Game completion?

I have had many discussions with my girlfriend over whether I have technically completed a video game or not. We both have very different views on who is right on this matter. She feels that a game is not completed until all collectibles and side missions for the game are complete. But if that's the case, then the trophies for each game must be complete as well. My personal views for completion is completing the main story mode of the game. Most video games now a days have so much extra stuff incorporated that sometimes I feel it would take months to get 100% completion. Looking for others thoughts on this matter.

@gobernockles: Off-Topic is for non-gaming discussion, so your thread has been moved to Games Discussion.

I feel a game is completed when I get bored of it.

A games completion and (a) ending are two different achievements.

Ending/s equal closure from the gameplay and story point-of-view. If credits role? Chances are it's the/ or one possible ending.

Completion however, by its very definition is summed up as 'particular process finished with no loose ends'. As in, you've taken care of additional tasks the game added as 'bonus content'.

You still get satisfaction for reaching those credits, and if that's enough for you? No shame in bowing out at the credits. Infact completing games, 'depending on the game' can take away the joy of playing and turn into a chore. However, that is what completion is. I don't consider this debatable to be honest.

I don't feel it is necessary to 100% a game to say that you've completed the game. There are a lot of Easter eggs and secrets that go unnoticed for decades. Take super Mario world and Mike Tyron's punch out.

I feel like whenever I get to finish the game and I've done enough challenges, I've completed my missions. But that's only my view.

I don't need to play a game 100% in order to feel like got the full experience.

It's very rare that I'll 100% a game. Why anyone would care about collecting stupid feathers in ass creed is beyond me. There's too many other games waiting for me to start. I say once the credits roll, it's done.

Agreed. You don't need to 100% a game to complete it.

I guess you could say that once you've finished the main story you've "beat" the game and 100% completion can be defined as "completed"?

I agree with you over the gf. 100% is a different thing from "finishing" a game. There have been few games I have ever 100%ed. I usually can't do it - I don't care about finding that random kitten in a tree. The game's done when I'm done with it - which usually is not too long after the main and major side objectives are done. The super menial stuff is usually an "as needed" or "if it tickles my fancy" thing. This is, incidentally, why I think I enjoyed da:I more than some - I simply ignored 75% of the boring fetch quests

I'm on your girlfriend's side here. Completing a game means getting everything. I personally don't count trophies though.

Why waste all that great content? I personally try to rush through the campaign so that I can focus on the game itself. Most great games are far better after the credits roll.

Almost every Nintendo game and The Batman Arkham games are great examples of games that excel after the story is done. These are generally the games I like the most.

Nah, completing a game is when you finish the main story. I disagree with your girlfriend I guess. With that said, the game may be complete, but it does not mean you are finished. I completed Skyrim's main story pretty on, but it's world is filled with rich side missions that span many many quests that provide both good story, loot, experience, and exotic locales.

Collectibles are just incentive to play more; imo they don't really count as the base game, as they don't really contribute anything to it except pointless (but sometimes fun) exercises. I feel they are just put in there by unpaid interns working at the company to provide some reason to keep customers playing a game they'd normally uninstall.

Not a big fan of collectibles/achievements/etc, personally. Side missions are cool if they provide some reason to go (such as a story, equipment, or stuff like that).

It is rarely that great, though, and more often than not leads to frustrating repetition. You're telling me I didn't finish a game because I didn't spend 10 hours and 1000 attempts to jump on this one platform that leads to some glowing token that doesn't do anything? Doesn't unlock any lore, or concept art, or anything of that nature?

You did cite a couple good, rare examples of games doing "extra" content well; Arkham games do provide quite a lot of non-campaign content that actually provides the player with some reward.

In the past I would say "Play the game for the game's sake" but now I feel like I need some other form of motivation lol. I think I'm getting old, I want my games to motivate me to play; gone are the days where I'd just jump in and hunt some random thing for the hell of it :(

@Yams1980: second that

I usually try to get all single player achievements (because I care little about multiplayer), which are usually a good indication that I've 'seen' everything. I'd say I'm somewhere in-between getting to the ending and 100% a game. Getting to the ending is usually not enough for me, but 100% a game is often too tedious and can end up being frustrating. With some platformers for example, I usually don't bother going for the 'no deaths' achievement, because I know I'm not actually going to have fun with that.

Anyway, for me it's much more about having seen it than actually achieving it. For example, I got all the achievements for Dark Souls, but that was simply because I looked a lot of that stuff up. Odd as it may seem, that didn't diminish my enjoyment at all. I can now safely say I've seen everything in that game and I never have to play it again. ;-P Similarly, in Fallout 4, I had found 17 of the 20 bobbleheads after I had basically explored the entire map. I then simply looked up where the other 3 bobbleheads were (which turned out to be at places I had already been, but where I missed them). I suppose I should still play some companion side quests (I only played one), but I can't be bothered, because I don't like traveling with companions and I've pretty much sucked that game dry to the point that I can't play it anymore.

In short: when it comes to collectibles and other missable content, I try to be as thorough as I can during my first playthrough, but after that I feel no shame in simply looking up the rest and doing one more playthrough with guides to sweep up any missed content.

So yeah, it's completed when you feel it's completed.

Agree with a few of the above, you don't need to 100% a game to feel as if you've completed it.

For me, once I've done the final mission/quest/whatever, I consider the game "complete". It's rare I'll go after the collectibles and what have you unless I really enjoy the game.