Lost my gaming passion/interest

[Jakkar]

You're not alone.

I've no prior addiction to compare to, I've not played an MMORPG since Neocron and Starwars Galaxies, but gaming continues to lose it's savour. I play more as a distraction now, less for pleasure.

As a number of good suggestions have already been posted, I'll attempt something different; Toys.

Physics based toys. Check out the free trial of the Spore creature creator, check out the physics toy OE Cake, the intimidatingly strange and complicated Dwarf Fortress or surf Newgrounds or Jay is Games for some light, amusing diversions.

Games have become a cliche, predictable progressions through linear paths, moreso than even in the platforming days. Play with some toys, and let your imagination shake off the cobwebs and have some fun.

 

[Tanthalos]

One of the biggest reasons I have found that get people bored with games is that they look forward to all the releases. MGS4, SSBB, GTA4. FF12 are all the games people can't wait for the big problem is they have already played them 3 or 4 times.
My suggestion? Stop paying attention to the super hyped releases, stop searching for good games.

A game doesn't have to be perfect for you to have fun.
Example: "Turning Point the Fall of Liberty"; the game mechanically is a crippled gimp compared to COD4 on the other hand as oppose to COD4 I have great fun playing it. The premise is entertaining and gameplay is adequate enough that I can enjoy myself in the experience.
"Devil May Cry 4" is another good example. This game when it comes to level design, plot and difficulty is a joke. I mean seeing how bad the previous Devil May Cry games were you may think it impossible to make a worse game but oh no poor Q.A. is a well with no bottom.
On the other hand the lack of Dante, the sheer amount of style the game oozes out of my television onto my floor via combat and Nero's amazing boots make this game a total winner. It is fun and when I play it, everyone else in the house will eventually gravitate to the living room to watch and we end up joking, hanging out and having a good time.
Something both the latest Mario Part and Brawl which are "good" games fails to accomplish.

So let me re-iterate my advice stop playing "good" or the "best" games. Go to EB or whatever you game store is and look through everything else that is cheap, mocked and otherwise verbally and somethimes physically abused. Look for games that have fun premises, cool looking characters or descriptions that make you laugh and give them a try.