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A Gamer’s New Year’s Resolution: “This Year, I Vow To…”

It's a new year and it's time to once again set a resolution (or two, or three).

Do you have a gaming-related resolution? Maybe you resolve not to spend so much money on your favorite hobby this year. Maybe you resolve to finish every game you start (good luck with that, if you do). Maybe you resolve to try games you never thought you'd like. Whatever it is, stick to it!

I resolve to try more downloadable content, just to see if it truly does expand upon what I deemed to be a complete experience. I almost never buy DLC for a couple reasons: 1. I usually don't have the time; if a game is done, I have to move on to the next, and 2. As an old-school gamer, I believe what I initially purchased should be a complete product. And really, for the most part, it always is. I have no complaints about that; the idea that developers are always cutting content from games to make more money on DLC doesn't fly with me. I have yet to finish a game and say, "Yep, that felt incomplete in terms of content."

I also resolve to go through Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy Tactics at least once. 2013 was the first year I didn't and I miss 'em. I have a secondary resolution to this, which is that I will drop everything I'm doing when the Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remasters come out, and I'm gonna play 'em. How about you? What are your video game resolutions for 2014?

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greg238
greg238
10 years ago

My new yeat resolution quit buy games that I don't finish

daus26
daus26
10 years ago

One of the reasons why I think PS Plus is awesome for me personally. For only like 50 bucks a year, I can play a lot of games that I won't normally buy, so that if I don't finish it, I don't feel as bad. I may not own the game, but 50 bucks a year is very much worth it for being able to play those games and finish if I feel like it. If we compare that to paying 30-60 bucks for games that you may or may not finish or normally buy, it's a no brainer for me.

Glad I was able to get the $29.99 deal!

Jawknee
Jawknee
10 years ago

When I read the headline I was drawing blanks. Then I read your article and BINGO! My resolution is to stop buying day one releases unless it's certain franchises like Zelda, Mario or the Last of Us. I spent waaaaay too much money on day one releases. A lot of the games I paid full price for either released on PS+ for free or ended up getting a discount pretty fast. Example: The Wonderful 101. It was a game wanted when I saw it revealed but I was patient and managed to pick it up for half of what retail cost. BOOM! Another example: Bioshock. It's free now!!! I spent $80 in total for the game with the season pass blah!

daus26
daus26
10 years ago

This was my method from the beginning haha. I never pay day one except for only one franchise. There are a few exceptions here and there depending if I see if it's well deserved AND something to my interest.

It's only like a month or two when you start seeing deals or price drops and I'm more than patient enough to wait, so it's always been easy for me.

Jawknee
Jawknee
10 years ago

That should have been my method as well but 2013 I made the decision to support my favorite devs with day one purchases. Can't do it anymore with the way the economy is. Not enough cash flow at the moment. Ima have to limit my day one purchases to my most cherished franchises in 2014.

Dukemz_UK
Dukemz_UK
10 years ago

@Jawk: Totally agree with u. Day one purchases are now reserved for Naughty Dog titles. With ps+ my backlog keeps growing. At this rate I will NEVER get through it. And I don't finish every game I start. Only finish those that hold my interest throughout the single player campaign.
So I guess I'm not committing myself to any vows.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

It would seem that game publishers have planted thought reading devices inside of my head. I'm not exaggerating my friend, when I DO manage to forego a day 1 purchase I wait and wait and wait and analyze the trend because certain games have a floor price they won't go under and I have a cieling that I won't pay more than and when I'm sure that the game won't be dropping in price any more for a very long time I buy it. The next day it's half the price I paid! Grrrr.

I waited well past black friday for Killer Is Dead, it wasn't on any of those sales but was down to $30 and I figured a game with that few copies printed is gonna stay there. Bam, out of nowhere it falls to $20. Sons of mothers know what I'm doing I tell ya. Same happened with Tomb Raider.

Gordo
Gordo
10 years ago

Yip, have a bit of patience… It is a nice virtue to have when it comes to gaming!

Jed
Jed
10 years ago

Play more. For some reason I've been just spending my free time watching TV that I don't even really care about. I don't know why I don't play the games that I have and love, and keep buying. I guess I'm depressed or something.

Here's to a new year.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

Holiday and post holiday depression are common, even if you don't feel like firing up a game, jumping into something heroic and exciting can give you a boost in real life as well.

___________
___________
10 years ago

finish games, and allot quicker!
so many of last gens greatest were spoiled for me.
really pissed me off how konami announced CLoS 2 so soon, and even worse in announcing it completely spoiled the whole story for the original!
tried going back to finish that so many times because i love the combat system, but now knowing the whole story, just destroyed everything!
thanks!

daus26
daus26
10 years ago

I like playing offline, but I have a lot of friends on PSN who always encourages me to go online and play/chat with them. My resolution is really to just play online more with them, as dumb as it may sound.

Other than that, I don't really have any problems in need of resolution related to gaming. Everything I do for gaming, I have no regrets.

Lawless SXE
Lawless SXE
10 years ago

To make a dent in the backlog; only buy games when I can get them for cheap and maybe pick up a PS4 around November. Not much.

Temjin001
Temjin001
10 years ago

i'm getting this feeling that "backlog" is becoming a naughty gamer word.
we need to just list our backlogs out so by thinking on each individual title it'll make for more excitement.
My "list of gaming greats I have awaiting to be played" are…
Batman Origins
Demon's Souls
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Far Cry 3
FFIV
FFXIII-2
MGS Peace Walker
Ratchet Collection
Shadow of the Collusses HD
Skyrim
Tomb Raider
TLoU
Trine 2
ZOE2 HD

This list will grow with
ACIV Black Flag
Castlevania Lords of Shadows 2
FFX Collection
FFXIII-3
Gran Turismo 6
Injustice: Gods Among Us
KZ: Mercenary
MGSV
The Puppeteer
Ratchet Into the Nexus
Rayman Legends
SFIV: Ultra
Splinter Cell Blacklist
Tearaway


Last edited by Temjin001 on 1/1/2014 11:34:39 AM

Lawless SXE
Lawless SXE
10 years ago

Considering you shared:
Assassin's Creed 1-3
3D Dot Game Heroes
Castlevania: LOS
Darksiders
Dark Souls
Dragon Age: Origins
Finishing GTA V
Journey: Collector's Edition
Mass Effect 1-3
Ni no Kuni
Nier
Prince of Persia Trilogy + Forgotten Sands
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2
J&D Trilogy
White Knight Chronicles 2
Yakuza 4
As well as finishing Fallout 3

And then I'm still planning to get:
Tales of Xillia
Spec Ops: The Line
Lightning Returns
Castlevania: LOS 2
FFX/X-2
Sly 4
And more, but those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head.

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
10 years ago

I think I'm going to try out some more MP modes this year besides just Killzone & ME3.

And maybe some co-op too.

Oh, & "Happy New Year" to everybody!


Last edited by BikerSaint on 1/1/2014 3:15:56 AM

Beamboom
Beamboom
10 years ago

Yay – you're back? Welcome back!
Please tell, what happened while you were away?

Shams
Shams
10 years ago

BikerSaint! Glad to hear from ya!

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

Happy New Year Saint! We've been worried about you man.

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
10 years ago

Beamboom,
Had to sell off 1/4 of my retro gaming collection, plus my Harley for mere pennies on the dollar, plus get Government help(although I have no idea how long that will last. And my 1st medical appointment won't be till this Jan 21st & I don't know if the government will allot me all of the time needed to fix all my med problems.
So I'm only living day for now & I've been trying to whittle down my backlog, about 65 so far with only a few hundred more to go, LOL.

Shams & World,
Thanks for the remembrance, LOL

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
10 years ago

Welcome back, Saint. Hope you can stick around!

And don't think that these are the only people 'round here who remember you. 🙂

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
10 years ago

Thanks Ben,

And, oh I know 😉

Beamboom
Beamboom
10 years ago

Definitely buy fewer games and wait until price drops.
I spent way, way too much on games on the PS3 – especially now in hindsight seeing how they can't be played on later iterations of the Playstation and thus are all stacked up collecting dust.

I'll make exceptions only with games that are in the dead centre of my gaming preferences and fetch a metascore of at least 85 – but those are few and far between.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

Ebay is your friend.

Cole
Cole
10 years ago

I resolve to stop buying more games than I can play. I say this every year ,but so help me.. I'm gonna do it this time.

Vivi_Gamer
Vivi_Gamer
10 years ago

I agree with most people on here already in that my main aim will to avoid buying every title of interest day one. Some games like Final Fantasy X/X-2 have been pre-ordered but a game like Lightning Returns I reckon will go down in price fast so I am trying to to give in on that.

Also, being this is will most likely be my last year with the PS3, I want to get some of the Platinums I have held out on. Metal Gear Rising being one, I am stuck getting an S-RANK on a side mission which you have to shoot everything, its awful. Then there are laborious tasks like on Nier, where you have to put up with gardening which is based on luck… Still I will be perusing these as they're important games. One I will have pleasure in is Final Fantasy X 😀 – doubt I will be so positive when I am stuck on the Dark Aeons again…

TrueAssassin86x
TrueAssassin86x
10 years ago

A couple things for me. 1.) Try getting involved more with gaming community web sites like this one & a few others that i belong to.

2.) Stop making new gamer IDs. I just found my original gamer ID from when i started back during the summer of 2010 i plan on keeping it forever now. i had 4 other IDs but i wont use them now.

3.) Try and complete my games and don't buy so many especially day one.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

The thing about DLC isn't that the games are incomplete but that previously it would've often been an unlockable. However that's just not the case with good stuff like extra SP missions. BEN! I suggest you do get the season pass for Bioshock Infinite when the second Burial At Sea comes, then just play them back to back and I think you'll be very pleased. Or even go back and get Minerva's Den for B2, it's like a whole new Bioshock game.

I've been thinking of doing FFVII again too, it has been YEARS for me because I don't want to overdo it (and it looks horrible on an HD TV).

My resolutions:

1) Stop buying good games on an impulse that I'm not really that interested in. Rage, Far Cry 3, Sherlock, Crysis 3, they all sit on my shelf and they are GOOD games so I feel bad about not playing them but I just don't have the time to play something I'm not really excited to play. So I've wasted money basically.

2) Stop jumping between games so often. I'm so spoiled in this new age of gaming that when something isn't impressing me all the time I find myself just switching to something else and wind up having too many going at once.

3) Smile and remember this is for fun. Becoming a contributor here and sometimes critic has changed me, it's harder to just relax and enjoy the games as fun entertainment because my brain is always working and analyzing the nuances, even working out scores when I'm not even reviewing it. I want to be able to turn that on and off somehow.

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
10 years ago

I have the Burial at Sea DLC voucher code for Episode 1. It WILL be used. 🙂

Dukemz_UK
Dukemz_UK
10 years ago

I resolve to buy a ps4 on two conditions:
1. I get through MOST of my PS3 backlog.
2. There's a significant first price drop along with the next Uncharted being released

And I hope u have a joyous and prosperous 2014 everyone!


Last edited by Dukemz_UK on 1/1/2014 8:48:40 AM

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

Good luck on number 1. I'm kind of giving up on that except for my stack of JRPGs.

Norrin Radd
Norrin Radd
10 years ago

You're dreaming on number 2.

IMO, the BEST you can hope for is an Uncharted bundle at the regular price. They are not making much on this console ($18, IIRC) and a price drop won't happen like with the PS3. It just won't.

As to number 1, working on my own backlog. 😉 But that won't prevent me from getting the 4 when I can find one in stock.

Hand_of_Sorrow
Hand_of_Sorrow
10 years ago

my new years resolution is to try games i normaly would'nt.

the first one is, Minecraft.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

Oh one more. I'm going to stop automatically redeeming the codes in every game I buy no matter what. If I don't want to keep the game it always sells for more with the code intact. I dunno what is wrong with me but I get all greedy and redeem all the free sh*t I can even if I don't plan to play the MP or need the weapon.

PC_Max
PC_Max
10 years ago

Hmmm… well it would be to not take the gaming world seriously. Its entertainment, thats all. Not to purchase day one release games until I know what the game content is and what their DLC plans are. Not to be taken in by the so called PASS gimmick.

Also, buy within my means. In other words watch my money and buy only games I think will mostly give me back in entertainment the value of my money spent.

Oh…. and be kind, generous and understanding to my fellow… gamer. Even if they can be a right $@#%&!!! sometimes. God bless them.

Cheers!
Keep playing!

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

You're talking about me aren't you?

PC_Max
PC_Max
10 years ago

For the record… no, not referring to you. Do you want to be on the list? lol.

Keep playing!

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

no sir!

JackC8
JackC8
10 years ago

When I built my PC I resolved not to buy another game until I'd finished the one I was currently playing. That lasted about a week.

I give up on resolutions 🙂

I'll just buy the games that interest me, when they're on sale, and play whatever I'm in the mood for. That brand new copy of game X will sit on the shelf, unopened, while I play favorite game Y for a fourth time.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
10 years ago

I wanna do that too but I think I'm too mentally damaged.

Temjin001
Temjin001
10 years ago

on PC that's nearly impossible when game clients are always right there advertising blow-out sales to you.

Temjin001
Temjin001
10 years ago

can't think of a thing. I don't want to change anything.
I suppose I'll just keep doing my annual play throughs of the Ninja Gaiden games.

Beamboom
Beamboom
10 years ago

It's hillarious how almost everyone are talking about "buying fewer games, finish what we have" and so forth. We really are a game-buying crowd, aren't we? 🙂

Turbey
Turbey
10 years ago

Well, since I moved in with my girlfriend I havent really had a focus on gaming in general. Gaming have been downgraded alot. Love before gaming they said.

So of course my focus will be on kickstart my hobby, play games! And getting those Platinums (!).

…and lose some weight.

Brighat
Brighat
10 years ago

Don't have any gaming resolutions other than avoiding Microsoft products (which isn't hard) but my gaming resolution for 2014 is buying a Nintendo Wii U and playing their great exclusives. I want to wait after the Super Bowl to buy one.

As for backlogs, I've beaten 4 PS4 games so far. My PC backlog is immense but the games are permanently mine and I can take my time finishing them.

slow and smart
slow and smart
10 years ago

i will finish ps3 games that i for some reason didn't play,some on disc and some digital so that i will make good use of my time while i'm waiting for "my" games to arrive on ps4 and then i will buy me a ps4.
also i must learn to wait longer and not buy games full price while having lots of games lying there

telly
telly
10 years ago

I resolve to stop trying to keep up with the latest games for the sake of it, and instead focus on playing what I want just for the joy of it. I'm not some industry insider, I can play and not play what I want. If I want to play Final Fantasy VI instead of, I dunno, Battlefield 4, that's what I'm going to play. Officially DONE with trying to keep up with everything regardless of cost or personal interest.