Just saw this article (http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2014/04/17/nearly-37-of-all-registered-steam-games-have-never-been-played/) while looking for information on the recent Steam phishing scam.
I helped them reach that number. :-[
Me too :/ And just bought two more. But I know I will play these two new ones.
Guilty! Though I will play them all at some point in the future, I'm just saving them for a special occasion. ;)
Although I always play each game at least once, sometimes it is not much more than that for sure....I have made my fair share of donations.
^That is an excellent way to put it.
I do my part to keep out hobby alive! Enuff said!
Yep!
This is a direct result of all the heavily discounted sales. While some publishers balk at regularly doing such sizable sales, this goes to show that they persuade people to buy a lot of games that they don't need and often don't ever play. Sales genius.
I have quite a few games with less than 1 hour of gameplay.
Someone on this board once said that they expect to play $1 / hour for a game.
I'm trying hard to live by that rule. That means no more purchases unless I'm totally sold, and it also means waiting for steam sales
Quote from: Steelgrave on April 20, 2014, 05:08:28 PM
I do my part to keep out hobby alive! Enuff said!
It might not be wholly inappropriate to look at my part in terms of tithing.
I don't think I have more than a handful of games in my steam library that I've never played, but easily a third I've played less than 10 hours. Most of those were purchased on sale, so I'm one of the targets of that genius.
I looked and I have 16 out of 35 in my list that I've never played and several more with little time on them. Like a lot of you, I've only paid full price for one of them, which is Civ 5. Most everything else was substantially discounted. This doesn't count a handful of Matrix games with limited time on them too.
I am not a Steam fan and only have about 30 games in my Steam Library. Of those 30 the only ones I have spent a lot of time playing are Warlock, Civilization V, and XCOM. Most of the rest I have fired up to see what they look like and haven't played since. 10 of them have never been played (several have never even been installed, only registered!).
Indie bundles can greatly skew the data as well, there have been número use ones with games most do not play.
PE
To be honest I have the same issue with GoG. I've picked up a lot of games on sale. They are all well reviewed and look like fun but I just don't have the time.
Add me to the list of offenders. I have a great many games in my Steam, GOG and GamersGate accounts that have yet to be played, not to mention a number of boxed games sitting in stacks next to my PC. On the other hand, almost all were purchased on sale, in some case for less than a cup of coffee. My justification is that I am supporting my hobby.
Quote from: DoctorQuest on April 20, 2014, 08:57:43 PM
To be honest I have the same issue with GoG. I've picked up a lot of games on sale. They are all well reviewed and look like fun but I just don't have the time.
Yeah, my buy-but-never-play record with GOG is way worse than Steam. Pretty much all the games I've bought on GOG I've played for a a couple of minutes at most. I buy them, fire them up, and then think, "Why do I want to play this game from 1995? It looks terrible now." And never play it again. As such, I've pretty much entirely given up on GOG. The "Old" just seems to drown out whatever used to be "Good" about such games.
That's exactly what happened to me with the recent release of Age of Empires II HD.
I'm as guilty as the rest of the you guys. I have a ton of games on GOG, and GamersGate that I've either never played or (more often) spent only an hour or two playing. It's just disgusting. :-[
I'm not as bad with my games on Steam. But then, I don't have many titles on that platform either (as I generally don't purchase games through Steam unless that's the only viable avenue).
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 21, 2014, 09:33:35 AM
Quote from: DoctorQuest on April 20, 2014, 08:57:43 PM
To be honest I have the same issue with GoG. I've picked up a lot of games on sale. They are all well reviewed and look like fun but I just don't have the time.
Yeah, my buy-but-never-play record with GOG is way worse than Steam. Pretty much all the games I've bought on GOG I've played for a a couple of minutes at most. I buy them, fire them up, and then think, "Why do I want to play this game from 1995? It looks terrible now." And never play it again. As such, I've pretty much entirely given up on GOG. The "Old" just seems to drown out whatever used to be "Good" about such games.
sandman....that's been my experience as well. So much so, I pretty much stop buying the old stuff on GOG.
Not to slag on GOG -- I'm glad it's doing so well, and it fulfills a real niche. But in another sense I'm kinda puzzled by its success. What it really brings home is just how far PC games have evolved (as if anyone needed confirmation of that). I bought Might & Magic VII a while back and all I could think was, "How can anyone play this after Morrowind and Oblivion?" And remember how awesome the Wing Commander games were? Well, they were awesome.... a couple of decades ago. Really the only GOG games I've gotten enjoyment out of are some of the D&D games, Baldur's Gate II especially -- to me, it still holds up surprisingly well.
Anyway, to each his own. I'm sure many of you guys have had very different experiences -- otherwise, GOG would probably have folded up its tent by now!
.
Whoops! Wrong thread for my post.
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 21, 2014, 09:33:35 AM
Quote from: DoctorQuest on April 20, 2014, 08:57:43 PM
To be honest I have the same issue with GoG. I've picked up a lot of games on sale. They are all well reviewed and look like fun but I just don't have the time.
Yeah, my buy-but-never-play record with GOG is way worse than Steam. Pretty much all the games I've bought on GOG I've played for a a couple of minutes at most. I buy them, fire them up, and then think, "Why do I want to play this game from 1995? It looks terrible now." And never play it again. As such, I've pretty much entirely given up on GOG. The "Old" just seems to drown out whatever used to be "Good" about such games.
May the pleasures of a 1,000 ssi and microprose titles never infest your SSD. ;)
My big "sin" is buying the same games I already own. Mostly because when they offer it on steam or gog for $1.99. I don't have to dig around in the garage for my original copy. Then fuss around with DOS box to get it to work.
But once I buy and play for a bit... I don't touch many of them again...thus bumping up the non-use number.
Still, I wish they would hurry up and get SSG's Warlords II, and Muzzle Velocity on GOG. Both of these are a bit of challenge to get running on my rig, and I would happily re-buy and then barely play.
Quote from: skeptical.platypus on April 21, 2014, 05:59:59 PM
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 21, 2014, 09:33:35 AM
Quote from: DoctorQuest on April 20, 2014, 08:57:43 PM
To be honest I have the same issue with GoG. I've picked up a lot of games on sale. They are all well reviewed and look like fun but I just don't have the time.
Yeah, my buy-but-never-play record with GOG is way worse than Steam. Pretty much all the games I've bought on GOG I've played for a a couple of minutes at most. I buy them, fire them up, and then think, "Why do I want to play this game from 1995? It looks terrible now." And never play it again. As such, I've pretty much entirely given up on GOG. The "Old" just seems to drown out whatever used to be "Good" about such games.
May the pleasures of a 1,000 ssi and microprose titles never infest your SSD. ;)
Don't forget Dynamix and Spectrum Holobyte. I can still hear the slightly ominous 8bit music in the opening cut-scene to Aces over Europe.
If I have another child I will name him Spectrum Holobyte.
I am guilty too...
Have more than 120 games on GOG and hundreds in boxes...
The point is not that i don't want to play these games but i've never had in my life so many games i can actually play...i can play game from 1993 until today and have only very few games i can't run on one of my computers. I have my desktop from 1993 with windows 95 (imperium galactica and some others), my first laptop from 2003 (Silent Hunter II and Space Empires IV), my desktop from 2007 with Windows XP (lots of my games are that one) and the brand new computer with Windows 7 where i can finally play TW games and the more demanding games....on the other hand, i never had as little time to play these (with 3 small kids).
Buying and installing games makes me sometimes feel like i play them a little bit... ::)
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 21, 2014, 03:04:10 PM
Not to slag on GOG -- I'm glad it's doing so well, and it fulfills a real niche. But in another sense I'm kinda puzzled by its success. What it really brings home is just how far PC games have evolved (as if anyone needed confirmation of that). I bought Might & Magic VII a while back and all I could think was, "How can anyone play this after Morrowind and Oblivion?" And remember how awesome the Wing Commander games were? Well, they were awesome.... a couple of decades ago. Really the only GOG games I've gotten enjoyment out of are some of the D&D games, Baldur's Gate II especially -- to me, it still holds up surprisingly well.
Anyway, to each his own. I'm sure many of you guys have had very different experiences -- otherwise, GOG would probably have folded up its tent by now!
I've had a lot of similar experiences with GOG. "Oh, this was a great game!" Then you buy it and find that, yes, it WAS a great game. Not so much by modern standards, particularly when it comes to the UI.
Quote from: Arctic Blast on April 23, 2014, 11:36:36 AM
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 21, 2014, 03:04:10 PM
Not to slag on GOG -- I'm glad it's doing so well, and it fulfills a real niche. But in another sense I'm kinda puzzled by its success. What it really brings home is just how far PC games have evolved (as if anyone needed confirmation of that). I bought Might & Magic VII a while back and all I could think was, "How can anyone play this after Morrowind and Oblivion?" And remember how awesome the Wing Commander games were? Well, they were awesome.... a couple of decades ago. Really the only GOG games I've gotten enjoyment out of are some of the D&D games, Baldur's Gate II especially -- to me, it still holds up surprisingly well.
Anyway, to each his own. I'm sure many of you guys have had very different experiences -- otherwise, GOG would probably have folded up its tent by now!
I've had a lot of similar experiences with GOG. "Oh, this was a great game!" Then you buy it and find that, yes, it WAS a great game. Not so much by modern standards, particularly when it comes to the UI.
The UIs are hellish on many of those old games, aren't they?
Many of the oldies don't get a lot of play time but a few still do. They're usually the ones with relatively friendly interfaces.
I suspect that 37% never played would rise to 75% if it included games played but for 1 hour or less total time.
Quote from: Staggerwing on April 23, 2014, 06:15:44 AM
Quote from: skeptical.platypus on April 21, 2014, 05:59:59 PM
Quote from: sandman2575 on April 21, 2014, 09:33:35 AM
Quote from: DoctorQuest on April 20, 2014, 08:57:43 PM
To be honest I have the same issue with GoG. I've picked up a lot of games on sale. They are all well reviewed and look like fun but I just don't have the time.
Yeah, my buy-but-never-play record with GOG is way worse than Steam. Pretty much all the games I've bought on GOG I've played for a a couple of minutes at most. I buy them, fire them up, and then think, "Why do I want to play this game from 1995? It looks terrible now." And never play it again. As such, I've pretty much entirely given up on GOG. The "Old" just seems to drown out whatever used to be "Good" about such games.
May the pleasures of a 1,000 ssi and microprose titles never infest your SSD. ;)
Don't forget Dynamix and Spectrum Holobyte. I can still hear the slightly ominous 8bit music in the opening cut-scene to Aces over Europe.
And LucasArts and SSI and Origins (?). I can still hear being mocked, "Poor, poor avatar. . . "
Quote from: Gusington on April 23, 2014, 07:43:56 AM
If I have another child I will name him Spectrum Holobyte.
MiniGus1, MiniGus2, and Spectrum Holobyte.
You, sir, are a poet.
(I shouldn't point fingers. The gf is on birth control because I want to name my first three Larry, Darryl, and Darryl.)
Man, you guys either have a lot more money or a lot less impulse control than I do!
Seriously, I don't think I've ever in my life bought a game that I've never played. The only game I've ever bought and played less than 5 hours was Trevor Chan's Seven Kingdoms which just did nothing for me.
I've downloaded a few free games, played them for 20 minutes, and thought, "Naw, I'm not wasting my time with that!" But to actually pay for something I never played? That just seems bizarre.
Or maybe I'm just so prideful that it takes me 5 hours to finally admit that I made a bad purchasing decision?
Quote from: FarAway Sooner on April 23, 2014, 10:05:24 PM
Man, you guys either have a lot more money or a lot less impulse control than I do!
Seriously, I don't think I've ever in my life bought a game that I've never played. The only game I've ever bought and played less than 5 hours was Trevor Chan's Seven Kingdoms which just did nothing for me.
I've downloaded a few free games, played them for 20 minutes, and thought, "Naw, I'm not wasting my time with that!" But to actually pay for something I never played? That just seems bizarre.
Or maybe I'm just so prideful that it takes me 5 hours to finally admit that I made a bad purchasing decision?
Well, I at least, have enormously poor impulse control. I'm the guy Neal Stephenson was thinking of for the forehead tattoo.
And when the sales hit and a game I might be interested in gets to be less than a venti frappucino -- which I will enjoy for less than hour. . .
Well, let's just say I'm Steam's rhymes-with-witch.
I have loads of games on steam and gamersgate that i havent played I also have shrinkwrapped boxed games that ive never played :(
When I was younger I always had time to play, not so much now :( when I had an Amiga 500 I bought new games every week and played them too.
When I had my Amiga 500 I was just a kid so I couldn't afford more than 3-4 games a year. But I played each of them for at least 100 hours. Loved that Amiga. Even the truly buzarre games were great, like Shadow of the Beast. Or really anything from Psygnosis.
Quote from: Gusington on April 24, 2014, 07:20:01 AM
When I had my Amiga 500 I was just a kid so I couldn't afford more than 3-4 games a year. But I played each of them for at least 100 hours. Loved that Amiga. Even the truly buzarre games were great, like Shadow of the Beast. Or really anything from Psygnosis.
Psygnosis had really cool artwork
The art from the box and in game for Shadow of the Beast still disturbs me.
Quote from: FarAway Sooner on April 23, 2014, 10:05:24 PM
Man, you guys either have a lot more money or a lot less impulse control than I do!
Seriously, I don't think I've ever in my life bought a game that I've never played. The only game I've ever bought and played less than 5 hours was Trevor Chan's Seven Kingdoms which just did nothing for me.
I've downloaded a few free games, played them for 20 minutes, and thought, "Naw, I'm not wasting my time with that!" But to actually pay for something I never played? That just seems bizarre.
Or maybe I'm just so prideful that it takes me 5 hours to finally admit that I made a bad purchasing decision?
I definitely don't suffer from a surplus of money, trust me. ::) For me, it's a combination of poor impulse control, frequent sales, good intentions, and not enough hours in the day...
Quote from: Martok on April 24, 2014, 01:54:49 PM
Quote from: FarAway Sooner on April 23, 2014, 10:05:24 PM
Man, you guys either have a lot more money or a lot less impulse control than I do!
Seriously, I don't think I've ever in my life bought a game that I've never played. The only game I've ever bought and played less than 5 hours was Trevor Chan's Seven Kingdoms which just did nothing for me.
I've downloaded a few free games, played them for 20 minutes, and thought, "Naw, I'm not wasting my time with that!" But to actually pay for something I never played? That just seems bizarre.
Or maybe I'm just so prideful that it takes me 5 hours to finally admit that I made a bad purchasing decision?
I definitely don't suffer from a surplus of money, trust me. ::) For me, it's a combination of poor impulse control, frequent sales, good intentions, and not enough hours in the day...
I am with Martok on this one. I just need a clone and then I will be fine. :)
Quote from: Shelldrake on April 25, 2014, 08:36:09 AM
Quote from: Martok on April 24, 2014, 01:54:49 PM
Quote from: FarAway Sooner on April 23, 2014, 10:05:24 PM
Man, you guys either have a lot more money or a lot less impulse control than I do!
Seriously, I don't think I've ever in my life bought a game that I've never played. The only game I've ever bought and played less than 5 hours was Trevor Chan's Seven Kingdoms which just did nothing for me.
I've downloaded a few free games, played them for 20 minutes, and thought, "Naw, I'm not wasting my time with that!" But to actually pay for something I never played? That just seems bizarre.
Or maybe I'm just so prideful that it takes me 5 hours to finally admit that I made a bad purchasing decision?
I definitely don't suffer from a surplus of money, trust me. ::) For me, it's a combination of poor impulse control, frequent sales, good intentions, and not enough hours in the day...
I am with Martok on this one. I just need a clone and then I will be fine. :)
me too....and with brain connection so i can enjoy all the gaming he's doing.... 8)