We’ve chatted in the past about our giant effin’ backlogs, but with all of the incredible new releases clogging up our pipelines this month and next, it’ll only set us back further. Heck, it might very well lead to many games never getting played at all.
Well, we have a few tips to help you survive this month (and next), and how to quicker minimize your own backlog as you make new purchases.
Why we have a backlog this time of year
During the recording of our latest SideQuest — going up Monday — Eric brought up the point that we buy the games as they’re released so that we can be a part of the conversation around the cooler, whether virtual or amongst friends. We buy the games, don’t get enough time to play them, and then move on to the next big game that releases the following week. To quote Fat Bastard, “It’s a vicious cycle.”
Tip #1: Prioritize buying single player experiences
In our October WRUB we talked about prioritizing our purchases of new games. We proposed a $100/week rule to allow us to pick up new releases and grab deals on games from the last few months. (Thank you Amazon Gold Box deals!) Here’s the rub: That could still leave you with a hefty backlog as the weeks wear on. A multi-player heavy game will likely still be played over the next few months, so you can potentially hold off on those if you think that you’ll be playing them for a while and have friends that will. You may consider looking at the single-player experiences you want that will have everyone talking on podcasts when they release. Either way, set a budget; it’ll help you choose.
Tip #2: The 2-for-1 (or 3-for-1) method
The majority of us have 10-15 games in our backlog, if not more. So, if we’re buying new games all the time then it means that our backlog never goes down. I’ve started employing a method whereby I finish two games in my backlog before I buy any new one. Conversely, if I’m buying a new game each week then I make it a point to finish it and another off of my backlog before moving on. Have a huge backlog with no end in sight? You can always upgrade to completing 3 games before buying a new one.
Whatever way you do it, just realize that this time of the year is often the worst for backlogs, both in reducing them and in adding to them. What tips do you have for reducing your backlog?
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