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It's that time again. 2011 is finally behind us and it is time to take a look at ourselves and decide what is going to change in the new year. New Years Resolutions are the perfect way to make a positive change in your life or simply prioritize the things that you know need to get done. Of course, there is plenty of room for progress in the pursuit of our favorite hobby as well. 2011 was a huge year for games and 2012 doesn't appear to be any different. With so many triple A titles hitting shelves in the next 12 months, being on top of your game couldn't be more important. Here is my 2012 Gaming Resolution. Tell us what yours is in the comments!

12 gaming related things that I intend to accomplish in 2012:


1.) Play a game (to completion) that I normally wouldn't play
My passion for gaming is driven by the multitude of experiences that the medium provides. In 2012, I will seek out games that I normally wouldn't pay much attention to and strive to complete them. Perhaps my upcoming PSVita purchase will kick-start my efforts with games like Little King Story, Sound Shapes, and Lumines.


2.) Play more handhelds
With the 3DS and the Playstation Vita working to close the gap between handheld and console gaming, 2012 is the perfect time to buckle down on handhelds. Games like Resident Evil Revelations(3DS) and Uncharted Golden Abyss(Vita) make this an easy resolution to fulfill.


3.) Pay more attention to the download space
While I made some progress on this in 2011, I still feel that I could focus more on downloadable titles in 2012. The Playstation Vita should make this easier to accomplish and also feed back into my effort to play more handhelds at the same time. Maybe i'll even open a Steam account...


4.) Broadcast more often
My college days are officially behind me and my schedule finally allows me the time I desire to play games and work on 4Player. Of course, this also means I have the ability to broadcast more. Starting this week, I intend to broadcast on 4playerpodcast.com/live once a week. Of course, there may be weeks that I miss but with this goal in mind, it should at least ensure that I make more regular appearances on the feed. What should I play this week? Saint's Row the Third perhaps?


5.) Delve beyond the core gaming experience
With franchises like Mass Effect and Halo expanding beyond games into the realm of books, comics, and social gaming, now is the perfect time to embrace this trend and delve deeper into the worlds that fuel my passion for gaming. I have been intending to read the Dragon Age and Mass Effect books for a while now and I was always curious about the social game that tied into the release of Dragon Age 2.


6.) Play more Co-Op
2011 was a great year for Co-Op gaming yet I somehow managed to avoid almost all of it. Games like Portal 2, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, and Gears of War 3 all had fantastic cooperative experiences that I shrugged off for no apparent reason. In 2012, I intend to embrace co-op regularly by playing with friends or looking to the 4Player community more often.


7.) Take More risks
If working on this site for 4-5 years has taught me anything, it is that amazing things can come in unexpected packages. Some truly memorable gaming experiences came as a result of taking a risk at the check out counter. When it came down to a choice between Crackdown 2 (an established franchise) and Singularity (a new IP), I took a huge risk by dropping $60 on Singularity only to rank it among my favorite games of 2010. In 2012, I'm expanding my reach and striving to experience as many things as possible and giving the underdogs a chance to impress me is important.


8.) Replay 3 games from my past
The growing popularity of HD collections has ensured that all players can experience some of last generations most remarkable titles. In 2012, I intend to take this opportunity to experience games from my past all over again. With Silent Hill, Devil May Cry, and Final Fantasy X all getting the HD treatment in 2012, it seems I will have a tough choice ahead of me.


8.) Get serious about Multiplayer
If one were to ask me my outlook on multiplayer gaming, I would say that I am a dabbler at best. I occasionally latch onto a fun multiplayer experience only to move on to something else mere days after starting. I haven't spent the time to master the intricacies of a multiplayer game since my days of destroying my friends at Goldeneye on the N64. This year, I will pick a fresh new multiplayer experience and take the time to get really good at it.


9.) Attain 100% of the achievements in a game
While hunting for Cheevos has never been my thing, I do appreciate the dedication that many players demonstrate by striving to earn them all. Ever since my girlfriend attained 100% of the achievements in Assassin's Creed 2, I have yearned to attain the same bragging right.


10.) Play a PC game from beginning to end
PC gaming has never interested me but the steady stream of quality downloadable titles is becoming too much to ignore. After I set up my steam account and possible build myself a decent gaming PC, I intend to sit down and finish my first PC game... ever. O yeah, I should probably finish up Amnesia which I started last year.


11.) Give a game a second chance
I will find a game that I played and gave up shortly after starting and then proceed to give it a second chance. Some games (especially older titles) take a while to really get going and sometimes it simply takes awhile to adjust to the controls or slower pace. I'm not sure what game I will pick but I have a few in mind. Eternal Darkness comes to mind.


12.) Finish 12 games from my back log
I'm a big fan of lists as you can probably tell so I took the liberty of finding 12 games that I intend to go back to and finish in 2012. All of these games are games that I have owned for a long time and not yet played or completed.

    • Metro 2033
    • Metroid Prime
    • Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
    • Alpha Protocol
    • Dark Cloud 2
    • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
    • Max Payne
    • Rogue Galaxy
    • Vanquish
    • Sly Cooper
    • Demon's Souls
    • No More Heroes 2

So there you have it. While I'm sure some of these resolutions may not come to pass this year, I feel confident that I can accomplish many of them. I hope I can remember to revisit this post in a year to see how much progress I made.

2012 is shaping up to be a great year for gaming and I hope that everyone spends the year with us here at 4Player! What are some of your 2012 gaming resolutions?

Comments

  • Avatar
    Zeranium
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Well, not much.
    1.) Broaden my horizons.
    -Yep
    2.) Play more handhelds
    -Kinda neglected doing this for most of 2011.
    3.) Get my backlog count back to the double digits
    -Currently in the triple digits (...oy.)

  • Avatar
    BurningHunter
    12 years, 10 months ago

    After completing my 2011 gaming resolution of beating Dragon Age: Origins hours before 2012 hit, I decided that my main 2012 gaming resolution will be to start and or finish Dragon Age II. Before I can do that though, I need to finish Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, the Golems of Amgarrak DLC, and the Witch Hunt DLC. So I think I'm set for another year.

    I also plan on thinning out my backlog. There are tons of RPGs in this stack of unfinished games, so I definitely have my work cut out for me.

  • Avatar
    Xzr
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Typo:
    8.) Replay 3 games from my past
    8.) Get serious about Multiplayer

    ____________________________

    Finish this years backlog and revisiting missed games pre-360/ps3

  • Avatar
    AdjacentKitten
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Oh man, I gotta work on finding a new multiplayer game I can invest countless hours into. Battlefield 3 ain't cutting it, so that's definitely a top priority for 2012, but that's not all; I can resonate with most of the list posted above.. however unfortunate it may be to admit that fact.

  • Avatar
    Lotion Explosion
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Finish games I haven't completed.
    1. Dragon age origins awakening
    2. Tactics Ogre (like brad, I cant finish it because extra side stuff)
    3. Advance wars: days of ruin (holding it off for some reason... i wonder if multiplayer community is still alive)
    4. Disgaea 3 (kinda boring but ill deal with it).
    5. Valkyeria cron. 2 (i got all classmate story completed.... still tho)
    6. Dragon quest V (i love it but having hard time finding the damn game in my room)

  • Avatar
    Godofnerdiness
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Gonna try to not buy a lot of games this year and stick to clearing up my backlog. Looking forward to it!

  • Avatar
    chad
    12 years, 10 months ago

    omg what font is that by the numbers? it is awesome.

  • Avatar
    sinister
    12 years, 10 months ago

    The first thing to think of is a proper, realistic resolution for myself.
    as my interest is ever at it's peak and my love for gaming continues, i'm going to actively analyze every game i play, review them and keep showcasing my fave games and why they're so good.

  • Avatar
    xPocketRavex
    12 years, 10 months ago

    1.buy at least 3 new games at release
    2.buy some of the games I pirated (but only if there under £5)

  • Avatar
    DanteWahou
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Beat Dark Souls without dying! :O

  • Avatar
    Big Winters
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Get half-way decent at Street Fighter 4 and/or Third Strike. Also, I would like to meet some people IN REAL LIFE who play games again. Most of the guys I hang around only play FIFA if at all, so it would be nice to get some co-op gaming in with someone, preferable in the same room

  • Avatar
    roughplague
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Hmmm.. i'm not sure if I have any real new year gaming related resolution..I'm good kthnx, gonna keep with my usual plan pf trying to play every game I am interested in.
    Also should you not add sly 2 and dark souls on there, Nick?

  • Avatar
    Velius
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Mine is to spend less time with mmos and more with new games as well as beloved classics.

  • Avatar
    CocoPanda
    12 years, 10 months ago

    1.) Buy more games.
    2.) Get decent at a fighting game (MvC3) so I can defeat my arch nemesis, my 11 year old sister. ;_;
    3.) Watch the broadcast less and play games more.
    4.) Finish all the games I left in the middle of. (Hitman, Lifeline, Rogue Galaxy, Ico, Sly Cooper, Onimusha 1&2, and more)

  • Avatar
    fallouttalove3
    12 years, 10 months ago

    my resolution for gaming is simple: finish twilight princess.

  • Avatar
    RedAmarillo131
    12 years, 10 months ago

    1.) Continue to get my hands on current generation games since I went through years of not having a 360 or PS3.
    2.) mabye get a PS3 this year.
    3.)Finish Tactics Ogre, Dark Souls, and FFT: War of the Lions

  • Avatar
    DrLethargic
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Nick mentioning Persona 4 is giving me the urge to watch GiantBomb's Endurance run of it.

  • Avatar
    Relay
    12 years, 10 months ago

    I want to get into Masters League.

  • Avatar
    lemith
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Me? Finish my backlog. Thanks for the post!

  • Avatar
    Nakamura
    12 years, 10 months ago

    1) Obtain a PS2, as I have meant to do for awhile now, and play through some of the games I missed as a result of not having one.
    2) Play through the abundance of RPGs coming out this year (Tales of the Abyss 3D, FFXIII-2, Tales of Graces F, Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk.2, Atelier Meruru, etc.)

    Otherwise, I'm just taking it as it comes.

  • Avatar
    vtec2slo
    12 years, 10 months ago

    To be honest I don't have one. 2012 brings my my 2nd combat tour and if I'm lucky I have a chance to play one game which is Grand Theft Auto V. I'm sure that I'll have a list when I get back in late September when more games come out.

    Alex

  • Avatar
    Redfrenzy
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Its great to see that you will be broadcasting more.

    I guess mine would have to be:
    1) Play more current year games (as I often play more of what came out the previous year)
    2) Attempt playing Dark Souls
    3) Pick up the Persona Series
    4) Get back into the forums as I haven't been able to dedicate doing that for almost a year now.

  • Avatar
    ElectricKoolAid
    12 years, 10 months ago

    I only have 1 for this year. And that is:

    To actually get off my lazy ass and start learning how to develop games.
    I plan on creating a source mod (Since valve is so kind to give the tools to everyone) and I even want to make some big Skyrim mods when the Construction Kit is released by Bethesda.
    I'm always thinking of cool game ideas. It's about time I make some of them happen.

  • Avatar
    GamerFreak
    12 years, 10 months ago

    I don't have much but here.
    1)Play a lot more handheld games.
    2)Get into a lot of older games from previous generations of consoles that I never got around to playing.
    3)Try to play games that are out of my comfort zone.
    4)Play more games in general.(Since school has been sucking away my time to play games)
    Nothing special but those are somethings I hope to accomplish this year.

  • Avatar
    The Cineaste
    12 years, 10 months ago

    1) Pray more vidya garm.

    That is all.

  • Avatar
    Rawkmaster
    12 years, 10 months ago

    I'm going to get into fighting games again

  • Avatar
    Ghandi14
    12 years, 10 months ago

    1.) Play through both Max Payne's.
    2.) Play through both Mass Effect's
    3.) Make more gaming videos with other people.
    4.) Actually beat all the games on my hard drive from Steam.
    5.) And the most important resolution... have fun! :D

  • Avatar
    PrincessVannah
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Own every single resident evil. The only two I need is the original and Nemesis. AHHH! i'm sooo excited! I haven't played these since I was in elementary school!!

  • Avatar
    J52
    12 years, 10 months ago

    I want to take some of the stress out of my gaming habits. Like stop thinking I have to beat anything I'm not digging, or that dumb/old games I want to try would be a waste of my time.

  • Avatar
    zekana
    12 years, 10 months ago

    my resolution is to buy and play tons of ps2 games since i just recently bought a ps2.

  • Avatar
    acicon
    12 years, 10 months ago

    To finally go HD and get better broadcasting equipment

  • Avatar
    Skittles0520
    12 years, 10 months ago

    My gaming resolution is to buy more games...last year I have only bought one. Three games I want to buy/complete are Heavy Rain, Uncharted, and Little Big Planet 2. And i want to start playing Rpgs (finally)

  • Avatar
    Fodie
    12 years, 10 months ago

    I mainly just want to get the the older games that I missed out on all of those years ago or would like to own again, seeing as how I was quite a stupid little kid selling awesome games back in the day. Mainly from the 64/PS1/Dreamcast era.

  • Avatar
    Vanquish123
    12 years, 10 months ago

    Nice list, Nick. I think my main resolution for 2012 is to play more multiplayer WITH friends. I have made it a habit to play with alot of randoms online, and alot of single player games (especially since Skyrim came out). I need to expand my friends list and actually try and PLAY with them.

  • Avatar
    DevPow
    12 years, 10 months ago

    My goal is to find friends, maybe even make new ones, that have steam and play multiplayer as much as I do. Im done with randomly pairing up with people. Oh and I want to finish saints row 3. I WILL FINISH THAT GAME!

  • Avatar
    mesako
    12 years, 10 months ago

    My college days are almost over, haha. For 2012, I'd like to have time to play video games period. It would be nice to buy a new game and finish it within a month instead of getting hugely distracted by real life. Looking forward to another year with 4PP!

  • Avatar
    Valeria
    12 years, 10 months ago

    I recently bought a new laptop, decent for gaming, so I need to change my studying habits. I must finish most of my homework and studying before gaming all night.

    And since I finally have a job, I will be able to purchase a 360, so I will need to find the best deal this semester. I wanted a 360 the first day the console came out, and ever since, my parents have said no. My mother is quite furious that I am buying a console that she never wanted me to have instead of chemistry/microbiology textbooks, but I give no poops. :]

  • Avatar
    Trusis
    12 years, 10 months ago

    2012 resolution is to stop spending money buying games on Steam my laptop can't run.
    Alternatively, I should finish building my desktop so I can play said games.

    Also finish up my backlog.