I Don´t Like Video Games Any Longer

TheFormerBrett44 · Post by **TheFormerBrett44** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 3:19 pm

Something happened to me in the past 4 years...my gaming time has dwindled to virtually zero. In that time we´ve had two children, but really that has nothing to do with it. I have played exactly 1 game of NCAA 2004 in the past 4 months, and I sold all my other games on Half.com over the past 6 months.
 
 This is weird, I´ve always enjoyed playing a good sports game. But lately I´d rather do other things. It might be playing with the kids, reading a book, watching a game or tv, etc. Think about it, I´ve gamed for one hour total the past 4 months. Now I was never a huge gamer like some of you. But I think that my days of gaming are over. They just don´t seem to hold my interest any longer.
 
 Brett

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 3:46 pm

Woa cowboy...don´t sell the farm. Meaning, don´t even think about sell your gaming system. I too am about to be a father of two (wife just called and thinks the baby may be coming today) and I know I won´t have all the time in the world to play a hobby I once loved. Still, it´s there when I need an outlet. I wouldn´t consider gaming as a priority anymore, but it does serve as a separation from reality...which is needed from time to time.
 
 In your case, I wouldn´t purchase any more games, until you rent that one game that you know you can´t do without. Then and only then, consider buying it. You´re at a crossroads that everyone of us has gone through or will eventually experience. Don´t make a haste decision that you´ll look back on in a few months or a year.
 
 It´s ok to only own one or two games.....or for that matter, not own any games at all. But, at least you´ll have your console just in case you get that urge to play the "latest and greatest" game of the moment.
 
 Don´t grow up too quickly. If anything, gaming keeps one feeling young at heart. So does working out, playing sport, etc. It´s wonderful to have many hobbies. Your kids and wife obviously should be priority number one. If gaming falls from 3 to 10, that´s ok. I don´t think there´s any research that says you need to game every other day, once a week, once a month.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:54 pm

I can see Brett´s point, as I´m down to just five games now, two shooters, two racing games and Links.
 
 But I also see Dan´s point. I don´t game nearly as much as I did two months ago, but I would really miss the chance to play the latest rally games, IndyCar Series 2005 and military or shooters like Halo 2 and Full Spectrum Warrior.
 
 Plus I really, really enjoy the social aspects and camaraderie of Xbox Live gaming. Big fun.
 
 So I wouldn´t consider selling my Xbox and ditch gaming entirely, even if I was down to only one or two XBL games.
 
 Take care,
 PK

matthewk · Post by **matthewk** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 6:35 pm

Bye. Sorry to see you grow out of gaming, but for some that happens.
 
 I cannot ever see myself without them. I still spend lots of time with the kids and wife. I have other hobbies as well as other less fun responsibilities, like working on the house. I will always find time for gaming. Instead of wathcing TV late at night, I play games. It´s relaxing. It´s not excercise, but I think it does help to keep the mind and nerves sharp.
 
 I don´t ever want to grow up so much that I don´t enjoy "playing", whether it be gaming, reading comics, or playing trains with my son. I like being a big kid.
 
 -Matt

bigmoe · Post by **bigmoe** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:28 pm

Just seems this song is right...I think you all know the tune...................Man this song brings me down....We are all......Jackie Papers.....sometime in our life...........
 
 
 Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
 And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
 Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff
 And brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff, oh
 Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
 And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
 Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea
 And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee.
 
 Together they would travel on boat with billowed sail
 Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff´s gigantic tail
 Noble kings and princes would bow whene´er they came
 Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name, oh
 
 CHORUS
 
 A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys
 Painted wings and giants´s rings make way for other toys.
 One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more
 And Puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.
 
 His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain
 Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.
 Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave
 So, Puff that mighty dragon sadly slipped into his cave, oh
 
 CHORUS
 
 By Peter Yarrow and Leonard Tipton On Peter, Paul & Mary´s
 MOVING, IN CONCERT, and 10 YEARS.
 Copyright 1963 Pepamar Music

TheFormerBrett44 · Post by **TheFormerBrett44** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 12:08 am

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 I don´t ever want to grow up so much that I don´t enjoy "playing", whether it be gaming, reading comics, or playing trains with my son. I like being a big kid.
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 Me too, hell half the time my wife accuses me of being worse than the kids.
 
 I think part of the problem, at least for me is that most of the games I like are the same every year. I played a season and a half of NCAA 2004 this fall but I felt like I played 20. Then I realized, I´ve been playing this game for years. Sure, the graphics get a little better, and there are slight improvements each year, but it´s still the same game.
 
 But it´s not just sports games. I´m also a wargamer, more a fan of the Sid Meier real-time engine than turnbased though I play them as well, but I´m losing interest in them as well. I don´t think I´ve outgrown games as much as there´s nothing out there that´s really grabbing my attention.
 
 There´s still hope, I think when my son gets older (he´s 3 1/2) the fun might come back to gaming. Then again, we have so much fun outside playing I´m not sure I want to bring him inside and play videogames in front of the tv. It´s tough enough sometimes dragging him away from The Wiggles, Blue´s Clues, SpongeBob, and the other 900 kid´s channels we have. Anyone remember when the only cartoons and kids shows were on Saturday morning?
 
 Brett

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 3:02 pm

"It´s tough enough sometimes dragging him away from The Wiggles, Blue´s Clues, SpongeBob, and the other 900 kid´s channels we have. Anyone remember when the only cartoons and kids shows were on Saturday morning?"
 
 Now, everyday at anytime there is a kids program on what...probably 5 or 6 channels. It´s unreal. To be honest, I never discovered them until I had a child. I used to think "Poor kids these day...they have nothing to watch anymore on Saturday mornings". Was I wrong! Damn Wiggles have me humming their songs at work....

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 3:11 pm

I think possibly there´s just a lull in the gaming genre you´re interested in. EA hasn´t really pushed the envelope with NCAA Football because they have something great going for them. There´s no competition to speak of and why mess with something that gets tremendous praise.
 
 Usually it seems it takes a few years or more until you see developers experiment with radical changes regarding established games. Too many games these days seem to play the same, but with different titles. I do feel EA did a tremendous job in terms of changing the pitching interface as whole. In my opinion, this should be an option on every baseball title. It´s little tinkering here and there that keep games feeling fresh and innovative. Too often, it just feels like the same ol´ same ol´.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 3:30 pm

"It´s tough enough sometimes dragging him away from The Wiggles, Blue´s Clues, SpongeBob, and the other 900 kid´s channels we have. Anyone remember when the only cartoons and kids shows were on Saturday morning?"
 
 Not that I have a kid, but . . . . Don´t underestimate the power of a DVR, or a TiVo, to help control the viewing habits of your young´uns, even yourselves for that matter. Almost immediately upon geting the TiVo working, you will notice that the pressure (subtle as it may or may not be) to ´catch´ the favorite programming starts to dissapear, and not long after, it is gone completely. I would think this would be a helpful tool for parents, one that would help you deal with TV viewing on your terms, not that of the distributors, whose main goal is NOT good programming, but getting you to watch.
 
 Not to mention the ability to zip past the insidious (especially to kids) commercials.
 
 Anyway, Brett, I hear what you are saying. It seems games are at a refinement stage for the most part, and I think it comes with this stage of a generation of consoles (Mac guy, so no PC games for me). A big revolution in AI or graphics or who knows what will have to wait for the next gen of machines, and I would bet you´ll get a little excited about the newest stuff when it hits.
 
 For me, however, the big revolution in gaming right now is the online play, mostly XBL. A sports game can be continuously fun depending on the competition, and the CPU is frankly not up to snuff. Playing against other humans, almost regardless of a game´s flaws, can prove endlessly varietous and a lot of fun; it gives a game a lot more legs. I would be SO over ESPN football by now, but I´m in pacuca´s league and it really is a highlight of my gaming. I just have no interest in playing against the CPU, unless it is just to warm up before a league game. There is nothing compelling about playing the CPU, but playing against other gamers, especially ones I am familiar with, is always compelling.
 
 Also, shooters like GR:IT or to an extent RS-3 really blossom, for me anyway, only when they are played online. Teaming up with folks, working together, these are things that are pretty much new to console gaming, and I am one who thinks this is an area that will become a more and more important aspect to future games.
 
 So, to sum up, check out the TiVo or some sort of DVR. And let it be known that I think online gaming is good for what ails ya. As pk said: "Plus I really, really enjoy the social aspects and camaraderie of Xbox Live gaming. Big fun."
 
 That´s it in a nutshell.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Feb 17, 2004 3:39 pm

Tivo is phenomenal in terms of saving money on buying Blues Clues, Wiggles, Barney, Sponge Bob dvds. I currently have a few Wiggles, a couple Barney´s, a Blues Clue, and a Sesame Street on the hard drive that he can watch over and over. Then when I get sick of them, I simply delete them and record new ones. No sense in paying 10 or 15 dollars for a dvd.