The abundance of video games has taken a paradoxical turn. What was once a sign of playful wealth is now perceived as a source of pressure. The ease of accumulating titles through offers, bundles, and subscriptions has created mammoth digital libraries that exceed our consumption capacity. This mismatch is not just statistical, but affects the experience, transforming leisure into a to-do list that hinders enjoyment.
The architecture of abundance and the design of acquisition 🏗️
This phenomenon is a direct side effect of business models and digital distribution architectures. Online stores, with their recommendation algorithms and discount notifications, are designed to maximize acquisition, not consumption. The integration of one-click payment APIs and the accumulation of licenses in virtual libraries eliminate physical barriers and the perception of spending. Subscription services, with their rotating access, add a layer of urgency to take advantage of titles before they disappear.
My backlog: the game I never installed and always lose 🎮
My true pastime is not playing, it's collecting icons in a digital library. I have reached a level of mastery in the art of buying games on sale that I will never start. My main character is a hard drive manager, and the final mission is to decide which game from my list of 500 titles deserves the precious 20 gigabytes of space. Victory is achieved by closing the store without buying anything, but it's a boss that's too powerful.