Questionable Priorities
Common Causes: Heavily hyped new releases, rare games/memorabilia, special events
Overview: There are some things most people won't do except in the most extreme circumstances. Most people won't ordinarily wait in the same spot for hours, days, or even weeks just to make a purchase at a store. Most people ordinarily don't spend inordinate amounts of money on memorabilia for their favorite movie or TV show (with the exception of Star Wars and Star Trek fans, anyway). Most people realize the timeless importance of events such as marriage, birth, funerals, and graduations, and wouldn't let their hobby get in the way of such momentous, life-changing events.
Well...every now and then gamers get a little blindsided. In retrospect, maybe going to E3 wasn't quite as important as being there for the wife going into labor. Maybe that awesome Asteroids arcade cabinet wasn't really worth eating ramen every day for a year. Maybe instead of catching pneumonia standing in line for a PS3, it might have been a good idea to just wait a few months until it came back into stores.
Hey, it's one thing to be willing to devote some extra time and money toward something you love to do, but it's another thing when your quality of life starts to suffer as a result.
Gamer Confessions:
Monroe White III: "There were several times back in the day when I neglected to pay my electric bill in favor of buying new games. It made a lot of sense, having all those new games and not being able to play any of them because my power had been cut off."
Ryan M: "I once spent $2,000 in one week on Akumajo Dracula/Castlevania items for my collection."
Matt Pierson: "Wal-Mart. Four Days. PS3 line. I did it so I could afford a Wii."
Mike Moran: "I remember waiting in line for six to eight hours for my Dreamcast on launch day. I am never doing that again."
Our Advice: When you're about to make a huge commitment of time, money, or personal well-being for the sake of a game you're really excited about, take a moment to ask yourself, "Six months from now, will I look back and think this was worth it?" Think about other things you could spend the money on and weigh the importance of your desired item against other things you could get (food, utilities, small car, et cetera). Or if it's a matter of time spent in line for a hot new release, ask yourself how important it is that you get the item now as opposed to a little bit later -- is it more important than having all that extra time to balance your checkbook, clean out your garage, or simply spend a bit more time playing the games you already have? If you ultimately think your sacrifice will be worth it, then go for it -- it's unlikely anyone is going to convince you otherwise anyway. On the other hand, if you have some doubt, maybe it'd be best to hold off on it this time.
