10 Things Non-Gamers Don't Understand About Gaming
1. The Stress Of The Backlog
Only long-time gamers can truly appreciate the notion of a video game "backlog" and the stress that comes with it.
To outsiders, gaming is indeed supposed to be a sanctuary of relaxation, but there's no denying the pressure players feel when their backlog of incomplete games starts mounting up.
If you mention this "problem" to non-gamers, they'll typically ask why your supposedly fun hobby is starting to sound like a job, a checklist of tasks which need to be dispassionately completed.
The stress basically boils down to two fears: wasting money on a game you never start or finish playing, and F.O.M.O from never getting around to playing a supposed masterpiece that's been sitting in your Steam library for three years.
The more enlightened among us are able to reconcile the backlog by appreciating that not all games need to be finished in order to have their value realised, and that there's no accounting for what game you'll be in the mood to play on any given day.
But for those who don't play games, it must seem like a completely ridiculous issue to have - an embarrassment of riches, even.