I affectionately coined the term "video game ADD" a few months back when I realized I just couldn’t finish anything I played. I’m not referring to children that bounce off walls nor am I going to lambaste gaming as a source of society’s ills. I’ll leave those happy topics to the media and our politicians. Rather, I’m talking about true, hardcore gamer ADD. 2007 has brought out the instant gratification whore in me like none other. I have a good full time job though, so I’m not killing myself financially. So why do I feel like I’m suffering from a disease when I know I’m actually not?

Video games for me aren’t really addicting in their actual playable form. This might sound weird to some that have found weeks pass playing Final Fantasy or World of Warcraft. I love playing games, don’t get me wrong. But I’ve never been so hooked on a singular title that my free time gets vacuumed away into oblivion. More so, I’ve often found the initial 10-15 hours of most titles to be enough to keep me satisfied. After that I’ll say sayonara unless it’s truly something special. And for me, that’s a super rare occurrence.

My average playing time has dwindled to less than 10 hours a week since becoming a full fledged married and working adult. But my overall interest in the hobby and the world that surrounds the gaming biz has never been stronger. In fact, I’d say my interest in games has only grown since getting out of the industry. And, I still continue to insist on owning all three consoles because the CGC slogan actually is my mantra:

Allegiance to Good Games.

Who has the time for bad games anyway? The only way I’ve found it possible to guarantee that I only play good games is to own all three consoles. I may live in a small Chicago apartment, but I’ll be damned if I don’t have my priorities straight on the video game front. If it’s hot, I own it – and usually on launch day. Wait a minute…what did I just say?

I can’t even play most of what I own. Beyond the three new consoles, I have a giant backlog of unplayed or unfinished games from the 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit and 128-bit era. How does this even make sense? Shouldn’t I have enough willpower to finish what I start? Well, apparently not, since I’ve self-diagnosed myself with gaming ADD.

As a true addict, I’ll even explain how the “disease” has perks. I’ve personally played 99% of the AAA titles that have been released in the past 10 years. In fact, I’ve finished some of them, including God of War, Resident Evil 4 and both Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3. I’ve got credible opinions on just about every major title. After all, I own them all. They’re just buried underneath a mound of strategy guides and NES carts. That is…I think they probably are.

There are a lot of unfinished games on my shelves. I’m not proud to admit I’ve never completed Psychonauts or Final Fantasy XII. I also just can’t get my shit together and pound out the end of Crackdown, Motorstorm, Paper Mario, Assasin’s Creed, Metroid Prime 3 or the Orange Box. For those that have checked, this is why my gamer score is still below 4k. I can’t finish jack squat and I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve had my 360 since launch day.

So why am I like this? Honestly, I think it’s a combination of loving new games in plastic and the massive hype train that surrounds launches. I like to think I'm immune to advertising, but my purchasing habits say otherwise. It doesn’t matter if I’m just about to finally hit a major plot point in Mass Effect if Uncharted is still sitting in its cellophane wrapper. Damn you shiny plastic. I just have a carnal desire to remove that glossy coating, slide the disc in my system of choice and enjoy the rush of entering an entirely new world. There is just nothing like it.

Well, until the next one that is.