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My interest in gaming has hit an all time low today
- Thread starter Agni Kai
- Start date
Are Europeans the only people having a healthy attitude towards work hours?
Come on, finishing over 50 games a year is crazy to begin with. Just adapt to the new circumstances. Try more indie games. Someone mentioned Hollow Knight, that would be a perfect example.
Yea.
It was a joke, but in my experience, Europe does tend to have a MUCH healthier work-life balance than the rest of the world, yeah.
The U.S. and a ton of Asian countries tend to be terrible about work-life balance practices in general, whereas Europe appears to have healthier laws/workplace habits in place to ensure people still have enough time for themselves.
just do what everyone else on era does OP, stop playing games and instead bitch about them online.
Yeah lately I have been cutting back a bit as well. Sometimes I will play a 2d indie game and knock that out for a few hours. I got red dead 2 for Christmas and I am really not that far into it. I will beat it someday but damn I just feel like I need to really get involved for it to take up the rest of my night. God of war and Spider-Man took most of my playtime in 2018 along with Fortnite. I feel if I am going to get deep into a game, I need to be super into it. I know when halo comes out I won't stop playing it till I beat it. Other games can take a back seat. I guess it just varies based on what I've been into for over a decade.
That's essentially what I do. Get home around 6, eat dinner do things with fiance, she goes to bed to read around 9, I get some chores done and then game till 11-1130 and then go to sleep. Some nights it's 2 hours, others a little less.
Yes and it's bullshit.
No but they have the right idea. People almost seem PROUD of how many hours they work!
This happened to me as well, just focus on the games you REALLY want to play, and ignore whatever you feel you can live without playing.
Competitive online games seem like the worst possible choice for someone who is in the midst of a major life change considering they require lots of dedicated time to be "good" and thus actually enjoyable.
I have to admit I'm a little confused at the schedule though. You start at 9 and home by 6:30, seems like there would be several hours in the night to play unless you go to bed really early.
I have to admit I'm a little confused at the schedule though. You start at 9 and home by 6:30, seems like there would be several hours in the night to play unless you go to bed really early.
I've been on a break now for about two weeks. DQXI has taken over my life and I needed a break.
When I was a teenager playing 4 hours a day was unthinkable, lol, I know you're 27 but damn thats a lot.
You're still growing up, youve been playing a lot of games for a long time and you dont need to overanalyse this stuff. Life gets in the way and it makes you have some priorities which leave little room for 4 hours of gaming a night, thats kind of excessive.
Theres a lot of room between " I play games everyday" and " I dont like games anymore" with some time and space youll get some perspective and realize that its a hobby. Modern game release cadence makes you think that you NEED to be playing something at all times but thats just isnt reality.
You're still growing up, youve been playing a lot of games for a long time and you dont need to overanalyse this stuff. Life gets in the way and it makes you have some priorities which leave little room for 4 hours of gaming a night, thats kind of excessive.
Theres a lot of room between " I play games everyday" and " I dont like games anymore" with some time and space youll get some perspective and realize that its a hobby. Modern game release cadence makes you think that you NEED to be playing something at all times but thats just isnt reality.
This is it.
Even before kids, there was no way I'd fit in 4 hours a night.
Life happens. I have never played like six hours a day but I have always played, though good and bad in life. Now there's very little time due to my one and a half year old son. We just have to accept that when we grow up, finish our studies and start a career and a family, it affects our lives fundamentally. Including our ability to play video games hours on end every day. I have come to terms with it, accepted it and adjusted. I will always play, but I have no time for games like RDR2 nowadays (just to scratch its surface). Which is fine. It has to be.
9am to 6.30pm is crazy long hours to you?
No idea how old you are pal but life's going to bite you hard on the arse at some stage.
It happens, wait till you get kids too!!!
But seriously take a break, do something else with those couple of hours which you now spend feeling frustrated at playing games with.
I always find competitive online games difficult when I cant dedicate the time needed and when your tired these games become even more punishing.
Maybe try a couple of more lighthearted games, platformers are always a good place to start when you just wanna kick back on the sofa.
But there's nothing wrong with not playing, sometimes we get the feeling we are missing out on something that other people are enjoying but do what makes you happy, you'll probably find yourself coming back to gaming and enjoying it more than if your trying to force your way through games just for the sake of it.
But seriously take a break, do something else with those couple of hours which you now spend feeling frustrated at playing games with.
I always find competitive online games difficult when I cant dedicate the time needed and when your tired these games become even more punishing.
Maybe try a couple of more lighthearted games, platformers are always a good place to start when you just wanna kick back on the sofa.
But there's nothing wrong with not playing, sometimes we get the feeling we are missing out on something that other people are enjoying but do what makes you happy, you'll probably find yourself coming back to gaming and enjoying it more than if your trying to force your way through games just for the sake of it.
I don't understand these threads (Op - yours is not the worst offender on this subject I have seen) and some of the responses.
Video games (or any other hobby) are not an obligation. It's not like some huge crisis that needs to be solved if somebody does not feel like gaming.
Do something else. You said you enjoy watching your girlfriend play - then do that. Or do something else together or alone on your (at this point limited) free time. Find something that charges your batteries.
If you never touch a video game again - congrats, you have changed. We all do. If you come back to video games at some point - congrats, there have been so many great releases you can get for cheap!
It's a win win.
Video games (or any other hobby) are not an obligation. It's not like some huge crisis that needs to be solved if somebody does not feel like gaming.
Do something else. You said you enjoy watching your girlfriend play - then do that. Or do something else together or alone on your (at this point limited) free time. Find something that charges your batteries.
If you never touch a video game again - congrats, you have changed. We all do. If you come back to video games at some point - congrats, there have been so many great releases you can get for cheap!
It's a win win.
especially how anything and everything is going open world these days, i totally agree that gaming in short bursts is not that enjoyable anymore. what i do is try to make time for gaming in bigger chunks, like instead of playing for 1.5 hours a day, i play for 3 hours every other day. i realize it starts to sound more like work than leisure when you try to fit gaming in a schedule, but its part of being an adult with responsibilities. you need to plan and allocate time for fun.
Unless you live in a country that respects a healthy work-life balance, that is.
As a german I can only laugh at this, this is crazy hours if it is on a daily basis, unless you work freelance (and then you do it to yourself not because you must) this isn't the norm here.
My parents worked 8 hours a day their whole life and I plan to do the same with plans to reduce down to 7 hours.
Sure there are some days where stuff gets hectic and you stay longer for a meeting or something but those times are dime a dozen.
Like I clocked in 9.5hours once because I wanted to get something done and the next day my boss called me in and said that HR sent him an email that I was staying too long and this shouldn't happen too often...
Just because places like the US have stupid work-life-balance doesn't mean this is the way to go.
The way he phrased it implied that that involved commute. It's probably just 8 hours (which is still a lot when you consider that, if you sleep 8 hours and substract commute, chores, errands, showers, using the toilet and everything, you get OPs situation where there's no time left.).
I really hope that our generation's legacy is creating shorter work weeks and days.
Even an hour a day is 365 hours a year, which is 36 games if they average at 10 hours a game, or 18 if they're average out at 20 hours a game
Both respectable numbers for someone working full time
That said, if you're finding games a chore take a break. Gaming is a hobby, not a job
Both respectable numbers for someone working full time
That said, if you're finding games a chore take a break. Gaming is a hobby, not a job
You're probably not going to hit 50 games a year with a full time job and a relationship so part of me thinks you just need to adjust to only beating 10-15 games per year.
As others have said, just take a break. Honestly, at some point a game will come out or go on sale and you'll end up back in the groove again.
As others have said, just take a break. Honestly, at some point a game will come out or go on sale and you'll end up back in the groove again.
I'm in the same boat, just started a new job. But I still manage sneak in some time to play video games. Excited for Sekiro.
I feel this way from time to time. The 9-5 life (with ~70 minutes travel either way) often leaves me too drained to do much other than sit and watch something when I get the home, or browse the net.
When work is quieter I'm typically more invested in games.
When work is quieter I'm typically more invested in games.
Happens to me in phases, some periods I dont have time/motivation to play and some periods I do. Just dont force it. (Go play Sekiro)
You're in for quite a shock if you think that's crazy, OP. I work 7-4 and still have plenty of time to game. But then again I live alone and don't have commitments outside of the usual family stuff
Same has happened to me OP, I just don't have the desire to play as much anymore and it has left a void tbh.
I am starting to try and get into other things now though, like gardening with my wife, reading books, yoga, hopefully they can become my new hobbies.
I still like watching people play and reading about games and technology but my desire to actually sit through a game that takes any longer than 4-5 hours has completely gone tbh.
I am starting to try and get into other things now though, like gardening with my wife, reading books, yoga, hopefully they can become my new hobbies.
I still like watching people play and reading about games and technology but my desire to actually sit through a game that takes any longer than 4-5 hours has completely gone tbh.
As others have pointed out this is probably more about your job, available time and priorities.
For myself I'm 44 and in the last couple of years both my anticipation and enjoyment of not only games but also movies has started to substantially diminish which has been depressing. Could be part of normal mid life crisis but I have elected to walk away and try other stuff for a while. Life is a constant rebalancing act and occasionally you have to push a little further outside traditional comforts to find satisfaction.
For myself I'm 44 and in the last couple of years both my anticipation and enjoyment of not only games but also movies has started to substantially diminish which has been depressing. Could be part of normal mid life crisis but I have elected to walk away and try other stuff for a while. Life is a constant rebalancing act and occasionally you have to push a little further outside traditional comforts to find satisfaction.
Welcome to adult life. Don't trust anyone telling you that this is the new normal. The people that tell you this are just lazy to change their life around. Just take a break from gaming for a bit or just don't play every day like you did before. Take some time out if you want to game and otherwise just do different other things. You can manage your gaming time just fine if you are organized.
Without kids this is really not that difficult. Some people plan their weeks out and have more than enough spare time on their weekdays. I mean just for example:
I wake up at 7:00am, shower, breakfast, short japanese lesson in the morning, doing a few chores
Get out of the house at 8:30, arrive at work at 9:30
Go home at 17:30, get home at 18:30
If I haven't prepared anything the evening before or the weekend I will have to make some food, including eating it should be 19:30 then
4 1/2 hours of playing games (or more if I get into bed at around 1:00 am)
Some days like today I use these hours for friends, others I use them for sports and sometimes I have something to do on weekdays where I have to sacrifice a bit of that time, but it's really not that difficult.
I most often precook on weekends and just freeze my tasty food so that I don't waste so much time cooking food. On Thursdays I always meet up with a friend of mine where we buy groceries for the whole week and then cook something big and watch series together till 11pm (he has to wake up at 5:30 am lol) so I don't even have to buy groceries on any other day of the week and set. Cleaning my house is almost automatic (I have a robot that vacuums and wipes the floor, I also have a dish cleaner and a washing machine that also dries my clothes so I don't waste any time here). On Saturdays I always clean my bathroom in the morning and on weekdays I clean a small thing every evening in about 5 minutes.
I can see that point with people having to work more, having kids, having a longer commute and other things, but it is possible and if it doesn't work out for someone they have to look what they priorize and what they can optimize. With a girlfriend it's not really that different, I just do different things on different days and it works out with people having their own interests and communicating :)
Without kids this is really not that difficult. Some people plan their weeks out and have more than enough spare time on their weekdays. I mean just for example:
I wake up at 7:00am, shower, breakfast, short japanese lesson in the morning, doing a few chores
Get out of the house at 8:30, arrive at work at 9:30
Go home at 17:30, get home at 18:30
If I haven't prepared anything the evening before or the weekend I will have to make some food, including eating it should be 19:30 then
4 1/2 hours of playing games (or more if I get into bed at around 1:00 am)
Some days like today I use these hours for friends, others I use them for sports and sometimes I have something to do on weekdays where I have to sacrifice a bit of that time, but it's really not that difficult.
I most often precook on weekends and just freeze my tasty food so that I don't waste so much time cooking food. On Thursdays I always meet up with a friend of mine where we buy groceries for the whole week and then cook something big and watch series together till 11pm (he has to wake up at 5:30 am lol) so I don't even have to buy groceries on any other day of the week and set. Cleaning my house is almost automatic (I have a robot that vacuums and wipes the floor, I also have a dish cleaner and a washing machine that also dries my clothes so I don't waste any time here). On Saturdays I always clean my bathroom in the morning and on weekdays I clean a small thing every evening in about 5 minutes.
I can see that point with people having to work more, having kids, having a longer commute and other things, but it is possible and if it doesn't work out for someone they have to look what they priorize and what they can optimize. With a girlfriend it's not really that different, I just do different things on different days and it works out with people having their own interests and communicating :)
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Go where your life is taking you. There's no "obligation" for you to keep gaming. When I got out of college and started my first job, I pretty much stopped gaming for some time. There were just so many other things going on that were more important to me.
I missed out on the entire PS2/Gamecube era, and what little gaming I did was on PC. However, as the consoles of the PS3 and Wii era were coming out, I found myself getting back into the scene, and from then on have resumed my gaming life. It's fine to take a break.
I missed out on the entire PS2/Gamecube era, and what little gaming I did was on PC. However, as the consoles of the PS3 and Wii era were coming out, I found myself getting back into the scene, and from then on have resumed my gaming life. It's fine to take a break.
Totally understand, OP - I've been in that situation so much I stopped playing games for several years.
But my job also has long hours, coupled with a long commute or if I'm training at the gym or running, so I don't get home sometimes much before 8pm, and then have to do chores, cook tea, spend time with my girlfriend (who doesn't game), and have a fairly limited time to play games.
In the end, like other posters, I've become much more selective in what I play, I bought a Switch, which's great during the commute, and I'll tolerate crappy games less. Also subscribed to Game Pass means not having that inital outlay on games you know you won't play.
Saying all that though, I'm really enjoying Quantum Break at the mo, a game I bought when it came out originally in 2016!
But my job also has long hours, coupled with a long commute or if I'm training at the gym or running, so I don't get home sometimes much before 8pm, and then have to do chores, cook tea, spend time with my girlfriend (who doesn't game), and have a fairly limited time to play games.
In the end, like other posters, I've become much more selective in what I play, I bought a Switch, which's great during the commute, and I'll tolerate crappy games less. Also subscribed to Game Pass means not having that inital outlay on games you know you won't play.
Saying all that though, I'm really enjoying Quantum Break at the mo, a game I bought when it came out originally in 2016!
I think as one grows older and gains other commitments and responsibilities in life, it forces you to reevaluate how you spend your time. I'm about to hit 30 and am in the same boat.
My advice is to be more selective in the games you decide to play. Of course, it's not always easy to know this before you start playing them but I've found a greater joy in gaming recently by simply curating my experiences more than trying to keep up with the latest hot releases.
My advice is to be more selective in the games you decide to play. Of course, it's not always easy to know this before you start playing them but I've found a greater joy in gaming recently by simply curating my experiences more than trying to keep up with the latest hot releases.
Sounds like you're adjusting to a new lifestyle that limits your ability to enjoy your hobby, OP.
From your post, gaming doesn't seem to be the problem, neither your interest in it; rather your current busy lifestyle means you can no longer fit gaming into your life as much as you used to be able to.
Its life and it happens. Maybe in future you'll lead a less busy lifestyle and have more time to do the stuff you enjoy. Stick it out where you can and try and find more games that aren't skill-based online shooters that pit you against hordes of preteens (or YouTube streamers that do it for a living) that spent 6 hours a day on the game training their reflexes.
From your post, gaming doesn't seem to be the problem, neither your interest in it; rather your current busy lifestyle means you can no longer fit gaming into your life as much as you used to be able to.
Its life and it happens. Maybe in future you'll lead a less busy lifestyle and have more time to do the stuff you enjoy. Stick it out where you can and try and find more games that aren't skill-based online shooters that pit you against hordes of preteens (or YouTube streamers that do it for a living) that spent 6 hours a day on the game training their reflexes.
