I no longer enjoy video games...what happened?

I haven't bought a game or system in six years, haven't played anything but the occasional round of Mario Kart Wii in almost as long and though I enjoy watching people play games, I get no active enjoyment doing it myself. I was such a video game kid, too. I played video games every day of my life from the Atari 2600 to somewhere around the middle of the PS 2's reign. I don't know what happened.

Maybe if I could afford new systems I might try some good horror games, but honestly, I think I'd still rather watch somebody else do it. Is this what happens when you're 28? :(

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It happens with some folks. You get new hobbies, become invested in relationships, have kids, have a demanding job... lots of reasons for people to lose interest. Yours is definately not the first thread asking this question.

Are you in college or otherwise have a lot of stress? Sometimes I'm put off of things I enjoy when I have high amounts of stress. I usually like to be creative, but when I've had a bad day at School, I just want to watch TV or listen to music and let my brain melt. Stress, especially long term, can affect the way you enjoy things.

Also, most people go though swings of what they like. I used to love watching let's plays, for example. As of this writing, I haven't watched a Let's Play in 5 months.

You grew up.

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I'm unemployed and live off the student loans I get by taking just two easy online classes a week. I have no relationship, few friends, no car right now, a house completely to myself and no stresses. I definitely haven't grown up, since my favorite things are children's cartoons, collecting toys and drawing monsters.

I am the PRIME possible candidate for a gamer.

I always really intend to devote all this free time to my art and writing and trying to make a name for myself through the internet, but instead I just sort of roll around the house and talk to cats which may or may not actually be cats.

edited 20th Nov '11 8:36:34 AM by scythemantis

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The spark will ignite on its own. Guess we can't, and especially you can't, force you to enjoy video games again. Consider it a blessing. Move on to other things.

edited 20th Nov '11 9:21:49 AM by Schitzo

ALL CREATURE WILL DIE AND ALL THE THINGS WILL BE BROKEN. THAT'S THE LAW OF SAMURAI.

Demos and renting are your friends. Try every genre, you know, maybe there's a hidden side of you that would grow if you tried different things.

What do you get if you burn tomatoes? Ash Ketchump.

Your soul is now gone. There is only one thing you can do.

I'll go get the rope.

Don't you try anything, you baked good you.

Maybe go for a competitive fighting game and practice and make money that way?

I mean, it's not perfect, but it's a job, a life, and something that can be fun to do.

Somebody said "You Grew Up" before I could, though. I do agree to an extent. Nothing's wrong with moving on from stuff in life. I don't play games much anymore, I'm mostly on the net.

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It happens. I lost interest in games once upon a time myself from the time I was 13 to the time I was 15, when I got into Competitive Smash Bros.

Saying "You grew up" implies gaming is a childs hobby to be dropped after your teenage years, I.e, incredibly offensive to anyone who plays games in their mid twenties.

Sometimes you just lose interest in stuff. Things that interested you before are now tedious and boring. Maybe you've gotten sick of the console wars with the constant fanboy dick-waving that's everywhere these days. Maybe the constant stream of COD clones is giving you Hype Aversion. Maybe all the original ideas have dried up and every game nowadays is an inferior copy of something you played before. There are lots of reasons.

My advice is to get yourself a retro console from the days you last played videogames (a PS 2, GBA, Dreamcast, etc) and track down all the nostalgic games you loved before, and any games you really wanted to play but couldnt because of budget, not owning the console, rarity, whatever. Ordering games over the net makes this really easy, and pretty cheap. Maybe that will reignite your passion for gaming.

And dont try to get into competitive gaming if your interest is on the wane. Not only will you lack the drive to develop the skills necessary to play competitively, but exposure to all the elitist fuckwads who make up a large proportion of the scene will likely destroy whatever love for gaming you have left.

Can't think of anything witty, so have this instead...

This. At the moment, the average age of a gamer is thirty-seven. You'd think that stereotype of games as nothing more than little shiny toys would have died off by now. And it's probably entirely because of the name of the media.

That said, there's nothing wrong with losing interest in something. Happens to everyone.

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I recommend you track down Shadow Of The Colossus. One of the best and most memorable games I ever played.

Can't think of anything witty, so have this instead...

It would then mean that I am trying to offend myself as well.

But seriously though, videogames are for teenagers with their age appropriate attention span, no appreciation for deeper culture, and what not.

Wii, farmville, etc.

edited 20th Nov '11 11:00:56 AM by thefran

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So is that why the average for gamers is 37? Or are you just trying to troll?

Unsurprisingly, you try to go with the video game class warfare route. It doesn't matter the type, videogames are videogames, and people shouldn't try to dress it up to justify their hobby.

edited 20th Nov '11 11:04:15 AM by GIG

Uh huh. And why do you play them then? Who the hell are you to judge what kind of people videogamers are and yet exclude yourself from your own stereotype? Arrogant.

Ninja'd.

As for the topic, it just happens to some people. Just live life normally, give it a while and see what happens.

edited 20th Nov '11 11:04:25 AM by Exploder

Scythemantis, were you and me separated at birth?

This disillusionment with games may just be a temporary thing. And I think it may actually be caused by that there's nothing distracting you from them right now. It seems like most of the people I know who still enjoy games also have real life shit, so to them games are a sort of escapism.

It may also be that your tastes are just more strict and demanding now, or else they're in a state of flux as you're trying to figure out what game you really really want. Maybe you're starting to notice the little flaws and imperfections that a kid would just brush off, but as an adult they bother you, and you're searching for a game that is "just right."

You may even just need to take a break.

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And you know what, it's alright to not be able to get back into games. It's a hobby just like anything else, and people can lose interest in the thing they once liked. Just think about it this way: One less thing to spend your money on and put to better things.

This man speaks the truth. You don't need to play games all the time to be happy, you'll just play them whenever you want. You probably already have enough other stuff making you happy, whether it's other media, family, or friends.

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^^ The very fact that he made this topic implies he doesn't want to lose his passion for gaming.

edited 20th Nov '11 11:10:47 AM by OmegaKross

Can't think of anything witty, so have this instead...

But what I've seen is that when you try to force something you no longer like on yourself, there is a very good chance you'll grow sick of it instead.

Just keep a console around and when you feel the need to play, it'll happen. Don't shove it down your own throat.

Indeed. Too much of a good thing, after all.

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You can always look for freeware games for the PC. All you need then is an Internet connection to download them and hopefully the power to run them well enough.

edited 20th Nov '11 11:30:38 AM by RocketDude

"Hipsters: the most dangerous gang in the US." - Pacific Mackerel

Someone else suggested trying out Retro Consoles. If I may make a few suggestions...

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I can see a difference or two between Farmville and Halo.

STEALTH!!!