Quitting video gaming/computer gaming?

waylay00 · #1 06-30-2008, 11:33 AM

I was wondering if any of you guys used to be big video game players, but then quit. Right now, I'm thinking about doing that. I've finally realized what an immense waste of time they are, and I'm starting to regret all those countless hours I've wasted...The thing with me is that I can't really "casually" game. Once there's a game I like, I get sucked into it until I wear the game out.

Thoughts/opinions?

richard1973 · #2 06-30-2008, 12:08 PM

If you enjoy playing why quit? Maybe best just to cut down time spent doing it, but if its fun why stop. Same could be said for watching TV, at least games you get sense of achievements for completing on hardest level etc with games, and if over Live you get to play with friends so can be social too.

jallen · #3 06-30-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waylay00

I was wondering if any of you guys used to be big video game players, but then quit. Right now, I'm thinking about doing that. I've finally realized what an immense waste of time they are, and I'm starting to regret all those countless hours I've wasted...The thing with me is that I can't really "casually" game. Once there's a game I like, I get sucked into it until I wear the game out.

Thoughts/opinions?

I go through phases with gaming. When I'm not into gaming I've thought the same thing- that there must be a more productive way to use time than this. I'm sure there is, but again, it's kind of like my TV watching.

Now, I do not play for too long a time- I have two small kids and ony get an hour or so at night if I'm lucky. So I can't really speak to this if you're playing marathon sessions. But I would just look at it as "wind down" time. Sure you could use your time to write the next great American novel or cure cancer, but even then you'll need some downtime hobby. For some it's watching movies, for some it may be playing games. I don't think one is any less valid that the other. As a matter of fact, my smartest friends in college all seemed to have a system lying around. Hmmmm...

If you're just bored with it, I would suggest selling your game stuff and getting a different system. Its a good way to shake things up. But don't negatively judge yourself for playing- everyone needs some time off!

PS- My oldest is just getting old enough to play games now, and it's turned into a really fun bonding activity (E rated only of course).

newbieguitarmaker · #4 06-30-2008, 12:38 PM

just limit how much you play, I play a lot when with friends but at home I'm playing guitar or bass, working out, maybe reading news, and sometimes playing games.

Myst and rain · #5 06-30-2008, 12:39 PM

I don't play games as much as I used to anymore, but I don't feel they're a waste of time. I still play some games now and then. I've always liked adventures/RPGs. They're like interactive movies! It's so great. Like 'Final fantasy X'. That one 's great. Also, check out 'Fear effect' if you haven't already. That one's really captivating.

Alwin

adamcbest · #6 06-30-2008, 12:42 PM

if you find life enjoyable by playing a lot of video games, then play a lot of video games. Games are only a waste of time if they are cutting into you time for something else you'd rather be doing. Spend your timing doing whatever makes you happy no matter what it is. I mean, that's the goal in life, right... to be happy.

CosmicDebris · #7 06-30-2008, 01:28 PM

From 02' till 07'ish I played alot of games. Used to be big into Xwing vs. Tie Fighter in DJO and Freeworlds/Freelancer. I got tired of running into folks that cheat to win so I stoped playing games alltogether. Looking for something to do with my spare time I got back into guitar playing and love it.

axemanrio · #8 06-30-2008, 02:04 PM

Big time Quaker here, until Quake 3 almost died... gave it up end of 2007, but maybe I will get back into it with quakelive launching.

Lefty Robb · #9 06-30-2008, 02:22 PM

I used to be a HUGE WoW player for almost 2 years, it was very hard to quit but I'm glad I did, its the biggest time waster there is.

Dee · #10 06-30-2008, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waylay00

I was wondering if any of you guys used to be big video game players, but then quit. Right now, I'm thinking about doing that. I've finally realized what an immense waste of time they are, and I'm starting to regret all those countless hours I've wasted...The thing with me is that I can't really "casually" game. Once there's a game I like, I get sucked into it until I wear the game out.

Thoughts/opinions?

No chance! I have been a player since the 70's and I'll never stop. It's not a waste of time if you're enjoying yourself. It's no more a waste of time than posting on a forum, watching TV, etc. Games are good for your brain anyway, especially puzzle games. No form of entertainment is a waste of time!

And the new GTA and Fight Night 4 looks awesome (if you're into boxing). I can't wait to play 'em!

DEADTUNES666 · #11 06-30-2008, 03:27 PM

NES used to keep me up for hours and days, what an amazing system...Super Nintendo & Nintendo 64 were really big for my wife and I...We were Mario junkies! I'd get home from work and she'd be playing and show me the new levels she got. We were always excited about it. By the time our son turned 2, and daughter 8 (2000) we had just slipped away from gaming altogether. The kids, (mostly our son though) kind of discovered video games and started playing with the game cube. I'd play a bit with him, but not much...Sept 07 we got the Wii and I play that a little bit more now that my son can beat me in most games...

I play at the most 2-3 hours a week...but it probably averages out to an hour a week. Some weeks I just don't play at all

waylay00 · #12 06-30-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dee

No chance! I have been a player since the 70's and I'll never stop. It's not a waste of time if you're enjoying yourself. It's no more a waste of time than posting on a forum, watching TV, etc. Games are good for your brain anyway, especially puzzle games. No form of entertainment is a waste of time!

And the new GTA and Fight Night 4 looks awesome (if you're into boxing). I can't wait to play 'em!

Yeah, but on forums, most of the time I'm learning something useful, whether it be setting up guitars, maintaining gear, etc...And the only TV shows I watch are historical documentaries and the occasional big sports match ups. I agree about the puzzle games, those aren't bad.

CalledToArms · #13 06-30-2008, 03:55 PM

i was addicted to WoW for about 3 years. After accomplishing the highest rewards in nearly every category of the game (high warlord, gladiator, server 1st and world top 10s in boss kills in several instances) I realized that the game is pretty empty. Sure I had TONS of fun playing. But I played WAY too much and in the end I realized that the only thing that kept me going was getting to the next level over and over and over.

When I finally realized I had done everything, it started to get repetitive. Sure I was still clearing instances with my guild at a great pace (thought not as good as pre-expansion), it was the same thing over and over just with new scenery.

I found other things to do to occupy my time. I signed up for a gym with a friend and I joined an intramural softball team. I also signed up for music lessons. This gave me PRODUCTIVE things to do with scheduled time slots to force me not to be playing video games when I got home from work :P

I still get the urge every once in awhile but I am officially broken.

rg_user · #14 06-30-2008, 04:32 PM

I was addicted to Lineage2, DAoC ... both very hard mmorpgs.. played for 7 years, stopped last summer finally and it was really hard (after trying several times). Now I still cant forgive myself for all wasted time ..

MMORPG is maybe too hard example but its my experience, if you play other kind of games, it really depends how are you as a person - some persons can really play just 1-2 hour (or less) per day and its pleasure for them and they dont need more . If you can accept some normal time per day and be really happy with that - then there's nothing wrong with gaming. But if your whole time and life becomes addicted to it and u dont feel good if you try limit yourself, then quit alltogheter

gg

Knightmeir · #15 06-30-2008, 04:45 PM

I played a lot of nintendo and sega genesis when I was a kid... I still have those systems, as well as a playstation and I bought a Wii a few months ago. I can only stomach playing for a couple hours every few weeks or so... I like Wii Sports and Mario Kart. I know if I got into WoW I'd probably be a bloody addict. There are two things that remind me of why I should avoid WoW like the plague:

All the people here where I work that do nothing but talk about WoW. "So last night, I was mining and like, all the sudden I got attacked and I killed some dude who's probably in Asia. I ***** his @$$." I used to smoke outside every hour, and all these same people, a group of about 20 would all meet up every hour to smoke and talk about WoW. The conversations rarely varied... Since I'm in the IT field, and where I'm at is all about the computer/networking, the people I'm talking about are seriously the stereotypical picture-perfect hardcore gaming nerds you might find via google images if you ran a search on said keywords. Either that or "30 year old male virgin."

And then there was the couple that were so immersed in the game they let their kid starve to death. One of them used to be part of the group that would talk about it incessantly at the smoke pit.

While there's nothing wrong with finding means of entertaining one's self, you can take it way too far. Socializing with people face to face is much more satisfying if you ask me.