Video-game monogamy: Why I play only one title at a time

EDITOR'S NOTEfrom Rob Savillo

I'm not sure Nick would approve of my video-game-playing ways. At any given time, I'm playing at least a half dozen titles at once, though I'll admit that my habitual "cheating" usually drives me away from purely story-based games. I do have trouble returning to a world I've left long ago and since forgotten.

I'm a loyal guy. I'm faithful to my girlfriend, friends...and video games.

As odd as it sounds, I treat my passion for a video game like I treat a relationship with a significant other: I commit to one title at a time and invest myself completely in that entanglement.

I dislike playing more than one at a time, especially if it's a story-heavy game. I want a title to envelope me in its world. If I'm playing more than one, then I'm dividing my attention between two separate experiences. And that means that I'm not invested in either.

Sure, I still have a wandering eye. If I see a tempting new game on store shelves, I'll give it a glance. But I usually walk away and say, "Not right now -- I'm seeing someone else."

I just don't click with some games, though, so I have to dump them. Final Fantasy 13 found that out after we spent a meager 12 hours together. "I'm sorry," I said. "But if I'm going to make a commitment, I need more excitement."

Final Fantasy 13: A limp lover.

It's easy to cheat on a game when it doesn't have a deep plot, such as sports titles because they're kind of shallow -- they're fun to be around, but they aren't intellectually stimulating. I don't feel guilty about having another on the side when I'm playing Madden 11. After all, Madden (the game -- not the guy) and I are just a fling.

Of course, committing to one title isn't completely like committing to a girlfriend or boyfriend. Every relationship I have with a game comes to an end at some point. Seriously, if I went through girlfriends as fast as I went through games, I would have about 1,500 women pissed at me. (And I realize that a romance with a person is a bit more serious than bonding with a video game -- I'm no Tucker Max-esque womanizer.)

But Christmas is coming, and I haphazardly asked for story-driven games Fallout: New Vegas and Red Dead Redemption. I'm hoping they don't mind a polygamist relationship; I don't think I have enough willpower to commit to only one.

Does anyone else try to play only one game at a time, or am I a weirdo? Do you feel like you're "cheating" if you start playing another while trying to finish that first one? Let me know. And if you think I'm just a weirdo...well, let me know!

(5)

Bryan Glynn

December 22, 2010

I definitely used to have the "one big story game at a time" policy, but not having a job as of late has changed my habits. I feel, though, like I'm not quite enjoying games as much as I was, and that my patience runs thin way too quickly, knowing that I have this other game I can go play. I actually very recently decided that I'm going to go back to my previous ways, and play one "big" game at a time (it's currently Cave Story).

Like you, however, I do tend to have affairs with other games; short, sweet downloadable games, and the multi-player flavor of the week/month/year are common suitors. As such, I'm also playing Fluidity on WiiWare right now, as well as throwing in some Reach multi-player and Firefight here and there.

Alex R. Cronk-Young

I try to do the same thing, mostly just so I don't get too distracted with another game and give up on the first. It's mostly with story-driven games though.

Patrick A Crone

December 23, 2010

I used to play only one game at a time. This was mostly due to the fact that I had limited income. It also had to do with the market. In the 16-bit era you'd be hard pressed to find more than one A list game a month. By the next month I would have saved another $50 for what ever 'It' title was released next. These days the market is saturated with not only shovelware, but A list titles as well. It's more and more difficult to commit soley to one title when most titles have extra modes and DLC that includes new missions. However, there are games like Uncharted that grab my attention in the way a movie does. It would almost feel like switching theaters halfway through one film to start another.

Nick Nordstrom

"It would almost feel like switching theaters halfway through one film to start another."

That's a good way to look at it. But at least when you're playing two games, you can still see the outcome of both of them; however, you're not completely invested in either one, because you're dividing your attention.

Raymond Juanengo

December 24, 2010

I myself am a polygamist gamer and no wonder I have a ton of backlog still to get thru.