New Year's Gaming Resolutions

[Gadfly2317]

Generally, I never make new years resolutions. And really, these are things I'd resolved to do anyway regarding gaming, so I might as well list them as "New Years Gaming Resolutions."

1.) Rent More, Buy Less. Mainly, I think I started buying games instead of renting because money wasn't an issue any more, and I hated renting games because too often I'd rent it and then not get around to playing it, or barely playing it, and five bucks for 3-5 days seemed like a rip. Buying seemed smart because you can buy a game, play it for a few weeks, and take it back for credit. I don't think it's adding up though, and there are a lot of games I want to play that I'm pretty sure I'll get what I want out of them in a rental period, if I just make sure and rent them when I'm sure I'll have time (Chronicles of Riddick, Halo 2, Full Spectrum Warrior, Viewtiful Joe 2, etc.) I wasted way too much money this year on games I'd have been better off renting (and wasted money renting games I should have just known would be worth buying, like Zelda: Four Swords.)

2.) Play more older games, including games I already own and have played. I've got a lot of games that deserve another go around, and there are a lot of games I've missed. I need to ignore the hype, and get fewer games on the release date. There are N64 games I want to play and haven't (Jet Force Gemini, Ogre Battle 64), Eternal Darkness is begging for another spin, and tons of stuff for $19 on both the Ps2 and Xbox I still want to play.

3.) Read less gaming journalism. Just a personal thing, but I need to visit websites less often, and cut the # of magazine subscriptions. I'm dropping them all except Game Informer.

4.) Consider letting one system go. My poor xbox, I don't hate the thing, but its games appeal to me least, and as low priority, the xbox sits their unused most of the time. This will be the thing hardest to do. . .sell the xbox. Psychonauts? Oddworld Stranger? Halo 2? Will I really be missing much if I don't play these?

5.) Post less This one is hard too, because I like talking about games, gaming, the game industry. But every minute posting is a waste of time, and it's certainly one minute less spent gaming or doing something actually productive.

6.) Play More Nintendo Yeah, my favorite system, I ignored it a lot this year, and I missed a lot, and a lot more is coming SOON. This is the console I've consistently had the most fun with, and looking at the release schedule for the next 90 days alone, DAMN..

7.) Stop trying to persuade people the DS is a better choice for portable gaming than the PsP. I think it's a losing battle. Ps1 and Ps2 ports on a brightly lit screen and it plays Mp3s vs an Actual New Gaming Experience. What was I thinking? And Sony appears to be using the Microsoft Xbox approach---tons of features sold at the kind of sustained loss the competitor can't afford, except it should actually work for Sony because they already have gamers and popular game franchises---something MS didn't have. You cannot argue against the fact that $199 for all that you are getting with the PsP is a bargain for the consumer---in the short term.

But this is the Resolution I'll probably be least likely to keep. The DS has just blown me away and I like talking most about things that have fired up my enthusiasm. I loathe anti-competitive practices when they are accompanied by a complete lack of original product. Yeah, now that I think of it, I resolve to continue pointing out why the DS is the obvious superior choice for portable gaming.

There. I feel better. I've already broken one resolution before the New Year has even started.

[Brendon]

My resolutions in terms of gaming.

1)Stop playing NiGHTS

I really have got to just let this one go, I've had at least one month of addiction every year since it came out. You know you have to stop when you consistantly get links in excess of 5 or 6 hundred.

2)Enter a tornament

I havn't played in a torny since VF4 first came out, then consequently I stopped playing it.

3)Be right less of the time.

As I recall, I was calling the whole EA is ruining gaming and the PSP battery life Months before anyone else. So, um, HA HA - I TOLD YOU SO.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Gaming Resolutions

#1 Rent more, Buy Less - Just as I read Gadfly's resolution of the same name, I figured I need to do the same, because I have bought a lot of games that I no longer have this year. Granted, I have either broke even, made a profit or made good enough credit on a game that it hasn't hur me much financially, but a 7 day trial with a game may be enough for me in the future.

#2 Finish more games - I can think of more than five games I have actually beaten this year. It's mainly due to a bad taste from playing games that may not be worth finishing. Also, I have been buying games on top of games, so I have Halo 2, GTA SA, Prince of Persia, Ace Combat 5 unfinished while I'm playing KOTOR II and College Football.

#3 Save some games for the summer - Summer usually sucks for games unless there's a gem released (Morrowind or KOTOR I). Next year, I'm going to let a few possible good games pass by (Punisher & DMC 3) and picked them up during the summer, when prices have dropped and I have more time to play just those games. It just takes some will power.

#4 Stick with only College football and Boxing - Forget the other sports games, I don't play them long enough to finish a season anyway, so I may as well stop wasting gaming $$ on them.

#5 Keep my mouth shut about Mercenaries - I keep finding ways to mention this upcoming game (like now), so after this post, I will try not to mention it until I give a gameplay impression or something after release.

[Deathstroke]

I will definately: BUY AND PLAY RESIDENT EVIL 4.

Hell, I may even be tempted to write a review.

But that's all the resolutions I'm making.

It should be fairly easy for me to stick to.

[Glockstar]

A great idea for a thread, if I do say so myself! (I was just about to create a N.Y.'s Resolutions thread not days before you posted yours. 'Ceptin' mine was going to include any and all N.Y.R.'s, and so it would've been a largely off-topic thread. I like yours better.)

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2.)Play more older games, including games I already own and have played....There are N64 games I want to play and haven't (Jet Force Gemini, Ogre Battle 64)...

Well... good luck with that.

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#5 Keep my mouth shut about Mercenaries - I keep finding ways to mention this upcoming game (like now), so after this post, I will try not to mention it until I give a gameplay impression or something after release.

LOL. Oh come on... every game should have a pimp. And I thought you were doing a good job too. Come on, Hunter, don't quit on us now. I'm not going to let you. :p

-

Some of you have set some really tough goals for yourselves.

And it looks like a lot of us have the same Resolutions.

Here's mine:

1. No more than 24 games this year. And by that I mean, that 24 games is the maximum amount of "new" (that's new to me) games that I can add to my collection this upcoming year. (And that's gross, not net. And systems - like, maybe, the PSP, or perhaps the DS - count as one game.) I have absolutely been going ape-*bleep* over the past two years. Well, that's got to stop. This is going to be harder than hell - I've already got a list of eighteen '05 games that I'm looking at, plus another eleven from last year (2004) - but I have got to settle down! Especially when I have, at least, that many unfinished games sitting right here, staring me in the face, already. 24 games equates to two games a month (or one game every paycheck :p )... that shouldn't be too hard... right? Oh, and the thought has crossed my mind to cheat on myself - by going out tomorrow, the 31st, and stocking up. :o

2. Finish more games than I start. This is probably the hardest resolution, the hardest goal, that I have set for myself. I'm sure I'm going to take R1 (above) to the limit and buy 24 games, so... well, you know what that means. However, I'm not counting racing games and sports games - especially online enabled ones - they don't count, because they're never-ending (well, 90% of them anyways). I'd like to finish those eleven games that I briefly mentioned earlier - but I'm not making a resolution out of it - that'd be too difficult - even though I am close to the end on quite a few of them. And, I may have a really nice head start on this rez: I am definitely going to finish KOTOR 2 and Mechassault 2 - but I don't think there's anyway I can make that happen before year's end; so I should have two games under my belt before I buy my first new game of '05 (Mercenaries... January 12th).

3. Post less. Sounds familiar, yes? But, I think my definition of "less" might be a little different than y'alls. I pretty much mean, just less System Wars. In fact, I'm thinking of taking a month off from the board. The month of January, to be specific; I'm thinking of just letting slade cover me while I'm gone. ;)

4. Review more. I've kind of been trying to get double duty out of the forums, by conducting a lot of my reviews of games on them - for you guys, and for other readers - like you guys, I'm sure. But, I'm starting to wonder about that; I don't think that's working out too well. I think it's time to put my reviews back in their proper place. I can't really resolve to do to much more than this right now (maybe next year), but I am going to work on it. I think I did two reviews last year... well I promise you VGR, I will do at least three this year.

5. No EA games. This is actually going to be a lot harder than it sounds. Mainly because of one thing: Stranger's Wrath. Man, this sucks! (Dammit, MS!) But... #@$% EA.

[Gadfly2317]

I. . . .was going to include any and all N.Y.R.'s, and so it would've been a largely off-topic thread. I like yours better.)

I thought about that too, but it just seemed like TMI. I put too much personal crap in threads as it is without out putting in something like "I resolve this year to kick my heroin habit, and to quit having sex on business trips with underage Bangkok prostitutes." Anyway, I'm no quitter. That's why for my real resolutions, I always resolve to DO something new, not QUIT doing something I really enjoy.

My game resolutions were ALL solely for increasing my enjoyment of gaming.


2. Finish more games than I start. This is probably the hardest resolution, the hardest goal, that I have set for myself. I'm sure I'm going to take R1 (above) to the limit and buy 24 games, so... well, you know what that means. However, I'm not counting racing games and sports games -

See, there you go, making outs for yourself by not counting the games "with no end." I've become utterly ambivalent about finishing games. It's finished when I'm ready to move on. I used to force myself to finish books, and now games are getting to be the same way. I only finish it if it carry's me to the end. I'm not going to carry the game or the book to the end, because that's work. The game developer, just like the author, has to carry me to the end.


4. Review more. I've kind of been trying to get double duty out of the forums, by conducting a lot of my reviews of games on them - for you guys, and for other readers - like you guys, I'm sure. But, I'm starting to wonder about that; I don't think that's working out too well. I think it's time to put my reviews back in their proper place. I can't really resolve to do to much more than this right now (maybe next year), but I am going to work on it. I think I did two reviews last year... well I promise you VGR, I will do at least three this year.

I didn't review too much last year. I didn't think to put that in my list, but I looked over at my avatar the other day and noticed I had damn near 2000 posts. I know I average at least 100 words a post, if not a lot more. That means in the last couple years or however long this new forum's been up, just at VGR, I've put out the equivalent of one of the thicker Stephen King novels. For me, Sys Wars has been my equivalent of writing "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over. Come on. Gimme the bat, Wendy. Gimme the bat!!!!

I write occasional reviews of CD's and books at Amazon; I've meant to do more, and games too. I'm not sure I see the point of writing reviews at VGR, or anything else for that matter. Hardly anyone reads it. I used to love reading the Review section here, but it's dead now.


5. No EA games. This is actually going to be a lot harder than it sounds. Mainly because of one thing: Stranger's Wrath. Man, this sucks! (Dammit, MS!) But... #@$% EA.

I've thought about this. What sucks is that EA is the Publisher, not the Developer of this particular title, so boycotting EA in this case is going to hurt the developer too. Still, I'm not buying ANYTHING EA. I will play Stranger's Wrath, but I will only buy it when there are plentiful used ones, so I'm not helping create any demand, or putting any dollars in EA's pocket.

[Fivespot]

My New Years resolution is to also try and boycot EA by not buying any of their games!!! This will be hard for me however. My main pulls will be from Oddworld, the next Fight Night (especially if its online for the XBOX), NBA Street 3, and any future SSX titles.

I will do my best as I'm still irritated about all they've been doing to the world of gaming as of late - trying to gain a monopoly which will definately bring more mediocrity.

Another NY resolution - play more online games. I own XBOX w/LIVE & a Gamecube and have spent far too much time offline. Plus I pay for the online service just for gaming, so I best get more mileage out of this for the price I'm paying.

I'll play more online w/Halo2, Crimson Skies, Unreal Championship 2 - Liandri Conflict, Mech Assault 2 (maybe - haven't yet bought this game) & an ESPN sports game.

Any suggestions on ESPN online games for XBOX live??? I own the football but haven't taken it online yet as I'm still trying to re-learn the control having playing the crap out of Madden 2004 & 2005 before making the switch.

Gamecube sure has lots coming in the near future like RE4, Fire Emblem, Killer 7 that will keep me offline. This will continue to be a challenge for me.

Happy New Year everyone!

[Gadfly2317]

My New Years resolution is to also try and boycot EA by not buying any of their games!!! This will be hard for me however. My main pulls will be from Oddworld, the next Fight Night (especially if its online for the XBOX), NBA Street 3, and any future SSX titles.

I will do my best as I'm still irritated about all they've been doing to the world of gaming as of late - trying to gain a monopoly which will definately bring more mediocrity.

Another NY resolution - play more online games. I own XBOX w/LIVE & a Gamecube and have spent far too much time offline. Plus I pay for the online service just for gaming, so I best get more mileage out of this for the price I'm paying.

I'll play more online w/Halo2, Crimson Skies, Unreal Championship 2 - Liandri Conflict, Mech Assault 2 (maybe - haven't yet bought this game) & an ESPN sports game.

Any suggestions on ESPN online games for XBOX live??? I own the football but haven't taken it online yet as I'm still trying to re-learn the control having playing the crap out of Madden 2004 & 2005 before making the switch.

Gamecube sure has lots coming in the near future like RE4, Fire Emblem, Killer 7 that will keep me offline. This will continue to be a challenge for me.

Happy New Year everyone!

Good luck Docter Zoydberg. Go online w/Topspin. Good luck on helping true game fans teach EA a lesson. And wow, it sounds like you are also cue'd up to enjoy some major gamecube action.

Zoidberg: I'll have a look but I warn you, I'm an expert on humans, not robuhts.
Fry: Er, I'm not Bender, I'm Fry.
Zoidberg: Really? I thought you were the robuht.
Fry: Nope, human.
Zoidberg: Alright, alright, spare me your life story.

(Bender, Fry and Leela have all been fired)

[Fivespot]

Zoidberg: I'll have a look but I warn you, I'm an expert on humans, not robuhts.
Fry: Er, I'm not Bender, I'm Fry.
Zoidberg: Really? I thought you were the robuht.
Fry: Nope, human.
Zoidberg: Alright, alright, spare me your life story.

-----
Hilarious. I'm still upset w/FOX for cancelling this gem. And they barely even gave it a chance.

Topspin? I'm currently playing Mario Tennis and will have to stick w/just one tennis game for the time being. [UNLESS]

Do you think switching to Topspin would be a better choice? I assuming you've played both when I ask this question.

[Gadfly2317]

Topspin? I'm currently playing Mario Tennis and will have to stick w/just one tennis game for the time being. [UNLESS]

Do you think switching to Topspin would be a better choice? I assuming you've played both when I ask this question.

I'd say just add to Topspin to the future list. I haven't gotten to play it yet, but really want to. I guess I mostly just was thinking of a non-EA extremely highly rated sports game online for Xbox.

What are you thinking of Mario Tennis? I don't think you could compare this to Topspin in the same way I couldn't compare Mario Golf to Tiger Woods 2004 (which is another dead EA game, now. My next realistic golf game will be Links on xbox. Screw EA!)

I haven't had an opportunity to play Mario Tennis alone to see how it holds up as a single player, but as a multi-player game, it shows again why the GC is the only system I own four controllers for. I wouldn't "switch" this one out for Topspin, I'd just get Topspin later sometime. Mario Tennis is one of those that is a "keeper". . . never to be traded in for store credit. There are some games like this that just for the multi-player alone gives them huge future replayability.

[Glockstar]

I've thought about this. What sucks is that EA is the Publisher, not the Developer of this particular title, so boycotting EA in this case is going to hurt the developer too. Still, I'm not buying ANYTHING EA. I will play Stranger's Wrath, but I will only buy it when there are plentiful used ones, so I'm not helping create any demand, or putting any dollars in EA's pocket.

That sounds like a plan.

Except I think I'm going to take it one step further: whenever it is I get this game, mum's the word. You will never know that I have it, or that I'm playing it, because I'm not going to say a word about it. Oh I'll let Lorne and OI know what I think about it - in private - but otherwise I'm going to do my part to help everybody forget that it - like all other EA games - even exists.

[trebor]

Zoidberg: I'll have a look but I warn you, I'm an expert on humans, not robuhts.
Fry: Er, I'm not Bender, I'm Fry.
Zoidberg: Really? I thought you were the robuht.
Fry: Nope, human.
Zoidberg: Alright, alright, spare me your life story.

-----
Hilarious. I'm still upset w/FOX for cancelling this gem. And they barely even gave it a chance.

Yeah, no kidding. Futurama is probably my favorite television program...ever. :(

Honestly though, and this will sound stupid, but FOX didn't deserve to have that show. First off, they ALWAYS pre-empted it. Secondly, they NEVER marketed it. Lastly, they're too busy pumping out insipid, "reality tv" sex-fests for cheap ratings to notice they canceled the most brilliant sit-com made in the last 10 years.

Here's to hoping Cartoon Network can somehow bring Futurama back from the grave.

Anywho...my NY resolution.

Hold off on buying new releases right away.

I think EVERY single new release I bought this year was on sale several weeks after I had bought it...which probably would have saved me a clean $100 at least for the year...meaning I could have bought several more games.

[Glockstar]

We need to get a Deal Finders & Posters thread going.
I've thought about starting up such a thread for the bargain hunters like myself for the longest time, but... I didn't want to cause the site any problems.

We should ask if it would be alright. :p ;)

[VGR Veteran]

I have put a lot of time into sports games. I want to look into other genres and try to get into them. I have played sports games for the past 3 years with a lil bit of other games thrown in.

[trebor]

We need to get a Deal Finders & Posters thread going.
I've thought about starting up such a thread for the bargain hunters like myself for the longest time, but... I didn't want to cause the site any problems.

We should ask if it would be alright. :p ;)

That's a great idea!

I'd even go a step further and say that it would deserve an entire forum to itself.

[mandark]

That's a great idea!

I'd even go a step further and say that it would deserve an entire forum to itself.
Count me in. I've been nothing but a bargain hunter last year and I don't see that changing this year. I did buy new games for my PC but they were at least 40% off the regular price before I grabbed them.

[PapaSmurf]

I have put a lot of time into sports games. I want to look into other genres and try to get into them. I have played sports games for the past 3 years with a lil bit of other games thrown in.
Whats ^^ he said. NCAA Football, my god I need to stop it and start finishing other games. I mean the game just doesn't end.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

We need to get a Deal Finders & Posters thread going.
I've thought about starting up such a thread for the bargain hunters like myself for the longest time, but... I didn't want to cause the site any problems.

We should ask if it would be alright. :p ;)


You want bargins? Here's two of them:

Outrun 2 and Kingdom Under Fire both have hit $19.99 at Gamestop. Should be the new versions. Check out www.gamestop.com and click "Price Drop".

I didn't specify for any certain city, but if they change the price on the site, they usually change it in stores as well... Most of them anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if EB does the same in a few days.

[Fivespot]

I thought of another NY resolution. Even though its 1/8, I suppose its not too late.

I would like to trade less games in 2005. I have a tendency to trade games often keeping my collection at about 15 games. Whenever something new comes out that I'm interested in getting and I'm low on funds, off I go with a couple games in hand.

Gamestop and EB games are popping up everywhere thanks to freaks like me. They make a fortune off the used games both buying and selling. No wonder they try pushing a used copy when one is available even if trying to buy it new.

[Lara]

Fivespot, I noticed your sig. .....
Support local music: Check out Waxing Gibbous on Soundclick.com and leave some feedback or a review.


Speaking of support. All you guys can help support VGR by writing gaming reviews on our site. I betcha a lot of you don't even go past this discussion page. Let's see some love for this site that has been free to you guys for going on it's 6th year now.

[Fivespot]

Fivespot, I noticed your sig. .....
Support local music: Check out Waxing Gibbous on Soundclick.com and leave some feedback or a review.


Speaking of support. All you guys can help support VGR by writing gaming reviews on our site. I betcha a lot of you don't even go past this discussion page. Let's see some love for this site that has been free to you guys for going on it's 6th year now.

Now that you mention it, I have been feeling a bit guilty about this lately. However, I was more prone to writing reviews when people actually read them and provided some of their own.

I can take the high road and start writing reviews, but I'll need some help. I even brought this point up a month ago in the welcome Eric thread. Its boggling to me how few reviews are being written compared to a couple years ago.

VGR used to be my fave due to the reviews moreso than the discussions board. But when the reviews disappeared, I started reading the threads for opinions on games.

[Rogue Bounty Hunter]

Speaking of support. All you guys can help support VGR by writing gaming reviews on our site. I betcha a lot of you don't even go past this discussion page. Let's see some love for this site that has been free to you guys for going on it's 6th year now.

Though I usually don't write them( it's been 3 years), I'll give some support and write a review. I just finished a game, so it's still pretty fresh on my mind.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

My N-Y resouluiton is not to buy any EA sports games new (I'll get them used where they don't make a profit.) or any of they're played out franchises like MOH and 007. I will support games like Burnout 3 and Oddworld because boycotting these games won't hurt EA but what it will do is hurt those developers and make it harder for these type of games to get published.

Post less (which I have been doing) don't over do it on gaming press Like Glock I've cut my subscriptions back I get two now OXM (for the Demo) and Game informer best previews in the biz.

This one is different than most. But I won't obligate myself to finish games too much this becomes more of a chore than anything if it's not fun anymore I will stop playing so what if I don't finish (personally In the miniority that doesn't mind short games Fable and Riddick lenghts weren't bad to me) But Ninga Gaiden become somewhat of a chore at the end.

Join a clan on Xbox live.