How do you make time to play games?

[Mai72]

My question is how do people here make time to play video games? My guess is most people on ATOT aren't teenagers with large amounts of free time. We have careers, families, and responsibilities.

Do you only play on the weekends?
Do you only play an hour or two a day?
Do you only play late at night?
Do you game only a few hours a week?
Do you use a timer to monitor your gaming?
Do you only play single player/sports games?
Do you only have 1-2 games on your hard drive?
Have you stopped playing video games altogether?

Personally, I like to play to my hearts content on Saturday night. I pencil in the time I want to play on my calendar. I will also use the alarm on the smartphone. When it goes off I stop playing. Finally, I only play single player games. Maybe a sports game but that's about it.

What's your strategy?

 

[Omar F1]

Usually two hours for each day, and I could go two or three days not touching any game.
It's either you read a book, play a game, or drive the car to some place. It's hard to have it all together in the same day.

I just recently finished the Witcher 1 - 62 hours total playtime, and I thought it took me long time to finish it, and that's why I can't touch Skyrim for instance, as fully completing it would talk half a year to do so

 

[KentState]

Lots of sick days and "dentist" appointments.

 

[Kelvrick]

Replace sleep.

 

[escrow4]

8hrs a day, 5 days max currently for 40hrs a week if a game comes out that interests me, like Inquisition. Single player only. I never chose the "career" option. :awe:

 

[tential]

I play 1-2 games a year. I have no idea how some people here play so many games. My guess is not an active social life.

 

[Mai72]

Usually two hours for each day, and I could go two or three days not touching any game.
It's either you read a book, play a game, or drive the car to some place. It's hard to have it all together in the same day

I just recently finished the Witcher 1 - 62 hours total playtime, and I thought it took me long time to finish it, and that's why I can't touch Skyrim for instance, as fully completing it would talk half a year to do so

You could play Skyrim. If you stuck to a two hour limit on workdays, and maybe a 3-4 hour limit on weekends. If you did 10-15 hours a week you could put in enough time to make it satisfying. You probably wouldn't be able to touch anything else though until you were done playing. Well, maybe a sports game but that's about it.

 

[mnewsham]

Right now I'm really only playing counter strike: global offensive. I try and put in 1-2 hours per day minimum just to keep in practice, however on Friday/Saturday I will sometimes put in 8+ hours at a time. Since August I've put in a little under 250 hours total.

 

[CPA]

I play 1-2 games a year. I have no idea how some people here play so many games. My guess is not an active social life.

Many of us don't play many games. We just buy a lot of games. Thanks Steam.

 

[mnewsham]

Many of us don't play many games. We just buy a lot of games. Thanks Steam.

This, I've played 1 game for the past few months. I own 112 on steam.

 

[Morbus]

I was always of the belief that if you love something, you'll always make time for it. If you're wanting for MORE than you can "naturally" make, then I suggest skipping stuff you do often but can do without. Sleep, personal hygiene, lengthy off-desk meals, nights out, phone calls/messaging and social life in general. Basically, everything and anything that will get you closer to the stereotypical game nerd.

:EDIT:
Might I always suggest watching let's plays of games you would play if you had nothing to do but won't because you do have other stuff to do. I mean, watching while you're doing other things, like working (if your work allows), or riding the train/bus or stuff like that. I have just finished watching the let's plays of the legacy of kain series (which is painfully long and hard to play but incredibly awesome plot-wise), of heavy rain (stupid to play because of the QTEs but otherwise alright, but the story is bonkers and nonsensical), and am currently watching a let's play of the last of us (and boy am I glad I didn't buy a PS4).

 

[tential]

Many of us don't play many games. We just buy a lot of games. Thanks Steam.

This, I've played 1 game for the past few months. I own 112 on steam.

Even weirder...

 

[Nebor]

By neglecting my wife and children. Some day they'll understand, when they're ignoring their own kids.

 

[DeathReborn]

I work freelance and get paid rather well for it so I have a fair bit of free time to dedicate to whatever takes my fancy (building a kit car, gaming, sports, playing my guitar, family time etc).

This year I have averaged 22.3 hours a week (yes I keep accurate records...) which is slightly down on last years 26.1 hrs/week. The last month or so has been good for gaming with FC4, DA:I, Star Citizen, Civ:BE etc all taking up some time.

 

[Rudee]

I'm in my 40's and my interest in gaming has declined rapidly. I remember in my 20's being so into a game I would actually call in sick to work just to stay home and game on my PC. Nowadays, I just don't have any interest in gaming at all.

 

[ibex333]

My question is how do people here make time to play video games?

What a great question Mai72! I often think about this myself. I personally think people don't "make" time. Whether adults have time to play games or not, is directly proportional to their financial situation. Either we are talking about someone who is filthy rich (and to me, that's someone making 70k/year or more) or we are talking about a bum who doesn't really have ambitions or aspirations.

When you're rich, with a normal 9 to 5 day, you play games all evening, because you know you're coming tomorrow to the same job and still getting paid the same money you always do. You got no homework from school pressing down on you, no worries about sending out resumes to get a better job, and hopefully a nice wife which you "bought" who cooks and cleans for you. That, or you got a maid, or you just order takeout all the time.

When you're a bum you just don't care... You got your shitty job, and you saved enough for a nice computer with all the bells and whistles by eating Ramen Noodles. You dread going to work every day, but at least you got a few free hours in the morning or in the evening and you waste those to play games because you just don't give a damn. Well, maybe you do give a damn, but you are not willing to do what it takes to get anywhere else - or you just don't want to. (Which is totally cool. It's not like everyone must be rich and successful. That stuff is overrated.)

Someone who is in the middle between the two above examples wants to play games, but simply doesn't, because no matter how hard he tries, he just doesn't have the time or the energy. There is either school work.. or unwashed dishes in the sink that need to be washed... or you need to spend several hours to send out resumes.. or you need to go to your 2nd job... and maybe you got screaming kids.. or a nagging wife, etc, etc.
People like that, they "make" time to play games, but usually regret it later... Some thoughts come to mind such as "I could have studied in those two hours"... "I could have sent out a few more resumes"... "I could have washed the dishes, instead of leaving a feast for the cockroaches until the next evening..." "I could have spent the time working out..."


Can you guess which one of the 3 types am I? ; )

 

[Morbus]

I'm in my 40's and my interest in gaming has declined rapidly. I remember in my 20's being so into a game I would actually call in sick to work just to stay home and game on my PC. Nowadays, I just don't have any interest in gaming at all.

You probably haven't been playing the right games then.

What I can tell you is everyone who grew up playing action games has since either stopped playing or plays like a couple hours a week, at most.

Everyone I know that played stuff like Fallout, Torment or Arcanum when they were young(er) is still going strong. Specially with all the new meaty stuff flying around today, proper game-nutters are spoiled for choice.

"I could have spent the time working out..."

No.

Just... No.

 

[sze5003]

I play maybe 4hrs a week or less. Usually the tv is taken up and I don't want to use my crappy tv in the bedroom to play on the console's. I haven't played much on my pc either. Just too many things to do like helping out family and driving to visit them, run errands, hanging out with friends.

Sometimes I end up with time off that will expire so I'll take off and play as much as I can when that happens.

It sucks because I like gaming it's just there isn't time to do it. I feel like I had more time in college but no money to put towards it back then. I had a lot of games then too but they didn't interest me much.

I'll end up buying a bunch of pc or console games and play a bit of them then forget about them due to time constraints.

 

[Bateluer]

Varies. When I was a midshifter, I only had a couple hours on the weekends due to training and gym time. As a night shifter, I'm barely able to get any gym time in nor am I able to log significant mileage, but I still have several hours of 'night' time where I can't do much else but game. Its a double edged sword.

 

[futurefields]

i am a man, i do what i want when i want.

 

[Nebor]

You probably haven't been playing the right games then.

What I can tell you is everyone who grew up playing action games has since either stopped playing or plays like a couple hours a week, at most.

Everyone I know that played stuff like Fallout, Torment or Arcanum when they were young(er) is still going strong. Specially with all the new meaty stuff flying around today, proper game-nutters are spoiled for choice.

So we're out of video games forever because we didn't like the right kind of games (the ones you like) back when we were younger? Why didn't you tell us this back then?!

 

[OlyAR15]

Being retired helps a lot, as does not having cable TV. Still, taking care of a house and a dog does take up quite a bit of time away from games.

 

[mmntech]

I don't play as much as I used to but I still make time for it. Helps living in a cold country, where there's little incentive to go outside for a full third of the year. Mind you, I'm not married. Never stopped my dad though with his golf addiction.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I quit. Found I was mainly interested in the hardware and seeing what kind of graphics settings my system would play with rather than actually playing the games. Decided I was merely more in love with the idea rather than the actual gaming.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Nm