Ever had a "sense of futility" feeling?

By Rob Hamilton · November 22, 2010

Throughout my gaming/reviewing stage (ie: the last 7+ years), I've operated both through emulation and purchases. Over the past couple of months, I've collected a number of more recent RPGs. Tales of the Abyss for the PS2 (already reviewed on GR) was the old-timer of the bunch, while I also picked up the 360's FF XIII, Infinite Undiscovery, Resonance of Fate, Star Ocean: The Last Hope and Tales of Vesperia. Along with Red Faction Guerrilla. And I do have my share of games I've owned for some time that I'd like to believe I'll finish at some point like SMT: Nocturne and Persona 3. A lot of work, but nothing that's not doable, given enough time.

But, just a few nights ago, I was unwinding before bed and suddenly, a thought entered my head. While I've reviewed a number of retro mascot platformers, I really haven't done (outside of a few examples like Sonic 1, 2 and Ristar) many of those more awesome and/or iconic ones. Like any of the SMB games, the latter Donkey Kong Country ones (which I liked much more than the first) and so on.

So, I went to my computer and, in an attempt to trim the fat, dumped off about 50 games I figured I'd never play. Leaving me with STILL more than I'd ever get to in normal lifespan. Something depressing about that. Like that no matter how much time I devote to gaming, I'd never wind up having accomplished all that I wanted. Like where if I did all of the above games, I'd regret never having gotten to Sonic 3 and Rocket Knight Adventures.

Comments 12

Masters Staff Nov 22, 2010

I hear that Rob. I had those feelings when I first got really into emulation. It's overwhelming. What I had to do was to establish an arbitrary filter to trim the fat as you put it. I said, I have a million Genesis roms, what to do? and then randomly decided I could only work on shooters (which is overwhelming in and of itself, but nevermind that). That particular idea for parsing might not suit you, but something else might. Like, you could resign yourself to only playing the very very best games, or only the ones which NEED the coverage, the unloved ones. In the case of the former, you'd want to leave Sonic 3 alone, since it's fairly weak sauce. RKA, on the other hand, rocks hard.

aschultz Nov 22, 2010

I can see what you mean. You do sort of have to prioritize things. But on the bright side, it's nice to have way more than you'll ever be able to do because you'll probably be able to pick out some very good ones.

Barry Schwartz has a good lecture on the Paradox of Choice, which discusses this sort of thing here. I still trap myself this way but then I just take a deep breath and try to play something fun, and that usually works out pretty well.

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Genj Nov 22, 2010

I had this feeling today when the psychiatrist had me do attempt a cognitive evaluation on a woman who is likely not going to survive the night.

Masters Staff Nov 22, 2010

Um..?

humorguy Nov 22, 2010

I have 400+ Commodore 64 games and 500+ DOS/Win95/Win98/XP
PC games. My PC games go back to around 1990. Needless to say
I have plenty of games to play/finish/replay before I die,
but i'll think i'll be okay as I can't see Pc gaming lasting much
longer!

Given we are just starting 5 years of 25th anniversary classic
C64 games and 15th/20th anniversary classic DOS games, I am
hoping computer games will be remembered on sites like this
and not just console games!

aschultz Nov 22, 2010

Also: backloggery.com could be handy. A sort of virtual support group for people behind on the games they want to play.

Masters Staff Nov 22, 2010

Andrew, I thought you were joking with that link until I checked it. Awesome.

wolfqueen001 Nov 22, 2010

Man, for me, there is a ton of new stuff that's coming out or has come out that I'd totally like to play but proably never will because I don't hav and likely won't get the systems necessary for them (or if I do get them, the games will be long obsolete by then). And that's not to mention some of the older stuff I'd like to play eventually.

I just try to do what I can, I guess. And also hope there are videogames in heaven.

zippdementia Nov 22, 2010

I'm having Goldeneye shipped to me by the end of the week.

Being broke really limits what I can play, so I don't have these problems.

darketernal Nov 22, 2010

This happens to me often enough. I calculate the amount of time that would be needed for me to play all that I want to play, and watch all that I want to watch, and there is no time for most of the stuff I want to watch. Hell, even if there was no such thing as a social life, no commitment, job or anything that you have to do to survive, you wouldn't be able to get through half of the list of all that you want to do.

And that's counting if they stopped producing new and interesting stuff that will only add more and more titles to the list!

It is sort of depressing.

JoeTheDestroyer Staff Nov 22, 2010

Meh, I just overwhelm myself with purchases and downloads until I'm blue in the face, and the delude myself into thinking that I'll get around to it all one day. It's worked thus far. I don't stress it if I don't get to it, either.

blood-omen Nov 25, 2010

nopes.....coz theres no time to look back, only time to look forward......