A short while back I tried sorting my video game collection using GiantBomb's lists (see my blog for the back story, if you're interested); it didn't work out. Using GiantBomb's database to create a list is powerful, but the list themselves are not that flexible or sortable. Accessibility is also an issue. Being able to work on (and with) the list on mobile is important to me. And, a minor issue, is that the box art for a lot of games is not entirely consistent--not a big deal, but it does detract from the list's visual appeal.
I'm now using Microsoft's OneNote to organize my collection--it's really good at making checklists and other things, though not perfect, and the ability to use it on my phone is a big plus. I've messed around with Evernote, but I just ended up preferring OneNote.
Gamespot also has pretty good lists. I like how they're tabled and sortable. Adding things to the list is also fairly easy, though different in style than GiantBomb. I haven't really used Gamespot in a long time, so don't know the exact state of lists now, but it seems more or less the same to me.
I recently read that they're working on lists here on the website, and I'd like to see them go in a direction similar to Gamespot--something that can be tabled and sortable. Something that fascinates me is sorting games by release date--you can kind of see patterns in that, especially if they're tied to review scores. I would also love the ability to make checklists too, maybe? That said, the type of lists on GiantBomb are pretty great. They're defiantly versatile, and as Jeff has demonstrated, can be pretty clever.
Have you tried sorting your video game collection (or as Brad has done, your "pile of shame") using lists? Have you tried using some other software or website? Help me out.
Edit: After writing this post, I started lurking through lists, and I'm fascinated by the "every game I've ever played" lists. I would actually love to make a list like that, but, as I've noticed some people comment on, those type of lists are kind of unwieldy, and making them sortable would be handy--and potentially interesting.
I love me some videogames, boy. I like all kinds too. I think there's merit in just about every game out there. From the lowliest Flash game, to the latest and greatest AAA franchise, I think there's something you can take away from videogames, as a medium, that often goes beyond entertainment. Anyway, that's probably a different topic. My point is: there a lot of videogames to play, whether it's on PCs, web browsers, mobile, consoles... jeez! Just catching up with the games Patrick points to on his "Worth Reading" feature can be overwhelming.
So here's the question: How do we get to all--or most--of them? How do we make time to enjoy all the works this medium has to offer... while still managing our personal lives, of course. Realistically, I know that there just isn't enough time to play every game out there to completion--the math doesn't add up. If you take into account all the games that have already been made, and the games that continue to be made, there just aren't enough hours in the average human life spam to cover them all.
So if you're reading this, please share any strategies you have for making game time, and going through the stacks of games I know some of you have. As for me? I'm thinking about getting organized. I'm going to start making lists. I have games that are still factory sealed from more than a decade ago that I've been meaning to get to. I need to catalogue this stuff and make a kind-of to-do list.
BONUS TASK: If you're a math nerd, why not try to figure out how long it would take to play all the games that currently exist. Just roughly, in hours. My guess? Like, infinite. That's my guess. You would need an infinite amount of time.
Edit note: My tentative plan is to not die. Videogames and pizza forever, man! Whoo!
My first blog post, on my new Giant Bomb account, celebrating my first Steam Sale.
PC games comprise the majority of my early childhood video game memories. I was adventuring as Roger Wilco and Sir Graham before playing a Mario or Link video game. After the DOS era though, I completely switched over to consoles and haven't looked back since. Until now.
Indie games, man. Nothing has interested me in PC gaming like the slew of indie games that have hit the scene in the last few years. So here it is:
I thought it was fitting that the first game I bought on Steam was one of the earliest PC games I ever played. Truly, one of the best games of all time, and a steal at $2.49.
I've been wanting to play this game for a long time, and since I don't have an Xbox, I was waiting 'til I had a good TV-PC setup before I bought it. But at $3.49, why wait? And you know what? It works perfectly well on my laptop.
I love the look and overall vibe of the game. Other than that, and the weird tweets that it spits out, I don't know much else about it. From what I've heard though, I'm sure it's worth the $3.50.
Everything about this game seems like it's right up my alley. Unfortunately, playing it on a keyboard is no fun, and my USB SNES controller doesn't quite work with it. I'll have to wait 'til I get an Xbox controller to play it.
I was gonna buy this on the Wii Shop Channel, but it was something like $10 and I wasn't completely sold on it. For $2.49 though? Done!
The game I'm looking forward to getting the most though, is Hotline Miami. We'll see if it drops close to $5 before the sale is over. Over at GOG.com they're selling the Quest for Glory collection for $5 so I'll probably pick that up too.
What Steam games have you picked up during this year's holiday sale?
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