Do you buy games you know you probably won't play?

[empovyle]

So here's something that I feel we could discuss (I'm not sure if there was already a topic like this). Since we're all collecting games here, do any of you ever purchase games that you know you probably won't ever get into and play? It could be because you don't have the time to play, you're tired of a genre, or something to that degree.

The past month, my SO and I have been binge-buying games, especially more modern titles for PS3 and 360. He liked to pick up any games he thought had interesting cover art, even if he's never heard of them. But really, we both doubt that either of us will ever play them, or, if we do, it won't be but for a few minutes to try it out. A lot of them were incredible deals at pawn shops, so it was hard to resist adding them to our collection. Some of the games that come to mind are Lair and Clive Barker's Jericho - not exactly shovelware, but not really games that come to mind as some of the most noteworthy games of the last generation. We've decided to slow down though, mostly because we're quickly running out of shelf space for all of them, but also because it does seem a bit wasteful to be buying things that are almost only there to look pretty.

I think a majority of us are guilty of this, especially some of us with massive collections - certainly you don't have time to play all of those games, right? How do you feel about this subject?

[azure]

No, I only buy games I have interest in. Sometimes that leads to a not so great game, but in those rare cases I rid of it. I recall being more lenient with my collecting when I first started years ago, but I learned to focus on what I really wanted pretty quickly.

[Warmsignal]

It's something I've wrestled with for years. Of course I never intentionally bought anything that I absolutely didn't want to play... but I have been guilty, in the past mostly, of picking up games that I've wanted myself to take interest in playing, or that I've told myself I need to have for the wrong reason. But there's a difference between interest in a game, and if I'd actually play it strangely enough. So yeah, I have my share of those titles I probably never should have picked up. Each year as scarcity and prices increase (and space decreases), I've become more discriminant in picking up games - at this point it has to be something I'm very sure about. I believe I'm still making a few mistakes here and there, but if I'm sure I won't play it, then no way. I consider that a significant waste of money in today's crazy expensive market.

[ferraroso]

Me?
I buy hundreds of games that I know I will never play... Haha!

[emporerdragon]

All the time. Though with those games it's mainly because of the sake of completionism and/or because I find amusement in owning a copy of the game (namely Wii/DS titles that are either shovelware or aimed at little girls).

I do still want to eventually play all of them (save for the sports titles), but that mythical "someday" drifts further away as other newer titles enter my collection and real life responsibilities eat into my free time.

[droaa]

All the time. Though with those games it's mainly because of the sake of completionism and/or because I find amusement in owning a copy of the game (namely Wii/DS titles that are either shovelware or aimed at little girls).

I do still want to eventually play all of them (save for the sports titles), but that mythical "someday" drifts further away as other newer titles enter my collection and real life responsibilities eat into my free time.

I had a reply but all of this applies to me.

[chrismb]

Nope, I don't see the point. All the games I have are game that i've either finished or plan on beating at some point. I might have a few games from my childhood that I don't really care about but that's like 2% of my collection ^^

[Limeface]

Yep! Sometimes quantity wins over quality. Now granted, most games that would fall into this category I probably got for dirt cheap. Part of the fun of this hobby is that everything is playable, but not all of it has to be played. Plus picking out a random game that I probably wouldn't play and giving it a whirl can lead to fun discoveries.

[stealthrush]

No. I only buy games I'm interested in and know I will play.

[kashell]

Nope. When I buy a game, it's because I'm going to play the hell out of it. I may stop prematurely if I'm not having fun, but I'll at least give it a fair shot.

[marvelvscapcom2]

I only buy games that I think I will play or that I love from when I was young but I end up having a huge back log because I buy way faster than I can play and I only get hooked on certain games and do completionist goals on games I like a lot so i'm slow from bouncing to a new game and don't give the others much time.    But every game I have I would play or want to play soon.

[ignition365]

Yes and No.  I had and always have this idea that I'll start streaming playing some of the horrible games that I own... maybe to torture myself, maybe to rag on the game... not sure... but until I actually do that, it's basically a yes.

[98dgreen]

Yes if it's a good deal.

[tripredacus]

There are games I own that are on platforms I have little to no interest in playing. Not counting things I've since changed my mind on... But for example, the Transformers game on cassette for C64, I won't ever play. It just goes into my Transformers room on the media shelf.

[hoshichiri]

Rarely- there's a couple criteria to hit first: It has to be cheap- REALLY cheap. Like, under 5 dollars cheap. Second, I have to have some reason to own it outside of regular play. Examples:

-I bought Battleborn for $4 on clearance at Target because I'm notably terrible at FPSes. I figured one that's largely dead might be a safer place to try and teach myself to play better.
-Similar logic behind a $1 copy of Farcry 3 at a yard sale, coupled with my fascination with the more recent Farcry games. The villains intrigue me.
-$1 Diablo 3 so my fiancé would shut up about how I should totally give Diablo 3 a try.
-And $1 for a copy of Babysitting Mama will doll, so I can force friends to play a game controlled by a giant plush baby. Also to see how my 3 year old niece would react to it. (she attempted to play for about 30 seconds before leaving the room with her new doll, nunchuk dragging along the floor.)

Sometimes it works out- I spent $3 on a copy of Enslaved: Journey to the West because, despite remembering poor reviews, I dig Journey to the West in general and was curious about the interpretation. I ended up with a game I really enjoyed- enough that I bought another $3 copy a few days later because it came with a mini-comic. Ended up playing that one all the way through, very worth 6 bucks. Terribly rushed ending, though.