Do You Play Less Hours Now Than 5 Years Ago?

[Nz17]

I play significantly less hours than before. These days, I only play about 1 hour every day or two. More of my time is spent reading threads about video games, watching gaming videos, and reading gaming news than actually playing. How about you?

[eskobar]

, I really miss the days when I could play more that 2 or 3 hours a day. Right now I spend more time listening video game soundtracks while I do my tasks at home with my wife and daughter.

A few months ago I had my PSP with crimson saga below my bed ... and after 15 minutes, my eyelids start to fall, hahaha.

I play in average 3 to 5 hours a month.

[celerystalker]

I play a lot less these days, mainly because 5 years ago, I didn't have a son, my sister wasn't going through a divorce, and my friends and I just had less obligations. When I play now, since I'm on overnights right now, it's only on my days off, and usually late at night after my wife and son fall asleep. When on days, I usually played a bit every day, which is the primary reason I had to stop doing GOTD posts here since last fall. I was supposed to be running the night shift for two months, and now it's going on a year.

When I do play these days, I tend to favor shorter, arcade-style games over the RPGs I used to tackle frequently, as I can get a fulfilling experience in less time. RPGs have become relegated to longer weekends off or vacations, but I'll knock out action RPGs such as a classic Zelda or Metroid with decent frquency. When I hear about a new game being hundreds of hours long, it's become a huge turn-off.

[Aussie2B]

Yeah, I would say so. It's even more of a difference going further back. Back in my college days, besides when I had free time at home during the semesters, I did a ton of handheld gaming on campus between classes, and summer vacations were great for hammering out a few console games. But even just 5 years ago, I see that I played through nearly 20 games, with a few of those being games I put dozens of hours into each. These days, I'm lucky if I can clear 10-15, and that's with usually being padded out with a few games that I blew through in one sitting or a couple days tops. What's worse is how I barely touch console gaming these days. It's almost all handhelds, plus a little PC gaming. Something about console gaming just feels like more effort and more of an investment. With a handheld, I just pop in my game (if even that; I have a few digital games on Vita), and the screen and controls and such are all ready to go. I don't have to dig out a system and plugs, clear the area if it isn't already, hook it up, find a controller, find the right input, etc. I know that sounds like whining and making a mountain out of a molehill, but when I'm getting close to heading to bed (when I primarily have gaming time) and all I wanna do is flop on the couch and relax, it makes the difference. I know I could just put in the money and time to get everything hooked up and ready to go, but at this point in my life, I'm kinda over wanting a ton of systems out at once, only for most to collect dust. I just don't want that clutter anymore.

[Gameguy]

I barely play at all these days. Kind of busy with other stuff, also I don't feel like playing as much now. I do watch playthroughs online though. I don't watch movies as much either.

[Niku-Sama]

for now this is true, but after Friday the 7th it will probably change.
been working 2 job this past week but after the 7th it goes to one, one job that at 25 hrs/wk i'll be making roughly the same each week there than at my old job.
I still may pick something up for the other half of the week though

[MASTERWEEDO]

5 years ago I physically couldnt play video games, or really do much at all with my hands. Carpal Tunnel and Pronator Teres surgeries to release trapped nerves have given me back most of my right arm. They apparently found an extra muscle in the forearm pressing on the nerve and removed it, they refused to do the left side based on that, but rest has given me back 75% of my left arm. I just got a Wii and have been playing alot of Mario Kart on it.

[Nz17]

I'm glad to hear that things have been improving for you, MW.

[retro junkie]

I have been playing since the late 80's. I am now 62 years old. I am not going to stop now. There are those moments now, in which I fall asleep and my character dies a horrible death. That is different from the early days. But I have influenced my Family to be gamers, that has helped. I think that my taste in gaming has changed in that it has expanded to include some genres that I would not even look at in those early days. I would mostly play arcade type games and Bomberman with the Family. One thing that has helped maintain the habit is that it is my "unwinding time" when I come home from work. That makes it a priority somewhat. Those arcade influenced games work great for that type of thing. You can play 10, 20, 30 minutes to an hour. That is partly why I am a retro gamer.
But I will admit that today I played through "Injustice: Gods Among Us" in story mode. Took all afternoon. But then again it's an arcade influenced fighter.

I do find a little more time as I get older. I look at collecting a little more seriously. I consider games that I want to own. I am more focused in the games I spend my time playing. I went from console to console over the years as each new thing hit the shelves, kept every one. In these later years I am returning to my roots, NES, SNES, Genesis, PC Engine. Having the time of my life as I find, for me, that those old games are more fun than anything in this present age of gaming.

[WulfeLuer]

I actually had to digest the question for a while. I can say that no, I actually play the same amount or even more these days than five years ago. I was more of a 'social' gamer, doing things like playing Firefight on Halo Reach or PvP with my friends on Soul Calibur 3 (the only fighting game I'm good at). I had some single player RPGs, which I played the hell out of, but I was sinking a lot of time and effort into 40k of all things.

One fateful day for the Dork Side came when I acquired Tales of Legendia for PS2 and rekindled my passion/addiction for RPGs again something like two years ago. I can also say for certain that this period now is far and away the one where I have the most games beaten, and actually have a real Backlog of Glory again.

[Tanooki]

If you asked 6+ years ago, yeah. But my kid is 5 1/2 now and since she's been around that takes some time. Factor in how stabby the gaming hobby has become and the prices going up I just don't buy or keep much anymore and have been steadily letting stuff fly. In other cases I've gone in another direction with it too. I've been fairly consistent in being a light daily user, not an every single day thing anymore.

[Niku-Sama]

Oh... Tanooki has kids, had no idea, seems odd....

Any way 5 is a good time for games to start. I was technically 4 when i got my nes for Xmas and look at where i am now

[Emperor Megas]

Man, I do EVERYTHING less now than I did 5 years ago, except for work. I do that more now.

[o.pwuaioc]

Man, I do EVERYTHING less now than I did 5 years ago, except for work. I do that more now.

This. I stopped reading articles/watching reviews about games altogether, and only very recently saw a spike in forum discussion. I still game far more than I spend on activities related to gaming, though. It's just the time for all those activities are now dedicated to work.

[Az]

I'd say I do roughly the same amount, only today it's spread out more systems than it was then. I had moved around that time. Although I had everything in my retro setup reassembled and ready to go in another room I often went weeks without even touching it, just playing the 360 at home or the PSP when at work. Seems now I've got it spread in small bits over many systems rather than a 4 hour binge one system.

When I play now, since I'm on overnights right now, it's only on my days off, and usually late at night after my wife and son fall asleep. When on days, I usually played a bit every day, which is the primary reason I had to stop doing GOTD posts here since last fall.

Seems like I play more when I'm on nights, or at least 2nd shift. If I got home at 0200-0300, everyone is asleep and I couldn't do anything around the house or outside. If I didn't get home until daylight I'd usually go straight to bed but quick shifts usually saw me gaming until at least 0500 or so.

Day shift is a bit different. Unless the weather is bad there's always something that needs to be done outside. Once everyone else rolls in towards the evening it's hard to find a chunk of time where you can sit down and do whatever.

I still game far more than I spend on activities related to gaming, though.

That's a big point I've worked on changing for myself. There's obviously no "right way" to enjoy something, just like there's no "right way" to listen to music or read a book. There's a lot of ancillary points to appreciate with gaming which can be just as great as playing the game itself. However it's easy to lose sight of the target once you start the chase. Fiddling with your video setup for maximum video quality is a commendable effort but when it gets to the point where you spent more time tinkering and adjusting the TV than you have watching it you probably need to shift priorities. That is, unless A/V tinkering is your forte, then by all means full steam ahead.

I've made a point to try and do all my reading/learning/discussing about games at a time when I can't actually game. I can always do that stuff. Now when I'm home I try to actually game and do the things I can't during a break at work or commute.

[callofthemountains]

I mean, of course... I used to play before school, then sometimes after school, and on weekends. Now I only play for maybe an hour when i get home from work, perhaps 3 nights a week.

Got stuff to do

but gamer 4 lyf

[jb143]

Any way 5 is a good time for games to start.

Once my kid turned 5 I started letting him playing more games(before that it was mostly his V-Tech whatevers). I started him on more kid friendly SNES games but now(at almost 6) he's pretty good at 3D platformers as well as most everything else I let him try. Now most weekends we play something together for a couple hours while the 2 year old takes a nap. His favorite game we always go back to is SNES Goof Troop but we've been playing through the Epic Mickey games recently.

Prior to that, since having kids I shifted mainly to playing handheld games after they go to bed. Recently though, now that things have been settling down I've been able to get back more into playing my backlog of console games. But yeah, I'm definitely playing less now than I was 5 years ago...which then wasn't a lot.

[Cornelius]

I think I've been playing more this year than five years ago. Kids are now 7 and 10 instead of 2 and 5, so that accounts for pretty much all the difference.

[Tanooki]

Oh... Tanooki has kids, had no idea, seems odd....

Any way 5 is a good time for games to start. I was technically 4 when i got my nes for Xmas and look at where i am now

One, not going to be plural and a daughter, not sure why that would be odd.

[Rickstilwell1]

Sometimes I waste time that could be spent playing games just thinking about playing games because I can't make up my mind. I don't know why I bother making lists of games to play in a certain order because I get bored and end up skipping around anyway. I have a big audio project I've been working on lately too. So I voted yes I spend less time.