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Always feel guilt when playing videogames these days

I don't feel guilt, but I don't enjoy it as much as I used to. It comes and goes though, so maybe it's just phase.
 
I turn 36 next month, and I enjoy games as much as I ever have. Got an NES at age 10.

I can't really say I feel guilt about my gaming. Maybe if I go overboard for a week, when a particularly exiting game comes out, I might feel bad I didn't spend as much time with my wife. But she's understanding, and I warn her when a particularly exciting game is coming out, which is only a handful of times a year.
 
Those aren't the type of women you should want to be hooking up with. You're going there to find someone compatible. That's why dating sites ask for turn-ons and turn-offs. There are plenty of women who have no problem with guys who play games at any age.

You're certainly not going to waste time with a woman who is interested in something that turns you off, right?

Women hate videogames. Never met a woman who actually likes the idea that their man sits around sometimes playing videogames
 
if its free time...whats the problem? Are you meeting your responsibilities? Plus Everyone needs some alone time.
 
Women hate videogames. Never met a woman who actually likes the idea that their man sits around sometimes playing videogames

This is completely and totally untrue. Plenty of women don't mind (or hell, like) a guy that plays video games. I've dated a few myself. They're not GAMERS, per se, but they're understanding, intelligent women that realize that my world doesn't revolve around them, and sometimes I just want to shoot some virtual dudes.
 
I think working hard and having a career is a waste of time. Life is too short to do shit you don't like.

Women hate videogames. Never met a woman who actually likes the idea that their man sits around sometimes playing videogames

I know a few that are pretty hardcore, not my gf though.
 
Women hate videogames. Never met a woman who actually likes the idea that their man sits around sometimes playing videogames

Not true, I've met around 3. I dated one, she loved mario and things like that. Mainly played PC games though.
 
One of my best gamer friends is a girl. She plays more games than most guys I know.

(also, no, she is not some sort of maladjusted super nerd. She's gorgeous, intelligent, funny, and scary-good at the games she plays regularly)
 
Im currently 29 going on 30 this July. I have been gaming all my life. I am married, starting up a new recording/music studio. I make sure that all my duties as a husband/self proprietor are completed before I touch my games. My wife seriously enjoys watching me play games as she does her work from her job on the toughbook. Of course I do not game for 10 hours at a time. She has watched me beat Mass Effect 3, Skyrim, Uncharted 3 and more.

You should only feel guilt if there is something you know needs to be done in place of what your doing which is gaming!!!!

Im not sure of your circumstances but I would say there is no reason to feel guilty. In comparison I see adults more and more playing mini games on there Ipad or Phone these days. They are filling there time with something wasteful just as movies or reading a book is. All forms of entertainment can be used to fill a void or be abused. If your doing that then it is wrong. Games are the future of entertainment.
 
I'm 24 and feel guilty when I game only because I have so many things I want to do with my life, many of which require a lot of hard work and sacrifices.

Strangely enough, I see myself having a blast playing games in my 30s so long as I secure myself financially by then. Games are a hobby just like movies and books, and I see no reason to feel ashamed indulging in a perfectly harmless hobby.
 
Yeah all the girls I know that play are good looking smart women.

My point was not that she's hot, but that there are plenty of normal, regular, totally human women that play or appreciate video games.

I'm 24 and feel guilty when I game only because I have so many things I want to do with my life, many of which require a lot of hard work and sacrifices.

Strangely enough, I see myself having a blast playing games in my 30s so long as I secure myself financially by then. Games are a hobby just like movies and books, and I see no reason to feel ashamed indulging in a perfectly harmless hobby.

Hard work and sacrifice is a must for success, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun. In fact, if you don't have fun along the way, you'll go crazy. There's no point trying to cut it out of your life. If you feel it's taking too much of a toll on your ability to succeed, then it's time to cut down a bit.
 
My argument is teh time I spend playing games is the same time most people just spend sitting in front of TV, browsing the internet, watching films etc etc

This. If anyone criticizes you for playing video games, ask them how much time they're wasting watching American Idol or Dancing with the Stars. Games, at least, are interactive and you're developing hand eye co-ordination. What do you get out of television? A couple hours of sitting passively on a chair.

It sounds like this is entirely self-inflicted guilt. If you want to do something more productive, get another hobby. Nothing's stopping you from enjoying games and other things. I like gaming, exercising and photography.



SO you literally force yourself only to read books and watch films you perceive as intelligent or mature. I really see a lot wrong with that, it's actually quite immature imo to think because you're a certain age you should act a certain way.

Yeah, this made me pause as well. Books and films are, first and foremost, an entertainment media. Though this could really just be down to a classification issue, but if you're only searching out media that's considered "intelligent" then you're probably misappropriating your time. Now, avoiding media that's considered stupid, on the other hand, isn't. I'm not going to fault anyone who doesn't have the time of day for Twilight.
 
I am 31, and i feel the opposite. I feel guilty when i do something else than play. Like, i get home from work or when i have free time, and i feel like playing some games, but then i just fuck around, read GAF, and don't play. And when i hit the bed, i'm like: "sigh, i wanted to play x or y game, but didn't"

stealth edit, the only cure i found, was to play while browsing gaf... so i have to always have my laptop nearby when i play.
 
I cherish any time I get to sit down and play. Definitely no guilt. I wish I had more time to play than I do.
 
Women hate videogames. Never met a woman who actually likes the idea that their man sits around sometimes playing videogames
I am a woman who not only loves video games, I also never wanted to be with any guys who didn't at least have a passing interest in them.
 
Feeling guilt over playing video games sounds just painful. If it doesn't hurt anyone never feel guilty about enjoying yourself. Life is too short.
 
edit. At the risk of turning this into some misogynist debate (please don't get me banned GAF), does anyone feel this is a bit of a guilt created by some women? Who deem it to be undesirable, unattractive for men of this age to be playing games. I often see it as a turn off on a well known dating website.

My girlfriend is pretty reasonable about videogames, like she doesn't give me shit for having a 360, PS3, PC, etc., and she doesn't give me crap about playing in general... but let's say that she went shopping for 6 - 8 hours one day, with her girlfriends, to a mall. I'd be perfectly okay with it, I'd be happy she's out doing shit having a good time, don't care if I'm not involved. However, if I happened to play videogames for 6 - 8 hours in a day and she found out about it... Or like I didn't do something else and did that instead, we'd have a talk.

ONCE in a while she'll give me flack for playing Skyrim or something, but I've long maintained, the day she gives up trash TV (she watches every Kardashians, Texas Housewives, JErsey show, etc) is the day I give up videogames.

Women hate videogames. Never met a woman who actually likes the idea that their man sits around sometimes playing videogames

This will probably get a lot of "my gf doesn't mind," "I'm a woman and I love them" replies, but I find this much more typical -- at least of the women that I date and prefer to date. My GF's have always tolerated my ownership of games and I never hide that I love videogames, but it's always something considered sort of laughable if I'm doing it... Like if she goes out with her girlfriends, she'll make fun of me for playing videogames to them. But, like, if I went out with my friends and she stayed home watching movies, painting her nails, and doing stuff like that, I'd be like hell yeah, supportive of it.
 
I only feel guilty if I am procrastinating on doing something else that needs to be done. But I would feel that same guilt if I was doing any leisure activity.

I am also 30, but also married. My wife is fine with my gaming habits (as long as I am not blowing off household duties), and will often participate by watching with me or playing co-op. I don't care what anyone else thinks.
 
Anyone here in their 30s and always feel guilty when playing videogames? Not sure what it is, maybe social pressure, maybe I care too much what people think of me. For example last night I didn't feel like going out so I stayed in and played some Gears 3 online. I had some great games and had some fun but when I was done all I felt was guilt, like I wasted my night. I feel this way all the time now. Is this just a sign of getting older? I really do enjoy playing games but I feel like I'm not supposed to or something.

Depends really, are you single still? Are all your friends still doing the bar scene? Are you having trouble meeting women through your social cirlces? If so, going out and socializing would be better if you're looking for a mate. Nothing wrong with gaming, but if you're in your 30s with and stuck in the a similar female rut you were in during you 20s ... perhaps its time to reevaluate were you spend your time.

For me, I'm 32 .. married with a child and another on the way. I game more now than when I was a teenager. I play everyday for 3 or so hours after the house goes quite and life is great. I have a friend who is 32, single, wants to have a gf/wife and start growing up. Problem is, he turns down every chance he gets to go out, meet women etc.. to play video games. Nothing wrong per say, but um ... he's still making the same mistakes he did 10 years ago and is not making progress towards his goal of finding a woman.
 
Depends really, are you single still? Are all your friends still doing the bar scene? Are you having trouble meeting women through your social cirlces? If so, going out and socializing would be better if you're looking for a mate. Nothing wrong with gaming, but if you're in your 30s with and stuck in the a similar female rut you were in during you 20s ... perhaps its time to reevaluate were you spend your time.

Let's be fair. If he's having trouble meeting women in his social circles, playing less games isn't going to make it easier. He needs to make major changes to his entire life (not just his gaming habits) to meet potential mates.

it's almost as if women are people, too!

Oh my god, you might be on to something.
 
I'm 34, married, with one kid (5 years old). My wife accepts my gaming hobby, and I've even gotten her into games like Morrowind, Civ 4, Dragon Quest, and Harvest Moon/Rune Factory. I don't have an issue with guilt.

What I do have is a lot of frustration because the games I like to play aren't suitable for a 5-year old to watch/play. Games used to have settings for things like that, but apparently there's no room in the budget for a bleep filter. I'm less concerned about blood & guts than learning offensive language while he's still in "repeat everything he hears" mode.
 
Do you have something that you should be doing first, before playing video games?

I feel kind of guilty if I neglect to do my laundry that I meant to that day or something.

A ton of homework, mainly from my Unix class. Oh that makes me feel guilty. But like someone else said, it's a hobby, enjoy it. Sure you could go out but if you go out and not have that good of a time, then why did you go out?

I'm 34, married, with one kid (5 years old). My wife accepts my gaming hobby, and I've even gotten her into games like Morrowind, Civ 4, Dragon Quest, and Harvest Moon/Rune Factory. I don't have an issue with guilt.

What I do have is a lot of frustration because the games I like to play aren't suitable for a 5-year old to watch/play. Games used to have settings for things like that, but apparently there's no room in the budget for a bleep filter. I'm less concerned about blood & guts than learning offensive language while he's still in "repeat everything he hears" mode.

This I understand all too well. Bought a friend of mine an N64 for her birthday (she really wanted one) and her two kids love to play Mortal Kombat Trilogy (their father's and my favorite MK). The blood and guts don't bother us because we teach them the difference between fantasy and reality, but cussing is a different story as sometimes when they lose, they let things slip.
 
the "Women hate it when their men play videogames" thing is usually related to their man's choice of gaming time over domestic duties, rather than act of playing games itself. If your girlfriend or wife gets pissed when you choose to play a game at around the same time that she would choose to watch TV or read (aka leisure time), you chose wrong.

I am sure that I will have less time for gaming when we finally have kids, but right now, I typically have free reign to play games after 8-9pm or so (depends on when I get home in the afternoon), and for one of the two days on the weekend if we don't have obligations. Of course, sometimes I am extra busy with work stuff, or don't have the urge to play a game, so my actual gaming time per week probably averages between 5-10 hours. Some weeks less, some weeks more.
 
Yeah, this made me pause as well. Books and films are, first and foremost, an entertainment media. Though this could really just be down to a classification issue, but if you're only searching out media that's considered "intelligent" then you're probably misappropriating your time. Now, avoiding media that's considered stupid, on the other hand, isn't. I'm not going to fault anyone who doesn't have the time of day for Twilight.

As I said, I enjoy stuff that pushes boundaries, I like to have knowledge of the canon. I like things that have something to say. I don't know why there's something wrong with me using Ebert's great movie list as a guide rather than the IMDB top 100 or whatever. I'm basically saying that most game developers seem content with making populist pulp and that's fine, but I'd rather read a penguin classic or watch a Charlie Kaufman movie. I don't want to always have to turn my brain off when I'm entertained.

Edit: reading about game design and theory is almost as interesting as playing the games themselves these days.
 
I feel similar. Whenever I play games I feel like I'm wasting my time and should be doing something more productive like leaning to use SAS. Strangely enough I don't get that feeling while browsing GAF. The mind is a crazy thing.
 
the "Women hate it when their men play videogames" thing is usually related to their man's choice of gaming time over domestic duties, rather than act of playing games itself. If your girlfriend or wife gets pissed when you choose to play a game at around the same time that she would choose to watch TV or read (aka leisure time), you chose wrong.

I am sure that I will have less time for gaming when we finally have kids, but right now, I typically have free reign to play games after 8-9pm or so (depends on when I get home in the afternoon), and for one of the two days on the weekend if we don't have obligations. Of course, sometimes I am extra busy with work stuff, or don't have the urge to play a game, so my actual gaming time per week probably averages between 5-10 hours. Some weeks less, some weeks more.

Only one TV in the house? Amateur mistake. There's no reason not to have a dedicated video gaming TV, so your SO can watch whatever they want without interrupting you, and vice versa.
 
I feel similar. Whenever I play games I feel like I'm wasting my time and should be doing something more productive like leaning to use SAS. Strangely enough I don't get that feeling while browsing GAF. The mind is a crazy thing.

i think it's because browsing the web is "passive"; you could be doing something else at any moment without an issue. gaming is much more interactive, so you're actually focusing on it and "doing" something.
 
Anyone here in their 30s and always feel guilty when playing videogames? Not sure what it is, maybe social pressure, maybe I care too much what people think of me. For example last night I didn't feel like going out so I stayed in and played some Gears 3 online. I had some great games and had some fun but when I was done all I felt was guilt, like I wasted my night. I feel this way all the time now. Is this just a sign of getting older? I really do enjoy playing games but I feel like I'm not supposed to or something.

Sort your life out, mate. Or get better parents who don't deride your gaming.
 
i think it's because browsing the web is "passive"; you could be doing something else at any moment without an issue. gaming is much more interactive, so you're actually focusing on it and "doing" something.

Shouldn't he feel the opposite then? Shouldn't a passive activity make him feel MORE guilty?
 
I don't feel guilt, but as a grow older I find games to be less satisfying. Beat a boss, get #1 in multiplayer, earn an Achievement - yawn, boring, boring. I used to play for hours, but now all I see are gaming cliches that bore me to tears and I quit after about an hour.
 
Shouldn't he feel the opposite then? Shouldn't a passive activity make him feel MORE guilty?

well, with a passive activity, at any moment you can get up and go do something else. you're not quite as invested. in the end, of course, you're still wasting time just the same. ;p
 
I don't feel guilt, but as a grow older I find games to be less satisfying. Beat a boss, get #1 in multiplayer, earn an Achievement - yawn, boring, boring. I used to play for hours, but now all I see are gaming cliches that bore me to tears and I quit after about an hour.

Get into art games.
 
Same sentiment here. Always feel like I could use the time for something better.

But then even if I don't play video games, I end up wasting my time here in GAF. :(
 
Sort your life out, mate. Or get better parents who don't deride your gaming.

Well I do live with my mother still but got a new job which I commute 1hr to every day so have postponed where I want to move to. Plus I wanted to save enough to maybe buy something rather than renting my life away. Fuck I think I just need to get away from my mother
 
well, with a passive activity, at any moment you can get up and go do something else. you're not quite as invested. in the end, of course, you're still wasting time just the same. ;p

I guess I feel more guilty doing something passive, because I can't even say "well, at least I'm doing SOMETHING."

Well I do live with my mother still but got a new job which I commute 1hr to every day so have postponed where I want to move to. Plus I wanted to save enough to maybe buy something rather than renting my life away. Fuck I think I just need to get away from my mother

I lived with my mom for a year after I moved back from Japan because the job market tanked right as I arrived back in the states, so I know how it is. All the same, you need to get your life in order. Instead of what people think about your game playing habits, do something about it. Go be more productive. Your guilt sounds like it stems for the fact that you haven't accomplished what you feel you should by your age, and gaming is only making it worse.

I don't feel guilt, but as a grow older I find games to be less satisfying. Beat a boss, get #1 in multiplayer, earn an Achievement - yawn, boring, boring. I used to play for hours, but now all I see are gaming cliches that bore me to tears and I quit after about an hour.

Stop playing games for a while. Sounds like you play too much. Get some other hobbies. Go outside. Meet some new people. Then return to gaming in a few months, and see how you feel.
 
Shouldn't he feel the opposite then? Shouldn't a passive activity make him feel MORE guilty?

No, because he's made the active choice to do something that's not productive, he's shunned it rather than just ignored it. I do it all the time, Coachella has fucked up the assignment I was meant to be doing :p
 
No guilt, but it does make me feel irresponsible at times. I guess it has to do that it's a form of escapism and that there's real life stuff/issues I don't want to deal with.
 
I am 31, and i feel the opposite. I feel guilty when i do something else than play. Like, i get home from work or when i have free time, and i feel like playing some games, but then i just fuck around, read GAF, and don't play. And when i hit the bed, i'm like: "sigh, i wanted to play x or y game, but didn't"

stealth edit, the only cure i found, was to play while browsing gaf... so i have to always have my laptop nearby when i play.

This exactly. That's why I always have either two laptops going at once upstairs, or bring a laptop down to use with my desktop downstairs. If I don't, I"ll read Gaf and Foh all night when I get home from work and never actually play anything, and then feel guilty about wasting my game time.
 
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