I used to be hugely addicted to games, far too many of my waking hours were devoted to seeing more of computer games and even some of the sleeping hours too. Recently though, I’m seeing games as far too much effort and a bit of a waste of time too.
I think I’ve been having a gradual realisation of that waste of time aspect, plus the multiplayer games like World of Warcraft let me compare myself to all of the other players. A year or so ago when the first WoW expansion came out, I suffered a huge amount of frustration because working hours meant I couldn’t keep up with all of the other players out there. My highly charged competitive instincts were wanting me to be the first at everything and having a job meant I simply couldn’t be the first to do anything in the expansion. Not enough hours in the day and all that.
Nowadays, I’m still comparing myself to the other players but I’m realising that they’re treating an online game as something more important than their job. The game actually becomes their full time job. However, they aren’t earning money through their ingame endeavours, at least not money that can be spent in the real world. The addicts are also descending into that fantasy world, losing parts of themselves in the process.
Today, I had a good few uncommitted hours where I could have buried my head in a game but I found myself quickly coming out of Baldur’s Gate 2 with thoughts of “I really can’t be bothered slogging through this.” Perhaps another of those ‘if you’re not enjoying the game, why are you playing it?’ moments. Games tend to require effort for a reward of a one dimensional predictable experience, whereas a good book is relaxing and fun. My main PC with all the best games on it has actually been off for 2 days when it’s usually on 100% of the time.
Maybe I am gamed-out (if there is such a term!). That won’t be a bad thing, as getting out from behind the pooter desk will allow me to :
Do much neglected housework
Put the fence panel up again
Allow my eyes to see a little more than 18 inches to the monitor screen
Get some reading done
Not aggravate my RSI by being hunched over a keyboard
And probably most importantly, let me focus on real world stuff instead of going to bed with my mind racing on options for improving my in game characters. Time for the oven to go on and for me to relax in front of a dvd with my dinner, instead of pummelling my brain thinking of ways to beat a game.
PS New stuff still gets my interest, I’ve probably just seen a little too much of the normal formula.