Let's talk about beating games

[Sarge]

1) Do you have problems focusing enough on a game to beat it?

Depends. Sometimes I roll all the way to the end of a long game, sometimes I don't. If it's a Zelda, or Dragon Quest, chances are it's going to get finished. There are always games that I prioritize above all else. The quality level has to be tremendously high to do that, though, otherwise there's a risk of me flitting to another game.

2) Other than losing interest, is there any recurring reason why you abandon games?
Buying too many of them at one time will lead me to forgetting I had them, or buried in the pile. Moreover, there's always a sense I get at some point in a game that I have other stuff I could be playing. But that may just be a sign of losing interest.

3) Conversely, is there something that makes you far more likely to beat a game?
Yep, either having it be a challenge from someone, a review that I have to write, pure ol' stubbornness, or just something that's so good you don't want to put down.

4) Do you finish bad games or games you are not enjoying too much?

Yes. It has happened before. It just depends on how long they are. The chances of me sticking with a long RPG are pretty low, but then again, I did stick with the first ten hours of Black Sigil, and it got better. I also beat Star Odyssey, which is by no means a "good" game. I'm not sure it's "bad", either, but on the good-bad continuity, it's closer to bad.

5) Have you ever tried to beat a whole series? Which one? Did you succeed? (Falcom hates him! You won't believe the series BoneSnapDeez will beat next!)
It's more that I've beaten most of series, not necessarily because I'm trying to, but it just happens. I'm pretty sure I've beaten all the mainline Mario games, all the Dragon Quest games excepting DQX because, seriously, screw MMOs, all the mainline Mega Man games, and so forth. They are almost always part of a series of games that I will always make time for. (Ironically, Zelda is not one on the list, but I hope for it to be so as soon as I finish up Majora. I don't consider Four Swords Adventures to really count.)

Bonus X) What's the game that required more effort from you to beat?

Depends on what one defines as effort. If it's the one that required a lot just to stick with it, Final Fantasy XII comes to mind, at least with games that I consider decent but was ready for it to wrap up. Actually, FFIX was far worse in that regard, so I'll go with that.

Now, if we're talking difficulty, I'll probably go with something like Ninja Gaiden for XBOX or DMC3. Just no giving up on my part, despite the difficulty.

EDIT: Oh, geez, I forgot to mention Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, Ninja Gaiden III, and Battletoads here! What is wrong with me?!

Bonus Y) What game you would really love to beat but won't for the foreseeable future?

Well. That's a tough question. Given that I just purchased Ultima Underworld I + II, I'm going to go with a game in that series, Ultima VII. I've tried many a time to get rolling in that one, to no avail. But I want to beat it.

Also, Breath of Fire III. I have no idea where I'm at anymore, 30 hours in. I don't see picking it back up in the near term. It's just too slow at points for me. I think we need a text speed hack for that game.

Bonux Z) Aren't you ashamed when you open your Steam library? Shaaaame

Shame? What is that? I'm sitting on over 1000 physical games, and nearly that many in my Steam account. I long ago gave up on the notion that I'd finish them all. It is enough that I have the option to play them. It has made me much choosier about what I buy, though, both with physicals and with bundle purchases, which are what comprise most of my Steam account, honestly.

[Luke]

You guys are overlooking the part where Luke implies that Rampage on the NES isn't worth playing, when it's totally awesome.

That one bass line over and over. Well, there might be two bass lines, but yikes.

When I was in college and even when I got my masters 20+ hours to beat a game was a walk in the park. And I enjoy walks in the park. But I don't don't have that amount of free time anymore. I don't even have the time to post in my favorite threads in this forum, and it takes seconds to make a post.

And dear God I want to get into Arkham City, but I'll play for a while, come back to it and have no idea what Batman is supposed to be doing and what gadgets I should be using. So I usually play games like Cool Spot, The Duel, Vectorman, Superman (Genesis)...mostly games that are a blast to play that don't take too long to beat.

I am playing Watch Dogs, but mostly to revisit downtown Chicago. I know the city like the back of my hand, so it's a lot of fun for me to see if landmarks and points of interest are where they should be (they aren't, but it's still fun).

I also have around eighty 360 games where the surface hasn't been scratched. I'll get around to them, but I have way too much on my plate to spend over two hours on a game in one sitting.

Playing MVP 2005 for entire afternoons was awesome. Skipping classes to play FFX was incredible. Passing controllers for hours with Tekken Tag was the best. But I can't seem to find or make the time to play games like I did in the past.

[Exhuminator]

I have way too much on my plate to spend over two hours on a game in one sitting.

Try sleep deprivation. That's how I still manage to game.

[Westane]

I have way too much on my plate to spend over two hours on a game in one sitting.

Try sleep deprivation. That's how I still manage to game.

This x1000

[ExedExes]

i think we neeD a profeSsional's opinion on tHis.

[prfsnl_gmr]

My response is on the previous page, but I think it would be nice if DSH posted here too.

[ninjainspandex]

My biggest problem is I will get 20 hours into an RPG, then some other game comes out and I take a break and I forget what the hell was going on in the RPG and what I was doing so I end up never finishing it. I really need to finish Chrono Trigger and Skies of Arcadia, I'm 2/3rds done with both of them.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I can't do the long RPG thing these days. I can get about 60-90 minutes of gameplay in per day, so a 60 hour game is a 6-8 week commitment. Not happening. Though I did manage to finish Grandia within four weeks (January TR) earlier in the year. But that game was absolutely delightful and I became obsessed with finishing it. Thankfully most retro games are nice and short.

[Sarge]

Y'all wonder why I'm not posting much in the "Beating Games" thread? It's the aforementioned RPG thing. Seriously, Majora and Pillars are big games that are taking me forever to finish.

[MrPopo]

Maybe you should stop wasting your time "interacting with people in real life" and "being a father to your children". Priorities, man!