When I was growing up, I always wondered if there would be a day when I could buy whatever game I wanted, whenever I wanted. The idea that I could just drop into the game store once a week and pick up whatever new releases were out and spend the rest of the week playing till my heart’s content while sitting in my den, surrounded by countless shelves of games and arcade cabinets was a common daydream I had. Sure, other kids dreamt of being professional athletes or super heroes, but I was a bit more realistic.

While that day of carefree gaming nirvana still hasn’t arrived, the reality of my gaming life isn’t too shabby. Sure, I don’t own any arcade cabinets (still looking for a cheap Food Fight machine), but I can afford to play most of the games I really want, and I’m usually (emphasis on usually) smart enough with my money to wait for a good deal. Like many other gamers my age though, there are a couple things keeping me from making that Utopian dream come true.

First is time. In order to get the games, you have to get the money. So when you take a work week and add in family obligations, the amount of play time becomes seriously dwindled – sometimes to the point of aggravation (ex: gah! I want to play for another hour, but I’ll be wrecked for work if I don’t go to bed). Then of course, are financial obligations which restrict the flow of gamer bucks. I’m doing alright for myself, but there’s no way I can afford to pick up everything that hit’s shelves. I have to pick and choose wisely, wait for sales, trade in games, etcetera. Actually, not sure what the etcetera would be…I think that about covers everything. I mean I could sell my baby gravy or become a gigolo…okay, saving that thought for a separate post.

Finally, and the real reason for writing this, is that I love games. All games. There isn’t a single genre that I don’t enjoy spending time with. Sure, I like some more than others, but gaming is like a big beautiful buffet filled with treats that I just don’t seem to have enough elasticity in my stomach for. Think of it like music. Some people like rock, some people like rap, some people like polka infused reggae.  But I don’t know of many people who listen to everything. Gaming is a bit easier to spread the love for, namely because there isn’t as harsh of distinctions in games as there is in music, so it’s easier to love them all.

But while looking across the internet sea, I notice a lot of fish that stick with their schools. I’m somewhat jealous of these fish, er, people though. They know what they like and have little question about which games are “must buys.” If you usually just play fighting games, you know which handful of games you’ll buy in a year, and you can sprinkle in others that pique your interest. If you are an MMO gamer, you might only need subscriptions to one or two games to be merry. If instead you’re like me, it’s a constant battle of willpower between your gaming lust and your wallet, and there’s always a loser.