You Ever Take a Break From Gaming?

Not just like a couple of days, either. I ask because I've been trying to for about a year now. In July of '09, I was commissioned to paint a gigantic canvas for a friend. I decided it wasn't going to get done if I kept playing all of the new releases, so I vowed to stop gaming. I missed Mass Effect 2, Alan Wake, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Red Dead Redemption, and every big holiday/early '10 release. It was excruciating. 
 
Later, Halo: Reach and Super Meat Boy came out, and I figured fuck it. So now, I'm up to my neck in games, and that canvas isn't done yet. Shit. 
 
The only other "break" I can recall was when I became so engrossed in World of Warcraft for two years that I didn't follow the greater gaming world whatsoever. Anyone else?

My PS3 YLOD'd like three weeks ago.  So I have been staring at video game tournaments and the sort.  I feel despicable.

I dont think I've ever taken an extended break from them, but then I again I manage to equally distribute my time between games and everything else.

 I cannot picture a scenario in which I would take more then perhaps a couple of days off from gaming. 

Never.

I take a a break from video games when I'm at work or sleeping.

HADOKEN EVERYDAY.

Yes. I stopped playing them for six years during high school.

" Yes. I stopped playing them for six years during high school. "

" That is about two years too long, but whatevs.  "

" @uniform said:

" Yes. I stopped playing them for six years during high school. "

That is about two years too long, but whatevs.  "

I don't know if I've gone a month without playing a videogame for over 23 years...  I've gone week+ occasionally.

I play around on the internet or I got out with friends or have sex.

From about 14 - 16 i took a break.
 
I exclusively played WoW at release till the begining of BC. Upgraded my computer when i was 17, bought MW1 and Mass Effect and i was back with a vengeance.

Yup, earlier this year, it wasn't bad.

Sure I do, I have to sleep sometimes. 

I take short breaks from games from time to time.  Usually it is due to uni work that lies ahead, or maybe I want to continue one of my other hobbies that I put on hold for some reason.  I don't think I ever spent a long time away from games though.  I don't watch TV much besides the news and some documentaries, so games, forums like these, and just learning to program in some language are the main things I do to occupy myself.  That and go out and hang with friends and family of course.

I had to cut down my gaming last year due to uni work but no, I've never really taken a proper break from gaming.

I've never taken an official break, but I regularly go several days, maybe up to a couple weeks of not gaming when life is just busy. it sucks but you get used to it, especially now that I am married, work too much and have a daughter. but I do try to balance it out, I've been trying to game regularly at night after the wife and kid go to sleep but a lot of the time I'm just too tired and I usually just lay in bed and read. I find that unless I'm REALLY in to a game I will not game often most weeks.

Yeh, normally a few months a year.  I tend to go away to the Alps and consult on Ski company menus and help train their staff.  This means daily snowboarding, hard drinking and womanising.  No way in hell I would fancy a quick game of anything when I can go and ride fresh snow.

I take a few months off sometimes, if there's no good games coming out and I'm busy with other stuff. Don't think I've gone more than 6 months, though. 

" Yeh, normally a few months a year.  I tend to go away to the Alps and consult on Ski company menus and help train their staff.  This means daily snowboarding, hard drinking and womanising.  No way in hell I would fancy a quick game of anything when I can go and ride fresh snow. "

Took two and a half months off and started playing again last week. I realised none of the games I want to play are out till 2011 so I will probably take another 2 months break. 
 
If I do get a few days free I will try and finish the episodes for halflife 2.

" @Fripplebubby said:

" That is about two years too long, but whatevs.  "

Indeed. It took night school in my mid-twenties before I finished. "