Gaming Backlogs

This is where you can deliberate anything relating to videogames - past, present and future
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by ratsoalbion »

It was on the shortlist but didn’t make the cut. Maybe next year...
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Stanshall
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by Stanshall »

Disgusting. Not a single Senran Kagura title in sight.
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by ratsoalbion »

Stanshall wrote: January 11th, 2018, 10:16 pm Disgusting. Not a single Senran Kagura title in sight.
IKR
nickturner13

Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by nickturner13 »

I've decided on the way I'm going to try to deal with my gaming backlog - I currently have around 350 games on steam, and surely around 250 of them I've never played, plus just signed up for Origin Access, so another 75 games there... plus I have various games on GOG and Uplay...

So for the gaming channel I've been considering for a while on Youtube, I'm going to put all my games into a spreadsheet and use a random number generator formula to pick a new one each week.

Then each week I'll do a 30 minute or hour long video of the random game.

This way, I get to play something new each week, and it's always going to be somewhat of a surprise!

Now I just need to get the first episode under my belt and get cracking, currently procrastinating...
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Sinclair Gregstrum
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by Sinclair Gregstrum »

Leon that is glorious, awe-inspiring, ridiculous, and terrifying.

I salute you :geek:
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by ratsoalbion »

Thanks!

If I can live another 50 years or so I might make a small dent in it.
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Chopper
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by Chopper »

Do you approach it in a structured way in order to reduce it, or is it just out there and you're happy to get to it when you can?

I mean, obviously the podcast games are on there, so there is some pressure to complete those on schedule, but the rest? Are you happy to dip in according to time/whatever you fancy playing at that moment, or do you feel any obligation to play something to get it off the backlog?

I think I'd find it a bit overwhelming if I felt any obligation to reduce it.
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ratsoalbion
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by ratsoalbion »

Well, the podcast is essentially a product of - and my motivation to - clear a certain amount the backlog.

There's quite a bit of stuff on there that I'm less fussed about; games that I wouldn't have paid for but that I've got through Games With Gold, PS+, bundles etc. - but I like to try as much different stuff out as I can for a variety of reasons.

The list and its order is slightly disingenuous in some ways. For instance I'll play FIFA (or PES) pretty much every weekend at some point, and if I fancy a blast of a favourite like Nex Machina or Street Fighter or whatever I will of course do that.
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Simonsloth
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by Simonsloth »

Wow what a list!

There are a few on there I would definitely warn you to steer clear of but in general it’s a list of every game worth playing in the last decade.

Having a 2 year old and another on the way has made me ruthless this year. That and my PS4 hard drive being full.

My list is quite short in comparison!
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ReprobateGamer
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by ReprobateGamer »

The list of games installed on various consoles (or in boxes) would be around 90 on the Xbox one, 30-40 on the Xbox 360, 60-80 on the PS3 - a significant portion of which are games I either will keep coming back to, or really do intend to play at some point.

If I added every game that I 'own' via Games with Gold/PS+, that list would go into the hundreds easy. But whilst I claim every game every month, I only actually download the games that I intend to play (these days at least).

I'm also aware that my achievements completed total is currently around 32% on Xbox One so I'm now also making gaming choices based on trying to increase that percentage - my trophies completion is 38% so that's the initial goal by aiming to play the games with a lower percentaqe completion. At least when not playing games purely for the gameplay.
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by kintaris »

So I've been thinking a lot about my gaming backlog and how much... chaff... there is within it. This has come about due to a number of things, whether that's Games with Gold, PS Plus, or ridiculous deep discounts that I somehow convince myself I can't pass on.

However what I'm finding is that I think of "tackling the backlog" as some kind of chore to whittle away at, playing games I don't necessarily feel like playing just because I somehow want to justify my purchase or my continued subscription to a service.

So rather than an exhaustive list of my actual backlog of games, many of which I may never end up playing because I don't really want to anymore, I decided on a new approach.

I've created a list of 100+ Top Games I've Never Played, inspired by the latest bout of Top X Games of All Time I've seen on many major websites in the last few months. I've scoured as many of these Best Of lists as I can and sorted out which one's I've played and which I haven't. So now my "backlog" isn't just a list of things I have, but a list of things I aspire to experience for myself. There's plenty of crossover, but there's also a whole bunch of renowned titles and series that I've never purchased, let alone touched. My plan is to try and limit my spending on just these titles when the sales come back around, so that I'm not just picking up shiny gewgaws but titles that actually have some critical merit.

The resulting list is far more exciting than my standard backlog and I'm looking forward to digging in.

A side effect of all of that was a growing list of "All Time" games that I had already played. I started to wonder if I could compile a list of every game I've ever, ever played. Well, about 7 hours later I have a pretty robust list, although I haven't properly tackled the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 era yet, nor PC releases from around that time. So far I'm just shy of 500 games. It's been wild scrolling through screen caps of old DOS games I can't remember the titles of, only for an entirely different screenshot to spark off a dusty synapse in the back of my brain. Memories have been trickling back to me, not just of the games but the rooms in which I played them, and the people I played them with. It's been a weirdly melancholic day because of it, but I actually feel more whole and settled in my sense of self than I have for a while. Maybe obsessive cataloguing isn't so bad for the mind after all...

Potentially lost to all time are the DOS and early Windows demo-disk games for which I have one fleeting screenshot in my head, and also a whole bunch of Flash games I was obsessed with in secondary school on sites now defunct. In fact one of the main sites I used, I can't even remember the name of. So those are almost certainly gone...

Also lovely to finally know that what I thought was a memory of a fever dream about a blue haired kid running around a castle was actually a real memory of Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon on the N64, which I must have very briefly borrowed off of my neighbour when I was off sick as a kid.
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Simonsloth
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by Simonsloth »

What a novel approach.

I’ve used episodes of cane and rinse to focus my backlog so I now have a nice clear order to play them. I’ve included a few I want to replay too.

It’s made me a little eBay obsessed to fill in the gaps. I’ve bought a Wii u, DS, Xbox one, and rebought a Wii (for the GameCube functionality) in recent months. All came unhelpfully bundled with games so I now own 3 copies of crazy frog racer. It’s been expensive but I’m selling off my old games to balance the scales a little.

Kintaris I’d like to see your list if you can post it?
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chase210
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by chase210 »

My problem with my backlog is I have this terrible habit of buying new games at launch, playing them for a bit, then going back to playing stuff I already know I like and abandoning them. I know I need to stop and clear some of my backlog before declogging it. I have to go through off the top of my head


Persona 5
Uncharted Lost Legacy
Final Fantasy XII
Gravity Rush 2
Horizon ZD
Axiom Verge
Child of Light
Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice
Journey
Final Fantasy VII (well I have played through this before this is specifically the PS4 one)
Patapon
Rise of The Tomb Raider
Shadow of the Colossus
Tembo the badass elephant
Titanfall 2
Okami

Okamiden
Mario & Luigi Partners in Time
Ultimate Spider-Man
New Super Mario Bros
Final Fantasy I & II

and thats just off the top of my head,
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by kintaris »

Simonsloth wrote: April 22nd, 2018, 10:09 pm
Kintaris I’d like to see your list if you can post it?
Sure - it's extremely rough! I haven't even worked out whether I have the access to a lot of these in some form or another. I'm drawing the line at purchasing older consoles, I think there is enough here that is either moderately new or reasonably remastered that I don't need to buy old kit.

Google Drive link

At some point I'll update it with more data, e.g. if I already have it and on which platform, what kind of costs I'm looking at, etc.

I may even rank that list of 500 games played one day, if I feel like torturing myself.
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Chopper
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by Chopper »

We should all recommend a game to Kintaris which we think is essential but isn't on either list. I'm sure more games would be welcomed :D

They are good lists. I see you have played Far Cry Primal, but none of the other Far Crys - seems a bit weird? And the Far Cry game you have on the To Play list is surely a misprint? ;)
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by Simonsloth »

Wow that's some list!

I have a few of those (mainly Nintendo) on my backlog.

Glad you have the Gabriel Knight games on there (parts 1+2 are fantastic) and Pandora Directive! I'd recommend giving that a whirl, the hint system is possibly the most genius in an adventure game possibly ever so if you get stuck the game tells you the exact thing you need to do to progress! Use too many hints and it even influences your ending!
kintaris

Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by kintaris »

Chopper wrote: April 23rd, 2018, 2:20 pm We should all recommend a game to Kintaris which we think is essential but isn't on either list. I'm sure more games would be welcomed :D

They are good lists. I see you have played Far Cry Primal, but none of the other Far Crys - seems a bit weird? And the Far Cry game you have on the To Play list is surely a misprint? ;)
All recommendations are welcome of course! I have pretty broad tastes, though sports games and scary games in which you can't defend yourself at all are never going to be my thing. Just remember that I "only" have Xbox One, PS4, Switch, Wii U, 2DSXL, and a fairly decent gaming laptop. No plans to delve back on the hardware side.

Primal is a funny one - I never had any interest whatsoever in Far Cry but my friend was obsessed. When Primal was on the radar he insisted that the four of us who tend to have gaming nights together pick it up for the co-op... which of course Primal doesn't have.

I ended up really liking the game anyway, enough to write my first walkthrough for TrueAchievements - leading straight to being offered a spot on the news team. So I owe Primal a lot!

As for Far Cry 3, it's the one that I have the easiest access to and opinions seem to be largely broad as to which FC is the best. I figured I'd start there.
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by kintaris »

Simonsloth wrote: April 23rd, 2018, 2:44 pm Glad you have the Gabriel Knight games on there (parts 1+2 are fantastic) and Pandora Directive!
Maybe I'll start there!
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Stanshall
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by Stanshall »

I sold my XBox One X, Wii U and 3DS to cut down my backlog. I also deleted and hid about 150 games from my PS4 library. I know that might seem mad and anti-gaming but when I balanced the drip-feed anxiety of staring at these overly-familiar icons for games which I didn't really enjoy playing and had little interest in picking up again and which just made me feel guilty for spending the money when I'm supposed to be saving for a baby, it was actually quite a relief to let go. I've added only Monster Hunter World (which I've deleted after forty hours) and God of War (which I've not played much of due to lack of time on my own), oh, and about forty Neo Geo/Psikyo ports on the Switch. Hmm.

Still, that's honestly what suits me best these days. If I didn't have the Switch the last couple of months, I would have just had to stop gaming, I think.
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Re: Gaming Backlogs

Post by kintaris »

It's definitely not "anti-gaming" to try and limit your gaming time and expense to the key things that entertain you. If anything, staring down a huge backlog and feeling some grudging obligation to it is the crazy/anti-gaming standpoint -- much as most of us in this thread suffer from it!
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