Days Off Work To Play A Game?

I was just listening back to a radio show from this week and during the news they covered the launch of Halo Reach. They were interviewing a couple of people, one of which claimed to have taken the whole week off. Now, I respect that people like Halo. I get that some love it like some kind of chocolate covered thing made of gold..stuff. But a whole week?
 
So have you taken day(s) off work to play a game? Personally I much prefer the thought of having something new and cool to come home to than actually sitting for days doing nothing but playing through something. Am I alone?

I went to a midnight release event for Modern Warfare 2 and took the following day off of work. That's the last time I remember doing anything like that.

I couldn't afford to take a week off work just to play a game. I would take a day off to see a big concert or something like that, but not a week for a video game.

That man who took a week off should be ashamed of himself and YOU too. 
 
It's as if he's spitting in the eyes of everyone who is unemployed and in the current economic climate it's nigh on distateful. Sickening is, what it is.

" That man who took a week off should be ashamed of himself and YOU too.   It's as if he's spitting in the eyes of everyone who is unemployed and in the current economic climate it's nigh on distateful. Sickening is, what it is. "

" @FourWude said:

" That man who took a week off should be ashamed of himself and YOU too.   It's as if he's spitting in the eyes of everyone who is unemployed and in the current economic climate it's nigh on distateful. Sickening is, what it is. "

oh wow that's a hell of a response there tiger "

I'm taking a day off Tuesday to play Civ 5. It's paid vacation, so it's  basically like I'm getting money to play Civ 5 all day. 

I have taken days off because I planned on playing video games all night and day before. Or day after midnight launches and such.

I joke around about taking weeks off for new games (New Vegas for example), but I've never actually done it.   
 
@paradox121: I agree, I like the idea of having a new game to come home and relax playing after work, rather than spending the entire day at home playing a game, I think I would get bored trying to play a game that long.... 
 
Now, when I was in college, I have cut classes to play video games, but I cut classes for a lot of other reasons too...

Never have, never will. Gaming takes a back seat in my laundry list of adventurous interests when I've booked time off. Games are a time waster, while vacation time is for new life experiences--anything that I can do on any other day of the week, is not what I want to do with booked time off. 
 
That said, it's cool to know there are people out there that are so invested in a game, that it's worth taking holidays to invest themselves completely in the world--sounds like a cheap vacation to me, so I'm strangely envious, in a way that's only comparable to people who are cheap drunks.

I faked sickness and took a day off to finish the original Resident Evil on the first PlayStation.

" That man who took a week off should be ashamed of himself and YOU too.   It's as if he's spitting in the eyes of everyone who is unemployed and in the current economic climate it's nigh on distateful. Sickening is, what it is. "

" @FourWude said:

" That man who took a week off should be ashamed of himself and YOU too.   It's as if he's spitting in the eyes of everyone who is unemployed and in the current economic climate it's nigh on distateful. Sickening is, what it is. "

Maybe instead of bitching, you should work as hard as the person who was able to take a week off to play Halo and find a job that gives you that liberty. "

I'd love to do it, but never have the opportunity to...I'm too responsible. Bah.

Never took a day off. Not really worth it imo.

" Never have, never will. Gaming takes a back seat in my laundry list of adventurous interests when I've booked time off. Games are a time waster, while vacation time is for new life experiences--anything that I can do on any other day of the week, is not what I want to do with booked time off.   That said, it's cool to know there are people out there that are so invested in a game, that it's worth taking holidays to invest themselves completely in the world--sounds like a cheap vacation to me, so I'm strangely envious, in a way that's only comparable to people who are cheap drunks. "

Never. There is more to life than games. I'll play them when I find the time to. I enjoy them more that way anyway

I telecommute, so I'm always home and have been pretty much my entire adult life. And for the last six years, I've had a three-day work week. So that leaves plenty of time for gaming. Unfortunately, I don't really make good on that time as my completed list attests to.

" @Zafmg said:

" @FourWude said:

" That man who took a week off should be ashamed of himself and YOU too.   It's as if he's spitting in the eyes of everyone who is unemployed and in the current economic climate it's nigh on distateful. Sickening is, what it is. "

oh wow that's a hell of a response there tiger "

Some people have no mercy. "

I regularly skipped University and School for marquee releases. Not sure if I'd do it when I was in a job though.

" @paradox121: Never, I am patient enough to wait to get home from college than take days off. Even tho I'm a gamer I still think education is more important "

I have thought about it several times, and I always take advantage of the holidays that come up near major releases (when I'm interested in the game), but I've never actually scheduled time off or even called in sick.  I've joked about it a lot, but never done it.  I guess I'm a failure as a slacker, too!

A day maybe, an entire week? Ridiculous.

i guess it's a kind of romantic thing to do, in a sense.. like a devotion to something you love. but i tend to feel weird if i play video games in the day time, you know, if the sunshine is streaming through your window. either you can't see the screen, or you have to pull the blinds down... which makes me feel like a hermit. it's weird. i like to do things in the day. games are an evening pursuit to me, unless it's raining outside or i have nothing else going on, or for whatever reason i can afford the time to not be working on something. but usually if a game is compelling and addictive enough, i let it engulf me and spend extra time playing it until it's out of my system - those are the best games.

Know a group of WoW players who work together, they all have 2 weeks holiday for when the next expansionpack is released. Also remember people taking days off for patch days, then complained when the servers came up late and their day was wasted. Some WoW players are weird.
 
I've taken days off then played games, but never taken days off just to game.

I have taken days off school, but not work.

Once Diablo 3 comes out I may have to consider a leave of absence... :) 

I've taken a week off for TBC and WotLK, I plan to do the same when Cata comes out. 

I haven't taken a day off work to play a game.  I mean if I'm off work and I happen to play a game then I'm happy.   Most nights I'm at law school so it wouldn't do me much good to take off from 9 to 5 when classes tart at 6:30pm...plus my wife would be pissed.

In theory you could say that I took two weeks off for F1 2010 coming out next tuesday. I've been doing so much overtime in the last couple of months (yay video games industry!) that I had 80 paid hours available in the bank. Since I'm not really the travel/tourist kind and I didn't had anything else planned to do in the next couple of months I said  "Hey why not", might as well take them when my favourite game is coming out. 
 
Back when I scheduled it Test Drive Unlimited 2 was also supposed to come out next week but it's been delayed.... Anyway...

" @Fbomb: I take vacation to get away from D-bags like you. "

I skipped class for Reach and StarCraft II.

My superiors know I love games and would fire the shit out of me if I took a day off that just happens to be at a launch of a huge game.

The closest I've ever come to  taking time off for a game was getting a wicked rash the day Bioshock came out. I legitimately had to go to a doctor, and then had the rest of the day to play Bioshock. 
 
On a related note, I manage a bunch of people in games QA, and people who call in sick on the day that a major release comes out really drive me nuts. I have no problem with people requesting the day off ahead of time, but calling in sick is complete crap. We had 15 testers/leads call in sick when Halo 3 came out. Lately, we've started collecting gamertags, PSN IDs, etc before major release days. Anyone who calls in sick and has the released games activity on their account then gets some disciplinary action when they get back. The threat has been enough to make people request the time off beforehand.

a week is pretty crazy for a video game. i would understand a day to do that. there would be people that would be happy to work there for a week just to get some cash. i would take a day off for a game but not an entire week.

" That man who took a week off should be ashamed of himself and YOU too.   It's as if he's spitting in the eyes of everyone who is unemployed and in the current economic climate it's nigh on distateful. Sickening is, what it is. "

I my opinion it's just plain stupid to take a day off for a game. Save it for when it really matters, like the day after you've been on a drinkingbinge

I took a day off to play Halo 3. Big mistake. It's not worth doing that kind of stuff for video games. They'll be there when you get home...unless they're stolen! Dun Dun Duuuuunnnn!

" That man who took a week off should be ashamed of himself and YOU too.   It's as if he's spitting in the eyes of everyone who is unemployed and in the current economic climate it's nigh on distateful. Sickening is, what it is. "

Well as great as that all sounds.  I have to work, regardless what new game I might have sitting at home waiting for me.  I work 5-6 days a week 10 hr shifts and get very little sleep.  Plus on top of bills and a little one to take care of, its hard to find time to play games let alone shop for new games.  Its not like I can pull out 60 bucks for a new game as soon as one comes out and I certainly can't have someone else support my gaming addiction.  Some people who decide to take off work for a few days or a week to play games, its there business, but its foolish.  Not only do the other people have to pick up the slack for when that person leaves, but that astro tard that leaves loses out on money and possibly gets fired.
 
For the longest time I thought it would be awesome to just sit around and play video games all day and just veg out.  But since my son came into my life, I see that its not a life that is very exciting.  My girlfriends little sister is one of those people, someone who doesn't want anything for her life and enjoys mooching off her mother and doesn't have any interest in living her own life.  Always in front of her laptop and doesn't seem to want to do anything else.  Always making excuses for why she can't work and always bumming money and cigerettes from me and my girl.  I just don't understand people some times.  Life is no video game, you don't get a second chance.  I guess some people need to grow up and look at the bigger picture.

I've never taken a day off of work for a game, but I have faked a dire illness to stay home and play a game while Mom made me soup and stuff. >.> I've also skipped out on a date to play the likes of Dark Cloud and MapleStory. I regret that, because I missed one of the most fun days of French class when I skipped school and haven't been on a date in awhile now.

It seems pretty sad to take days off of work/school just to play a game. It just shows how impatient and childish people are with their "NEED IT NOW" personalities. 

No, I usually go directly after work/school to get new games.