Hey everyone,

I'm not always up for writing a blog entry. In fact, I've never had a blog other than the one in this site, and reading back on those entries, I can't consider them as meaningful contributions in any sense. So I guess this entry will be my first tru entry.

Recently, I've been thinking about the role gaming has had in my life. I remember playing my first games when I was about five years old. I started playing with my cousin on his SNES, and then I got a Sega Genesis for Christmas that year, which was my official introduction to the gaming world. As far as I can remember, I've always been a completionist: I've always been obsessed to complete every game I have to 100%, or at least as close as I can get to that. So I would not quit a game and move on to the next one unless I played every little thing that game had to offer. It's always been that way.

I've played on the consoles which, at the moment, I thought were right for me. After the Sega Genesis, I got a Nintendo 64 when I was seven. I sticked with Nintendo through the N64 and the Gamecube, until I turned 15 years old. Throughout that time, I remember not being able to afford my hobby, so I would rely on my parents to buy me games, and if I got lucky, I would get a new game every 3-4 months, whichs means 3-4 games a year. That means I had the time to play every game I had to the 100% completion rate, and get every cent's worth of that game. I remember one time when I convinced my dad to buy me one extra game, Medal of Honor European Assault, alleging that, since it had actual footage of WWII, the game had some educational value (XD). But I would value every game I had, since they came only one every few months at a time.

Then, I moved to Xbox 360, considering that Wii could not provide the quality or genre of games I was looking for. I have sticked with Microsoft all the way since then. It may not have been the best decision, mostly because there are a lot more and better exclusives for PlayStation, but still, I have remained loyal to the brand. Now I'm 24 years old, and things have changed a lot. Now that I have the chance to work a part-time job, I have my own income, which means I can buy games more often, specially now that a lot of 360 games are sold at low discount prices. I have managed to buy every game that even mildly interests me, convinced that I would always find the time to play every single one of them. Problem of being a completionist is, I take a LONG time beating a game before I put it down and move on to the next. And certainly, I didn't count on having so much reduced time to play games. Which means, a lot of games are sitting brand new in my shelf, collecting dust until I can find the time to invest in them.

I'm now on the verge of finishing my degree, and starting my masters. I'm also looking for a full-time job, and I also make time to keep up with family, friends and girlfriend. Which means that gaming is having less and less time in my life as I get more and more responsibilities. It's the normal course of life: the roles you gain later in life make you assume certain duties and responsibilities, which require sacrifice, and in my case, part of that sacrifice is to game less, which is sad. Gaming has been an important part of my life since I can remember. Growing up, I had a lot of problems in my house, and in school, and gaming was kind of a therapy to escape those problems. And of course, it was one of the best forms of entertainment I had, besides from sports. I love the way a game can transport me to another world, tell me a story, or just set me a goal to achieve and provide a challenge. Yet, I'm starting to fear that this is a hobby that will gradually exit my life until I can no longer enjoy it. Of course, I might be able to squeeze in a few hours a week, but maybe not enough to get the full experience I've always wanted to get out of every game.

I don't know, maybe I'm just whining about an issue that's not really an issue at all. Maybe it's all just a part of life, and I'm just dweliing on the nostalgia.

What about you guys? Is this an issue you're having or you've had at the moment? Let me know, I'm interested in knowing other people's opinions and perspectives.

Cheers!

2 weeks until my trip to NYC. New Xbox is a MUST since I've been saving for 3 months now to buy it. I think I have enough, but I also want to buy Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption. I just hope I save enough.

So this is my blog...I think.
 
I don't have much to share. I mean I'm always up for opinions on gaming and everything but I think it's better to post it in a forum or something, i rather share opinions with other people that write only for myself. I'm Xbox all the way...I love it. The moments I have lived with every game I own are priceless.
 
I am currently on pause right now, my Xbox died and I'm saving for the new slim version and also for other games. 
 
But anyway if find any gaming trouble on the site in a forum or something, I'll be glad to give my opinion.
 
Cheers