• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Anyone else's backlog reaching critical mass?

Not really. Just playing Mass Effect II, then got Dragon Age II. Hopefully one year I can spend my life on Diablo 3. Release it already Blizzard!

I'll make time for the new Zelda and Tales of Graces F. Most of these aren't even out yet.
 
I have about 50 games. I've pretty much decided that I won't buy anything else that is not Xenoblade or Skyward Sword until it has been significantly reduced. Last games I completed were Resident Evil 5 and Super Meat Boy. Marvel vs Capcom 3, COD: Black Ops, and Rock Band 3 have impeding process however
 
I have no idea what to do. I don't usually play for trophies, but they are fun to get outside of the gringing RPG ones.

Right now, I'm on last last level of Star Ocean 4 (haven't played in a month) almost done with Platinum in KZ3, barely started GTA4, and RdR, Leisure Suit Larry, Sega Gensis Collection, UTIII, Ski-Do Challange, LBP, and LBP2

Other (but not all) noteables

Still in Wrapper:

- Mass Effect 2
- Disgaea 3
- Borderlands
- Eat Lead
- Bioshock
- Demon's Souls
- Blaze Blue
- MGS4
- Fallout 3

Getting this year:
- Crysis2
- WKC2
- Skyrim
- Resistance 3
- Final Fantasy XIII-2

Playing with the kids (Time management):
- Hannah Montana
- Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs
- Where the wild things are
- G Force

Still want to get platinum in because I'm so close:
- Killzone 2
- Resistance 2
- Final Fantasy XIII
- inFamous
- MW2
- Black Ops.


Where do I start from here? What should I do first, I only play 10-15 hours a week total....
 
I'm pretty sure my backlog is something like 500 unfinished retail games.

I think I like to buy and talk about games more than I like playing them. I think I need help.
 
Fernando Rocker said:
I'm pretty sure my backlog is something like 500 unfinished retail games.

I think I like to buy and talk about games more than I like playing them. I think I need help.
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat, although I don't think it's quite as many. Steam sales really get me, though; not the giant year-end ones, but the Weekend Deals. "Kane & Lynch 2, which I've heard nothing but bad about, plays shittily on my PC as confirmed by the demo, and lasts about four hours, for $5? SOLD!"

Right now I'm scooping up DS games too, for some reason, which I'll probably never play. SMT: Strange Journey brand new for $17, sure, why not. It will look nice on my shelf, right? I'm sick. Sick.

And with all of the (admittedly cheaply obtained, very rarely full-price) games I have for my PC, consoles and handhelds waiting to be played, what am I actually playing right now? Morrowind. Nine year old-ass game that I've finished several times.
 
Holy shit. I thought my backlog was bad but it's nothing compared to some of you. I just powered through the MGS series (1-4 and Peace Walker) and this is about what I have left:

Half Life 1
Half Life 2
HL2: Ep 1 and 2
Vanquish
3DDGH
Bloodlines
Crysis
Crysis Warhead
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins Awakening
Valkyria Chronicles

Games that I'm playing that I need to focus on soon but you don't really "finish"
SSF4
MvC3
MMP/PS
Mushihimesama Futari

Games that I want to go back and 100%
Bayonetta
Super Meat Boy


Thankfully there's only about 4 games coming out for the rest of the year that I plan on playing.
 
Have three new DS games to play. Valkyria Chronicles and Just Cause 2 need to be finished up still. Got Dragon Age 2 from GameFly in, haven't touched it yet. Shogun 2's out tomorrow, got that pre-ordered on Steam. Will check K-Mart for that Yak 3+4 deal, will buy if they have both.

And yet all I'll play is Marvel 3.
 
I haven't bought a game so far this year. Truth is, I've had WAY more fun going through my backlog than I ever did buying games constantly and letting them sit unplayed. I also have more money in my pocket. When it comes time to go buy some new games, they will be cheaper and I will make better decisions since I am buying them after the marketing hype has subsidided.

The truth is, once I get past that few weeks before and after release I find that I don't really want the game anymore. It's just hype.
 
Interfectum said:
If you buy a game at launch for $60 and you don't play it for 4-5 months you are literally pissing money down the drain.

Only buy a game if you plan on playing it in the next couple days.
Click to expand...
What if I play it for like 30 minutes and then don't play it for 4-5 months?
 
I don't really feel right about the thread title. I do love and care for my backlog just like the next guy, but come on.
 
Nope. After the steam sale I had over 80 new games to play. Out of the 80, Ive beaten 34 of them already :) My goal is to finish all of them before the next Christmas steam sale.

Just stop buying games if have a backlog people.

hamchan said:
Time to stop buying new games and clear the backlog. Then once you're done with that all the new games you wanted are now old games and half the price.
Click to expand...

Truth
 
I don't worry about backlogs, I'll get to games eventually or play them on an off. I usually have 3-4 console games to juggle and 5-6 handheld games also....all that in-between WoW raids and now I want to play Rift!!

I usually buy 3-5 games a month between all platforms, yeah it may be crazy but I work hard and it's my hobby/time sink/escape from the real world. I'm just glad my wife likes games also :)
 
Yeah big time. I must have around 30 to 40 games in my backlog with no intention yet to start on, and it just increases every few weeks.

My problem is playing to around 70% and then moving on, only when it comes back, I can't be arsed as I've already played most of it.
 
I just forget about games that I've lost interest in and find another game to play. If it's lucky enough to be able to keep my attention through the end I'll beat it. Otherwise it just gets thrown in the incomplete pile which I may or may not ever return to.
 
hamchan said:
Time to stop buying new games and clear the backlog. Then once you're done with that all the new games you wanted are now old games and half the price.
Click to expand...

This guy has the right idea. I recently did this. As a "hardcore" gamer for the past 20+ years, I thought it would be hard to do. Turns out it's easy. And since I stopped buying games at the same steady clip I used to (right around November), I've been finishing games left and right. Just finished Sly 3 last night, actually. Red Dead Redemption, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and a bunch more have been finished in the last two months alone. Not only that, but I've saved myself an assload of money.

Sure, I still buy the games I consider to be "essential". I picked up Dragon Quest VI a few weeks ago, I'll be buying the 3DS at launch, and I won't miss LA Noire. But a lot of those "second tier" games that I normally would've snapped up on a whim now have to wait.

Give it a shot. It may seem like you'll be missing out at first, but it makes things a lot less stressful when you're actually able to take your time to savor and enjoy your games to the fullest.
 
The issue with "not buying any new games", even though it is the best advice, is the fact that you don't play games when they are the latest and greatest.

There is something to be said for playing an MP game the first few weeks it is up, the playing field is a bit more even as not everyone has mastered the game yet. Also, it is nice to enjoy graphically impressive games on release week because that is when they will be most impressive. I agree gameplay > graphics, but graphics do add to the experience.

Playing Half-Life 2 on release would blow your mind, playing it now for the first time you would still enjoy it, but the graphics wouldn't blow your mind.
 
Ranger X said:
For real, the ONLY way out is to buy less.

Get more picky. Seriously.
Click to expand...
.

Buy less than 1 game per month on average = no huge backlog ever. The other advantages of this: every game I play is fucking amazing and I have plenty of time to replay games without feeling guilty. Gaming is my hobby, not homework.
 
kodt said:
The issue with "not buying any new games", even though it is the best advice, is the fact that you don't play games when they are the latest and greatest.

There is something to be said for playing an MP game the first few weeks it is up, the playing field is a bit more even as not everyone has mastered the game yet. Also, it is nice to enjoy graphically impressive games on release week because that is when they will be most impressive. I agree gameplay > graphics, but graphics do add to the experience.

Playing Half-Life 2 on release would blow your mind, playing it now for the first time you would still enjoy it, but the graphics wouldn't blow your mind.
Click to expand...


The real solution is not to stop buying games. It's to track down your gaming and make so you buy less games in number than the one you finish. Let's say you finish 3 games during a month. You can limit yourself at buying 2 games the month after. If you always buy less games than you finish, you will eventually kill the backlog.

:)
 
Making good progress this year. Already cleared out Uncharted 2, Batman AA and Heavy Rain. So all that's left (that I already own) is:

Quantum of Solace - Got it for Christmas, so I feel I have to play it, ya know?
Mass Effect 2 - Evil playthrough
Fable 2
Mario Galaxy 1 - The ultimate SHAME of my backlog. So weird too, since I bought my Wii speficially for Zelda and the next 3D Mario game.


MY SOLUTION: Stop buying new games until you're ready to play them. Or if you know you're going to play it immediately. For example, last year I bought GoW3 at launch and played it until I Platinum'd it. This year the only games I know for sure I'm buying are Gears3, Uncharted 3 and NCAA Football 12. All 3 are pre-orderd and Gears3 and Uncharted3 are already paid off.

Also, at some point, you need to realize that you're going to miss out on some great games. And that is perfectly OK.
 
So I'm curious with the backlog talk,

How many of you are talking about games you've bought, but never played at all (never opened, or launched, etc.) vs. games you just haven't finished, or suck "enough" time into?


For me, I always play every game I buy, at least once, but my backlog consists of games I just haven't finished. I think the only thing I own that I haven't actually played at the moment is Audiosurf (Steam Sale) which is because I haven't switched to my Windows partition to be able to in ages.
 
My backlog right now is the worst it's ever been in my entire life. It's a running joke between my bf and i about how i keep buying new games without ever finishing my old ones, that's when you know it's bad lol

My biggest problem was a 3-year addiction to Lord of the rings online, which took priority even while i was still buying new games and not playing them. Some notable games in my backlog that i keep meaning to go back and finish: Tales of Vesperia, Bayonetta, Blue Dragon, Persona 4, Okami, Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn, Persona 3 Portable, Tactics Ogre:LuCT, and actually i never completed the first Dragon Age (got close though) before buying the sequel! Ugh, i have issues lol

and like someone mentioned, i think right now i enjoy reading about games more than playing them
 
I probably have about 70-80 games onmy shelf i need to play through. Not even joking. That's not counting XBLA games (probably around 40 I need to start) and games that I want to buy but have refrained from buying for the sole fact that my backlog is so big (games like Fallout New Vegas and Dragon Age).

Yes, I have a problem.
 
I've actually been making some progress. I've been able to put another 20+ hours into Fallout 3 which is putting me at about 50 hours. O.o

Dragon Age II releasing in the state it did gave me a chance to have more breathing room. Fallout 3 will be done soonish and then I can polish off Tactics Ogre.
 
kodt said:
The issue with "not buying any new games", even though it is the best advice, is the fact that you don't play games when they are the latest and greatest.
Click to expand...

People have backlogs because they buy more games than they can play. Whether or not it is the latest or greatest is irrelevant if you're not playing it. So a person can either pretend that they will play all these games or just face reality.
 
Yes mine is as well. This week is my spring break so I was going to go rent a bunch of 360 games like Bulletstorm and go through them. I also want to buy Minecraft and Mlb the show 11.
 
I managed to make a pretty big dent in my backlog due to being unemployed for about six months. But now that I'm working again I have more money and less time, so my backlog is growing pretty quickly again.

I don't think I'll ever be able to get through all of the PS2 RPGs that I have in my backlog... but I just can't bring myself to sell any of them.
 
diffusionx said:
People have backlogs because they buy more games than they can play. Whether or not it is the latest or greatest is irrelevant if you're not playing it. So a person can either pretend that they will play all these games or just face reality.
Click to expand...

Fuck reality!




:(
 
The main problem is: I am picky with games, except for Steam sales. picked up about 50 games for only 30 bucks during the last sale. Thanks to that it enlarged my backlog quite a bit. I am afraid to finish games since I might feel a certain emptyness when I complete a game. Sometimes I just have so much fun playing a game, I don't want it to end.
 
My backlog is getting nicely under control now. I've beaten a lot of hardcore/time-consuming titles in the past year or two. Waiting to purchase new'ish games until they drop to around $20, new or used, has helped immensely. Highly recommended.
 
I'm poor right now, so I'm replaying all the old stuff still lying around. Currently having a blast with Darksiders :). After this I'm planning to finish 'Splosion Man and Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, and maybe wrap up The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and Damned.

There's a lot of stuff I'm looking forward too, though: Brink, Rage, Deus Ex: HR, Gears 3, Mass Effect 3.. Luckily most of'm are still half a year away.
 
Mine reached critical mass ages ago. I've still got games from 2005 that are on it, including F.E.A.R. which I bought a few months ago but have still not even got around to installing yet, let alone playing.

And as long as Minecraft keeps it's vice-like grip on me, it's going to stay that way.
 
Malio said:
My backlog is getting nicely under control now. I've beaten a lot of hardcore/time-consuming titles in the past year or two. Waiting to purchase new'ish games until they drop to around $20, new or used, has helped immensely. Highly recommended.
Click to expand...

Definitely. Well, I just buy fewer games but don't mind going day one. Dawn of War II: Retribution and Pokemon Black are the only games I've bought this year and for £45 total on day one I don't mind. I just try and buy the games that I know I will want to play, not those that are reviewed well or big marketing. Plus sticking with Nintendo and PC means I'm not left with multiple consoles that I really feel the need to devote time to each of.
 
Yeah, I've barely bought any games in the last two years, but I still have a huge backlog. The problem is that I love collecting games, and so for years I was buying games faster than I could ever hope to play them. On top of that, having so many games to choose from is sometimes I think just a little overwhelming and I just end up playing nothing.
 
Barberetti said:
Mine reached critical mass ages ago. I've still got games from 2005 that are on it, including F.E.A.R. which I bought a few months ago but have still not even got around to installing yet, let alone playing.

And as long as Minecraft keeps it's vice-like grip on me, it's going to stay that way.
Click to expand...
The trick is sleepless and drink more coffee ever since I stopped sleeping I get way more done.
 
I play only one game at a time. That way, titles I desperately wanted to play due to hype can be crossed from my list when the time comes to really play them.

But yes, I do have a backlog that's increasing everyday and some titles I should have played are still there (Dead Space 2 for instance).
 
I can't understand how people can build huge backlogs. I panick when I see 5 unsealed games.

You want to buy a game? Put it on a wishlist first and then buy the most interesting one in the list one at a time. Saves you a lot of money too.
 
Part of my backlog is an irrational fear that by the time I get to something I want, it won't be available anymore. This isn't nearly as big of an issue as it used to be because you can still walk into a games store around here and find a good selection of Gamecube and Xbox games, even somewhat rare ones... but I still have nagging doubts that things will become unavailable. When a game gets delisted on Steam I get really antsy, even though it's usually things I didn't really want and it very rarely happens anyway. I was thrilled to discover I owned TOCA3 as part of the Codemasters Racing Pack (even though it's delisted, and not advertised as part of the pack), even though I'll probably never get around to it.

Key word is "irrational". :-/
 
Depends on how you define 'critical mass'

There have been several times I've thought it couldn't get any bigger and yet, like the debt ceiling in the US Government, I continue to exceed and surprise myself.
 
I think I've reached a critical mass with my gaming, thats for sure. I have about 20 DS games I have not completed, as well as at least 6 major PC titles I have barely touched beyond the first few hours. By the end of April I will own (but not played) at least an additional 10 titles.

I'm going to trade in a few DS games (such as pokemon) that while I love, I will not get a chance to play any time soon, and pick them up much later on when they go from popular to "last generation", to help buy the few purchases I know I will rinse in a day.

I'm glad I stopped playing WoW, because frankly it took much any and all free time that I had. It only took 6 years...
 
If you define every unbeaten game and every Steam purchase as a backlog game, then you´re doing it wrong.

And if you´re playing just to get it out of the way and then not touching it again, then you´re really doing it wrong.

Examples:

Arma 2 - bought during a Steam sale and I have played it for about 2 hours. I had great fun playing it, know what it´s about and want to play it more even though I have more interesting games to play right now. Not a backlog game.

Sid Meier's Railroads - also bought during a Steam sale. Played it for about an hour before I realized that I didn´t really like it since it had cut to many features from Railroad Tycoon. Not a backlog game.

Thief: Deadly Shadows and Deus Ex - I have played them for about 1 hour together, but still don´t consider them backlog games since I only bought them because they are considered classics and Steam more or less threw them at me (combined cost: 4€).

Bob Came in Pieces - got it gifted, quite like it, and want to beat it since it´s a pretty short game that I want to see all the levels in. Backlog game.


Feel pretty good about purchasing every single interesting game on release day anymore also. My list of "to buy" games this year so far consists of:

Cities in Motion
Dragon Age 2
Dungeons
Little Big Planet 2
Pixeljunk Shooter 2
Warhammer: Dawn of War 2 - Retribution

Seems like good games everyone of them, but they really would only have gotten in the way of already purchased games if I had bought them day 1.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Anyone else skip this gen?
2
97
730
ThatOneGrunt replied
Anyone else playing Esoteric Ebb?
23
541
calico replied
How big is your gaming backlog?
2 3
115
1K
Mr Hyde replied
Anyone else get the new Xbox Dash Update?
4
140
RPS37 replied
Anyone else finds GOG “promos” scammy?
8
279
Fbh replied
Top Bottom