Has Anybody Here Quit Playing Video Games?

[Patrick Burns]

At the beginning of college, I was really into WoW. But college and my first relationships really sunk my taste for playing games all the time. These days---nine years on---I play maybe two games a year. They're usually the "best" from the previous year or so, and I'll just be consumed with it for maybe a week----like Oblivion or Undertale.

My changes in taste are not based on a lack of free time. (I am in graduate school, but I have no kids, am single currently, no pets, no roommates, I don't go out and party, etc.) It's just that I want to spend my time on other things---things that are ... it's hard to describe ... part of a "larger landscape" in my life. I'm trying to continue my 20 year relationship with the guitar, continuing some psychology related research/reading that that I started in undergrad, and trying to finish graduate school in an other field entirely. All those things are long term relationships that have years behind me and decades of landscape open before me.

But I value my past with games. Games (and this site) are responsible for much of my relationship with music. Games helped develop a lot of my imagination and identity. But it's a paradox now... I was watching my brother in law play Breath of the Wild recently. I started watching some YouTube videos and scheming of ways to get my hands on the game. But at the end of the day, as big as that game is, it feels small compared to the landscape of the other interests I've been fortunate enough to cultivate.

Everything in moderation, I guess.

[AngelCityOutlaw]

3 hours ago, Patrick Burns said:

It's just that I want to spend my time on other things---things that are ... it's hard to describe ...

"Worthwhile", "Fulfilling", etc.

That's really the common denominator among everyone here who has quit.

When you're a kid with no job or anything like that, getting the new high score, finding secrets, beating bosses and getting "achievements" actually feel like achievements. It's utterly meaningless when compared against advancing your career, creating works of art, traveling, romantic life, etc.

If, as an adult well into your 20s or beyond winning at games is still a proud achievement, you may want to take a step back and reflect on your life up to this point. 

[Patrick Burns]

4 minutes ago, AngelCityOutlaw said:

"Worthwhile", "Fulfilling", etc.

That's really the common denominator among everyone here who has quit.

When you're a kid with no job or anything like that, getting the new high score, finding secrets, beating bosses and getting "achievements" actually feel like achievements. It's utterly meaningless when compared against advancing your career, creating works of art, traveling, romantic life, etc.

If, as an adult well into your 20s or beyond and winning at games is still a proud achievement, you may want to take a step back and reflect on your life up to this point. 

Yeah, worthwhile and fulfilling are the right words I guess. Certainly the "achievements" aspect of games rightfully loses its depth as you age. Peeling the achievement flavor away, I guess things like escapism/narrative/fantasy are what still have some meaning for me from time to time. And that shows in the games I chose to play. Though even that has faded.

I had a strange thought recently about this recently... related to thinking about dating again. You know how there are people who just don't understand video games or for that matter fantasy genres/media of any kind? I heard Midna's Desperate Hour from Twilight Princess recently and was transported back to some teenage memories of playing Zelda. I thought to myself, even if I never play another game again, I don't think someone can understand me if they don't relate that sort of transportation---or make believe, if you want to be call it like it is. And it's something more than just enjoying fiction, you know?

It's late. I'm getting into that weird, late-night writing headspace.

[Servbot#36]

1 hour ago, AngelCityOutlaw said:

"Worthwhile", "Fulfilling", etc.

That's really the common denominator among everyone here who has quit.

When you're a kid with no job or anything like that, getting the new high score, finding secrets, beating bosses and getting "achievements" actually feel like achievements. It's utterly meaningless when compared against advancing your career, creating works of art, traveling, romantic life, etc.

If, as an adult well into your 20s or beyond winning at games is still a proud achievement, you may want to take a step back and reflect on your life up to this point. 

I think it's your priorities that really determine whether you'll fall out of gaming or not (for this reason anyway). The ones who just play them as a fun way to kill time or unwind are pretty unaffected by that I'd think. Nothing was ever meant to come of it in the first place. I can see how the ones who do things for the accomplishment of it would lose a lot of motivation as more practical ventures start showing up though.

Anyway, I'm the type who just plays for fun rather than achievement, but I've felt my interest dwindling too as I got older. Not because I think it's a bad use of my time, I just don't feel like it as much. Every so often I'll still find a game or series that I really get into and sink all my free time into it, but it doesn't happen as much as it used to. It's a little worrying since nothing's really replaced it, I kind of just don't feel like doing anything a lot of the time. Might be symptomatic of something unrelated to gaming itself though.

[DarkEco]

9 hours ago, Patrick Burns said:

But I value my past with games. Games (and this site) are responsible for much of my relationship with music. Games helped develop a lot of my imagination and identity. But it's a paradox now... I was watching my brother in law play Breath of the Wild recently. I started watching some YouTube videos and scheming of ways to get my hands on the game. But at the end of the day, as big as that game is, it feels small compared to the landscape of the other interests I've been fortunate enough to cultivate.

 

4 hours ago, Patrick Burns said:

I had a strange thought recently about this recently... related to thinking about dating again. You know how there are people who just don't understand video games or for that matter fantasy genres/media of any kind? I heard Midna's Desperate Hour from Twilight Princess recently and was transported back to some teenage memories of playing Zelda. I thought to myself, even if I never play another game again, I don't think someone can understand me if they don't relate that sort of transportation---or make believe, if you want to be call it like it is. And it's something more than just enjoying fiction, you know?

I can 100% relate on both points. I had a spell recently where i considered dating again but i've come to the conclusion that i really need to learn how to live with and understand myself before i can even consider being with somebody else. A steady income would also be handy. I've dealt with some serious low self esteem most of my life but in the recent years since starting University (again) i've become one of the most confident and knowledgable people in the class who a lot of the younger students look up to for help and advice, which i'm not gonna lie, feels incredible. It's like i finally have something to offer somebody, but i don't think audio engineering advice offers much in terms of a relationship haha. I suppose i could just form a series of themed pickup lines until somebody latches on... "Are you a sidechain compressor? Because you've got my heart pumping!". And i totally get wht you mean about who don't understand or appreciate gtting absorbed into a fantasy world like that. I never know whether or not to embrace it as a part of myself and it does make it far more difficult to find somebody if that's what you're going for.

Back on topic: VGM was also the main reason i became interested in music. It was always the music that was the biggest nostalgia trip for me, in fact i think i've always enjoyed listening to VGM more than playing the actual games. OCR got me into audio production and composition after listening to Sixtos 'Wicked Six' Castlevania remix and Zircons 'Antigravity' album. But hell, that was over 5 years ago, and while i've improved immensely since this abomination, i feel i've really wasted the years because my failues were always more abundant than my successes, which put a lot of fear in me and i'd retreat to something that gave me instant achievement and gratification, which in this case were video games. I'm finding instant gratification a problem with a lot of people in this new technology generation. So over the next three video game free years i'm forcing myself to put as much effort as i can into it and suck up the failures instead of being a bitch about it. I've taken on a track for an OCR album, which is terrifying and stressing me out because i still struggle with composition and i don't have full creative freedom since it's for a "client". I think the main problem for me with composition and arrangement is i never know how to approach it, so i'm hoping now that i've started learning about how it's done for orchestra it will apply to all other forms of music i create. Guitar noodling and keyboard battering in the hopes something comes out has too much uncertainty in it for somebody with a mindset like mine.

[Brushfire]

It isn't easy balancing school, work, fanfiction podcasting, and a lovelife, but I somehow manage to fit in eight hours of gaming in a day.

[Ridiculously Garrett]

Life pretty much takes fun things away because of committments and responsibilities, but just yesterday, I watched this video: 

... And I started bawling my eyes out because I miss the days when I could just go home and play Melee without having to do anything else (and I no longer have the game anymore because my brother never returned it).

[DarkEco]

4 hours ago, Brushfire said:

It isn't easy balancing school, work, fanfiction podcasting, and a lovelife, but I somehow manage to fit in eight hours of gaming in a day.

You're a god among men.

[AngelCityOutlaw]

3 hours ago, Ridiculously Garrett said:

Life pretty much takes fun things away because of committments and responsibilities, but just yesterday, I watched this video: 

... And I started bawling my eyes out because I miss the days when I could just go home and play Melee without having to do anything else (and I no longer have the game anymore because my brother never returned it).

Fan reactions to video game trailers honestly make the trailer in a lot of cases. Listen to people go nuts over this.

I remember their enthusiasm had me so hype for the game years ago.