Friday 3 August 2018

#72 - One Console Gamer 08/03/18

A little late to post today, I had some stuff to take care of this morning. But you don't care, do you?

This will be one of my nerdy video game blogs. You've been warned.

I used to be one of those gamers that had to own every console. (Get outta here, PC people). Last gen, I had a Wii U, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, 3DS, and Vita. I was buying games left and right, and I had way more than I'd ever have time to play. I was just so worried about missing out on a big exclusive, I felt like I had to have them all. I can't even begin to count how many games I bought and only partially finished. I bet I had a few that I didn't turn on more than once. Particularly when it comes to digital game sales and things like Xbox Gold and PS Plus, it was way too much.

This gen, I started out the same way. I had a Playstation 4, Xbox One, and then I grabbed a Switch when Nintendo launched it, too. Same thing, I was afraid of missing out on a big game. I sold my Xbox a few months after I bought it (I think the only game I ended up playing through on it was Gears 4), and figured I could make do with a PS4 and a Switch. But even then, I was buying and downloading a ton of Playstation games, and I just found myself going back to the portability of the Switch whenever I had time to play. I was taking too much time away from other things that should've been a higher priority (comedy) to try and play all the games I was buying.

So finally, last year, I decided to go back my gaming roots, and be a single console gamer. I stuck with my Nintendo Switch, and I enjoy my hobby more now than I have in years. I don't have a daunting backlog of games sitting on my shelf staring at me, I just buy one game at a time, for my one system, and play it. When I'm finished with it, I buy another one. When you're a gamer as a kid, you're kind of stuck with what you get for birthdays and Christmas's in regards to your hobby. Most kids don't have the disposable income to go out and buy a new game every week or two, so you just learn to enjoy what you have. Thats what I'm trying to get back to. (With the added bonus of having the money to buy a new game once I finish the one I'm playing, of course.)

I sold my 3DS, Vita, Playstation 4, everything. Now I roll with my Switch, and my NES and SNES classics, and as I mentioned, I enjoy gaming more. I do my homework before I buy a game, instead of just buying everything that comes out on a whim, and I don't stress about getting to all the games I have sitting in front of me. Plus, limiting myself to one new game at a time actually cuts back on how much time I spend playing them, because I can only put so many consecutive hours into one game before I need a break. Instead of switching to a different game, I just turn it off and work on whatever I have to get done, instead.

Getting a new game feels special again, too. The novelty started to disappear when I was buying everything. Now each game feels like a big purchase again, and I'm more excited to dive into it. I keep a "wishlist" of games I'm interested in on my phone, and when it's time to buy one, I spend some time agonizing over the decision, like I did when I got to buy one or two games a year. I'm telling you, it's improved the hobby for me exponentially.

And you might be wondering, "why the Switch?" It was an easy decision. The portable is invaluable to someone that spends time on the road like I do. And more importantly, I can't play Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart, etc on Playstation. I'm a Nintendo fanboy through and through. And a gaming life without Mario is a life not worth living. Nintendo nailed it with the Switch. Breath of the Wild, Odyssey, Splatoon, Donkey Kong, all the incredible indie games...there's a ton to play. Some would say they aren't releasing enough AAA titles, but I don't mind at all. Indie games are worth your time, and your money. You can get a few of them for the same price as one AAA game, and they're perfect gap fillers between the big releases. Shovel Knight (which I've bought twice now), Hollow Knight, and Celeste have been some of the funnest games I've played in the last 10 years, and they're all less than $20 each.

If you own multiple systems, cool. I hope you enjoy them. But if you find yourself stressed out about your backlog, or the amount of money your spending on your hobby, I strongly recommend downsizing. You can always buy another console if you really miss it, and it might just help you enjoy games like you did when you were a kid again.

Thanks for reading. Nerds.

Adam





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