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Ex-gaming-age: what do you think of videogames now?

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P

Prez

Member
Guess this belongs in offtopic because ex-gamers don't often check the gaming forum anymore.

I used to be obsessed with videogames for 6+ years. Gaming was my life. In the end I had over 100 games. Then suddenly I decided to quit and sell all of it. A year later I bought a Wii for the second time because I got bored sometimes. I enjoyed it, a few months later I sold it again and that was it. It's been over 3 years and I haven't looked back. The only game I played in the past 3 years was Tetris.

Now I consider videogames pretty much the same as television: a waste of time. I look back at my time as a gamer and I haven't accomplished any personal development during that time (edit: to be clear, I blame the obsession, not videogames in general). It's been 3 years since I quit and my whole life has changed. My friends and family tell me I am a completely different person now.

Though I Have to admit I still follow E3 every year (Nintendo only). I have no idea why.

Anyone else here who has quit gaming altogether? Has it changed you and how do you view videogames now?
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
Anyone else here who has quit gaming altogether? Has it changed you and how do you view videogames now?
Click to expand...
Nope.

I find myself playing less games though. I'm trying to reverse this. I seem to be collecting games and not playing them.
 
Q

Qwomo

Junior Member
I'll probably stop playing video games in a year or two because I need to get my shit together.

But for now they're my LIFEBLOOD.
 
S

SpectreFire

Member
I still play video games. It's a fun hobby and there's plenty of games I want to play.

Although I'm annoyed by people who make video games out to be a bad influence in their lives that's stunted their development. No, video games didn't make you anti-social, you made yourself anti-social. Plenty of people who play games have healthy, fully meaningful lives.
 
C

Chuck (Old)

Banned
I only play CoD games these days. I couldn't care less about video games for the most part.

Like many others, came for the games, stayed for the OT.
 
C

Casp0r

Banned
I'm a gamer in hibernation ... just waiting for this fucking generation of limited RAM, awful aliasing, DLC $$$$$$$$ DLC $$$$$$$$$$$$ DLC, linear, scripted, terrible ports and total lack of imagination to end and for games that do something new, and not just give me the same crap just wrapped up in a new shitty story, to come along.
 
T

toxicgonzo

Taxes?! Isn't this the line for Metallica?
The game had better be reallllly good, and my friends better be playing too, otherwise I have a hard time getting into it.
 
P

Prez

Member
SpectreFire said:
I still play video games. It's a fun hobby and there's plenty of games I want to play.

Although I'm annoyed by people who make video games out to be a bad influence in their lives that's stunted their development. No, video games didn't make you anti-social, you made yourself anti-social. Plenty of people who play games have healthy, fully meaningful lives.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know. I blame the obsession really. Moderation is key.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Still game, but much, much less than before. I'm still stoked about ME3 and Skyrim. I focus on 4 to 5 games of year now, instead of 10 to 15 as before. But I will never stop gaming.
 
H

HylianTom

Banned
I'm 33, and I've pretty much stopped, except for a very small list of titles:
- the Zelda series
- the Elder Scrolls series
- the Mario series
- the Civilization series
- the main Might & Magic series (mostly 6 through 9)

I don't like much of mainstream gaming media. It's disgusting. I don't know a nice way to type about it, so I'm just going to shut-up on that topic before going any further.

That's all I ever play any more, and nowadays I don't play that much because we're so busy with other items on the agenda. I've long resolved that once the move is over, once the house has been built, I'm going to slow down at work and play more. And I'll still take a few days off of work when a new Zelda game comes out. But that period of my life where I play 60 hours each week? That's pretty much over.

Kinda sad, now that I've typed it out.
 
L

lethial

Reeeeeeee
It's not the end of the world if you play less games the older you get. Taste changes, hobbies change, people change. Who cares? Nobody has a gun to your head demanding you play the latest video game. People take games way too seriously and it's pathetic that some of their lives revolve around it.
 
P

plasticpassion

Member
I play less than I used to, but I still don't think they're a waste of time or inhibit any kind of social development. It seems kind of arrogant to assume that something not involving a TV isn't a waste of time. Pretty much whatever you find enjoyment in is worth it and is not wasting your time (aside from obviously harmful things). Your life is what you make it.
 
I

Incognito

Troll
back when i first started posting at GAF back in 2000 my dream was to work at RareWare. i obsessed over e3 and big game releases. hell, i remember when the OT was created -- i was aghast. who the hell would to talk about anything other than videogames? was my thinking. slowly but surely i grew up at now regard the gaming-forum as some of cruel humanity experiment. as for the act of playing videogames, i still fire up the x360 every once in awhile, but only if friends are on for say, call of duty. otherwise, i don't play alone anymore.
 
N

Noirulus

Member
I'm not terribly interested in video games at the moment, haven't played a game in a year or so except for occasional sports games. but it will be very nice to have a nice backlog to look forward to when I get into it again.
 
P

Pastry

Banned
Stabbie said:
22
Click to expand...
I'm pretty much the same as you then. I'm
23 now and pretty much quit gaming around my junior year of college. Now I don't play consoles at all due to real life commitments (friends, work, girlfriend, my family). I do play a ton of iOS games though! I love iOS as a gaming platform, the only times I visit the gaming side now are to see what is going on in the iOS gaming thread.
 
D

dc89

Member
I'm also 22 but unlike OP I have not quit and have no plans on doing so.

I enjoy games, maybe a bit too much at times. I balance my game time with work and stuff, I also have a GF who has no problem with games and I play football (soccer) weekly so it's all good.
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
I play less than I used to. I think it has to do with my schedule and tastes changing over time. I don't think I'll stop cold turkey though.
 
S

SpectreFire

Member
Stabbie said:
Yeah, I know. I blame the obsession really. Moderation is key.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Video game is no different than any other forms of entertainment. Reading, sports, drinking, etc etc. Keep everything in check, and it'll all be fine.

For me though, I don't find myself playing games like shooters or action games that much anymore. I don't really care about Mario or any of that. The only games I now are story-based games. Stuff like LA Noire, Mass Effect, Assassins Creed. Something with a good solid narrative that'll keep me in that world.
 
G

Gamecocks625

Member
I just game here and there on iOS stuff. My console days are over.

Although every year when a new FIFA or NCAA/Madden come out, I get the itch.
 
D

Darklord

Banned
I'm still into gaming but generally play less. Mainly because of how boring the industry has become. Shooter after shooter, shitty motion controls, a thousand sequels, very little mod support, dumbed down, lack of creativity. I find myself completely unexcited by Gears or Uncharted or CoD now. I can't wait for Skyrim though.
 
Pollux

Pollux

Member
Chuck said:
I only play CoD games these days. I couldn't care less about video games for the most part.

Like many others, came for the games, stayed for the OT.
Click to expand...


Yes...lets get that on a shirt.
 
E

Emily Chu

Banned
24, I stopped a year ago somewhere in 2009 - 2010

I don't own a single game or game console these days.
I check the Gaming GAF like once a week or so now.
My entertainment has changed to Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, Pandora, Streaming Porn Sites, Off-Topic GAF etc

I could play the latest shooter, but it feels as most of them are "been there, done that before"
and the online portion is just a bunch of screaming 12yr old freaks.
TL:DR Getting old

The only game I'm sort of looking forward to are MGS HD collection (play it on my younger bros 360) and BF3.

and it's not even day one like 20$ and 7 months later for both
 
S

Stephen Stills

Member
Darklord said:
I'm still into gaming but generally play less. Mainly because of how boring the industry has become. Shooter after shooter, shitty motion controls, a thousand sequels, very little mod support, dumbed down, lack of creativity. I find myself completely unexcited by Gears or Uncharted or CoD now. I can't wait for Skyrim though.
Click to expand...
I feel exactly the same way, modern gaming has really lost me. However, rather than playing less I find myself playing retro games I missed the first time round. I've played loads of wonderful Saturn, Dreamcast and Neo-Geo games in the last few years that I had no chance of ever playing back in the day. Not to mention all the hundreds of great SNES, NES and Genesis games I've yet to get around to.
 
F

Fenderputty

Banned
I'm playing through Batman Arkham Asylum right now and am sad because it's making me want the new one. HAHAH

I still play games. Just not as often or as much. I would say I game about 5 hours a week now. Maybe a little more every now and then depending on the game or, how busy my life is maybe even less.

I almost never venture onto the gaming side. Shit is way too scary serious over there.

I'm 31 for reference.
 
B

B!TCH

how are you, B!TCH? How is your day going, B!ITCH?
They're alright. I just want to play Virtua Fighter, but I fucking hate Sega so much :cries.
 
A

Admiral Bone to Pick

Banned
I still play games but I find myself less fascinated and enthralled by them. I recently bought and played Assassin's Creed 2 and Mass Effect 2, and while they were great games, I never felt like I was having as much fun with them as I had with other games (even their predecessors). This generation has been great, but there have been so many disappointments (from Brawl to Starcraft II). And no one is making good JRPGs anymore. I'd give anything for another great Paper Mario or Final Fantasy game.

Especially Paper Mario. Damn that series used to be great.

The Gaming side can get pretty awful. There are posters I know from OT who are perfectly nice and supportive, but become condescending as hell when talking about videogames.

I'll still probably play Gears 3 and Modern Warfare 3 a lot, but otherwise, my gaming will be saved for good ol' summer boredom.
 
A

Andrew.

Banned
Stephen Stills said:
I feel exactly the same way, modern gaming has really lost me. However, rather than playing less I find myself playing retro games I missed the first time round. I've played loads of wonderful Saturn, Dreamcast and Neo-Geo games in the last few years that I had no chance of ever playing back in the day. Not to mention all the hundreds of great SNES, NES and Genesis games I've yet to get around to.
Click to expand...

Right there with ya. I found myself getting lost in some of the old classics i had missed as a kid, either by choice or lack of system. I really wish i still had my Dreamcast though, that was the best system ive ever owned to date!
 
H

Houston3000

Member
The time I spend playing video games has decreased dramatically compared to when I was a kid. Hell, from when I was in college even... I used to play tons of games, go to friends houses and play games, played MMO after MMO. I never went through some dramatic change where I all of a sudden sold all my shit but I just generally lost a lot of interest as my social circle expanded to non-gamers at the ass-end of college and after college. As it is now I have a couple friends on on Steam that live on the other end of the country that play games, but besides that I don't hang with anyone with person who would even associate themselves with video games outside Angry Birds and Words with Friends.

I didn't stop playing completely though. In-fact I probably still fit in an average of about 10 hours a week but it's all at home, all late at night, and all from my laptop while sitting in bed. The last big budget games I bought were Civilization V, Portal 2, and Mortal Kombat if that's any indication - all of which I really just played around their release dates for a few weeks (well, stretched Civ 5 for a while tbf). Terraria and Minecraft are the only other games I've gotten into, Magicka for a bit... all cheap games. Next game will be Skyrim, that's the only game I can think of that I want to buy in the future.
 
L

lopaz

Banned
Given it up until I one day have my own house. Then, there will be a glorious gaming room with a fatass tv hooked up to a sega megadrive, and I will spend every waking moment playing sonic 2 like they never let me when I was a kid :'(

Started playing hammerfight tho cause of humble indie bundle. That game is CASH
 
B

Borgnine

MBA in pussy licensing and rights management
I mean, you did see that Battlefield 3 trailer right? What can one man do against these forces?

Also I heard that Valve might release some new Team Fortress 2 hats sometime soon.
 
Pollux

Pollux

Member
Mr. Serious Business said:
I still play games but I find myself less fascinated and enthralled by them. I recently bought and played Assassin's Creed 2 and Mass Effect 2, and while they were great games, I never felt like I was having as much fun with them as I had with other games (even their predecessors). This generation has been great, but there have been so many disappointments (from Brawl to Starcraft II). And no one is making good JRPGs anymore. I'd give anything for another great Paper Mario or Final Fantasy game.

Especially Paper Mario. Damn that series used to be great.

The Gaming side can get pretty awful. There are posters I know from OT who are perfectly nice and supportive, but become condescending as hell when talking about videogames.

I'll still probably play Gears 3 and Modern Warfare 3 a lot, but otherwise, my gaming will be saved for good ol' summer boredom.
Click to expand...

I stay on the OT 90% of the time for this reason.
 
S

SillyEskimo

Member
I've been playing video games off and on for over 30 years. It is also only one if several hobbies that I enjoy. Each hobby has ebbs and flows, which can last years between active participation in any given one. I can't say I've ever "given up" any of them because they always seem to attract my interest again at some point.

With that said, I still love video games despite taking several long breaks in my lifetime. As with all things in life, moderation is key. I have no regrets about any if my hobbies. Once you start to over analyze, pretty much everything can be considered a waste of time.
 
B

Bumhead

Banned
I play games a hell of a lot less than I used to, but that's natural I suppose. As a 24 year old I have far less time than I was as a 14 year old.

I'll never stop gaming though. I'm married, own my own home, work, have travelled and enjoy keeping up with other hobbies such as football (soccer) and golf, but my game time just fits in around those things really. Rather than stop, my gaming just changes. I game alot more on handhelds now because they fit my lifestyle better now, and I've moved away entirely from consoles in favour of PC.

Infact the PC, specifically indie gaming, has given me a new lease of gaming life. I have far less time for AAA blockbusters these days, which I find a little stale and predictable in the most part, but smaller sized and more imaginative games hold my interest much more these days.
 
D

DemiMatt

Member
I just dont play tons of games anymore and I find myself stockpiling games like crazy.

I dont really follow e3 or anything, but I just play super competitively in fighters and sc2. Thats about it, haah/
 
C

cartoon_soldier

Member
Playing less games and sticking with PC Gaming.

Decent PC + Comfy Chair + Window Mode Gaming + Soccer on TV = Awesome

And that is mostly MMOs.

But playing far less than I used to. Games just don't generate that much interest in me anymore.
 
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