Yesterday I played a game. To be more accurate I finished playing Crackdown, which was a rather enjoyable experience. Now, most of you probably know I don’t actually ‘properly’ play games very much. If someone asks me to play a game I’ll happily sit down and play it with them for an hour or two, but I don’t play by myself all that often.
Something really has to grab me as being a worthwhile investment of my time for me to actually play it, let alone dedicate myself to the game. I’ll admit there are a few games I’ve played because I felt I should play them, but in general for a game to get played it has to be head and shoulders above, not just other games but pretty much all other media.
The thing is when I play a game, I really play it. Games that are high up my favourite list get a lot of time put into them in one big lump. When I say I played Crackdown I mean I sat down with a sandwich at 3pm and the next time I looked up it was 10pm, the final boss was dead, my sandwich was long gone and my eyes hurt. That’s the second or third time that’s happened with Crackdown, Halo 3 and Assassin’s Creed also having a similar effect.
The problem is I don’t really like playing games that way. Compressing it all down into one block not only means that I only really play games once in a blue moon, but also means that I almost dread gaming. Ending a marathon of gaming is very unpleasant, like coming off a long haul flight or a cross country train journey.
You feel tired, slighly achey and fairly disorientated by the world at large. In general you just feel nasty. I have no-one to blame but myself, but my gaming sessions are a bad thing in general.
So are you better at structuring your gaming sessions than me? Do you try and set aside a little time each week to play? Are you better at limiting yourself than I am?
cc_star
No, I game when I should be doing other stuff and then I game in the time I set aside for gaming as well
toutski
Wait until you have a wife and kids mate.
My gaming has turned into short bursts of less than an hour when I get a chance.
badgersnapper68
Amen to that – I now consider a two hour session a marathon – plus the fact that my oldest is starting to hog the PS3 as well.
bunimomike
Same here, fella. Not until being single has it all reverted back to great gaming sessions with disc-based games with a meaty amount of gaming to be done. I used to miss games so much during those two years. Sad but true.
gybrocker
haha so true…once the kids are in bed then i have the wife to pleese and then once thats done im just way to tired to even think about playing ps3.. 0.0
Origami Killer
i love being a kid :D
DannyFantango
Same for me, I work 9-5 and live with my girlfriend, if I get 2 hours in the week I’ve done well.
Luckily she runs her own photography studio and works on Saturday, if I’m not playing golf with my friends then I’ll be most likely be playing them online.
Although currently once a month I work 3-11 which means I get an hour or so in a day for that week.
Nauraph
I used to have long session in the weekends, and I enjoyed them, although sometimes I felt a bit.. useless. But since work, girlfriend and all came into my live, I have to do with the “after-work” evenings, and I have to admit.. Playing 2~3 hours each evening is much more enjoyable, compared to 8~10 hour sessions during the weekends + all the time I had during the rest of the days.
Foxhound_Solid
Game whenever I am free, my GF and everyone around me love if not like games too.
HOw much time to dedicate – too much really, I still play MGS2 now – love playing old gems…
up to date, I stil play KZ2 campaign and online. MGS4 and UC2 also get some right pasty!
Nauraph
I’m pretty happy that my girlfriend isn’t into gaming that much. She can appreciate some of them though.
3shirts
My girlfriend is really into casual gaming which is brilliant. She happily sits and plays farm frenzy or diner dash on her laptop with her Shockwave subscription while I am hammering the PS3. She likes a good story too so enjoys the plots of games like Assasin’s Creed or Uncharted while I am playing them.
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We chat and joke and stuff while doing this so it’s actually a lot more sociable way of spending time together than sitting watching TV. I am very lucky :)
icuyesido
I tried to limit myself….It didn’t work, over the past few days I’ve been playing LBP non stop trying to get the platinum, It’s taken allot of time and even more frustration but I’m nearly there now. I do regret when I play games through the best part of the day but then the next day comes around and I think, I’ll just have a quick go on Burnout, then I’m on it for 6 hours!
3shirts
I like to play in a kind of organic way. I will sit down when I have a few free hours and play but I might get bored after an hour or I might really get into it and play for a long session. Either way, I am doing it because I want to so I don’t feel bad. This works for most types of game.
The exception is really engrossing games, usually very story driven, where the time slips away because you are so involved. That said, I still enjoy the time and only feel bad if I realise it’s 2am and I have to get up for work in 4 hours!
.
The best kind of session is local multiplayer. Get the beers and pizza in, hook your mates up, and just play until the birds start singing outside. Had some great sessions at uni thanks to wifi, laptops and Multi Theft Auto for Vice City :)
PoorPaddy89
I game pretty much whenever I can, even more so at the moment with Peace Walker being my go-to game. I play it at breaks at work as well as when travelling and at home. I’ve had some serious all-day sessions, particularly when Assassin’s Creed II came out. Chaffed down my thumb pretty bad on the analogue stick! I think that was about 11-hours non-stop, bar the odd bite of a muffin.
hairfreax
I like to play a hour or 2 a day. I don’t watch TV so for me its the equivalent of watching your favourite prog every day and gives you something to look forward to after a crap day at work. It also makes the game more value for money if it takes longer to complete.
MrSpeedyGonzales
Yeah and with the rubbish on TV today, gaming is a far better option!
Bilbo_bobbins
this is what I do too. But it’s hard when your girlfriend wants to watch Uk next Top Model and Hollyoaks every night. I have to sit and watch it too. It’s like torture
Forrest_01
This is exactly why i have two tv’s in my house!
3shirts
Make her watch you play ‘that’ scene from God Of War 3 over and over again.
tonycawley
Try sitting through neighbours, home and away, emmerdale, corronation street, eastenders and big brother every night.
Eldave0
I very rarely play for huge stints in one go, unless my wife is working away for the weekend or something.
Exception to the rule is Heavy Rain. Never has a game engrossed me so much, I really couldn’t put it down until the ending credits rolled :D
MrSpeedyGonzales
I generally play for a few hour a day, but I think if you play then with friends, people you know ect you can play for longer without feeling “dirty” because it’s a social thing. Your not just in a room “playing” by yourself!