Growing Out of Gaming?

[Kriven]

I had mentioned this earlier in the "Currently Playing" thread, but I thought it might be something which warrents its own discussion.

So, not even recently, but since maybe last... May or so, I've been having a hard time sitting down and actually playing games. I went through a couple week spurt of Klonoa and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 obsessions, and Tatsunoko vs Capcom held me captie for about three days, but in the general scope of things, I really don't seem to be able to sit down and game anymore.

To be honest, I feel like I'm wasting time. Every time I pop a game into the system, my mind floods with all of the things I could possibly be doing with that time. I could be out hiking, or I could be finishing my novel, or I could just be doing pretty much anything else. I just feel like sitting there pushing buttons is completely wasting my life, and as a result, I can't do it for more than maybe twenty minutes. Even though I really want to.

There are so many games I really want to play. I have a pile of them sitting in my room, all wrapped up in their nice new cellophane, and they're there because I really, really want to play them. But when the time comes I just can't seem to sit down and do that. Does anybody here remember how stoked I was when I finally got my hands on Xenosaga? How I praised the combat, the characters, the setting? I've only played the thing for eight or nine hours, and it's been... I dunno, maybe six months?

I still love games, or at least the idea of games. And I still love thinking about making games, desiging and constructing rules and worlds. It's just not something I feel like I can sit down and enjoy for a lengthy period though.

I don't know. Is anybody else going through this? Maybe it's just a part of getting older?

[toby]

I've definitely found my time devoted to be reduced, but I'm not sure if that's because I have more stuff to do or what. I still love playing halo, but the challenges each day present continual achievement - you play a campaign once and have nothing left to do, but you can keep reaching to new goals there. I'll never stop playing (I think), but my playtime is falling for sure.

[NinjaElephant]

[toby]

Nate where the hell is that like button?

[Lost]

Honestly, I hardly ever play video games anymore. I feel like I'm completely wasting my time. There are so many things I could -and should- be doing. Hiking, swimming, being in nature, reading, writing, spending time with friends: these things are all so much more important than pressing buttons. What is there to gain from videogames? Hacking and slashing, killing zombies, shooting people's heads off. What value is there? Even puzzle games such as portal I find minimally intellectually stimulating.

Games have been incredibly boring for me. I can't play them for more than an hour without being bored out of my mind. I feel like I should be reading books, getting to know my friends, doing research or getting in touch with myself and my spirituality.

That's not to say I can't enjoy videogames. I can enjoy something new for a few hours. And a bit longer if I can play with friends. However, there are things I would much rather be doing. Looking back, I feel terrible knowing that I wasted about a year of my lifetime playing videogames. It could have been much better spent.

[toby]

Go become awesome at tetris, then talk to me about mentally stimulating. There's plenty to be gained from video games; I wrote a paper on it last year.

EDIT: I had to toss this excerpt from my paper in here:

"according to the Associated Press, in an article by Verena Dobnik, 'Researchers found that doctors who spent at least three hours a week playing video games made about 37% fewer mistakes in laparoscopic surgery and performed the task 27% faster than their counterparts who did not play.' So who would you want to be your surgeon?"

Read more: thewriteclub.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=prose&action=display&thread=76#ixzz1EdIBzbum

[NinjaElephant]

Well, this topic makes me feel like a loser. For playing video games. For good chunks of days. On a regular basis. Well. TO THE CRYING CORNER!

To be honest, I don't see something wrong with playing video games. I think about it, and it is HUGE plot fuel for me, as well as research fuel. I mean, just playing Assassin's creed had me thirsting about the time period, and I don't think I would be the writer I am without them. To each his own I suppose, but they still thrill me to play. It might also be because it's one of the competitive things that I'm actually good at, so I get to feel good about winning something. Sure, there are other things I could be doing, but I still do those. I see my friends all the time, I write when I hit inspiration, and I just finished The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. I don't hike, but that's more physique based than video games based. And before someone goes into the whole "are you fat because of video games", I will say no, I am fat because of my poor metabolism, my general dislike for solo-exercise, and my inability to play team sports. Anywho, I don't find video games worthless, nor a waste of my time. That is all.

[Kriven]

As far as videogames being a waste of time goes, I'm not really sure. It's a form of entertainment for many people, and life is really nothing more than the pursuit of entertainment. If it amuses you, I'm not going to belittle you for doing it. It's certainly a hobby and activity, much like hiking could be. So long as you're getting something entertaining out of it, videogames hold some merit.

[Scotty]

Video games, for me, are more of a pass-time now than a hobby, as they used to be. Sitting down with friends and gaming is still one of my favorite things to do, but activity is just so much more stimulating now. Perhaps its not so much as growing out of gaming, but more of too much of a good thing. I still get excited by the thought that a new game is coming out, continuing the stories started by the oder games. For me, games are also more noticed as story-telling mediums.

TV shows don't really cut it for me anymore, I lose interest and usually do not continue the series. Movies are also great story telling techniques, but the story cannot be too long or else viewers won't pay attention and as a result, the movie lacks detail and sometimes. This is one of the reasons I still play video games, the thought of the creator being able to put you in the middle of a story and give you so much opportunity for details. (Remember as I think about this, I just played through Mass Effect lol) I still do read books, but the problem with that is that it is sometimes hard to find someone who I can talk about the book with, so the full experience lacks, in a way.

Another reason I continue to play is because it actually inspires me to write and be creative. Some ideas in video games, i want to warp into my own and see what I can do with them in my fictional universe.

The downside: I enjoy being outside so much more than inside. I feel like I'm missing out on the world when I get wrapped up in a video game. The rest of the world seems to be separate from me and I am detached (not always a bad thing). I do feel lazy if I play through a 30 hour game in 2 or 3 days (in my defense, I was sick).

When there is not much else to do, Video Games are enjoyable for me. I have noticed a drop in interest though, but I'll probably still keep gaming for a while, buying preowned RPGs to satisfy my storytelling needs, the newest game from The Behemoth for the pure entertainment, and the latest Halo game to play with friends.

[toby]

Oh yes, the outside is fantastic. When it's not 15 degrees with 30mph winds. I'll stay in my nice, warm room until it warms up a bit, danke.

Kriven likes this.

[Dr.lightbulb]

I think this is beacuse we get bored with what is coming out.

Battlefield Bad Company 3 oh ya another mindless military shooter set in *SPOILERS* iraq or russia

Dead Island oh ya another zombie survivel on a island full of *SPOILERS* zombies

Two Worlds 2 oh ya another fantasy game where you fight *SPOILERS* a evil shadow guy

Marvel Vs Capcom 3 oh ya another fighting game with *SPOILERS* jill valentine as a dlc

You catch my drift?

[Kriven]

But wait...

Jill has never been DLC in a fighter before, so i fail to see what you're getting at there.
Dead Island actually looked like it was going to be heart wrenching, if it isn't creative in terms of gameplay, so that makes it a little spicier.

Most other games, however, appear to be cardboard built out of the same engine.

[Dr.lightbulb]

Ok, I did fumble on that one but did you see the pictures for dead island? There is this huge hulking dude in a stratejacket that I think will resembles a tank.
But ya I see what you are trying to get at.