• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

I can't play games for more than 2 hours at a time sitting down.

O

Otakumegane

Member
It's really baffling to me. During the rare cases when I get really really hooked on something handheld and play it for 5 hours on the couch I have no problem with it.

However, even when it's some of my favorite games like my 1st playthrough of Pikmin 3 and Metroid Prime Trilogy, I can't seem to go over 2 hours sitting in one place and get anxious. In the end I have to pause the game and do something else like browse GAF or do work before I can play again. I don't know what causes this but it's strange considering I don't have an issue playing games in other positions.

The only outlier to this situation was League of Legends and Xenoblade but now I can't even play those games for over 2 hours before I tire out or get fidgety.
 
When you're playing on a handheld are you sitting down in the same spot, laying down, moving around, or what? May be the reason
 
Probably not necessarily a bad thing. In my younger days, I could lose eight to 10 hours in an engrossing game, or during long stretches of Halo 2 multiplayer. As I get older, I can go a couple hours before I have to set the controller down, get up and walk around for a bit. You're not alone.
 
Yeah that happens to me sometimes. The worst is when I plan on playing a game but I will end up procrastinating the whole day until it gets to about 11pm, then I'll play something for 5 minutes and then go do something else.
 
Do you smoke the pot? Sometimes I get fidgety when I'm too baked.

Also, if there is anything that needs to be done (cleaning, errands ect) I can't just relax for long playing games and I have to stop and do stuff after playing a bit. If I finish everything and there is absolutely nothing left to do but play games I can relax and get into them much longer.
 
When dealing with a handheld, you're more likely to be able to make subtle adjustments and not even notice since the screen is going to be where you need it to be. When dealing with something on a tv or other monitor, you have one spot you have to be looking at so it's more likely you'll find yourself uncomfortable or stiff. Repositioning is a more conscious affair in those situations and sometimes more difficult.

Could be part of it at the very least.
 
Well yeah, after about 2 hours of doing pretty much anything I'll get the urge to have a break and do something else.
 
That's probably a good thing. I've wasted far too much time staring at a screen before I realize I'm not having fun anymore.
 
It's called social media anxiety and it's a real thing. Studies have shown that people who are active on things like forums and social media will become anxious and have to get up and "check" on it after extended stents (for example a 2 hour period).
 
I feel the same way. I do think that it's a good idea to take a break from a game every couple of hours though. But if you're wondering why you can't seem to be enthralled by a game for more than two hours, then maybe you need to play new refreshing games? Finding the right ones to grab your attention might take a while.
 
I'm like that, im 36 years old, and its not like when i was younger. I got Dragon Age Inquisition on release. Played it 3 hours stopped, next day i sat and played it 1 hours and stopped. The following day 30 minutes and ever since i have not touched it at all. Even tho i LOVE the game. I keep saying i need to go finish that, but .. i have SO many things to do, so little time to do it all.
 
Same. Might just be symptoms of age. I also worry it's signs of an attention issue. Either way, unless it hits that absolute perfect note with me, I'm in a zen state with my surroundings, or I'm playing with a friend, I need to break every 30 or so minutes to walk around or multitask.
 
bomblord1 said:
It's called social media anxiety and it's a real thing. Studies have shown that people who are active on things like forums and social media will become anxious and have to get up and "check" on it after extended stents (for example a 2 hour period).
Click to expand...


Maybe I should quit social media then because that sounds like exactly my issue. I spend more time on forums and stuff than I do playing games and that in and of itself can get me slightly anxious.

Then again, maybe it's just the games aren't as interesting.
 
ElodieTicotoune said:
I'm like that, im 36 years old, and its not like when i was younger. I got Dragon Age Inquisition on release. Played it 3 hours stopped, next day i sat and played it 1 hours and stopped. The following day 30 minutes and ever since i have not touched it at all. Even tho i LOVE the game. I keep saying i need to go finish that, but .. i have SO many things to do, so little time to do it all.
Click to expand...

I'm playing that game in short sessions as well, I don't think I'll need a new game for months. It is at least pretty convenient on short play time, though. I didn't get very far in Metroid Prime because my play sessions are short and "save anywhere" games have spoiled me to a point.
 
I think this is probably just part of getting older. I used to play for hours and hours and hours, and now I also can only go for a few hours max. Either I get bored or I get restless. I also tend to consume TV shows in 2-3 episode chunks, which results in a similar timeframe. I did marathon the shit out of TLoU, but that was special. I went like 2 years without playing console games (outside of mp fps) because I don't like be tied to the TV.

I have a wife and kids which probably contribute to my preferences.
 
LookAtMeGo said:
Do you smoke the pot? Sometimes I get fidgety when I'm too baked.

Also, if there is anything that needs to be done (cleaning, errands ect) I can't just relax for long playing games and I have to stop and do stuff after playing a bit. If I finish everything and there is absolutely nothing left to do but play games I can relax and get into them much longer.
Click to expand...

Call it maturity but I'm the same way. I can only play if nothing needs to be done around the House. Then opposite u, I have to vap to zone in.

I'm 33 and I've already put in 100 hrs on dragon age and for the first time I feel like it was time wasted and not time experienced. So much of the game felt like I was in menus, inventory and dialogue. I feel like I had the same issue with Skyrim. I think I have to swear off RPGs moving forward.
 
SShadowH20 said:
Call it maturity but I'm the same way. I can only play if nothing needs to be done around the House. Then opposite u, I have to vap to zone in.

I'm 33 and I've already put in 100 hrs on dragon age and for the first time I feel like it was time wasted and not time experienced. So much of the game felt like I was in menus, inventory and dialogue. I feel like I had the same issue with Skyrim. I think I have to swear off RPGs moving forward.
Click to expand...
I hear what you're saying but I think you should wait until after The Witcher 3 lol.
 
I suffer from a variety of fun mental maladies (depression, anxiety, ocd) and this is very similar to how I feel. Most times I experience so much anxiety that I can't even start playing. I always feel like there is something more important that I should be doing. Then I'll just start browsing GAF or Reddit and waste hours. I don't have a Reddit account and hardly post on here, outside having a smoke right now, so I'm fairly certain it isn't social media related. Anxiety sucks though. I feel like I waste so much time when playing a game for a bit isn't something I should get so worked up over. I am on antidepressants though. They aren't a miracle cure like people might think.
 
Arcatax said:
Yeah that happens to me sometimes. The worst is when I plan on playing a game but I will end up procrastinating the whole day until it gets to about 11pm, then I'll play something for 5 minutes and then go do something else.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's me. I usually don't even play 5 minutes tho... "It's too late, I'll watch some tv..."
:(
 
I get this sometimes, but it's more on weekends when I have plenty of time to play. When I have very limited time, I have laser-like focus.

That said, some games never get put down until I'm absolutely done for the day (like Diablo), while others I'll frequently get up from, even if I'm enjoying them.
 
Otakumegane said:
However, even when it's some of my favorite games like my 1st playthrough of Pikmin 3 and Metroid Prime Trilogy, I can't seem to go over 2 hours sitting in one place and get anxious. In the end I have to pause the game and do something else like browse GAF or do work before I can play again. I don't know what causes this but it's strange considering I don't have an issue playing games in other positions.
Click to expand...

I experience a similar type of anxiety these days in relation to podcasts. I find that I can't really play video games anymore unless I've also got a gaming podcast playing in the background. I think it comes from years of working with little time to play games, only to feed my gaming fix with podcasts.

I'm trying to break the habit, since I know it destroys the auditory experience. But it's been rough.
 
Noogy said:
I experience a similar type of anxiety these days in relation to podcasts. I find that I can't really play video games anymore unless I've also got a gaming podcast playing in the background. I think it comes from years of working with little time to play games, only to feed my gaming fix with podcasts.

I'm trying to break the habit, since I know it destroys the auditory experience. But it's been rough.
Click to expand...

I have a hard time playing games without having a movie or show running in the background, so I get this completely.

I honestly think this started back in college. I used to play WoW, but it used to crash when music tracks ended in the client, so I had to mute the whole game. Because it was so quiet, I had the TV on in the background, which became a regular thing for all games.

Nowadays, I always have some movie or Youtube video on while I play. It's especially weird when I watch LPs while I play another completely different game.
 
I know that feeling OP. As a college student, I rarely game for more than 2 hours because I get that nasty feeling that I should be studying or doing something productive rather than relaxing.
 
This isn't a bad thing. You're better off taking regular breaks from videogames. Ideally, you take a 15 minute break every hour. I tend to have unhealthy habits, and play games for longer.

So I would suggest that you just keep taking breaks after playing for 2 hours. 5+ hour binge sessions just aren't good for your health.
 
SkyOdin said:
So I would suggest that you just keep taking breaks after playing for 2 hours. 5+ hour binge sessions just aren't good for your health.
Click to expand...

I disagree. It's real rare that a video game truly grabs me hard these days, but when one does, nothing makes me happier than playing it for hours and hours at a time.

It keeps me off the goddamn internet.
 
41 here and as long as the game is engaging I can play for hours. Sure, I'll get up and do a couple push ups every hour or so to get the blood flowing or grab a sandwich but if the game is good I can lose 6 hours of my life in a day playing it. I don't think it's age but where you are in your life. When you are young you have mountains of free time so all nighters are an easy task. Hit your 20s and you meet the significant other, have kids, need to find a career, etc. These all take priority and extend into your 30s.

After 40, your significant other has typically left you, your kids are grown and spend all your money together with your friends being immature, alcoholic loose cannons with no sense of responsibility or workaholics so you are not inclined to hang out as much. Add to that, your "career" turned out to be driving to a fluorescent dungeon in a little metal coffin and slaving away in some cubicle with all your dreams of success long gone. This all frees up your time and you find that what once was a fun hobby to entertain is now the only place you can go to find solstice from a wrecked and aging life that has never come to fruition. You can put on the headset, pick up the controller and disappear to a world where there are no bill collectors, divorce attorneys, liars, cheats or other nefarious sorts and pretend to actually be enjoying yourself as your knees make too many weird sounds, your back inflamed and your doctor keeps telling your "it happens to all guys at some point"

...or something.
 
I get like that quite a bit. What I have to do to combat it is switch around the list of games I am playing/have played recently to mix it up. I can no longer concentrate on one game until completion anymore. As I get older, I need to switch around more and more when it comes to playing games. So my steam backlog continues to grow.
 
I'm like that too, but it's more relative to my attention span than comfort. I'm more than happy to waste time, because it keeps my mind active.
 
I find this happens a lot when I don't have a new game that I have been really looking forward to play. Nowadays I don't even really buy games on sale because I figure if I wasn't interested in playing it when it was released I won't be now.
 
I used to be like this till I played Destiny. Feels good. Got off work early and played 13 hours straight. Was able to complete nightfall, weekly, daily, eris' bounties, vog, and ce. Then shifted it all with a second character. Then crucible and glimmer farmed. All this with friends.

Life is good.
 
Aces&Eights said:
41 here and as long as the game is engaging I can play for hours. Sure, I'll get up and do a couple push ups every hour or so to get the blood flowing or grab a sandwich but if the game is good I can lose 6 hours of my life in a day playing it. I don't think it's age but where you are in your life. When you are young you have mountains of free time so all nighters are an easy task. Hit your 20s and you meet the significant other, have kids, need to find a career, etc. These all take priority and extend into your 30s.

After 40, your significant other has typically left you, your kids are grown and spend all your money together with your friends being immature, alcoholic loose cannons with no sense of responsibility or workaholics so you are not inclined to hang out as much. Add to that, your "career" turned out to be driving to a fluorescent dungeon in a little metal coffin and slaving away in some cubicle with all your dreams of success long gone. This all frees up your time and you find that what once was a fun hobby to entertain is now the only place you can go to find solstice from a wrecked and aging life that has never come to fruition. You can put on the headset, pick up the controller and disappear to a world where there are no bill collectors, divorce attorneys, liars, cheats or other nefarious sorts and pretend to actually be enjoying yourself as your knees make too many weird sounds, your back inflamed and your doctor keeps telling your "it happens to all guys at some point"

...or something.
Click to expand...
Amazing.
 
I'm exactly the same, although I believe it may be an ADD thing.

But with some games, I can lose track of time and just spend hours playing them. Other games make me aware of the time.
 
Sitting for two hours is bad for you try to get up and walk around a bit every hour. Prolonged periods of sitting can lead to blood clots.
 
It's due the lack of concentration, introduced by excessive use of smart phones/tablets, social media, and web browsing. I have no problems with playing games for hours, but I've noticed a change during the past couple of years, where it's harder than before to concentrate on doing something passive. It particularly applies to watching TV. It's only in the rare case of watching a completely enthralling film/series, when I don't feel the need to use my smart phone simultaneously. I have to say I detest the change.
 
Probably just getting older. I went through the same thing a few years ago and like you I couldn't understand why. Then I took my first real vacation ever and things went back to normal after a few days of straight of no work.

Basically you're probably just tired and don't realize it. Nowadays I have to plan out a day for games like 10 days in advance and set a day aside just for "me" time to get rested enough where the tiniest of shit won't piss me off to the point I quit and put on Netflix.
 
Aces&Eights said:
41 here and as long as the game is engaging I can play for hours. Sure, I'll get up and do a couple push ups every hour or so to get the blood flowing or grab a sandwich but if the game is good I can lose 6 hours of my life in a day playing it. I don't think it's age but where you are in your life. When you are young you have mountains of free time so all nighters are an easy task. Hit your 20s and you meet the significant other, have kids, need to find a career, etc. These all take priority and extend into your 30s.

After 40, your significant other has typically left you, your kids are grown and spend all your money together with your friends being immature, alcoholic loose cannons with no sense of responsibility or workaholics so you are not inclined to hang out as much. Add to that, your "career" turned out to be driving to a fluorescent dungeon in a little metal coffin and slaving away in some cubicle with all your dreams of success long gone. This all frees up your time and you find that what once was a fun hobby to entertain is now the only place you can go to find solstice from a wrecked and aging life that has never come to fruition. You can put on the headset, pick up the controller and disappear to a world where there are no bill collectors, divorce attorneys, liars, cheats or other nefarious sorts and pretend to actually be enjoying yourself as your knees make too many weird sounds, your back inflamed and your doctor keeps telling your "it happens to all guys at some point"

...or something.
Click to expand...

Mankind should be able to control all this. We should be able to extend our game time in other places besides the bedroom.

I have to get up after a good save or an auto save and grab something to eat or drink. I've always taken breaks after clearing a portion of a game. It's a great feeling knowing you can go back and start from when you first left off.

Attention can be tested by reading or watching a movie. It helps you sit and focus. It might improve gaming over time. I go outside sometimes if my attention span is beginning to slow down.
 
Aces&Eights said:
41 here and as long as the game is engaging I can play for hours. Sure, I'll get up and do a couple push ups every hour or so to get the blood flowing or grab a sandwich but if the game is good I can lose 6 hours of my life in a day playing it. I don't think it's age but where you are in your life. When you are young you have mountains of free time so all nighters are an easy task. Hit your 20s and you meet the significant other, have kids, need to find a career, etc. These all take priority and extend into your 30s.

After 40, your significant other has typically left you, your kids are grown and spend all your money together with your friends being immature, alcoholic loose cannons with no sense of responsibility or workaholics so you are not inclined to hang out as much. Add to that, your "career" turned out to be driving to a fluorescent dungeon in a little metal coffin and slaving away in some cubicle with all your dreams of success long gone. This all frees up your time and you find that what once was a fun hobby to entertain is now the only place you can go to find solstice from a wrecked and aging life that has never come to fruition. You can put on the headset, pick up the controller and disappear to a world where there are no bill collectors, divorce attorneys, liars, cheats or other nefarious sorts and pretend to actually be enjoying yourself as your knees make too many weird sounds, your back inflamed and your doctor keeps telling your "it happens to all guys at some point"

...or something.
Click to expand...

Haha! I love this post, and its cheery tone.
 
Aces&Eights said:
41 here and as long as the game is engaging I can play for hours. Sure, I'll get up and do a couple push ups every hour or so to get the blood flowing or grab a sandwich but if the game is good I can lose 6 hours of my life in a day playing it. I don't think it's age but where you are in your life. When you are young you have mountains of free time so all nighters are an easy task. Hit your 20s and you meet the significant other, have kids, need to find a career, etc. These all take priority and extend into your 30s.

After 40, your significant other has typically left you, your kids are grown and spend all your money together with your friends being immature, alcoholic loose cannons with no sense of responsibility or workaholics so you are not inclined to hang out as much. Add to that, your "career" turned out to be driving to a fluorescent dungeon in a little metal coffin and slaving away in some cubicle with all your dreams of success long gone. This all frees up your time and you find that what once was a fun hobby to entertain is now the only place you can go to find solstice from a wrecked and aging life that has never come to fruition. You can put on the headset, pick up the controller and disappear to a world where there are no bill collectors, divorce attorneys, liars, cheats or other nefarious sorts and pretend to actually be enjoying yourself as your knees make too many weird sounds, your back inflamed and your doctor keeps telling your "it happens to all guys at some point"

...or something.
Click to expand...
Lol
 
I can play games for long periods of time just fine, but my issue is that I tend to get headaches if I don't take breaks. I'm actually playing NES Remix right now but I got a headache after playing for an hour so I went on GAF. I've actually had this issue since I was a kid, though when I was a kid it didn't affect me as much since my parents limited my gaming time when I was young a lot. It also wasn't really a big issue in my early teens for some reason.

nick_b said:
I suffer from a variety of fun mental maladies (depression, anxiety, ocd) and this is very similar to how I feel. Most times I experience so much anxiety that I can't even start playing. I always feel like there is something more important that I should be doing. Then I'll just start browsing GAF or Reddit and waste hours. I don't have a Reddit account and hardly post on here, outside having a smoke right now, so I'm fairly certain it isn't social media related. Anxiety sucks though. I feel like I waste so much time when playing a game for a bit isn't something I should get so worked up over. I am on antidepressants though. They aren't a miracle cure like people might think.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way, except whenever I have a problem where I'm experiencing anxiety or something I can't play at all. Whenever I'm not experiencing any issues then I typically want to play for several hours at a time.
 
Anyone remember getting bloodshot eyes as a kid? I stopped getting them like 15 years ago. I met a couple who had "dry eyes", which was never my problem. I did buy some Vasine lube, but I don't necessarily need it.

I remember if I played for an hour my eyes would turn blood red. Not anymore!
 
I actually have the same weird anxiety issue with playing games for prolonged periods of time. As a kid I remember being berated if I played for too long so I can only assume that after so many years of my parents drilling it into my head I started feeling I needed to without their "advice".
I have the same issue with wearing pajamas when it's light out...
 
I have the sameworse problem.

Can't play games, some times I get to the title screen and my heart starts pounding and I can't play.

Handheld are usually not an issue.

I find tv really helps calm my anxiety, I recently bought a monitor so I can watch tv while playing ps4. Kinda keeps my brain occupied while it tries to worry about stuff
 
Aces&Eights said:
41 here and as long as the game is engaging I can play for hours. Sure, I'll get up and do a couple push ups every hour or so to get the blood flowing or grab a sandwich but if the game is good I can lose 6 hours of my life in a day playing it. I don't think it's age but where you are in your life. When you are young you have mountains of free time so all nighters are an easy task. Hit your 20s and you meet the significant other, have kids, need to find a career, etc. These all take priority and extend into your 30s.

After 40, your significant other has typically left you, your kids are grown and spend all your money together with your friends being immature, alcoholic loose cannons with no sense of responsibility or workaholics so you are not inclined to hang out as much. Add to that, your "career" turned out to be driving to a fluorescent dungeon in a little metal coffin and slaving away in some cubicle with all your dreams of success long gone. This all frees up your time and you find that what once was a fun hobby to entertain is now the only place you can go to find solstice from a wrecked and aging life that has never come to fruition. You can put on the headset, pick up the controller and disappear to a world where there are no bill collectors, divorce attorneys, liars, cheats or other nefarious sorts and pretend to actually be enjoying yourself as your knees make too many weird sounds, your back inflamed and your doctor keeps telling your "it happens to all guys at some point"

...or something.
Click to expand...

I was going to say something about not being able to play for 10 minutes at a time due to kids and my poor pathetic late 30s life, but damn...
 
I have a hard time sitting down to play games sometimes. I prefer handhelds because I can roll around, move around, close the thing and pick it up later.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

State of Play announced for June 2. Over an hour long, with an extended look at Wolverine
4 5 6 7 8
395
396
March Climber replied
Embark Studios and Nexon double down on using AI in game dev: ‘More time innovating; less time writing code’
Opinion Business Game Dev 
48
508
Aressa replied
I want more point and click games remastered and released on Switch 2
3
127
RAIDEN1 replied
We've Reached The Point Where Destiny 2 Has More Players Than Marathon on Steam
Analysis Platform  2
69
74
LordCBH replied
Crimson Desert reviews trend more positive as players spend more time with the game
2 3 4 5
216
2K
Topher replied
Top Bottom