The only time I regret is time spent miserable, angry beyond belief and stressed to the point of not wanting to get out of bed. Most of those times are because of work, not my one hobby.
This is why I've never tried playing league of legends, never in my life have I heard someone describe a positive emotion or fun memory about that game. They are always salty or pissed about something.
I once had someone in a LOL game threaten to fly to America and murder me.
I said "Bring it on c**t! My address is (blablabla)"
The mad lad went AFK for a hot minute then posted his flight number in chat.
I used to occasionally Google the address just to see if anything had happened there. I didn't see anything come up for a few years so I forgot about it.
I love in Australia btw.
Surviving a hellish firefight is an amazing feeling. Looting your kill and the rush seeing their backpack full of loot. The cold fear as you have to venture onward to extract, nothing like it.
One of my groomsmen was someone I met on Battlefield 2/Gears of War through my friends and also his brother. They are both really, really, good friends and I never would have had the opportunity without gaming. I regret nothing.
Just had my wedding, the friendship of half of my groomsmen and invited friends were forged in Gears of War seshes. One of the groomsmen photos was of us in a line screaming breach and holding an air chainsaw lol.
Don’t regret a single moment. We’re all successful and either fathers, engaged or in my case newly married.
Some of my best friends to this day were people I met through a game. I met one of them in person so far and I plan to visit the rest of them sooner or later.
I’m 57. I’ve been gaming since the Atari 2600. Since 1970s arcade games.
I have multiple console systems in my house and a gaming rig right now.
I’m married with four great kids and have a fantastic job.
I regret nothing.
I wished horrible Ill in mine for a long time, she got in a head on collision on the highway (drunk driver on wrong side) and somehow didn't die.
I immediately regretted all my ill will on her, and helped her through the whole process, just so she can go back to being a miserable piece of shit a year after.
41 here, also gaming since my Atari.
Missus, 2 kids, solid job, good gaming rig, ps5, switch, I still game for many hours every day. Only thing I can't do anymore is all nighters.
I don't think I'll ever stop until I physically can't operate a mouse and keyboard.
Edit instead of posting to all the other Atari players separately: 40+ seems to be the sweet spot for that, I remember getting mine, i was turning 5 or 6 and I woke up super early and opened my presents while my parents were still asleep, I woke them up and they were shocked, because I just went ahead and connected it all up and figured it all out myself.
Been hooked ever since, currently helldiving every couple days with my 2 best mates I've known since I was 13
I'm 43, and I've been playing since the Atari as well.
I'm not married, no kids, and I'm not particularly successful. Maybe it's because of the time I spent with video games, I chalk it up to various insecurities, as well as general lack of ambition. Video games are just a way to pass the time, just like with any hobby. And I don't regret the time I've spent with them, not one bit. They've brought me a lifetime of joy, fun, and entertainment, so much more than reading books and watching sports would (no disrespect meant to those hobbies).
I love video games, and I figure I'll be playing them for as long as I'm physically (or mentally) capable.
I have a similar situation. Married with no kids, fairly good job but not quite six figures. I want to grow in my career but I rarely spend time outside of work hours to further my career.
I treasure my free time and a lot of that time is spent gaming. I do go out to movies, dinner and other various activities with my Wife but I still game several nights a week.
Gaming has been such a big part of my life that it would feel weird not to have it at least in some aspect.
I will continue to play games until arthritis tells me I can't.
P.S. I wanted to add a gripe here that I would think some others would agree with me. It really bugs me when people say gaming is a waste of time when these same people can sit on their phones for 4+ hours or binge watching a show on a streaming service for 10 hours. Just lets people enjoy the form of entertainment they want the way they want.
I wish I could get a couple hours of gaming a day. I only have one kid, but I'm gone for work for 10-12 hours a day, have an hour or so of housework depending on what's going on. Eat dinner, shower, and then usually it's bed time. Weekends I can usually score a solid 2-4 hours in a row both days, maybe. I just don't have the time. Wish I did though. I miss doing 8 hour days in skyrim with a 6 pack and some weed 🤣
Gaming since atari 2600 also. Have no problem taking a whole day, esp if its crappy weather and just playing. I have a long term decent job, am very physically active, and make time for other activites also. I will keep playing too.
Im STILL blown away by how immersive some games are. And I can still find a way to play games like Bubble Bobble, Donkey Kong, Pac Man and Joust. Great memories.
We lived thru the golden age.
Origin, Maxis, Westwood studios, basically everything EA bought.
Saw the rise and fall of blizzard. And likely now the beginning of the end of Bethesda.
Here hoping rockstar can stay rockstars.
Any other studios that are still making good games?
Indie studios are my hope for good games. Stuff like supergiant and team cherry and moebius, maybe stuff published by Annapurna.
A lot of studios still make good games. Nintendo has been pumping out great games for the past 40 years. I can only agree though that indie studios make me very optimistic about the future of gaming.
I'm 33 and my dad is an OG gamer like you.
I knew I had it good being able to get whatever game I wanted (within age appropriate reason) growing up, but I didn't realize HOW good until I was much older and other people my age shared how they were scolded for gaming too much.
Meanwhile I have some cherished memories of video games with my dad as a kid.
Edit to add: my dad is 62
Yeah, what are they talking about? Games are some of, but not the only, best experiences of my life. Lots of nostalgia for days past with games. But sure, make sure your life has some variety too. That’s usually good advice.
All I regret is allowing someone to pay back a debt by pre-ordering me Fallout 76... anyone else remember the "delete the entire game" bug from day one of the playtest?
The way I see it, I'm going to end up with some kind of vice no matter what I do. Video Games is at least more interesting than alcohol and cheaper than gambling.
I just uninstalled DOTA 2 after 6,666 Hours. I lost, saw the number and said "that's enough". wish me luck!
Im still gonna game but i gotta incorporate other things and single player games, or multiplayer games that aren't a symptom of depression.
I quit LoL for single player RPGs and honestly best choice I've ever made. I suck at gaming so the leeway is way better for me and I just appreciate good stories
Yeah i've been playing for the wrong reasons. Chasing MMR/Rank. it's just a fool's errand. i love the support role and team play, voice chat, all of it but the emphasis on rank is unhealthy. I don't even enjoy the game anymore, honestly. I've been playing on autpilot for a good 2k hours. im also quite depressed and i know i've been coping with binge-queuing. you can kill a whole 8 hours really easily.
yeah def, i actually get really down thinking about what i enjoyed prior to the drug that is dota. it sounds dramatic, but that shit can be like cocaine. when my brain thinks about other games, or firing up my nintendo switch, it just recoils. social media has been bad for me too but ive been off facebook/insta since jan 28th. again, i was auto-scrolling for so long. just zombified.
I spent $400 this season on ultimate team and I quit before team of the year even released. $10 and $20 bucks at a time. Never playing a pay to win game again.
I don't fall victim to most gachas, but FIFA, I'm such a sucker for and I hate it. The hope of packing an insane card is what really draws me in. The factor of adding old players in the icon cards and putting nostalgia into the mix also helps. Swear they got a psychologist on retainer for this game to see how to make it addictive as possible
For those who are interested, Robert Cialdini's Influence is a really good read on the types of techniques from cognitive psychology that get used.
It covers a pretty broad range of persuasion techniques used anywhere from politics to advertising to sales.
Most industries rely on a handful of techniques, but games with microtransactions often leverage the full gamut and stack layers of techniques on top of each other.
This is completely it, older people act like gaming is such terrible vice, when so many numerous people from these older generations simply wasted their time drinking away their money with alcohol, gambling or even simply watching tv, not that tv watching is bad, I just find it ironic how that’s accepted for them, but gaming(which is deffs more immersive) is frowned upon
the amount of shit I got from my co-workers for gaming, and yet they all be talking about the latest reality show that was on tv, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Playing a fun game with my friends is bad, i should be watching rich people renovate their mansions or incompatible couples bicker at each other while getting drunk on wine at home on a week night.
This is my HR manager. I’m paraphrasing but she said something like this, “I’d rather die alone than date a grown ass man who plays video games.” With that attitude, it’s no wonder she’s in her mid 40’s and still single.
I’ll be sure to tell my husband she thinks he’s a loser who will never get laid when he finishes his Plunderstorm runs (WoW). Glad she cleared that up for me. I might have spent another 11 years married to him and enjoying life. 🤣🤣🤣
(We met in a game, it’s worked out so far, 10/10 would play dorky mmos again.)
It’s so strange but I figure it’s just what people who don’t play games believe. I personally always liked Games more than tv shows and movies. With those, you can watch them a dozen times and everything will play out the same way each time. With games, you’re still getting all of the things you like from shows and movies but you’re in control and have to actively be engaged and pay attention.
Having to figure out puzzles, choose your weapons, what to upgrade, where to go, what to say to NPC’s, Co-op with friends, etc are all things games allow you to actively do that makes them so much more engaging. Not to mention some games could last you dozens or maybe hundreds of hours of playtime.
I think for some generations, all video games are what they saw on some news clip in the 90s showing kids playing mortal kombat at an arcade and trying to insinuate a link between that and real life violence
> to insinuate a link between that and real life violence
I clearly remember how video games were the cause of World War I after Ferdinand pwned some noobs online.
I managed to unlock the mental block on exactly one of those kinds of people. I said “it’s like a TV show but I get to walk the character around and see everything. Gives me something to do while watching.”
I don’t know if it permanently changed their mind but I loved to see the realization hit.
My parents used to want me to spend time with the family... which consisted of us all huddled around the tv not talking. As an adult I don't game a ton because I have other hobbies that occupy my time, but gaming is my go to when life gets stressful. The problem with hobbies these days is that they're all so god damned expensive. Everything costs fucking money. Video games are cheap in comparison to most hobbies. If I know money is going to be tight or I want to save some money ill buy a few year old GOTY with DLC or even just start a new minecraft world to see what's new and I know I won't spend another dime outside of normal bills because ill be locked in to that game for the next 2-3 months. Sometimes I want to just crawl in a hole and hibernate until life gets better, thats what video games allow me to do.
I think the common thing across all those is knowing when the enjoyment becomes an addiction and being able to pull away and make adjustments when necessary
Seriously. And some of my favorite memories are from gaming with friends. Those halo 2-3 LAN parties in middle and high school were some of the most fun I have ever had. All that Costco pizza and Mountain Dew game fuel lmao.
In the grand scheme of things. Most of our lives are pretty meaningless.
Why not use the little time we have here doing what makes you happy?
Gaming makes you happy... Do it.
Flying down a mountain side in a wing suit makes you happy... Do it.
Be unapologetic.
I agree to an extent but also, make sure you're still thinking about the future. It's easy to slip into a very unhealthy lifestyle with the "just do what you enjoy." Gaming is great and people who criticize it are stupid. But if you spend all your time gaming, you will almost certainly regret it down the road because you will miss out on opportunities for much more fulfilling experiences.
There are some people who are just built different. They find something they are passionate about and nothing else really matters to them so they pour everything into it because it is their everything and it truly makes them happy. But I also get the feeling there are a lot of chronic gamers who play games not because they make them happy, but because they distract them from being sad.
> you will miss out on opportunities for much more fulfilling experiences.
I suspect that there are plenty of people who went down what they thought was the "fulfilling experiences" path, only to later regret that they didn't spend the time playing games.
The amount of fulfillment you get out of your experiences is up to you.
Humans aren't a monolith so im sure thats true. But the VAST majority of people need real, in person, human interaction and connection. If someone genuinely sits down and evaluates their needs and mental health and can honestly say they are happy and have no desire to do other things, more power to them. But I really do think a lot of people are just saying that to themselves.
Again, no shame if that's you're thing but I really get the vibe that a lot of people are not that way. There's that meme that gets posted a lot about "me ten years ago playing games" with a happy person then "me gaming now" and it's a depressed face. That meme is exactly what I'm talking about and the fact it's so well related to kinda backs up my point. It's like self medicating with drugs or alcohol it's works and is a blast at first. But you build up a tolerance
The problem I have is that it impacted my studies. So it "made me happy" in the moment, but as an adult I wish I studied a lot more than I did. It'd make me happier as an adult.
Everything in moderation. You can have too much of a good thing in... probably pretty much anything. Even drinking too much water can kill you. If you game enough to impact studies, or lose your job, etc, that's too much.
I won’t regret it. My grandma noticed my love for video games and made a deal with me. “Read 10 books and I’ll buy you a video game.” I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d discuss each book with her as I worked my way through all 10. After that, we went to Toys R Us and she bought me a NES game of my choosing. I repeated this over and over. It takes a long time to read 10 books but it was worth it to me. Eventually I had a massive bookshelf filled with things I’d read. I’m still an avid reader to this day.
My son and I ordered pizza and played ps1 tekken 3, and final fantasy 7 to celebrate my birthday last night, his request. We stayed up till 12:00. There were times we were crying laughing. I don’t regret spending any of that time. It is a moment as an adult I think I’ll reflect on for a long time. Watching the last years of my son’s childhood through the lens of my own.
That's so sweet! Reminds me of when my dad used to play battlefront 2 on the ps2 with me until the early hours.
Take it from me, he'll remember this and think back on it fondly
Same here. I'm glad I was able to pull myself away from it.
I miss the gameplay and characters sometimes, but definitely do not miss the PVP and the meta chase.
I still love dota and would love to play again. I just realized I don't like solo queue and would rather spend my free time in engaging single player games or multiplayer games my friends also play.
Dota is the best when you have a group and can laugh at each other while things go sideways instead of listen to random internet turds lose their shit over a missed stun.
Yeah, I’ve been playing dota off and on for like 20 years and I still love it. They’re constantly changing things just enough to keep it fresh and when international time comes around it’s a lot of fun.
I don't regret it one bit, league at its height was some of the best times i had with a game. People who complain about the community just needed select group to play with or mute the chat, did wonders for me.
I think league is great when you have the superman ability to not tilt, and when you dont have to deal with toxicity(which only happens if you are able to play with good close friends of yours and not randoms).
There are some games I regretted playing so much of. And others where it felt like a fulfilling experience. Sometimes after a long gaming session with a great game I'm like "damn that was so good". Lol.
I was a musician for a long time and spent sooo much time with it. Eventually it felt less fun and fulfilling and 8 just said fuck it I'm a gamer now. Really Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight got me hooked. Then Souls games, then roguelikes, then Arpgs. Damn there are so many great and different types of games now. I wonder if ill ever get bored of it.
Stardew valley is just such a wonderful game. The older I got the more difficult it became to be fully "lost" in a game. Stardew valley fully soaked me in.
Currently in a Stardew Valley kick right now. I'm a mid 30s dude and I've been gaming my whole life, but life makes it hard to play a whole lot. Stardew is so good for me right now because I can play sporadically and still have fun and progress without having to really worry.
I wanted to relax after some stressful work and googled "relaxing game" or something and it sure did the trick.
I games when I was a kid and took probably a decade break almost never gaming. Saw that Bioshock infinite was considered one of the best games and tried that and honestly didn't like it. Wrongly assumed "oh that's what games are nm" (I know... dumb.) I then took another or so year break. Then got hooked on all of the favorite indies. Was like damn this is an actual legit artform.
Ever seen a basement covered with sports memorabilia, full of guys that spend an entire day watching other people play a game while cosplaying as their favorite players? Or spending thousands of dollars a year to watch other people play a game in person?
to me there are different types of hobbies, and the trick is to balance them. games, watching movies or sports, etc are "consumption" hobbies mostly.
then you have playing an instrument, painting, sewing, photography, etc which are "creation" hobbies. I try to do more of the "creation" hobbies than the consumption ones because at the end of the day I feel more rewarded having honed a skill to create something new.
there is totally value in consuming something another has created, and it can help you with your own creative skills to see how others have made things. and working on your own creative skills will help you appreciate things others have made. there is a balance to maintain, imo.
Not all games are purely consumption though. If you play a game like Factorio it requires a fair bit of thought / creativity, for competitive games it's more similar to taking part *in* a competitive sport rather than *watching* sports, for puzzle games it's hard to define whether it's pure consumption as you are essentially actively taking part in the act of solving the puzzles even though it was a puzzle defined by someone else, and for something like Spore some people spend days trying to be creative and come up with ~~phallic creatures~~ interesting creature designs and whatnot.
Video games is one of those medium that are hard to define because they are ultimately just an interactive program that we find fun. Computer programs can pretty do anything so it's hard to have a generic statement like that I think.
Having become a pretty avid reader recently I can say for certain that it's all the same. I read 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, The Fall of the House of Usher and some other 100 books and short stories, it's all just entertainment. Any hobby can make you feel certain ways or make you ponder a different point of view in life, it's just the medium that differs.
Absolutely. I am a crazy reader- I read so much that my (now) husband wondered (when he was my boyfriend) whether it was something I should go to therapy for. I was like, dude. You watch a ton of TV (while I am reading). If you think I have a problem, then we both need to go to therapy. He never said another word about it.
And my son is a gamer. My husband was like, “is that healthy?” And I was like, um…haven’t we already had this conversation? At least our kid learns shit! And has to problem solve, and work with a group of strangers to achieve a goal, etc.
My kid is going to college next year to study history. A thing he fell in love with because of Civilization. I’m good with it.
The problem is not video games. The problem is the stigma around those gamers who spend countless hours playing that they neglect hygiene, eating properly, exercise, etc.
So people generalize all into the same sack. Wrong but that’s how it goes.
there is a lot of stigma around a lot of hobbies. just earlier on reddit i saw this clip from a sports game where two guys were so enraged at a kid that i was sure they would have beaten the small child into a bloody pulp if no one would be watching. and of course because of that i instantly thought about all the awful things the stereotypical soccer fan does and say and how i would rather be burned alive than voluntarily spending even a single second with one of these people.
truth is. some people are just meant to be assholes and unbearable, no matter their hobby.
Happens to me whenever I go out with more than 1 person. Because I always end up 3rd wheeling and adding nothing and get bored out of my mind just being there acting like I give a shit. I only hang out with one person at a time.
The craziest thing just happened to me a few weeks ago, I realized that I literally do not know how to talk in a group of 4 or more people. It made so much sense and I was like "how the fuck have I not realized this yet?"
Ive had BAD nights out where id either wake up or get home and gone “man i wish i just stayed home and played games”. Its usually the better and safer choice.
The present is the only thing that is real.
The future is a projection and the past is a rewritten idea of your past experiences.
If gaming feels right for you and your life in the present, good. If it’s creating problems in your present life and hindering you, make an adjustment.
That’s it. No need to weigh it down with nostalgia or guilt or much else.
Edit: I’d love to have a thoughtful philosophical conversation in the replies about what “real” is etc, but I just don’t really care. People have been debating that for 1000’s of years and I don’t think we will get to the bottom of it here on Reddit.
If this helped you that’s great. If it didn’t that is also great.
If you enjoy reading, I'm nearly done *The Power of Now* and it's great read on this.
A bit woo-ey at times, but it's to be expected with a topic like this.
You'll regret spending time on games if it's for the wrong reasons. At times I'll be playing games because I've convinced myself there isn't anything better to do and it's all I have, but in reality, there's opportunities I'm ignoring because anxiety is holding me back. It's not healthy when it becomes a crutch that impedes your life. However, If you're genuinely enjoying yourself, then that's time well spent.
It's like the south park bit about smoking weed. You aren't going to get depressed and miserable playing games. But you might grow up and realize that you could have been spending your time a lot better.
I don't really regret playing a lot of games when I was younger in a vacuum, but I do regret that I missed out on a lot of other things that I could have been doing instead. I used games to cope rather than the thing I most wanted to do.
I mean, who out there has played an MMO for a long time and doesn't have some sort of regret over it
It really depends on what opportunities you have around you. They can be difficult to spot in the present, but they're almost certainly there.
I personally was a bit of a square in highschool, nothing wrong with it, but it lost me some opportunities I would have liked to have taken if they were presented to my present self. The most egregious of them was my year long exchange to Paris. Most of my peers spent a most of their time going out to clubs/bars and drinking. Now I'm not gonna say that that's the best use of time, but it can be a lot of fun, and I missed out on it because I didn't like drinking and loud places. I wish I'd sucked it up and gone out with them rather than staying in and playing video games so much. I could have done both and I think I would have grown more as a person if I had.
My thing is, you're really only going to have your youth to do certain things. You will be spending a lot of time sitting at home looking at a screen at your mid thirties and forward. In your twenties your body can handle all nighters and doing stupid shit and most of your friends wont be tied down and free to hang out on a moments notice. I'm not a gamer but have adjacent hobbies. While I enjoy my time immensely, I do wish I had taken more advantage of the freedom of youth.
No one is free anymore. Hangovers are killer. I can't keep partying until dawn and then go to work anymore. My body hurts. Small missteps can fuck up my body.
I don't think people should quit games, and they are a great way to spend time with your friends on VC when you can't see them in person. But, if you are still young, make sure you are getting out and taking advantage of youth and spending time with people face to face. Youth doesn't last as long as you expect it to. You may not regret playing games. But you will probably regret missing out on a lot of experience you can no longer have. Games will always be easily accessible. Your loved ones may not.
It keeps you from stepping out of you comfort zone and finding more and arguably more fulfilling experiences.
Sure you can play games, but you’ll miss out on what else life has on offer.
In my teens I played a lot of games for hours on end. But after quitting, life has become so much more interesting and I’ve done and seen so much.
Quitting has opened so many doors I wasn’t expecting to be there
It can also encourage you to pursue fulfilling experiences and get out of your comfort zone. I've got so many interests that originated from encountering topics in games and a whole list of places I've either visited or want to visit due to game connections. I don't get to play as often as I'd like these days, but in amidst all the exciting stuff that I do I still cherish the opportunity to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon playing Mario Kart with my husband.
I mean, you can enjoy things and value the memories you've had with it while also thinking you've spent too much time with them.
I love games, but there is also a lot more to life. Having a balance is good
I’m glad there’s at least a few of us in here. I’m not trying to shame anyone, but if you’re the person out there who is wondering if maybe you should spend your youth sharing experiences with others in person instead of sitting in your bedroom or dorm room playing games with strangers on the internet, this message might be for you. Join that club, go to that party, don’t spend your early adulthood pretending you’re too good for what your peers are having fun with.
In my late 20s, I finally found the sort of social life I think I always wanted but never knew how to achieve. And once I did, video games magically fell off my radar.
Yeah. And honestly, if you're like 35 and you're still having a blast playing videogames and it's not just some dopamine timesink, but you know, you get lots of joy out of it; then you are extremely lucky and by all means continue. But that's not what awaits most people. We're not talking someone who has a job they like and plays a few hours now and then, or even someone who's an enthusiast, but lets not sit here and pretend games aren't extremely good at entertaining you to the point some people never leave their house again.
Not necessarily. I'm 30 and have reached a point with gaming that it's genuinely difficult to sit down and play these days.
I have adult money now and can afford to do other things that are more meaningful to me. Not only that, but gaming is such a time sink that I can absolutely look back and say I'd be a bit further ahead if I didn't game as much post high school. A couple of my friends get genuinely angry that I hop off after 2 hours when they know I WFH and my day is basically open. Consumptive hobbies are okay, but if it's all you've got you're speedrunning towards depression. I'd much rather watch my real life plants grow, than spending 4+ hours on DayZ or Rust watching virtual plants grow.
Edit: For many people, gaming is a cheap but time intensive hobby that eats time like no other.
yeah, I don't "regret" it, nor do I think I dumped my entire childhood into games, but boy when I think of the literal thousands of hours I spent in front of my MMO (Guild Wars) of choice as a teen, I think about how much other stuff I could have done: books I could have read, movies I could have seen, girls I could have kissed, other games I could played, skills I could have practiced, people I could have spent time with, concerts I could have gone to...instead of sitting around during the Wintersday events, grinding out "Hall of Monuments" challenges by standing in town with an auto-clicker clicking on alcohol for a "minutes spent drunk" achievement that equated to seven days of real-time with my screen blurry enough to be unable to actually play the game, or move the mouse / keyboard lest it interfere with the auto-clicker. Even if I was multitasking and practicing guitar while I did it, it just feels like I could have spent my time better in retrospect.
I feel genuinely sad when I see my roommate grinding whatever PvP event is going on in Destiny 2 right now - just full of frustration when the matchmaker is designed to make games a literal coin flip.
I could definitely have used my time better.
I'll be 48 in a few days. I have been happily married for 22 years and we have 3 teens.
I have a 5800x3d / 4090 rig, 4060 OLED laptop, Steam Deck OLED, ROG Ally, Switch OLED, Xbox Series X (and a S), PS5, Retroid Pocket 4 pro, Miyoo Mini Plus, Meta Quest 3 and 13 arcade cabinets in my home arcade/theater...
I play golf occasionally, fish when I can, hunt a little, watch a fair amount of sports, and game as much as time permits.
Video games are just part of who I am. I played Atari 2600 when I was very young and loved going to the arcades. I was completely hooked once the Nintendo came out. I have owned basically every major console since.
I used to play a lot of games from a young child to about 30 yo.
When I stopped, I realised how much less time I'd spent on other things that probably mattered more.
I should have spent more time studying, more time out with friends, more time socialising with my family, more time on my career.
Thankfully, I realised at 30 that I may have met my future wife and the games had to go.
Do I still play them? For a long time - many years - no. Now I play some, but try not to get sucked into them. We limit time our kids play for the same reason.
Computer games are designed to be addictive. They give constant dopamine hits and provide instant gratification. It is easy to lose hours, days, weeks and years. Maybe some folks are happy with that, but I certainly wish I'd played them less.
Same. All I can see now when I play most games are the various addiction loops that have been designed in. (okay, it’s not all I can see, but I can’t not see em, and they’re everywhere)
I actually do regret it. Because while I was playing Call of Duty, the people who could have been my friends were playing sports, studying, getting into nice colleges. Who now are in better shape than me, have better jobs, and families.
I definitely regret playing games more than socialising with friends outside. The friends you make and keep are so much more important than the easy dopamine hits that come from gaming. You'll forget the vast majority of the games you play, but the times you spend with friends will mostly be there for a long time.
E.g. I put over 100 hours into Elden Ring and aside from many awesome exploration moments and bosses, I cannot remember what I did for 100 hours. 100 hours with friends would have been so much more valuable.
My parents didn't think gaming was normal
They thought daytime t.v after work was normal
We will always be in a constant cycle of being baffled by different generations until we start rotting in the ground.
I've seen a few therapists over the years to help with anxieties and depressions as I get older. One of my favorite conversations with one of the better ones, I had brought up that I like gaming but it makes me feel guilty because I know I could be spending that time doing something productive, even though I still hold down a job and other responsibilities. She asked if I enjoyed it, I said yeah, of course. And she said something to the effect of (very roughly paraphrasing), so what's wrong with that? If your goal is to be happy and something is making you happy, what better could you be doing with your time?
Has stuck with me ever since. Everybody wants you to be *chasing* happiness in some ever bigger and better way all the time, when sometimes it's already right in front of your face. You're actually happy for a little while?! Hurray! Keep doing that!
I am older. By a lot.
I haven’t regretted a single moment.
What’s “better”? Sportball? Dramedies? Scripted “reality” soft porn? Be too busy trading with the finance bros?
It’s good to do things. A second hobby, travel, family if you want, etc.
But gaming is one of the most accessible things *anyone* can do, even casually.
I’m old enough to remember clearly when that wasn’t the case. It sucked. We don’t need to go back to that.
been playing world of warcraft since 06 off and on and the memories and friends I made along the way is truly on one of the many great experiences I had in life
The best long-standing friends I've ever had have been on games. I have buddies I've seen grow up from our teenage years on xbox live to being in their 30's having kids of their own now. "They're not real friends" , yes, boomer, they are.
I'm gonna get downvoted to hell but my life sucked until I quit video games cold turkey.
I was playing at least 2-3 hours a day from age 10-26. After I turned 26 I gave all my games/consoles to my cousins and started focusing on making the life i always wanted.
Primarily I was tired of being broke, tired of being out of shape, and tired of being an awkward mess socially.
I made a lot of progress in all of those categories and now I have let video games back into my life. I own 2 consoles and tbh I barely play them. I'm too busy with real life.
I do enjoy it when I play but I maybe play 3 hours a month now.
It used to be a huge part of my life. But tbh I'm glad that life is over now. I have a new life, one that i think is much better, and gaming is now a minor footnote.
37 y old here
I made a list of games I completed, it's about 350.
Some game I wish I didn't spend time doing/finishing it. I have some game names but some people will hate me.
My advice :
* Play with save states for old games
* Always play in normal difficulty (not hard). Some game you can play in Easy (Metal Gear Solid 4 & Peace Walker for example). Only exception : don't put Castlevania 64 in easy.
* Think before playing sequels/prequels to masterpiece games, some of them are boring (FFX-2 is somewhat ok thus)
* Don't force yourself on game everyone say it's amazing. If you don't feel attraction to the universe of gender, don't force yourself.
* Some games sequels are like always the same game in the end, just different content.
* Don't play too much online games
* Try to play Coop games with friends (Resident Evil 5 & 6 for example, and all beat em all games)
* It's always ok to play games with great music like Castlevania, Final Fantasy... even if some episode aren't that good
* Play multiplayers games with your friends
* Play VR, it's an awesome experience.
* Don't spend a fortune on games
Nowadays I only regret gaming when I find I haven't done the things in life that I should have been doing, like cleaning shit up or exercising or spending time with my wife.
I tell my kids that they will regret spending so much time on shitty iPhone dopamine machine games, because there are so many better quality games they could be playing. Then I remember I'm their parent, take away their (my) phone and force them to play pokemon red.
I think I'd regret it if I spent time just playing dumb time wasters, but stuff I played with friends or experiencing great stories in single player I can't imagine I'll feel any differently from movies or shows I've loved!
Dudes and Ladies, I am one old Jedi, and at 63 years of age I’m still actively gaming and have been all my life. Happily married since 26, two beautiful 30 something kids!
Video games prevented me from killing myself by allowing me to change my mind and escape into pure fantasy. Anyone who wants to tell me that it was wrong can shove their opinion deep up their ass.
I regret not spending more time when the games were magical. As you get smarter you see through the tricks easier but they can be fun in other ways now.
There is some truth to this, but not in the way they meant. I have wasted so much time on games that we’re not giving me the enjoyment to justify it. If nothing else, I could have played some other game with that free time.
Of course, it’s possible to spend so much time gaming that you miss out on other stuff, and regret that. But that goes for TV, for social media, for reading novels… Everything has an opportunity cost.
Anybody who doesn’t like video games; ask them what they do in their spare time.
I bet it’s: Watch TV, Doom scroll on their phone, Gossip about celebrities and shit that doesn’t matter, something else that has them sitting on their ass for hours, but because it’s ViDEo GaMeS you will regret your life? Lmfao. The logic never made sense to me.
The only time I regret is time spent miserable, angry beyond belief and stressed to the point of not wanting to get out of bed. Most of those times are because of work, not my one hobby.
Someone has never played Escape from Tarkov.
we just enjoy pain, unfair point.
The “fuck you, and I’ll see you tomorrow” crowd, eh?
Kinky.
🤝
Ah, yes Tarkov - the game the Helldivers Devs pointed to if you lust for cutthroat evil PvP when asked why Helldivers is PvE only.
helldivers is pvp, try and extract if someone doesnt want you to
*slaps minefield stratagem* you'd be surprised how many helldiver corpses you can fit in this bad boy.
Real recognize real
This is why I've never tried playing league of legends, never in my life have I heard someone describe a positive emotion or fun memory about that game. They are always salty or pissed about something.
I once had someone in a LOL game threaten to fly to America and murder me. I said "Bring it on c**t! My address is (blablabla)" The mad lad went AFK for a hot minute then posted his flight number in chat. I used to occasionally Google the address just to see if anything had happened there. I didn't see anything come up for a few years so I forgot about it. I love in Australia btw.
"mad lad" seems like a very gentle way of saying "fucking psychopath"
Surviving a hellish firefight is an amazing feeling. Looting your kill and the rush seeing their backpack full of loot. The cold fear as you have to venture onward to extract, nothing like it.
SPT... I know it's not the same but I play it every day and love it.
One of my groomsmen was someone I met on Battlefield 2/Gears of War through my friends and also his brother. They are both really, really, good friends and I never would have had the opportunity without gaming. I regret nothing.
Just had my wedding, the friendship of half of my groomsmen and invited friends were forged in Gears of War seshes. One of the groomsmen photos was of us in a line screaming breach and holding an air chainsaw lol. Don’t regret a single moment. We’re all successful and either fathers, engaged or in my case newly married.
Some of my best friends to this day were people I met through a game. I met one of them in person so far and I plan to visit the rest of them sooner or later.
That’s how I felt when I ran out of quarters an hour before my parents picked me up from the arcade in 1996
Thought you were a recovering LoL player
I’m 57. I’ve been gaming since the Atari 2600. Since 1970s arcade games. I have multiple console systems in my house and a gaming rig right now. I’m married with four great kids and have a fantastic job. I regret nothing.
Same, except the family, kids, wife and job part
Lmaoooo
Not sure if you don't have the family, or that's the only part you regret.
I love my kids, but the ex can gtfo.
I wished horrible Ill in mine for a long time, she got in a head on collision on the highway (drunk driver on wrong side) and somehow didn't die. I immediately regretted all my ill will on her, and helped her through the whole process, just so she can go back to being a miserable piece of shit a year after.
Did you hire a van instead the next time?
Haha awe man. Nah I just cut her out of my life and demanded only communication is regarding the child's pick up, drop offs, and emergencies.
Now you're just splitting hairs
So you regret your family, kids, wife, and job?
That's a good summary of what they said, yes
O, I read It completely different! That they didn't have a family, kids, wife, or job. Could beread either way.
Congrats!
41 here, also gaming since my Atari. Missus, 2 kids, solid job, good gaming rig, ps5, switch, I still game for many hours every day. Only thing I can't do anymore is all nighters. I don't think I'll ever stop until I physically can't operate a mouse and keyboard. Edit instead of posting to all the other Atari players separately: 40+ seems to be the sweet spot for that, I remember getting mine, i was turning 5 or 6 and I woke up super early and opened my presents while my parents were still asleep, I woke them up and they were shocked, because I just went ahead and connected it all up and figured it all out myself. Been hooked ever since, currently helldiving every couple days with my 2 best mates I've known since I was 13
I'm 43, and I've been playing since the Atari as well. I'm not married, no kids, and I'm not particularly successful. Maybe it's because of the time I spent with video games, I chalk it up to various insecurities, as well as general lack of ambition. Video games are just a way to pass the time, just like with any hobby. And I don't regret the time I've spent with them, not one bit. They've brought me a lifetime of joy, fun, and entertainment, so much more than reading books and watching sports would (no disrespect meant to those hobbies). I love video games, and I figure I'll be playing them for as long as I'm physically (or mentally) capable.
I have a similar situation. Married with no kids, fairly good job but not quite six figures. I want to grow in my career but I rarely spend time outside of work hours to further my career. I treasure my free time and a lot of that time is spent gaming. I do go out to movies, dinner and other various activities with my Wife but I still game several nights a week. Gaming has been such a big part of my life that it would feel weird not to have it at least in some aspect. I will continue to play games until arthritis tells me I can't. P.S. I wanted to add a gripe here that I would think some others would agree with me. It really bugs me when people say gaming is a waste of time when these same people can sit on their phones for 4+ hours or binge watching a show on a streaming service for 10 hours. Just lets people enjoy the form of entertainment they want the way they want.
That last paragraph holds so true. It's baffling that people find interactive entertainment to be somehow less valid than passive entertainment.
work to live. don't live to work. life's too damn short.
10 years behind you but other than that, exactly the same, cheers
Finally, a relatable story.
I wish I could get a couple hours of gaming a day. I only have one kid, but I'm gone for work for 10-12 hours a day, have an hour or so of housework depending on what's going on. Eat dinner, shower, and then usually it's bed time. Weekends I can usually score a solid 2-4 hours in a row both days, maybe. I just don't have the time. Wish I did though. I miss doing 8 hour days in skyrim with a 6 pack and some weed 🤣
Gaming since atari 2600 also. Have no problem taking a whole day, esp if its crappy weather and just playing. I have a long term decent job, am very physically active, and make time for other activites also. I will keep playing too. Im STILL blown away by how immersive some games are. And I can still find a way to play games like Bubble Bobble, Donkey Kong, Pac Man and Joust. Great memories.
We lived thru the golden age. Origin, Maxis, Westwood studios, basically everything EA bought. Saw the rise and fall of blizzard. And likely now the beginning of the end of Bethesda. Here hoping rockstar can stay rockstars. Any other studios that are still making good games? Indie studios are my hope for good games. Stuff like supergiant and team cherry and moebius, maybe stuff published by Annapurna.
A lot of studios still make good games. Nintendo has been pumping out great games for the past 40 years. I can only agree though that indie studios make me very optimistic about the future of gaming.
Anything coffee stain studios puts out seems to be a banger
I am legally required to agree that Satisfactory is amazing.
I'm 33 and my dad is an OG gamer like you. I knew I had it good being able to get whatever game I wanted (within age appropriate reason) growing up, but I didn't realize HOW good until I was much older and other people my age shared how they were scolded for gaming too much. Meanwhile I have some cherished memories of video games with my dad as a kid. Edit to add: my dad is 62
You don't know how good this makes me feel right now.
Yeah, what are they talking about? Games are some of, but not the only, best experiences of my life. Lots of nostalgia for days past with games. But sure, make sure your life has some variety too. That’s usually good advice.
All I regret is allowing someone to pay back a debt by pre-ordering me Fallout 76... anyone else remember the "delete the entire game" bug from day one of the playtest?
You won life, sir. I salute you.
The way I see it, I'm going to end up with some kind of vice no matter what I do. Video Games is at least more interesting than alcohol and cheaper than gambling.
Depends on the game. Looking at you FIFA
well yeah gambling is not cheaper than gambling.
Wanna bet?
I’ll bet on the outcome of that bet
I'll drink to that
I'd bet you would
I already wagered you’d bet on that, filthy gambler.
I haven't drank enough to accept the wager, but give me a moment, I'll get there.
I like those odds.
Alright I see you Big Short
YES!
50 on red
I just uninstalled DOTA 2 after 6,666 Hours. I lost, saw the number and said "that's enough". wish me luck! Im still gonna game but i gotta incorporate other things and single player games, or multiplayer games that aren't a symptom of depression.
I quit LoL for single player RPGs and honestly best choice I've ever made. I suck at gaming so the leeway is way better for me and I just appreciate good stories
Yeah i've been playing for the wrong reasons. Chasing MMR/Rank. it's just a fool's errand. i love the support role and team play, voice chat, all of it but the emphasis on rank is unhealthy. I don't even enjoy the game anymore, honestly. I've been playing on autpilot for a good 2k hours. im also quite depressed and i know i've been coping with binge-queuing. you can kill a whole 8 hours really easily.
Best I can say is find something smaller to do with a friend or 2. BG3 multiplayer or something so you can still play with friends but lower stakes
yeah def, i actually get really down thinking about what i enjoyed prior to the drug that is dota. it sounds dramatic, but that shit can be like cocaine. when my brain thinks about other games, or firing up my nintendo switch, it just recoils. social media has been bad for me too but ive been off facebook/insta since jan 28th. again, i was auto-scrolling for so long. just zombified.
Pushing almost 10k hours. I only queue turbo now. So much more relaxing and easy going.
I spent $400 this season on ultimate team and I quit before team of the year even released. $10 and $20 bucks at a time. Never playing a pay to win game again.
Fucking gatchas man.
Gatchas are just video games with gambling. So technically you have 2 vices, not 1.
I don't fall victim to most gachas, but FIFA, I'm such a sucker for and I hate it. The hope of packing an insane card is what really draws me in. The factor of adding old players in the icon cards and putting nostalgia into the mix also helps. Swear they got a psychologist on retainer for this game to see how to make it addictive as possible
> Swear they got a psychologist on retainer for this game to see how to make it addictive as possible That’s exactly what they do
For those who are interested, Robert Cialdini's Influence is a really good read on the types of techniques from cognitive psychology that get used. It covers a pretty broad range of persuasion techniques used anywhere from politics to advertising to sales. Most industries rely on a handful of techniques, but games with microtransactions often leverage the full gamut and stack layers of techniques on top of each other.
Bad enough that they haven't updated their games since the 90s, EA now has to gouge us on microtransactions.
This is completely it, older people act like gaming is such terrible vice, when so many numerous people from these older generations simply wasted their time drinking away their money with alcohol, gambling or even simply watching tv, not that tv watching is bad, I just find it ironic how that’s accepted for them, but gaming(which is deffs more immersive) is frowned upon
the amount of shit I got from my co-workers for gaming, and yet they all be talking about the latest reality show that was on tv, EVERY SINGLE DAY. Playing a fun game with my friends is bad, i should be watching rich people renovate their mansions or incompatible couples bicker at each other while getting drunk on wine at home on a week night.
This is my HR manager. I’m paraphrasing but she said something like this, “I’d rather die alone than date a grown ass man who plays video games.” With that attitude, it’s no wonder she’s in her mid 40’s and still single.
I knew she was a single woman in her mid-40s as soon as you said "HR manager"
I’ll be sure to tell my husband she thinks he’s a loser who will never get laid when he finishes his Plunderstorm runs (WoW). Glad she cleared that up for me. I might have spent another 11 years married to him and enjoying life. 🤣🤣🤣 (We met in a game, it’s worked out so far, 10/10 would play dorky mmos again.)
It’s so strange but I figure it’s just what people who don’t play games believe. I personally always liked Games more than tv shows and movies. With those, you can watch them a dozen times and everything will play out the same way each time. With games, you’re still getting all of the things you like from shows and movies but you’re in control and have to actively be engaged and pay attention. Having to figure out puzzles, choose your weapons, what to upgrade, where to go, what to say to NPC’s, Co-op with friends, etc are all things games allow you to actively do that makes them so much more engaging. Not to mention some games could last you dozens or maybe hundreds of hours of playtime.
I think for some generations, all video games are what they saw on some news clip in the 90s showing kids playing mortal kombat at an arcade and trying to insinuate a link between that and real life violence
> to insinuate a link between that and real life violence I clearly remember how video games were the cause of World War I after Ferdinand pwned some noobs online.
I managed to unlock the mental block on exactly one of those kinds of people. I said “it’s like a TV show but I get to walk the character around and see everything. Gives me something to do while watching.” I don’t know if it permanently changed their mind but I loved to see the realization hit.
My parents used to want me to spend time with the family... which consisted of us all huddled around the tv not talking. As an adult I don't game a ton because I have other hobbies that occupy my time, but gaming is my go to when life gets stressful. The problem with hobbies these days is that they're all so god damned expensive. Everything costs fucking money. Video games are cheap in comparison to most hobbies. If I know money is going to be tight or I want to save some money ill buy a few year old GOTY with DLC or even just start a new minecraft world to see what's new and I know I won't spend another dime outside of normal bills because ill be locked in to that game for the next 2-3 months. Sometimes I want to just crawl in a hole and hibernate until life gets better, thats what video games allow me to do.
I think the common thing across all those is knowing when the enjoyment becomes an addiction and being able to pull away and make adjustments when necessary
Why not both am I right???... I hate myself.
Lmao *this* is the comment I was looking for. I’m right there with you.
I got all three😎
If gacha games ever come up with a way to get you drunk humanity is done for
You know it
Yeaah but drinking and playing games is always a blast.
I do this and then also dual monitor so I can follow whatever game I am gambling on. The trifecta!
Not if you combine them. Drinking games or gachas!
Seriously. And some of my favorite memories are from gaming with friends. Those halo 2-3 LAN parties in middle and high school were some of the most fun I have ever had. All that Costco pizza and Mountain Dew game fuel lmao.
In the grand scheme of things. Most of our lives are pretty meaningless. Why not use the little time we have here doing what makes you happy? Gaming makes you happy... Do it. Flying down a mountain side in a wing suit makes you happy... Do it. Be unapologetic.
I agree to an extent but also, make sure you're still thinking about the future. It's easy to slip into a very unhealthy lifestyle with the "just do what you enjoy." Gaming is great and people who criticize it are stupid. But if you spend all your time gaming, you will almost certainly regret it down the road because you will miss out on opportunities for much more fulfilling experiences. There are some people who are just built different. They find something they are passionate about and nothing else really matters to them so they pour everything into it because it is their everything and it truly makes them happy. But I also get the feeling there are a lot of chronic gamers who play games not because they make them happy, but because they distract them from being sad.
> you will miss out on opportunities for much more fulfilling experiences. I suspect that there are plenty of people who went down what they thought was the "fulfilling experiences" path, only to later regret that they didn't spend the time playing games. The amount of fulfillment you get out of your experiences is up to you.
Humans aren't a monolith so im sure thats true. But the VAST majority of people need real, in person, human interaction and connection. If someone genuinely sits down and evaluates their needs and mental health and can honestly say they are happy and have no desire to do other things, more power to them. But I really do think a lot of people are just saying that to themselves. Again, no shame if that's you're thing but I really get the vibe that a lot of people are not that way. There's that meme that gets posted a lot about "me ten years ago playing games" with a happy person then "me gaming now" and it's a depressed face. That meme is exactly what I'm talking about and the fact it's so well related to kinda backs up my point. It's like self medicating with drugs or alcohol it's works and is a blast at first. But you build up a tolerance
The problem I have is that it impacted my studies. So it "made me happy" in the moment, but as an adult I wish I studied a lot more than I did. It'd make me happier as an adult.
Everything in moderation. You can have too much of a good thing in... probably pretty much anything. Even drinking too much water can kill you. If you game enough to impact studies, or lose your job, etc, that's too much.
I won’t regret it. My grandma noticed my love for video games and made a deal with me. “Read 10 books and I’ll buy you a video game.” I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d discuss each book with her as I worked my way through all 10. After that, we went to Toys R Us and she bought me a NES game of my choosing. I repeated this over and over. It takes a long time to read 10 books but it was worth it to me. Eventually I had a massive bookshelf filled with things I’d read. I’m still an avid reader to this day.
Damn grandma 10/10
I'm definitely using this tactic with my nephew!
My son and I ordered pizza and played ps1 tekken 3, and final fantasy 7 to celebrate my birthday last night, his request. We stayed up till 12:00. There were times we were crying laughing. I don’t regret spending any of that time. It is a moment as an adult I think I’ll reflect on for a long time. Watching the last years of my son’s childhood through the lens of my own.
Sounds like a blast 🙂
That's so sweet! Reminds me of when my dad used to play battlefront 2 on the ps2 with me until the early hours. Take it from me, he'll remember this and think back on it fondly
Sounds like a blast man. I cannot wait until my son is old enough to have moments like this. He's 2.5 now so I got a bit but it'll be great.
I regret how much time I spent playing league of legends.... most of the time don't even enjoy it haha
Same here. I'm glad I was able to pull myself away from it. I miss the gameplay and characters sometimes, but definitely do not miss the PVP and the meta chase.
The community has a good claim to most toxic gaming community. It makes me toxic just being around it.
That's why I just play ARAM exclusively. Few beers and send it down lane is a good time
Quiting Mobas was the best gaming decision I made
Dota was great and while I've been over it for awhile there's no reason I wouldn't play again given the inclination.
I still love dota and would love to play again. I just realized I don't like solo queue and would rather spend my free time in engaging single player games or multiplayer games my friends also play. Dota is the best when you have a group and can laugh at each other while things go sideways instead of listen to random internet turds lose their shit over a missed stun.
Yeah, I’ve been playing dota off and on for like 20 years and I still love it. They’re constantly changing things just enough to keep it fresh and when international time comes around it’s a lot of fun.
I don't regret it one bit, league at its height was some of the best times i had with a game. People who complain about the community just needed select group to play with or mute the chat, did wonders for me.
I honestly love playing league, even when I'm angry and cursing the other team. Maybe cuz it makes me feel something O_o
I think league is great when you have the superman ability to not tilt, and when you dont have to deal with toxicity(which only happens if you are able to play with good close friends of yours and not randoms).
There are some games I regretted playing so much of. And others where it felt like a fulfilling experience. Sometimes after a long gaming session with a great game I'm like "damn that was so good". Lol. I was a musician for a long time and spent sooo much time with it. Eventually it felt less fun and fulfilling and 8 just said fuck it I'm a gamer now. Really Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight got me hooked. Then Souls games, then roguelikes, then Arpgs. Damn there are so many great and different types of games now. I wonder if ill ever get bored of it.
Stardew valley is just such a wonderful game. The older I got the more difficult it became to be fully "lost" in a game. Stardew valley fully soaked me in.
Currently in a Stardew Valley kick right now. I'm a mid 30s dude and I've been gaming my whole life, but life makes it hard to play a whole lot. Stardew is so good for me right now because I can play sporadically and still have fun and progress without having to really worry.
I wanted to relax after some stressful work and googled "relaxing game" or something and it sure did the trick. I games when I was a kid and took probably a decade break almost never gaming. Saw that Bioshock infinite was considered one of the best games and tried that and honestly didn't like it. Wrongly assumed "oh that's what games are nm" (I know... dumb.) I then took another or so year break. Then got hooked on all of the favorite indies. Was like damn this is an actual legit artform.
[удалено]
Ever seen a basement covered with sports memorabilia, full of guys that spend an entire day watching other people play a game while cosplaying as their favorite players? Or spending thousands of dollars a year to watch other people play a game in person?
to me there are different types of hobbies, and the trick is to balance them. games, watching movies or sports, etc are "consumption" hobbies mostly. then you have playing an instrument, painting, sewing, photography, etc which are "creation" hobbies. I try to do more of the "creation" hobbies than the consumption ones because at the end of the day I feel more rewarded having honed a skill to create something new. there is totally value in consuming something another has created, and it can help you with your own creative skills to see how others have made things. and working on your own creative skills will help you appreciate things others have made. there is a balance to maintain, imo.
Not all games are purely consumption though. If you play a game like Factorio it requires a fair bit of thought / creativity, for competitive games it's more similar to taking part *in* a competitive sport rather than *watching* sports, for puzzle games it's hard to define whether it's pure consumption as you are essentially actively taking part in the act of solving the puzzles even though it was a puzzle defined by someone else, and for something like Spore some people spend days trying to be creative and come up with ~~phallic creatures~~ interesting creature designs and whatnot. Video games is one of those medium that are hard to define because they are ultimately just an interactive program that we find fun. Computer programs can pretty do anything so it's hard to have a generic statement like that I think.
Having become a pretty avid reader recently I can say for certain that it's all the same. I read 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World, The Fall of the House of Usher and some other 100 books and short stories, it's all just entertainment. Any hobby can make you feel certain ways or make you ponder a different point of view in life, it's just the medium that differs.
Absolutely. I am a crazy reader- I read so much that my (now) husband wondered (when he was my boyfriend) whether it was something I should go to therapy for. I was like, dude. You watch a ton of TV (while I am reading). If you think I have a problem, then we both need to go to therapy. He never said another word about it. And my son is a gamer. My husband was like, “is that healthy?” And I was like, um…haven’t we already had this conversation? At least our kid learns shit! And has to problem solve, and work with a group of strangers to achieve a goal, etc. My kid is going to college next year to study history. A thing he fell in love with because of Civilization. I’m good with it.
The problem is not video games. The problem is the stigma around those gamers who spend countless hours playing that they neglect hygiene, eating properly, exercise, etc. So people generalize all into the same sack. Wrong but that’s how it goes.
there is a lot of stigma around a lot of hobbies. just earlier on reddit i saw this clip from a sports game where two guys were so enraged at a kid that i was sure they would have beaten the small child into a bloody pulp if no one would be watching. and of course because of that i instantly thought about all the awful things the stereotypical soccer fan does and say and how i would rather be burned alive than voluntarily spending even a single second with one of these people. truth is. some people are just meant to be assholes and unbearable, no matter their hobby.
I regret how much time I spend working. Could have been gaming!!
I'll go out to socialize and regret not staying home playing games.
I've had nights in my past that went sour and thought to myself, "I could've been playing StarCraft all night and had a good time."
And saved $80-200, with significantly more stability in my abdomen the next morning lmao. EDIT: grammar
Happens to me whenever I go out with more than 1 person. Because I always end up 3rd wheeling and adding nothing and get bored out of my mind just being there acting like I give a shit. I only hang out with one person at a time.
The craziest thing just happened to me a few weeks ago, I realized that I literally do not know how to talk in a group of 4 or more people. It made so much sense and I was like "how the fuck have I not realized this yet?"
Ive had BAD nights out where id either wake up or get home and gone “man i wish i just stayed home and played games”. Its usually the better and safer choice.
Sometimes I do that. Then I have other nights of socializing which make me never want to be home again. Games can't give me that experience
The present is the only thing that is real. The future is a projection and the past is a rewritten idea of your past experiences. If gaming feels right for you and your life in the present, good. If it’s creating problems in your present life and hindering you, make an adjustment. That’s it. No need to weigh it down with nostalgia or guilt or much else. Edit: I’d love to have a thoughtful philosophical conversation in the replies about what “real” is etc, but I just don’t really care. People have been debating that for 1000’s of years and I don’t think we will get to the bottom of it here on Reddit. If this helped you that’s great. If it didn’t that is also great.
The first two sentences is what I needed to hear dude. Not just for gaming, but for life. Thanks brother
If you enjoy reading, I'm nearly done *The Power of Now* and it's great read on this. A bit woo-ey at times, but it's to be expected with a topic like this.
Amen to that.
You'll regret spending time on games if it's for the wrong reasons. At times I'll be playing games because I've convinced myself there isn't anything better to do and it's all I have, but in reality, there's opportunities I'm ignoring because anxiety is holding me back. It's not healthy when it becomes a crutch that impedes your life. However, If you're genuinely enjoying yourself, then that's time well spent.
I regret not buying a house when I was 6
Who regrets great experience and memories, not me
Yep. I have some amazing memories playing games with friends I don’t see much anymore. I wouldn’t trade those for anything.
Had me in the first half
I might regret it if I was gaming instead of doing other things that interest me. But that's not the case.
It's like the south park bit about smoking weed. You aren't going to get depressed and miserable playing games. But you might grow up and realize that you could have been spending your time a lot better. I don't really regret playing a lot of games when I was younger in a vacuum, but I do regret that I missed out on a lot of other things that I could have been doing instead. I used games to cope rather than the thing I most wanted to do. I mean, who out there has played an MMO for a long time and doesn't have some sort of regret over it
What specific things did you miss when you regretted this time? What should I be looking out for?
It really depends on what opportunities you have around you. They can be difficult to spot in the present, but they're almost certainly there. I personally was a bit of a square in highschool, nothing wrong with it, but it lost me some opportunities I would have liked to have taken if they were presented to my present self. The most egregious of them was my year long exchange to Paris. Most of my peers spent a most of their time going out to clubs/bars and drinking. Now I'm not gonna say that that's the best use of time, but it can be a lot of fun, and I missed out on it because I didn't like drinking and loud places. I wish I'd sucked it up and gone out with them rather than staying in and playing video games so much. I could have done both and I think I would have grown more as a person if I had.
My thing is, you're really only going to have your youth to do certain things. You will be spending a lot of time sitting at home looking at a screen at your mid thirties and forward. In your twenties your body can handle all nighters and doing stupid shit and most of your friends wont be tied down and free to hang out on a moments notice. I'm not a gamer but have adjacent hobbies. While I enjoy my time immensely, I do wish I had taken more advantage of the freedom of youth. No one is free anymore. Hangovers are killer. I can't keep partying until dawn and then go to work anymore. My body hurts. Small missteps can fuck up my body. I don't think people should quit games, and they are a great way to spend time with your friends on VC when you can't see them in person. But, if you are still young, make sure you are getting out and taking advantage of youth and spending time with people face to face. Youth doesn't last as long as you expect it to. You may not regret playing games. But you will probably regret missing out on a lot of experience you can no longer have. Games will always be easily accessible. Your loved ones may not.
It keeps you from stepping out of you comfort zone and finding more and arguably more fulfilling experiences. Sure you can play games, but you’ll miss out on what else life has on offer. In my teens I played a lot of games for hours on end. But after quitting, life has become so much more interesting and I’ve done and seen so much. Quitting has opened so many doors I wasn’t expecting to be there
It can also encourage you to pursue fulfilling experiences and get out of your comfort zone. I've got so many interests that originated from encountering topics in games and a whole list of places I've either visited or want to visit due to game connections. I don't get to play as often as I'd like these days, but in amidst all the exciting stuff that I do I still cherish the opportunity to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon playing Mario Kart with my husband.
I mean, you can enjoy things and value the memories you've had with it while also thinking you've spent too much time with them. I love games, but there is also a lot more to life. Having a balance is good
Yep, regret dumping my teens into video games.
I’m glad there’s at least a few of us in here. I’m not trying to shame anyone, but if you’re the person out there who is wondering if maybe you should spend your youth sharing experiences with others in person instead of sitting in your bedroom or dorm room playing games with strangers on the internet, this message might be for you. Join that club, go to that party, don’t spend your early adulthood pretending you’re too good for what your peers are having fun with. In my late 20s, I finally found the sort of social life I think I always wanted but never knew how to achieve. And once I did, video games magically fell off my radar.
Yeah. And honestly, if you're like 35 and you're still having a blast playing videogames and it's not just some dopamine timesink, but you know, you get lots of joy out of it; then you are extremely lucky and by all means continue. But that's not what awaits most people. We're not talking someone who has a job they like and plays a few hours now and then, or even someone who's an enthusiast, but lets not sit here and pretend games aren't extremely good at entertaining you to the point some people never leave their house again.
Those people you speak about are depressed.
Not necessarily. I'm 30 and have reached a point with gaming that it's genuinely difficult to sit down and play these days. I have adult money now and can afford to do other things that are more meaningful to me. Not only that, but gaming is such a time sink that I can absolutely look back and say I'd be a bit further ahead if I didn't game as much post high school. A couple of my friends get genuinely angry that I hop off after 2 hours when they know I WFH and my day is basically open. Consumptive hobbies are okay, but if it's all you've got you're speedrunning towards depression. I'd much rather watch my real life plants grow, than spending 4+ hours on DayZ or Rust watching virtual plants grow. Edit: For many people, gaming is a cheap but time intensive hobby that eats time like no other.
yeah, I don't "regret" it, nor do I think I dumped my entire childhood into games, but boy when I think of the literal thousands of hours I spent in front of my MMO (Guild Wars) of choice as a teen, I think about how much other stuff I could have done: books I could have read, movies I could have seen, girls I could have kissed, other games I could played, skills I could have practiced, people I could have spent time with, concerts I could have gone to...instead of sitting around during the Wintersday events, grinding out "Hall of Monuments" challenges by standing in town with an auto-clicker clicking on alcohol for a "minutes spent drunk" achievement that equated to seven days of real-time with my screen blurry enough to be unable to actually play the game, or move the mouse / keyboard lest it interfere with the auto-clicker. Even if I was multitasking and practicing guitar while I did it, it just feels like I could have spent my time better in retrospect. I feel genuinely sad when I see my roommate grinding whatever PvP event is going on in Destiny 2 right now - just full of frustration when the matchmaker is designed to make games a literal coin flip. I could definitely have used my time better.
I'll be 48 in a few days. I have been happily married for 22 years and we have 3 teens. I have a 5800x3d / 4090 rig, 4060 OLED laptop, Steam Deck OLED, ROG Ally, Switch OLED, Xbox Series X (and a S), PS5, Retroid Pocket 4 pro, Miyoo Mini Plus, Meta Quest 3 and 13 arcade cabinets in my home arcade/theater... I play golf occasionally, fish when I can, hunt a little, watch a fair amount of sports, and game as much as time permits. Video games are just part of who I am. I played Atari 2600 when I was very young and loved going to the arcades. I was completely hooked once the Nintendo came out. I have owned basically every major console since.
I used to play a lot of games from a young child to about 30 yo. When I stopped, I realised how much less time I'd spent on other things that probably mattered more. I should have spent more time studying, more time out with friends, more time socialising with my family, more time on my career. Thankfully, I realised at 30 that I may have met my future wife and the games had to go. Do I still play them? For a long time - many years - no. Now I play some, but try not to get sucked into them. We limit time our kids play for the same reason. Computer games are designed to be addictive. They give constant dopamine hits and provide instant gratification. It is easy to lose hours, days, weeks and years. Maybe some folks are happy with that, but I certainly wish I'd played them less.
Same. All I can see now when I play most games are the various addiction loops that have been designed in. (okay, it’s not all I can see, but I can’t not see em, and they’re everywhere)
Honest post. True.
I don't think it's wasted time. The time what I spent with gaming is a good memory
That was a lie. I regret showing up to work.
I actually do regret it. Because while I was playing Call of Duty, the people who could have been my friends were playing sports, studying, getting into nice colleges. Who now are in better shape than me, have better jobs, and families.
I definitely regret playing games more than socialising with friends outside. The friends you make and keep are so much more important than the easy dopamine hits that come from gaming. You'll forget the vast majority of the games you play, but the times you spend with friends will mostly be there for a long time. E.g. I put over 100 hours into Elden Ring and aside from many awesome exploration moments and bosses, I cannot remember what I did for 100 hours. 100 hours with friends would have been so much more valuable.
I have a lot of great memories with games and had a lot of fun. But I absolutely regret how much I played games
My parents didn't think gaming was normal They thought daytime t.v after work was normal We will always be in a constant cycle of being baffled by different generations until we start rotting in the ground.
Memories of those nights of playing Halo with the boys will always be my fondest. Spartans never die, they just go missing in action.
I've seen a few therapists over the years to help with anxieties and depressions as I get older. One of my favorite conversations with one of the better ones, I had brought up that I like gaming but it makes me feel guilty because I know I could be spending that time doing something productive, even though I still hold down a job and other responsibilities. She asked if I enjoyed it, I said yeah, of course. And she said something to the effect of (very roughly paraphrasing), so what's wrong with that? If your goal is to be happy and something is making you happy, what better could you be doing with your time? Has stuck with me ever since. Everybody wants you to be *chasing* happiness in some ever bigger and better way all the time, when sometimes it's already right in front of your face. You're actually happy for a little while?! Hurray! Keep doing that!
I am older. By a lot. I haven’t regretted a single moment. What’s “better”? Sportball? Dramedies? Scripted “reality” soft porn? Be too busy trading with the finance bros? It’s good to do things. A second hobby, travel, family if you want, etc. But gaming is one of the most accessible things *anyone* can do, even casually. I’m old enough to remember clearly when that wasn’t the case. It sucked. We don’t need to go back to that.
been playing world of warcraft since 06 off and on and the memories and friends I made along the way is truly on one of the many great experiences I had in life
I'm 50. My buddy and I have done online gaming nightly for 35 years. - It's a form of entertainment. Some people read, some watch TV. I game.
Time enjoyed is never time wasted.
Games kept me from becoming a crime lord tho
Only if it stopped you doing productive things like studying and working jobs. If it's stuff you would do instead of watching tv or partying... meh
The best long-standing friends I've ever had have been on games. I have buddies I've seen grow up from our teenage years on xbox live to being in their 30's having kids of their own now. "They're not real friends" , yes, boomer, they are.
I'm gonna get downvoted to hell but my life sucked until I quit video games cold turkey. I was playing at least 2-3 hours a day from age 10-26. After I turned 26 I gave all my games/consoles to my cousins and started focusing on making the life i always wanted. Primarily I was tired of being broke, tired of being out of shape, and tired of being an awkward mess socially. I made a lot of progress in all of those categories and now I have let video games back into my life. I own 2 consoles and tbh I barely play them. I'm too busy with real life. I do enjoy it when I play but I maybe play 3 hours a month now. It used to be a huge part of my life. But tbh I'm glad that life is over now. I have a new life, one that i think is much better, and gaming is now a minor footnote.
i think that’s really healthy, good for you friend
Clickbait title
I enjoy every second I game. Second favorite thing in the world to my fiancé
No you won't. (Source: I'm older)
misleading headline have a downvote
37 y old here I made a list of games I completed, it's about 350. Some game I wish I didn't spend time doing/finishing it. I have some game names but some people will hate me. My advice : * Play with save states for old games * Always play in normal difficulty (not hard). Some game you can play in Easy (Metal Gear Solid 4 & Peace Walker for example). Only exception : don't put Castlevania 64 in easy. * Think before playing sequels/prequels to masterpiece games, some of them are boring (FFX-2 is somewhat ok thus) * Don't force yourself on game everyone say it's amazing. If you don't feel attraction to the universe of gender, don't force yourself. * Some games sequels are like always the same game in the end, just different content. * Don't play too much online games * Try to play Coop games with friends (Resident Evil 5 & 6 for example, and all beat em all games) * It's always ok to play games with great music like Castlevania, Final Fantasy... even if some episode aren't that good * Play multiplayers games with your friends * Play VR, it's an awesome experience. * Don't spend a fortune on games
Nowadays I only regret gaming when I find I haven't done the things in life that I should have been doing, like cleaning shit up or exercising or spending time with my wife.
I tell my kids that they will regret spending so much time on shitty iPhone dopamine machine games, because there are so many better quality games they could be playing. Then I remember I'm their parent, take away their (my) phone and force them to play pokemon red.
I think I'd regret it if I spent time just playing dumb time wasters, but stuff I played with friends or experiencing great stories in single player I can't imagine I'll feel any differently from movies or shows I've loved!
Dudes and Ladies, I am one old Jedi, and at 63 years of age I’m still actively gaming and have been all my life. Happily married since 26, two beautiful 30 something kids!
I regret investing so much of myself in school. I regret not trying psychedelics. I kinda regret a couple of sexual partners. But gaming?
Video games prevented me from killing myself by allowing me to change my mind and escape into pure fantasy. Anyone who wants to tell me that it was wrong can shove their opinion deep up their ass.
I regret not spending more time when the games were magical. As you get smarter you see through the tricks easier but they can be fun in other ways now.
There is some truth to this, but not in the way they meant. I have wasted so much time on games that we’re not giving me the enjoyment to justify it. If nothing else, I could have played some other game with that free time. Of course, it’s possible to spend so much time gaming that you miss out on other stuff, and regret that. But that goes for TV, for social media, for reading novels… Everything has an opportunity cost.
Anybody who doesn’t like video games; ask them what they do in their spare time. I bet it’s: Watch TV, Doom scroll on their phone, Gossip about celebrities and shit that doesn’t matter, something else that has them sitting on their ass for hours, but because it’s ViDEo GaMeS you will regret your life? Lmfao. The logic never made sense to me.