It is often said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.Well I'm not a rich man, and I certainly don't endorse experimental efforts to squeeze the majestic caravans of the desert through anything smaller than a door. I am though in a stage in my life where I can afford most of the games I want without too much worry. I have a job and no screaming money sucking little darlings to divert my funds. I'm not trying to show off, my thoughts are that a lot of people my age must now find themselves surrounded by both plenty of cheap games and a good amount of disposable income. The best kind of income.

To give you an idea of the last couple of weeks, I bought Xenoblade chronicles on launch and with at best estimates two thirds of that game to complete I have bought dark souls, again on launch. To compliment this I also bough a cheap copy of Earth defense force: insect Armageddon and LEGO Harry Potter. the former to play through with my great friend and co- op partner (he may steal all the best loot but he's always there) and the other to play through with my girlfriend (she may always be there but she has no idea whats shes doing). 

It may occur to you that I haven't really thought about how much time I need to play all these games, well I have and I find it insulting you would think so little of me. The problem is I just cant stop myself. I've got the money just not the time to play these games. Between work and the vague realities of real life I manage a few hours at a time but always mix it between my whole pile of games rather than just one. This post isn't about there being too many games, I'll find the time eventually and they will see me through the next serious games drought. 

A worrying thought has occurred though. I now see these games as a checklist in my head. Not experiences to be enjoyed but tasks to be completed. To put it into game parlance, I've walked into a village spoken to an NPC and they've given me a list of tasks to complete; a list of tedious fetch quests and escort missions that once complete will lead me to be rewarded with a new weapon or ability that will fill that special place inside me. That place that made me think all this silly questing was worth it in the first place. 

Except in this case the quests aren't tedious they're magnificent. Xenoblade and Dark souls are two of the best games I've played in years. Due to the constant pressure on my time created by the avalanche of games that are about to envelop me me however I can't just sit back and enjoy them. My first thought is always "I've got finish this before Batman and Skyrim come out". Once Batman and skyrim do come out though out though I'll want to polish them off as quick as I can to give me more time level my Battlefield and MAG characters, lest I be left behind on the battlefield. Oh, did I not mention I' also bought MAG recently too? Sorry it slipped my mind. I've barely had time to play it. Oh there's a copy of Resistance 3 there as well. Like the rich man I'm surrounded by my possesions but sitting envious of a mythical Nirvana where I can really enjoy all these games properly.  

This situation has made me think back to my childhood recently. Like most children I had no money and I also had the added bonus of laziness stopping me from earning any. So I would only get a few games a year. I would therefore invest completely of myself into these games. I played Sonic 3 to death and then flogged its dead body afterwards. I managed to resurrect it once Sonic and Knuckles came out. I even managed to finish Greendog. A terrible platform game that I bought just because I'd seen the advertising and there was nothing else out at the moment.

When I originally played Metal Gear Solid I finished it about 16 times because a "friend" at school claimed that by doing so you would unlock the ninja as a playable character. Let this serve as a lesson about listen to idle playground chat, especially once you're in you're twenties. You shouldn't even be in the playground at that point. Was it a chore though, maybe at some point but on the whole I loved it because I scoured every inch of that game. Experienced everything it had to offer. I'm still rubbish at stealth games (no patience you see) but I experienced the game rather than just completing it. even now I think back to Metal Gear and smile about what a great time we shared together.

Two contrasting styles of play and life as you can see. So what's my point? Should I buy less games? Well I like having this access to as many games as I want. What was the point of all that education if I cant enjoy the money I finally have because of it. I'm sure none of us like to limit ourselves. However I do want to truly enjoy my games. Maybe I need to stick to finishing one to completion? I'm not sure, for certain though is the need to stop worrying so much about keeping up with the Jonses and just enjoy this amazing period of game development.