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My interest in gaming has hit an all time low today

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Agni Kai

Agni Kai

Member
Nov 2, 2017
6,904
I'm 27 years old and after long years of enthusiasm, joy and non-stop gaming, I fear I might be starting to hate my favorite hobby.

This year I finally secured a new job position which requires a lot of responsibility from my part. I basically start at 9AM and I'm not back home until 18.30PM.

This has seriously lowered my gaming time to a couple of hours a day if I'm lucky. As soon as I'm back home, I eat something, spend time with my girlfriend and then play something that could give me short bursts of fun in as little time as possible, like Overwatch or Apex Legends for example.

Before my new job happened, I would just sit and play videogames for at least 3 to 4 hours a day and -more importantly- I would enjoy it. Last year I managed to play and finish over 50 games, which included fantastic experiences such as God of War, Breath of the Wild and Spider-Man. I would just have a smile all over my face when playing this and I still do when I remember last year.

Nowadays, I just feel too tired to commit myself to playing long games. Hell, I bought both Resident Evil 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3 when they came out and I think I barely played around 3 hours of each before I just called it quits. This is why I decided to only focus on OW and Apex, as it was easier for me to play for an hour and still manage to have fun, but...

It's been bad the past few days. I started to grow tired of those 2 games and I also felt like I was not even trying to enjoy them anymore. Today, after 5 games of losing in OW, I got heavily criticized by strangers in my team. I have never really minded this, but today it felt different.

I switched right away to Apex then and that's when I snapped out of myself. My buddies I usually play with and I were fighting an enemy squad when I got killed. We were right next to a Reviving Beacon, yet my teammates decided to loot my corpse (I had a legendary backpack) and that made me super angry. I got so angry that I just quit the game without saying anything. Now, I know I'm probably in the wrong here, but it just scared me that I reacted this way.

This got me to sit on my sofa and reflect onto everything that's been happening to me lately. Now, while I watch my girlfriend play Assassins Creed Odyssey, I have also come to the realization that although I do not enjoy playing games as much as I used to, I am slowly starting to enjoy watching my girlfriend play games. It's just relaxing to watch her solving puzzles in BotW or simply exploring the world in AC Odyssey.

I don't know why I made this thread to be honest. I guess I needed to vent; however, I would still like to use this chance to ask you ERA for advice, because I truly feel confused and somehow scared after my unnecessary angry reaction today.

Should I start playing more relaxing and shorter games? Should I take a break from online gaming? What games could I play to reignite my passion for gaming? Has this happened to you before?
 
ClickyCal'

ClickyCal'

Member
Oct 25, 2017
59,687
I mean, it seems like it's a product of your new job mostly so there might not be much to do about it.

RE2 is a pretty short and quick paced game, so if you can't get into that, then idk.
 
Jedi2016

Jedi2016

Member
Oct 27, 2017
15,691
Welcome to life.

I've got the same problem. I'm just more selective of the games I play these days. My backlog is huge, but I don't feel down for not finishing it. I'll buy maybe three or four new games in a year, and probably won't finish most of them. But I get my time into them, and I'm okay with that.
 
Detective Loki

Detective Loki

Banned
Nov 30, 2018
2,078
I'm the same way. Used to play all the time. I'm about to turn 26 and with a girlfriend who doesn't play games or enjoy sitting and watching me play, I don't have as often as I like and I still haven't beat Red Dead or AC Odyssey.

I did enjoy Far Cry New Dawn because that took me two or three days and I had a ton of fun with it.
 

Deleted member 8001

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
7,440
Well when you have less time then you're going to be more desperate to get enjoyment out of the limited time you have for gaming which in turn is stressing you out cause you can't properly enjoy a game cause you lack the time.

Find shorter games or games that appeal with quick ins and outs.
 
AustinJ

AustinJ

Member
Jul 18, 2018
936
I go through the same thing a few times every year, OP. It's OK to take a break and come back later. Or don't - that's OK too!
 
doomrider7

doomrider7

Member
Feb 21, 2019
676
Avoid gaming that is strictly online or competitive online. I'd say play more explorative games. Games where exploring and experiencing the world are just as much as the gameplay itself. A good starter would be Hollow Knight. It sounds like a combination of the job and just a sort of burnout on competitive games. I felt the same way with Splatoon after a while.
 
deftones r cool

deftones r cool

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,050
Take a break man. Find a new hobby like reading books, lifting weights, playing guitar, or photography.

There's so much more to life to explore. Video games will be ready for you if you decide to return.
 
BlueManifest

BlueManifest

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,331
Play smaller indie games that are only 6 - 10 hrs, more smaller 2D games, less large 3D ones.

And take a break before you start them
 
EJS

EJS

The Fallen
The Fallen
Oct 31, 2017
9,191
But yeah, it happens. I beat like 1 or 2 games in 2018. I work full-time and go to school so I know what you mean. Breaks are good. I sometimes go months without playing games. I even requested a temporary absence from GAF because of my lack of attention towards games. Games will always be there, bud. If you feel unmotivated by them right now, it's okay to step away.
 
thecaseace

thecaseace

Member
May 1, 2018
3,219
Change your preferences and use your dollar to vote against he's that don't respect your time.

Also, a switch helps for gaming on the commute
 
Poimandres

Poimandres

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,871
A full time job with social and family commitments means not a lot of gaming time. These are the facts of life.

Don't worry about getting angry. You're probably just tired, and everyone has lapses of judgement.

But, yeah, you need to make peace with the fact that you won't be finishing 50 games a year anymore. I'm lucky if I finish 5 games a year.
 
nsilvias

nsilvias

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,788
join the club op.
i've been like this all gen :/
i recommend taking a more focused approach to gaming.
i only really play games i'm truly interested in or from creators i trust now.
i'm over the hype wagon bullshit now. i find that i enjoy things more now when im not super invested in the hype machine and i dont consume every piece of promotional material for games. i highly recommend looking for shorter games to avoid getting burned out since so many games are bloated to hell and back now.
 
Kapryov

Kapryov

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,139
Australia
This happens to lots of people, and is completely normal when you have to work around jobs and family obligations.
Your interest will come and go, don't stress about it and go try something that respects short play times (like short puzzle games or whatever). At some point it'll probably click, you'll suddenly find the time for it, and then you can knock out multiple 100+ hour RPGs in time you never knew you had.

Just don't force anything. Enjoy your time, be it with watching your girlfriend play through long games or playing something short on the phone.
 

Deleted member 50949

User Requested Account Closure
Banned
Dec 16, 2018
489
Agni Kai said:
Nowadays, I just feel too tired to commit myself to playing long games. Hell, I bought both Resident Evil 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3 when they came out and I think I barely played around 3 hours of each before I just called it quits. This is why I decided to only focus on OW and Apex, as it was easier for me to play for an hour and still manage to have fun, but...

It's been bad the past few days. I started to grow tired of those 2 games and I also felt like I was not even trying to enjoy them anymore. Today, after 5 games of losing in OW, I got heavily criticized by strangers in my team. I have never really minded this, but today it felt different.

I switched right away to Apex then and that's when I snapped out of myself. My buddies I usually play with and I were fighting an enemy squad when I got killed. We were right next to a Reviving Beacon, yet my teammates decided to loot my corpse (I had a legendary backpack) and that made me super angry. I got so angry that I just quit the game without saying anything. Now, I know I'm probably in the wrong here, but it just scared me that I reacted this way.
Click to expand...
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It seems like the commute time and job is affecting you. Don't play on weekdays and maybe play two or three hours on weekends or maybe take a break altogether. Try and enjoy non interactive stuff after work.
 
Mortemis

Mortemis

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
7,416
Personally, I can't imagine playing video games nearly every day. I usually take months , maybe even a year break from gaming and I never feel fatigued from it. Even working a lot like you.
 
Datajoy

Datajoy

use of an alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,081
Angola / Zaire border region.
I still manage to hardcore game even with a job and wife. But only when a release comes out that I can really sink my teeth into. Like with Sekiro, I've basically been no-lifing it these few days apart from going to work and taking my wife out on Saturday. I still managed to play for probably 10 hours on Saturday lol. Between releases I don't play much at all apart from the odd hour of Smash or Apex here and there.

Fortunately for me I can commute to work on foot, and my wife strongly supports my gaming, both factors which help me keep up the hobby.
 
Dache

Dache

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,130
UK
This is what happens when you get older and things like careers and partners enter your life. You have to narrow down your gaming focus to what you really enjoy and learn to live with the fact that you won't play or finish as many games as when you were younger, and learn to play games in shorter bursts. Also learn to cherish your occasional free weekend time where you can put longer periods in. But my gaming tastes have changed in the past decade or so because of this to favour shorter, arcadey games more often.
 
Masoyama

Masoyama

Attempted to circumvent a ban with an alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,648
30 hours a week on videogames sounds super unhealthy. There is so much more to life than spending a fourth of your day playing games.
 
Doskoi Panda

Doskoi Panda

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,968
Fewer games now so that you can spend your limited time on what really matters to you.
Play what you can't miss, and know that you'll have plenty of time to clear your backlog later.
 
scare_crow

scare_crow

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,309
All hobbies go through ebbs and flows in interest. Completely normal. Just don't try to force it.

Also, 4 hours a day is a lot of video games!
 
Masoyama

Masoyama

Attempted to circumvent a ban with an alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,648
yuoke said:
Doing whatever makes you happy is the healthiest thing.

Edit-Obviously as long as that isn't something that is being hurtful to anyone or being an asshole.
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Spending 4 hours sitting down on your sofa AFTER working a full day is unhealthy and hurtful to yourself. Your body needs way more activity than that.
 

Deleted member 11413

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
22,961
It sounds unrelated to games themselves and entirely related to your insane work schedule wearing you out. Those hours don't seem sustainable long term, is this situation at work going to be permanent?
 
Thorn

Thorn

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
24,446
ItIsOkBro

ItIsOkBro

Happy New Year!!
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
9,515
work 8 hours and then leave

honestly, if you get home at 6:30, and you spend 3 hours doing other things (9:30), you can still slot in 2 hours a day to play gamrs (11:30) and still get a good night sleep to do it all again tomorrow.
 
Jiraiya

Jiraiya

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,290
Masoyama said:
30 hours a week on videogames sounds super unhealthy. There is so much more to life than spending a fourth of your day playing games.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

In what way is it unhealthy? I hope extreme cases isn't your basis. Op just sounds tired and hasn't found out when it's best to game around their new job.
 
Jerm411

Jerm411

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,027
Clinton, MO
We've all been there....I thought I was pretty much done with gaming before the Switch came out.

It along with Breath of the Wild really brought me back and while not trying to sound like a fanboy that console was a godsend for me.

With my crazy work schedule and being a husband and father to a 5 yr old girl who wants the TV constantly lol I just don't play a lot of the huge blockbuster releases. The Division 2 is one of the few that has really got me hooked.

I've really grown fond of smaller indie games that can be played in shorter bursts...not you mention games I can with my daughter.

The majority of my gaming time is portsble Switch indies/first party games and I'm fine with that.
 
Jintor

Jintor

Saw the truth behind the copied door
Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,427
don't worry about it man, gaming should change around your life, i recommend against the other way around.
 
Betty

Betty

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,604
Been there back in the middle of the PS3 after MGS4 came out, I felt done with gaming because I didn't see myself getting attached to anything like Metal Gear again.

Maybe you'll gravitate back to games again somewhere down the road, don't try to force it though or you'll just hate them even more.
 
Masoyama

Masoyama

Attempted to circumvent a ban with an alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,648
Jiraiya said:
In what way is it unhealthy? I hope extreme cases isn't your basis. Op just sounds tired and hasn't found out when it's best to game around their new job.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

4 hours a night is unhealthy. Videogames are awesome of course, but if you have that much free time you should really push your energy towards self improvement. Do anything else, do something that makes you a better person.
 
Terbinator

Terbinator

Member
Oct 29, 2017
10,252
4 hours a day during the week? Lol.

You've had it incredibly well compared to most in their 20s working full time.
 
Robotoboy

Robotoboy

Member
Oct 7, 2018
1,071
Tulsa, OK
My advice? Replay some all time favorites. I get like this on occasion and I own a small business so I get pretty damn busy. When this happens ot's hard to get into newer games... Happened recently with Sekiro and DMCV (though I eventually beat DMCV) I just devote to replaying some of my favorites.

Lately that's been Uncharted 4/Lost Legacy, God of War, Wondeful 101, and Shadow of the Colossus.

Playing some faves can be a joy because you can get the rush you got when you played them a while ago. Don't be afraid to go back as far as possible either assuming you have access to older games in some way.
 
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