Manage Your Video Game Backlog

video game backlog

Like most of you, I have a HUGE video game backlog that I haven’t even touched. Between work and school, I have to fight to make time for gaming. Too many games and not enough time. So there they sit on my bookshelf, neat rows of unopened games still shrink-wrapped in cellophane.

I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t even opened Call of Duty Black Ops or L.A. Noire. I’d been meaning to, but then Skyrim got in the way. Just as I completed my last quest and was about to tackle the backlog, Farcry 3 came out. Dang! Instead of my video game backlog growing smaller, it grew larger. And it continues to grow. Larger. And larger…

How To Manage Your Video Game Backlog

If I don’t want my living room to be overtaken by Assassin’s Creed and Mass Effect sequels, I need to take action. Here then is my three step game plan (pun intended) on managing my video game backlog:

  1. Stop buying new games. All right, this seems to be the first, necessary step I have to take in order to manage my video game backlog. Logically, I wouldn’t even have a backlog if I didn’t buy too many games in the first place (duh!). As easy as it sounds though, it’s incredibly difficult for me to go cold turkey on the purchasing front — especially if there’s a hot, critically acclaimed game thats been released or a super bargain (I can’t tell you how many awesome games I’ve scored around Black Friday for under $10). The madness must stop though, and I have control my urge to buy new games.
  2. Sell off the dogs. I’ve got a lot of great games in backlog (The Witcher 2, Gears of War 3, etc.), but I suppose I’ve collected some dogs too (Alpha Protocol, Enslaved, etc.). Granted, because I haven’t even played these games I suppose it’s unfair for me to judge their quality, but I’m going on the opinions of friends and review sites. If I only have a limited amount of time to play video games, why waste time on sub-par titles? By my reckoning, I could sell off at least a quarter of my collection, thereby getting rid of the weak sisters and whittling down the backlog. As a bonus, I’d have some extra cash too. Just have to remember step 1 above…
  3. skyrim elfAvoid bottlenecks. As I alluded to earlier, I’d been meaning to work my way through some of my games when Skyrim came out. I was totally stoked for Skyrim, and played the game for over six months straight. During this entire time I was never disappointed, but if I could do it over again, I’d work some other games into the rotation. Yes, I had a blast playing Skyrim, but after a month or so I could have played Alice Madness Returns or Deadspace 2, and then go back to the world of Nords and Dark Elves. This would have kept my game playing fresh, and I would have felt as though I were making good progress at working through my collection.

So how about you? Do you have a video game backlog and if so, what are you doing to manage it?

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Sansa
Sansa

Sansa is a member of the Skyrim Fansite. Besides exploring the world of Skyrim, she also enjoys graphic design, writing, and drawing. Her favorite Skyrim character build is the Mage. When she's not improving her Enchanting skill she's hard at work building her dream home in the Hearthfire expansion.

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