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I currently have 129 games installed in my computer.
It has been pointed out to me that I have spent more time finding, researching, purchasing and organizing games than I have spent actually playing them. At first, I didn't take that observation seriously; then upon closer inspection, I realized it was true. I live a relatively simple existence. I maintain a vocation that allows me to pay my bills, and put a little away, but that's about it. My desire to collect things has been satisfied by three particular kinds of items: PC video games, books, and brainteaser puzzles. All three allow me to succumb to the hoarding instinct without a big hit to my liquid assets. Will I ever play all the games I own? All the way through to the end of each, perhaps not. I am currently trying to install them all, one at a time, and test them out to see if they hold my attention more than a minute. I've been keeping track of what I consider to be the hits and the duds. I will eventually work my way through the 600+ games I own. These games were all purchased at brick-and-mortar stores because I prefer to have something I can hold in my hand, instead of a mere promise from an online company that they'll always be there to allow me to install and play my game in the distant future. The ugly truth about Steam is that they have taken the EULA one more step, in the sense of reminding their consumers that they really don't own the games they just bought, they're technically only renting them. A rental status that can be easily and permanently revoked. Yes, that's right. Owning the disk, manual and box still doesn't mean you own the game. But that's a subject for a future post, and it's not important here. For me, video games are a form of art. That's why I collect them more than I play them. I'm not the only person who feels this way, and game design is no different than any other art form: given enough publicity and exposure, the cream eventually rises to the top. I have decided that once I've culled the crud from my game collection, and spent sufficient time playing all the remaining games to gauge their "worthiness," I will then publish an annotated list of what I think are the greatest PC video games ever released. My apologies in advance to developers of (and devotees to) racing games, flight simulators, sports games and MMORPGs: I don't get the allure of those genres, and I probably never will. As for the legions of the console-platform obsessed, well... enjoy your limited, cute little toys. You can always sell them on eBay as nostalgic kitsch, ten years after purchase. Your desire to keep up with the latest console technology has effectively fulfilled the game console manufacturers' desire to milk your bank account on a regular basis. |