I’m in my late 20s and have realized two things about video games
I’ve invested hundreds of hours into games and I’ve got absolutely nothing to show for that time investment, and basically nothing to brag about at work or to friends
The last couple of years I’ve been more often playing games to pass time than for the actual love of whatever game I’m playing
So I’ve been trying to spend my time doing other things. If there isn’t a compelling game I want to play at that moment I don’t just play games until I find one that compells me again, I just do something else entirely.
My wife on the other hand has realized she really enjoys video games and sees it as “look at all of this time I could have spent playing video games and experiencing these things!” So I suppose that gives some perspective that it’s not all for nothing
If you can’t justify having something you enjoy by saying “it’s not anything I can physically show some achievement for” are you sure you’re doing it/quitting it for the right reasons?
I read for pleasure sometimes, it’s usually not anything I can talk to anyone about since it’s usually older scifi, but I wouldn’t consider that a “waste of time.”
Also, if you tell anyone in the age bracket of 25-35 that you beat Halo 2: LASO they’ll know youve been in the trenches, it’s not necessarily all for nothing if you have people that share the hobby.
I’m at the same place as you. I used to love playing MMORPG for the community but it’s become so optimised and competitive now. I understand you can’t be dead weight, and I’m not, I spent a lot of time understanding the game mechanics, but I also want it to be FUN. I’m not going to be on my deathbed and think “Wow, I’m so glad I managed to squeeze 2 extra DPS out of my character that time.” I want to look at those hours as fun times laughing with mates, not the stress of letting my buff fall off for 0.05 seconds and getting blasted for it.
We all die alone. Doesn’t really matter how you get there. If you can amuse yourself while you wait for death that’s usually preferable to the alternative.
I’m in my late 20s and have realized two things about video games
So I’ve been trying to spend my time doing other things. If there isn’t a compelling game I want to play at that moment I don’t just play games until I find one that compells me again, I just do something else entirely.
My wife on the other hand has realized she really enjoys video games and sees it as “look at all of this time I could have spent playing video games and experiencing these things!” So I suppose that gives some perspective that it’s not all for nothing
I try not to think of having a “thing” to show others when judging how I’ve spent my time.
If it makes your life more enjoyable, it is generally a good use of your time IMO.
If you can’t justify having something you enjoy by saying “it’s not anything I can physically show some achievement for” are you sure you’re doing it/quitting it for the right reasons?
I read for pleasure sometimes, it’s usually not anything I can talk to anyone about since it’s usually older scifi, but I wouldn’t consider that a “waste of time.”
Also, if you tell anyone in the age bracket of 25-35 that you beat Halo 2: LASO they’ll know youve been in the trenches, it’s not necessarily all for nothing if you have people that share the hobby.
I’m at the same place as you. I used to love playing MMORPG for the community but it’s become so optimised and competitive now. I understand you can’t be dead weight, and I’m not, I spent a lot of time understanding the game mechanics, but I also want it to be FUN. I’m not going to be on my deathbed and think “Wow, I’m so glad I managed to squeeze 2 extra DPS out of my character that time.” I want to look at those hours as fun times laughing with mates, not the stress of letting my buff fall off for 0.05 seconds and getting blasted for it.
We all die alone. Doesn’t really matter how you get there. If you can amuse yourself while you wait for death that’s usually preferable to the alternative.