Failing at keeping at console gaming - any thoughts?

Hey all

I have recently been having issues with playing video games. This seems to occur mainly when I am on the Xbox 360 or other consoles (I also have a Dreamcast and Nintendo DS) and in recent times I have just not been able to get into any of my games on these systems whatsoever.

Now this is not a flame or hate thread on consoles I want to state now, but I just feel in the past on my Playstation 1 and 2 I could spend hours playing games and got lost into the world of Final Fantasy 8 or improving my lap times on Formula 1. However, with the recent games I have finished very few and they tend to be short length fps/action games like Gears of War or Halo etc.

More problematic in some aspects is the fact I have not got any new Nintendo DS games in over a year nor played my Dreamcast in months as is the case with the DS. Now its starting to happen with my Xbox 360, I havent got a new game in a month now and today I intended to get some but walked home with DVD's instead. I just can't seem to feel involved with the consoles anymore if you get me.

My main gaming time is spent on the PC with Football Manager 2008 and rarely Call of Duty 4 or Command and Conquer Red Alert 3.

Is there anything you can suggest to this? Should I look at getting a new console to try and boost my spirits such as the Nintendo Wii or Playstation 3 or even any games I should get for the afformentioned systems? Would it be a better idea to just sell the consoles and accept gaming is not for me as a major hobby like it once was?

All adivise will be taken on board and considered so I am interested to hear what your thoughts are.

Thank you

I currently have my Wii, 360, N64 and PC hooked up at the moment.

For me, Wii got me back into console gaming. I really don't see the point of buying mulitplats for the 360 when most of the same games (exclusives excluded) are on PC for a much more wallet-friendly price.

 

Is there anything you can suggest to this? 

As I would like peoples thoughts on this. I want something to think over, something that may persuade me to keep my console which would switch gaming back on for me because I am running low on ideas to be honest. I am not against video games or anything, I have done it for years but I am starting to feel burnt out by it.

You know what? I've been feeling the same way lately. As I get older my interest in gaming dwindles. Is it a part of growing up? I hope not.

luck has knocked your door. put all of the video game stuffs away and stick up to the real life. until 2 or three years later. Unless a good commercial crash takes advantage out of these idiot and money lover publishers, you can't play a good game.

Yeah I know what you mean TheJollyRajah, I feel the games are good today but the older titles felt fresh, like Formula 1 wowed me as it was the first time I could drive around real life looking tracks with the proper cars and it doesnt really seem to have expanded on this appart from nicer visuals and online play nowadays. I want something fresh but I get stuck in the same game genres.

Any more thoughts on this?

I have to say I feel the same way. But I do believe for myself, it is me getting older. I don't have the motivation to set up my console games and I refuse to buy any of the newer generation consoles because it is a waste of money. I also think that my taste in games has stayed the same, but the type of games being made now are few and far between. I love turn-based and now there are fewer and fewer that I come to want to play. I usually end up buying remakes of games I have already played. Other than that, I just go to a friends house to play the newer games.

I haven't touched my 360 very often since early January, when I ran out of new games to play. Maybe you'll get into it once games start coming out again.

I dunno, I may have gotten too many games in a short time frame but I just did not get into any of the big hype games from last year like Burnout Paradise, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2 and others. They are not bad games but I just didnt get hooked, the same with Blue Dragon and Oblivion.

I think this has been a long time coming for me but I just did not want to see it.

Hmm. You get older, you get less time to game. It happens to everyone one day.

This is why you don't see many JRPG fans over the age of 20. The only people with enough time on their hands to finish them are still in junior high or high school unless they don't work a whole lot.

I've adjusted my gaming habits to consist of quick, arcade-like games. If I have a day off and don't have to go spend time with friends or run errands or go to band practice I'll play something more time consuming, but Steam and Sega Dreamcast homebrew are both godsends.

It used to be about the games. Remember that?

Remember when it was pure?!

Games now don't have the same passion put into them and it shows.

can I see your 360 gamercard?
(not as a matter of proving you have it-- it's a matter of seeing what you play)

General advice is to switch up genres a bit, play something out of the ordinary.  To avoid this again, just make sure you don't play the same types of games over and over.  Even if it might be a better game, if you just played 3 shooters in a row, maybe you want to game the action game instead of that other shooter. 

They don't make games like they used to I suppose but you can always try and pick up something completely different. Just picking from a genre you don't usually play might help.

"Games now don't have the same passion put into them and it shows."

I think I will just stick my consoles away for a while. I kinda feel like getting a couple of new DS games or 360 games as I have not used my DS in months or got a game for it in a year.

If only Crayon Physics was on DS :(