Ted Price: founder and CEO, Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank)
Dark Souls. When this game came out, it generated real buzz here at Insomniac. I was a little intimidated by how punishing everyone says it is. I consider myself a core gamer, but I guess I’ve been too timid to take the plunge. I will muster the courage soon. For now it will continue to glare at me balefully from my game stack.
Modern Warfare 3. Man, I don’t know how I missed this one. I played every other Modern Warfare and then recently stumbled across the MW3 launch trailer. It looks like the cure to my Black Ops hangover.
Darksiders. This one has been on my stack of shame for a long time. As a result, I can’t play Darksiders II. Which I really need to do. I love the art style and the story’s premise — who doesn’t want to be one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? That’s what I want to be when I grow up.
Okami. OK, this has been on my stack for five years. Now that the HD version is coming out, I think I’ll just go for the upgrade instead. I remember being stunned by how visually different the game looked. Time to experience the magic in 1080p. …
Mass Effect 3. It’s sitting on my desk right now. The real reason to dive in is to see what all of the controversy’s about. People here at Insomniac who played it won’t give away the ending, so now I have to see for myself. But only after we ship Fuse.
World of Warcraft … just kidding. I played until my wife banned it from our house.
Greg Rice: producer, Double Fine (Psychonauts, Iron Brigade)
I still have not played Skyrim. I understand it was one of the best games of last year, and I’m really looking forward to it. In fact, I got every achievement in Oblivion and put over 70 hours into the game. I was afraid I’d get sucked into this one in the same way, and I wanted to make it through all the other major releases that year before allowing myself to dive in. But then 2012 rolled around, and games like Journey, Fez, and Spelunky came out.
I told myself I’d just get through these short little games before diving into the massive meat of Skyrim. Problem is, new ones just keep coming out. Too many games!
Adam Sessler: former cohost, X-Play
Adam plays pretty much anything he wants to, which technically means he wins. But he still carries one secret shame. …
Grand Theft Auto IV. The final mission. Specifically, the motorcycle sequence in the final mission. Most motorcycle sequences in GTA games cause me tremors because I can never control the bike effectively, but that mission was numerous hours, multiple days, and several moments of hate-chewing my controller. I left it in my stack of unfinished games for two years. Eventually, and with quiet ceremony, I returned it to my library.
So, now all that’s out in the open … what’s on your pile of shame? Confess in the comments below!