How long do you play games for me before they hit the dust pile ? [Archive]

internetuser

28-12-2006, 19:26

Back in the day I had loads of time to play games and do what I want (snes time) now ten plus years later I have 2 kids, gf, house and a job. But I still find games get played less by the majority.

I can recall getting mario kart one christmas and playing it still the following year.

This time last year it was PRG3, Project Dark etc. now both of which lasted till around feb/march before sold. ( I have got PGR3 again but only as it was cheap, dirt cheap in fact, £6) but looking on live I find that hardly anybody plays anything over 6 weeks old (bar Gow and pro evo in general)

Today I read the OXBM and they said Test Drive Unlimited was now patched so that those hardcore player still playing it (did this not come out in October?) would get X, Y and Z fixed.

Do people not play games now for more than 3 months ? I am as bad as others, I have about 4 games still sealed and another 2 only loaded to test on my self. But tend to buy a game as its the must have title( GoW, which I love) Pro Evo 6, as I need to and promise I will play it more than I do etc. Or its cheap, thanks play asia and COD3 and Rainbow 6 Vegas. As its cheaper than in the UK and we do not really need that takeaway tonight.....

But then find life gets in the way, and the next must have title hits, I find myself getting it pre ordered, and wanting it for launch day, t hen find I am busy on the thursday/friday and by the monday the hype has gone and the people finding issues with it have hit....

Or games I do not pre order (Dead Rising) I still see selling for £40 plus (Just seen play has it for £25) but to pay full wack or close enough for an "old" game seems a sin, yet on the snes paying £40 for a game 3 months after release was not an issue as it would get a good playing.

Ono

28-12-2006, 19:31

Some of mine aren't even opened before they hit the dust pile :lol:

cjanderson

28-12-2006, 19:38

i try and play until i finish them. though have just gone back to xfiles PS2 and the last save game was Oct 2004 :help:

i was good a few months ago and put a ton of games on eBay (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-582776-5826355) and Amazon.co.uk (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://astore.amazon.co.uk/thedvdforums-21) as they were all unplayed and mocking me. I was going to take 6 months off work to play them but failed to do that.

quite rare that a game is played more than once bar things like Civ4 or zookeeper. I like to complete them and then sell them on. no desire to replay stuff (apart from burnout 3) as always more games in my TO BE PLAYED PILE.

I now also try very hard to not buy games at launch as i know i will fail to play them for months and then kick myself when its on budget before i do play it.

pjg

28-12-2006, 19:40

I'm in a similar position and I think it's down to having less time and having more money to buy games. Even with the N64 I played the games for a long time. I only had a handful but I played Mario 64 until I had completed it and got every star, played OOT pretty much to completion and continued to play Goldeneye and ISS98 for a couple of years after I bought them. Then I started working and bought more games: Excitebike, Conkers BFD, Perfect Dark which I barely touched (tbh I don't ever remember even playing any of those :O)

Then I bought a Gamecube and have about 15 games most of which I have only played a few times with the exception of maybe Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker which I played for a few weeks each.

The only games I actually play for a long time now are FM and PES which I play regularly for a year until the next version comes out.

fivebyfive

28-12-2006, 20:05

I use to buy games at release, play them for a bit then buy something else and it continues. But now I try to play to completion and then go back to it later.

Most games are not even worth full price

red marauder

28-12-2006, 20:14

I buy the games when they've been around a couple of months and are cheaper. Pro Evo 6 is the only one I bought on launch.
I find myself buying lots of titles cheaply and don't get around to playing them.

I'm too rubbish to play online, but was disappointment when trying to find games on Quake IV.

hammie

28-12-2006, 20:55

i do find these days that i get bored of a game quicker than i did 10 years ago, sometimes i think it's just an age thing but then some game comes along and i get addicted to it (most recently oblivion).

i also find that i can't sit and do 10 hour gaming sessions like i used to be able to, again with the exception of oblivion recently.

my biggest problem is that i have a terrible habbit of buying games i want but never getting round to playing them, have around 45 completely unplayed games and thats probably bumped up to 60 if i include games i've played less than an hour on. this is for stuff ps2 onwards, if i counted pre ps2 it would be a lot higher.

from reading various forums though i know it's a pretty common thing, more spare money than time.

one day i do intend to start forcing myself to play them one at a time but i said that a year ago too.

it's nice to have them though and it's nice to know they are there for when i do want to play a particular game, but damn i must have spent a lot of money.

i've started behaving myself now and waiting till prices drop before buying though, usually...

JohnMac

28-12-2006, 21:24

I can't buy a new game and leave it sealed. I always check it out to determine whether or not its a 'keeper' or just one I want to get as much out of as I can in a short space of time, then get rid of. I actually like having a number of games in my collection that I know I want to play - its like having X amount of gameplay in the bank.

Over the years, I've learned from experience that it is best to have only a few games you are playing through at any one time and almost always in different genres. So I might be working through a driving game, a stealth game, RPG, FPS at the same time but usually not two driving games for example. That way you can dip in and out of a game without it becoming unfamiliar to you and still have a lot of variety.

Also, there's nothing worse than leaving a game half way through with the intention of coming back to it. You might have the best of intentions but when I've done that, more often than not I'll eventually start from the beginning again or not complete it at all.

I tend to like games that give me plenty of options and choices rather than working through a set of levels. So its usually the sandbox type games that I like and these have the benefit of replayability/longevity.

Bellmeister

28-12-2006, 21:58

Yeah I remember playing Lords of midnight to death,I do complete games these days but mainly on the 360 ie Gears and GRAW but the PC games I mainly play are games like BF so they don't really need completing.

I loved the Dead rising demo but can't seem to get into the full game so thats going on ebay,unless anyone on here wants it for £25?

camaj

28-12-2006, 22:05

looking on live I find that hardly anybody plays anything over 6 weeks old (bar Gow and pro evo in general)

Don't hold your breath on Gow!

Personally I'm surprised at how little effort people make to address this. The fadishness of 360 owners is very off-putting and it's frustrating buying a game and knowing that it'll be worthless in a few weeks unless you're willing to play offline, but I didn't buy a 360 to play single player games.

paulmotion

28-12-2006, 22:23

excellent thread, the only game that lasts for more than a year or 2 is Pro Ev and Football Manager. Even back in the commodore amiga days FM was the only game that had me hooked!

Nowadays I can bay a game and get rid within a week - for example, Rocky, Fight Night and Madden.

I prefer games that have an unlimited life span - (sports and online etc)

SIMON ADEBISI

28-12-2006, 22:27

Everynow and then i get the original Half Life a spin. I still love it.

scooby snacks

28-12-2006, 23:07

I usually get games at release and try to finish one before moving onto the next. Its been a bit hit & miss this year some of the games were great and enjoyed playing them to completion, whereas others thoroughly disappointed and were played for all of a hour or 2 (GR:AW on the PC being the main culprit)

I think the game that held my attention for the longest period of time would have to be Final Fantasy VII. After inititally not liking it I soon get into, including doing as many of the sub plots as possible including the weird chocobo breeding thing to obtain the chocobo that could cross water (made navigate the map so much quicker. Think the stats said I'd racked up about 102 gaming hours and playing for 3-4 hours a day, thats a lot of days :eek:

Nowadays, I'm a little glad games aren't as long. 10 or so hours to complete a game for me now is perfect, I don't have as much time to play games and don't have the same enthuiasm as when I was younger.

alphatyrant

28-12-2006, 23:14

Much like DVDs, I tend to find I have to be in the mood for a particular type of game...Gears of War and Smackdown 07 are good to get in and out of, yet Resident Evil 4 and God of War (the original GOW) had me completely hooked until I completed them...including that evil Hades level :brickwall (shows that narrative still counts for something), yet Canis Canem Edit, much like it's big GTA siblings, couldn't keep my attention.

I tend to get fed up of games that offer too much freedom, like San Andreas or even Oblivion (blasphemy in some circles).

Roll on Resident Evil 5 and God of War 2 :)

msm13579

28-12-2006, 23:23

if your on about xbox live, then halo2 was played for years, and halo3 will be the same no doubt.

as for offline games, i still play some pretty old games now and then, and still have new games that remain unplayed. as above, it depends what mood i'm in :)

Cockeye

28-12-2006, 23:31

I play regularly with a group of friends and thus find I get far more use out of my games. For example, I still play PGR3 now and got it on launch day. I never play it on single player, but I play in a league and thus it gets a regular airing for that.

Other than that, I know Pro Evo 6 will get played until v7 arrives. I also know Tiger Woods will for the same reason

As for the Wii, I can't see Wii Play lasting, but I expect Wii Sports will.

Some of the VC games will be great to go back to.

My advice, if you are really into a game then find a really good clan that plays that game (the dvd-forums clan is a good place to go), or a good leagues site (no, don't ask me which one I use because I own it and therefore can't promote it! :) ).

Seriously, being a member of these sites extends the life of your game no end, and you always know you will have good people to play it with.

SqueakyG

29-12-2006, 00:12

I don't play games for you at all :wave:

I find it hard to sit down and play a game to completion. For some reason, I even find it hard now to sit and play the same game for longer than one-hour bursts. I remember the days where I'd play a game non-stop for 12 hours, but now I have a weird kind of ADD where I want to do something else after an hour.

I started playing F.E.A.R. before Christmas, but because of Christmas TV and other obligations I've managed to play it for about one hour ever other day. I'm about two thirds through.

I was playing Bully, but got distracted and stopped playing for about 3 weeks. Then every time I intended to switch it back on, I didn't bother, because I'd lost the "feel" of it. It's now sat on the "Must get back to it one day" pile.

Still to play are Gears of War, Vice City Stories, Psychonauts... and the most shamefully-delayed game is POP:Sands of Time, which I bought the year it came out and still haven't gotten around to. It now laughs at me on the shelf.

res

29-12-2006, 00:50

Well I'm still playing both Project Gotham Racing 3 and Call of Duty 2 after a year of playing and don't see myself stoping any time soon (I'm actually playing them more now than when I got them). Halo 2 was played for over 2 years until I finally dropped it, although with new maps coming I may just go back to it next year.

It really depends on the game though. Most games I play nowadays are online, and if my friends are not playing it then I will probably tend to drop it. Some games I wish would be played more (Splinter Cell) but they really are best played with friends and if they are not playing them, what can you do.

Fozzybear

29-12-2006, 07:30

I don't buy games often but still find that a lot of what I buy doesn't get more than a few plays. When I do find a game I like I stick to it though - I still play C&C Generals, UT2004 and Locomotion on the PC and GTA San Andreas and GT4 on the PS2, although they are pretty much the only games I play apart from occasional plays of Call of Duty 1 and 2 on the PC.

I tend to like games that give me plenty of options and choices rather than working through a set of levels. So its usually the sandbox type games that I like and these have the benefit of replayability/longevity.

Definitely! Up until recently I was still playing Transport Tycoon Deluxe on the PC. I don't really enjoy completing games and don't really enjoy levels based games as much as ones where you are given some freedom to do what you like.

punisher46

29-12-2006, 07:44

Things are very dif these days with a missus, and house etc....

Before when living with me dad had all day to play games, Nowadays get the odd hour here and there.....

I remeber rpg's on the snes, where Id play from 8-9 in the morning till 4 the next morning, sleep then carry on until completion......

Like people have said, I dont think many games are built liek that these days. Nintendo and rare were always great for makign games that kept you entertained, I think take away the gfx from things like gow, and there wouldnt be much game left.....

cjanderson

29-12-2006, 09:03

so we need more of the 10 hour/8 level type games?

(makes notes to tell boss)

i do prefer closed games rather than totally open ones like GTA or oblivian, tell me something has 100 hours in it and i will avoid (see zelda as well). though i can sit there for a whole sat or sunday afternoon playing games if i am in the mood.

Shall make a list of ones to complete and put it in my goals for 2007 :dork:

Want to complete (and start) Bully and finish or just sell Buffy games

And perhaps start broken sword 4 that i even bought and installed a new video card to play :nuts:

ryonhilluk

31-12-2006, 16:25

Im really erratic with how much i spend on games now. I regularly go back to Star Wars Battlefront 2 and i love that. Burnout Revenge, COD3 and Pro Evo i'll go back to as well.

Don't think i can be bothered with Oblivion now (yeah i know... after just a couple of goes), same with Just Cause and possibly GOW as well. They look great and all that but im finding it something of a chore to care about.

Really looking forward to getting FM 07 on tuesday as i know i'll spend ages on that. Also looking at COD2 and Smackdown V Raw.

The online aspect has surprised me a bit as im not really that fussed. I find that other people are vastly superior due to spending much more time on it.

The only game out now i'd deffo spend lots if time on would be Zelda but im not buying a Wii just for that.

I hope a new Battlefront or Star Wars game comes out next year as i know i'll like that, along with Mass Effect. Good thing i'll still get a decent return if i decide to cash in on my 360.

mrwriter

31-12-2006, 16:49

I'm better than I ever have been when it comes to completing games and playing one at a time now...

I tend to keep something casual on the go alongside the main game I'm playing - for example last game I finished was Call of Duty 3 and I was playing Test Drive Unlimited (which I've pretty much finished - at least as much as I'm going too) and Tiger 07 when I fancied a change.

Honestly believe it's the whole Achievements thing which keeps me going (for my own personal satisfaction, not to brag about my gamerscore). It's that extra enticement that drags me over the finish line...

See a lot still love Football Manager. I used to love Championship Manager and was dangerously addicted to it at one time, but it seems to have got so bloated and complicated now that I just can't be bothered. It's also too realistic :)

I still regale people with my exploits leading Burnley to the Quadruple (league, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup) in CM3 ;)

tpr007

31-12-2006, 21:05

I used to play games loads back in the N64 days.
Nowadays I spend more time reading about upcoming releases, thinking "that looks good" and when it comes out it gets played for about an hour.

e.g Gears of War - very enjoyable - played twice.
Nintendo Wii - looked forward to it, played wii sports 3 times, monkeyball once, and red steel twice, and now can't be bothered, so don't see me going back to any of them.
I even download demos from the xb marketplace thinking they look good, but when it's downloaded i just leave the ipod connected and playing whilst i browse the forums!

Nintendo DS - barely touched each of the 10+ games
PSP - Looked forward to vice city for ages, played twice.

A bit of an expensive waste of time.

rumbletum

31-12-2006, 21:33

carlito8

01-01-2007, 08:28

I used to be terrible for buying games and never playing them or playing them a couple of times and shelving them. I ended up selling my 360 as I just never played the thing. I bought another one a couple of months back and so far I'm loving it. I usually only get a couple of hours on it 2/3 nights a week but I'm finding myself quite looking forward to a quick play these days !

I've now got around 12 games for the 360, most were priced between £10-15 for second hand titles/older stuff and a few newer ones from play-asia for £23ish. I also got a couple of games for christmas (Viva Pinata, Amped 3 both bought cheaply). I got Gears Of War, COD3 and PGR3 from gamestation in the package so I've got plenty to keep me going for the next year really at the speed I play through them ! I've bought quite a few older titles I never played/only played a little. I've also decided I'm going to keep the games I buy as I'm only going to buy the really good stuff rather than buying something new every month and selling it a few weeks later.

So far I've finished COD3 in single player, Almost finished Condemned and just got cracking with Viva Pinata. I'm trying to limit myself to having only 1 or 2 games on the go at once at getting the best from them before moving on to something else......Once I've finished these 2 I'll probably move onto COD2 in veteran mode and WWE 2007. I like to have a couple of different games on the go at the same time to offer a bit of variety.

I do find it hard to get the free time with a wife and kids but my wife is pretty understanding and has taken to reading while I'm on the 360, usually a couple of evenings after 9ish.

I've got a DS lite as well which I absolutely love but which ends up getting nowhere near enough time spent on it......My eldest daughter has started taking a bit of interest in it though which is cool.

I really like the wii but there's no point me getting one as It will only divide my time further. My plan is to get the kids into games and then when they want the new consoles at christmas time everyone's happy ;)

ryonhilluk

05-01-2007, 23:32

Well thats me done with my 360, sold earlier today along with all the games. Figured i may as well sell up before the PS3 release drives its value down.

I think i've finally given up with console gaming. Its a far cry from the N64 days when a new game had me hooked for weeks. Now its barely an hour or 2.

Give me a pc or DS game any day.

punisher46

08-01-2007, 07:30

I wish I had more than an hour or two to play....

I bought a 360 before and got frustrated with spending half an hour trying to get a game....this time Ive just been focusing on single player stuff and am enjoyign it loads more........

Tony Ferrino

08-01-2007, 09:27

punisher46

08-01-2007, 09:39

yeah Ive bought 4 for 360, and find im only playing one or two of them, with the others sat on the shelf for two weeks...:(

cjanderson

08-01-2007, 09:42

I've made a resolution that for every new game I buy I have to trade one in. If I buy one online I have to trade two in instore next time (and so on). Hopefully it'll save me a bit of money and make me play games to the end more often.

thats what i try and plan. i've had a big clearout (see charity forum) and try and remind myself ITS NOT A BARGAIN IF I DON'T PLAY IT.

degeneration

08-01-2007, 10:20

I play until complete. Oblivion has stopped me from playing Zelda on the Wii. Tomb Raider Legend on the 360 hasn't been touched since I bought it and I keep telling myself that I must go back and complete the 7 day surival on Dead Rising.
Also want to polish off Burnout Revenge which got ignored when Oblivion was 'tested to see if it works'...

Liberty City Stories on the PS2 also hasn't been touched.

theambient

08-01-2007, 11:06

Im not really that much of a gamer although I played Daggerfall, Morrowind and Oblivion loads when they all respectively came out. Having said that I didn't get anywhere near completing any of them. Barely even started Daggerfall and Morrowind, despite the fact I must have put more than a hundred hours into daggerfall.

I bought an original Xbox in the recent deal, and got some extra games for it, but don't really feel any compulsion to actually play any of them. I do rather like playing the PSP/DS when im in the gym. I don't get the feeling that Im wasting time by playing games then, even if I do look like a fool.

punisher46

08-01-2007, 11:14

is oblivion any good then? it looks it but someone here at work didnt rate it...

theambient

08-01-2007, 11:26

'tis quality

ianmb

08-01-2007, 11:59

I tend only to play a couple of games at a time until either finished or bored. Nearly always sell games once finished to help finance the next one. As a result I have a tiny games collection but a healthier bank balance!

res

08-01-2007, 12:01

is oblivion any good then? it looks it but someone here at work didnt rate it...

Tis the best game ever, you won't be disappointed... :thumbs:

superstarbeejay

08-01-2007, 12:33

I've started strictly, playing a game, giving it some time to give it a chance then either finish it or move on and sell it.

I used to think that I'd go back to games one day but the reality is that for every game that I go back to another 5 are released that I really want to play.

Games have to be pretty special to stay in my collection. Currently, on 360, that means: Oblivion, GRAW, PGR3 and ridge 6. Of the 12 360 games I have played, 7 have been sold on and most at a profit or minimal loss.

That really is the only platform that I have done this for although I am now doing this with the DS, wii, PSP and PC too.

I always have 2 or 3 games on the go on different platforms and I always try to choose them wisely to give me a variety. Currently I'm playing loco roco, twilight princess and Halo on the PC. I think Halo will go, as will loco, and twilight has still got a bit to prove.

clarkyboy100

08-01-2007, 12:37

I got a 360 at the end of November I think and I've already bought these...

Call of Duty 3 - Finished on normal, will play again on higher level, still play online
Gears of War - Finished on all levels, still play online
Pro Evolution Soccer 6 - Still play, more offline though as online is poo!
Condemned - Finished on normal, will play again on harder level
Rainbow Six Vegas - Finished on normal, will play again on hight level, still play online
Tomb Raider - Currently playing through on normal

and I've just ordered Call of Duty 2 because of peer pressure! :suspect:

So a lot of games quick, but I reckon I'll play most of these for a long time. I don't think I'll buy many more before Halo 3.

nutter45

08-01-2007, 12:40

I tend to have only 1 or 2 games on the go at any one time (I forget the controls otherwise) and always set out to arrive at something approaching completion. The exception seems to be the 360s XBLA, I've got 20 or so games and more than half of them I've barely scratched the surface of. It's far too easy to make those 'it's only c.£7, so why not' impulse purchases :doh:

I've got a few half finished 360 games to dust down (Viva Pinata, TDU, Dead Rising and Tiger Woods 07) when I can put down the Guitar Heros, which have entertained me for very many hours now.