Faux Hardcore Gamer? Am I growing out of my hobby?

[grassgremlin]

I want to discuss something very personal as well as seeing if I'm not the only one with this peculiar delema.

When this issue of Gamer came about. My first reaction was to defend the term vehemently. Crying a foul I did at the journalists lumping me into a group, how dare they. Yes, I was for the Gamer Gate movement for a little bit, but I'm neutral now I still side only mildly with parts of that movement.

This discussion is not about that. What I came to the conclusion though, one thing that has stopped me from following this thing was I realized something. Something I never would have ever admit.

I'm . . .CASUAL! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7Op86ox9g

Allow me to explain.
I am a cartoonist and regular commissioning artist who's working on making comics. Obviously.
When I first got my computer another thing I had purchased was a video game console.

The reasoning was because, at a time I was a hardcore gamer. I wanted to play them video games and I use to spend hours just gaming.

But recently something happened. When I finally got a tablet to draw and internet access, I found I spent more time on the computer then I did booting my ps3 to play them games. It got to the point my ps3 served as entertainment for others and shockingly enough I was quick to sell it to help with my mother's car note. (It was a bad decision)

With that though, I decided maybe I like my computer so much I get steam, and so I did go into the pc gaming realm . . . and barely played and still barely play my 70+ games.

Is it age? I'm 28 years old. But I think that if my 13 year old self saw the games I had he would have a king size fit with glee, but he'd also be confused why I don't game so much.

I'm having an interesting issue. I read game websites. I listen to game podcasts, I watch let's plays. But I barely play my video games. My skills have been dying while I focus on my work. I've barely beaten but 2% of my gaming list and I've installed games and never booted them once.

Games have become a chore. People recommend me games and I say I'll play it, but i never do. Friends ask me to play a game, but i say, not now, I dun feel like it I wanna watch my shows or do some art.

I'm realizing I might have become a contradiction. Watching gaming culture and vids all the time, but barely but once a month do I boot a game to play.

Anyone else experience or experiencing this.
I'd like to get better at a fighter, but I just dun feel like doing it. I dun have the time man. Am I growing out of my hobby?

 

[Human Flotsam]

Well, I can say that I've gone through quite a few phases like that in my gaming life (been gaming since Atari 2600 days). Like you, I would go through times where I would read the reviews, watch the vids, talk to people about games, visit game stores, buy games (had to get anything that I thought was a cool CE, etc), but wouldn't boot up a damn thing. Up until about a year ago, I would play most nights and most weekends. Would spend hours on FPS or RTS just having a blast. However, as my son grew older, I thought my time was better spent with him. So the games slowly (okay, not really slowly; maybe cold turkey) went to the back burner. I have still continued to buy games (but am much more picky about what I buy). However, they mainly collect dust. I keep telling myself that this is going to change as my son ages, but who really knows.

 

[Guerilla]

I stopped playing games for an entire year a while ago because I didn't feel like it for some reason. I really thought I might have grown out of it. Then, after my friend spammed me for a month to try it, I picked up The Last of Us and I was back playing more than ever trying to make up for the lost year. Maybe it's over for you maybe it's not. Maybe you just need the right game. Just don't make any rush decisions and start selling stuff.

 

[Spearmaster]

I went through the exact same thing about 6 or so years ago, I honestly thought I was loosing my edge as a gamer and maybe it was time to hang it up and pursue other endeavors. What was actually happening is that my taste in games was shifting not my desire to play games. Some of the genres of games I used to love seemed dull and pointless anymore along with some of the social stigmas around certain genres of games seeming to be defining something I was not, it seemed the gaming culture changed underneath me and the title gamer just wasn't fitting anymore and it was time to retire. "I'm just not a real "gamer" anymore" I thought.

Then something happened, I ignored game reviews, all but abandoned the AAA gaming market and stopped trying to choke down games that people were telling me were good. I just played what I wanted to play when I wanted to play it and ignored anyone assuming I was a lesser gamer because I don't care to play the latest X, Y or Z. Now I feel I am the truest form of gamer, one that plays for all the right reasons.

Try poking around the mass nebula of games and try something different or whittle away at the games you don't find exciting and branch out more in the ones that you do. A lot of the types of games I still love playing are akin to those that grew my love for games to begin with, sort of a "man that knows where hes been knows where he is going" moment.

I think you will eventually find a game or genre of such that will rekindle your desire in gaming.

What kinds of games were your favorites?

 

[Thurston]

Time keeps on tickin'... into the future...

If I was independently wealthy, between cards, board games, pencil-n-paper RPGs, and computer games, gaming would be my new job!

But I gotta pay bills, and do the dishes, and occasionally make allowances for non-gaming friends and family, dammit.

And seriously, decent gamer people shouldn't ostrasize if you can spend 12hrs/day grinding mats/xp/whatever.

Your time on this earth is limited. Spend it well.

 

[Racecarlock]

Funny thing. I spend more time on these forums and listening to game reviews or extra credits or something than I do playing actual games.

I guess ever since that one topic on GTAforums about fuel being a thing people wanted in GTA V (That topic eventually led me to zero punctuation and this site), I feel like if I don't spend every day explaining why tedious chores shouldn't be mandatory in video games, next thing you know saints row will have a mandatory dishwashing mini game or that stupid fitness bullshit from GTA San Andreas. A bullshit irrational fear to be sure, but those are FUCKING DIFFICULT to get rid of.

Also, I just like discussing games. I don't know if this counts, but I do have a 10 minute video of metroid prime running on a loop on my tablet next to me.

 

[San Martin]

I'm a bit of a strange case in this respect. I like coming on these forums, watching Yahtzee, Jim, Extra Credits, etc., and consider myself pretty up to date with gaming news and culture.

However, I don't actually enjoy playing games that much. I hardly play them at all, in fact, and feel my free time is better spent reading books. If I spent the amount of time gaming as I do reading, I'd definitely qualify as "hardcore", but as it stands I doubt I even qualify as "casual".

Is anyone else the same?

 

[MirenBainesUSMC]

Life. That is pretty much the answer.

You said you were a cartoonist as your profession so I imagine that does take a lot of time and effort to get it right before you have your work published. My brother had a different experience, he was a illustrator/anime cartoonist / Gamer/Anime junkie --- piles and piles of comic books, graphic novels, and heavily did FPS/Multiplayer. Well in his words, gaming almost ruined his life because he was constantly upgrading his PC and staying up too much grinding and shooting other players in endless bouts of multiplayer. Well it suddenly cut into his work and some how or another he " hung up his controllers" so to speak to put more focus into his art... but when he ditched the games he kind of also got burnt out on the comics and Anime. Now I doubt he could tell you what's new in either genre, having focused instead on fixing bi-cycles and bike sports.

So its a little but of many things --- Age. Maturity. Life changes in terms of intellectual pursuits and hobbies. I think a lot of people would probably take a long break before getting back in. If you have growing children its even worse! If you have a demanding job? --- ditto.

I think another thing that affects us is the ease of which we can have access to games such as steam. You find some sale where you can get 3-4 titles in which they may be very long and drawn out games of which you couldn't possibly find the time o finish --- just like people whom stack up 30+ games they never touch on their console. So you'll have 14-20 steam titles untouched because there's too much to do.

One thing I have observed is some of the most vocal people whom seem to always bring out negative commentary on just about any game you can think of usually is the same guy/girl that has 40 games racked up in their " Game Backlog". You'll hear it all the time --- someone moaning and complaining about a current release yet they haven't started Assassins Creed 1 yet. Then you got Youtube and web streaming where, just like someone whom doesn't have the time to go somewhere and they live vicariously through someone else who did, you can also watch playthroughs of games and never have to play yourself. The many ways people can have access to the information and playthroughs of games spoils the experience to the point where you don't need to play any of them....just watch someone else do it on a web stream.

There is no way to keep up with the pace of the technology nor the game releases. Especially if you happen to be an RPG enthusiast. Mobile device games. Tablet games. Steam games. Indie Games. Console Games. PC Games.

Whom would have the time to even be a hard core gamer except 10-15 year old whom only have to worry about being good students with summers off? I suggest when you are in the older bracket to cut down on what you buy and play what you want to play. Don't even listen to the reviews other than picking out certain things that would make you not want to get the game.

 

[Hawki]

Yeah, I've gone the same way. I'm 24, balancing work and study, and of what spare time I have, divide between other hobbies such as reading, writing, etc. I don't call myself a "gamer" and think that the term is outdated personally. But no. I'm not "hardcore." I use consoles to play most of the games I do nowadays, and that's if I'm playing at all. Just don't have the time to focus exclusively on playing games.

And honestly, I'm fine with that.

 

[zedcavalry]

It's a phase that most, if not all gamers go through - and this may not be the answer you want, but its permanency depends on you alone. There's nothing wrong with your current state of play. In fact, it seems you have your priorities straight by putting work of leisure. Just the fact the you still "read game websites" and "listen to game podcasts" means that you're far from growing out of your hobby - it just means that you've found a way to enjoy this multi-dimensional industry.

I'm significantly younger than you and pretty much have the same habits (sans actual job). I watch LP's, I lsiten to podcasts, I read up of journalistic gaming pieces, and my Twitter feed is used to follow exclusively game related content. But playing actual games? Not in a long time. I don't see this as me becoming disinterested - in fact, I'm more passionate about this industry than ever. Except rather than experiencing some video games myself, I tend to find myself reading up on them, or listening to the opinions of others.

Although, I find that when I do play games, it's because they're a part of a genre I am immediately hooked on. Maybe if you find that, you can get started on finding your rhythm again. For example, I am absolutely hooked on games with fantastic stories. Bioshock: Infinite, Portal 2, Skyrim, To the Moon, Spec Ops: The Line. All games I played when I thought I was in a gaming hole.

You just enjoy your hobby differently than most. Don't be afraid that you're losing a grip on your hobby - be glad that you've found another way to enjoy it your way.

 

[Candidus]

28 years old, still game 10-12 hours a day. Have never stopped, not once since junior school. It was six hours a night every night then and it's all day every day now.

If and when I ever get employed, I'll spitefully spend at least as much time gaming every day as I spend wasting my life in the labor exchange.

So to be honest fellow, I don't really get it. If you were still burning for the hobby, you'd be making time for it and pushing other shit out of the way. Doesn't sound like you're much of a gamer anymore.

I wouldn't use the term "growing" out of it though, because of the implication made. Gaming isn't a hobby for the young any more than reading books or watching movies is. You don't `grow` out of it, you just lose interest or other things become more important.

 

[putowtin]

34 year old gamer, first started playing when I was 7-8 (Commodore 64!) have owned 95% of all consoles since then.
Switched to mainly PC gaming about 3 years ago and played a serious amount (3 to 4 hours a night when I got in from work and 10 to 12 hours a day at weekends)

6 Weeks ago I finished Saints Row 3 for the 10th time, put down my controller and haven't played a game since...

The games that I've been looking forward to (DA: Inquisition/ AC: Unity) all of a sudden I can't be arsed with them anymore... I bought a humble bundle, there's plenty of games I've been promising myself for years... I can't be bothered to even download them...

I've officially gotten bored of my favorite hobby... and more worrying... I'm not even bothered

 

[Hawki]

I think the last time I spent the length of hours described above was prior to me starting uni. After that, time became scarcer. I couldn't imagine playing for double-digit hour length even on the weekend. If I'm playing a game at all, I'd say I get in less than ten hours per week. It's probably why I've started to get more interest in RPGs and adventure games (playing FFX currently) as they're the kind of games that are well suited for playing over an extended period of time anyway.

I kinda welcome it, in a way. If someone asks what am I reading/playing/watching/writing I've usually got something to answer with, rather than focusing exclusively on one area of interest.

 

[maxben]

I find it interesting how the amount of games I play has dropped. I found my niche and realized that I no longer have an interest in any other game/genre. Basically, if it isn't Paradox Grand Strategy or the Civilization series I am essentially not interested any more. So I still play a lot, but I no longer live like I used to where I used to play both PC and console and had a large variety of games. I think it's also because I move a lot so I needed something that is easy to move with which means a laptop and that limits what I can play.

 

[Ramzal]

It's a hobby. You fall out of them or fall back in. When I was a kid I used to rollerskate everywhere. To the park, to school, to the store, even to fast food places. Now I enjoy walking far more.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

34 years old and I've gone through gaming slumps which lasted various times, once there was about a year between gaming (well to be fair I was more interested in playing Magic and Warmachine at the time). So life will get in the way of things, but then things will calm down one day and you'll find yourself playing games and wondering how the hell you missed out.
I'd say you're only growing out of the hobby if you find yourself ridding your life of all thiings gaming. Or maybe if you find the hobby now makes you sick or something equally unpleasant.
*shrug* Just enjoy life and see what happens, don't limit yourself.

 

[grassgremlin]

I went through the exact same thing about 6 or so years ago, I honestly thought I was loosing my edge as a gamer and maybe it was time to hang it up and pursue other endeavors. What was actually happening is that my taste in games was shifting not my desire to play games. Some of the genres of games I used to love seemed dull and pointless anymore along with some of the social stigmas around certain genres of games seeming to be defining something I was not, it seemed the gaming culture changed underneath me and the title gamer just wasn't fitting anymore and it was time to retire. "I'm just not a real "gamer" anymore" I thought.

Then something happened, I ignored game reviews, all but abandoned the AAA gaming market and stopped trying to choke down games that people were telling me were good. I just played what I wanted to play when I wanted to play it and ignored anyone assuming I was a lesser gamer because I don't care to play the latest X, Y or Z. Now I feel I am the truest form of gamer, one that plays for all the right reasons.

Try poking around the mass nebula of games and try something different or whittle away at the games you don't find exciting and branch out more in the ones that you do. A lot of the types of games I still love playing are akin to those that grew my love for games to begin with, sort of a "man that knows where hes been knows where he is going" moment.

I think you will eventually find a game or genre of such that will rekindle your desire in gaming.

What kinds of games were your favorites?

I guess at the time, my main three of games were platformers, fighters and jrpgs.
While I can still seem to boot a platformer and fighter and ace it, I think what's really killed my gaming urge are jrpgs and any games that requires me to invest a significant amount of time on. If I'm on a game longer then a hour I get real anxious like, I should be doing something more productive with my time.

I think I've been less likely to play time consuming stuff, like metroidvanias, simulators, a deep fps, or strategy. The last RPG I've ever went in deeply was Fire Emblem Awakening, but I liken that to the fact that I could play the game, close the 3DS, do some work and then go back to play the game.

I think for me, it's bee time investment.

I do know I play more games on a handheld then any other device, if that makes sense.

 

[Michael Lapierre]

Well, here I am...The exception to every rule.

A 67 year-old gamer, with 2 consoles, 6 computers in storage, a MAC on board my sailboat I live on, (yes, I live on a sailboat), just got Destiny and am having a ball with it, and have been gaming since PONG...

No...I will NEVER lose interest in my recreational choice, which has become part of my way of life.

Cheers!

 

[Starbird]

I want to discuss something very personal as well as seeing if I'm not the only one with this peculiar delema.

When this issue of Gamer came about. My first reaction was to defend the term vehemently. Crying a foul I did at the journalists lumping me into a group, how dare they. Yes, I was for the Gamer Gate movement for a little bit, but I'm neutral now I still side only mildly with parts of that movement.

This discussion is not about that. What I came to the conclusion though, one thing that has stopped me from following this thing was I realized something. Something I never would have ever admit.

I'm . . .CASUAL! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7Op86ox9g

Allow me to explain.
I am a cartoonist and regular commissioning artist who's working on making comics. Obviously.
When I first got my computer another thing I had purchased was a video game console.

The reasoning was because, at a time I was a hardcore gamer. I wanted to play them video games and I use to spend hours just gaming.

But recently something happened. When I finally got a tablet to draw and internet access, I found I spent more time on the computer then I did booting my ps3 to play them games. It got to the point my ps3 served as entertainment for others and shockingly enough I was quick to sell it to help with my mother's car note. (It was a bad decision)

With that though, I decided maybe I like my computer so much I get steam, and so I did go into the pc gaming realm . . . and barely played and still barely play my 70+ games.

Is it age? I'm 28 years old. But I think that if my 13 year old self saw the games I had he would have a king size fit with glee, but he'd also be confused why I don't game so much.

I'm having an interesting issue. I read game websites. I listen to game podcasts, I watch let's plays. But I barely play my video games. My skills have been dying while I focus on my work. I've barely beaten but 2% of my gaming list and I've installed games and never booted them once.

Games have become a chore. People recommend me games and I say I'll play it, but i never do. Friends ask me to play a game, but i say, not now, I dun feel like it I wanna watch my shows or do some art.

I'm realizing I might have become a contradiction. Watching gaming culture and vids all the time, but barely but once a month do I boot a game to play.

Anyone else experience or experiencing this.
I'd like to get better at a fighter, but I just dun feel like doing it. I dun have the time man. Am I growing out of my hobby?

I have the same problem and for me it comes down to 50% being too spoiled for choice for me to settle down and play one game for months on and and 50% having my tastes far more refined than when I was younger.

I am a little older than you and still an avid gamer. When I was younger, I was lucky to get 1 game ever few months. When I got one, I played it several times at minimum. Now I can get any game I want, and when I have 4 new games sitting in my mailbox, I battle to settle on one, play them all for about 2 hours and go back to WoW or Diablo or something.

 

[Spearmaster]

I went through the exact same thing about 6 or so years ago, I honestly thought I was loosing my edge as a gamer and maybe it was time to hang it up and pursue other endeavors. What was actually happening is that my taste in games was shifting not my desire to play games. Some of the genres of games I used to love seemed dull and pointless anymore along with some of the social stigmas around certain genres of games seeming to be defining something I was not, it seemed the gaming culture changed underneath me and the title gamer just wasn't fitting anymore and it was time to retire. "I'm just not a real "gamer" anymore" I thought.

Then something happened, I ignored game reviews, all but abandoned the AAA gaming market and stopped trying to choke down games that people were telling me were good. I just played what I wanted to play when I wanted to play it and ignored anyone assuming I was a lesser gamer because I don't care to play the latest X, Y or Z. Now I feel I am the truest form of gamer, one that plays for all the right reasons.

Try poking around the mass nebula of games and try something different or whittle away at the games you don't find exciting and branch out more in the ones that you do. A lot of the types of games I still love playing are akin to those that grew my love for games to begin with, sort of a "man that knows where hes been knows where he is going" moment.

I think you will eventually find a game or genre of such that will rekindle your desire in gaming.

What kinds of games were your favorites?

I guess at the time, my main three of games were platformers, fighters and jrpgs.
While I can still seem to boot a platformer and fighter and ace it, I think what's really killed my gaming urge are jrpgs and any games that requires me to invest a significant amount of time on. If I'm on a game longer then a hour I get real anxious like, I should be doing something more productive with my time.

I think I've been less likely to play time consuming stuff, like metroidvanias, simulators, a deep fps, or strategy. The last RPG I've ever went in deeply was Fire Emblem Awakening, but I liken that to the fact that I could play the game, close the 3DS, do some work and then go back to play the game.

I think for me, it's bee time investment.

I do know I play more games on a handheld then any other device, if that makes sense.

I used to be big into jrpgs myself but the time sink just ruined it for me as I got older because I would play for a few hours on the weekend and just start vibrating out of my skin, I never figured out why but jrpgs just did not seem enjoyable at all to me any more. I still have a few on the shelf that I have never finished from years ago and haven't tried playing one since. For me it was about finding rpgs where I could segment my time and not feel I was missing something or abandoning something by not playing for a few days but also I could play for a few days strait if I felt the urge if that makes any sense. I like playing a lot of indi platformers as a good pickup game I can play for a few minutes or a few hours. I like the building/exploring platformers like terraria or starbound, those can really get me drawn in for a few days. For my rpg fix I stuck with wrpgs like fallout3/NV and TES games, the sandbox stuff, I find them forgiving in the way they are quest based so I can do a small quest or 2 or get sucked in and complete a major quest chain or even a few. I hardly play FPS games anymore because most of them have been centered on competitive multilayer and those were my biggest game through the 90s.

The biggest thing was to play games that could give me a relaxing enjoyment but also could have challenge if I sought it out, I get enough stressful challenge in my normal life, I don't really like it in my games and bragging rights about playing "hard" games just has no value to me anymore.