No time/energy for games?

[MCE]

Does anybody else find that they just can't seem to find the motivation to play through games anymore? Or is it me - am I just becoming a cranky old man?

The concept of gaming still interests me, being able to escape to another world, test your skills and just flat out have fun. I still enjoy reading gaming news and reviews as shown by the fact I bother to come here.

But when it comes to actually playing the games I only bother with the "big" games and find my interest wanes well before I even get close to finishing them (which I always used to do). I have a saved game on Twilight Princess where I'm supposed to be catching some red fish (I think). I lost interest in Mario Galaxy after only 30-odd stars. The game I played most last year was probably Phantom Hourglass but even on that I didn't get close to finishing it. The thing is that I seem to enjoy the games when I start but the further in I get it feels like a chore to continue on.

When I was younger I always thought I'd never ever get sick of gaming.
Has anybody else experienced anything like this? Did your love of gaming come back? I'm guessing I'm only going to get positive responses to that since I'm posting on a gaming forum but I'd still love to hear other people's experiences.

[hudson]

I used to feed on games when I was young lad. Feeding off the 2 or 3 games I got for xmas and birthdays, with several in between. Nowadays, having money to spend, I think I've spoiled myself by getting a **** load of games per month

I do play through some in my spare time, but they have to be pretty good games. I find I prefer quick burst multiplayer games now i.e CoD4, Lost Planet and PES, for example.

I think getting older, living with my partner and working as a games tester has contributed too.

I still love games, but I just don't do the long sessions I did several years ago (when not in work).

At the moment, I'm slowly enjoying Lost Odyssey (in 1 to 2 hour or less sessions). I would of tried to do it in one sitting back in the day

[stainboy]

This happens to me if I'm going through a particularly severe depressive patch, thankfully it clears though.

In general I'm totally lost my attention span for playing one game over and over. I used to be totally fine at replaying the first levels after dying in old-skool games, setting myself new tasks to make the game more fun, etc. That'd drive me made now. But my concentration has improved on say RPGs where I have to read a lot of text. I was personally offended when I first bought a C64 game that turned out to be a text adventure

[charlesr]

My standard reply to these threads is: These threads crop up quite often.

Options:
1) Try something different e.g. get a handheld
2) Stop playing games and buy books instead until you feel the urge again
3) Go retro - makes you appreciate new games
4) Do more exercise in the time you'd normally spend gaming - healthy mind comes from healthy body

[Number45]

I get this a lot and the best way I find to get over it each time is to play something completely different, like Charles says. If I play the same sort of game over and over then I always find myself getting bored, but at the moment I completely ignore new releases (Well, I buy them I just don't play them straight away) and plan what I'm going to play to keep it fresh.

Mixing it up with something light on a handheld helps as well. Really looking forward to Patapon to provide that contrast, same for Hot Shots Golf when it lands in the west, it'll be something relaxing to fit in between more serious challenges.

[stainboy]

The handheld route really helped me the summer before last. It didn't help that I hadn't bought a new game in ages but I was feeling really fed up with all my consoles, not excited about next gen and trying to finish off games I'd had forever. I sold a bunch of stuff and bought a 2nd hand DS on here. It was wonderful! It really got me interested in new stuff again and I bought a 360 a couple months later after not looking twice at it before.

[merf]

i've found i am getting daunted by certain types of new games that feel to difficult or too 'big'

i tend to favour sports, racers and puzzlers where there is no real story arc so don't fret about not completing them or finding out what happens. also found PSN and XBLA brilliant for short burst gaming enjoyment.

its the big hyped story led releases like Halo3, Assassins Creed, COD4 (which i know is short but still not finished), think thats why i loved Mario so much, it felt compact but know its mentioned as one that you couldn't be arsed completing.

[Charlie]

I regularly grow tired of gaming and return to more perennial interests like music, literature, astronomy, taking drugs and what have you, but after a time always regain the desire to play. On a personal level I find it just too shallow a hobby to exercise and enjoy every day but I suppose the same accusation can be pointed at almost any hobby. But yeah, in moderation, I find it quite satisfying.

[J0e Musashi]

I have neither the time or the energy for gaming anymore. I wish I did, as I only get to play occasionally nowadays. It seems that when I do have the time, I have no energy, and when I have the energy I have no time. I just seem to buy games, and not play them.

Bizarely I just started a new game of Final Fantasy X International. Been playing for 1-2 hours each night since last week. I'm about 10 hours in now, and enjoying it hugely. Only bad thing is that all of my other games have been shelved, so I can concentrate on FFX.

[SuperDanX]

I feel like this a lot and for me its a time/energy issue, id much rather do something less interactive like watch a film, which i can relax with, i dont find playing very relaxing. That said i feel kinda on the verge of a resurgence of intrest in playing (time will tell) this is due to me becoming a ,shock!, horror! 'casual gamer' been playing 'path of neo' and 'from russia with love' recently which are both middle of the road, casual gaming personified, however there non demanding nature has meant playing them became a pleasure rather than the 'chore' of surviving bullet hell for example. What im trying to say is embrace the casual gamer inside you.

[MikeRox]

I just go through phases. One minute I'll be gaming constantly, then I'll not touch a single game for weeks.

[Skull Commander]

I have some days where I don't want to game, but they are few and far between. I did go through a phase when I was in my teens where I gave up 'tv gaming' for a short period of time (between my snes and ps1) where I only had a game gear, but I was soon itching to get back to owning a console.
I will always consider gaming my main hobby, but like everything else you have to balance it with other things in your life.
I do agree though as I get older I find myself going in for shorter games, and the thought of a 80 hour epic does nothing for me. Maybe thats why I like the dreamcast and snes so much.

[Concrete donkey]

I often complain to myself about similar issues. To tired to play games, don?t have the time. I can go weeks without picking up a controller. Similar to others here, I don?t find most games relaxing and find strange enjoyment from more casual games which is why I have the Wii.

But if a game hooks me in, I make the time. I can?t think of anything else but playing that game until I finish it sometimes more than once. Bioshock, Super Mario Galaxy and Mass Effect are recent examples of such games. For these I make the time, and the energy, well it comes from somewhere.

[hudson]

I just started a new game of Final Fantasy X International. Been playing for 1-2

Ha, same here. I'm doing an hour or so each night before I nod off. Only just made it to the first Blitzball game in Luca.

[The Glider]

I just go through phases. One minute I'll be gaming constantly, then I'll not touch a single game for weeks.

I'm the same. Sometimes I'll be playing games all the time & then I'll have a break where I catch up on my reading or watch a few films/dvds instead. Of course, this doesn't stop me buying games all the time...