Merry Christmas, everyone. I opened my gift from my SS a while ago; I forgot to tell Soera that I received it until yesterday. Apologies for the delay.
I was going back and forth about posting something because I didn't want to sound ungrateful, but after seeing FlashBack's post...well...I'll just say it: my gift was not good.
I feel like I should preface by saying that I try to add some personality to a gift I send. In other words, I try to make the package something special instead of some games thrown in a box. I like to throw in a card, or a key chain, or some local candy. I like to send a message wishing someone a great holiday. I try to add something to the gift. I don't expect the same level of personality in return, but I also don't expect my package to look like it came directly from eBay. That's what it looked like when I opened it: three games thrown in and that's all.
And then, we get to the contents. Two PAL games, and one non-PAL. Let's break it down. The non PAL game was one I have wanted for years: Britney's Dance Beat. I love Britney, no lie. The downside? The disc looks like crap. I gave it a test run, and it doesn't work. It's scratched. I tried another PlayStation 2 disc just to make sure it wasn't my console acting up. No, the PlayStation 2 was fine. Either the game didn't survive the journey, or the game arrived looking like that. I'm 0/1.
The next game was one I already had in my collection: Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition. Let's break this down further. Soera said that my giftee shipped my gift on December 10th. My issue isn't that over a week after the day you're suggested to ship. No, my issue is this: on the day before Thanksgiving (11/21), I received Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition. That same day, I put it in my VGC collection/signature. That same day, I removed it from my wish list. VG Collect is a site I visit at least once a day. Perhaps its my naivete, but I thought others involved in this woud do the same. So, now I have a PAL duplicate of a game I already own. I'll admit, I'm partially at fault for including it in my wish list. But, in my defense, I added it to my collection minutes after I got it. Also, I had other low hanging fruit games on there. I'm 0/2.
The last game (Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light), thankfully, doesn't have any technical issues. The downside? It's another PAL game. Aesthetically, it looks silly in my collection. I could have gotten the NA version at a random game store. Should I have specified in my wish list that, along with making sure the game is CIB, that the game is not from the PAL territory or Japan? I'm not 0/3, but I'm not 1/3, either. I guess I'm 0.5/3.
Should I be mad? Should I be acting this way? I feel that Secret Santa is about giving, but I also feel that there is a level of reciprocity that could be exhibited. I hope that, when I give someone something during this time of year (not just including Secret Santa), I'm making them happy. Should I expect to feel that way when it's my turn to open the gift? I have before with this. When I received Fatal Frame and Demon's Souls, plus a very a clever note in 2015, I felt that way. When I received four (!!) survival horror games plus some additional swag in 2016, I felt that way.
Again, should I be mad? If so, who would I be mad at? Would I be mad at Soera for paring me with this person? Would I be mad at the person himself for gifting me PAL games I didn't ask for and for gifting me a game that doesn't work? No, in the end I'm mad at myself. And, even "mad" is a harsh word. I think it's just a bummer. It didn't ruin Christmas by any means because I've been given and giving some great things. Also, I didn't have high expectations.
But, I did have hope. I hoped that I'd get at least one thing that I'd enjoy. I have no doubt that I'd enjoy The Four Heroes of Light, but I didn't ask for the PAL version. I have no doubt that I'd enjoy Britney's Dance Beat (I love Britney - sorry not sorry) but I didn't ask for the game to be in poor condition. I have no doubt that I'd enjoy Final Fantasy XV, but I already own it.
Needless to say, I'm done with Secret Santa. I like giving gifts to others, but I don't like being gifted something that feels thoughtless. But. All is not lost. I'm going to donate these to a local used media store. There's a store near me that has a donation box. I'm putting these in there, and hoping that someone can enjoy them.
https://imgur.com/a/R7kdT6E