30 hours a week /6 hours a day ? I use to be like you I use to play at least 7-8 hours a day now I barely play 3 hours and I actually have more fun doing so. I can focus on more important things in life.
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My interest in gaming has hit an all time low today
- Thread starter Agni Kai
- Start date
I want to say it's a phase OP. I've gamed since I was maybe 3 yes old and have taken multiple year breaks from gaming for many reasons with the longest being 10 years.
Another thing I noticed is you're playing Single player games and getting aggravated by your OWN friends in multiplayer. Maybe single player is your thing?
I know a lot of gamers are different in the kind of games they enjoy and the kind they don't. Some only play sports, racing, shooters, rpg, battle Royale.
Just enjoy watching your girlfriend play for now until you get the urge to want to play again. A break is always good.
Another thing I noticed is you're playing Single player games and getting aggravated by your OWN friends in multiplayer. Maybe single player is your thing?
I know a lot of gamers are different in the kind of games they enjoy and the kind they don't. Some only play sports, racing, shooters, rpg, battle Royale.
Just enjoy watching your girlfriend play for now until you get the urge to want to play again. A break is always good.
I feel you, OP.
24 now, doing a full-time, quite strenous and stressful graduate program in university and I don't have the energy or will to spend a huge amount of hours in a single game. It's not just me, though – I partially blame the industry, too, and it's damn obsession with massive open-world titles that suck out 50-100 hours of your time, many of which are spent with often mindless side-quests, grinding, collectibles and flag-checking on a map. 2018 was full of these games, and that's why I felt burned out and considered taking a break from videogames altogether. I realized I need focus – give me clear, linear, pre-defined scenarios and stories and I'll still enjoy my time. Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5 did just that and now I feel a little refreshed. I'm just tired of aimless slogs that swarm you with half-cooked ideas only for the sake of content.
My advice – play a bit more shorter, self-contained games that don't constantly beg for your attention. Or go back to some of your backlog games or old favorites to remind yourself why you're doing this in the first place. Also, your post doesn't necessarily indicate otherwise, but don't feel bad about dropping games. Time is precious.
24 now, doing a full-time, quite strenous and stressful graduate program in university and I don't have the energy or will to spend a huge amount of hours in a single game. It's not just me, though – I partially blame the industry, too, and it's damn obsession with massive open-world titles that suck out 50-100 hours of your time, many of which are spent with often mindless side-quests, grinding, collectibles and flag-checking on a map. 2018 was full of these games, and that's why I felt burned out and considered taking a break from videogames altogether. I realized I need focus – give me clear, linear, pre-defined scenarios and stories and I'll still enjoy my time. Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5 did just that and now I feel a little refreshed. I'm just tired of aimless slogs that swarm you with half-cooked ideas only for the sake of content.
My advice – play a bit more shorter, self-contained games that don't constantly beg for your attention. Or go back to some of your backlog games or old favorites to remind yourself why you're doing this in the first place. Also, your post doesn't necessarily indicate otherwise, but don't feel bad about dropping games. Time is precious.
I assume the times in OP are arriving in work at 9, taking lunch and then getting home from the commute at 18.30, rather than working the entire 9.5 hours.
9 to 5.30 with an hour commute each way is my schedule, and a couple of hours of gaming per weeknight sounds about right when I don't have any other plans. I would like to try to game less though and incorporate other hobbies into my life, there have been some good posts on the subject here.
For the OP I'd say shorter games or at least games where you are guaranteed to make progress in each session would be best. Online games with slow progression can feel like such a waste of time when your free time is limited.
9 to 5.30 with an hour commute each way is my schedule, and a couple of hours of gaming per weeknight sounds about right when I don't have any other plans. I would like to try to game less though and incorporate other hobbies into my life, there have been some good posts on the subject here.
For the OP I'd say shorter games or at least games where you are guaranteed to make progress in each session would be best. Online games with slow progression can feel like such a waste of time when your free time is limited.
At least once a year I lose interest in gaming... Sometimes for a couple of weeks, sometimes for a couple of months. Take a break OP. Also, you might want to check out The Division 2, I know I will probably get bashed for this, but that its a great game where you can definitely progress with little play time.
It could also be your job... I used to work at a game studio, then moved to web / software development, then finally went to freelance designing. All because I was getting tired of constantly having to learn new frameworks and things. It was just getting tiring and felt like I never had free time.
It could also be your job... I used to work at a game studio, then moved to web / software development, then finally went to freelance designing. All because I was getting tired of constantly having to learn new frameworks and things. It was just getting tiring and felt like I never had free time.
Welcome to real life. Two hours a day on average is a lot of game time for real adult people. Enjoy the time you have.
I game almost exclusively on Sundays. Occasionally I'll sneak in a few more hours during the week. That's just the way it's gotta be.
Including travel time I'm gone for work from 6:30am to 7pm. I've basically only got two hours of nonwork time a day before I'm getting ready for bed, and most of the time I don't spend it gaming. Gaming is an active brain activity and usually I want to relax passively after work.
Just gotta get used to adult prioritizing and embrace the backlog.
I bounce around between games. Spend a couple months with a game or two, put them on the backburner and come back to them in another few months. There are games years old I'm still working my way through in bursts.
I think within the next month I will finally be finishing Breath of the Wild.
Including travel time I'm gone for work from 6:30am to 7pm. I've basically only got two hours of nonwork time a day before I'm getting ready for bed, and most of the time I don't spend it gaming. Gaming is an active brain activity and usually I want to relax passively after work.
Just gotta get used to adult prioritizing and embrace the backlog.
I bounce around between games. Spend a couple months with a game or two, put them on the backburner and come back to them in another few months. There are games years old I'm still working my way through in bursts.
I think within the next month I will finally be finishing Breath of the Wild.
UPDATE
OP
OP
Thank you for all of your replies. They have helped to clear my mind and realize what's been happening to me.
Funny enough, today I'm having an awful day at work and all I want is to come back home and continue watching my girlfriend play AC Odyssey.
I have also come to understand that I'm not frustrated because of having little time to play game in comparison to last year. I'm frustrated because I'm not enjoying games as much as I used to, and that's because I have little time left that I try to rush my enjoyment and I don't always get it in a short period of time.
For example, few days ago I started Octopath Traveler and I chose the Thief guy to start with. It turns out in 30 minutes I didn't fight a single time and it was mostly lots of characters talking, so I put it down. On the next day, my girlfriend started to play too but she chose another character and she got way more fun than I did because she was thrown into battle right away. I now watch her play this from time to time instead of me starting a new game with a different character.
I will give gaming a well deserved break for a while. As of now, I will completely stop playing online competitive games because as most of you have pointed out, it's just not helpful to deal with stress. I will continue watching my girlfriend play every evening though, as I find it very relaxing. I will also start looking for something else to do; some of you pointed out model kits and that's something I have always been looking forward to and I believe this might be a good way to start.
I own a Vita and a Switch which I can use to play during breaks too. I will try some of the indie games you guys recommended.
Just to clarify though, I live in Chile, so working from 9 to 6 is pretty normal hours in here because we do not count lunch break as part of the 8 hours work. I leave my house around 8.30 and then I'm back by 18.30. It's not entirely bad I would say, but it definitely drains me as I usually prefer to go to bed early in order to hit the gym early morning.
Once again, thank you so much for all of the replies. I took my time and read them all. I'm sorry I couldn't reply each one of them.
Funny enough, today I'm having an awful day at work and all I want is to come back home and continue watching my girlfriend play AC Odyssey.
I have also come to understand that I'm not frustrated because of having little time to play game in comparison to last year. I'm frustrated because I'm not enjoying games as much as I used to, and that's because I have little time left that I try to rush my enjoyment and I don't always get it in a short period of time.
For example, few days ago I started Octopath Traveler and I chose the Thief guy to start with. It turns out in 30 minutes I didn't fight a single time and it was mostly lots of characters talking, so I put it down. On the next day, my girlfriend started to play too but she chose another character and she got way more fun than I did because she was thrown into battle right away. I now watch her play this from time to time instead of me starting a new game with a different character.
I will give gaming a well deserved break for a while. As of now, I will completely stop playing online competitive games because as most of you have pointed out, it's just not helpful to deal with stress. I will continue watching my girlfriend play every evening though, as I find it very relaxing. I will also start looking for something else to do; some of you pointed out model kits and that's something I have always been looking forward to and I believe this might be a good way to start.
I own a Vita and a Switch which I can use to play during breaks too. I will try some of the indie games you guys recommended.
Just to clarify though, I live in Chile, so working from 9 to 6 is pretty normal hours in here because we do not count lunch break as part of the 8 hours work. I leave my house around 8.30 and then I'm back by 18.30. It's not entirely bad I would say, but it definitely drains me as I usually prefer to go to bed early in order to hit the gym early morning.
Once again, thank you so much for all of the replies. I took my time and read them all. I'm sorry I couldn't reply each one of them.
You're describing me, except I've been like this in the past 5 years. Can't be arsed to invest any large amount of time in gaming anymore. Sometimes, rarely, when I have a couple of hours of free time, I'll install myself on the couch with controller in hand thinking I'll work on that backlog some. Then, barely half an hour later, the PS4 will have been switched off, and I'm off doing something entirely else.
I'm generally ok with having grown out of games, though. In about a year's time I'm moving to a new house with my gf. When the time comes, I doubt I'll be taking any of my entertainment collection with me, save perhaps for a few choice collector's items.
I'm generally ok with having grown out of games, though. In about a year's time I'm moving to a new house with my gf. When the time comes, I doubt I'll be taking any of my entertainment collection with me, save perhaps for a few choice collector's items.
I just cut back on other things I was doing. I've turned my daily friendships into once a week e-mails. That freed up my evenings.
Sounds normal to me. Gaming is ultimately a pointless hobby, playing 3-4 hours a day is absurd.
You're better off now.
You're better off now.
This sounds familiar, I also used to watch a lot of TV shows that everybody hyped even though I had no interest in watching.