The "respect-delay"

[Ajderniz]

I could have posted this one under a more fitting category, but since there is no "general media" section, I'll post under general.

So, here's the thing: Have you ever heard of this amazing piece of media, be it a video game, a movie, a book, anything, which fits most of your marks of quality, and is easily accessible to you, were you to go ahead and consume it right away?; and then, finding yourself with the resources necessary to indulge in a first taste of this forbidden fruit, you just... delay the experience, perhaps out of respect, or deeming the current moment not appropriate enough to start enjoying this artificially unreachable bliss?

To illustrate, I have a case of mine: Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Everyone praises it, I love its aesthetic, I love its concept, I love the music they chose for it; and yet, after having known about this sacred line of entertainment products more than five years now, I keep finding excuses to not watch it. It could be that I find its complexity to be daunting, or that I fear it will not meet my expectations, but the fact remains, that I still have not watched much relating to it.

Has anyone else experienced this self-sabotaging behavior with something they wish to enjoy, and yet haven't?

 

[RageBurner]

Hmm. An interesting topic. I actually watched LotGH and loved every second of it, though it is truly daunting, I agree.

 

[Megazao]

Y'know, this thread caused me one of those moments when someone points out a behaviour you have and only then you notice how toxic it is, because I have this a lot. My biggest example is with a game I love dearly: Baroque. I played the remake for the PS2 some years ago, at a time when the originals for PS1/Saturn weren't translated yet, and I simply loved it. I kept talking about how I wanted an english patch to experience the original, and here we are, with both versions patched and I haven't played either for the exact reasons you mentioned.

 

[bjork]

I don't know about outright waiting to try something, but I've definitely tried something and thought, "I'm clearly going to enjoy this, but I'll come back later after [other thing I'm doing]" before. So I don't know if it counts the same since I technically experienced a small bit of a thing.

 

[Glimbo]

There are some things I'll purposefully delay like waiting to watch a horror movie in October. Or waiting to play a game because I only want to focus on one. If I delay something for no apparent reason then I usually take it to mean I was never really interested in the thing to begin with and just drop the idea of it entirely.

 

[χKai]

I do this all the time when sequels to a game look better than it's predecessors, though, I could stand to do it a little more.. I haven't with every series I like, Kingdom Hearts 2 is a prime example.

 

[Ajderniz]

Y'know, this thread caused me one of those moments when someone points out a behaviour you have and only then you notice how toxic it is, because I have this a lot.

I guess this behavior arises from high expectations and a great fear of disappointment. I notice it can manifest itself not only towards the passive consumption of media, but in other fields as well. I can think of a few other examples, of things I've dearly wanted to do for a long time, but the desire, the thirst and lack-of are sweeter than the accomplishment itself.
For a long time I've desired to develop games on my own. I know of the tools, and I have the time. And here I am, talking to you about how cool it would be to make a game. It may be crucial to spot this pattern to identify a larger issue...

My biggest example is with a game I love dearly: Baroque.

Hey, I've played that one. I think it's pretty cool, and doesn't require too much attention. Give it a try soon.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

When I was younger I would literally install a new game on my PC, then I'd purposefully stay away from it for hours.

 

[Enian]

Yes, tons. I want to play Cyberpunk 2077, for example, but, while I technically could play it, from what I heard about the game, I want to give it the right environment and respect before enjoying it. My PC could handle the game on lower setting, I'm sure, but I much rather play it when I have something more powerful, and also when I have the time to do so without time constraints.

I've never played a GTA game either. Despite, or even because I feel like I have the obligation to play GTAV and absolutely love it, I have not yet done so. I don't know. Rockstars' humor never really spoke to me, anyways.

And sometimes when I play one that's regarded as an absolute masterpiece like The Witcher games, I become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of quality put into every little corner and need to take a break.

Maybe that's why I always loved Ubisoft's games. People bash on fetch quests and collectibles, but it feels good to just do stuff like that and get a little reward. To just play a game where you know what you'll get, with no strings or overly unrealistic expectations attached. Also a reason why I've played quite a few licensed PS2 games of movies or enjoy crappy movie flicks. Those are never something exceptional, but they are fun and there's no pressure behind the experience. You don't expect greatness, you won't be disappointed, but will be able to simply enjoy the ride.

 

[χKai]

When I was younger I would literally install a new game on my PC, then I'd purposefully stay away from it for hours.

Like some kind of extreme gamer edging ?

 

[middler]

For me, this phenomenon happens when I deem something best to not consume alone. A show or movie, a food, whatever it might be, some things (in my mind) need to be a shared experience.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Reporting this Thread

Reason: I'm in it and i don't like it

 

[RageBurner]

The closest analogue I can think of for this circumstance in my case is Monster Hunter Wilds. Yes its a future title so it probably doesn't fit this scenario neatly, but I've been purposefully avoiding playing other MH games so to not skew my expectations and tto see tye game for what it will ultimately bring.

 

[newageretrohippie]

Sometimes i will take a while to read a book or graphic novel/comic or listen to a new album because i want to be in a certain frame of mind to have that first experience with it, because i will tend to relate them permanently in my mind to whatever is going on around me.

its not really like that for games or cartoons tho i just play/watch when they or on or when i bother to hook up a console or projector