EDIT: Hey guys, I can't respond to everything you've said due to lack of time, but I wanted you to know that I read it all and I really appreciate your posts and the time you took to reflect on what I've written and what you think of it. I am seriously coming to love this place.
Thanks again.
For some people it's not having enough time or a desire to do other things, for others it is a lose of passion. It's not just the digital era, and this article isn't just limited to video games. For my entire life I was a bowler (see: bowling). From the time I was eight, until roughly 19.5 years old. I'm not talking going once every month or so with friends to have a good time with it. I'm talking a minimum of two times a week, multiple hours sessions, typically with a coach or one other competent friend. This was a routine for about 12 years. It was more than a passion, it was life. It was an ingrained part of what it meant to be myself. With that came a lot of physical and mental anguish, a lot of friendships, trophies, some local records during high school, and other accolades. A search of my name would likely reveal a lot of bowling related things. Fast forward to college: I continue with bowling at a higher level than ever before - collegiately Again, multiple practices a week in a small setting with great coaches. Tons of travel, national competitions, you name it. But then something happened. I got burnt out. It's worth noting that for a long time this wasn't something that was particularly fun, but I got addicted to the competition - the thrill of it, the feeling of winning and knowing that you're great at something. But it still happened, I still got burnt out after a full year of this in college. How did this happen? Eventually it got to the point where I accepted that I would never be as good as some of the people out there, sure. But moreso it was the opening of other interests while in college. A whole new world arrived and has been a mostly rewarding since then. New activities, new interests, and one less competition to worry about. I still don't go bowling with friends though, it's not something that I can handle. Losing passion for something you love can be a part of life. This article applies it to video games, but it can applied to anyone and anything. It can be physical, it can be digital, it can be emotional, anything. Life is a constant change, to apply some engineering jargon here, steady state is never reached. Losing and gaining passions is part of that.
insomniasexx, it's not just the digital era. My wife and I enjoy playing board-games, but have found ourselves not able to do so for the past couple of years. Only recently is our life getting to a point where we can again play. The other night was our anniversary and I got us a nice hotel room. After dinner I took her to the room and already set up on the table was a bottle of champagne, some earrings and this: It was confirmation to me that I picked the right woman to marry when she admitted that her favorite part of that table was the board-game, the second was the champagne and the last the earrings. We also love to play Settlers and other card games too. It's not that we lost the passion for them, it's that we lost the time. Like you said, "Time waits for no man or woman." But lately we've been making the time and I'm glad we have. I've mentioned on Hubski before that I don't play many video games but only because I know myself too well. I would end up addicted and my professional and personal life would suffer. I know I'm missing out on an amazing set of experiences though. -Akin to if I decided to never see a movie because I know I'd want to see more of them. I'm missing out big time, aren't I?
Yup. Video games can be amazing. But they can also be lifeless time wasters. Just like board games, movies, or music. If you do ever decide to try one, don't go for the shallow games (bejeweled, tetris, etc). Go for a more in-depth game. There's definitely some amazing experiences to be had.I'm missing out big time, aren't I?
I know that cW plays some interesting games and I always want to try them out when I visit him, but he's the guy that almost got me hooked on Second Life. -Dangerous time suck :)If you do ever decide to try one, don't go for the shallow games (bejeweled, tetris, etc). Go for a more in-depth game. There's definitely some amazing experiences to be had.
-Should that day come, you can count on me shouting-out to you for some advice.
You wish. You wish that you were actually missing out on something, so it's there waiting for you. You can imagine that somewhere is an awesome video game or movie waiting for you. Maybe playing that video game someday will make you feel so smart and so capable and be as satisfying as... as... It's not. The best thing about the board game is that it has a beginning and an end. Video games constantly level up. They only "end" after a huge commitment, and at the end, what have you got? Bitcoin to feed your family? Not even? Self-respect or self-loathing? Maybe self-respect as in -- I'm so smart. I can win this video game! Maybe self-loathing as in - I did that? Well, it was kind of fun, but . . . BUT -- finish putting out a song and posting it, it pays you back over and over again. And then someone like me tells you I listen to your two albums all the time - sometimes background, but every time I tune in, I hear some other bit I didn't hear before. Then it pays you back over and over again. Self-respect or self-loathing? Self-respect, because you communicated some little bit of your soul. Video game? What little bit of your soul have you shared levelling up in a video game or playing with people you'll never meet? Or finish a podcast with a dozen voices. Maybe it will be on "Why do you write?" Maybe you got a dozen random people to think about that question. Put it all together and it'll pay you back 100 times, and pay them back to. OR MAYBE -- instead of playing a video game, you read someone's post on hubski, encourage someone on hubski, see something nice in their contribution. Give them a little confidence. . . Self-esteem or self-loathing?I'm missing out big time, aren't I?
video games can do both. You just have to find the right game. Video games end. I'm not sure what you mean. Video games end, and sometimes quicker than a board game. And what's this about "what have you go? Bitcoin..." Board games give you nothing either. Both are just a form of entertainment. Again, maybe for certain games. There have been plenty of games that I've walked away from after beating that have given me motivation and made me active and goal driven. And games in general have given me a purpose in life to continue on. It's furthered my education, and has allowed me to pass my peers in terms of success. Are you implying that I shouldn't care about all of you guys on hubski since I'll never meet you? I've made plenty of great friendships from games. Some which are stronger than the ones I have in real life. It really sounds like you are hating on video games without even knowing what they are. In the most simple terms, they are no different than board games. In fact, most board games have been converted into video games. Chess, checkers, go, Settlers of Catan, Monopoly, Clue, etc. Simply put, if it weren't for video games, I wouldn't be where I am now. And I might not even be alive. I certainly wouldn't be getting a college degree in computer science. And to be honest, I probably wouldn't even be here on Hubski either. You aren't giving video games enough credit. Yea, they are sometimes a huge time waster. But just like any other media, they can be life changing as well as entertaining.Maybe playing that video game someday will make you feel so smart and so capable and be as satisfying as... as...
It's not.
The best thing about the board game is that it has a beginning and an end. Video games constantly level up. They only "end" after a huge commitment, and at the end, what have you got? Bitcoin to feed your family? Not even?
Self-respect or self-loathing? Maybe self-respect as in -- I'm so smart. I can win this video game! Maybe self-loathing as in - I did that? Well, it was kind of fun, but . . .
Self-respect, because you communicated some little bit of your soul. Video game? What little bit of your soul have you shared levelling up in a video game or playing with people you'll never meet?
Self-esteem or self-loathing?
Edit: Several days later. Hey Kafke I'd been thinking about your reply to my post which was simply aimed at reassuring thenewgreen that he wasn't missing out. Badged, because I like when people disagree with me thoughtfully. Original Comment:
Nicely put. Of course you are right too. I have no argument with you.
A large % of my CS students came to programming via gaming. No question about that. I'm interested in how YOU went from video games to studying CS. Some students say, "Hey, if I can play this, I can make this." - something like that? Anything can be addictive -- even AA meetings can be an addiction, and yes, even hubski. The worlds created in some video games are pretty amazing. Will kids ever play in a forest again? Do they still have forests?
I personally grew up in the middle of the desert (I posted this in the "where do you live thread"). So there wasn't really any forests or anything to go play in. And my parents/grandparents were already into technology and games (grandparents ran a movie&game store, mom was into computers). That's where my gaming habits started. I basically got all the left over stuff from my grandparents. This was back way before I could remember anything (like 2-3 years old). So I basically grew up along side video games. So my child logic went something like: These games are awesome. They had to get here somehow. I wonder how they work... Then a lifelong study of video games and computers. Note, this was when I was like 5-7. So I really had no idea what I was getting into. I basically loved everything about figuring out how games worked, and actually managed to reverse-engineer a password system (rudimentary) in one of the games. I learned my way around the internet and computers sometime around there. By middle school I was learning about the innards of computers and how to program. That's what several of my science projects were about. From there, I just kind of honed in on programming. Fast forward to high school, and I see there's game design and game programming classes. One's supposed to be advanced, but since my family was already well known by the school for a while, I was able to join both. I started taking CS classes in my community college the next year. From there I graduated highschool early and transferred to my current Uni, where I'm majoring in CS (actually Info&Comp Sci, but it's really the same thing). And I'm in the Game Development club at the school. So it's all been a really natural progression for me. I've never really had to think about what I wanted to do. And it's not like it was a last minute decision either. It's really just provided me with something to research and learn about. So I did. I was lucky to have family members who were (at least somewhat) interested in computers and games. And they were all very supportive. But yea, there's been times where I've been completely hooked on games for the worse (my horrible Ragnarok Online addiction that lasted 7 years or so). And my Mom totally yells at me for that. But we both know that it has lead into great things. So really, what lead me into CS (and game development) was: a lack of a stimulating environment, a family focus on tech, grandparents running a game store, and a curiosity about my interests.
I think this is a problem that everyone encounters in this digital era - it's not just with games. It is less about passion or lack of passion and more about the thinking there might be something else, something better, you could be doing. Since buying games, books, movies, or music is so much easier these days you don't dedicate the time or energy or research first. Then, once you start to play/read/watch you are unsure if it is worth your time. These days your time can be spent doing so many different things. You have access to a multitude of games, a multitude of movies, a multitude of online sites, etc. No more getting out of bed, getting dressed, and going to blockbuster if you aren't satisfied. You just click a button and entertain yourself with something else. That uncertainty is enough to make you unable to play or watch or listen in the same ways we used to.
I've been slowly pulling back from video-games lately for this very reason. There were grind-y games I used to be able to play for hours (Minecraft, WoW, DayZ, etc) that now leave me with nothing but an overwhelming sense of pointlessness and futility. And I've not been able to play most new AAA games for a long time—the gameplay feeling formulaic and dragged out; even if the writing is outstanding. I think it comes down to time scarcity. When you value your time more, you raise your standards and have less patience for padding. Also, my line of work requires knowing how things are put together—design patterns/tropes/formulae—and the bugger of it is that once you're able to apply this type of thinking to one area of your life, it seeps into others as well. Once you've played one cover shooter or open-world game, you've played them all. :-( On the bright side, it gives you a lot more appreciation for the games that buck these trends. I'm hugely optimistic about the future of indie gaming—where padding is non-existent and the storytelling is rich. And there are still some pretty awesome sandbox and AAA games out there (Kerbal Space Program and Civ V can suck up a Saturday for me)—even if some of the best names have gone down the junk-food-gaming toilet (RIP Simcity)
I've been having the same problem recently. I seem to always be picking up games, maybe playing them for one gaming period (1-6 hours) and then putting them down and never touching them. It's not that I don't enjoy them. I certainly do. I think it's more of a problem of not remembering to play them. And when I do, I keep thinking that I should be doing something else. Or I figure "hey, I want to play this game." But then I notice the clock and see that I'm going to be doing something in an hour, so I don't want to get wrapped up in one. And so I put it off. Or I say "okay, one more hubski article" and just sit on here all day (or reddit). Hell, I'll even refresh and lurk on my usual sites (reddit, hubski, zeldainformer) instead of sitting down and playing a game. Then I feel like shit because I haven't played a game and I got nothing accomplished. It's a horrible feeling. So I'm trying to fix it. Set aside time to be productive and work on stuff. And then put aside time to game and have fun. That way I do both instead of neither.
Not just you Kafke, I have this happen to me as well. By the time I take out work, domestic fun duties, spending some quality time with the SO and with mates, there's not the greatest amount of time left to be had from the average week. Less so with rotating shifts, rosters and work. But, I accept that; it's the nature of the beast. What time I have is then divided on a raft of free time activities, and then trying to balance on giving time to everything, to do everything I want to do. What infuriates me most is when I look forward to playing a game, and then it turns out to be a let down; I then feel both time and money have been wasted: I could've spent the cash on something else, and the time doing something more rewarding. This is a big part of why I am so let down by GTA V, and I'm not phased about how unpopular that makes me: I have spent a few evenings trying to play it and ending up infuriated at the controls and glitches, and have given up on it as I don't want to waste more time on it. On the plus side, my housemate bought it, not I haha.I seem to always be picking up games, maybe playing them for one gaming period (1-6 hours) and then putting them down and never touching them.
This resonates with me. However, I'll add another factor; I'm spoiled for choice. My steam library is full of games I'm excited to play but don't want to start until I've put more time into, or finished, the large collection of half-finished games. When I sit down for time I've set aside for entertainment and playing a game, there have been so many times where I'll just stare at my library unable to pick one. This phenomenon happens with books too if I'm not careful. It's not even that I'm finished and need to move on, there are instances where I'll pick a game back up again, have a blast, and finish it. I go through waves of this happening but I feel like I'm currently much better about it. I haven't been buying anything new until I finish one. I'm also much more selective about what I will dedicate my time to. AAA games all share so many of the same common tropes that it will inevitably require spending a great deal of time doing the same familiar thing. The past few years I've been spending much more time with quality indie games that introduce something new or distill their mechanics and message down and refine them.
I've noticed this as well. Which is why I tend to avoid major titles. Nintendo has been doing a decent job, but still produces a lot of the same. Personally I like revisiting the Zelda series, so I keep picking them up. Even though I know it's going to be a lot of the same. Indie games are pretty much key here. Each is unique and different, because they can afford to be. Major titles need to be the same to get sales. Indie games are much more free, since they don't require a million dollar income.AAA games all share so many of the same common tropes that it will inevitably require spending a great deal of time doing the same familiar thing.
I actually took a one month hiatus from gaming. All shapes and forms. It breathed new life into my hobby as well as making space for a bunch of things I wanted to catch up on. We need to make time to be bored. The constructive kind where you need to get up and do something or risk going crazy. You can use that kind of boredom to accomplish all the things that get shoved on the back burner for the low effort high satisfaction tasks. The other kind is where you are so desensitized by amazing entertainment that everything just tastes bland.
To your point Butterfly Effect, I feel as if anything in life can become stagnant if done at such an intense pace. Learning and knowing how to space my activities out is one of the reasons why I haven't gotten too tired of anything I've done so far. Although I don't believe I have been involved in anything as much as you have with bowling. I play club lacrosse in college after playing in high school, and now I feel that I don't have to play as much in order to satiate myself. I still enjoy it but I play more leisurely and explore other things. I attempt to keep up with my activities to some extent and branch out from there. I spread out my passions as much as I can. It's a hard thing to do though
I've felt this way at times but I don't know if it's me or technology that's changing the experience. The article mentions how games have become abundant with the Humble Bundle, Steam, etc., and that's a huge difference for me from when I was younger. It used to be that games were more scarce, so you always gave them enough effort to get the most out of them. Now you can get them for a few bucks each, en masse, straight to your computer. There's so many of them and they all are asking for a investment of your time and personal interest that you can't possibly provide for every one. Most games require some initial effort to enjoy. I had the same experience with music. During my downloading phase I would be able to get all this music and not listen to it. I couldn't invest myself in the music the way I did when one album was the only new music I'd have for a month at least. It started to seem like music just wasn't as good anymore.
As I set about going through my self reflection, and recognizing my burnout of games, I realized something: what I was going through was perfectly okay.
Absolutely, and kudos for the self-reflection. You've taken a particular experience -- growing out of something -- and gave it a universal spin. What I consider a passion does not have to be my entire identity.
Exactly. Letting go of things is hard, especially when the new identity is still under construction. Constructing a new identity is hard. Sometimes it's being in a relationship that is our identity, sometimes it's a job we've worked hard at. Letting go is hard, but holding on is harder..