Times You Took Your Love Of Gaming Too Far

[CaspianX]

Hi, my name is Jake McNeill. I'm a freelance writer for 1Up, and I was referred to this board as a good place to get some feedback from the gamer community.

My latest assignment is an article about the more obsessive, compulsive, excessive, and just plain ridiculous side of gamers. Understand that I have no desire to create some kind of freakshow, but rather something more along the lines of "times even we have to admit we took things too far."

I've done a lot of these things myself - my game collection has gotten somewhere into the thousands (half of which I've never taken out of the shrinkwrap), I've taken days off from work just to play Oblivion ("Uh, yeah, I'm... uh... really sick... *cough*" ). One time, I took a pencil and pad of paper and actually mapped out the whole ridiculous trade system of Secret of Evermore - I didn't even like it all that much!

So my question to you guys is what experiences along those lines you may have had. Times when your enthusiasm outweighed your judgement, or caused problems elsewhere in your lives. As per usual, I'll PM anyone whose comments I'd like to use in the article to ask for permission before plastering an embarassing story up on the website.

Thanks again in advance to everyone who participates. I should note that I'm posting this both in the Classic Gaming and Modern Gaming boards because it kinda' applies to both.

[gepeto]

DO a search for the you know your hardcore when post. This one sticks out in my mind.
Member Dangerboy response to post.

You know you're hardcore when:

- You own the entire 1300 game PlayStation US Library
- You own damn near every known variant
- Were crowned the Biggest PlayStation Fan by Sony / Sony Forum Members
- Won $3,000 in prizes from Sony for it
- Have been featured in OPM Magazine and on their Disc
- Have Been Featured in PSExtreme, Tips and Tricks, and EGM
- Have been a finalist in Sony's "Create-a-Monster" Contest for GoWII
- Had Sony's Lead Engineer tell you you own more games PSX than Sony
- Own 22 PlayStations including PSOnes, Yaroze, Debugs, Box Variants, etc
- Were the only one in a 4,000 chain store to $5 reserve PSX Cat in the Hat
- Had Victor Ireland personally check his own collection for PSX variants
- Own the Elemental Gearbolt Assassin's Case
- Run a PSX dedicated web-site

and on the first mention of "...how much the PS3 sucks..." people look at you and admit how much of a Nintendo fanboy you are.

Priceless.

I have a ton of storys but I guess you need the extremes. You have found the right place. People come into my Room of doom and think I am crazy for my collection. I know I will never play and beat all the games but I have them to beat. I am just a ripple in the wind and I love it. Good luck with your article.

[Leo_A]

Running the 24 Hours of LeMans in real time with no driver changes would be the one for me that would qualify.

[XYXZYZ]

<delete>(this thread is also in Classic Gaming?)

[Sniderman]

Yup, you have an identical thread in the Classic Gaming forum. That one seems to be getting all the action. And since dupe threads are a huge no-no...

<CLANK>