BAAGS
stands for: Buy All Adventure Games Syndrome
Criteria for BAAGS -
name says it all
Levels of descent
into the pits of this sickness are as follows (still fairly
incomplete as there is ongoing research)
Level 1 - The Beginning Phase - Starts
innocently enough - you buy or receive an adventure game, pop it
into your computer and discover "gee, this is fun - I wonder
if there are anymore out there like it?" You go to a
computer store and find a couple that sound interesting, you buy
only one, telling yourself that you'll come back and get the
other one when you've finished this one and go home happy.
Level 2 - I Am Not Going to Let That
Happen to Me Again Phase - You discover that when you go back to
the store to buy the other game you wanted, they didn't have it
anymore and didn't think they are going to be getting any more
copies. You look around, see two other games and buy them both
because I am not going to let that happen to me again.
Level 3 - Just in Case Phase - You go back to
your favorite game buying store, think to yourself, there doesn't
seem to be as many adventure games as there used to be here - see
5 and buy them all - just in case.
Level 4 - GameBoomers Phase - Store shopping
again, nothing new except for a lot of games with action/adventure
and FPS on them. Decide you can't be the only one who likes this
type of game so you log on to the internet and see if you can't
find some other people like yourself. You happen to stumble on a
bulletin board named GameBoomers and you innocently post the
following: I'm new to adventure gaming and can't find any in the
stores, does anyone have any recommendations on the names of some
good games and where I might buy them? Within 5 minutes you have
a list of at least 50, plus where to purchase them.
Level 5 - The Ebay Phase - You've now managed to
buy all the newer games and wonder where you might find some of
the older ones that people keep talking about. You post and
someone mentions Ebay. You bid, you win, you're sunk.
Level 6 - The Multiple Buying Phase - You scour
on-line stores, Ebay and conventional stores looking for games.
When you find you buy all you see - no more do you just buy one
or two - you are buying four, five and six at once. You start to
panic when your unplayed games dip below the 50 mark.
Level 7 - The Reviewer and Public
Opinion Be Damned, it's an Adventure Game and I've Got to Have it
Phase - When you have degenerated to this level of sickness there
is no hope. At this point you purposely buy games no one else in
their right mind would buy. If a reviewer says it's junk - you've
got to have it - if three reviewers and people you ask, say it's
junk - it now becomes your life's mission. You will not rest nor
leave no stone unturned until you possess this stinker.
Note: Only known cure once this phase is reached, is a nice padded
cell in some quiet mental hospital.
PS -
the CDC in Atlanta just e-mailed me about the BAAGS epidemic
associated with GameBoomers. Seems they are looking into the
possibility that a warning message may have to be posted on the
main bulletin board stating: CAUTION : The reading of this
Bulletin Board has been known to cause BAAGS.
Enter at your own risk .