Lost the will to game?

Call Me Jimmy

Every so often I read a thread on here and really get in the mood for gaming. Happened again today and straight away I switched on my 360 and started playing bioshock. 5 minutes later, I turn it off.

I'm 24 and used to be I'd say addicted to gaming from the age of 13 - 20. All day every day. Now the less I play the crapper I am meaning I don't enjoy it as much.

Anyone else hit a time in their life where gaming lost the magic?

For me, I seem to romanticise the idea of gaming (weird romance!) but then when it comes down to it, I never get immersed.

And it's not even as if I'm rose tinting retro gaming, because I've tried to play old games as well (that I used to love) and same thing.

Have you gone through 'dry spells' for a significant period of time?

richymcdermott

there has been times i wanted to give up , still unsure on buying the new systems coming out cause it seems theres hardly to little no spark with all games been down to the bone shoot shoot shoot , i dont think they can put in the same about of time on games when they were kids and carry that on for the rest of their lives , you tend to get burned out , lose interest abit. but just cause we dont put in a 2 hours gaming session doesnt mean we ever stop. just need to take a break

chin_grin

I'm currently going through a "I'll never be good at this" phase. In regards to BF3 online. I suck. Terribly. I watch my 16 year old brother pick up a pad and in ten minutes do what I couldn't in six hours. It's very depressing.

I guess you just need to find the right game to get your head in to. What I used to (who am I kidding, I still do!) do is start up a load of games and get x percent through and then just give them up for ages, forgetting storylines and control schemes. It's not really good game-etiquette. (Have the following on the go: Zelda Phantom Hourglass [ds], Silent Hill [psx-psp version], Snatcher [psp], Policenauts [psp] and about ten more games on the xbox! It's exhausting......)

So at the mo I'm getting my head in to MGS Peace Walker HD (had it for the psp but never finished it...surprise surprise) and have to say it's brilliant. Held my attention for at least three hours this evening.

But then you have the type of game and what you want to put in and get out.

GisforGrenade

Everybody gets burned out eventually, sometimes I might be in a gaming mood that lasts a few weeks if I am playing a game like Skyrim and then one day I say I have enough and then I go into a TV or book reading mood and by the time that is over something like Mass Effect 3 comes out and I am in the mood for gaming again.

iBeast

You all need to play nintendo consoles. Its easy to lose the will to game if you are using some thrash box that microsoft or sony produced.

chin_grin

iBeast wrote: »

You all need to play nintendo consoles. Its easy to lose the will to game if you are using some thrash box that microsoft or sony produced.

How very closed minded of you.

richymcdermott

iBeast wrote: »

You all need to play nintendo consoles. Its easy to lose the will to game if you are using some thrash box that microsoft or sony produced.

sorry dude but theres no acceptance for fanboyish comment on this site.. please use the exit door

have a nice day

iBeast

chin_grin wrote: »

iBeast wrote: »

You all need to play nintendo consoles. Its easy to lose the will to game if you are using some thrash box that microsoft or sony produced.

How very closed minded of you.

I have played all three and can safely say that Nintendo consoles whether its the Gamecube, Wii or any other ones, have the games with the most character and substance. eg Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Mario, Metroid, Legend of Zelda. Compare that with the FPS thrash and "mature games" on the other formats and Nintendo are clear winners

Sync

iBeast wrote: »

I have played all three and can safely say that Nintendo consoles whether its the Gamecube, Wii or any other ones, have the games with the most character and substance. eg Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Mario, Metroid, Legend of Zelda. Compare that with the FPS thrash and "mature games" on the other formats and Nintendo are clear winners

PC Gaming beats every console easily... but I my xbox 360 all the same

My Wii is collecting dust, it's crap. The games are terrible on it (except Wii Sports)

I buy COD and Fifa on my xbox, and I get the full use out of them until the next one comes out (only IW stuff for MW) and anything else I use my PC for... the Wii on the other hand? I have it modded for the backup games, so I have around 100 on a hdd... and it still sits in a cupboard, gets plugged in at xmas for a game of bowling, and that's pretty much it...

Also, the 3DS sucks... lol

iBeast

Sync wrote: »

iBeast wrote: »

I have played all three and can safely say that Nintendo consoles whether its the Gamecube, Wii or any other ones, have the games with the most character and substance. eg Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Mario, Metroid, Legend of Zelda. Compare that with the FPS thrash and "mature games" on the other formats and Nintendo are clear winners

PC Gaming beats every console easily... but I <3 my xbox 360 all the same

My Wii is collecting dust, it's crap. The games are terrible on it (except Wii Sports)

I buy COD and Fifa on my xbox, and I get the full use out of them until the next one comes out (only IW stuff for MW) and anything else I use my PC for... the Wii on the other hand? I have it modded for the backup games, so I have around 100 on a hdd... and it still sits in a cupboard, gets plugged in at xmas for a game of bowling, and that's pretty much it...

Also, the 3DS sucks... lol

You my friend are what real gamers call a self proclaimed "hardcore" gamer. You play ultraviolent games on xbox and pc. You dismiss anything that you see as childish as a crap game. Typical phrases include"BLAAACK OPSS!!!" and "BETTER ON PEEECEEE!!" Tends to snort while breathing.

Duggy747

Would be nice to have a gaming discussion without someone resorting it to "This and that consoles are shìt!" on the web.

I do get burned out every now and again. I'd play some games for an hour or less before my interest drains and I quit out of them, unless it's a brand new game I'm playing for the 1st time.

Only games that still get the most play out of me are the old consoles like SNES, arcade games, and old PC games (Skyrim and Left 4 Dead keep me ticking over at the moment, though)

Sephiroth_dude

iBeast wrote: »

You all need to play nintendo consoles. Its easy to lose the will to game if you are using some thrash box that microsoft or sony produced.

Get out!

Ostrom

Haven't seen this level of banality since the 'dreampants' and 'crapstation.'

bobbytables

I'm glad I'm not alone with this problem. I used to game a lot more when I was younger. It has to be epic to get my attention. When I was younger everything was epic. These days epic would be Half Life 3.

I am about 20% through MW3 campaign since Xmas. I really like the COD series, but it takes me weeks to devote the time to play a game & then I'll put it down again after about an hour. As regards the storyline, Jesus I couldn't tell you name of the main character, nevermind the plot, because I really couldn't care less. The interest is simply no longer there.

As for online gaming, I would like to play, but it would result in a massive investment on my behalf & die a death long before I could justify the effort.

It was much simpler when the only game we'd play was Quakeworld.

CiaranC

You grew up, try playing some more adult games. Try on PC.

iBeast

bobbytables wrote: »

I'm glad I'm not alone with this problem. I used to game a lot more when I was younger. It has to be epic to get my attention. When I was younger everything was epic. These days epic would be Half Life 3.

I am about 20% through MW3 campaign since Xmas. I really like the COD series, but it takes me weeks to devote the time to play a game & then I'll put it down again after about an hour. As regards the storyline, Jesus I couldn't tell you name of the main character, nevermind the plot, because I really couldn't care less. The interest is simply no longer there.

As for online gaming, I would like to play, but it would result in a massive investment on my behalf & die a death long before I could justify the effort.

It was much simpler when the only game we'd play was Quakeworld.

Try playing Animal Crossin City Folk or Wild World. They will immerse you for weeks if not months.
Or buy Pokemon Black or White. Deeply tactical online play and millions of ways to train and battle Pokemon

richymcdermott

pokemon hardly tactial , ya just need one pokemmon on at least level 25 and ya can destroy all them with one hit:pac:

iBeast

richymcdermott wrote: »

pokemon hardly tactial , ya just need one pokemmon on at least level 25 and ya can destroy all them with one hit:pac:

You dont know the advanced mechanics. Its a different ball game online.

Local-womanizer

I am kinda like that with my xbox, but I end up on Netflix for awhile. Then I go back to gaming.

If I watch all I want to watch on Netflix and complete any game I want to I read.

2 years ago I went through a spell of reading 1 book after the other for the whole year but this year I only tend to go for the most interesting ones, or some area I have an interest in.

I feel I will be the same with gaming, at some stage I will be mad into it and another stage I will game maybe a handful of times in the week.

Potential-Monke

I'm the opposite. I'm annoyed i've less time to play than what i currently have. The good games are coming out quicker and more at the same time. I love gaming, it's all i want to do (aside from the odd social event! ). I'm 29 in May, and maybe i'll "grow out of it" at some stage, but at this rate i don't think i'll ever grow out of gaming.

I just want to be alive for when gaming gets to what it is like in the film Gamer!

ShadowHearth

What a great thread and topic. After I read the age thread amd sow the poll I was happy to see our community to be very mature, unfortunately we will always have someone special who will walk in, spit on the floor, piss on the walls amd then use pallet knife to spread **** on the sealing... I don't know what will mods actions about this, but I know my ignore list just got a new friend to play with.

Amyway, on topic. I hit that wall now and then mysef. Sometimes I will sit in front of pc screen and just look at blank desktop... Go boards or YouTube... No gaming. It's a sign I am very very tired and can't concentrate enough to play something.
I am petrolhead and I love driving games, there are plenty of them with very high quality! I jump in with enthusiasm and after few races I quit playing...

Good point about "being shot at game" sindrome. I am currently having it with bf3 and with mw3. I swear to god I feel very old as those kids just ass rape me every single game!! I don't even play it much anyway, but it is really annoying and off putting. I really not bad at bf3, but that mw3 is just surprising for me. Always try to blame op weapons or connection issues, but maybe I am just really **** at mw3 amd that just makes me not want to play and go watch Netflix...

Good thing is those come and go. So I newer off gaming for long time!

wayne040576

I haven't played any games since before xmas. Just can't get into the mood for it these days. I was in the middle of dark souls and haven't got back to it. And I still have skyrim to start as well as countless others.

Corvo

OP has hit the nail on the head here, and I'm sure many will agree that it is far too easy to "burn out" these days.

On a personal level, I just love a good storyline. Don't get me wrong, I'm not totally bashing online gaming (I was a huge fan of BF2 and Fifa before I dumped Xbox Live) but it tends to be the same ol malark every game...same sniping positions, same maps, same tactics, same jumping about and the same idiots talking.

Thats why I always like the Metal Gear Solid series (though I haven't played no.4, much to my displeasure - no PS3! ), Knights of the Old Republic, Elder Scrolls etc. because at least if the gaming isnt quite as good as you thought it would be, the storyline can be enough to immerse you for a few hours.

I loved the COD series too. Which means I'm not a total story lover, but I enjoyed the shiny, smooth presentation and excellent control system.

I think a lot of developers have forgotten the gamer who does not want to be online and instead throw in a half-assed attempt of single player game/campaign along with a behemoth of an online aspect.

degrassinoel

I call it gamer's block!

I get it all the time with world of warcraft lol, then irl boredom sets in and off i trot looking for something decent to play regardless of format, genre or machine.
Lately, the new releases have been fairly crap, for me at least and i've ended up doing exactly what ShadowHearth did/does.. Netflix. Even if the selection here is incredibly crap compared to the states it beats spending a fortune down the pub.
I tend to get bored when there is a big release due out soon too, ME3 next friday!

the_syco

Whilst playing BF:BC2, I got like that, and switched from FPS to RTS and played Starcraft 2 for a while.

As said; it's "gamers block", but I find the best way to overcome it is to play different sorts of games until you find one which you enjoy, and play it for a while.

vex

All I can say is I love gaming, will be 30 this year and still cant see my self giving it up anytime soon.:D . I prefer my Pc for fps and my consoles for platform etc. I wont go all fanboy here, but I own all 3 current consoles and yes there is one console i prefer to the others. But when you get down to it all of them have thier pros and cons. for me gaming allows me to forget about all the things that suck about being an adult (paying bill etc) and go back to being a care-free-kid (before you had to pay bills etc) if not for a few hours during the week/ weekend. and remember:

"we dont stop gaming because we grow old, we grow old because we stop gaming:cool:"

bigdaddyliamo

vex wrote: »

"we dont stop gaming because we grow old, we grow old because we stop gaming:cool:"

I hear that!

In my 40's now and found that I lost the will to game for a year. I am happy to say that I am a big Final Fantasy fan and recently sat down to replay 13 and it has re lit my fire for gaming!!!


And before anyone starts...I know it's not the best in the series but, god damn it, it's one hell of a beautiful lookin game!!!:D

Chairman Meow

iBeast wrote: »

I have played all three and can safely say that Nintendo consoles whether its the Gamecube, Wii or any other ones, have the games with the most character and substance. eg Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Mario, Metroid, Legend of Zelda. Compare that with the FPS thrash and "mature games" on the other formats and Nintendo are clear winners

Thank you, i havent laughed like that in a long time.

Anyway, in regards to the OP, lately, ive felt like that with my consoles. Everything is a remake or a sequel or a threequel, i loved Gears of War 1 & 2, finished them multiple times, was excited for Gears 3, played it once, traded it, never thought about it since. It just gets a bit dull playing space marine **** all the time.
So thankfully ive got a PC to game on. So much new and interesting stuff like Dear Esther, and other assorted indie games, combined with the best versions of multiplatform games, and all the modding and whatnot makes it just endlessly fun. With Steam being the best digital distribution platform in the wrld atm, being a PC gamer has never been better.

Boro

Have been pretty burned out from gaming for quite a while now - I replaced actual computer/console gaming with various webgames but even those are wearing thin. I tend to go through phases like this though with regards to reading and watching TV too. Just take an extended break and you will get your mojo back.

Tallon

CiaranC wrote: »

You grew up, try playing some more adult games. Try on PC.

Yeah, like Minecraft

Deffo though, mix it up with different games, consoles and genre's.. Amazing how you say you don't like racing games or whatever, yet, you never played any

dibkins

You should start digging around the PC indie game scene. there is so much variety and awesomeness that can be found if you can find it. Recent favourites were VVVVVVV, cave story and bit trip runner. That said, i've been forced to play low spec games for a while since my computer is a piece of crap^^ New computer arriving in the next few day and i'm wetting myself to play Skyrim, and i've been booked to play magicka and portal 2 multiplayer with some peeps:D

RedXIV

Its a feature more and more appearing for life long gamers. most of us would have been gaming for years, since we were kids and back when we were kids the options you had were severely limited in what you could spend your time doing.

You've grown and matured now and in my own experience, I had two kids in as many years and can say that I went through a phase of about 6 months where the thought of the effort involved in playing games put me off. If I'm playing a game, I need at least an hour with it, otherwise I don't see the point. And I'm at a stage in my life where I rarely get that kind of free time. Now it has picked up recently but there was definitely a phase of "I just want to do as little as possible" and flaked out in front of the tv.

It'll come back eventually, don't worry

Temptamperu

I lost interest last year but then november came and all the good games came out (not modern warfare or any fps) and i am on the pigs back again.

Headshot

Im 25 and I just find it hard to even get into a game these days

Man I was a huge huge gamer but maybe its to do with the gaming scene these days that iv lost interest

The last game that had me glued to the ps3 was Alice madness returns, ya dont see games like that these days

Instead we get the same old FPS, soccer games etc

I ****ing fed up sequel after sequel after sequel, perfect sample of this is cod

Jofspring

As mentioned by someone else, what tends to happen me is I play about 25% of a game, get sick of it, then a new game I want comes out, I go back to the other game to try finish it first. Then I realize i'm totally lost and can't remember the story line and pack it in.

The last game I got really into was Alan Wake. It kept me interested from start to finish and I was gutted when I finished it. Haven't played another game like it since.

Sarky

Just need to find the right game.

I've been terribly bored with some recent games. I just can't get excited about Assassin's Creed 3 or Mass Effect 3 any more. Skyrim was pretty good until the Bethesda trademark repetitive dialogue and horribly wooden characters drove me insane. I think that's the main reason I stopped playing Deus Ex 3 for a month or two. Sapped the energy out of me. But once I kicked Skyrim to the kerb and gave Deus Ex another turn, I was sucked in for hours and finished the last half of the game in one sitting. Its story was deep and involving in a way no other game has managed for me in a long time. Skyrim is just "ZOMG DARGONS" after a while.

Tonight I decided to play a quick session of Serious Sam 3. That was about 5 hours ago. It's a good thing I don't have to be at work early tomorrow. There's just something incredibly right about fragging your way through impossible hordes of very strange enemies with a truckload of guns.

Indie games have been getting more and more of my attention, too. They just do more new and interesting things, whereas the big names are mostly doing the same old thing again and again.

corcaigh07

you could be speaking about me OP, ive lost a lot of my gaming will, at the moment, im playing any old crap except batman arkham city simply because i cant face playing it and you know what it is, its too many sequels, im currently playing worms 2 online and an indie xbox game, osr unhinged and have another indie game lined up in bloodycheckers.

That said, the only game im looking forward this year is a sequel, trials evolution, go figure. Maybe ill get tired of that one too for the same reasons.

corcaigh07

oh and im 26, ive been playing since getting stuck on Dizzy on the commodore 64

Fizman

I'd go along with much that is mentioned here. I'm 29 now and find my time incredibly limited in terms of what I can put into games. Between work, gf, soccer, gym and general social life, there is little or no time for me, except maybe the odd hour or two at the wknds. Even still, I'd rather watch an episode of something or find myself browsing boards instead. I went to Cuba in May of last year. Since then, I think I've played about 4 hours on the PS3.

The thing is, if I was 14/15/16 and just had school etc, I'd probably be immersed in games like Skyrim etc right now.......but to me, gone are the days of games like The Legend of the Mystical Ninja and Zelda:ALTTP. Oh and like the previous poster, I remember playing the likes of Flimbos Quest on the C64.

norrie rugger

I got burned out, built a PC and back in love.

I got sick of all the same games being rehashed and games with no real single player. PC has such a wider spectrum of games

Now if there were online drive for Co-operative play, I would love it.

Harps

Wouldn't say I'm bored of gaming at all but I do find it hard to care about most recent games. The only new games I've bought in the past 2 years were Red Dead, Skyrim and Deus Ex HR.

Loved Red Dead and loving Deus Ex so far but I found Skyrim to be a complete borefest, was playing Zelda A Link to the Past on my phone at the same time and found myself wanting to play that more than Skyrim!

But yeah, I'm finding less and less new games I could give a sh!t about, Bioshock looks interesting this year and maybe Mass Effect although haven't liked anything I've read about it so far. I've got no interest whatsoever in most new games, the last fps I bought was Modern Warfare 2 which I sold within 2 weeks for a €20 profit!

Plenty of great old games out there that still hold up though, just finished the original Deus Ex last week which held my full attention for nearly a month

Glico Man

I've played more than 200 hours of BF3 since its release in October, and am starting to feel burnout now. It just gets to a point where I've done nearly everything possible in the game multiplayer wise and now I'm stuck trying to think of new ways to enjoy it. Granted I was getting frustrated playing with numpties that couldn't tell their arse from their face and couldn't be bothered playing the objectives and actually trying to win. Frustration took over and I've not logged onto my PS3 in a few days now... even through this break I've not had the urge to even play anything else

Grumpypants

I very often burn out, there has been many a night with the house to myself and a shelf full of unfinished games sitting there that i will sit down turn on the console and after 10 mins of unsuccessfully finding something im in the mood for ill give up.

But the next day i could put down 8 hours gaming and love it. The Darkness 2 was the first game in a long time ive just really enjoyed it as a game.

Headshot

I did forgot to mention Skyrim kept me going for awhile but the Badly need an expansion pack

Sl!mCharles

Haven't been able to play a single player game since I got tired of Skyrim around the new year (2 months already :O). Just been playing BF3 for an hour or 2 every few nights, which is great, but hopefully ME3 will rejuvenate the love for the SP games.

I think this drought of interest (for me at least) is because last year I probably got through more games than I did in the 5 before that. Not too fussed about the new releases this year either. ME3, Bioshock Infinite, and I might still get the MGSHD collection... but thats all I can think of. Ah well. More time for other pursuits

lostboy75

know what you mean, i have a load of games i have not even installed from the steam sale, and also won over the same period, keep looking at them and thinking, maybe tomorrow, but then i dive right into TF2, just dont seem to bet bored with that one, dont know why. was the same with L4D2 for quite a while, just dont think i want to invest the time in starting a new title.

MiseryCat

Headshot wrote: »

Im 25 and I just find it hard to even get into a game these days

Man I was a huge huge gamer but maybe its to do with the gaming scene these days that iv lost interest

The last game that had me glued to the ps3 was Alice madness returns, ya dont see games like that these days

Instead we get the same old FPS, soccer games etc

I ****ing fed up sequel after sequel after sequel, perfect sample of this is cod

Wow I like Alice madness returns and I agree with too many Sequels, All Sequels are split up for all different game consoles , I'm Started getting sick of the Final fantasies and also this Download codes crap for eg extra levels on the new games, it sucks ass!:mad:

Antar Bolaeisk

I have this problem at the moment, it's called new apartment syndrome. I just don't have the time to play. My Steam rating is now at zero for the first time since 2007.

Magill

I get this quite a lot these days, at least when im at college and only have my playstation with me. Just have no desire to turn on the PS3 and play anything (I still have bioshocks/skyrim/MW3/BF3/UC3 + some more that i haven't finished, sitting there).

Im not gonna say its because you've/I've "Grown up".. to me thats harsh on everyone that still loves to game. Burnt out is probably a better way to describe it. Just take a big break and when you get a few days off or something, sit down and play something that you know'll be good and you'll probably end up finishing it in a few days.

Also.. anyone that complains about the "Gaming scene" these days needs a good hard slap, besides online based console shooters.. its never been better in terms of quality/quantity and range. Last year was one of the best years that i can remember for gamers, at least since 1998, 2007 was also an insane year for gamers (Mario galaxy, Mass effect, Bioshock, Orangebox, Halo 3, CoD4, God of War 2 etc ! )

Somnus

I get where you're coming from OP. I was like you, absoluetely avid gamer from the time of my Sega Megadrive up to about 2ish years ago. I sometimes start a game, play for 10 minutes then just turn it off.

In my case I think that it's just lack of time. I'm 22, final year of college and I just feel like I've no time for gaming. I love to have a good session where I can get immersed in the game and not have to worry about doing other things. And lately I to busy to game, even if I have and hour or two free to do it. I still feel kinda rushed.

Another thing I think did (all though the above point is my main reason) it with this gen of consoles is the choice. There are so many games constantly coming out, and all so accessible via psn etc, that it's almost like I can't focus on one game at a time when I know there's so many others I want to play. Of course that's not always the case, but I just feel blinded by choice with so many games.

Can't wait to finish college just so I can game!

Mensch Maschine

iBeast wrote: »

You my friend are what real gamers call a self proclaimed "hardcore" gamer. You play ultraviolent games on xbox and pc. You dismiss anything that you see as childish as a crap game. Typical phrases include"BLAAACK OPSS!!!" and "BETTER ON PEEECEEE!!" Tends to snort while breathing.

Wow, they're probably the most arrogant statements I've ever heard from a gamer. Self-proclaimed 'real-gamer' your games you listed are a specific taste. You obviously feel your above other gamers almost to the point it hurts you and you take offence to other gamers and consoles. Wow you wont garner any respect from any gamers around here with that narrow-minded and elitest attitude. Please go back to your self-indulgent narrow-minded bubble in your parents bassment and don't bother us low-life fake gamers. Besides, we're not good enough for you, lol.

Personally, I don't have that must interest in the games you listed. So does that me less of a gamer? I've got a lot of games. I'm actually broad-minded (I think) when it comes to gaming. I play FIFA, Fallout, Skyrim, all GTA's including 100% in San Andreas, Mass Effect, Stranglehold, NFS: HP, Just Cause 2, Mario, Sonic, the Warriors, Red Dead, Max Payne but no.. Those games are probably too popular. And I play them on a thrash-box...Lord. I actually have fun on a console that this guy doesn't like God Forbid. Think i may throw out all my games and Xbox and PS2 just to pick up an Nintendo. Not any particualy Nintendo, cause they'll all great including WII. Wii technology is being used in science and medicine because it's...oh no..wait that's Kinect. Sorry. I don't know, I'm a not a real gamer.

Sorry for going off-topic but when I lose interest in gaming I give it a break for a good while then try a game I wouldn't have thought I may like.