…Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX, XII, Halo CE, Starcraft, Half-Life 1 and 2, HL2 Ep. 1 & 2, Supreme Commander, Crysis…

… keep this list in mind as you read.

I’ve come to notice a very prominent trend in my gaming repertoire: I like good video games. In the last decade I have purchased over 100 games for various platforms (ranging from my trusty PSX to my beloved PC), and yet, I can count the number of games that I’ve ‘passed’ on one hand!

It comes down to this: I like the idea of a good game. It’s really quite simple: I’m not necessarily buying these titles for their stories (although stories are certainly a strong selling point) I seem to be more interested in a game’s execution. I enjoy looking at how a game works–not in how it ends. Sadly, before I’ve even begun to dig into the subtleties and nuances of a beloved new game, the lure and charms of a newly released “distraction” overcome me.

The list I started at the beginning of this article contains a small subset of the many titles I have purchased and have yet to complete.

So I ask: What does it take to be the kind of gamer that completes what he (or she) begins? Is it a higher level of commitment that I lack? Is it an absence of passion for the pastime?

On that note I declare that soon I will select a title that I intend to beat before the year is out. From that, perhaps, I can take what I’ve learned and apply it to my daily life.