2013 - 12 month pile thread. Hello New Year, good bye pile!

S0LIDARITY wrote:

Dark Souls has also displaced my whole pile. I don't even care, it's too much fun.

I'm not that easily distracted, but yeah it's the most compelling thing in my catalog right now.

Oh, and as for those 22 hours, I even managed to not play the game one night while I was playing Borderlands 2. I can explain this via a 7 hr play session until 3am one night and the fact that the first time I sat down to the game I was really hungry and 3 1/2 hrs later I realized the time and quit out to make dinner. My mind took another 10 mins to realize my body was hungry again.

S0LIDARITY wrote:

Dark Souls has also displaced my whole pile. I don't even care, it's too much fun.

That's fantastic - you should be playing games you enjoy. Just remember your pile when you start looking for something else to play, instead of purchasing another title.

That's really all this is for - to make sure you enjoy what you're playing and getting rid of stuff that you aren't.

OK, steam sale is over. Here is my official start of the year list.

Towards the horizon
Games with standard campaign modes. Will be marked finished when the campaign is done.

  • Alpha Protocol (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Bastion (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Borderlands 2 (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Bully: Scholarship Edition (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Dragon Age: Origins (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Dragon Age: Origins - Darkspawn Chronicles (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Dragon Age: Origins - Golems of Amgarrak (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Dragon Age: Origins - Leliana's Song (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Dragon Age: Origins - Witch Hunt (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Dust: An Elysian Tail (XBLA) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Final Fantasy XIII (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Joe Danger 2: The Movie (XBLA) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Legend of Grimrock (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Mark of the Ninja (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Orcs Must Die 2 (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Pokemon White 2 (DS) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Rayman Origins (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Scribblenauts (DS) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Thirty Flights of Loving (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/beaten.gif)
  • Tron: Evolution (360) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Walking Dead: Ep. 2 "Starved For Help" (XBLA) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Walking Dead: Ep. 3 "Long Road Ahead" (XBLA) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Walking Dead: Ep. 4 "Around Every Corner" (XBLA) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Walking Dead: Ep. 5: "No Time Left" (XBLA) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Retribution (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Witcher: Enhanced Edition (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)

Classic-shmassic
Older games that I picked up because they are "Classics". They have at most 5 hours to prove they deserve the title. If they haven't hooked me by then, they get IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif) Dropped.

  • Deus Ex GOTY (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Longest Journey (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)
  • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Syberia (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Thief II: The Metal Age (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)
  • Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif)

Eff the credits
Games without campaign modes, or where beating the campaign isn't the point. These will be marked finished when I put in a bunch of play time (probably at least 10 hours), after which they may be added to favorites, but are no longer "Pile Games".

  • Dungeons of Dredmor (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)

I've already beaten two of the games I got during the sales, though one of them was Thirty Flights of Loving which is only 15 (weird) minutes long.

The other is Mark of the Ninja. I beat the main campaign, but I like it so much that I am collecting all the scroll and seals I missed the first time, then I plan to start a New Game+. "Allowing" myself to replay games, or continue to play past the credits it actually one of my goals for the year, so I'm off to good start I guess.

My other big goal is to experience the "important" games when they come out. There were several games this year that were in-the-moment games. Sometime they just spawned a lot of discussion that I missed out on, like The Walking Dead (on the list). Other times they had something major about them spoiled, like the story of Spec Ops: The Line, or what Fez is actually about, or had a multiplayer component that may not exist later, like Journey. Not that they won't still be good games -- in fact I plan to play all of my examples -- but the experiences are somehow diminished by not having played them when they came out.

Final list of commitment for 2013.
All marked up below, with the option of 4 interchanges for the year between my active list (below) and the vault (Backloggery).
Games committed to for the monthly thread appear in bold.

Active List:

PS2
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Okami
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Shadow of the Colossus

Xbox 360
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Batman Arkham City
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Blaze Blu: Continuum Shift Extend
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Darksiders 2
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Dark Souls
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Deadly Premonition
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Deus Ex: Human Revolution
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Dirt 3
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Dishonored
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Final Fantasy XIII-2
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Forza Motorsport 4
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) LA Noire
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Lollipop Chainsaw
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Portal 2
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Power Up Heroes
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Rage
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Rayman Origins
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Resonance of Fate
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Rise of Knightmares
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Sonic Generations
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Saint's Row: The Third
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) The Witcher 2

Xbox 360 arcade
Current list of 200+ titles. I won't list them all, but I will list the ones I complete as the month(s) progress and the currently committed to. These are my 'light relief' from the larger titles as time and schedules dictate.
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif)Sine Mora

Series that I want to 'complete' and the pieces I have.
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif), IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif), IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif), IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif). Halo: 3, Reach, ODST, Combat Evolved.
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif), IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif), IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif). Mass Effect: Original level 60 run, 2, 3.
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) and IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif). Gears of War: 2 and 3.
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) and IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif). Dead Space: 1 and 2.
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif), IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif), IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif). Bioshock: 2, Minerva's Den, Infinity
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif), IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif), IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif). Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Underworld, reboot.

Steam Sale fallout IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)
This section is where I list all Steam Sale gifts. I have committed to 'playing' every gift I received in the last sale (and any more going forward) in this space here. I must have moved all from unplayed to at least 'started' in this current 12 month period. I think I'm having that same realization Clocky had last year when you realise how much impact other people can have on your pile progress!?!?
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) BulletStorm - Bonus_Eruptus,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Shad'O - SaintFaucet,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet - NSMike,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) The Walking Dead - TuffaloBuffalo,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Thirty Flights of Loving - psoplayer,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Batman Arkham City: GOTY - Bonus_Eruptus,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Home - Cobble and JillSammich,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) McPixel - Cobble,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Containment - Cobble,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Aztaka - Growat,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) Hotline Miami - Jarpy,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Castle Crashers - Ahrezmendi,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Spirits - captdomano,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Jet Set Radio - Badkenbad,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Half Minute Hero - GT Chris,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Magical Drop V - FeralMonkey,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Bad Rats - Duckilama,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Unmechanical - Mortalgroove,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Rocketbirds: Hard Boiled Chicken - Duckilama,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) MTG: Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 - Cragmyre,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Q.U.B.E. - Eldon of Azure and Eleima,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unfinished.gif) FTL - Aristophan,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) Flight Control HD - Garden Ninja,
IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/unplayed.gif) The Oddboxx - The Counselor

m0nk3yboy wrote:

Steam Sale fallout IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif)
This section is where I list all Steam Sale gifts. I have committed to 'playing' every gift I received in the last sale (and any more going forward) in this space here. I must have moved all from unplayed to at least 'started' in this current 12 month period. I think I'm having that same realization Clocky had last year when you realise how much impact other people can have on your pile progress!?!?

Same here. I wouldn't be in half the predicament I am today if not for the generosity of gifting goodjers. I wouldn't have it any other way, though, the sense of togetherness and camaraderie in this community is just damn awesome.

Cragmyre wrote:

I may start adding stuff to backloggery. I guess that would be the first step, admitting I have a problem :shock:

And that will go a loooong way, trust me. Adding games I own to my backloggery was definitely an eye opener, it's what compelled me to make so few purchases for myself this year. Remember though, there are a few steps before "acceptance".

My Steam sale damage wasn't too bad, although I think I inflicted pile pain on people who aren't yet in this thread . However, I was nice and included a membership brochure in the gift packages for them

Added McPixel, which I cleared shortly after getting it, and the rest of the Magicka DLC which I'll hopefully clear later this year.

ccesarano wrote:

But, I have made the decision that March is going to be Indie Month in honor of PAX East, and to get me a bit more fired up for the Indie scene there. So I'll be playing through Penny Arcade Ep. 3 and any other Zeboyd games I can manage I got on Steam, Outland, Double Dragon Neon (if it counts as Indie), MAYBE Shank 2, Dishwasher Dead Samurai 2, Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment, and maybe picking up some games I missed like Journey and Iron Brigade. Depends on how things go.

That's a lot of indie O_O

I say Double Dragon Neon counts at this point since side-scrolling beat-em up hasn't really been a AAA thing since... I dunno, that terrible Final Fight game on the PS2? Wayforward is pretty indie for their own IP like Shantae and the Mighty series. Honestly though, indie is such an overused and ambiguous label these days, if you think it's indie then it's indie.

Also, you should be able to get Breath of Death VII + Cthulhu Saves the World on Steam. I think those are the only other games Zeboyd has put out. Can't go wrong for $3.

Oh, and props for going back to Earthbound. That's one of my favorites and one I played constantly in high school.

shoptroll wrote:

Honestly though, indie is such an overused and ambiguous label these days, if you think it's indie then it's indie.

I'd like to stick as closely to the actual term, where it is developers that aren't getting money from big name publishers, putting content out. WayForward is a tough developer to pin down in those terms as a result.

Also, you should be able to get Breath of Death VII + Cthulhu Saves the World on Steam. I think those are the only other games Zeboyd has put out. Can't go wrong for $3.

I got BoD7 and CStW with my Penny Arcade ep3 purchase, so that's no worry.

Oh, and props for going back to Earthbound. That's one of my favorites and one I played constantly in high school.

During my break from College I went through it again, and actually had the patience to get the Sword of Kings.

ccesarano wrote:

During my break from College I went through it again, and actually had the patience to get the Sword of Kings.

I think I still have a save from college where I was trying to get all the 1/128 items. I hope the cartridge battery hasn't died yet like Yoshi's Island did

I've been too busy to play anything lately, let alone get my list together in a manner I'm happy with.

Hopefully soon, but no promises. Glad I binged on Far Cry 3 during the holiday, haven't touched anything else since!

Thanks to some post-sale ninja gifting, I have a few additions.

m0nk3yb0y gifted me A Virus Named TOM (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif), including the soundtrack which, if the trailer is anything to go by, is pretty sweet.

MaverickZY gifted me Bad Rats IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/new.gif). Apparently, that is this sales sparkle ponies, so while it will go on the list, I doubt it will be long before I drop it.

And Arimajeen gifted me Dota 2 beta access, which I apparently already had, but I'm going to add it to the "Sink some hours in" part of the pile.

I still owe the 2012 thread a wrap-up, but just like 2011, I fell off the wagon in 2012 in the fall, having less time to play (part-time grad school) yet acquiring many new games. I have a paper list that now sits on my desk of what I want to finish, I will translate that into my final list for 2013 soon.

I need to do some long term damage control so I'll jump on board. I've revived my backloggery. The holiday Steam sale pasted me with an additional 17 games, but I've already knocked off 3 so that makes it ok, right?

New: Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers (Steam)
New: Unmechanical (Steam)
New: Hack, Slash, Loot (Steam)
New: Cargo Commander (Steam)
New: Hotline Miami (Steam)
New: Tropico 4 (Steam)
New: Deponia (Steam) Currently Playing
New: The Witcher: Enhanced Edition (Steam)
New: Empire: Total War (Steam)
New: Dark Souls (Steam)
New: Botanicula (Steam)
New: Airline Tycoon 2: Gold (Steam)
New (Complete): Thirty Flights of Loving (Steam)
New: Gemini Rue (Steam)
New: Machinarium (Steam)
New (Beat): Resonance (Steam)
New (Beat): Primordia (Steam)

I'll start with some more of these since they are fresh and I'm eager, but finishing The Walking Dead is also high on my priority list. I suppose I should plan on knocking off FTL soon since I kicked this off with a mention of damage control.

Edit: Oh my initial goal is to get my Steam unfinished games below 90% (of the current input) and to actually add the rest of Steam and 360/XBLA collection to backloggery. Then I'll devise a real overall goal

oops, wrong thread

Been thinking about what to play next, since work and life have been non-stop.

Realized I still have Dishonored sitting there (and it has been since early November).

I really need to get my list done.

trueheart78 wrote:

Been thinking about what to play next, since work and life have been non-stop.

Realized I still have Dishonored sitting there (and it has been since early November).

I really need to get my list done.

Hit some of the small stuff in the meantime. The quick steam titles, or an XBLA title that slipped through the cracks.

I've plunged back into Dragon Quest IX and made it my pile game for the month. I'd love to clear out either of my big handheld RPGs before Etrian Odyssey IV and Fire Emblem release.

On the Wii front, however, I doubt that much of anything will get played as long as my wife and I are plugging two to three hours a night into Fortune Street. Goddamn, that game is addictive.

I'm dropping The Longest Journey (Steam) IMAGE(http://backloggery.com/images/null.gif). I put a another 30 minutes into it, and while the story is awesome, the gameplay is tolerable at its best and it looks like garbage. If the pacing were better, or it were shorter I might trudge through, but I've put 5 or 6 hours into it already, it took 4 to even start to get to the good story bits and I apparently have another 15 hours left. No thanks.

m0nk3yboy wrote:
trueheart78 wrote:

Been thinking about what to play next, since work and life have been non-stop.

Realized I still have Dishonored sitting there (and it has been since early November).

I really need to get my list done.

Hit some of the small stuff in the meantime. The quick steam titles, or an XBLA title that slipped through the cracks.

Steam... ha! I don't play PC games. Talk about a wallet saver!

Also, small titles? I bought Dishonored - I am going to play Dishonored. Or Mark of the Ninja... or Journey...

Well, if I ever get a break from the grind...

trueheart78 wrote:

Steam... ha! I don't play PC games. Talk about a wallet saver!

This is so true. Per game, the cost is lower, but those Steam sales seem to just hoover up people's money like nothing else.

Finally took a look at my list of pile games and said to myself, I think I'll only declare the one's I really want to get to this year, and not those I've listed but am feeling a bit cold on. So right now, I'm targeting giving the following games a go, and finishing them:

Borderlands 2
Dark Souls
Mega Man 9
Torchlight II
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
The Walking Dead
Civilization V
Infamous 2
Quantum Conundum
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Kirby's Epic Yarn
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Blaster Master
Magicka
Super Mario Sunshine
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Metroid: Other M
Jet Set Radio
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor

That's 19 Games. Considering I got out of last year with 32 finished, I think that's completely doable. The reality of it is that at some point, I'll change how I feel and probably pick up one of the games not on that list - or PS+ / another goodjer during the Steam Summer Sale will give me another freebie. The only games I know I am looking forward to this year are Bioshock Infinite and Pikmin 3 which is on the WiiU, and I can't currently afford that.

mrtomaytohead wrote:

That's 19 Games. Considering I got out of last year with 32 finished, I think that's completely doable.

Under promise and over deliver, I think this is the key to feeling good about pile progression. Defining active titles, and vault titles, sees me in a similar position. I know I can clear my active list this year, and I have time up my sleeve for Bioshock Infinite and the Tomb Raider Reboot and a few XBLA titles and Steam gifts to 'spice it up'.

Having choice helps too. If I lock in 'only these' then I find I want to play the 'stuff I can't' even more. How lucky am I that I have all this great gaming to choose from? Life is good (at least this part of it anyway ).

In related news, come next monthly update Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown will have a big fat B next to it, rather than the current U.

With the new year beginning I've started to get myself back on regular exercise again, and am also making progress on some other personal projects. What that results in is a day like today, where it's almost 11pm and NOW I "have time for games".

This is what slowed my pile progression last summer. Not that I regret my decision. I just know that there's a possibility that I may not get out of January with much progress (looking at maybe having beaten The Last Story).

ccesarano wrote:

With the new year beginning I've started to get myself back on regular exercise again, and am also making progress on some other personal projects. What that results in is a day like today, where it's almost 11pm and NOW I "have time for games".

This is what slowed my pile progression last summer. Not that I regret my decision. I just know that there's a possibility that I may not get out of January with much progress (looking at maybe having beaten The Last Story).

I hear that. Recent changes to circumstance means I'm now looking at gaming only 2 nights a week instead of 6-7, and then on those nights it's a juggle between gaming and freelance work.

ccesarano wrote:

With the new year beginning I've started to get myself back on regular exercise again, and am also making progress on some other personal projects. What that results in is a day like today, where it's almost 11pm and NOW I "have time for games".

Yeah, I hear that. I've been trying to get more exercise and working on some personal enrichment projects as well, not to mention work can be a total bear.

In my case, I don't really bother with such things as "deadlines" or "I'm going to get these games done by the end of the month" but just a progression. My current games are Epic Mickey 2 and Final Fantasy XIII, if I beat one I move on to the next.

So being tight on cash means good things for the pile at least. I'm going to try and limit myself to one game a month, maybe two at most, as I'll be moving out soon and annihilated my savings during Christmas and MAGFest. So I won't be adding nearly so many games to my pile for a while.

This will be brutal at times, though. If the Dead Space 3 demo is good I don't know what I'm going to do. There's no way I'm missing out on Aliens: Colonial Marines.

ccesarano wrote:

So being tight on cash means good things for the pile at least. I'm going to try and limit myself to one game a month, maybe two at most, as I'll be moving out soon and annihilated my savings during Christmas and MAGFest. So I won't be adding nearly so many games to my pile for a while.

This will be brutal at times, though. If the Dead Space 3 demo is good I don't know what I'm going to do. There's no way I'm missing out on Aliens: Colonial Marines.

Might I suggest not playing the demo?

Blasphemy.

Good greif. We're only 13 days into 2013 and this threadis already on its 7th 8th page?

Mantid wrote:

Good greif. We're only 13 days into 2013 and this threadis already on its 7th 8th page?

We got's some BIG piles this year!

m0nk3yboy wrote:
Mantid wrote:

Good greif. We're only 13 days into 2013 and this threadis already on its 7th 8th page?

We got's some BIG piles this year! :)

Not to mention that this thread got a head start in 2012 and got bloated post-Steam Sale!