Do you feel obligated to beat every game you own?

[seductussum]

I am wondering if anyone else out there also feels an obligation to beat every game in his/her collection. Do most collectors concentrate on sheer volume, or is the point not only to own the game but to beat it too? My collection is still very, very small, but I think that has a lot to do with the guilt I feel when I consider buying a game even though there are still a few in my collection which I have not yet completed.

To put it another way: What is the ratio of "games beaten" to "games not beaten" in your collection?

[Richter Belmount]

Ur mom , have not beat that yet

[seductussum]

Ur mom , have not beat that yet

She has a different story.

[Breetai]

Ur mom , have not beat that yet:puke: LOL

With over 1000 games (and many others here have much more than that), I think it's safe to say that a lot of us have NO intentions of even attempting to beat every game in our collections.

[Jorpho]

I'd like to pretend I'm going to finish all the games I own some day, but it seems to get increasingly unlikely as time goes by.

See also New Survey: 11% of Games Purchased Left Unopened (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123875).

[imanerd0011]

I have hundreds of NES games that I will never attempt to beat (or even play).

I do try to beat all the new games I buy however. I only buy games that I play on beating (or at least playing a lot) for all other systems.

[Aussie2B]

I'd like to pretend I'm going to finish all the games I own some day, but it seems to get increasingly unlikely as time goes by.

That would be my answer too.

At least I can honestly say that I've beaten almost every Game Boy and Game Boy Color game I own, minus the ones that have no end and a few I haven't finished yet.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

I plan on completing every game in my collection within my lifetime.

[Pichu]

According to my backlog, I have 67% unfinished games. So no.

[kupomogli]

I plan to sometime. I only collect games I like and I know I have more than 500 less than 1000 games in my collection. So even if I keep doing what I still do(replaying a lot of games I've already beaten,) I'll still eventually complete all the others one day.

[Snapple]

Not possible. I own Battletoads.

[Voliko]

My list of games completed grows more slowly than the games I am getting. Realisticly, i will probably never beat all the games in my collection, but that doesn't mean i can't dream...

[scooterb23]

At one point, I thought about trying to finish every game in my collection. Then I realized it wouldn't happen, for several reasons.

The main reason I have is this: I get bored with my games. Quite frankly, especially with games from the past 2-3 generations... I just don't really care about the stories they are trying to tell...so when the game doesn't interest me, I bail.

Also: I'm not as good at the games as I used to be. Flat out, I admit I've lost a step...so if I get so stuck that there is no possible way for me to move on. I'll stop playing, rather than get too frustrated.

Do I feel guilty about not playing all my games all the way through? Not really. A few I still plan on going back and giving them a little bit more of a run, but overall...if I'm not enjoying a game I don't feel guilty, I just blame the developers for not making the game worth my time :)

[Arkhan]

beating every game you own is dumb

unless you absolutely enjoy every game you own.

[SegaAges]

I have not even played 50% or more of what I own, let alone beat it

[Jorpho]

unless you absolutely enjoy every game you own.That's why I only buy games that I at least potentially might enjoy.

Unless they're really cheap, of course.

[Flashback2012]

Absolutely not. I have far too many titles and nowhere near enough time for this to be even remotely feasible. Plus, games like World of Warcraft and Team Fortress 2 have no clear ending to them and never will. :beaten:

[Kamille01]

Not possible. I own Battletoads.

LOL

What he said. Man can dream though.

[Steven]

I know it's just about impossible to (legitimately) beat every game I own. However, I do try to GET AS FAR THROUGH a game as I can. As long as I reach a point where I can no longer advance yet feel satisfied that I "got my money's worth," I shelf the game and move onto the next with a "clear conscience."

[Arkhan]

I play games up until they feel like a boring job to even be playing. If this happens, I usually dont play the game again. And if I do, its not for a long ass time.

Games are supposed to be fun :) Not annoying. If I want to be annoyed, ill go walk around Wal Mart.

[buzz_n64]

This simply isn't possible, I would have to quit my job, drop out of school, ignore my friends, and stop going out to get more games in order to attempt this feat in a couple years, but this isn't going to happen. At the moment I have around 1100 games, and I've only beaten, maybe 15 - 30 games in these, not including the unbeatable games. Hell, I've probably only play about 33% of these, so no, not going to happen, and won't even try. Maybe I'll strive to beat every Mario game, that I can do.

[Bloodreign]

I've got more games than I have free time, so no. I have gone back and beat a few of my favorites, but I'd have to be rich and have a ton of free time so that I wouldn't have to work anymore before I could even consider it.

[WoodyXP]

Yes, I feel obligated. The only games I don't beat get sold.

[c0ldb33r]

No way. A lot of older games are just to frustrating and monotonous. Even games that I loved as a kid, I find monotonous today. So, I'll buy them and play them until I'm bored and shut them off. I may be a quitter, but I work enough during the week that I don't want my down time feeling like work too.

Of course there are some exceptions but generall speaking I have no intention of beating every game in my relatively smAll collection. I doubt guys with bigger collections would even be able to do it if they wanted to.

[Kiddo]

There are many times I actually passed on purchasing future titles because I thought "I have such a back catalog of games I haven't gotten around to beating yet."

And I still haven't beaten most of them. fff.

[RPG_Fanatic]

Never, I just don't have the time with work, girlfriend and life.

[guitargary75]

I couldn't beat every game that I own if I had 5 life times!

[exit]

I've been trying to go through my backlog and well there are games I know I'll eventually beat, while others I'll probably never even touch again. So mainly I'll focus on beating the shorter games and the longer games (mainly RPGs) I'll "save" for when I have the time to focus my attention on one.

[Lerxstnj]

No, not all. Not the racing games, casino games, the Maddens, other sports games, etc. I have a mental list of games I intend to beat someday tho.
The Silent Hills, God of Wars, Fatal Frames, Devil May Crys, to name a few.

[Jorpho]

This simply isn't possible, I would have to quit my job, drop out of school, ignore my friends, and stop going out to get more games in order to attempt this feat in a couple years, but this isn't going to happen.Sometimes I imagine that the ideal would be to be placed under house arrest after committing some major white-collar crime.

[Berserker]

No. I want to beat games I own, since that's part of the challenge that makes gaming fun, but that's far different from feeling some sort of obligation. What's fun about obligation? Part of the reason I play games is to escape from that sort of thing, if only temporarily.

[megasdkirby]

I remember I forced myself to beat Dino Crisis because it was a three day rental.

I did "beat" the game, but because I rushed through it, I ended up hating it.

[Rickstilwell1]

The only games I try to make myself beat are games that are part of series or games that I really enjoy. I have games that I really enjoy the gameplay of, but they are so hard I can't beat them without use of Game Genie or Gameshark. For example I thought Pac-Man World for the Playstation started to get pretty hard toward the end of the game so I used an infinite lives code as I struggled to get through a longer level with less checkpoints and more traps.

With Sonic Heroes I really find that I'm forcing myself to play Shadow's story. The levels are so much harder than Sonic's because of all the traps, even though they are the same levels. [I'm playing the GameCube port by the way]

Now if I spend extra cash on a good RPG I better play it all the way through or it would have been a waste. Same thing with a new game, if I'm going to spend $50-$60 I better enjoy my money's worth out of it.

[baraka]

Not possible. I own Battletoads.

Possible, just takes a while. Have a look at my recent topic about this game: http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142080&highlight=battletoads

[Emperor Megas]

I don't feel obligated, but I certain would like to.

I only purchase games that I actually plan on playing through, but I have too many games and not nearly enough time to finish them all any time soon. For this reason I only purchase games that are absolutely dirt cheap. There are a few exceptions, like rarer vintage titles that I may have wanted for a long time, or newer releases that are on sale that I know I'll get too right away, but for the most part I'll buy a game that I'm interested in for cheap and shelf it until I get through the top tier titles I already own.

There's definitely a pecking order. Certain games, mainly games in series' and/or genres that I'm a fan of, will get played (and beaten) before I shelf them and move on. Arcade and horror themed games are a few of my favorites. Canon Resident Evil games for example will always get completed (Resident Evil Zero was the rare exception to that rule, as I played it and quit half way in...I just wasn't feeling it).

I try to concentrate on a couple games at a time, otherwise I'd never make any head way. If I play too many different games at a time then nothing gets finished, so I'll focus on a demanding, content heavy title, and one or two arcadey titles. My latest rotation was Resident Evil 5, Raiden Fighters Aces and Dead Rising. RE5 got played in long stretches, whereas RF:A and DR were more about short 30-45 minute sessions. I can usually whittle my backlog down this way.

Games that don't grab me early on get shelved, sold, or given away. I don't have enough time as a gamer, or inclination as a collector, to deal with games I don't enjoy. Sometimes I'll really want to enjoy a game that I'm just not feeling (Silent Hill 4: The Room for example), and I'll hold on to them with the intent to finish one day, but unless there's a sequel on the way I'll let them sit. Anticipated sequels usually get me playing through my backlog, as I can't bring myself to play through a series unless I've completed all of the previous installments -- even the ones I don't enjoy that much.

[Dr. Dib]

Not really. I generally like to buy games for their historical value and usually end up just playing them for a few minutes to make sure they work. I would like to play a lot more games, but school really slows this down..

Speaking fo that, I remember when I used to actually beat all the newer games I buy. Now I have a long backlog of games I want to play, but don't ever seem to have time.

[Baloo]

I definitely don't have the urge to beat every game I own, even the ones I enjoy playing. Unless I REALLY get into a game, I usually don't play through it all the way. Or, if it's too hard (For example: I really like Castle of Illusion, Darkwing Duck, Ducktales, etc but I'm just not good enough at that certain game to beat it) I might just set it aside for the next game.

I also don't care for beating games like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Superstar Baseball that have 1-player modes but really focus much more on the multiplayer aspect.

[cyberfluxor]

Just put it in realistic terms...

Many of us have 1000+ games so that means beating a game just about every day on average for 3 years. That'd be a full-time job there so unless you're set with funds with lots of free time I doubt many are able to get everything beaten. Having a run at playing for a few hours on each game is quite possible though, just play the game when you get it and let it collect dust until that next urge comes around. :wink 2:

[Icarus Moonsight]

I don't worry about it. Fun or not? > Beat or not?

[Therealqtip]

I'm obligated to have fun with BC2 since I paid 50 fucking dollars for it. Does that count?

[XYXZYZ]

I used to feel this way back when I had an NES and 10 games, but once you get a job and have your own money to get games more often than Christmas and birthdays it becomes less and less feasible.

[kupomogli]

I'm obligated to have fun with BC2 since I paid 50 fucking dollars for it. Does that count?

Sell it on Ebay, it's fairly new so you'll probably get atleast $40 back.

[Slate]

Not right now but as my collection gets smaller I might. I don't feel like playing any of the old sports games I bought. Surely I have some bad or extremely hard games too.

[csgx1]

I feel obligated to beat every game I own, but it would be almost impossible to do.

Possibly when I'm old and retired I'll have more time. Instead of playing the usual chess or checkers in an old folks home, I'll be in the corner playing my NES.

[Jehusephat]

I'm pretty sure they only make games for kids and unemployed people these days, because every game I've picked up recently takes over 10 hours to beat. Whenever I'm scouring the internet for game reviews when I'm trying to decide what game to buy, I constantly read things like "this game only has 8 hours of gameplay? What a rip-off!" Somewhere along the line, it became a requirement for any game that wasn't a sports title or a racing title to take more than 10 hours to beat, and that's when I decided I wasn't going to try beating games I didn't absolutely love. When I was much younger and could only afford one or two games a month, it made sense to buy a game I could spend the better part of a month playing. Now that I'm 27, working and married, if I spend more than an hour or so a day playing games I'm probably ignoring something in my life that's more important. Classic gaming offers something modern games generally don't, and that's a solid game that can be experienced in its entirety in only a few hours. I constantly complained about games being too short when I was younger, and now I'm complaining about them being too long now that I'm older. If only things had worked in reverse, and fate had given me games like Oblivion when I was 8 and had time to play them, and games like Castlevania and Megaman 2 now that I really need them to be new again.

[chrisbid]

i have zero obligation to the games i own. if they are riveting enough for me to finish them, then they will be finished.

[Emperor Megas]

I'm pretty sure they only make games for kids and unemployed people these days, because every game I've picked up recently takes over 10 hours to beat. Whenever I'm scouring the internet for game reviews when I'm trying to decide what game to buy, I constantly read things like "this game only has 8 hours of gameplay? What a rip-off!" Somewhere along the line, it became a requirement for any game that wasn't a sports title or a racing title to take more than 10 hours to beat, and that's when I decided I wasn't going to try beating games I didn't absolutely love. When I was much younger and could only afford one or two games a month, it made sense to buy a game I could spend the better part of a month playing. Now that I'm 27, working and married, if I spend more than an hour or so a day playing games I'm probably ignoring something in my life that's more important. Classic gaming offers something modern games generally don't, and that's a solid game that can be experienced in its entirety in only a few hours.That's how I feel, too; though I didn't want games to be longer when I was a kid. It's amazing to me when people complain about 10+ hour games not being long enough. When I was younger there were a few games that I really enjoyed but they reached the two hour mark to complete, which I thought was a little long-winded. Not adventure games or RPGs with save features and passwords (I expected those to take longer to complete), but rather platformers like Cool Spot, and Global Gladiators.

When I read that a game is 'only' 8 hours or so, it's sort of a plus for me. I'd rather play through a 'short', sweet game (Heavenly Sword, Dead Rising, ect.) a few times than play through a drawn out one that drags on once. I guess if you only play a handful of games you want to get the most out of them, but with so many games released now-a-days, and with a resale market that allows you to easily unload your played games, I'd think most gamers would have more choices than time. Especially those who set aside so much time for online gaming.

There's a good chance I may never complete all of my games, but I'll definitely knock out most (if not all) of my vintage ones.

[obesolete]

I feel the need to at least try to beat every game that I purchase, however I don't have the time.

Any console that has a cheat device I will use it to cut down the time it takes to beat said game. I know it's not really "playing" the game, but if I don't at least see an ending I call it a waste of invested time.
There's still a great percentage of games that i've bought, tested and shelved that I hope to at least attempt to tackle one day. ... but it really wouldn't surprise me that I never do get to them.

[jonebone]

There's many games in my collection that are on the "I need to play them someday" list, but I know it could be a looooooong time before getting around to them. Like others have mentioned, I'm 26, have a girlfriend, a full time job and own a house. I also have other hobbies like working out and basketball so I'm lucky to get a handful of gaming hours a week.

[JSoup]

You spend enough time in the Backloggery community, you feel like you just HAVE to beat every game you own and do every damn possible thing. Eventually, however, you'll start weeding out the games you just aren't enjoying (like I'm doing now).

To actually answer the question, yes, I feel like I should beat every game I already own before buying any new games, but I'm willing to skip games I'm simply not enjoying in the least.

[Wraith Storm]

Games are supposed to be fun :) Not annoying. If I want to be annoyed, ill go walk around Wal Mart.

This statement is officially certified "Awesome"!



When I read that a game is 'only' 8 hours or so, it's sort of a plus for me. I'd rather play through a 'short', sweet game (Heavenly Sword, Dead Rising, ect.) a few times than play through a drawn out one that drags on once.

This is the main problem I have with gaming these days. I used to come home from school, plop down in front of the TV, toss in Sonic the Hedgehog and an hour or two later would walk away satisfied after having beaten the game for the umpteenth time.

These days I come home from work, a bit tired, yet still plop down in front of the TV. I toss in a game from this past generation or two, play for an hour or so and a month later I am still playing the same game... Something is wrong with this picture...

[DenDenDos]

These days I come home from work, a bit tired, yet still plop down in front of the TV. I toss in a game from this past generation or two, play for an hour or so and a month later I am still playing the same game... Something is wrong with this picture...

Haha. Although I did enjoy some of the older games that had quick playthroughs (once you were somewhat familiar with the game), There are some games that I really enjoy spending a lot of time on. I think the reason might be because (as long as the game's has quality) I feel more accomplished after I've finished it. There's also something to be said about completing the older shorter games in a specific way. For example when I played Mario Bros. I would shoot for the fastest time or most coins.

[seductussum]

Thanks for all of the responses; I really enjoyed reading them. It seems we are all across the board. Fun stuff.

I thought after posting the OP that I (and many others I know) own many books that have not been read all the way through. I doubt I will ever finish reading every book I end up buying in my life, and I know that I will buy more books before completing my current library. This is the same kind of thing as having a collection of video games which go unbeaten and even, in some cases, untouched.


What's fun about obligation?

Well said.


These days I come home from work, a bit tired, yet still plop down in front of the TV. I toss in a game from this past generation or two, play for an hour or so and a month later I am still playing the same game... Something is wrong with this picture...

It is only going to get worse, too, I suspect.