Don't cha wish u could focus on one game and finish it?

[Anthony1]

Man, one of the big downsides of being a retrogamer, is that most retrogamers will have a pretty huge library of games to choose from. And because you have such a big library, the natural tendency is to try to sample most of your collection at some time or another. The problem with that, is that it's very difficult to make any real significant progress in any particular game when you are bouncing around from game to game to game.

It's a catch-22 situation. For whatever reason, I find it really hard to just stick with one particular game, and one particular system. I love to bounce around from system to system and game to game. Sometimes just firing up a game and briefly checking it out, but other times playing a few levels and then playing something else. I find it very difficult to just stick with one particular game and trying to just finish that game completely before moving on to something else.

I know that is what I should be doing, but I have hundreds of games that are just waiting to be played, or checked out briefly, or maybe checked out semi-thoroughly. Problem is, sometimes I'll get half way through a game, but I just can't seem to finish any off, primarily because I'm switching to some other game, usually on another system. It's like Attention Deficit Disorder with videogames! It's like I can't stay entertained for that long, to just dedicate myself to one single game.

In fact, even with modern day games I find myself wanting to bounce around and try all the various Xbox 360 games that I can. But it's much worse with retro, because I've got like 13 systems that I enjoy playing, with tons of games for each system, and when you add it all up, I just don't have enough time to see everything, and I end up seeing a very tiny bit of alot of different games but never having any really "DEEP" experiences with anything.




WHY DO I FUCKING DO THIS?????


WHY CAN'T I JUST FOCUS ON ONE SINGLE GAME, AND JUST TAKE THAT GAME OUT. FINISH IT. COMPLETELY.



if I finished a game completely, then I can feel comfortable in not having to visit that game, and I can then move on to something else. Of course, there isn't any chance I could finish every game that I want to, cause I just don't simply have that many man hours to actually be able to that. Even if I was unemployed and single, living in a dark dungeon, with nothing but a big ass Sony PVM monitor and all my systems and a steady supply of pizza and mountain dew, even then I couldn't finish every game I would like to. It kinda sucks that I'm simply never going to have that time, and that there are TOO MANY good games in existence. :(


I guess if we do actually go to Heaven and live forever, well, forever is a mighty long time, and I guess then I would have tons of time on my hands to eventually finish all the games I would like to, but even then I'm not sure if it would be possible. LOL

[Jibbajaba]

I have the same problem. It's pretty rare that I finish a game, but I always intend to. But I could see someone having this problem even if they didn't collect classic games. If you have one or two of the current systems, good games come out with a high enough frequency that it's damn near impossible to finish one before buying the next unless you do nothing but play games, or skip a lot of good games when they come out.

It's very frustrating.

Chris

[Anthony1]

Yeah, it's like on one hand, it's a good problem to have, because it means that you have lots of interesting games that you wanna check out, but on the other hand, you actually have TOO MANY, and you can't get any real satisfaction out of it.....



I can't get no......


Satisfaction.......






Yeah, I know, "poor little me", I have too many good video games and I can't decide, stop crying like a baby and just focus on ONE DAMN GAME!!!! Maybe I should lock myself in a room until I finish a game? Also, alot of retro games don't have any save feature, so if you want to actually finish a game, you either have use level select codes or stage select cheats or passwords or god forbid actually having to sit there and play a game for 8 hours straight!!!

[exit]

The only games I actually finish majority of the time are survival horror games, or maybe a really good action/adventure game. Other than that I start and usually don't get very far.

[kentuckyfried]

It's like Tim Roth said in that movie (my explanation), 88 keys can play an infinite amount of music, an infinite amount of keys can play no music at all.

[van_halen]

I absolutely recognize that feeling. Having tons of other things to do (job, GF, whatever..), I never feel I have the time to play through a long hard RPG. At the moment, I have around 5 RPG's for NES which I haven't completed even midway. The most I can do when not having anything else to do, is playing through a platformer or a sports game of some kind. But just like you, I also like to switch system and play just a few courses of a game. Just to get a good feeling, listen to nice gaming music :)
This weekend I will be all alone and could have PLENTY of gaming hours for myself if I wanted, but hey, it's summer for god's sake! I usually get a bad feeling when being home and playing a game a hot summer day/night when everybody is out partying or anything. I just can't cope with it. But that doesn't mean I don't love videogames, but sometimes it feels like I'm spending just as much time being at DP as I am playing my games! LOL

[ChronoTriggaFoo]

I feel ya Anthony1. I was very tempted to start my very own thread with the same dilemma.

I remember the grand summer of 2001 when I LAST finished a game. Good God, 2001! But it wasn't just any game. It was Chrono Trigger *salutes* And I damn near finished Earthbound, all in the same summer (astounding for me).

As our collections grow, it just comes down to taking our games for granted. Let's say we got rid of all the games in our collections save for one we really wanted to play. That one game would be played to the end, I guarantee it. We're distracted by our collections, and are disillusioned into thinking they will always be there for our satisfaction to which is mostly true barring financial emergencies.

And then there is also something called having a life. I love playing games, but only in spurts. I can't justify playing a game when I could be making my business better, reading books to prevent rottage of the brain, playing sports to stay fit and feel better about myself, etc. This is why the Nintendo DS suits me and so many other people in the world :)

I definitely feel ya though! I'm right there with you. Even my DS games haven't been played to the end! :(

[Haoie]

The problem is compounded, especially if you give up on tough or boring bits at a whim like me, and go off to buy something else fresh and exciting [for a few moments, anyway].

[Aussie2B]

It's not much better the other way around. I try to really stick with a game, to take my time and savor the game and to experience all that it has to offer, but since I have such a large collection of games, I have countless games sitting on the shelf that I've yet to barely play. Sure, I'll give everything a quick try, but that doesn't count for much. So the options are either 1) dabble in everything but complete nothing, or 2) devote yourself to one at a time but spend even less time with all the other games than you would in scenario 1.

But, heck, they're not going anywhere. It's nice to buy a game and play through it right away, but there's an unique kind of satisfaction from finally playing through a game that you've had sitting around for 5 years, or maybe longer. Unfortunately, I find I get more wrapped up in what I've recently acquired, so that makes an old game languish on my shelves even longer.

[2Dskillz]

Another problem that compounds with all of this is when you have games like Street Fighter, Mario Kart, or anything else with a high replayability. They really become a blackhole for gaming time, leaving less time to finish the other "once through" games.

[Steven]

Anthony, been there done that, still here still doing that, heh.

I remember in the old days when me and my bro were wee lads, we only were able to buy 2 or 3 games a year -- 4 if we were lucky. So we played those games to death.

Our maximum NES game count was 18. And we played those 18 games to death.

Today my NES count alone is 100+. I've played... maybe 4 games so far out of 100+... it's real bad I know.

But I'm buying NES games right now to get the wants out of the way. I'm still mainly focused on SNES, but getting a head start on collecting for other systems isn't a bad idea. Unless you look at it from a collector's disease mentality. I do, however, sincerely maintain I will play each game I own eventually. But I own too much. I will probably play each game, but many for no more than an hour I'm afraid.

But to offer a suggestion: ever thought about keeping a gaming journal? Jotting down thoughts and boss/level descriptions? If you have the drive I find keeping a gaming journal to be an incredible incentive to finish a game. For example back in March I beat an obscure SNES platformer named SWAT Kats. It just hooked me out of nowhere. I have in my journal a brief detailed account of all 5 levels and bosses... and everytime I play I include the date and time. One day it's gonna be cool to look back and say "oh, so that's WHEN I played game X, and beat it."

:)

So if you have the time and drive, I suggest keeping a gaming journal if you can. They're also great for writing reviews. After you play a game you may forget certain aspects. If there's something about a game that strikes me I will jot it down, and when writing a review I will read through my notes. Hell I even rate the game on graphics, gameplay, sound, etc. in my journal.

It does take a strong passion to do a journal, though, and while not super time consuming, it does add up. But I know 10 years from now, I'll have a blast reading through my gaming adventures. Pretty much like reading a diary of your life... except... gaming life.

[XYXZYZ]

For instance, I've been trying to finish Super Mario Bros. 2 for two days now. I'll get to world 5 or whatever, and say "Now I want to play Street Fighter 2!" Or I'll fire up the Neo Geo or something. And it doesn't help if you have modern games in that mix, they all take 460+ hours to finish now. :/

But today I'll do it, I'll finish Super Mario Bros. 2! I did Legend of Zelda in two sittings earlier this week, so I have something going for me.

[roushimsx]

I've found that keeping a list of games and setting a goal (like beat an average of 1 game a week) does wonders for the motivation. You should try participating in the "Beaten in 2006" thread.

[XYXZYZ]

Okay, I've just done it. I have freed the Subcons from the evil Wart and brought peace and tranquility to their land forever. 8-)

I died three times though, I'm getting rusty. :/

[googlefest1]

this year it happened

I wanted 2006 to be different.

I was determined to pick a game and play it until I reached the end and relearn the patience that it takes. Sure it was a current gen game ( which I think are easier to finish then old games [ because of the ability to save your progress]) but once I did it I finally felt a huge sense of relief. I gained the belief that I had the patience to concentrate on only one game (2 if you count hand held). It was easier to pick up another game and say I’m going to finish this one. Then I hit the trials of gaming woe. I picked up Robocop for the Xbox. I was determined to finish it no matter what. But boy did I have the urge to stop playing that game. I was looking for a reason to give my self as an excuse to end my torture. Around the same time period I was playing Bionic commando elite forces for the GBC. Which I had to give up playing because of that damn bug the game has which wont let you progress. So I hoped there was something similar I could find that would tell me Robocop was unfinishable. Although I knew in my heart that with some luck the game could be finished (especially since the one bastard enemy could kill it’s self) I still scoured the internet. I had a feeling that if I gave up on that game I would loose the patience to continue concentrating on only one game. That concern kept adding fuel to my will of wanting to play games to their end. To help end this story I will go strait to the end. I finished the game and realized that if I could finish Robocop I can finish any game (unless it has a major problem like Bionic commando elite forces). Since I started this I have finished 8 games and soon I will be adding beggar prince (Genesis/MD) to that list. I have never finished so many games before in a single years time. Picking a great game every now and then is certainly a big help but I believe the biggest hurdle to pass is finishing the first game. I enjoy playing games even more now. Sure enough I will still pop a bunch of games and play them for a little while (in particular older games) (I’m really just killing time there) but when I really sit down to play its just one game.

I used to have the same gripe as you. The only thing I can recommend to you is to just set your mind on one game and forget about the rest of the collection until you finished it.

[CosmicMonkey]

Change the type of games you play. I wish I could sit there and spend hours on SNES RPGs, but I don't have the time currently.

Most evenings I have an hour or two to play games, unless I have mates over. I find it difficult to get into long games if it's broken up like that. That's why I changed to playing more arcade games. I can have a short go on KoF '98 say, and still feel I've accomplished something.

So yeah, I'm more into Shmups or Run n' Guns currently. And I've also been playing fighting games more now. I'm sure one day, when I do have the time I will star playing more RPG/Adventure/Platformers, but for now I'm happy with Metal Slugs, King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown and shmups.

[Iron Draggon]

Sometimes you just have to find a way to FORCE yourself to just play ONE game and stick with it until it's finished. And even then there is still always the temptation to play something else when you run into alot of difficulty. But I don't think there's anything wrong with that. You'll get alot more enjoyment and alot less frustration out of trying to complete a game if you put it down for a while once you get stuck somewhere and come back to it later instead of sticking with it when it's just not a good time to stick with it. I've found that by doing this I tend to make alot more steady progress than if I continue trying to hammer my way through a game when I just keep dying over and over.

I have finished very few of my games. But I have finished some. And I pretty much had to force myself to focus on just those games for a while in order to do it. I had to sit down and say OK, I am going to unlock everything in this game, and I am gonna stick with it until I do. I may have played some other games in the meantime when I got tired of playing that one game for a while, but I forced myself to focus on it. I would say OK, back to making progress again.

As for your Heaven analogy, I sure hope that we can do everything we always wanted to do there, but for whatever reason we never could manage to do it here. There are a shitload of roller coasters that I want to ride while passing the time in eternity, and there are a shitload of games that I want to play too. Both video games and board games!

I can imagine us doing the exact same thing throughout eternity though. SIGH... There were too many games made before the world ended, I can't decide which one to play! And not only that, there will probably be a shitload of "woulda been" game designers making all kinds of new games to play throughout eternity, because they suddenly have the skills and the resources to do what they always wanted to do but never could before! Think about it. If Heaven works the way that it should, there will be all kinds of stuff going on with everyone forever! It would be kinda like everyone winning the lottery all at once. No more inability to do things. Practically no limits. A free for all!

[Synergy]

...with nothing but a big ass Sony PVM monitor and all my systems and a steady supply of pizza and mountain dew...

Oh, that would be awesome though.

I don't find this to be a huge problem personally, but, in my case, temptation does come along and tries it's best to derail you. For instance, you're trying to get through Dragon Warrior on the NES, but have this overwhelming urge for a Tecmo Super Bowl fix. You get drawn into that, and start getting an itch for another game. Then you start getting involved in that, and round and round we go.

I've had that problem quite a few times, but I'm motivated by the times I keep telling myself that you can never conquer a game by only playing halfway through it. Ever. And I guess through time I've disciplined myself enough to make sure I finish the game I've started.

So, don't worry, you're not alone by a long shot. :)

[poopnes]

Here's my suggestion:

Don't be afraid to look on the intarwebs for faqs (not cheat codes). Get a little stuck, look it up! Keep on going. I've finished more games alone this year than the last 5 put together. I've shaken off the "hardcore gamers don't need help" and have finished and enjoyed games so much more. But hey, that's just me.

[DeputyMoniker]

Same here. I always ask people who have a ton of books if they've read them all and they say they have. What's our problem? Is it that gaming attracts people with a short attention span?

[ROBOTNIK666]

I know exactly what that's like. I've been trying to finally finish Sonic 1 (the farthest I've made it is Labyrinth act 1), but other games always grab my attention.

[Retsudo]

Well I didnt have much of a problem with finishing one game in my Snes day. I only had 1 game for a long time. I played that SF2 to death.

[ubikuberalles]

@retsudo: Reminds me of when I first got my Atari 400. For nearly a year the only game I had on it was Defender. I played that game to death and got quite good with it. Good times. Good times.

Nowadays I have the reverse situation. I have so many games that I haven't played everyone yet. I tried to address the problem but I just gave up. Now I just play the games I enjoy playing,

[kainemaxwell]

I feel this way when it comes to rpgs. I'll get close to the end, to the point before the final battle or last dungeon/castle/flying thing then stop as I go into leveling-up mode before procedding.

[cyberfluxor]

Yup, RPGs are a pain. They take so long to get towards the end, and then boom sometimes you just feel like walking away and you don't end up comming back to it for years. That's the way I feel about most, and long adventure games. Sometimes it's the really short games that are sweet and you'll end up plugging it in time and time again just to make sure you can run through it quickly and haven't lost your touch on it. For the time being, I'm working on beating my Saturn games and will slowly make my way through them. Later on I plan on hitting up a good amount of 2600 titles and seeing what I can do there. Of course a ton of those games are just what's the highest score you can make before you get game over because otherwise it goes on forever or stops when time runs out.

[unbroken]

I wish I were like you. I have this sick obsession of only playing 1 game at a time until I beat it. It's really weird but in my mind if I don't dedicate all my time to one game I feel like I'm not fully into the game.