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I'm Either Going Casual, Or I'm Done

Swimmer9800 said:
I went through a peroid from July to about November where games just wernt grabbing me the way they used to. I wasn't enjoying playing them and was constantly trying to find other things to do with friends instead of gaming. I think I'm still sort of in that block, but it's not nearly as bad. Its a very strange and frustrating thing.
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Embrace it. Real life is a million times more rewarding than gaming.
 
You made it to scrubquotes OP.

9ydymDg.gif


The casual graveyard.
 
Mawnster said:
Judging by all of his posts, he'd need an AAA game that lets him win without putting in any effort.
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While I love the series very much, the only things I can think of that do that are games like Pokémon, Kirby, Lego, and GTA. Maybe some Telltale games would be fitting too? Or is that not AAA?
 
People take gaming way to seriously. I barley game these days but its because I work alot, want to do things with my buddys and gf, trying to be more active, etc.

The games out there are better than they have ever been especially with lots of interesting indie games coming to consoles.

Most of the time when I fire up my ps4 its to watch netflix and thats ok. OP just take a break, you seem to take all this so seriously find something else to do.

Best of luck and pro tip: avoid stuff like assassins Creed
 
DashReindeer said:
Honestly, you sound legit depressed to me, OP. The reason you don't like anything is that you have a deep-seeded dissatisfaction with your life. Trying to force yourself to play critically acclaimed games and the like isn't gonna change anything and when you don't enjoy those games, it's gonna feed right back into your depression loop and make you even more dissatisfied with things.

I would recommend a therapist, but most people hate to get that bit of advice as therapists require being honest with yourself and working on your own emotional issues. I'd also recommend doing anything but play games. Take up a new hobby, learn to play an instrument, go skiing/snowboarding, learn to dance, go to the gym, anything that will get you out of the toxic headspace you're in right now. It can take a long time to realize how truly miserable you are, and even longer to realize it doesn't have to be that way. Prioritize your own happiness because no one else is going to do it for you.
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If OP isn't trolling (which he most likely is based on his posts), then it's definitely this.

I have a friend that is almost exactly the same: doesn't enjoy games anymore and gets very easily frustrated/angry at small inconveniences. Turns out he was diagnosed with major depression.
 
Patrick Young said:
I'm looking forward to it.

I tried. That's how me playing Final Fantasy XIII, Dark Souls, Dota 2, Bloodborne, Spelunky, Skyrim and other such mistakes came about.

Doesn't work. I don't feel like I'm reaching a goal or accomplishing a task. At least Groundhog Day had an ending.

I preordered Battlefield 1 and I've probably played five matches or less. I've played the series online a heck of a lot since Bad Company. Not anymore.

I've ruined my love for older games too. I got a HDMI mod for my N64 and an EverDrive 64 cartridge. I was obsessed with finding 16:9/60FPS/AA removal GameShark codes and refused to play games until I found them. I tried getting into creating my own GameShark codes but it was too hard. Same thing happened with my GameCube. I got an Action Replay and the cycle started again. To go one step back, this all came about because emulation wasn't accurate enough for me, so I spent hundreds of dollars to fix the problem at the source only to be unsatisfied once again.

I cannot win a battle for perfection. My life in general was starting to become the same but I managed to break free from it. This mindset persists with games however and I can't let it go.

You know, that kinda sounds like exactly what's going on. I hope for my sake you're wrong though. I thought my midlife crisis already happened a couple of years ago, and that one already cost me thousands of dollars to change my life.
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OP, you've got me really curious. Could you name 3 games that you truly love? (it helps if you could explain how/why you love them. It's totally fair and maybe expected that you won't revisit to tarnish your memory of them.) Also, could you name other hobbies or activities you enjoy?



For my part, I had a midlife crisis about 7 years ago (I'll probably have another in a decade). For me games were 60% have fun with friends (LAN and local split-screen console) and 25% pretend I had money for cars/racing and 15% an escape/ story to engross myself in. My friend group changed and I changed and it was hard. Now I play games only sparingly. This year was overwatch, mini metro, dots, ratchet and clank, HoTS, Sonic1, and MGS1. All are in various states of partial completion. (Stuck by getting to last guy and not having enough extra lives to survive on sonic1 so I'll probably get over the hump soon.)

My point: if games were your "thing" don't fight them becoming one of many things now. If that means leaving games for a few years that works too (I did that when I went back to school). Sometimes games fit better as a seasonal recreation. I personally enjoyed games the most during Christmas break or during thanksgiving. I look at games the same way I do a good book or a board game. Play a Zelda or Mario alone or with family/close friends while it's cold outside. Go to a LAN party to hear people scream and shout inane things and laugh at someone else failing.
 
I honestly find myself moving away from games as well. I'll probably get a Switch for the nostalgia aspect, but none of the big console games announced for next year really excite me. I just don't have the time for gaming that I used to. I think a lot of it has to do with buying a house in the last year and trying to spend more time doing outdoor activities.
 
I'd say everyone's right about picking a new genre or console that isn't part of this gen. There's lots of games gamers and people alike have enjoyed that aren't part of the mainstream circle or whatever is in on the front of a Game Informer magazine.

Gears of War 4 made me realize that even though some of us were so emotional and taken back by themes and music of the series. If it isn't there then it isn't there. I finished it, but wow $99 for how it ended really got me upset. We probably have 2-3 more Gears games now. That you may or may not buy.

I used GameFly for the new CoD and all I had were flashbacks to MW's villain and how they're keeping the same formula with all these futuristic scenes. No offense to anyone who loved it. I enjoy the look and feel to the game, but it felt like every other Call of Duty.

I didn't finish Syndicate or Unity, but I own them. I loved Desmond's story though and finished those games.

The movie trailer for AC got me more in the mood than the last few games did.

I have always loved games for over 25 years. I am happy with what I have for my Super Famicom and PS1 classics. I even use my iOS device when I can't play on the console or PC.

I think you just have to keep looking and relax. Enjoy gaming more than how it tries to sell itself to the general public.
 
Not sure if I can symphatize with OP when he says he's going casual when he's dropping the likes of Call of Duty and stick to Mario, Zelda and Yooka-Laylee...
 
They said they will still be playing Mario and Yooka Laylee.... I see no problems here. Move along, move along.
 
I am actually thinking of taking a bit more time off and playing less as well. I suddenly have a lot of things going on to kick off the new year that has my mind in a much different place.
 
Take breaks. I didn't play games for the entire summer and I feel re-invigorated. Also, play different games. Mix it up. Don't play AAA after AAA. Sprinkle indies in-between and you'll be okay. Don't take it seriously, though. Playing games means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
 
OP any chance you want to sell your Oculus for a fair used price?
I sold mine thinking the PSVR would be a decent replacement and it was shit, so I want Oculus again but do not want to pay full price.
If interested DM me.

And yeah not sure what to say except I am 42 and feel the exact opposite. 2016 was one of my favorite years of gaming in quite some time.

I just make sure I do not play games that require a lot of time commitment, as that is one thing I do not have the luxury of. I need games that work if I can only hop on and play them 30 minutes at a time. I played one or two games that did require time but that was because I knew I had the time to do so with some time off work, etc.
 
OP I get what you're saying. I'm the same way besides the anger. I can't finish SP content for anything. Luckily, I found a love for MP games and am having a blast again. I'd suggest looking outside your AAA box and yearly releases.
 
You guys should read OP's responses to others, he clearly doesn't like to play games, and honestly i'm kinda wondering why he is even posting here with that kind of an attitude.
 
Jito said:
Really if your brother knew anything he'd have set it up before Christmas day so his son could actually play it on the day. Bit of common sense doesn't hurt.
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He's not a gamer dude. He hasn't owned a games machine since PS2.
 
I took globally a 2 years break since ps3 golden age and i restarted a week ago with a brand new ps4 pro. so many good games to play, it's unbeleivable. Loving it.
Less than half an hour of Inside
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something is seriously broken then. This game is fucking genius.
 
I think if someone is not enjoying they should definitely not try to force it. I barely played games for about 2-3 years in college and then another year or two after and it didn't bother me. Came back about when the Wii U came out and I've been loving games more than ever.
 
You're probably buying too many games for the amount of time you have to spare to actually play them.

This year I bought a total of maybe 4 games and played them slowly. 2 of those games had single player story modes, which took me a few weeks to a few months to beat even though they're only 20 or so hours long.

I basically have to make hard decisions on what to buy based on how much time I have available. Old games can be used to fill in empty spots once you've completed new games.

I guess my suggestion would be to really lower the number of games you buy, and get your moneys worth out of the ones you have bought.
 
Stevey said:
Stop playing AAA games.
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Seriously. If I only played AAA games I'd be apathetic about the medium, too. OP, play some indie games and old classics. And don't feel bad about your tastes narrowing. Being into games doesn't have to be a black/white thing. I'm extremely picky and most games I buy feel like a waste of time, many of which are games that GAF adores. Also: maybe stop reading gaming forums. It might help you enjoy games more.
 
ShinUltramanJ said:
Probably because the buttons are different for each controller. This covers every piece of hardware in the easiest manner.
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there's also 3 different versions of each special move, all of which require a different button. plus controls are customizable which would make things even more confusing. you can learn the notation in less than 5 minutes, but i guess that's too hard for some people lol

OP, you 100% do not seem like a gamer. you need to drop this hobby and get into movies or something of the like. that seems more up your alley with how much effort you're willing to put into things
 
OP should stick to games that the OP knows he enjoys playing.

Never buy games out of some bizarre sense of obligation.
 
TyrantGuardian said:
OP, sounds like you need to play Dota 2. Like, a lot. Like 6000 hours a lot. Thank me later. Your thread title is wrong - you are bored of casual trash and need to sink your teeth into a proper game that demands engagement and skill. You will also fit right in with all that anger, it's the perfect outlet!
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OP wants to learn to love video games again. Entering into that cancerous cesspool would not help him. I only made it about 4 hours before the rage and toxicity made me quit.
 
I have come to peace with that idea myself and I feel liberated. Yes I want to play Xenoblade, Witcher 3, Fallout 4, Multiplayer games and be good at them, returning to CS Go, but the reality is I can't, I don't have the time or the will to spend many long hours playing. I love them but I will be embracing shorter single player games, shorter experiences and games that are quick to pick up. I want to play for the fun but feel like I am accomplishing something.

This is why I will probably be getting going forward The Switch iterations. I also have a PS4 and Wii U.

So any recommendations to play like this?
 
What are you doing OP? You pick random AAA games, play those because you feel compelled, and then wonder why you are having a hard time?

Come on man. Find games you enjoy and play those, forget the rest of whatever is out there. There is no need to 'keep up' because no one cares. Seriously, there is no online gaming cred. If someone says otherwise then they are a tool. A hobby is supposed to be fulfilling and the second it stops being so you are doing it wrong.

Last year was an unusual year in that I played Fire Emblem Conquest, Revelations, Doom, and Dark Souls 3 to completion. Most years I'll touch maybe one new game, two if I'm feeling froggy.

The rest of my time goes towards older games or smaller titles. Been working my way through the Starcraft II campaigns, and having a great time. Earlier in the year it was the Last Story, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Grim Dawn, Saints Row 4, Dragon's Dogma: PC, Dreamfall Chapters, among many others.

Most of my time last year multiplayer wise was spent on Smash 4 at the start of the year, Overwatch + Diablo 3 in the middle of the year, and Heroes of the Storm later in the year. Overwatch was a huge 2016 game sure, but its the first multiplayer FPS in nearly a decade I cared about. Heroes of the Storm was because of the cross-over event. Diablo 3 was because I felt the urge to go back and try the ladder season, to find a completely new game.


So like I said, find what you enjoy and play those or take a break until something catches your interest.
 
I was going through something similar 5 or 6 years ago. No matter what game I started, it didn't grab me. So I did what OP should've done a while ago: take a break. Whatever we recommend here, it's pretty clear that it's not going to help. Take some distance and even stop reading about games, turn to your other hobbies and interests. I didn't play anything for a year, and after that the first game I picked up was fun again. You keep fighting this for some reason, but it's clear you're not supposed to be playing anything for a while.

megabytecr said:
I have come to peace with that idea myself and I feel liberated. Yes I want to play Xenoblade, Witcher 3, Fallout 4, Multiplayer games and be good at them, returning to CS Go, but the reality is I can't, I don't have the time or the will to spend many long hours playing. I love them but I will be embracing shorter single player games, shorter experiences and games that are quick to pick up. I want to play for the fun but feel like I am accomplishing something.

This is why I will probably be getting going forward The Switch iterations. I also have a PS4 and Wii U.

So any recommendations to play like this?
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Short games that feel impactful? A good recent example is Inside. Play that if you haven't already.
 
I'd say go back in time. Pick a period (like a decade or generation) in gaming that gave you the most satisfaction and enjoyment. And explore what you have missed. Everyone has a huge backlog, or games that were on a watchlist but fell out of the radar somehow.

It's worth a shot if you're not very fond of direction gaming took.
 
Ha ha, what a troll. Throwing a fit on a message board about not wanting to play games, but wanting to continue talking about them.

I bet your opinions will be so well informed.
 
You need to walk away from gaming that involves you sitting staring at a TV screen. I did the same, I gifted my son my PS4 and although he loves it, I have zero interest in returning to it.
If I play a game, I play it on my iPhone or iPad and I'm enjoying them just as much. I think the other posts are correct in that AAA games have taken a tumble, Assasins Creed Unity destroyed me, that game is a serious piece of shit.
I just see these huge RPGs etc and I currently see through the illusion, battling an enemy is now just about having better spec numbers that them.
I also expected my PS4 to do more after a few years on the market and wanted it to be more of this central part to my living room as I wanted more than a few apps and games.
I played Framed on my Apple TV4 today and honestly enjoyed it just as much as Witcher3 or Fallout 4. Playing gams is all about enjoying them, if your not enjoying them then stop playing it no matter how many positive reviews it gets.
 
Seems like video games became an obsession rather than a hobby. I've been there myself. Now I have a PS4 pro that I play for about 4-5 days a month when I'm at home and a new 3ds xl that I play sporadically as time permits and I feel like it. I bought a bunch of new PS4 games during the Psn sales and when I was home just this past weekend I tried fallout4, blood borne, far cry primal, and a couple others. I played mostly far cry primal as I found the plot and concepts of the game to be rather simple. I played a few others for a few hours each too.
I play less now than I used to but it's quality time when I do. I play what a feel like at the moment, I usually several games at a time. I get bored, I move to another. I don't care if I ever finish a particular game or not. I don't care about trophies. I care about whether I'm having fun. If I am I keep playing, if not I play something else or I take a break. It probably helped me that I don't have a gaming pc anymore, I used to spend more time obsessing about my graphic settings and frame rate instead of having fun. I buy games to enjoy myself. My game systems and games are there to serve ME. I don't serve them.
 
I honestly can't wrap my head around being so bothered by the things in the OP. I often don't have time for games. I don't finish a lot of games.

I have kids and a career....Im ok with all of the above. Still enjoy the games I play.
 
OP said:
I'm Either Going Casual, Or I'm Done
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You already went casual OP. I don’t have much time to play, yet i manage to play several games at once on PS4 and Xbone. I work full time and get some overtime hours here and there, doing an internship and raising a family. I've platinumed Bloodborne and Uncharted 4 last year, finished Dark Souls, Witcher 2 and working my way through Dark souls 2, while playing the Last Guardian, Forza Horizon 2&3, Fifa 17 and Inside(i also finished few more games last year). I also find time to hang with my friends and be the best Dad for my sweet daughter.
 
what does "go casual" even mean

Can you only play casual games once you go casual

who decides what is a casual game

why does any of this matter
 
TyrantGuardian said:
OP, sounds like you need to play Dota 2. Like, a lot. Like 6000 hours a lot. Thank me later. Your thread title is wrong - you are bored of casual trash and need to sink your teeth into a proper game that demands engagement and skill. You will also fit right in with all that anger, it's the perfect outlet!
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Something like this honestly worked for me when I felt like the OP (though I went for League, its footsies/trading called back more to what I liked about fighters.)

In the end, my frustration and boredom with the overwrought hulk that AAA is was built, not on the out-of-game obstacles being too high, but on the rewards being too low. It took a while to get over the hump of still feeling frustrated just with myself, but once I did, the ability to draw joy from my own improvement in the same situation repeated has been far, far more fulfilling than being player #239,329 to platinum a game.
 
cyber_ninja said:
You already went casual OP. I don’t have much time to play, yet i manage to play several games at once on PS4 and Xbone. I work full time and get some overtime hours here and there, doing an internship and raising a family. I've platinumed Bloodborne and Uncharted 4 last year, finished Dark Souls, Witcher 2 and working my way through Dark souls 2, while playing the Last Guardian, Forza Horizon 2&3, Fifa 17 and Inside(i also finished few more games last year). I also find time to hang with my friends and be the best Dad for my sweet daughter.
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Dang. I'm actually impressed. What, if anything in your life would you say you let suffer or you'd like to improve?
 
I'd say I've probably finished less than 10 games in the last 8 years. Just haven't been motivated to play most games since high school let alone finish them, and yet for some reason I was still buying most new releases up until 2015. I forced myself to stop that and haven't even bothered buying a PS4 yet, although I still keep up to date with gaming news and what's happening in the industry for some reason.

I wish I could get the drive to play games back.
 
Try to broaden your gaming tastes, try the witness, yakuza 0, souls or what not and try to really commit to them an see if you can't find something new in gaming to appreciate. The medium is big your posts paints a rather small picture of it.

Edit: nvm I've read the OPs later posts, the problem is obviously something else so ignore what I said.
 
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