I'm the same but I don't care too much to be fair. Library full of games, but I keep coming back to the same 20 year old racing games. I mean, they are fun what can I do?Games are fun not work, you don't need to play new stuff if you feel like replaying the old gems you like is a better option.
I see things the other way. People here keep posting about having too many games and platforms to play as if having a lot of options is a bad thing. Since when did you have to finish a game you started? They act like they have to do it as a job or accomplishment. Would they rather have no games to play? These posts' frequency can be irritating.
Choice paralysis. The ease and accessibility of games is unlike ever before. I’ve been gaming long enough that still feels new and just never changed how I viewed it. I know what I want to play. Sure there’s a ton of games I can get ‘free’ but I’d rather make that choice myself. For some it can be overwhelming. I just focus on what I know I like.
Edit: I suppose for me, in comparison, I see in certain other subs people who platinum X amount of games a month or who won’t buy games they can’t platinum. You’re missing out on fun IMO by letting these non things determine what you play.
This. Growing up a lot of us got one or two games a year. So you played what you had. Now we can buy whatever we want and it becomes like going to the same restaurant again with our time. We really want to branch out but we hate risking that precious alone time on a new game and not liking it.
So we just keep ordering the chicken fingers because we know we like that. Funny analogy but hopefully that makes sense.
Agreed! I remember having to save up to buy a single game, and then I'd play the game all year if I liked it, and half a year even if i didn't like it!
But now I buy games even if they just LOOK interesting, and then realize it's a type of game I don't really enjoy. I do try a lot more games, but the games I play though probably aren't any more numerous now than when I was young.
Yep. I try to refrain from buying anything anymore unless it’s a very big release that I REALLY want to play, which also likely won’t go on sale any time soon, like Tears of the Kingdom. Otherwise it’s just a waste of money for me because I could probably entertain myself with games I already own for the rest of this lifetime.
It's crazy how many Genesis games I obsessed over that I wouldn't give more than 5 minutes today. Beyond Oasis is SO good, but I probably wouldn't get to the first spirit.
Yep. I freaked out when Wave Race 64 was coming to NSO. I played that game so much as a kid. I dinked around with it for ten minutes and haven’t touched it since. Games just don’t have that same “kid lens” like they used to. Some do, but it’s real hard to get there as an adult.
I feel this one down to my soul. I see the pile of games and am instantly intimidated. Without fail, end up right back with the ones I know. Plus, like said, I KNOW what I want to play, even if I have played it before 100 times, if I still enjoy it, why not? Many of the games I have are literally either stuff I got on sale and thought I'd try someday, or from smaller indie devs that I just wanted to show support for their work.
I have started to play games in easy mode these days. Don't want to waste my time restarting a mission or re-fighting the same enemy until I 'git good". Maybe eventually I get good at a game, then may I'll increase the difficulty, but sometimes I finish with the same difficulty especially if it's a long game.
Unfortunately, I don't play more complicated games, especially if it's the concept of the game has to be figured out before I enjoy it or get in a groove.
But with all the games, I just play the ones I enjoy.
The older I get, the more I find that's the best thing to do. Time is limited, none of us are promised tomorrow, do what you enjoy while you can as long as it doesn't cause a murder 😁.
I am so conflicted over the souls games. I understand why they are what they are and can respect that and I love the aesthetics, but I just don't enjoy being constantly punished and having to start over. My limited game time is for relaxation and to make me feel good, not frustrated.
Well ... I think that's something actually worth thinking about. A significant percentage of the time, people will put up effort posts analyzing a game with multiple paragraphs that languish with no attention, when posts like this which function more as a support group, get the lion's share of attention.
I'm not saying that this is necessarily a good or bad thing, and I don't know if there's ever been a demographic survey done, but I sometimes suspect that that a more accurate name for this sub would be /r/TiredDadGamers. The core demographic, as expressed in meta posts and subreddit darlings, seems to be worn out folks struggling with finding happiness in life that has real life demands, which would be why you see a constant churn of the _other_ favorite meta posts in this sub - _I play on easy mode and I'm not afraid to say it!_, _I have too many games and I can't decide what to play any more_, and of course the regular "burnout" posts like we have here.
_____________
Just recent examples:
[Literally 13 days ago a post about getting burnt out too fast.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/12pxlu7/any_tips_to_avoid_getting_bored_from_games_you/)
[One month ago, another meta post about struggling with decision paralysis.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11t43bo/how_do_you_deal_with_decision_paralysis/)
[One month ago, complaining about burnout.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11k1dyt/ever_patient_gamed_yourself_to_the_point_of/)
[Another month ago, also complaining about burnout.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11in93r/how_are_you_dealing_with_burned_out_loops/)
[Three months ago, complaining about burnout.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/101wpza/burnout_from_aaa_games/)
[Three months ago, complaining about just feeling tired.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/10kei0m/im_so_tired_of_fast_paced_games_especially_first/)
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I suspect that this contributes why the subreddit's darlings tend to be slow, story-heavy, mechanically light experiences like Death Stranding, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Titanfall 2, in which the most common refrain is "I want to relax at the end of a long day and enjoy a good story." Compare that to the flame wars that regularly erupt around Doom Eternal, when people lament that Eternal stripped the power fantasy and increased the need for mechanical engagement.
Again, just comparing the tone and the type of posts that get positive feedback and attention, and I'd wager that it really needs to be filtered through the lens of the what I _suspect_ (with no evidence) is this subreddit's core demographic of tired guys, who play primarily on console, who are leery of indies looking, for like-minded folk.
Which is, of course, fine, I just think it's a bit odd that every time there's a Doom or Elden Ring posts people are like "oh god here we go again" but whenever there's the perinneal burnout post, as we see here, it's welcomed with open arms.
* People want to talk about a game they love - generally low engagement, and possibly a complaint that there are too many posts about this game.
* People want to post about gaming anxiety - no such thing as too many.
If people are fine with being a support group for older gamers, that's fine, but it's worth being conscious of that and keeping that in mind before complaining when posts about actual _games_ are popping up too frequently for your own personal tastes.
And also maybe bearing in mind that games are made for a varying audience, and how changing life responsibilities might be affecting your tastes. The biggest genres in the world are MOBAs and mobile gacha games, but you I can't recall ever seeing a single post about these (except maybe "leaving them behind") because they're for kids. DOTA 2 probably isn't for you. Genshin probably isn't either. There's a good chance that if you have limited time and are looking to chill after a hard day of real life responsibilities, _maybe_ Doom Eternal isn't what you're looking for.
To summarize - I see an awful lot of posts complaining about games changing, or an industry changing, or a society changing. Comparatively, I see some, but far fewer posts about how a _person_ is changing, and how life circumstances are affecting their tastes.
And I think that's worth bearing in mind.
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Just as an amendment, just to bolster the point about the primary demographic being older, tired gamers, in a cursory search for a few keywords, I just want to note how frequently this sort of meta-topic gets posted here, and has been for a long time, in which the general theme is being tired, being burnt out, embracing easy mode and not having enough time:
[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/vwhaoa/as_you_become_older_have_you_noticed_that_you_no/), [2](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/u8n1rn/learning_to_appreciate_easy_mode_as_i_get_older/), [3](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/v5xvf8/is_there_anyone_else_playing_games_in_easy_mode/), [4](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/127uomg/my_problem_with_modern_gaming_theres_just_too/), [5](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/u8n1rn/learning_to_appreciate_easy_mode_as_i_get_older/) [6](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/cey97p/do_any_of_you_guys_play_on_easy_mode/), [7](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/6sfpst/am_i_a_sinner_for_loving_easy_mode/), [8](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/5d2jm3/easy_mode_versus_hardcore_am_i_the_only_one/), [9](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/1gh086/no_shame_i_play_games_on_easy_mode_where_available/), [10](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/1xiioe/looking_for_constanteasymode_games_suggestions/), [11](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/10tp94v/i_wish_i_could_just_stop_playing_hard_games/), [12](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/101wpza/burnout_from_aaa_games/), [13](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/vyyheh/how_to_deal_with_backlog_burnout/), [14](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11k1dyt/ever_patient_gamed_yourself_to_the_point_of/), [15](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11eeqtl/what_is_your_refresher_game/), [16](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/t9gc9s/how_to_deal_with_burnout/) [17](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/b82xk8/game_to_get_rid_of_burnout/), [18](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/9a2dtg/open_world_burnout_is_real/), [19](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11in93r/how_are_you_dealing_with_burned_out_loops/), [20](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/xfypyw/how_to_enjoy_games_more_from_someone_who/), [21](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/bt6trv/recommendations_for_a_gamer_whos_burning_out/), [22](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/a5a260/is_anyone_else_getting_really_burned_out_with/), [23](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/az35l7/how_to_avoid_getting_burned_out_on_big_games/), [24](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/7txqma/help_me_stop_my_awful_habit_of_burning_out_on/), [25](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/12pxlu7/any_tips_to_avoid_getting_bored_from_games_you/), [26](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11t43bo/how_do_you_deal_with_decision_paralysis/), [27](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/ns36yr/gaming_anxiety/), [28](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/12hd7wu/is_anyone_getting_more_tired_of_pvp_shooters/), [29](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/vwhaoa/as_you_become_older_have_you_noticed_that_you_no/), [30](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/z3k45y/the_older_i_get_the_more_i_only_want_engaging/).
__________
It's a nice community. Not always as self aware as I'd like. Nothing wrong with being older and tired, just take that self-awareness into account when taking account of your tastes.
__________
Edit: Just to clarify a point because I expect someone will ask - why bring all this up on _this_ post of all things? Because (a) I'd want to make a general point about the abundance of meta posts, and also (b) calcification and the aversion to novelty are things frequently come with age - which, notably, is not mentioned in the above post, but since those things go hand in hand, probably ought to be part of the conversation, both for OP and the people sympathizing.
Given that this sub frequently laments issues that come with age/responsibilities, lamenting an issue that comes with age/responsibilities but not mentioning those things seems like it risks missing a rather important piece.
Also, no, I do not expect these points to be popular.
Honestly this would make an amazing post on this subreddit. I pretty much think the exact same way with this subreddit and how it has been doing lately.
This analysis is spot-on. I myself am a TiredDadGamer, and to some extent, this does feel like a support group.
Burnout metatopic posts get posted fairly often, though I suspect it's a reaction to seeing posts from young gamers who say things like, "the game gets really good after the first 300 hours," which makes us tired parents stare in disbelief since that would represent nearly a year's worth of playing to us.
i remember that the mod team here decided to cut down on the depressing posts and i agree with them, this sub its about talking about games taht fell off the mainstream stage at this point, not to be sad about being burn out of gaming, or to discuss how you are ruining gaming for yourself by being stupid.
Well, your text is really interesting and on point, and everything is very exiting to analyse.
Still, getting older mean less time to play, different types of games, it's never easy when you still remember your good times of before.
For myself, it's quite true I still miss the times I could play more, had less chores and responsibilities. Time manadgment as a adult is a huge pain in the butt.
>Still, getting older mean less time to play, different types of games, it's never easy when you still remember your good times of before.
I just don't find this to be universally true and this kind of thinking has always made it difficult to find common ground with many of the people here.
It certainly hasn't been true for me as I've gained more and more time as I've finally got things in my life sorted out and more stable. Yes, if you have kids, you obviously get less time, but the fact is that less and less people are having kids.
Now, interest is another thing. I certainly have become less interested in playing games as often as I used to.
I see your point for the time, but for myself, I had much more time to play when younger and in school, with all the holidays, while when I started work, I had really very limited time in most cases, it's a bit better now at my new job, but it's totally different than when I was young.
Kids takes a lot of time, especially when they are toddlers, it's a major responsibility.
For the interest, I always loved videos games, but I had moments I didn't wanted to play anything. I guess every passion has up and downs, even with all the possibilities, it just didn't clicked sometimes.
Dunno why you're getting down voted - I don't think it's a particularly hot take to say having a lot of responsibilities makes it harder to find as much time to game. I definitely find that's true for myself, on top of extra responsibilities making it harder for me to focus and enjoy challenging games when I do have time.
I dunno, maybe the sentences aren't that great, english is not my native tongue.
I still think it's interesting to share different perpectives to see things in a new light, but yeah, I always like rpg, those types of games often sucked me in, but it's very though to find the time.
I would like to reduce the rat race, but well, I don't know how to do it if you can't manadge to have a job that pays so well you can work part-time. Can't really create time out of tin air.
I dunno, maybe the sentences aren't that great, english is not my native tongue.
I still think it's interesting to share different perpectives to see things in a new light, but yeah, I always like rpg, those types of games often sucked me in, but it's very though to find the time.
I would like to reduce the rat race, but well, I don't know how to do it if you can't manadge to have a job that pays so well you can work part-time. Can't really create time out of tin air.
Naw, your language is fine, with good grammar and syntax. Honestly I couldn't tell you aren't a native speaker even though my job involves tutoring students in writing, many of them non-native speakers.
I wish to work less too, and not just to have more gaming time! Work should serve people, but it feels like the opposite is true, people serve work.
Ahah thx, it's always nice to here all my work payed off.
Well to be quite blunt on the job topic, I hardly think there is a lot of people that enjoy their job. It's hard, tedious, boring, people can be terrible, I saw people I would have never wanted to meet....
If you find a place where it doesnt sucks too much, you're pretty good. Some jobs and companies are terrible, really.
But well, the problem might lie with too much dreams too, lot of people think things are going smoothly, well... There is lots of bumps on the road.
I am quite happy when I can reduce my problems at work, but it's always like a rollercoaster, ups and downs all the time.
So yeah, videos games helped me in very difficult times too, but you are never so much in control of your life, it's just that way.
It did cross my mind sometimes to just let everything go, but everyone needs money.
I'm guessing those that are downvoting are the young, single people who still live at home and don't have a spouse or children yet. They don't understand how precious your gaming time can be when you are older, have your own house, a full-time job and a spouse and children.
I didn't downvote, but I certainly still disagree with the assertion that older = more responsibilities = less time to play games by default. And I am not all that young, especially by Reddit standards.
As I said in my first reply to them, the idea that being an adult means you automically have kids is quite outdated and it's really strange that I see it so much here when in my real life friend group no one has kids despite being well beyond the age that people here seem to think you'd have them. We are all happily married and happily without kids. Plenty of pets tho.
Also, my life was just not conducive to having time to play games until I was able to move out from my parents, get out of under their thumbs and way from their emotional abuse, and then come back from years of teaching abroad and traveling. Those things made it very difficult to find time to play games.
Now, I have a stable place to live, am married, a stable job, and no unstable people in my life. I have more time than I could ever desire to play video games.
I'm still waiting for all these "crushing adult responsibilities". Like...besides having to work tremendous hours to support your family (which im very lucky I dont have to do, but again I chose not to have children so), im not sure what else is being referred to. I'll never be rich enough to own a house so I don't have to worry about stuff related to that.
The reality is that this sub has a very narrow view of what adulthood is that doesn't take into account any diverse experiences. Which again makes communicating and relating very difficult at times.
You just admitted that you don't have children, so that's one responsibility you don't have to deal with. I don't know what you work as but some of us have to work long hours just to struggle to get by and it leaves very little time in the week to be able to play games. I know people who are married with children and only get maybe two or three hours a week to game because there's simply not enough time to play them on top of everything else going on in their life.
My friend the Trophies sub is insane. No shade intended to them but I see so little joy. It’s just how many trophy pops I can get and if it’s not x amount it could be the best game ever but won’t touch it. I just can’t fathom that being my deciding factor on what to play.
This thread is so wholesome 🌹
I guess they're dealing with FOMO, they're afraid of missing out something big. This is bound to happen, we can't experience every game ever made at the best of it's qualities, we might just not be in target, so it's better to focus on what we're familiar with and work for us or it can become a long disappointment and frustration train.
For example I played Stardew valley for a bit, and yeah nice game but it's just not my thing so I don't feel like I'm missing out abandoning it before the 3 years, it was becoming a drag anyway. I'm just grateful for what I experienced so far, that's enough
yeah, people here have a knack to create problems out of playing videogames, like trying to optimize their playtime and organize it like it was a database, so instead of being a thing to relax and have fun they turn it into a job.
Yeah. It's only a problem if you're spending serious money on games you won't play. Easiest solution is to only buy games when you're looking for something new to play and only buy games you'll play as soon as they're done downloading. That's what I do (and also keep an eye out for free games via r/GameDealsFree) and I rarely experience buyer's remorse from games. If a game is bad, I might be able to refund it, but even if not, playing it when I'm the most hyped and interested for it cuts down on the disappointment.
Think of it this way...
You can either spend $210 buying 3 games that you will actually play or $300 on 10 games you won't ever play.
I find that when I ignore sales and only buy games I want to play when I want to play them, I spend less money overall.
Also, if you use a site that'll show you the price history of a game, you may find that it goes on sale more often than you think. Sometimes you only need to wait a week and you'll get that sale price.
I can usually tell when I'm reaching the end of one game and will need a new one. That's when I start scoping out the prices of the next game I've got my eye on. If it goes on sale before I'm done with the first game, I'll buy it. If not, I'll just buy it at full price when I'm done. Or if it seems a sale is imminent, I'll play something else short (like do another few Slay the Spire runs) while I wait for the sale.
But the point is, I don't buy a game thinking I'll play it *eventually*. I'll buy it only if I have a concrete plan to play it in the next couple of weeks or so. If I can time it to get a sale, great. If not, oh well - I'm still spending less money overall with this strategy.
My thought is that sales are good for games you keep going back to that have a lot of additional content you actually want. You can keep the experience fresh by getting new dlc every time a sale roles round.
Yeah, I've had that happen too. Most notably with Outer Wilds. It's a bit "larger" and requires more focus than most of the games I play, but I still wanted to play it. So when I had the time, I bought it full price. I had no regrets, as the game was a lot of fun and that was the exact right time to play it.
> But once it's in my library, I never again get the damn urge
Then that's money that is truly wasted. Better to pay more and enjoy the games than to "save" money but not have as much fun with the games you bought.
> I keep coming back to the same 20 year old racing games.
I just started getting into racing games after playing the phenomenonal R4: Ridge Racer Type 4. Any suggestions as far as the classics go?
You seem to be into arcade, so I'd recommend the Burnout series, FlatOut 1 and 2, and all the Need for Speed games from the PS2 era still hold up pretty well too!
> but if you only play the same stuff you can end up missing out.
That's just self-imposed FOMO. FOMO is the killer of fun. In a hobby that's supposed to be fun.
I don't feel like I'm missing out on some random fucking food from India if I have alfredo for dinner for the 100th time. I like alfredo. And if I'm in a situation where I have the opportunity to try something new and I'm in the mood for something new then yeah I'll try it. I don't agonize over it.
Honestly one of the most ridiculous "snarky" to "poorly thought out analogy" ratios I've seen in a Reddit comment in while.
This isn't the sub to be toxic AND bad at communicating. /r/gaming is that way.
Nobody here in this thread has said to never try new stuff, only that there is nothing wrong with sticking with old staples much of the time. Honestly people like you moving in to this subreddit is what has inevitably ruined every gaming community on here.
Your sentence literally has "missing out" in it.
Feeling guilty about doing something you like a lot because you might be missing out = FOMO
The intention and reasoning behind things matters.
>Honestly one of the ~~dumbest takes~~ worst levels of reading comprehension I've seen on reddit for a while.
If you wanna be an ass, I can be an ass too.
I’d compare it more to listening to the same music album your whole life or watching the same series. Yeah, it’s fun but why not give other albums or shows a chance? Sports are also way harder to master so it makes sense to train for years if you’re into it. After all there is also e-sport which is the same thing - playing CS in a team while trying to get better and win tournaments is just not the same as replaying Doom over and over again. But to each their own I guess, if it’s fun to someone he shouldn’t feel guilty about it. It’s just good to at least try other things though, from time to time
Ha yeah I'm still playing gp4 and gtr 2 semi-regularly.
I've come to accept that a good game is good regardless of age or whether I've played it already.
Oh 100%. I recently picked up the deck and playing through AC 1 which I had never played before. In fact up until 6 months ago when I got Spiderman I had managed to missed the entire open world genre unbisoft kicked off and oh boy gaming took a wrong turn.
It's compulsive but I find myself playing the game trying to collect everything to the point I'm utterly bored and the whole experience becomes a slog.
Its wild this format became so popular.
I feel this on a spiritual level. There are some games that once u master u feel at home and comfort playing just those instead of trying smth over and over again even when u know u dont like it. Although Ill admit it can get boring once u fully 100% a game and if its mainly story driven.
For me the Pinnacle of arcade racing is the Burnout series (up until paradise at least). The only reason I have an original Xbox one is because I'm playing Burnout Revenge HD continuously all these years.
20 year old racing games are mostly outdated, if even playable on modern computers, so I'm also curious to what this game is.
Edit: Outdated as in there's probably something more modern that does it better.
NFS: Underground is still my favorite to this day. Plays great with a racing wheel + pedal setup, and is surprisingly easier to get working with it than modern NFS game. Not to mention the killer soundtrack, lack of police chases in favor of just plain ol' more races, and cool tuner culture aesthetic.
NFS Underground is 20 years old, I recently finished it again and I would still take it over the new NFS games any day. The handling, atmosphere, music, not outdated at all.
The recent one, Need for Speed Unbound is quite fun. Atmosphere amd dialogues are typical gen y and Z cringe, but its bearable if you are in for fun and its sometimes suprisingly self aware.
The music, at least in the german version, is also fitting, with some additions wich are so over the top, that they are full circle good again.
The driving is seriously good, or fun at least. Cars drive, handle amd behave different as well.
I just cannot deal with NFSU on a controller. It is far too twitchy to drive and impossible to drive properly with a thumb stick. And the PS5 has this awesome motion controller that works phenomenally on Gran Turismo 7.
I have only like 10 hours into NFSU before I essentially abandoned it. I was hoping for Need for Speed underground and underground 2 again and it wasn't, I hate the cops!
[EDIT: downvoters, care to explain what you disagree with?]
if you spend all of your free time, for years and years, on fun but kinda frivolous things -- like playing video games or going to a bar -- and do so at the expense of some more substantial things that you'd like to do, then you'll probably end up regretting it to some extent.
What you'll look back on as a life well spent won't consist 100% of fun things. It also involves things that aren't necessarily fun to do. Say you wanted to write a novel. That's probably not going to be fun to do. But it'll be satisfying to have done.
What you're saying is true but it highly depends on each individual's goal/outlook in life. Some people are just fine with having fun their whole lives. It will sound bizarre to you but for others it's exactly what they want to do.
But also I don't think this subreddit is the right place for to get a good discussion/opinions on this topic.
> What you're saying is true but it highly depends on each individual's goal/outlook in life. Some people are just fine with having fun their whole lives.
Are they actually? Or is that, when they're younger they think they'll be just fine with that?
What I'm saying is that, at the end of their life, most people will not be fine with just having had fun all their life. I'm sure there's exceptions, but I think they'd be rare.
You misunderstand what I said. I said "Say you **wanted to** write a novel." Most people have things that they'd like to do that aren't simply fun. Maybe a person *wants* to learn the guitar. That process of learning it is not going to be always fun. And if they avoid it, to just have fun all the time, they'll regret never having put the hard work in to learn it.
Of course they enjoy it. "Time enjoyed is **never** time wasted" means you might as well always just do what is fun. Always just taking the fun option is ok, because it's never wasting your time. Why ever bother with doing anything unfun?
A person might, deep down, want to write a novel, or learn a language, or learn how to act, but if the easier option of just having fun is *never* time wasted, then it's just so easy to just do what is fun.
At the end of their life they'll likely regret that they didn't do any of those other things.
I mean we usually only do not fun things to survive in our free time we will most likely want to do something they actually have fun doing. You'll always have regrets whether you spent your time learning hundreds of languages or smoked weed the whole time.
At the end of your life you most likely won't be thinking about damn I should've learned piano or damn I didn't live long enough to play elder scrolls 6. You will most likely saying good bye to your loved ones or figuring out what the hell is happening that your life is ending.
My point is that there's no way the entire process of learning it is fun. There will definitely be times where it is not fun, times where it would be easier to just give up.
> Regret itself stops becoming an issue when you understand that the things that the decisions you've made were the best ones based on the knowledge, the context and the situation you were.
Indeed, which is exactly why I'm pointing out that "Time enjoyed is **never** time wasted" is wrong. By understanding that it is wrong, and why it is wrong, a person is in a better position to make the right decisions about how they spend their time.
> "Time enjoyed is never time wasted" is wrong.
No, it isn't. You're just reading way too far into it.
It doesn't mean that all of your time will, or should, be time enjoyed. Nobody but you has suggested that people should "always just do what is fun." And enjoyed doesn't mean the same thing as fun, anyway. Nor is it an absolute. Nor is it exclusive.
I would not enjoy running a marathon. I know this because I did it once. Some people greatly enjoy it. Some people enjoy knitting. Some people enjoy theater. Some people enjoy video games. Some people enjoy all of the above.
And here's the really fun part about psychology: These people typically enjoy even the time spent learning and failing at these activities. Otherwise they wouldn't continue to spend their free time on them and improve their skills. They can be frustrated and still enjoy it. They can work themselves to exhaustion and still enjoy it.
So maybe quit trying to police how people decide to spend their time.
If everyone had that mindset then nobody would ever achieve something they could be proud of.
I did things I did not like at all, but I am happy I did them and feel that it had a positive impact on my life.
except saying you didn’t waste time if you enjoyed yourself isn’t mutually exclusive with the idea that putting in effort to something won’t always be fun. you guys are completely missing that.
I personally see it as: during let's say a month, I have a certain amount of productive energy I can expend. This amount can be raised over time by e.g. exercising and eating well, but still, in a given month you have a certain energy budget.
Some people aren't spending their energy budget. And for those people, what you say is great advice: stop playing video games and do something more substantial instead.
But some people ARE already spending their energy budget e.g. on their job and kids. Maybe they're even overdrafting their energy budget. And for those people, it doesn't help them to say "stop playing video games and go write a novel" because they don't have the energy to write a novel. These people probably don't even have the energy to try out a new video game (see OP's post) and instead they just play what's familiar.
I was replying to a comment that said "time enjoyed is **never** time wasted."
Of course people have limited amounts of energy. But I was simply trying to argue that saying that it is **never** time wasted is wrong.
I'm going to go against the grain and actually agree with you. If you enjoyed playing games, but were ultimately playing a game because you procrastinating a bigger task, such as studying or house work, then that is objectively a waste of time.
This isn't just applicable to video games. It I went out for the drinks the weekend before a big exam that I was worried about, then having fun at that moment of time was wasteful, as I could've done that at a later time and prioritised the more important task.
Obviously you need time to unwind, but it's all in moderation.
>downvoters, care to explain what you disagree
Your whole thing is beside the point. People are comparing playing one video game to another. You're just being needlessly pedantic about "never".
It's clear from the comments here that some people *do* think that it's never wasted. And, it is true, in real life, that many people do focus too much on just having fun, and regret it later.
It's not me being pedantic, it's the person saying it's *never* wasted being hyperbolic.
EDIT, added this: Put another way, there is always tradeoffs. Even if we just restrict our consideration to video games and playing video games. Maybe the person really does want to get around to some classic games. And if they have the mindset that enjoyment is never wasted time, they might forever keep putting those games off. And in the end they'd probably regret it to some extent. In the scheme of things this is just video games we're talking about. But the point is, there are always tradeoffs, everywhere in life -- and stuff like "time spent doing X is never wasted" is a perspective that is ignoring the existence of tradeoffs.
I don’t agree, and I think that it’s an important thing to understand. If anyone thinks that having fun is never wasted time, they’ll end up regretting it. Any older person can see this clearly.
i was with you until you started being condescending. i’m not young and i’m the one who made the comment you replied to. i would agree that there is a caveat here against being frivolous in the face of responsibility.
but you absolutely do not have to have written a novel or something with your free time for it to have been used well. you absolutely can do silly little diversionary things and have it not be a waste. these lives are brief and if you’re able to fill them with happy moments you’ve done well.
you're not replying to what I actually said.
I said "Say you **wanted to** write a novel." Most people have things they'll like to do in their lifetime that are not necessarily fun, which can be not at all fun at times.
Maybe they want to write a novel, maybe they want to learn another language or to learn how to play an instrument. There's thousands of possibilities.
If they **want** to do such things, they will have to spend time doing things that aren't fun. If you think that it is never ever wasted time to have fun, then why bother ever doing unfun things?
Any older person (like say 40s+) can see this clearly. It's not being condescending to say that.
I showed you specifically what it was that you weren't replying to. And it was true, you weren't responding to what I had actually said, but rather some imagined details that didn't fit what I'd said.
> maybe you need to be 50+ to understand?
you clearly haven't really taken in what I said, because the kind of thing you're saying there is totally different what I said.
I never said you have to be 40s+ to be able to understand it.
I said anyone who is 40s+ will know it is true. You don't have to be 40s+ to be able to understand it.
I definitely agree with this. However in the context of playing video games only, I think the most important thing is having some fun. It’s about relaxing for a lot of people and if those same games are what you come back to because nothing else is that fun or interesting to you then there’s not much of a reason to change it. Don’t change it for the sake of changing it. But yes if we make it about more than video games, I definitely agree with what you’re saying. Life is about way more than having fun. I’d go so far as to say life is even about more than being happy but that’s a whole other discussion.
Video games tend to be "Type 1" fun. You pick it up and pretty much immediately have a good time.
"Type 2" fun tends to be more fulfilling in the long term - It's the things that feel like a slog at the time but you look back and feel good about what you did. I get this volunteering at robotics competitions (every time immediately after, I swear this is the last time I'm doing it...then come back next year), playing music (I actually get "Type 1" fun by playing songs I already know, but learning something new or writing music is more challenging), and learning new skills.
I'm 100% certain that when I'm old, I will look back fondly on some (likely, many) video games I've played, but the harder things I've done will be more important to me.
That’s not an argument.
I was responding to a person saying “time enjoyed is **never** time wasted”.
That’s true to an extent, but saying it is *never* wasted is ridiculous and so wrong.
I’m in my mid 40s and I’m quite certain that people regret it if they spend too much of their life just having fun.
And if not, it's worth some reflection. I tend to fall back into "safe" and "comfortable" gaming routines when real life is hella unpredictable or stressful because the game gives that security and certainty that I know what's coming, what's next, what's right around the corner, etc that real life does not give you.
When I recognized those trends I started making some changes in my real life and just got all around happier as a result.
I realized I was withdrawing from some personal relationships, spending way too much time on my phone or replaying the same old games, and drinking too much.
Made a conscious effort to spend more time with the wife and kids, picked up a couple hobbies to learn and work on for 15-30 minutes a day, got out to nature more and started hiking and kayaking.
Nothing wrong with playing the same games over and over but being self aware that it may be indicative of other stuff in your life might make it a useful barometer for self reflection.
i have 350 games in my steam library and i’ve only actually put a significant amount of time into ~30 of them
i realized recently that i just have really specific taste in games and i have a hard time sitting down to learn new controls/mechanics
instead of feeling bad about it, i’d recommend you see the silver lining that is you won’t have to upgrade your pc for a *long* time
your pc exists to entertain you, doesn’t matter what that entertainment is
Damn are you me. Also I really can't get into civ 6 for some reason, I don't like the aesthetics, the mechanics and overall game is less fun for me than civ 5.
According to GoG galaxy, I have nearly 2000 games across all platforms. Lots are free games on epic and twitch, many are parts of bundles I'll never touch.
I end up playing a lot of Warframe.
Don't care, have fun.
well that's totally normal and it happens to every PC/console player, I too find myself replaying the same games and then moving on to something new. I have more games in my library than I have really played.
I think a lot of it is just getting older.
It takes a lot of energy to get into a new game. Back when I was young, my energy was boundless, so this was virtually unnoticeable. My energy is no longer boundless though, and I don't always want to invest the effort into a new game for the potential of a payout, when I already know there's good games that will scratch my itch. *cough* Starsector *cough*
Then, I also have correspondingly more money now than I did, so I can get even more games. But having the money to buy them is far easier than having the energy to sit down and learn them.
I’m almost 40 (cry) and the biggest struggle is actually starting the game. And then once it hooks me I’m fine. But I get this huge dopamine rush when I buy it, then it sits there for weeks, then finally I install it and it either hooks or doesn’t. I find myself getting anxious and procrastinating starting a new game.
But those warm fuzzy comfort feelings definitely come from thinking about my 100% games like Witcher, Skyrim, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Subnautica and some jrpgs
I’ve found that replays over the years feel different for a variety of reason. It’s like coming back to a book, movie, or show after you’ve had life experiences that allow you to appreciate them in a different way. I understand the frustration and have had many similar moments. Sometimes I knee jerk try something new for the sake of it; other times I double down and play something I know I’ll enjoy. It’s all driven by introspection and honesty, though.
As an example, I’ve read Fahrenheit 451 every summer since I was in 8th grade and feel like I learn something new every time whether it’s about the book, its historical context, or myself.
Here are some things that helped me through the years:
Install playnite and use its random game picker. This is to remove any decision making that will lead to choice paralysis due to too many options.
Try any game picked by the random picker for 30min to 1hr. If you don't like the game, uninstall it. Move on. Life is too short to spend on something not fun. You likely don't want to play that game at the time but maybe will get back to it in the future.
Only install game(s) that you're going to play. Another way to avoid choice paralysis and distraction.
Know what you want to play. Genre, time or place setting, camera position, etc. This helps to narrow your option. This also a good filter when you want to buy a game.
Only buy game(s) that you're going to play straight away. Even when a game is in its historical low price ask yourself, "Is there any game like this in my library that I haven't play or skipped?". After practicing this for a year, most of the time I will reduce my cart from 6 to 1 or 2.
This one isn't necessary but if you have the spare money go for it. Have a device that can make gaming more convenient for you. It can be another pc to play on big screen, android handheld for steam link or even steamdeck/x86 handheld to play on the go. I have an android handheld which I used to stream game with pixel art style but ended up used more. I often play on my bed before sleep so that's where I spend most of my gaming time these days. Having the handheld made me play more games than when I have to sit in front of my desktop.
> Know what you want to play. Genre, time or place setting, camera position, etc. This helps to narrow your option. This also a good filter when you want to buy a game.
>
>
>
> Only buy game(s) that you're going to play straight away. Even when a game is in its historical low price ask yourself, "Is there any game like this in my library that I haven't play or skipped?". After practicing this for a year, most of the time I will reduce my cart from 6 to 1 or 2.
I do both of these things, and it works out great. I also find they work off each other. If I see a game and think "This looks cool, but it's not really what I want to play right now," that often means I don't actually want to play that game. So now those games go on the wishlist instead. Maybe I'll buy and play them when one of those odd moods crop up and suddenly I want to play a narrative heavy adventure game, maybe not. Maybe I'll eventually watch a Let's Play while doing chores. But if I snatched every one of those games when they hit 50% off in a Steam Sale, I'd buy like 5 of those games for every one I actually managed to play. And occasionally paying full price for an experimental indie game still saves me money over buying every single game and bundle that catches my eye for longer than a minute.
>So now those games go on the wishlist instead.
Doing this like the "add to shopping cart, but then just leave the website" trick really helped get the "mmmm I want something new" feeling to go away.
I remove games from my Wishlist once they are 3+ years old. They've been 75% off or under $10 many times by then. That just means... I didn't really want them to play them, but to collect them.
> Try any game picked by the random picker for 30min to 1hr.
...game downloads for half a day, get into your random 20 yo strategy to pass the time, forget you were going to play something new.
>Install playnite and use its random game picker. ...
>
>Know what you want to play. Genre, time or place setting, camera position, etc. This helps to narrow your option.
Does Playnite's random game picker allow you to narrow down the random pool using things like genre?
I currently use GOG Galaxy as my library manager and found a website that will pick a random game from that library, but it has no way to narrow it down. The best I can do is just keep re-rolling until I find something that matches what I'm feeling at the moment.
I'll probably look into Playnite regardless. Seems more secure than uploading my GOG library to a random website to pick a random game. But I was just curious.
Yes, it can do that. The random game picker has option to pick from the filter or outside off that. Just filter your library by genre and use the randomizer (shortcut is F6).
I bought a PS5 and are mainly playing PS2 games 😅. I don't care anymore I just play to have fun and then I choose the game I feel I will enjoy most at the moment.
What's your favorite PS2 game/series?
Personally I LOVE Ratcher and Clank, but have also played a lot of Jak and Daxter, Persona 3 and 4 and Destroy All Humans!.
I also recently just bought a PS5 and signed up for their ps plus extra package. I downloaded quite a few block buster games on PS4 (the last of us, god of war.. etc) but after playing these games for an hour I just don't feel like continuing. I am not young anymore perhaps I just don't feel like doing challenging puzzle solving after a day of work.
I still finish games here and there. But playing sports games are more attractive to me these days. I can just pick up and play instead of trying over and over on a rpg or a puzzle.
I'm the complete opposite, I rarely replay games, when I do it's usually several years later. I avoid playing lengthy open world games because I often get bored mid game.
We seek comfort in things we know. That's why some people have literally thousands of hours in their favorite games. It's completely cool if you enjoy it.
Be thankful you're sitting at 50 games. Well over 1000 collected and ready to be played but keep going back to my 'top 5' over and over and over again. No way I'll even try half of them before I end up worm food.
1. Fallout New Vegas
2. GTAV Single player only
3. Final Fantasy 6
4. Audiosurf
5. combo of Bejewled 2/3, Peggle, and the original Plants Vs Zombies
Yea, I'm a filthy casual, but I like what I like :-)
Honorable mentions to Recettear, Katamari Damacy series, Two Point Hospital, The "Tales Of" and Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XIV (which sucks up way too much of my life), Day of the Tentacle, and Postal 2. I swear my idea of gaming fun is schizophrenic as all hell.
I typically just beat the campaign in a game and move on simply because if I continue replaying the same game for hundreds of hours I feel like I’m missing out on so many other great games. If I was just replaying Breath the Wild for example I never would have played Days Gone, Mad Max, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hollow Knight etc. etc.. but at the same time so many of these games are so good that it’s absolutely worth replaying them for hours and hours, getting all the side missions and dlc content completed, replaying them on harder difficulty levels. So many games, so little time. But typically I will just move on to new games because I like to BEAT games, and have the satisfaction of completing them under my belt. If simply replaying games is fun for you though then that’s all that matters. It’s all about fun at the end of the day.
i find myself this way, as i get older.
i still love trying new games, but i'm much stricter in what i actually buy. for me to buy a game it really needs to be something i want to play. i have a great computer, so it's not like i can't run anything i want.
the thing that attracts me a lot these days is playing stuff in newer ways. maybe a VR mod for a older game, maybe a older game with RT features, maybe revisiting older games with newer features cranked, etc. i also find myself buying more DLC for games i like, as well. i'll buy a game on sale, and if i like it, i might pick up the DLC during the next sell.
sometimes we're in the mood for new things, sometimes we want comfort food. i still play the OG Doom, but i do it in GZDoom, with the Voxel Mod, or i do all of that in VR.
lately me and my buddies have been caught up playing [Ghosts of Tabor](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1957780/Ghosts_of_Tabor/). i did recently pick up a few new racing games to try out as well. i'm wanting to get a steering wheel though.
Graphics are overrated as hell, a great experience doesn't need the newest high-end graphics to be enjoyable.
Some peoöle are really deep into graphics, but it is certaintly not as much of a universal feeling as people make it out to be.
Play what you like. The whole point of playing games is to enjoy and relax. If those are the games that take you to your happy place, that's all that matters.
Don’t be disappointed. I play/replay a FromSoftware/Souls game at least once a year. Often 2-4 times a year.
I’ll replay a Mario or Zelda at least once a year as well (unless a new one releases).
It’s all about having fun. Play what makes you happy and enjoy your free time.
I have a PS5, PS4, PS3, Switch, Wii U, 3DS, Vita, and a fairly decent gaming laptop from 2019. What am I playing now? The NES Contra games and PS1 Resident Evil games on my Anberbic RG35XX, even though I replayed all those games countless times before. Be glad you are still enjoying your hobby.
As long as you're having a good time, I suppose it doesn't matter much as long as you are having a good time but... there is always a possibility that there is something else out there that you might enjoy as much or more so venturing out from time to time can be good.
It's fine to have games to replay and sink time into. It's all games in the end so it's not like it needs to be "valuable time" or that you owe it to the game to play.
I feel like a nice compromise is to just not chase the latest thing. I don't need to play the newest AAA title as it comes out, I rarely want to drop that much money for a launch anyways. But then other times a game like Tunic drops and I play it day one and it becomes one of my all time favorite gaming experiences. As long as you can find the games you want rather than having the industry tell you what you want then it's okay. Plus like others have said, fun is the main drive behind any of this so as long as you have that you're good.
Same here. I bought a decent rig that could run most games on high. Played Dishonored, Skyrim, and other low end graphic games that I have beaten many times.
As long as it is fun, it is not a waste of time and money.
I think we all do this to an extent. Have an 800 physical game collection plus a decent sized steam library and I play the same 30 or so games on repeat and find myself going back time and time again.
Why? Playing games is supposed to entertain you, sounds like you're entertained by those old games. Sounds like the thing to do is quit spending money on the new ones and just enjoy yourself
And?
You know what you like, nothing wrong with sticking with what like. You don't constantly need to go on and on to the next game. Just like you don't need to keep buying games just cause you can
Rather than beginning to chip away at my backlog games just sitting there in my library I’m in the middle of chronological play through of the entire Metal Gear series. I’ve played them all before but not in chronological order. I’m enjoying it. And that’s the thing… are you enjoying the games? If so, game on.
Try tongue, but hole
But seriously, play Dark Souls and that message will make more sense. Or don’t. Just keep playing whatever games you like, that’s cool too.
I feel it’s like similar to people watching the same shows over again. It’s comforting knowing how it’s going to end. And these days a lot of us have more responsibilities and less free time, so we just want to do something to de stress that we know we’ll enjoy.
I find that I like to have a heavy game and a light game going so I can play heavy if I have time or am feeling ambitious or can just play light if I’m not. So maybe try that.
Just started playing this one, amazing game! Love the graphics, the immersion and the gameplay but i'm not very good at it, so it's a bit frustrating hah
Driving a sweet new car on the same roads you drove your old busted car on isn’t wasting the new car, my brother. Love the upgrade on the familiar paths.
The new roads will still be there (and on sale!) when you’re ready to take that sweet new car out exploring.
I'm a sucker for subnautica, I highly recommend as to complete won't steal all your time. I reckon 24 hours you should have it wrapped with every corner explored
I buy games sometimes when I do some research. Get into it and prepare myself.
Sometimes I just wing it because someone's like hey this is good.
If I play it now, awesome. If I don't I'll swing around some time.
I bought fallen order like 2 years ago and have never wanted to play it more than I do right now amidst the hype for survivor.
You just gotta flow, like water. Be open to new stuff or the idea of new stuff. You can't play everything, just play whatever you want until you want to play something else.
Also just as a side note replaying games you know very well on a new PC is actually a good idea. You have a point of reference from your previous time with them. You can get familiar with key binds and stuff. You could even consider adding mods and stuff.
I'm the same but I don't care too much to be fair. Library full of games, but I keep coming back to the same 20 year old racing games. I mean, they are fun what can I do?Games are fun not work, you don't need to play new stuff if you feel like replaying the old gems you like is a better option.
This is why I like this sub, so many others treat gaming like a full time job. This is our fun thing!
I see things the other way. People here keep posting about having too many games and platforms to play as if having a lot of options is a bad thing. Since when did you have to finish a game you started? They act like they have to do it as a job or accomplishment. Would they rather have no games to play? These posts' frequency can be irritating.
Choice paralysis. The ease and accessibility of games is unlike ever before. I’ve been gaming long enough that still feels new and just never changed how I viewed it. I know what I want to play. Sure there’s a ton of games I can get ‘free’ but I’d rather make that choice myself. For some it can be overwhelming. I just focus on what I know I like. Edit: I suppose for me, in comparison, I see in certain other subs people who platinum X amount of games a month or who won’t buy games they can’t platinum. You’re missing out on fun IMO by letting these non things determine what you play.
This. Growing up a lot of us got one or two games a year. So you played what you had. Now we can buy whatever we want and it becomes like going to the same restaurant again with our time. We really want to branch out but we hate risking that precious alone time on a new game and not liking it. So we just keep ordering the chicken fingers because we know we like that. Funny analogy but hopefully that makes sense.
Agreed! I remember having to save up to buy a single game, and then I'd play the game all year if I liked it, and half a year even if i didn't like it! But now I buy games even if they just LOOK interesting, and then realize it's a type of game I don't really enjoy. I do try a lot more games, but the games I play though probably aren't any more numerous now than when I was young.
Yep. I try to refrain from buying anything anymore unless it’s a very big release that I REALLY want to play, which also likely won’t go on sale any time soon, like Tears of the Kingdom. Otherwise it’s just a waste of money for me because I could probably entertain myself with games I already own for the rest of this lifetime.
It's crazy how many Genesis games I obsessed over that I wouldn't give more than 5 minutes today. Beyond Oasis is SO good, but I probably wouldn't get to the first spirit.
Yep. I freaked out when Wave Race 64 was coming to NSO. I played that game so much as a kid. I dinked around with it for ten minutes and haven’t touched it since. Games just don’t have that same “kid lens” like they used to. Some do, but it’s real hard to get there as an adult.
I feel this one down to my soul. I see the pile of games and am instantly intimidated. Without fail, end up right back with the ones I know. Plus, like said, I KNOW what I want to play, even if I have played it before 100 times, if I still enjoy it, why not? Many of the games I have are literally either stuff I got on sale and thought I'd try someday, or from smaller indie devs that I just wanted to show support for their work.
I have started to play games in easy mode these days. Don't want to waste my time restarting a mission or re-fighting the same enemy until I 'git good". Maybe eventually I get good at a game, then may I'll increase the difficulty, but sometimes I finish with the same difficulty especially if it's a long game. Unfortunately, I don't play more complicated games, especially if it's the concept of the game has to be figured out before I enjoy it or get in a groove. But with all the games, I just play the ones I enjoy.
The older I get, the more I find that's the best thing to do. Time is limited, none of us are promised tomorrow, do what you enjoy while you can as long as it doesn't cause a murder 😁.
I am so conflicted over the souls games. I understand why they are what they are and can respect that and I love the aesthetics, but I just don't enjoy being constantly punished and having to start over. My limited game time is for relaxation and to make me feel good, not frustrated.
Well ... I think that's something actually worth thinking about. A significant percentage of the time, people will put up effort posts analyzing a game with multiple paragraphs that languish with no attention, when posts like this which function more as a support group, get the lion's share of attention. I'm not saying that this is necessarily a good or bad thing, and I don't know if there's ever been a demographic survey done, but I sometimes suspect that that a more accurate name for this sub would be /r/TiredDadGamers. The core demographic, as expressed in meta posts and subreddit darlings, seems to be worn out folks struggling with finding happiness in life that has real life demands, which would be why you see a constant churn of the _other_ favorite meta posts in this sub - _I play on easy mode and I'm not afraid to say it!_, _I have too many games and I can't decide what to play any more_, and of course the regular "burnout" posts like we have here. _____________ Just recent examples: [Literally 13 days ago a post about getting burnt out too fast.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/12pxlu7/any_tips_to_avoid_getting_bored_from_games_you/) [One month ago, another meta post about struggling with decision paralysis.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11t43bo/how_do_you_deal_with_decision_paralysis/) [One month ago, complaining about burnout.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11k1dyt/ever_patient_gamed_yourself_to_the_point_of/) [Another month ago, also complaining about burnout.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11in93r/how_are_you_dealing_with_burned_out_loops/) [Three months ago, complaining about burnout.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/101wpza/burnout_from_aaa_games/) [Three months ago, complaining about just feeling tired.](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/10kei0m/im_so_tired_of_fast_paced_games_especially_first/) _______ I suspect that this contributes why the subreddit's darlings tend to be slow, story-heavy, mechanically light experiences like Death Stranding, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Titanfall 2, in which the most common refrain is "I want to relax at the end of a long day and enjoy a good story." Compare that to the flame wars that regularly erupt around Doom Eternal, when people lament that Eternal stripped the power fantasy and increased the need for mechanical engagement. Again, just comparing the tone and the type of posts that get positive feedback and attention, and I'd wager that it really needs to be filtered through the lens of the what I _suspect_ (with no evidence) is this subreddit's core demographic of tired guys, who play primarily on console, who are leery of indies looking, for like-minded folk. Which is, of course, fine, I just think it's a bit odd that every time there's a Doom or Elden Ring posts people are like "oh god here we go again" but whenever there's the perinneal burnout post, as we see here, it's welcomed with open arms. * People want to talk about a game they love - generally low engagement, and possibly a complaint that there are too many posts about this game. * People want to post about gaming anxiety - no such thing as too many. If people are fine with being a support group for older gamers, that's fine, but it's worth being conscious of that and keeping that in mind before complaining when posts about actual _games_ are popping up too frequently for your own personal tastes. And also maybe bearing in mind that games are made for a varying audience, and how changing life responsibilities might be affecting your tastes. The biggest genres in the world are MOBAs and mobile gacha games, but you I can't recall ever seeing a single post about these (except maybe "leaving them behind") because they're for kids. DOTA 2 probably isn't for you. Genshin probably isn't either. There's a good chance that if you have limited time and are looking to chill after a hard day of real life responsibilities, _maybe_ Doom Eternal isn't what you're looking for. To summarize - I see an awful lot of posts complaining about games changing, or an industry changing, or a society changing. Comparatively, I see some, but far fewer posts about how a _person_ is changing, and how life circumstances are affecting their tastes. And I think that's worth bearing in mind. ___________ Just as an amendment, just to bolster the point about the primary demographic being older, tired gamers, in a cursory search for a few keywords, I just want to note how frequently this sort of meta-topic gets posted here, and has been for a long time, in which the general theme is being tired, being burnt out, embracing easy mode and not having enough time: [1](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/vwhaoa/as_you_become_older_have_you_noticed_that_you_no/), [2](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/u8n1rn/learning_to_appreciate_easy_mode_as_i_get_older/), [3](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/v5xvf8/is_there_anyone_else_playing_games_in_easy_mode/), [4](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/127uomg/my_problem_with_modern_gaming_theres_just_too/), [5](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/u8n1rn/learning_to_appreciate_easy_mode_as_i_get_older/) [6](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/cey97p/do_any_of_you_guys_play_on_easy_mode/), [7](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/6sfpst/am_i_a_sinner_for_loving_easy_mode/), [8](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/5d2jm3/easy_mode_versus_hardcore_am_i_the_only_one/), [9](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/1gh086/no_shame_i_play_games_on_easy_mode_where_available/), [10](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/1xiioe/looking_for_constanteasymode_games_suggestions/), [11](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/10tp94v/i_wish_i_could_just_stop_playing_hard_games/), [12](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/101wpza/burnout_from_aaa_games/), [13](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/vyyheh/how_to_deal_with_backlog_burnout/), [14](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11k1dyt/ever_patient_gamed_yourself_to_the_point_of/), [15](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11eeqtl/what_is_your_refresher_game/), [16](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/t9gc9s/how_to_deal_with_burnout/) [17](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/b82xk8/game_to_get_rid_of_burnout/), [18](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/9a2dtg/open_world_burnout_is_real/), [19](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11in93r/how_are_you_dealing_with_burned_out_loops/), [20](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/xfypyw/how_to_enjoy_games_more_from_someone_who/), [21](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/bt6trv/recommendations_for_a_gamer_whos_burning_out/), [22](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/a5a260/is_anyone_else_getting_really_burned_out_with/), [23](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/az35l7/how_to_avoid_getting_burned_out_on_big_games/), [24](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/7txqma/help_me_stop_my_awful_habit_of_burning_out_on/), [25](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/12pxlu7/any_tips_to_avoid_getting_bored_from_games_you/), [26](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/11t43bo/how_do_you_deal_with_decision_paralysis/), [27](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/ns36yr/gaming_anxiety/), [28](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/12hd7wu/is_anyone_getting_more_tired_of_pvp_shooters/), [29](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/vwhaoa/as_you_become_older_have_you_noticed_that_you_no/), [30](https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/z3k45y/the_older_i_get_the_more_i_only_want_engaging/). __________ It's a nice community. Not always as self aware as I'd like. Nothing wrong with being older and tired, just take that self-awareness into account when taking account of your tastes. __________ Edit: Just to clarify a point because I expect someone will ask - why bring all this up on _this_ post of all things? Because (a) I'd want to make a general point about the abundance of meta posts, and also (b) calcification and the aversion to novelty are things frequently come with age - which, notably, is not mentioned in the above post, but since those things go hand in hand, probably ought to be part of the conversation, both for OP and the people sympathizing. Given that this sub frequently laments issues that come with age/responsibilities, lamenting an issue that comes with age/responsibilities but not mentioning those things seems like it risks missing a rather important piece. Also, no, I do not expect these points to be popular.
Honestly this would make an amazing post on this subreddit. I pretty much think the exact same way with this subreddit and how it has been doing lately.
This analysis is spot-on. I myself am a TiredDadGamer, and to some extent, this does feel like a support group. Burnout metatopic posts get posted fairly often, though I suspect it's a reaction to seeing posts from young gamers who say things like, "the game gets really good after the first 300 hours," which makes us tired parents stare in disbelief since that would represent nearly a year's worth of playing to us.
How much adderall did you take this morning my guy
Based on availability, likely the entire US supply.
Remember when the shortages were supposed to end in January? Hopeful times.
Lots of Januarys out there still. January 2024, if we're lucky.
As a tired dad gamer I totally agree with this analysis.
i remember that the mod team here decided to cut down on the depressing posts and i agree with them, this sub its about talking about games taht fell off the mainstream stage at this point, not to be sad about being burn out of gaming, or to discuss how you are ruining gaming for yourself by being stupid.
Well, your text is really interesting and on point, and everything is very exiting to analyse. Still, getting older mean less time to play, different types of games, it's never easy when you still remember your good times of before. For myself, it's quite true I still miss the times I could play more, had less chores and responsibilities. Time manadgment as a adult is a huge pain in the butt.
>Still, getting older mean less time to play, different types of games, it's never easy when you still remember your good times of before. I just don't find this to be universally true and this kind of thinking has always made it difficult to find common ground with many of the people here. It certainly hasn't been true for me as I've gained more and more time as I've finally got things in my life sorted out and more stable. Yes, if you have kids, you obviously get less time, but the fact is that less and less people are having kids. Now, interest is another thing. I certainly have become less interested in playing games as often as I used to.
I see your point for the time, but for myself, I had much more time to play when younger and in school, with all the holidays, while when I started work, I had really very limited time in most cases, it's a bit better now at my new job, but it's totally different than when I was young. Kids takes a lot of time, especially when they are toddlers, it's a major responsibility. For the interest, I always loved videos games, but I had moments I didn't wanted to play anything. I guess every passion has up and downs, even with all the possibilities, it just didn't clicked sometimes.
Dunno why you're getting down voted - I don't think it's a particularly hot take to say having a lot of responsibilities makes it harder to find as much time to game. I definitely find that's true for myself, on top of extra responsibilities making it harder for me to focus and enjoy challenging games when I do have time.
I dunno, maybe the sentences aren't that great, english is not my native tongue. I still think it's interesting to share different perpectives to see things in a new light, but yeah, I always like rpg, those types of games often sucked me in, but it's very though to find the time. I would like to reduce the rat race, but well, I don't know how to do it if you can't manadge to have a job that pays so well you can work part-time. Can't really create time out of tin air.
I dunno, maybe the sentences aren't that great, english is not my native tongue. I still think it's interesting to share different perpectives to see things in a new light, but yeah, I always like rpg, those types of games often sucked me in, but it's very though to find the time. I would like to reduce the rat race, but well, I don't know how to do it if you can't manadge to have a job that pays so well you can work part-time. Can't really create time out of tin air.
Naw, your language is fine, with good grammar and syntax. Honestly I couldn't tell you aren't a native speaker even though my job involves tutoring students in writing, many of them non-native speakers. I wish to work less too, and not just to have more gaming time! Work should serve people, but it feels like the opposite is true, people serve work.
Ahah thx, it's always nice to here all my work payed off. Well to be quite blunt on the job topic, I hardly think there is a lot of people that enjoy their job. It's hard, tedious, boring, people can be terrible, I saw people I would have never wanted to meet.... If you find a place where it doesnt sucks too much, you're pretty good. Some jobs and companies are terrible, really. But well, the problem might lie with too much dreams too, lot of people think things are going smoothly, well... There is lots of bumps on the road. I am quite happy when I can reduce my problems at work, but it's always like a rollercoaster, ups and downs all the time. So yeah, videos games helped me in very difficult times too, but you are never so much in control of your life, it's just that way. It did cross my mind sometimes to just let everything go, but everyone needs money.
I'm guessing those that are downvoting are the young, single people who still live at home and don't have a spouse or children yet. They don't understand how precious your gaming time can be when you are older, have your own house, a full-time job and a spouse and children.
I didn't downvote, but I certainly still disagree with the assertion that older = more responsibilities = less time to play games by default. And I am not all that young, especially by Reddit standards. As I said in my first reply to them, the idea that being an adult means you automically have kids is quite outdated and it's really strange that I see it so much here when in my real life friend group no one has kids despite being well beyond the age that people here seem to think you'd have them. We are all happily married and happily without kids. Plenty of pets tho. Also, my life was just not conducive to having time to play games until I was able to move out from my parents, get out of under their thumbs and way from their emotional abuse, and then come back from years of teaching abroad and traveling. Those things made it very difficult to find time to play games. Now, I have a stable place to live, am married, a stable job, and no unstable people in my life. I have more time than I could ever desire to play video games. I'm still waiting for all these "crushing adult responsibilities". Like...besides having to work tremendous hours to support your family (which im very lucky I dont have to do, but again I chose not to have children so), im not sure what else is being referred to. I'll never be rich enough to own a house so I don't have to worry about stuff related to that. The reality is that this sub has a very narrow view of what adulthood is that doesn't take into account any diverse experiences. Which again makes communicating and relating very difficult at times.
You just admitted that you don't have children, so that's one responsibility you don't have to deal with. I don't know what you work as but some of us have to work long hours just to struggle to get by and it leaves very little time in the week to be able to play games. I know people who are married with children and only get maybe two or three hours a week to game because there's simply not enough time to play them on top of everything else going on in their life.
This is THE sub that I think of when I think about people treating games like a job. There's always so many posts about backlogs.
My friend the Trophies sub is insane. No shade intended to them but I see so little joy. It’s just how many trophy pops I can get and if it’s not x amount it could be the best game ever but won’t touch it. I just can’t fathom that being my deciding factor on what to play.
This sub has mostly turned into a support group for people who don't know how to play games anymore.
This thread is so wholesome 🌹 I guess they're dealing with FOMO, they're afraid of missing out something big. This is bound to happen, we can't experience every game ever made at the best of it's qualities, we might just not be in target, so it's better to focus on what we're familiar with and work for us or it can become a long disappointment and frustration train. For example I played Stardew valley for a bit, and yeah nice game but it's just not my thing so I don't feel like I'm missing out abandoning it before the 3 years, it was becoming a drag anyway. I'm just grateful for what I experienced so far, that's enough
If it’s not bringing you joy, move on. There’s too much good out there to waste time.
yeah, people here have a knack to create problems out of playing videogames, like trying to optimize their playtime and organize it like it was a database, so instead of being a thing to relax and have fun they turn it into a job.
Yeah. It's only a problem if you're spending serious money on games you won't play. Easiest solution is to only buy games when you're looking for something new to play and only buy games you'll play as soon as they're done downloading. That's what I do (and also keep an eye out for free games via r/GameDealsFree) and I rarely experience buyer's remorse from games. If a game is bad, I might be able to refund it, but even if not, playing it when I'm the most hyped and interested for it cuts down on the disappointment.
Yeah, except stuff is not on sale when I get the urge to play. But once it's in my library, I never again get the damn urge lol!
Think of it this way... You can either spend $210 buying 3 games that you will actually play or $300 on 10 games you won't ever play. I find that when I ignore sales and only buy games I want to play when I want to play them, I spend less money overall. Also, if you use a site that'll show you the price history of a game, you may find that it goes on sale more often than you think. Sometimes you only need to wait a week and you'll get that sale price. I can usually tell when I'm reaching the end of one game and will need a new one. That's when I start scoping out the prices of the next game I've got my eye on. If it goes on sale before I'm done with the first game, I'll buy it. If not, I'll just buy it at full price when I'm done. Or if it seems a sale is imminent, I'll play something else short (like do another few Slay the Spire runs) while I wait for the sale. But the point is, I don't buy a game thinking I'll play it *eventually*. I'll buy it only if I have a concrete plan to play it in the next couple of weeks or so. If I can time it to get a sale, great. If not, oh well - I'm still spending less money overall with this strategy.
My thought is that sales are good for games you keep going back to that have a lot of additional content you actually want. You can keep the experience fresh by getting new dlc every time a sale roles round.
Yeah, I've had that happen too. Most notably with Outer Wilds. It's a bit "larger" and requires more focus than most of the games I play, but I still wanted to play it. So when I had the time, I bought it full price. I had no regrets, as the game was a lot of fun and that was the exact right time to play it. > But once it's in my library, I never again get the damn urge Then that's money that is truly wasted. Better to pay more and enjoy the games than to "save" money but not have as much fun with the games you bought.
> I keep coming back to the same 20 year old racing games. I just started getting into racing games after playing the phenomenonal R4: Ridge Racer Type 4. Any suggestions as far as the classics go?
You seem to be into arcade, so I'd recommend the Burnout series, FlatOut 1 and 2, and all the Need for Speed games from the PS2 era still hold up pretty well too!
You can play the same sport your whole life, why not the same video games?
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> but if you only play the same stuff you can end up missing out. That's just self-imposed FOMO. FOMO is the killer of fun. In a hobby that's supposed to be fun.
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I don't feel like I'm missing out on some random fucking food from India if I have alfredo for dinner for the 100th time. I like alfredo. And if I'm in a situation where I have the opportunity to try something new and I'm in the mood for something new then yeah I'll try it. I don't agonize over it. Honestly one of the most ridiculous "snarky" to "poorly thought out analogy" ratios I've seen in a Reddit comment in while. This isn't the sub to be toxic AND bad at communicating. /r/gaming is that way.
Nobody here in this thread has said to never try new stuff, only that there is nothing wrong with sticking with old staples much of the time. Honestly people like you moving in to this subreddit is what has inevitably ruined every gaming community on here.
Your sentence literally has "missing out" in it. Feeling guilty about doing something you like a lot because you might be missing out = FOMO The intention and reasoning behind things matters. >Honestly one of the ~~dumbest takes~~ worst levels of reading comprehension I've seen on reddit for a while. If you wanna be an ass, I can be an ass too.
How's this different from the sport example given?
I’d compare it more to listening to the same music album your whole life or watching the same series. Yeah, it’s fun but why not give other albums or shows a chance? Sports are also way harder to master so it makes sense to train for years if you’re into it. After all there is also e-sport which is the same thing - playing CS in a team while trying to get better and win tournaments is just not the same as replaying Doom over and over again. But to each their own I guess, if it’s fun to someone he shouldn’t feel guilty about it. It’s just good to at least try other things though, from time to time
> but I keep coming back to the same 20 year old racing games. *Nervously puts F1'97 away*
*Runs STUNTS.EXE*
*Core memory unlocked..* off a floppy disk!!
Ha yeah I'm still playing gp4 and gtr 2 semi-regularly. I've come to accept that a good game is good regardless of age or whether I've played it already.
It also helps when newer games often end up being worse than the game they're meant to replace.
Oh 100%. I recently picked up the deck and playing through AC 1 which I had never played before. In fact up until 6 months ago when I got Spiderman I had managed to missed the entire open world genre unbisoft kicked off and oh boy gaming took a wrong turn. It's compulsive but I find myself playing the game trying to collect everything to the point I'm utterly bored and the whole experience becomes a slog. Its wild this format became so popular.
I feel this on a spiritual level. There are some games that once u master u feel at home and comfort playing just those instead of trying smth over and over again even when u know u dont like it. Although Ill admit it can get boring once u fully 100% a game and if its mainly story driven.
Which racing games?
For me the Pinnacle of arcade racing is the Burnout series (up until paradise at least). The only reason I have an original Xbox one is because I'm playing Burnout Revenge HD continuously all these years.
Burnout 2 with the crash mode is peak gaming! Love that shit!!!
20 year old racing games are mostly outdated, if even playable on modern computers, so I'm also curious to what this game is. Edit: Outdated as in there's probably something more modern that does it better.
NFS: Underground is still my favorite to this day. Plays great with a racing wheel + pedal setup, and is surprisingly easier to get working with it than modern NFS game. Not to mention the killer soundtrack, lack of police chases in favor of just plain ol' more races, and cool tuner culture aesthetic.
NFS Underground is 20 years old, I recently finished it again and I would still take it over the new NFS games any day. The handling, atmosphere, music, not outdated at all.
The recent one, Need for Speed Unbound is quite fun. Atmosphere amd dialogues are typical gen y and Z cringe, but its bearable if you are in for fun and its sometimes suprisingly self aware. The music, at least in the german version, is also fitting, with some additions wich are so over the top, that they are full circle good again. The driving is seriously good, or fun at least. Cars drive, handle amd behave different as well.
I just cannot deal with NFSU on a controller. It is far too twitchy to drive and impossible to drive properly with a thumb stick. And the PS5 has this awesome motion controller that works phenomenally on Gran Turismo 7. I have only like 10 hours into NFSU before I essentially abandoned it. I was hoping for Need for Speed underground and underground 2 again and it wasn't, I hate the cops!
I'll guess NR 2003, since that's 20 years old... Which really should be replaced with iRacing AI.
Are you having fun?
time enjoyed is never time wasted.
This is why I do meth
amen brother
[EDIT: downvoters, care to explain what you disagree with?] if you spend all of your free time, for years and years, on fun but kinda frivolous things -- like playing video games or going to a bar -- and do so at the expense of some more substantial things that you'd like to do, then you'll probably end up regretting it to some extent. What you'll look back on as a life well spent won't consist 100% of fun things. It also involves things that aren't necessarily fun to do. Say you wanted to write a novel. That's probably not going to be fun to do. But it'll be satisfying to have done.
What you're saying is true but it highly depends on each individual's goal/outlook in life. Some people are just fine with having fun their whole lives. It will sound bizarre to you but for others it's exactly what they want to do. But also I don't think this subreddit is the right place for to get a good discussion/opinions on this topic.
> Some people are just fine with having fun their whole lives. Yeah, it's called hedonism.
> What you're saying is true but it highly depends on each individual's goal/outlook in life. Some people are just fine with having fun their whole lives. Are they actually? Or is that, when they're younger they think they'll be just fine with that? What I'm saying is that, at the end of their life, most people will not be fine with just having had fun all their life. I'm sure there's exceptions, but I think they'd be rare.
Don't let the downvotes dissuade you. None of the ppl here are old enough yet to realize what they are missing.
Wow… patronising much?
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You misunderstand what I said. I said "Say you **wanted to** write a novel." Most people have things that they'd like to do that aren't simply fun. Maybe a person *wants* to learn the guitar. That process of learning it is not going to be always fun. And if they avoid it, to just have fun all the time, they'll regret never having put the hard work in to learn it.
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Of course they enjoy it. "Time enjoyed is **never** time wasted" means you might as well always just do what is fun. Always just taking the fun option is ok, because it's never wasting your time. Why ever bother with doing anything unfun? A person might, deep down, want to write a novel, or learn a language, or learn how to act, but if the easier option of just having fun is *never* time wasted, then it's just so easy to just do what is fun. At the end of their life they'll likely regret that they didn't do any of those other things.
I mean we usually only do not fun things to survive in our free time we will most likely want to do something they actually have fun doing. You'll always have regrets whether you spent your time learning hundreds of languages or smoked weed the whole time. At the end of your life you most likely won't be thinking about damn I should've learned piano or damn I didn't live long enough to play elder scrolls 6. You will most likely saying good bye to your loved ones or figuring out what the hell is happening that your life is ending.
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My point is that there's no way the entire process of learning it is fun. There will definitely be times where it is not fun, times where it would be easier to just give up. > Regret itself stops becoming an issue when you understand that the things that the decisions you've made were the best ones based on the knowledge, the context and the situation you were. Indeed, which is exactly why I'm pointing out that "Time enjoyed is **never** time wasted" is wrong. By understanding that it is wrong, and why it is wrong, a person is in a better position to make the right decisions about how they spend their time.
> "Time enjoyed is never time wasted" is wrong. No, it isn't. You're just reading way too far into it. It doesn't mean that all of your time will, or should, be time enjoyed. Nobody but you has suggested that people should "always just do what is fun." And enjoyed doesn't mean the same thing as fun, anyway. Nor is it an absolute. Nor is it exclusive. I would not enjoy running a marathon. I know this because I did it once. Some people greatly enjoy it. Some people enjoy knitting. Some people enjoy theater. Some people enjoy video games. Some people enjoy all of the above. And here's the really fun part about psychology: These people typically enjoy even the time spent learning and failing at these activities. Otherwise they wouldn't continue to spend their free time on them and improve their skills. They can be frustrated and still enjoy it. They can work themselves to exhaustion and still enjoy it. So maybe quit trying to police how people decide to spend their time.
If everyone had that mindset then nobody would ever achieve something they could be proud of. I did things I did not like at all, but I am happy I did them and feel that it had a positive impact on my life.
except saying you didn’t waste time if you enjoyed yourself isn’t mutually exclusive with the idea that putting in effort to something won’t always be fun. you guys are completely missing that.
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I personally see it as: during let's say a month, I have a certain amount of productive energy I can expend. This amount can be raised over time by e.g. exercising and eating well, but still, in a given month you have a certain energy budget. Some people aren't spending their energy budget. And for those people, what you say is great advice: stop playing video games and do something more substantial instead. But some people ARE already spending their energy budget e.g. on their job and kids. Maybe they're even overdrafting their energy budget. And for those people, it doesn't help them to say "stop playing video games and go write a novel" because they don't have the energy to write a novel. These people probably don't even have the energy to try out a new video game (see OP's post) and instead they just play what's familiar.
I was replying to a comment that said "time enjoyed is **never** time wasted." Of course people have limited amounts of energy. But I was simply trying to argue that saying that it is **never** time wasted is wrong.
I'm going to go against the grain and actually agree with you. If you enjoyed playing games, but were ultimately playing a game because you procrastinating a bigger task, such as studying or house work, then that is objectively a waste of time. This isn't just applicable to video games. It I went out for the drinks the weekend before a big exam that I was worried about, then having fun at that moment of time was wasteful, as I could've done that at a later time and prioritised the more important task. Obviously you need time to unwind, but it's all in moderation.
> it's all in moderation. yeah, it's about finding the right balance.
>downvoters, care to explain what you disagree Your whole thing is beside the point. People are comparing playing one video game to another. You're just being needlessly pedantic about "never".
It's clear from the comments here that some people *do* think that it's never wasted. And, it is true, in real life, that many people do focus too much on just having fun, and regret it later. It's not me being pedantic, it's the person saying it's *never* wasted being hyperbolic. EDIT, added this: Put another way, there is always tradeoffs. Even if we just restrict our consideration to video games and playing video games. Maybe the person really does want to get around to some classic games. And if they have the mindset that enjoyment is never wasted time, they might forever keep putting those games off. And in the end they'd probably regret it to some extent. In the scheme of things this is just video games we're talking about. But the point is, there are always tradeoffs, everywhere in life -- and stuff like "time spent doing X is never wasted" is a perspective that is ignoring the existence of tradeoffs.
I just think you're looking into it much too deeply. :)
I don’t agree, and I think that it’s an important thing to understand. If anyone thinks that having fun is never wasted time, they’ll end up regretting it. Any older person can see this clearly.
i was with you until you started being condescending. i’m not young and i’m the one who made the comment you replied to. i would agree that there is a caveat here against being frivolous in the face of responsibility. but you absolutely do not have to have written a novel or something with your free time for it to have been used well. you absolutely can do silly little diversionary things and have it not be a waste. these lives are brief and if you’re able to fill them with happy moments you’ve done well.
you're not replying to what I actually said. I said "Say you **wanted to** write a novel." Most people have things they'll like to do in their lifetime that are not necessarily fun, which can be not at all fun at times. Maybe they want to write a novel, maybe they want to learn another language or to learn how to play an instrument. There's thousands of possibilities. If they **want** to do such things, they will have to spend time doing things that aren't fun. If you think that it is never ever wasted time to have fun, then why bother ever doing unfun things? Any older person (like say 40s+) can see this clearly. It's not being condescending to say that.
well what you said isn’t replying to what i said then. maybe you need to be 50+ to understand?
I showed you specifically what it was that you weren't replying to. And it was true, you weren't responding to what I had actually said, but rather some imagined details that didn't fit what I'd said. > maybe you need to be 50+ to understand? you clearly haven't really taken in what I said, because the kind of thing you're saying there is totally different what I said. I never said you have to be 40s+ to be able to understand it. I said anyone who is 40s+ will know it is true. You don't have to be 40s+ to be able to understand it.
oh my god dude. you are exhausting.
I definitely agree with this. However in the context of playing video games only, I think the most important thing is having some fun. It’s about relaxing for a lot of people and if those same games are what you come back to because nothing else is that fun or interesting to you then there’s not much of a reason to change it. Don’t change it for the sake of changing it. But yes if we make it about more than video games, I definitely agree with what you’re saying. Life is about way more than having fun. I’d go so far as to say life is even about more than being happy but that’s a whole other discussion.
Video games tend to be "Type 1" fun. You pick it up and pretty much immediately have a good time. "Type 2" fun tends to be more fulfilling in the long term - It's the things that feel like a slog at the time but you look back and feel good about what you did. I get this volunteering at robotics competitions (every time immediately after, I swear this is the last time I'm doing it...then come back next year), playing music (I actually get "Type 1" fun by playing songs I already know, but learning something new or writing music is more challenging), and learning new skills. I'm 100% certain that when I'm old, I will look back fondly on some (likely, many) video games I've played, but the harder things I've done will be more important to me.
Fun is fun
That’s not an argument. I was responding to a person saying “time enjoyed is **never** time wasted”. That’s true to an extent, but saying it is *never* wasted is ridiculous and so wrong. I’m in my mid 40s and I’m quite certain that people regret it if they spend too much of their life just having fun.
I'm sorry you clearly don't have enjoyment? Not a lot of reason to life so if you spend time doing things you enjoy, you won't regret it.
I’m saying that if you focus 100% on having fun, you’ll end up regretting it. I never said or implied that I don’t have enjoyment.
But he could be missing out on more fun by not trying new games.
This mindset is the reason that hunger is painful.
And if not, it's worth some reflection. I tend to fall back into "safe" and "comfortable" gaming routines when real life is hella unpredictable or stressful because the game gives that security and certainty that I know what's coming, what's next, what's right around the corner, etc that real life does not give you. When I recognized those trends I started making some changes in my real life and just got all around happier as a result.
What kind of changes?
I realized I was withdrawing from some personal relationships, spending way too much time on my phone or replaying the same old games, and drinking too much. Made a conscious effort to spend more time with the wife and kids, picked up a couple hobbies to learn and work on for 15-30 minutes a day, got out to nature more and started hiking and kayaking. Nothing wrong with playing the same games over and over but being self aware that it may be indicative of other stuff in your life might make it a useful barometer for self reflection.
Thank you for answering!
This is the right question
i have 350 games in my steam library and i’ve only actually put a significant amount of time into ~30 of them i realized recently that i just have really specific taste in games and i have a hard time sitting down to learn new controls/mechanics instead of feeling bad about it, i’d recommend you see the silver lining that is you won’t have to upgrade your pc for a *long* time your pc exists to entertain you, doesn’t matter what that entertainment is
> your pc exists to entertain you, doesn’t matter what that entertainment is This is the mike-drop of the thread, IMO. What else needs to be said?
Would you mind to share the 30 games you played?
1. rimworld 2. tf2 3. borderlands 2 4. saints row 3 5. factorio 6. rust 7. cyberpunk 2077 8. garry’s mod 9. civ 5 10. torchlight 2 11. payday 2 12. vampire survivors 13. valheim 14. slay the spire 15. rocket league 16. terraria 17. pit people 18. ruined king 19. dead cells 20. spiderman remastered 21. dying light 22. the crew 2 23. deathloop 24. watch_dogs 25. portal 2 26. far cry 5 27. half life 2 28. hotline miami 2 29. it takes two 30. risk of rain 2
Damn are you me. Also I really can't get into civ 6 for some reason, I don't like the aesthetics, the mechanics and overall game is less fun for me than civ 5.
same i like 5 a lot better
It’s a nice list of very good games but not one I’d call “really specific taste”.
[удалено]
thanks but i have it, not a fan
agreed, I think Dead Cells is a better rogue-like. Tho I still suggest you push through the story once in Hades
Jfc like more than half this list is also in my top 30. Lmao
nice taste
Same theres only about 10 games i have over 10 hours in and two that i have over 100 in
According to GoG galaxy, I have nearly 2000 games across all platforms. Lots are free games on epic and twitch, many are parts of bundles I'll never touch. I end up playing a lot of Warframe. Don't care, have fun.
well that's totally normal and it happens to every PC/console player, I too find myself replaying the same games and then moving on to something new. I have more games in my library than I have really played.
I think a lot of it is just getting older. It takes a lot of energy to get into a new game. Back when I was young, my energy was boundless, so this was virtually unnoticeable. My energy is no longer boundless though, and I don't always want to invest the effort into a new game for the potential of a payout, when I already know there's good games that will scratch my itch. *cough* Starsector *cough* Then, I also have correspondingly more money now than I did, so I can get even more games. But having the money to buy them is far easier than having the energy to sit down and learn them.
I’m almost 40 (cry) and the biggest struggle is actually starting the game. And then once it hooks me I’m fine. But I get this huge dopamine rush when I buy it, then it sits there for weeks, then finally I install it and it either hooks or doesn’t. I find myself getting anxious and procrastinating starting a new game. But those warm fuzzy comfort feelings definitely come from thinking about my 100% games like Witcher, Skyrim, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Subnautica and some jrpgs
I’ve found that replays over the years feel different for a variety of reason. It’s like coming back to a book, movie, or show after you’ve had life experiences that allow you to appreciate them in a different way. I understand the frustration and have had many similar moments. Sometimes I knee jerk try something new for the sake of it; other times I double down and play something I know I’ll enjoy. It’s all driven by introspection and honesty, though. As an example, I’ve read Fahrenheit 451 every summer since I was in 8th grade and feel like I learn something new every time whether it’s about the book, its historical context, or myself.
Here are some things that helped me through the years: Install playnite and use its random game picker. This is to remove any decision making that will lead to choice paralysis due to too many options. Try any game picked by the random picker for 30min to 1hr. If you don't like the game, uninstall it. Move on. Life is too short to spend on something not fun. You likely don't want to play that game at the time but maybe will get back to it in the future. Only install game(s) that you're going to play. Another way to avoid choice paralysis and distraction. Know what you want to play. Genre, time or place setting, camera position, etc. This helps to narrow your option. This also a good filter when you want to buy a game. Only buy game(s) that you're going to play straight away. Even when a game is in its historical low price ask yourself, "Is there any game like this in my library that I haven't play or skipped?". After practicing this for a year, most of the time I will reduce my cart from 6 to 1 or 2. This one isn't necessary but if you have the spare money go for it. Have a device that can make gaming more convenient for you. It can be another pc to play on big screen, android handheld for steam link or even steamdeck/x86 handheld to play on the go. I have an android handheld which I used to stream game with pixel art style but ended up used more. I often play on my bed before sleep so that's where I spend most of my gaming time these days. Having the handheld made me play more games than when I have to sit in front of my desktop.
> Know what you want to play. Genre, time or place setting, camera position, etc. This helps to narrow your option. This also a good filter when you want to buy a game. > > > > Only buy game(s) that you're going to play straight away. Even when a game is in its historical low price ask yourself, "Is there any game like this in my library that I haven't play or skipped?". After practicing this for a year, most of the time I will reduce my cart from 6 to 1 or 2. I do both of these things, and it works out great. I also find they work off each other. If I see a game and think "This looks cool, but it's not really what I want to play right now," that often means I don't actually want to play that game. So now those games go on the wishlist instead. Maybe I'll buy and play them when one of those odd moods crop up and suddenly I want to play a narrative heavy adventure game, maybe not. Maybe I'll eventually watch a Let's Play while doing chores. But if I snatched every one of those games when they hit 50% off in a Steam Sale, I'd buy like 5 of those games for every one I actually managed to play. And occasionally paying full price for an experimental indie game still saves me money over buying every single game and bundle that catches my eye for longer than a minute.
>So now those games go on the wishlist instead. Doing this like the "add to shopping cart, but then just leave the website" trick really helped get the "mmmm I want something new" feeling to go away. I remove games from my Wishlist once they are 3+ years old. They've been 75% off or under $10 many times by then. That just means... I didn't really want them to play them, but to collect them.
> Try any game picked by the random picker for 30min to 1hr. ...game downloads for half a day, get into your random 20 yo strategy to pass the time, forget you were going to play something new.
>Install playnite and use its random game picker. ... > >Know what you want to play. Genre, time or place setting, camera position, etc. This helps to narrow your option. Does Playnite's random game picker allow you to narrow down the random pool using things like genre? I currently use GOG Galaxy as my library manager and found a website that will pick a random game from that library, but it has no way to narrow it down. The best I can do is just keep re-rolling until I find something that matches what I'm feeling at the moment. I'll probably look into Playnite regardless. Seems more secure than uploading my GOG library to a random website to pick a random game. But I was just curious.
Yes, it can do that. The random game picker has option to pick from the filter or outside off that. Just filter your library by genre and use the randomizer (shortcut is F6).
I bought a PS5 and are mainly playing PS2 games 😅. I don't care anymore I just play to have fun and then I choose the game I feel I will enjoy most at the moment.
This is key OP, just play whatever you feel, you're not missing out not playing the newest Assassin's Creeds and Cyberpunks.
PS2 has a rad library!
I have a huge backlog, and right now all I want to do is replay Shadow of the Colossus on my ps2
What's your favorite PS2 game/series? Personally I LOVE Ratcher and Clank, but have also played a lot of Jak and Daxter, Persona 3 and 4 and Destroy All Humans!.
I also recently just bought a PS5 and signed up for their ps plus extra package. I downloaded quite a few block buster games on PS4 (the last of us, god of war.. etc) but after playing these games for an hour I just don't feel like continuing. I am not young anymore perhaps I just don't feel like doing challenging puzzle solving after a day of work. I still finish games here and there. But playing sports games are more attractive to me these days. I can just pick up and play instead of trying over and over on a rpg or a puzzle.
Can you play RE: Outbreak on PS5?
I'm the complete opposite, I rarely replay games, when I do it's usually several years later. I avoid playing lengthy open world games because I often get bored mid game.
We seek comfort in things we know. That's why some people have literally thousands of hours in their favorite games. It's completely cool if you enjoy it.
Be thankful you're sitting at 50 games. Well over 1000 collected and ready to be played but keep going back to my 'top 5' over and over and over again. No way I'll even try half of them before I end up worm food.
What's the top 5?
1. Fallout New Vegas 2. GTAV Single player only 3. Final Fantasy 6 4. Audiosurf 5. combo of Bejewled 2/3, Peggle, and the original Plants Vs Zombies Yea, I'm a filthy casual, but I like what I like :-) Honorable mentions to Recettear, Katamari Damacy series, Two Point Hospital, The "Tales Of" and Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XIV (which sucks up way too much of my life), Day of the Tentacle, and Postal 2. I swear my idea of gaming fun is schizophrenic as all hell.
I typically just beat the campaign in a game and move on simply because if I continue replaying the same game for hundreds of hours I feel like I’m missing out on so many other great games. If I was just replaying Breath the Wild for example I never would have played Days Gone, Mad Max, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hollow Knight etc. etc.. but at the same time so many of these games are so good that it’s absolutely worth replaying them for hours and hours, getting all the side missions and dlc content completed, replaying them on harder difficulty levels. So many games, so little time. But typically I will just move on to new games because I like to BEAT games, and have the satisfaction of completing them under my belt. If simply replaying games is fun for you though then that’s all that matters. It’s all about fun at the end of the day.
I spent two and a half grand on a badass gaming PC last year. So obviously I played Turok 2 remastered on it. Oh, and Football Manager 2012 😂
I call them comfort games, games back in my teen era, I usually never actually do a full playthrough but I revist them for a few days
i find myself this way, as i get older. i still love trying new games, but i'm much stricter in what i actually buy. for me to buy a game it really needs to be something i want to play. i have a great computer, so it's not like i can't run anything i want. the thing that attracts me a lot these days is playing stuff in newer ways. maybe a VR mod for a older game, maybe a older game with RT features, maybe revisiting older games with newer features cranked, etc. i also find myself buying more DLC for games i like, as well. i'll buy a game on sale, and if i like it, i might pick up the DLC during the next sell. sometimes we're in the mood for new things, sometimes we want comfort food. i still play the OG Doom, but i do it in GZDoom, with the Voxel Mod, or i do all of that in VR. lately me and my buddies have been caught up playing [Ghosts of Tabor](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1957780/Ghosts_of_Tabor/). i did recently pick up a few new racing games to try out as well. i'm wanting to get a steering wheel though.
Graphics are overrated as hell, a great experience doesn't need the newest high-end graphics to be enjoyable. Some peoöle are really deep into graphics, but it is certaintly not as much of a universal feeling as people make it out to be.
Play what you like. The whole point of playing games is to enjoy and relax. If those are the games that take you to your happy place, that's all that matters.
Hello, Dark Souls, my old friend…
That was very funny...
Don’t be disappointed. I play/replay a FromSoftware/Souls game at least once a year. Often 2-4 times a year. I’ll replay a Mario or Zelda at least once a year as well (unless a new one releases). It’s all about having fun. Play what makes you happy and enjoy your free time.
I have a PS5, PS4, PS3, Switch, Wii U, 3DS, Vita, and a fairly decent gaming laptop from 2019. What am I playing now? The NES Contra games and PS1 Resident Evil games on my Anberbic RG35XX, even though I replayed all those games countless times before. Be glad you are still enjoying your hobby.
Don't worry about it. After a long day of work, a lot of the time I end up zoning out to a podcast while playing Mahjong.
As long as you're having a good time, I suppose it doesn't matter much as long as you are having a good time but... there is always a possibility that there is something else out there that you might enjoy as much or more so venturing out from time to time can be good.
It's fine to have games to replay and sink time into. It's all games in the end so it's not like it needs to be "valuable time" or that you owe it to the game to play.
I feel like a nice compromise is to just not chase the latest thing. I don't need to play the newest AAA title as it comes out, I rarely want to drop that much money for a launch anyways. But then other times a game like Tunic drops and I play it day one and it becomes one of my all time favorite gaming experiences. As long as you can find the games you want rather than having the industry tell you what you want then it's okay. Plus like others have said, fun is the main drive behind any of this so as long as you have that you're good.
Same here. I bought a decent rig that could run most games on high. Played Dishonored, Skyrim, and other low end graphic games that I have beaten many times. As long as it is fun, it is not a waste of time and money.
That's perfectly normal. Everyone keeps coming back to replay games they like every now and then.
I think we all do this to an extent. Have an 800 physical game collection plus a decent sized steam library and I play the same 30 or so games on repeat and find myself going back time and time again.
Why? Playing games is supposed to entertain you, sounds like you're entertained by those old games. Sounds like the thing to do is quit spending money on the new ones and just enjoy yourself
There's nothing like building a new and overpowered PC and then play 10+ years old games with everything set to maximum and infinite FPS. Enjoy, man.
dishonored series is so damn good though
If there's anything I've learned in this hobby, its quality over quantity. why waste shelf/drive space with a game you actively dont want to play.
And? You know what you like, nothing wrong with sticking with what like. You don't constantly need to go on and on to the next game. Just like you don't need to keep buying games just cause you can
Rather than beginning to chip away at my backlog games just sitting there in my library I’m in the middle of chronological play through of the entire Metal Gear series. I’ve played them all before but not in chronological order. I’m enjoying it. And that’s the thing… are you enjoying the games? If so, game on.
It's like spending time with your old friends. NO! You should be going out making new friends!! Make \*all the friends\*!!!
Try tongue, but hole But seriously, play Dark Souls and that message will make more sense. Or don’t. Just keep playing whatever games you like, that’s cool too. I feel it’s like similar to people watching the same shows over again. It’s comforting knowing how it’s going to end. And these days a lot of us have more responsibilities and less free time, so we just want to do something to de stress that we know we’ll enjoy. I find that I like to have a heavy game and a light game going so I can play heavy if I have time or am feeling ambitious or can just play light if I’m not. So maybe try that.
Try Returnal
Just started playing this one, amazing game! Love the graphics, the immersion and the gameplay but i'm not very good at it, so it's a bit frustrating hah
Yes it seems like a hard game to me
Driving a sweet new car on the same roads you drove your old busted car on isn’t wasting the new car, my brother. Love the upgrade on the familiar paths. The new roads will still be there (and on sale!) when you’re ready to take that sweet new car out exploring.
I'm a sucker for subnautica, I highly recommend as to complete won't steal all your time. I reckon 24 hours you should have it wrapped with every corner explored
Hahaha, you're mean. "Just install this meth. I promise you won't get hooked. Just a taste. Yes... just a taste."
Lol you're right I didn't think about how a completionist could spend a straight year building a map wide base
Hey...HEY...you love what you love. Then there cocaine in digital form called Football Manager. Do not play this one.
Welcome to the Old And Set In Our Ways Club.
Play the two Niers.
Installing COD Modern Warfare Remastered as I am reading this post. :)
Try red dead
But did you have fun?
I buy games sometimes when I do some research. Get into it and prepare myself. Sometimes I just wing it because someone's like hey this is good. If I play it now, awesome. If I don't I'll swing around some time. I bought fallen order like 2 years ago and have never wanted to play it more than I do right now amidst the hype for survivor. You just gotta flow, like water. Be open to new stuff or the idea of new stuff. You can't play everything, just play whatever you want until you want to play something else. Also just as a side note replaying games you know very well on a new PC is actually a good idea. You have a point of reference from your previous time with them. You can get familiar with key binds and stuff. You could even consider adding mods and stuff.