the same thing but its difficult with RPGs that can technically go on forever, even when the main story is finished. I've been playing Oblivion, Dragon Age Origins, and Dead Island a lot. Been playing Dead Island the most the past week and finished the main story with one of my 4 characters in a really fun co-op session with 3 other players. I sorta feel like I should move on to another game but the multi-player co-op really is great and highly addictive...and there's the "just one more trophy/achievement" treadmill too. Lol

I'm also sprinkling in old Call of Duty games to get through the SP campaigns in rough order (playing COD 3 atm). I may have to trim my rotation down to a couple games at a time like you're doing so I can feel a little better sense of progression. But I have such a huge backlog its tempting to throw another one into the mix if I hit a rut in the games I'm currently playing.

Oh well, I guess the key is just to enjoy time with a game. Rather than attaining a sense of "completion" maybe its better if we shoot for "immersion" and just enjoy the moment....

 

[pa22word]

The only games I've actually completed that I bought this year is dead rising 3 pc and dark souls 2. I've purchased about 15x that.

STEEEEEEEEAAAAAAM!!!!!!!!


But yeah, as a working adult I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that I just don't have time for video games anymore. *shrug* I've basically totally replaced them with books at this point as my main hobby due to them being much easier on the stress factor and much faster to consume overall for me. I mean video games will always be a part of my spare time, but we're talking down to a few matches of cod a night or two a week and the occasional 100 hr splurge when a dead rising or a dark souls comes out, but only once a year or so. Just don't have the time anymore.

 

[JimiNutz]

Same here.

Why I play mostly multiplayer games.

Who has time for story?

What's funny is that I'm starting to feel like I don't have time for multiplayer games... Especially online shooters.

With single player games I can just pop the game in for an hour play a level/section, turn it off and then just go back and play it again in a few days when I have another spare hour.

With online multiplayer I feel like I have to play for a few hours every single day or I feel like I get rusty and I just get destroyed online.

Last online MP game that I really played was Titanfall and I felt like I had to play that for hours every single day otherwise people online got so good at the game that I couldn't keep up. If I'm not playing every day I get left behind...
It becomes like a chore for me.

 

[Vein]

I eventually finish most games I start. I like to take breaks though and come back to games sometimes.

 

[WheelHoss1]

I used to feel like OP (I'm 37), but in the last few years, games have gotten so good that I've found more motivation to complete them.

For example, I beat Shadow of Mordor last month, and Lords of the Fallen tonight. Neither game was Dark Souls, but both required a good deal of patience at certain times. Getting that Gold Trophy feels pretty good.

 

[mrpookles]

I'm happy to plow through 'hard' to a degree, but I won't plow through 'shit'.

 

[Duxxy3]

That 52 game challenge has been plenty of motivation for me. Never thought I could complete as many games as I have.

 

[GcRayden]

The last game I've beaten was Bioshock Infinite and the one before that was To The Moon. I just feel like most games these days, that are story driven, either have boring gameplay or don't have anything interesting to say. I tried to play The Last of Us and the game was just way too unnerving with controls I couldn't get used to. (Deathly afraid of zombies since RE)

The only games that have sparked my interest in a while were Fantasy Life, Five Nights at Freddy's, and This War of Mine, which I have easily put in 30-45 hours into Fantasy Life already. Most games just feel like empty time-wasters that don't have any kind of inspiration or love poured into them, which makes them feel so hallow.

If I feel like the game is lacking passion, I just can't play it. Probably the reason I hang more around the indie scene these days. I'm also an indie dev, so making games all day doesn't exactly make me want to play either...

 

[nubbe]

@33 I usually drop games when I "get" it
I can't obsess anymore

MMO's are basically unplayable for me now

I want a rather quick streamlined experience...
Kind of why I like indie games, You just play them

Well, I do obsess some games

 

[B-Genius]

If you're one of those people, where does your "spark" come from? What is motivating you to finish the games you play? It's really unsatisfying to have a pile of started-yet-unfinished games in my backlog.

I have a big backlog, and rarely finish games even if they appeal to me. Sometimes it's unsatisfying to think there's so much unfinished, but you just have to realise that your gaming time and enjoyment is more important than "completion rate".

For example, recently I finished up Dishonored (which was great, but I was a bit burned out by the last level) and still have DmC and Tomb Raider lingering from earlier this year. However, I don't feel like playing either of those. Instead, I start replaying Bayonetta on PS3 (after getting 1000/1000 on 360 a few years back). I couldn't tell you why - just got an urge. Spent most of yesterday getting back into it, and it felt great. Most fun I've had with a game in ages.

Maybe Bayonetta is a kind of "palate cleanser" for me in this case. I'll probably go back to my backlog in good time, but don't want nor need to force it.

Try finding your palate cleanser!

 

[Gibbo]

I cant do long games now. Something like call of duty is just nice for me. Never finished Original Sin, Dark Souls, Witcher. I bought DA:I but i doubt ill finish that too.

My working hours are pretty long during weekdays. And by the time weekends arrive , i feel like its a waste to spend hours on a saturday/sunday playing games at home

 

[OmegaTreeFish]

Tomb Raider (Xbox One) - stopped playing a few hours in as didn't like how many cutscenes/QTEs there were at the start of the game. Very stop/start.

Just as a side note. Try going back to it. I had the exact same problem as you. I didn't get it. Just cut scenes and QTEs. So I quit.

My mate assuered me it was a good game so a few months later I gave it a second chance carrying on where I finished before. Who would have thought I was about 15 mins away from the game becoming really good. Hardly any cut scenes or QTEs, just platforming combat and exploring the environments for the secrets. Loved the game after that. Rebought it recently on ps4 and just 100% it yesterday.

 

[Nyx]

Same here, been like this for years.

 

[shiherlis21]

Just as a side note. Try going back to it. I had the exact same problem as you. I didn't get it. Just cut scenes and QTEs. So I quit.

My mate assuered me it was a good game so a few months later I gave it a second chance carrying on where I finished before. Who would have thought I was about 15 mins away from the game becoming really good. Hardly any cut scenes or QTEs, just platforming combat and exploring the environments for the secrets. Loved the game after that. Rebought it recently on ps4 and just 100% it yesterday.

Kudos on the platinum. I gave up on that dream after realising that I had to put so much time into the multiplayer. Plus getting a full lobby seemed next to impossible

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

I usually finish games I start, it can sometimes take awhile but it's something I like to do.

 

[Bodom78]

This feeling comes and goes with me.

I find it happens mostly when I'm busy with work or stressed.

 

[MetalRain]

I don't view that as a problem. There are lots of games to enjoy and there really is no reason force yourself to finish any game. Lets say you have sunked 50 hours into game that still has 10-20 hours left in the main story (or whatever counts as finished), I'd count that as good value for the purchase even if you don't ever finish it.

I'm used to juggle between games playing little bit of this and little bit of that. Surely there are things that I don't remember anymore since there has been some time between sessions but it makes them feel somewhat fresh again. Try to look your games that you haven't finished as something you can have fun with instead considering them as a backlog or some sort of work to plough through.

 

[sphinx]

buy as few games as possible to not lose focus.

I have 7 games for 3DS which I've bought over the course of a complete year. I finished them all, no backlog for 3DS at ll and I feel good.

I wasn't as mature during the Wii/360 craze so I still have games, I will sell them somehow.

 

[OmegaTreeFish]

Kudos on the platinum. I gave up on that dream after realising that I had to put so much time into the multiplayer. Plus getting a full lobby seemed next to impossible

Not platinum. 100% on save file. Platinum is dumb because screw multiplayer achievements.

 

[Shingro]

try roguelikes perhaps. Each playthrough for good or ill will keep them bite sized enough, and improving mastery will give a sense of satisfaction over time.

That's how I've been these days.

 

[CyanideFuse]

I am less tolerant of a bad game experience these days but I try to finish most games. I do not finish games so readily if I have paid a low amount such as in a Steam sale. They tend to feel 'disposable'.

 

[p3tran]

As an adult, I rarely finish games I start

I think its not you, its the games.

I have a simple test for you: get sunset overdrive.
if you dont play this to the end, then its your subjective problem.
if you play through it, its the games, like I originally said.

 

[kitschbeam]

It was hard for me as a kid to buy games that I wanted simply because my family just didn't have the budget for games. So I pretty much stuck with 2 or 3 games for about 3 months and squeezed the life out of it. As a result I missed out on so many good games during my childhood.

Now as a working adult I have my own disposable income to buy games. Sometimes I feel like I don't wanna miss out on good games anymore so I usually buy games that I find interesting. If it's not good enough to hold my interest I usually just stop playing it and move on to other games and now I ended up with huge backlog that probably lasts for my lifetime. But that didn't stop me from buying more games though

I hope my explanations make sense for you, OP

 

[Nestunt]

I was starting to have that problem

Solution: Only buy a new game when I finish one (or I feel that I explored everything I set myself to)

It is difficult for example to not go out tomorrow and buy Far Cry but at the same time it is gratifying to finish a project, oh, and good to my wallet

 

[Arkhanor]

I'm 28 (my birthday was yesterday - same as Mr. Miyamoto!) and have a full time job too. I have long backlog "collecting dust" on Steam and I'm planning to finish a lot of installed games (currently I have 68 games installed - Steam) and I already finished some this year. I have fun playing them, but if you fell like you are "working" to finish them, I think it's time to move to other shorter games. I did this for some time and kept returning to more complex games to finish them.

 

[Raptomex]

I have that issue sometimes. Being ADD also doesn't help matters. But Bayonetta 1 and2 really got a hold of me and I beat them both within 2 weeks.

 

[George Oscar Bluth II]

I'm extremely selective about what games I pick up now. I only have 5 games I'd like to play on the PS4 (Batman: Arkham Knight, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass Effect 4, Kingdom Hearts 3 & Star Wars Battlefront) which means I don't see a point in getting the console until next year. I'm going to try and get a Wii U (try, because my interests keep changing) and try out some stuff that's easier to get into like Mario.

 

[Pinko Marx]

I'm so bad about finishing games I start I sometimes feel really guilty about buying games. Thinking about it now... I can't remember the last game I beat...

 

[SimonM7]

I had this problem, too. It sounds like you have more of a reason to actively stop playing a game, though.

For me it was simply that new games came out, and I bought games at a rate that I always had something else to try out - something else I could be playing. So I did. I hopped around games, and either I kinda lost the thread in some games I was already playing, or they just couldn't compete with the novelty of something new.

It got to the point where I stopped fully enjoying games. I like to be completely engrossed in a game, which would happen naturally when I was a kid and I couldn't buy games for myself and I had the one new game.

So I enforced a policy where I just commit to one game. If I start a game, that's *the game I'm playing* until I finish it. Unless something is on ssssuper sale on whatever platform, I don't buy a game unless I'm prepared to commit to it immediately or short thereafter.

It's saved me money and made me enjoy games again.

 

[JimmyBoy]

If it ain't coop/multiplayer i don't generally play it. I have such little free time that I use the little I do have to ensure I keep in touch with my friends...and games are our medium for doing so.

Get in some League of Legends one night a week and recently some Halo: MCC...
that's about it.
it makes me sad.
but my Steam backlog of single player masterpieces that i've left untouched or only played for 20 minutes proves i clearly know what i want.

 

[shiherlis21]

Not platinum. 100% on save file. Platinum is dumb because screw multiplayer achievements.

Ah agree with you on the multiplayer achievements.

 

[Bidermaier]

I am 37 and I have a very busy life. Since I swichted to handhelds as main format I am finishing more games than ever.3DS/Vita is the best.
My PC is just an arcade machine that plays Ultra Street Fighter 4 and trackmania 2. My PS3 is a workout accesory. Life is good.

 

[vids]

We don't finish games as adults so the game worlds will live on in our minds. As our bodies grow more tired and worn dealing closure becomes more impending as we face our own personal endings.

 

[prag16]

Adulthood brah. not enough hours in the day.

Pretty much.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

I hope you are right.

But there shouldn't be any reason why they couldn't give us any decent ps3 or vita retail games anymore. This month it's only cheap indie games for all platforms. :/

To be fair they've given away most decent older games on those platforms--with a few exceptions of course. And they seem to not want to repeat games.

So I think things will continue to pick up on PS4 as it gets older and has more games in the backlog. Vita will probably remain mostly indie games--though there are a few bigger games like Killzone Mercenaries that will probably eventually go up on PS+. Similar for PS3.

 

[Chill Penguin]

Vast majority of games out there are packed to the brim with repetitive pointless filler. I'm hoping for the day we get very focused, compelling content. I'm fine with 5-7 hour games if it means it's an incredible experience.

 

[Gaming Truth]

A motivator for me is that I always sort of feel that if I don't at least finish the game, I'm not getting my money's worth.

Time to rain on your parade:

Spoiler

You already paid for it

=)

 

[Kater]

For me it's quite the opposite. I pay for games out of my own pocket since I moved out of my parents home which makes the games I buy that more valuable to me. In my childhood or teens I got them bought for me and back then I switched from game to game all the time, finishing maybe 1/4 of the game.

 

[KojiKnight]

Well OP, this thread served as a motivator... I decided to finish off Shadows of Mordor! (98%, need to do the last 2 hunting missions, but trying to find a ghoul matron is a pain in the ass).


Now I just need to finish....

Bravely Default
Bayonetta 1
Bayonetta 2
mario kart 8 DLC courses
Hyrule Warriors
Skyrim (275 hours played, still haven't beaten the main story)
Watch_Dogs (probably not going back to this)

and..... approximately 80-120 digital games from Steam, Humble Bundle, Wii U/VC and PS+ and I'll finally be caught up <_<

 

[BraXzy]

I'm the same, I always mean to get through a game and then usually end up getting distracted by a multiplayer game. Which usually happens since I feel like I'm only required to dedicate X amount of time per match so it's less of a commitment but I end up spending a single player campaign worth of time on it in the end anyway.

Games I'm currently part way through or barely started:

Bioshock (Don't ask me why I still haven't played through this yet)
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Sunset Overdrive
Master Chief Collection
Mark of the Ninja
Outlast
Witcher 2
Shadow of Mordor
Wind Waker HD
DK: Tropical Freeze

... the list goes on. Shit.

I need to stick to one game at a time xD

 

[PooBone]

This is why Iove trophies, sometimes they're that extra oomph I need. Also, the Souls series has always compelled me to beat them just because I always want to see what's next.

Pretty much this.

 

[Celegus]

It's easy to avoid if you don't get swept up in trying to play every "good" game that comes out. I've only played like 4 games that came out this year, but I've had a blast with each of them. Just have to know what you like and you won't get bored.

 

[Rnr1224]

This has been the case with me as well. I've been on a retro kick lately, but these new releases have been getting in the way. I am trying to play all of the classics that I have missed, but for some reason or another, I play the new releases more. I just wish I could stick to one game for a bit of time. Hopefully I will get around to beating most of them once the holidays roll around and I slow down my buying of games.