Gamers have too much money and not enough free time.

Chances are if you're a gamer you participate in a gaming forum. Many gaming forums tend to have threads devoted to two things. One being a "Post what you bought this month" dealie where everyone posts pictures of videogame-related stuff they've purchased. The other is the "buying/trading/selling" thread where naturally everyone goes to get rid of the stuff they just bought.

Let's say the average game takes ten hours to complete. This is ignoring multiplayer components that could extend the game's life several times over as well as any additional features that would make the game worth an additional playthrough. Out of the twenty-four hours a day let's assume seven of them are devoted to sleeping and eight of them are devoted to working. With those remaining nine hours we squeeze in everything from eating to showering to doing our hair to whatever errands or tasks we have to complete in-between working and sleeping. This isn't even considering the idea that many people have friends, relatives, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, children, pets, and practically anything else that carries priority over videogames. By the end of all that we're looking at maybe 2 or 3 hours of time for playing videogames. Obviously not everyone has the same schedule but I think this does a fair job of accounting for everything. So barring anything else that game will take less than a week to finish.

Gamers on the other hand use their 2 or 3 hours of free time for "gaming". Gaming is not playing videogames. Gaming is reading videogame-related news, participating in videogame discussion forums, watching videos of other people playing games, buying videogames, asking questions about a game they just bought but haven't played yet, and everything short of picking up a controller or mouse and shooting some bad guys. Buying videogames is the real kicker here because while the sensible person will buy three games per month at the most(since that's all they'll have time for) the average gamer buys three games every other day. It's not uncommon to go into one of those "pick-ups for this month" threads and see that people have anywhere from three to thirteen games. Why do they do it? I honestly can't understand it myself. 

Since gamers have used up all of their free time gaming they won't be able to sit down and actually play anything. This leads to games getting sold off through ebay or those selling threads. We're talking about games that were bought at full-price and then sold less than a month later at half the price and they're virtually untouched. This means gamers have absolutely no issue with throwing away their money. Chances are if you know a gamer they own games they haven't even played let alone completed. For gamers those days of excitedly racing home to play a brand-new game are long-gone. Nowadays a new game arrives in their mailbox, they say something to the effect of "eh...neat", and then toss it on a shelf.

One day videogame companies are going to get the bright idea to stop trying so hard to develop good games since so many gamers aren't playing them. Instead these videogame companies are going to put more effort into shiny boxes, extravagant pre-order bonuses, and other enticing garbage to ensure that gamers everywhere will buy them as soon as they come out. Then when these gamers finally get around to playing this game they'll discover that all of the other gamers they discuss gaming with over the internet are no longer interested in the game and sure enough the next stop is Gamestop(or ebay, or that sale-thread). Heck at times the only thing keeping these videogame companies in check is the average person who actually plays the game after they purchase it. Gamers are great for the gaming industry but they are horrible for videogames. I implore everyone out there to never become a gamer and ruin this excellent hobby.

And I know this because I am a gamer myself.

EDIT: Yikes.

Chances are if you're a gamer you participate in a gaming forum. Many gaming forums tend to have threads devoted to two things. One being a "Post what you bought this month" dealie where everyone posts pictures of videogame-related stuff they've purchased. The other is the "buying/trading/selling" thread where naturally everyone goes to get rid of the stuff they just bought.

Let's say the average game takes ten hours to complete. This is ignoring multiplayer components that could extend the game's life several times over as well as any additional features that would make the game worth an additional playthrough. Out of the twenty-four hours a day let's assume seven of them are devoted to sleeping and eight of them are devoted to working. With those remaining nine hours we squeeze in everything from eating to showering to doing our hair to whatever errands or tasks we have to complete in-between working and sleeping. This isn't even considering the idea that many people have friends, relatives, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, children, pets, and practically anything else that carries priority over videogames. By the end of all that we're looking at maybe 2 or 3 hours of time for playing videogames. Obviously not everyone has the same schedule but I think this does a fair job of accounting for everything. So barring anything else that game will take less than a week to finish.

Gamers on the other hand use their 2 or 3 hours of free time for "gaming". Gaming is not playing videogames. Gaming is reading videogame-related news, participating in videogame discussion forums, watching videos of other people playing games, buying videogames, asking questions about a game they just bought but haven't played yet, and everything short of picking up a controller or mouse and shooting some bad guys. Buying videogames is the real kicker here because while the sensible person will buy three games per month at the most(since that's all they'll have time for) the average gamer buys three games every other day. It's not uncommon to go into one of those "pick-ups for this month" threads and see that people have anywhere from three to thirteen games. Why do they do it? I honestly can't understand it myself. 

Since gamers have used up all of their free time gaming they won't be able to sit down and actually play anything. This leads to games getting sold off through ebay or those selling threads. We're talking about games that were bought at full-price and then sold less than a month later at half the price and they're virtually untouched. This means gamers have absolutely no issue with throwing away their money. Chances are if you know a gamer they own games they haven't even played let alone completed. For gamers those days of excitedly racing home to play a brand-new game are long-gone. Nowadays a new game arrives in their mailbox, they say something to the effect of "eh...neat", and then toss it on a shelf.

One day videogame companies are going to get the bright idea to stop trying so hard to develop good games since so many gamers aren't playing them. Instead these videogame companies are going to put more effort into shiny boxes, extravagant pre-order bonuses, and other enticing garbage to ensure that gamers everywhere will buy them as soon as they come out. Then when these gamers finally get around to playing this game they'll discover that all of the other gamers they discuss gaming with over the internet are no longer interested in the game and sure enough the next stop is Gamestop(or ebay, or that sale-thread). Heck at times the only thing keeping these videogame companies in check is the average person who actually plays the game after they purchase it. Gamers are great for the gaming industry but they are horrible for videogames. I implore everyone out there to never become a gamer and ruin this excellent hobby.

And I know this because I am a gamer myself.

EDIT: Yikes.

What do you mean, not enough free time? I'm off 24/7. Hell, I basically spend all of my time in front of my consoles and PC.

A game still has to be good to buy, if I finish it or not... that's my business.

" A game still has to be good to buy, if I finish it or not... that's my business. "

I believe it's getting to the point where games are getting bought & sold but never played. Sure most of the time they're good games but all the same it's just a waste.

I don't think your factoring in weekends and holidays.

I fall into this category, unfortunately :'( 

Whenever I'm not gettin' homeschool'd I'm playing video games, I play video games at LEAST 4 hours a day playing games. I make "Games I bought" forums because that is an indicator of the games I'll most likely be playing that week, or that month. Any games that I'm only mildly interested in I go to Blockbuster to buy. That matters because me and my brother and my dad go run errands and do fun stuff on saturday, when we are out of ideas, we will usually go to Blockbuster and me and my brother are free to buy any game that is equivalent to the cost of a rental. That way, we get at least a little extra value for the same price as a rental. But most of the time I buy games because I'm interested in them and I think they will be interesting, and those games I buy with my hard earned moola. Yes yes I know this tactic won't work later in life but it works for know, hehe, free games.

" I don't think your factoring in weekends and holidays. "

Well sure there are always those but depending on the holiday family & friends takes priority and weekends can be a bit of a wildcard. Besides I'm talking more about gamers. Gamers buy several times as many games but then use whatever free time they have to talk about games rather than play them.

"@T0mF5 said:

" I don't think your factoring in weekends and holidays. "

Well sure there are always those but depending on the holiday family & friends takes priority and weekends can be a bit of a wildcard. Besides I'm talking more about gamers. Gamers buy several times as many games but then use whatever free time they have to talk about games rather than play them.

"

For me, it's the other way around. Too much free time, not enough money:(

"For me, it's the other way around. Too much free time, not enough money:( "

" For me, it's the other way around. Too much free time, not enough money:( "

I spend at least 5 hours a day playing games, on weekends and holidays, about half the day. So I have enough time. Interesting thoughts though.

Are you high?

I have no time at all to play games anymore. With a job, with summer love hitting me...crazy shit brah.

To a certain extent that's always true because there's no way any singular gamer could fully complete 100% of the single player and multiplayer sides of every game he or she might potentially enjoy, unless that person doesn't really like games at all.

first of all, gamers play games just like other people work. Gamers also work, not saying that they don't, but it is something we do. It is a hobby. Just because we are devoted to that hobby doesn't mean that we have too much time on out hands, just depends on how well the time is distrubited within a 24 hr. day period. And having Money . . . . hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. I don't mean to start a "flame war" here, but it is just fact, if gamers have too much money, the PS3 wouldn't be is the state it is in now. I shouldn't put it like that. Let me restate. If gamers have too much money, the PS3 would be in a much better state than the one that it is in now. Bionic commando would have sold more than 27,000 copies, and there would be a whole lot more players on Xbox live. Son, in the words of the great Cosby . . . You see, the kids, they listen to the rap which gives them the brain damage, IDK if that was actually the Cos. or jsut Family Guy Cos. either way, the premis still stands. I'm obviously JK, but man, look at the world a little closer, you might just find something.

This is madness, no sparta references please. This is just completely insane.

"

Chances are if you're a gamer you participate in a gaming forum. Many gaming forums tend to have threads devoted to two things. One being a "Post what you bought this month" dealie where everyone posts pictures of videogame-related stuff they've purchased. The other is the "buying/trading/selling" thread where naturally everyone goes to get rid of the stuff they just bought."

I find it to be the exact opposite, so quit yer bitchin' rich boy.

I'm almost ashamed to say I'm that kind of gamer. I have a long list of games I have yet to finish, although to be fair most of them I've picked up at bargain prices from second-hand retailers. Thankfully I'm now in the same boat as Icemael, and I can't afford to pick up too many games these days. Hopefully I can take advantage of the opportunity to play through some older games over the next year or two.

I honestly have an active hate on people that make achievements the deciding factor in a game, but putting that aside that is a pretty fair view you have there OP.  Sure everyone has different time schedules (Like I am on holidays for 2 months atm, and whilst looking for a part-time job I'm just enjoying my little collection of PC games that I like), but the main point of this is pretty much what you have realised - people tend to play a game for a bit, then not finish it. Then they sell it off.  I am always amazed why people buy games and sell it back through online trading services like Ebay, and have it still new and sometimes untouched.

There is no better reason to explain this behaviour by some people than this one word - stupidity.  They gain nothing by not even finishing the game and getting their money's worth (if they even play it), and sell it off for less than they bought it (unavoidable as it is now a used game after even 1 minute after purchase).  They have no logical reason whatsoever to justify their behaviour except for "because we can".  It's an arbitrary excuse to hide their lack of a brain, and yes it could potentially encourage mischievous companies to go even further down the path to making bad games with great marketing.

But thankfully, remember that not every company will do this as for every 10 bad companies try to make their own franchises built just to make money, there will be another 1 company that will make a game to make money AND to create something with the Primary intent to entertain you.  And even though there are a lot of untouched game peddlers, there are also a lot of normal people like you, me and most others on forums like these that don't buy bad games and treasure the ones we get, for we know how to truly enjoy them.  That is what being a gamer is all about - Just enjoying it.

Last time i checked, gaming meant playing games....reading gaming news and forums is uhh..........reading gaming news....and forums....yeah..

I'd say your definition of a 'gamer' is a complete minority so your post in totally invalid.

I have nothing but free time and no money. Which means I have to fill up my free time with work time, so I can have money but no fun.

I have too little time and too little money

I have too much time and not enough money. I only buy 1 game  every 4 or 5 months.

I have a 3 weeks of holidays starting next week and $100 for my gaming needs. If I don't spend it carefully, I could be done in 3 days. My plan is P3:FES and Okami. Moral of the story? I have too much free time and not enough money.

Very cool. I'll keep all this in mind. Oh and don't worry this is the only blog post I'll attach to the forum. Like I said it's not something that happens to everyone but I still think it's a growing problem and I myself am really affected by it. 

you just attempted to summarise the entire gaming community with a completely one-sided opinion. You failed.

The problem I have with your [OP] theory is I don't see how it's any different than many other forms of entertainment.  People buy albums for just one or two songs, listen to them a half dozen times and they get shoved to the back of the rack.  People buy books off recommendations only to read Entertainment Weekly instead.  People buy clothes that they never wear because the item is on sale.  DVDs and Blu-rays pile up in people's collections only to be viewed once or twice.  How anyone chooses to spend their entertainment dollar is up to them and has little to do with any specific peculiarity associated with a specific hobby.  I'm pretty sure your post was written as satire, so I understand why you made such broad generalizations, but on the same token, your complaint is not confined to the video game industry.  In order to save gaming, or film, fiction, fashion, etc...we, as consumers, must cease to purchase their products. 

I have not enough time and too little money.

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"@BiffMcBlumpkin: Stop using the same tired old picture."