I Barely Play Games Anymore

It seems like I've been going through these phases where I have no desire to play games. The "phases" have been coming more frequently and have been lasting longer. I hate to say it, but it just kinda' feels like a waste of time because it doesn't feel I'm accomplishing anything.

I've been looking for reasons why I feel this way; blaming it on the growing complexities of games; the change from 2D to 3D; calling most game storylines shit; but in reality I'm changing as a person, and it's time to accept that. It's just weird how something can go from being the most important thing in your life to being something you don't even care to think about.

Is anyone else going through something similar?

I've kind of been that way, but I feel mine is more me telling myself I need to play so many games, so instead I've replayed some old favorites, like Vagrant Story.
I'll try the new games eventually, but I think trying EVERY new thing is burning me out.

Welcome to the growing old club. Benefits include obesity, premature balding and alcoholism.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?

Ahh, I don't get like that y'see, I get it in smaller bursts. For example, if i'm playing a game I end up doing a few missions and just putting the controller down for a couple hours or so, I just can't carry on. Then again, a couple levels, controller down. Sometimes I just sit there staring at the ceiling for 20 minutes or so before I can get it together to carry on.

Maybe i'm just tired from depression, past couple months have been pretty fucking insane for me.

Age has nothing to do with it. Everyone has those days. Myself Included where I don't even want to look at a console. It's never a waste of time I think. Games are a way of stimulating your mind so if anything your giving your mind a braingasm.

well if you think that way then of course you're going to stray further and further from games.

It's ok dude, you're just getting older. You feel like you should be doing more important things. Maybe it's time you retire from games...or get addicted to one if you don't want to stop, might I suggest some type of MMORPG for that >_>

Try playing smaller games or games in small bursts.

I have gone through stages of not playing games, but I always get over them.

You shouldn't worry about the fact that you don't want to play a game right now. If you don't feel like it, then just don't. When you start wanting to play again, do it. There's no need to feel bad about not enjoying doing a hobby for a while, you need to mix your activities up.

I did go through a little phase like that, but it was pretty much an extension of a whole life phase I had to deal with.

I get it too sometimes. Its a general feeling of disdain for committing to an activity with arguably little return on your time investment. I usually try to go outside and do something different, even if its just a walk to the library. A feeling of accomplishment encourages gaming cause I let it feel more like a reward than just a waste of a day.

That said I am still capable of wasting 10 hours a day playing a single game. But breaking that cycle is always healthy once in a while. Keeps you from being found in a korean internet cafe slumped over your computer dead of massive heart failure.

Try to see it from another perspective. Do something else, try to get good at an instrument or do some form of art and when you feel bored or feel the urge to play games, pick up the controller. If you feel a need to play every single day, then of course you'll get that feeling.

Yeah ive been feeling like this.. havent felt like finishing or beating a game in a while, and ive been pretty hard to satisfy lately.. it sucks man i want my gaming rush back!

Maybe it's the lack of exciting games coming out during the summer? Hang in there, bud; ME2 is just around the corner. Doubtless it will suck many hours of your life away.*


"*": only applicable if you have a soul.

Same, in the last few weeks I've wrote and read more about video games than I've played video games.

Been watching lots of TV shows on DVD and movies.

I've barely touched my 360 in the last 2 weeks and as it's sitting over there with 3 games I've hardly even touched and more games to finish I have no desire to play it. I think aliens must of messed with my head.

Like you said: it's a phase or cycle, if you will. You can't keep playing games continuously.  Age doesn't have anything to do with it.  Although sometimes when I feel tired, I pause the game & take a nap, rather than try to play drowsy.  I don't care to play them all the time either. Usually I play on the weekends.  I've gone for years without playing anything, perhaps 1 game per year on a PC & that was it.

You need to strike a balance between the real world & your recreation time (games,movies, books, vacation, or anything else).  When the real world becomes too much, the thought of playing games & recreation in general starts to percolate in your mind & then you'll be back to playing games when you have the time to do so.

Man, I'm going to start college relatively soon and I don't have time for a game of NBA 2k let alone anything serious. I've out grown them I'd say.

Thanks for all the comments, guys.

I think a big part of the problem is that I've been getting really involved with making music. Not saying it has to be one or the other, but my drive to get better on the guitar or keyboard totally trumps the urge to accomplish anything game-wise. I'll sit down to play a game and think, "I should be practicing that song right now."

I still love games. But this summer, which has been so far a month and a half long, I've only probably played 10-12 hours of games. 

yeah i got bored of the same genres i played so i changed it up by trying rpgs and trying some mmo's

I don't usually get bored of all games, I get bored of certain games, such as WoW, i have been playing that for almost 3 years now and, sometimes I feel I don't even want to play it anymore.

I've been spending my money on books lately instead of games. I was interested in a few games that came out last month and ended up renting Red Faction and Ghostbusters, but I got really overwhelmed with RF for dome reason and had to stop after about 30 minutes each time I played it. I got about halfway through Ghostbusters, but thought the difficulty ramped up way too much at the museum and stopped playing. I replayed about half of Mass Effect, because I've been thinking about the sequel, but in the last three months I've finished 8 novels, one being 500 pages and another 750, and haven't completed a single game.

" Thanks for all the comments, guys. I think a big part of the problem is that I've been getting really involved with making music. Not saying it has to be one or the other, but my drive to get better on the guitar or keyboard totally trumps the urge to accomplish anything game-wise. I'll sit down to play a game and think, "I should be practicing that song right now." "

" I did go through a little phase like that, but it was pretty much an extension of a whole life phase I had to deal with. "

I flirt with other hobbies like this from time to time but gaming has been the only constant I keep coming back to.  Change things up for a bit, you shouldn't be feeling obliged to do anything in your free time.  Gaming will still be here if/when you get bored of your other stuff.

Are you spending enough time doing something constructive (work, school) ?  I find I feel like I need to 'earn' my gaming time.  I can play straight through an evening or a weekend and the time flys by, but if I have a week or two off - which is rare, once a year maybe - I can barely force myself to sit down and play a game because it makes me feel like a bum.