What Games Stay, And Games Go?

Every computer shares one single trait in common - finite storage space. Oh, you can back things up to external drives and the like but when you get down to it you can only install so much software before you have to face the dreaded realization that you are starting to exhaust your available storage space. And of all the things to consider when it comes to installed software, games tend to be one of the more awkward ones.

Deciding what games to keep and what to remove can be difficult. It never fails there is always that one game you actually enjoyed but haven’t played in awhile that you can’t quite bring yourself to remove. And what of those familiar ones sitting patiently on your desktop that you play occasionally but never seem to do much with. How do you evaluate what should go and what is safe to stay?

Well here is a few things to ask yourself when you're mulling it over -

- How often will I actually play it? Ask yourself, honestly, just how regularly you actually can see yourself playing the game. Some games, while fun, we often just don’t actually play all that often for whatever reasons. If the game is good enough to hook you in on a regular basis and proves to keep you entertained more often than not then it has earned a spot on your hard drive. However, if you find yourself only diving into the game on rare occasions for a short jaunt that leaves you less than satisfied then perhaps it’s time to part ways.

- Just how much enjoyment am I getting out of this game? Seriously, just how fun is the game? Are you grinding for hours daily without a smile at the end? If the game is more work than play or you tend to find yourself irritated by other players, perhaps even the gameplay itself, then it could be a clear sign it’s space could be better used. On the alternate side, if you instead keep finding yourself grinning ear to ear and raving about the good times you're having to friends and family - keep that game. If you're enjoying the game that much, then that's all that matters. It is a game after all!

- Is the game just a repeat of another game I already play? All too often overlooked we sometimes find ourselves with multiple games on our machines that are little more than pale clones of each other. We’ve all done it, there is no shame here. But if you have a game you are playing and then you log out to do the same exact thing with only some subtle name changes you might want to evaluate your reasons why.

- Why did I get the game in the first place? Namely, was this a game you installed as a temporary thing to play while you waited for something else you wanted? It does happen, you really want to play game x, but it isn’t out yet or you haven’t found it just yet. So instead you stumble on to game y and decide to try it out in the meantime in hopes it will satisfy your cravings. Next thing you know you have game x and game y is still lingering on your system. If that is the case then it might be time to cut it loose. Even so, game y might have proven itself to have some unseen value and you might just opt to keep it too.

When you get down to it, only you can evaluate just what merits staying and what is destined to part ways with you. You can always reinstall and come back later too. But if your space is getting limited you could do yourself a favor and really think about what all you have on your system. Is it really engaging enough that it sucks you in and keeps you entertained? Everyone is different, but everyone can run out of room if they keep everything installed. Might not always be the easiest decisions in the world, but sometimes you just gotta do it.