Which games would you always reinstall?

Some of you know that I've recently updated my current gaming rig with a new 320Gig drive from Seagate (see post here for the juicy details). Having completed the install of XP and a bunch of utilities I can't live without (future post subject), came the time to start to install the games.

The first one to be installed was an easy choice: EVE Online. And don't tell me you're surprised! The second, was also a given, Guild Wars -- the first two since I don't have Nightfall yet. But then came the questions; which would I reinstall, which would be next, should I install all of them, or just the ones I play regularly.

After giving it some thought, I took most of Wednesday evening reinstalling the following games, since CCP was making some hardware upgrades, which meant that EVE was down -- duh! So without further ado, here are the games I deemed important (which means FUN) enough to take the time to reinstall.

1. EVE Online: The Second Genesis
2. Guild Wars (original and Factions)
3. Homeworld 2
4. Dungeon Siege 2
5. Starcraft (original and Brood War)
6. Battle Realms (original and Winter of the Wolf)
7. Warcraft 3 (Reigns of Chaos and The Frozen Throne)
8. Lord of the Ring: The War of the Ring
9. Neverwinter Nights (all 3 versions)
10. Aquanox 2

So there you have it. These are the games that I'll pretty much install every time I do a Windows reinstall. Don't get me wrong, I still spend most of my time playing EVE and Guild Wars, but I also like to come back to old games. There's nothing like a good Starcaft match against an opponent half-away around the world.

So what are the games you would reinstall? Let me know.

Can you still consider yourself a gamer...

Can you still consider yourself a gamer when you're only playing "one" game? I mean let's be serious, I used to play lots of different games: Dungeon Siege, Warcraft III, Homeworld (I & II), Diablo, Starcraft, War of the Rings, Prince of Persia, etc. I've amassed a decent collection of games (44), both for the PC and my Xbox.

Speaking of which, I haven't used my Xbox to play for about a year now, but I still keep my Xbox Live account. I even haven't played the games I got last Xmas: Prince of Persia 2, War of the Rings, Battle for Middle-Earth, Warcraft III: Frozen Throne and Temple of Elemental Evil. Kind of pathetic n'est-ce pas?

Yes and no. I do consider myself a gamer still, just one with different priorities. Playing games takes time, playing MMORPG takes more, and playing EVE takes even more. Just ask any capsuleer. And once you've pushed beyond the initial barrier, EVE becomes so addictive, that you can't consider playing anything else. Anyways I can't.

Not that I haven't tried. I did. I bought Guild Wars a few months back - a couple of weeks after it came out, and I enjoyed playing it. For awhile that is. Then EVE sucked me back in and there was no going back. I can't really explain it. It goes beyond the game factor. I mean you can't really call it a game, it's much more then that. It really is a virtual world. One where you can be a buccaneer, a Tradesman, a Diplomat, a CEO, a Production Director, an Industrial Ore Miner, a Space Pilot, a Fleet Commander, and anything you can think of pretty much. You can travel the galaxy, or stay put in your own space station and command your corporate empire.

And that's the beauty of EVE - it's openness. You're never confined to one profession, one career path. What ever you wan to be you can.

Am I still a gamer? I still believe I am. But in EVE, I'm much more then that.

So can you!