Have you lost your gaming interest?

next-Jin

next-Jin

Supreme [H]ardness
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Mar 29, 2006
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I used to be a hardcore gamer, got married and still gamed quite frequently. But since reaching the 30s I find myself "trying" to buy my way back into it.

For instance I moved to a smaller apartment and got a Dell 580s just to go out and buy a LP 6570. Bought over 100 bucks in Steam sale games and never really played any of them. Moved to a larger PC SG05 with a 6970 and again bought a ton of games just to never really play anything other than a couple hours of L4D2.

Moved to a bigger house bought my current system with crossfire 7970s and again, not really doing much gaming instead just tweaking and running benchmarks.

I was a very serious WoW player, previously to that CS, UT, etc.

These days I am just watching media on my HTPC.

I think it's safe to say I am no longer a gamer. I just don't care enough about them. I beat TR in a rush over 2 days but other than that haven't touched anything really since. I can't even care to finish Bioshock.

Yet I still have an urge to buy more videocards, more Steam games, more console games, even though I know damn well they will go unused.

Is it time for me to sell everything off and get a Mac lol?

I just think it's time for me to admit I'm not a gamer anymore.
 
Nay you're just burnt out on what you think are games that you should play. I did the same as you about MMO's and decided to finally stop searching for the "right one". Switched genres and learned that there are other really good games out there. Then I found a quirky game that I like and playing it to death currently. Take a break and reevaluate.
 
Not me. Have been fascinated with video games ever since I saw fist arcade game back in the early 80's.Got an Atari 2600 the Christmas of 82 and then a C64 in 83 and have been hooked ever since. I'm now 40 years old with a wife, kid, nice house and 2 jobs and still find time to get several hours in each week. I have gotten a lot pickier on what I play tho. I don't just like video games for video games sake, it has to be something that I really love like Mass Effect or the Batman games. There are only a handful of games that I play but I've got a couple hundred hours logged on each one. I figure I'll be playing games as long as I can work a mouse and keyboard.
 
I in my 36 year burned out from games. During last 3 years the only 2 games that I really played are:
Borderlands 2
PlanetSide 2

And even these 2 games I play on Friday evening only.

I just do not have time nor interest to invest into single player games anymore unless those are REALLY interesting.

I feel like Planet Side it the game that will keep my attention for another several years and I'm afraid after that I will quit gaming altogether.
 
I've been going back to older games and having fun again. As for newer games, I haven't played many other than Bioshock infinite, borderlands 2, and maybe 1 or 2 others.
 
Lately I've been playing a lot of Path of Exile. I still feel the excitement of finding nice loots and leveling up.

Haven't played much single player games though. For some reason, I am unable to get into single player FPS with a game system that is a little more complex than linear shooters. I know many people love knocking on linear shooters but the recent shooters game that I actually completed are those like Portal 2. I lost interest halfway through games like Borderlands.
 
Like any person ever, your interests change over time. Someone who dances for 14 years may get sick of it and want a change and become a doctor. There's no denying that video games today are not what they were back then. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Depends. Quality overall has definitely taken a hit but there are still some very good games among the sea of new releases.

I find my interest comes and goes but I can't devote the time/money I used to as the days of living at home/college with hardly any bills or long hours at work are long gone. It's just how life progresses. I still try and get my hands on titles that interest me, as I'm looking forward to the new Bioshock/Tomb Raider games. I still play WoW, the latest Final Fantasy as the series will always have a place in my game heart, or anything else that looks interesting. Steam really helps keep the wallet in check, and I'm also pumped for the newest Souls game.
 
I don't think I've ever been a "gamer", but I'll buy any new Batman game or Grand Theft Auto game.

...and I'll play it for months on end. I'm still beating down people in Arkham City. When I turn 80, I'll be hovercar jacking fools in GTA XXXV: Blue Hair City.
 
I got burned out a few years ago, my [H] join date reflects my peak gaming period...so its been awhile. What killed it for me was CODMW and the mindless and endless nights of repetitive gameplay. I started to feel depressed almost logging in and seeing that telltale "TimePlayed: 139 days" or whatever it said. It may as well been a Scarlet A. Wow, what could I have accomplished in 139 days? That was the only game I was playing so it was even more saddening.

Lately though, my interests have returned. Married with 2 kids now, who are sleeping through the night, I have a window of time where I could let my imagination run loose and enjoy a good game. I want to avoid FPS all together and rekindle the gametypes that captured my game interests so many years ago. Secret of Mana, Soulreaver, Zelda, etc.. and other adventure games are what im searching for. Im scared like an alchy walking into a bar that I will end up grabbing whatever game as an AK74 in it and start burning time up again though. So, like the other poster mentioned, change genres maybe...its easy to get jaded these days. Game designers make quick games with little depth in order to market the shit out of it and get you hooked and ready for the next one.
 
A tiny bit. focusing more on my coding then gaming now that i have started my own company and doing contract work
 
It gets tough to diagnose what it really is. Sometimes we're just burnt out, and need a week or two away from games to really start to miss them, other times schedules conflict. If you hit the gym early in the morning and come home late from work, it makes no rational sense to game when you realistically have to hit the sack at 9AM or your entire next day is fucked.

If your weekend is filled with random little errands and shit as well, it pushes things like gaming and lounging around to the side as well. It's tough being an adult heh. It sucks monkey fuck 50/50, the other 50 is awesome because you have the ability to pay for great vacations, go out, etc., though at times I still miss being 14 and just sitting in all weekend in front of the PC.

Times change.
 
I have been experiencing this as well. As we get older, tastes change, but occasionally I find a game that appeals to me.
 
I only really play games from the late 90s to the early 2000s. Not burned out yet.
 
rehab said:
I got burned out a few years ago, my [H] join date reflects my peak gaming period...so its been awhile. What killed it for me was CODMW and the mindless and endless nights of repetitive gameplay. I started to feel depressed almost logging in and seeing that telltale "TimePlayed: 139 days" or whatever it said. It may as well been a Scarlet A. Wow, what could I have accomplished in 139 days? That was the only game I was playing so it was even more saddening.
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This right here. Having a client like Steam tracking how many hours wasted in gaming opens the eyes in a depressing way. Between Skyrim, Fallout3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Mass Effect-accounts for the equivalent of >15x 40-hour work weeks. Which really put it in perspective. Combined with the fact that no games have come out that were remotely interesting in a months...and I haven't fired up Steam in a long time. At first I looked for a way to hide that hours played stat, then I just used it to motivate me to go do something other than sitting in front of a computer.

Upside #1, I've gotten other shit done IRL...and my DD boxen instead of being ready to fire up Steam in case I game has gotten more folding@home done. Upside#2, because it's folding I have no desire to dump money one a new GPU or thirsting for Haswell.
 
With me its just a matter of time. A four year old demands tons of time so when hes asleep for the night I only have maybe an hour to play whereas when single I had six or more hours to play. This is the reason why I can't play MMO's. I can only play casual games where I can drop in and out. Far Cry 3 was my latest conquest and it took me about a month to complete because of time.
 
I think that bug has bit me as well. I have played MMOs for over a decade, and FPS' before that. Lately all I do is surf, and some light gaming. Still want to upgrade, still want to buy stuff. Getting a little easier to "just say no" though. Btw, 45yrs here (and still haven't bought a pre-made PC).
 
I used to game a lot, got married 5 years ago so I played less games, had a kid 2 years ago so I played even less games. It's not only that I don't have as much time for games, but it's just that it no longer satisfies me either. Also, after some more trying days at work, I just don't care enough or have the energy to play, and I'm not one to play half assed games either since it'll make the small amount of time I play games suck even more. Lastly, other toys are better - why race on a computer when you can do it on a track?

Taste haven't changed, the world around me has.
 
cageymaru said:
Nay you're just burnt out on what you think are games that you should play. I did the same as you about MMO's and decided to finally stop searching for the "right one". Switched genres and learned that there are other really good games out there. Then I found a quirky game that I like and playing it to death currently. Take a break and reevaluate.
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I can feel your pain OP. I agree with this guy. It's not that you are sick of gaming, or not a gamer it is just that you are burnt out on the games you feel like you should be playing. I still attempt to game every once in a while but my problem is lack of time. So I end up buying Steam sale games and rarely playing them. Like I would be excited after finding a good deal and maybe play a half an hour into a game or less then turn it off.

I am however really enjoying Bioshock Infinite. I can only play about a hour or hour and a half at the most at a time, then I just go watch movies or shows on Netflix or my Media Server. So i'm still a gamer but because of life (fiance, 2 jobs, and school) I have less time to focus on games and feel overwhelmed when I think of my enormous backlog of games I haven't finished then I don't feel like starting anything. Luckily with Bioshock I made myself sit down for half an hour and got hooked so whenever I have a spare hour here and there I play that.
 
FrostBite said:
I used to game a lot, got married 5 years ago so I played less games, had a kid 2 years ago so I played even less games. It's not only that I don't have as much time for games, but it's just that it no longer satisfies me either. Also, after some more trying days at work, I just don't care enough or have the energy to play, and I'm not one to play half assed games either since it'll make the small amount of time I play games suck even more. Lastly, other toys are better - why race on a computer when you can do it on a track?

Taste haven't changed, the world around me has.
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Word. I quit playing FPS and started shooting IDPA and 3Gun a couple weekends a month. Much more fun actually holding the gun. Also, if I jump left to right as quick as possible IRL, it doesnt make me more accurate like SOF2 taught me...just so you know. :D
 
get friends! lol seriously though I was starting to burn out on games, then started playing with a couple guy I know irl and it has been so much better. Even games that were alright to me before like starcraft 2 become 100x more fun with friends over Skype.
 
Burnout happens to me a lot more these days, but that's mostly due to overpriced games with underwhelming gameplay.
 
Wow, so am I the only old man on [H] that still loves gaming? I get where yall are coming from, believe me. A 3 year old boy and 2 jobs not to mention all that comes with owning a house will eat up a LOT of your spare time but that's actually made the little time I get to game all that much more valuable to me. Games have always been fun for me but now they're kinda therapeutic for me as well. They offer a nice escape from 2 crappy jobs, yard work and bills. Just getting time to unwind and veg out by yourself is hard to do and usually comes at 10:30PM when everybody else is asleep so being able to fire up Steam and get lost on Ilos or Arkham City for an hour or 2 is so nice.
 
next-Jin said:
I used to be a hardcore gamer, got married and still gamed quite frequently. But since reaching the 30s I find myself "trying" to buy my way back into it.

For instance I moved to a smaller apartment and got a Dell 580s just to go out and buy a LP 6570. Bought over 100 bucks in Steam sale games and never really played any of them. Moved to a larger PC SG05 with a 6970 and again bought a ton of games just to never really play anything other than a couple hours of L4D2.

Moved to a bigger house bought my current system with crossfire 7970s and again, not really doing much gaming instead just tweaking and running benchmarks.

I was a very serious WoW player, previously to that CS, UT, etc.

These days I am just watching media on my HTPC.

I think it's safe to say I am no longer a gamer. I just don't care enough about them. I beat TR in a rush over 2 days but other than that haven't touched anything really since. I can't even care to finish Bioshock.

Yet I still have an urge to buy more videocards, more Steam games, more console games, even though I know damn well they will go unused.

Is it time for me to sell everything off and get a Mac lol?

I just think it's time for me to admit I'm not a gamer anymore.
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I have kind of been chilling out with gaming lately, picked up a PS3 and play a little more casually instead of the 1000 hours I spent on BF3 in a year, 1000+ hours in Dota 2 and all that. I am graduating from my university soon and I don't think my career will allow me to play anywhere near that level anymore.
 
Do I struggle to find interest? Hell no.

Do I struggle to find time? Hell yes.
 
It's your body telling you to get a new hobby, I think... but I also think as we get old we just get plain cranky and don't enjoy anything. There's some balance that's required to enjoy things. Maybe you aren't as healthy as you could be. I find that the healthier I am, eating and exercising, the more I enjoy everything. I know some people can be fat-asses and enjoy stuff, that's great for them, but I think for most people it just sucks all energy and excitement from our souls. We all want to be happy, but there are several different variables that get us there. Try to find what is missing from your life and tend to that. Take care...
 
I think as you get older you have to balance more competing interests ... my gaming is a little seasonal ... I tend to get big bursts when a major title comes out or during the summer months when I have few TV shows I like to watch ... I also have exercise, food shopping, bike commute to work and other things that eat away at my available time

If you aren't enjoying it or there are no big titles tempting you, then take a break ... when you come back to it you might find it more enjoyable :cool:
 
I enjoy gaming quite a bit. I just had to get more selective with what games I buy.
 
I am turning 29 in August and I am in the same boat. I actually sold my gaming PC because it literally just sat there. I have an Xbox, but never play it either. I will play maybe once a week now, and only for maybe an hour. Just not into it anymore. I am sure I will get back into it again. Just other things interest me now.
 
I'm in the same boat. I do really enjoy DA:O/ME style games though; lots of story and interaction, and just enough action to keep it from being a movie.
 
They need to make Viagra for video games. I want my e-peen hardon back but it's been gone for QUITE SOME TIME.
 
I game once in a while. But lose interest pretty fast now on games. Just way too much other stuff that needs to be done. Don't have time to game like most people do 24-7 these days. Some people are going to game no matter what. Others start doing stuff with their girlfriend, wife and kids. Then you tend to find new hobbies then. Feel about the same with upgrading now. Just don't feel like dumping money in pc parts, just doesn't do a lot for me now. Getting old is a good thing to me.
 
I'm with you OP

I rarely have time to really sit down with anything these days, but even when I do I just find myself not very interested in playing anything for long amounts of time. Maybe a casual or basic indie title (Don't Starve and Frozen Synapse are my go-to's lately) or something on my phone.
 
Ragenrok said:
get friends! lol seriously though I was starting to burn out on games, then started playing with a couple guy I know irl and it has been so much better. Even games that were alright to me before like starcraft 2 become 100x more fun with friends over Skype.
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^ This

I lost interest in WoW and Diablo 3 because I lost touch with most of my friends that played. Me and my wife just ordered MoP from Newegg since it was $15 with free shipping so we will see if we can get back into it and find some new people to play with.
 
Nah, I've been playing a lot since the 80s and I am yet to get bored. Since I never developed an interest in the interactive movie type of experience big publishers have been spewing for the last near decade, I get to buy and play about 2, maximum 3 new games for a whole year.

I just checked my Steam library and seems like the only game I bought in 2012 was CS:GO and while it shows 100 hours, I have no intention of going back after that initial burst.

Thank God I can still play old games and have loads of fun when I don't feel like playing Quake Live or StarCraft 2 due lack of stamina. I bought a few popular indie games but man, I enjoyed such gameplay 25 years ago. Now they do nothing for me.
 
I went to visit a friend a month ago for 10 days, came back and have played maybe 30 minutes, this is coming from 4-6 hours a day before visiting said friend.
 
I just turned 39 and I find myself not gaming much anymore either. I think playing MMOs for a long time will burn you out. Plus, I just got married last year and had a newborn baby a couple of months ago. That takes alot of your attention and time very quickly. When I do play, its mostly single player or real time strategy games now because I can just pause or save them
 
i can't game for more than 30 or so minutes at a time. i've played the new bioshock for a little less than two hours and it was the last game i fired up...and that was over two weeks ago.
 
We have this topic once every several months. The long and short of it is

You're getting older

Thats it...all there is to it. If you want a bit more of an explanation, here you go

-Second most important point, you have more money but you have far less time. I remember spending all the money I had on a video game system and a few games. I would sit and play those games all day and night, I had nothing to worry about, I had no money, a part time job, no responsiblity, just lots and lots of time.
-You are probably less selfish as you get older, human relationships are giving your more joy than video game relationships
-You require a very engaging narrative to become interested. Remember how mind blowing simple plot devices are when you were younger? I remember reading all the time and loving every cliche RPG...then I got older and realized how 2 dimensional most books and games are.


I wouldn't look at it as a negative. I can still get drawn in by the occasional excellent game (i.e. Bioshock Infiinite) and I find most other games to be a waste of time. You may find that you get more joy in playing games you enjoyed in your youth even if they are lesser games, you might just enjoy the nostalgia.

Personally, I game much much less. I save my gaming sessions for co op experiences with friends and turn them more into social time than solitary experiences. I do like to listen to some gaming podcasts (i.e. Retronauts) that talk about games of my childhood. It is more fun for me to listen to people talk about games I loved rather than playing through them again. Sorry for the run on sentences and fragmented thinking, my two cents though.
 
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