Goodbye Gaming

[vertigo]

I don't believe that gaming is at its best at the moment, I much preferred the 16 bit days.

Yeh, recently I got bored with what I thought was gaming, but it wasn't. I had got bored with the generic crap that we're being spoon-fed day in and day out. As a result, I haven't bought anything new full price for about a year, I've played my XBox probably twice this year and have been having much more fun and joy from my Megadrive and SNES and, to a lesser degree, Gamecube exclusive stuff.
Advice to original poster: Put aside all your new stuff for a bit and play something old and attractive (wahey!) that you never had a chance to get into. Don't play something that you've already finished though, coz it might not help.
Either that or take a week off.
Don't go so drastic as to sell everything though, you might regret it.

[Concept]

Very good point.

In my case, I find myself not as interested in gaming as I used to be mainly because I have other interests in my life. In the few hours I have when I'm not working or sleeping, I find myself watching anime - the only thing I ever loved more than gaming.
Of course, I do play the odd new game and enjoy them loads - RE4 for example, and heck even Burnout Revenge, but I think my desire to play the latest new games isn't as strong as some simply because I have other things in my life. Not stopped me from preordering a 360 mind.
I still love games... but whereas I'd hessitate to buy X new game without playing a demo first (unless I was sure I wanted it), I'd more open to blind buying with anime.

Anyone else here who feel they are loosing interest in gaming find that it's more of a case of a growing interest in other things? Or maybe just other things in your life taking priority of your attention?

I know what you're saying - I'm the same in a way.

It's not interest in other media (though I love books, films and music, gaming will always be my focus) that distracts me but usually my own motivation and willpower. I generally only tend to target the true high quality material these days (not necessarily popular). The great games as opposed to the good. Though it's harsh, life's too short.

As for losing interest... all it takes is one title to bring me back, even during the dark spells when I can't find anything that I can really look forward to gaming-wise.

What keeps you coming back?

[sj33]

I suppose there's many factors...
Force of habbit is the main one, I've been playing games since I was 4, so it's something I've always done.
Another thing is that games come along that are truely great, games which make me want to actually sit down and play them.
I think that's the main thing... these days, I almost feel like I'm forcing myself to play some games, because I know they are great games that I should be playing. It's a bad sign if I feel forced...
There are select few cases where I, for some reason, feel more enthusiastic towards a title... RE4 is the most recent example.
Other times, I'll just be playing a game because I feel like I should be playing it, which is where I should probably rethink things.

I'm sure I'd play more, time permitting... but that's exactly what I lack - time. I work 6 nights a week, 10 hours a night, I get little time I can really spend to leasure... so priorities come to play, and suprisingly I automatically turn to anime.

Might be because I know I can't get stuck into a decent console RPG like I'd love to. *shrugs* It's not even a case of me not liking games anymore, I love games... it really strikes me as suprising that it's not my priority anymore.

[vertigo]

I think another problem comes when you try to play too many games at once.
Putting them all to one side and playing just one and devoting all your energy to it is probably the way to go here, sod what everyone else is playing.
The only exception would probably be to have one console game on the go as well as a handheld one, for on the bog or travelling to work.

[JimmyShimmy]

I fear it's part of growing up. I do not play games with the same enthusiasm. I have a whole bucket load I have not completed and seem to not have any desire to do so.

They just don't enchant me like they used to.

Now I believe this is largely down to the old 'been there done that' syndrome. Beyond their appearance Games do not greatly differ and real revolutions in the industry have been few n' far between.

Games can still be fun, but I have concluded my gaming peak was when I was a 13 year old kid being amazed at every turn by OOT. That feeling and nostalgia trip can never be duplicated. P4P it introduced me to so many new things when I was still fairly young.

WW cannot hold a candle to OOT if you played the prior first.

[MartyG]

I fear it's part of growing up. I do not play games with the same enthusiasm. I have a whole bucket load I have not completed and seem to not have any desire to do so.

They just don't enchant me like they used to.

Then I guess I must be Peter Pan. My interest in games hasn't wavered since I was ten, playing Flight Sim on the ZX81.

There are some games even now that have made me get up at 5am, just so I can have a quick play before I have to go to work.

More games, more expansive gaming universes and experiences, more choice. We have gaming in the home now that could only be dreamed about by owning an arcade. I'm still loving it 20+ years on, and I'll be playing games in my 70s, arthritis and senility be dammed.

[markgreyam]

Then I guess I must be Peter Pan. My interest in games hasn't wavered since I was ten, playing Flight Sim on the ZX81.

There are some games even now that have made me get up at 5am, just so I can have a quick play before I have to go to work.

More games, more expansive gaming universes and experiences, more choice. We have gaming in the home now that could only be dreamed about by owning an arcade. I'm still loving it 20+ years on, and I'll be playing games in my 70s, arthritis and senility be dammed.

i have to agree with this. my only concern of late is that i'll get home and start a game and suddenly it will be bed time. when you hate your job with a passion that start to play on your mind and you find yourself stopping at the next save point instead of playing for another hour. once i get a job i dont mind again, look out gaming, here i come.

[hankwangford]

i have to agree with this. my only concern of late is that i'll get home and start a game and suddenly it will be bed time. when you hate your job with a passion that start to play on your mind and you find yourself stopping at the next save point instead of playing for another hour. once i get a job i dont mind again, look out gaming, here i come.

**** me, that's so true. I have the same problem, and it's not that I'm going off games - in fact over the past 2-3 years I've played more games than any other period in my life, but when other things get in the way and wreck your head, the pastimes suffer. When I get home all I want to do is go on XBL for a while or go to bed.

You just have to carefully eliminate the negative factors. Which is easier said than done.

[FelixofMars]

It does seem to be a case of being spoil for choice but there being too much average AAA titles, there seems to be one every week, but in most cases they seem to be more and more boring soulless lifeless affairs, without any of the things promised, truly delivered, and no fresh experience. For example Black and White 2, not saying it was soulless as it was still enjoyable but it didn't deliver on it promise and although fixing issues from the original added a bunch of new problems.

This is part of why my love for games is dwindling of late, too little has been done to improve a good existing title or to create a fresh new experience, the games industry is stagnant with film licenses and poorly executed sequels, dark days for sure. I think I have said before there is only so many poor cash ins you can do before people get bored.

[marc^o^]

Same feeling. Revolution is what will keep me playing though. I'm pretty sure it will bring fresh new experiences that I'll be able to share with my wife and 30 years old friends.

[capcom_suicide]

I liked Il Postino's comments. For lots of us 30 somethings, we have been playing since the 8 bit days, well really from the dawn of commerical video gaming. But we also have had large changes to our lives in this time.

I'd think nothing of spending all weekend finishing Zelda OOT when I was free and single, but now heres a typical day:

06.30 Wake Up, Shower, Get Toddler ready for Nursery
07.15 Drive toddler to Nursery, then on to my job
16:00 Finish work, collect toddler
16:45 Arrive home. Make dinner
17:30 Wife arrives home, eat together as a family
18:00 "Play Time" with kid
19:00 "Bath Time" for kid
19:45 "Quiet Time" for kid, milk, Teletubbies and chillout
20.00 Kids bed time
20.00 Chat with wife, glass of Red, catch up
**22.00 Try and squeeze a quick game of BF2/FEAR/HL2
23:30 Bed

** If wife has something to entertain her on TV.

And in Norway we have it good! (Finsih work so early)

So best case during the week, I get 1.5 hours of knackered time to play a game, which will be intterupted constantly by the kid waking up, or the wife wanting help with something. (You know, shelves to put up, walls to paint, plants to plant etc etc)

This environment is not condusive to playing games anymore.

Of course I get a "Gaming night" in once in a while, but this situation leads itslef to me wanting to play FPS & Online FPS, as these offer eye candy and can be done in "Little chunks"

On the consoles, the game of 2005 for me was RE4, that was PERFECT! Small 1 hour sessions for some weeks. Perfect.

So now we are all grown up we can afford the consoles and games, but don't have the time and energy to play them!

Others may have it easier, but that's how it is for me.

/C_S vbmenu_register("postmenu_646551", true); vbmenu_register("postmenu_646551", true);

[Kotatsu Neko]

You finish work at 4pm!

I finish at 8pm, and I start at 8:30am.

The joys of the video game industry.

[capcom_suicide]

You finish work at 4pm!

I finish at 8pm, and I start at 8:30am.

The joys of the video game industry.

I don't think I could have done the family thing back in London, so that was a big factor in moving to Norway.

Its a 15:30 finish in summer time too. 8)

Rains a lot though, and is not for folk who need sunshine.....

If I got home at 20.00, then I would miss out on my cool little girl growing up. I wasn't prepared to do that, and the wife is a norgey, so it made sense.
/C_S

[vertigo]

Rains a lot though, and is not for folk who need sunshine.....

But the women, aaah the women. As you well know.

Yeh to the original poster, it's just a little boredom. Play something different, not necessarily something new.

[muse hunter]

i'm loving gaming at the moment, recently got rid of alot of the pal pap that was filling my collection. I brought only this week a crystal xbox and a DS and i'm loving every moment of it, fable the lost chapters, jet set radio future, dead or alive ultimate, nintendogs, and drill spirits are taking all of my time up. So i''ve only got little over 20 games and 3 formats so far but so what? that is the result of my huge clean up, going to get a jap ps2 soon but i'll wait till i finish most of the games i've got so far. If you feel dissillusioned with gaming you should do what i did and have a huge clean out of games and systems you don't want/need and start again.