Sunday Meditation: A Tribute To The Backlog Champions

Wherever there are dedicated gaming hobbyists to be found, so too does the dreaded presence of the backlog linger.

I'm sure as long as there have been gamers the backlog has existed but it is a relatively new addition to my gaming life. During the early days of gaming it was rare that two must play games would release close to one another, and even if they did I relied a great deal on my parents to see to it that those games got into my hands either through some set of menial tasks or a holiday gift.

After I began to work I was still mainly only interested in JRPGs and played them one after another because hey they were like 60 hours a piece. Of course when something massively important came along like the latest Grand Theft Auto that was all I played until it was played out, with friends or alone. Hype was limited to talk at school and magazines since the internet was still in its infancy. Even at the beginning of the PS3 generation I held fast to a policy of playing one game at a time to save money. Then I broke the seal.

It became two games at a time. Then three. At the same time I started getting wrapped up in all this internet excitement more than I had planned and now I've got this backlog stretching pretty far into the past. It's kind of cool to be able to play whatever suits my mood but having a big backlog gnaws at a person. In one sense having those games is a good thing because PS4 offerings are slim for my tastes, but it can also be a little stressful having products around that beg for attention while new stuff coming soon demands to get noticed.

At some point one has to cut their losses, which was why I once asked you all which game(s) you'd just have to let go of as you enter the new generation. However, there are some in my backlog that I am absolutely committed to eventually, some time down the road, when I have time, playing all the way through.

I am making a bit of progress at a time too, though I'm a little shy about listing all the games I own and have yet to finish. Perhaps you all will be brave and list some of yours here, or your own backlog stories. I'll be pacing my PS4 purchases, but with so many great PS3 games (especially JRPGs) coming that backlog is going to move at a slower pace than I had hoped. Things sure have changed now that there are actually more great games than a person has time to play.

I know I am not alone. I know that many of you out there are suffering under the weight of your own enthusiasm. I know it isn't as exciting to be playing a year old game instead of buying this month's latest release. So for now if you are a dedicated backlog gamer, or if you have forsworn buying a PS4 until you make sufficient progress, or if you are going to save your money and by God play the damn games you already bought then today we salute you, the backlog champions.

To that end I prepared a little amateur tribute video for you this weekend. I hope you enjoy.