How Big is Your Backlog?

[Lain]

Just out of curiosity... how big is your gaming backlog?

Between real life obligations and other distractions (Richarding around on the internet being the primary one), my backlog has grown 'uuuuuuge. Hundreds of games, possibly approaching thousands... it's pretty bad.

It's to the point where the very choice of "What game do I play?" has become so overwhelming that it's a barrier to me sitting down and, y'know, actually playing my games.

I'm resorting to spreadsheets to try and cut my backlog down to size... a FFXII License Grid-esque system where I beat a game on the grid and unlock games adjacent to it (to make the choice of what to play much simpler, and occasionally to force me to choose to play games I might otherwise let sit in my backlog in favor of newer & shinier games), coupled with a log for me to track my playtime and have a target average daily playtime as a goal.

I went through all the upcoming games this year I'm interested in, guesstimated the playtime I'd get out of each one, and deduced that new games are adding approximately 2.3 hrs of playtime to my backlog each day. So with this in mind, my target goal is 3 hours per day which should be fast enough to slowly claw away at my backlog, even with new games being released.

It might be a little hard to meet, especially since I reserve even-numbered days for productivity & self-improvement... so basically I need to average 6 hours of gaming every other day. But I'm gonna give it a shot. It's my only hope.

So yeah... how's your backlog?

 

[Tornado]

It's not a number, but I ran out and bought 3D Dot Game Heroes as soon as it came out. Didn't preorder it or anything, because I knew there would be plenty to go around, but I still really needed to have it.



And so I still have it, untouched, 7 years later.

 

[Lain]

Yeah, I wanna play that game too... haven't gotten around to picking up a copy yet however.

 

[Tyger]

I feel your pain, I have a massive list of games going back to the Dreamcast that I haven't even loaded up. My DVD/Blu Ray collection is just as bad, and recently I've gone a bit nuts with those PC "bundles" of Steam indie games so have tons of those too. Oh and ROMS of games for the ZX Spectrum and C64 I missed when I was a kid, as well as countless other platforms I never even owned. I tend to get a little obsessed with playing one or two games at a time, currently Fallout 4 on PC and Forza 6 on Xbone, and all the time I think I should be showing some love for my backlog.

But I will, I'll play allll of those games. One day.

EDIT: I said I feel your pain, but oddly it's not a negative thing, is it? I'm kinda looking forward to trying all of the games in my backlog, but I really think I need to figure out how to clone myself 10 times at least.

 

[dylansan]

I have a problem where, if I don't finish a game in a timely way, if I then go back to play it months or years later, I can never resume from where I left off. I always have to start from scratch. So, for example, even though I've played them all for quite a while, GT2, GT3, GT4, and Enthusia are all on my backlog right now because I've never finished them and I'm getting nostalgic for them again.

I also tried a spreadsheet method for dealing with it, though I haven't stuck with it. I tried assigning two different games to each day of the week, and every day I could either play one of the games assigned that day, or one I played the day before. It meant I was always able to keep playing the same game day after day if I wanted, but if I got bored I would have some structure in choosing the next one.

There's still potential in that system, I think. I've been trying lots of different things to get motivated lately, including completely rearranging my room so there's seperate areas for work and play. Annoyingly, it's always easier to come up with these structural ideas than to stick with them, but I'm getting better at it.

 

[Lain]

I feel your pain, I have a massive list of games going back to the Dreamcast that I haven't even loaded up. My DVD/Blu Ray collection is just as bad, and recently I've gone a bit nuts with those PC "bundles" of Steam indie games so have tons of those too. Oh and ROMS of games for the ZX Spectrum and C64 I missed when I was a kid, as well as countless other platforms I never even owned. I tend to get a little obsessed with playing one or two games at a time, currently Fallout 4 on PC and Forza 6 on Xbone, and all the time I think I should be showing some love for my backlog.

But I will, I'll play allll of those games. One day.

EDIT: I said I feel your pain, but oddly it's not a negative thing, is it? I'm kinda looking forward to trying all of the games in my backlog, but I really think I need to figure out how to clone myself 10 times at least.

Fallout 4? Man, I've still got Fallout 2 through New Vegas to play before I even think about Fallout 4!

Having a backlog is somewhat inevitable. I mean hell... if you're the type of person who has any interest whatsoever in the classics of yester-year, you were basically born into a giant backlog.

I have a problem where, if I don't finish a game in a timely way, if I then go back to play it months or years later, I can never resume from where I left off. I always have to start from scratch. So, for example, even though I've played them all for quite a while, GT2, GT3, GT4, and Enthusia are all on my backlog right now because I've never finished them and I'm getting nostalgic for them again.

I also tried a spreadsheet method for dealing with it, though I haven't stuck with it. I tried assigning two different games to each day of the week, and every day I could either play one of the games assigned that day, or one I played the day before. It meant I was always able to keep playing the same game day after day if I wanted, but if I got bored I would have some structure in choosing the next one.

There's still potential in that system, I think. I've been trying lots of different things to get motivated lately, including completely rearranging my room so there's seperate areas for work and play. Annoyingly, it's always easier to come up with these structural ideas than to stick with them, but I'm getting better at it.

Yeah, I'm the same way with needing to start games from scratch after too long of a break from it.

 

[sesselpupser]

Last I checked, 18% of my Steam library hasn't been played BUT a lot of the things on the list are DLCs that count as separate games. With something like 750 items on the list that's quite a few games - more than a lot of people even own - but meh, Steam. The important thing is I learned my lesson a couple of years ago and I've barely added to my backlog since (bundles don't count!).

 

[RX-7_FD3S]

Been playing a mmo those past years (stopped during christmas holiday) so now I have a lot of old game to play because I didnt had time when I was mmoing D:

 

[Sprite]

Recently I sold my PS3 games (including 3D Dot Game Heros) and I've vowed to take my time with games and just move on and buy the next game once the first is completed.

But saying that, I've got a few games being played at once.

I'd say about 5 games on the go. This will go up when No Mans Sky comes along next month. However I think all my other games will be untouched for some time while I play NMS.

 

[Tyger]

Fallout 4? Man, I've still got Fallout 2 through New Vegas to play before I even think about Fallout 4!

That was a rare case of skipping the earlier games (though would probs only go for 3/NV), unlike Mass Effect and Bioshock where I have all three games and never touched them. I also have Uncharted 1 and GTAIV to work through before 2/3/4 and V

 

[Wolfe]

What I consider my "backlog" generally consists of games that I found underwhelming and play (ie. grind through) to pass the time between new releases, if and only if I can't motivate myself to play something better that I've already finished or played before. Sometimes the novelty of a mediocre but unfinished game is more motivating.

Completing games for completion's sake is not how I approach games I truly want to play, old or new, and I don't have a habit of shelving games I've bought to play them later. I also replay old favorites all the time. I was reading a conversation in another forum where one person thought it was strange that anyone would ever replay a game with so many other games to play. To me, that sentiment is strange.

 

[Lain]

What I consider my "backlog" generally consists of games that I found underwhelming and play (ie. grind through) to pass the time between new releases, if and only if I can't motivate myself to play something better that I've already finished or played before. Sometimes the novelty of a mediocre but unfinished game is more motivating.

Completing games for completion's sake is not how I approach games I truly want to play, old or new, and I don't have a habit of shelving games I've bought to play them later. I also replay old favorites all the time. I was reading a conversation in another forum where one person thought it was strange that anyone would ever replay a game with so many other games to play. To me, that sentiment is strange.

Yeah, I replay my favorites all the time. Well, not all the time... but last Halloween I did manage to replay Silent Hill 1 & 2. And I'll probably do 3 & 4 next Halloween too.

But I do have a bad habit of buying games I'm interested in, even when I know I'll be too busy to really delve into them. So yeah, tons of games have gotten shelved over the years.

 

[JR98]

Only games that are in my "backlog" are old PS3 games I've bought and been wanting to play for ages but haven't got around to installing. Biggest one is GRID Autosport, which I got a few months ago with PS Plus but never got around to downloading it. Same applies to Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box (except I got that back in 2015 but never DL'd it). Another one is GT5, which I've had for ages but never got around to installing.

 

[Speedster911]

Just out of curiosity... how big is your gaming backlog?

Between real life obligations and other distractions (Richarding around on the internet being the primary one), my backlog has grown 'uuuuuuge. Hundreds of games, possibly approaching thousands... it's pretty bad.

It's to the point where the very choice of "What game do I play?" has become so overwhelming that it's a barrier to me sitting down and, y'know, actually playing my games.

I'm resorting to spreadsheets to try and cut my backlog down to size... a FFXII License Grid-esque system where I beat a game on the grid and unlock games adjacent to it (to make the choice of what to play much simpler, and occasionally to force me to choose to play games I might otherwise let sit in my backlog in favor of newer & shinier games), coupled with a log for me to track my playtime and have a target average daily playtime as a goal.

I went through all the upcoming games this year I'm interested in, guesstimated the playtime I'd get out of each one, and deduced that new games are adding approximately 2.3 hrs of playtime to my backlog each day. So with this in mind, my target goal is 3 hours per day which should be fast enough to slowly claw away at my backlog, even with new games being released.

It might be a little hard to meet, especially since I reserve even-numbered days for productivity & self-improvement... so basically I need to average 6 hours of gaming every other day. But I'm gonna give it a shot. It's my only hope.

So yeah... how's your backlog?

HUGE! I've yet to finish LA Noire, RDR, all three Bioshock games, Fallout 3, Deus Ex, Fight Night Champion.. and these are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

I don't tend to buy as many games these days, so my backlog isn't too bad. I do suffer from the previous console issue though (PS3, X360, PS2, and PS1 games are all sitting in my TV console, with N64 and Gamecube in storage). So when nostalgia takes hold, I can get sidetracked for a while.

There's only two games I own that I've yet to even play: MGS5 and Bioshock Infinite. Just been waiting for the right time!

 

[Techy]

I've got around to buying a PS4 just so I can play console exclusive titles (curse you exclusives!). Though I probably shouldn't have bought it as my PC game library has a far worse backlog. I'll probably have to play games 24/7 if I can even imagine reducing the backlog I have. Luckily summer is around the corner so that'll give me an excuse to binge on some games, but I dislike doing that, for games and TV shows alike. Mostly because I receive a sudden conviction to speed through a game, for the sake of completing it. Honestly that's probably the bigger issue to reducing my backlog. Time is another, which will most likely be the greatest issue pretty soon, and fortunately is the same issue for plenty other people with large backlogs. I can only be thankful for the amount of (decent) games that are churned out these days, but really, slow down a bit!

 

[Wolfe]

One reason I don't really have a backlog is because there are very few big games coming out that are of interest to me, and the indie games I've been playing don't last very long.

Games like Metal Gear Solid, Fallout, Deus Ex, Uncharted, or Dark Souls aren't my thing.

 

[Luminis]

Not that much in my backlog, at the moment. Mostly MGS5 which I just got bored off but want to finish some time soon (if you can call playing through Phantom Pain "finishing" it, as it's a largely unfinished game...) and the Witcher 3's DLC. The Witcher really is a game I have to be in the mood for as it's so story driven and about the atmosphere and stuff.

I get side tracked easily, though, as there's always a new build for my Dark Souls III character brewing, a match in World of Warships to be played with friends and, well, today I got Doom. Doesn't look like I'll get to clearing my backlog any time soon

 

[Speedster911]

Not that much in my backlog, at the moment. Mostly MGS5 which I just got bored off but want to finish some time soon (if you can call playing through Phantom Pain "finishing" it, as it's a largely unfinished game...) and the Witcher 3's DLC. The Witcher really is a game I have to be in the mood for as it's so story driven and about the atmosphere and stuff.

I get side tracked easily, though, as there's always a new build for my Dark Souls III character brewing, a match in World of Warships to be played with friends and, well, today I got Doom. Doesn't look like I'll get to clearing my backlog any time soon

If I'm interested in getting Dark Souls III or Witcher 3, do I need to play the first 2 games in each case?

 

[Luminis]

If I'm interested in getting Dark Souls III or Witcher 3, do I need to play the first 2 games in each case?

In the case of Dark Souls III, you definitely don't. The entire lore is very vaque and throughout all three games, it's more hinted at with item discriptions and whatnot rather than outright explained. Exposition really isn't what Dark Souls does. In other words, even people who did play the first two games have absolutely no clue what's going on

There's a couple of YouTubers that deal with the story and lore of the Souls games (EpicNameBro and VaatiVidya being your best bet, imho), so you might check those out. Also, Dark Souls III is more about the gameplay and overcoming challenge (imho) than it is about storytelling, so it's a pretty safe bet.

As for Witcher 3, that's a little trickier. Knowing the events of the previous games isn't a necessity in general. The game does a good job at telling its story in a sort-off self-contained way (and uses amnesia as an excuse to cut a few corners here and there), but you might still be scratching your head a little from time to time, mostly because Geralt will run into people he knows that you don't. It's not that big a deal, though. Personally, I'd say reading Sapkowski's books might be more worthwhile than playing the first two games. Neither is necessary, though, and The Witcher 3 certainly is enjoyable with no prior knowledge of the franchise.

Since you're picking between the two... I love Dark Souls III to bits, but with the DLCs (some of the best in the industry in terms of value) and a lower price due to age (or so I assume), I'd recommend getting TW3 first. It's a master piece like few other games of late, certainly a new yard stick in its genre and CD Project Red definitely is more deserving of your cash than Bandai Namco (even though From Software did a good job with the game).

Sorry, bit of a rant, given that a simple "no" might have been a sufficient answer

 

[Lain]

Yeah, pretty much what I would've said. (Though as far as Souls YT'ers go, I'd throw Fungo out there too)

For the most part, The Witcher 3 is pretty easy to follow even if you can't appreciate character's prior relationships with one another. I'd say the only particularly bad spot in TW3 for new players is the short segment early on where you're asked to pick the choices you made in TW2, which'll really just have you scratching your head and picking things somewhat randomly if you haven't played it.


*ahem*

Anyway, I'm doing a pretty swell job sticking to my system to try and cut through my backlog. Aiming to maintain an average playtime of at least 3 hours a day, and currently I'm at 3.71. One more hour of gameplay today and I could take the next two days off and still maintain my 3hr/day average.

Doesn't hurt that MGSV's gameplay is so addictive... took me a little while to get back into it, due to me putting 150 hours into the PS4 version before I misplaced my copy and I re-bought it on PC, but now I'm warmed up and will hopefully be able to finish it this time around.

 

[Speedster911]

In the case of Dark Souls III, you definitely don't. The entire lore is very vaque and throughout all three games, it's more hinted at with item discriptions and whatnot rather than outright explained. Exposition really isn't what Dark Souls does. In other words, even people who did play the first two games have absolutely no clue what's going on

There's a couple of YouTubers that deal with the story and lore of the Souls games (EpicNameBro and VaatiVidya being your best bet, imho), so you might check those out. Also, Dark Souls III is more about the gameplay and overcoming challenge (imho) than it is about storytelling, so it's a pretty safe bet.

As for Witcher 3, that's a little trickier. Knowing the events of the previous games isn't a necessity in general. The game does a good job at telling its story in a sort-off self-contained way (and uses amnesia as an excuse to cut a few corners here and there), but you might still be scratching your head a little from time to time, mostly because Geralt will run into people he knows that you don't. It's not that big a deal, though. Personally, I'd say reading Sapkowski's books might be more worthwhile than playing the first two games. Neither is necessary, though, and The Witcher 3 certainly is enjoyable with no prior knowledge of the franchise.

Since you're picking between the two... I love Dark Souls III to bits, but with the DLCs (some of the best in the industry in terms of value) and a lower price due to age (or so I assume), I'd recommend getting TW3 first. It's a master piece like few other games of late, certainly a new yard stick in its genre and CD Project Red definitely is more deserving of your cash than Bandai Namco (even though From Software did a good job with the game).

Sorry, bit of a rant, given that a simple "no" might have been a sufficient answer

I appreciate your insights my good man, I do!

 

[AOS-]

I'm not as attached to my video games as I used to several years ago. Maybe it's because I'm attending other tasks and responsibilities more to the point where I forget about it long enough to not care for it.

I would like to say I started Portal 2 about a year ago during classes. I would only play the game at school before class, and that was it. My level of engagement and probably emotional investment was low, and because I'm rarely using this laptop outside of school, I never got into the game to the point where I'm seeking any free time I have to complete it. I finished the campaign 2 weeks ago when I felt like playing it again. Took a whole year to reach the finish line.


As for the backlog itself:

WRC4
Dirt 3 (replay)
Spider Man 2 (replay)
Fez
Fast Racing Neo
Probably another 8 games I can't name off the top of my head, and whatever other puzzle games I still have not got going on via Steam.

 

[Lain]

Yeah, it's hard to get invested into a game when you've got other matters that will preclude your ability to spend any meaningful amount of time playing it... Hence why my backlog inflated like a balloon during my six years in the military.

So far, logging my daily playtime seems to be helping hit (and currently exceed) my goal to average at least 3 hours a day. Currently a little over a day ahead of my goal, and that's after taking a 3-day break from MGSV (since I'm at the annoying point where most missions are just harder rehashes of prior ones).

 

[boomee]

Backlog is huge between church studies work and wife gaming is a lower priority

Dirt rally
Overwatch
Uncharted 4
Sf5
Last blade
Megaman collection

 

[Eyes Fried Open]

HUGE Backlog, Too many to list.

Damn you PS+

 

[Lain]

I let my 3 hour a day goal slip pretty hard during the first half of June, but I've been killing it this past week... beat both the original Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda, now I'm working on beating Revelations: The Demon Slayer which is the 2nd oldest Shin Megami Tensei game to be localized for the states.

I'm still about 16 hours behind my 3 hour a day average, so if I play 4 hours a day it'll take me half a month to get back to par. But I've also decided that my 3 hour goal wasn't high enough, so I raised it to 3.5, which means I'm actually now over 40 hours behind my target. Yikes.... it's time to put the pedal to the metal!


Also, the reason why I played the first FF and TLoZ and I'm now playing one of the oldest SMT games to be localized is because I decided my grid-based system for choosing my next games to play was too cumbersome and difficult to maintain and modify, especially when I've got multiple long-running (and still ongoing) game series in my backlog that I want to play through. So I've converted my backlog into a bunch of columns... a column for each series that contains 3 or more games (sorted by release order), then two "miscellaneous" columns where I throw all the games that consist of just one or two titles, in no particular order. Now I'm simply working my way through these columns from top to bottom... but I'm only playing 3 games at any given time, so when I beat a game in a column, I can either start on the next game in that column or move to the next entry a different column.

This change seems to be working out well so far, I must say.

 

[Rallywagon]

My back log isn't too big. I've been playing a lot of GTA online, Rust and Minecraft. I do plan on picking up Fallout 4, Absolute drift and Project cars this weekend. That will add 3 more games to the back log. I need to get back into Elite Dangerous now that I have a twin stick setup, Rally: DiRT, and I've been considering picking up Prison Architect. I dotn back log much though as I don't buy a game unless I am really ready to play it.