Don't feel like playing games anymore

[χKai]

For the past 5 years or so, I've been going through a kind of drought; the games I used to love and care about no longer interest me the way they used to. I know a lot of that is simply getting older and taking the other things in my life more seriously, taking care of what I need to in order to get by as my health slowly declines and the aging process seems to be speeding rapidly toward the geriatric.

That doesn't mean, however, that I lost all interest; just that, these days it seems like I only want to collect, patch, mod, or test games rather than actually sit and play any of 'em; to be honest, I'd kinda rather watch someone else play instead. I feel like the old lady in the rocking chair in the corner who just feels happy watching her grandkids have fun.

I'm only in my mid-30s; is it normal to feel a sense of lethargy for your past hobbies/passions, has anyone else gone through a similar change in their life?

I made this thread to talk about it.

 

[Zerpina]

I'm only in my mid-30s; is it normal to feel a sense of lethargy for your past hobbies/passions, has anyone else gone through a similar change in their life?

I Can't vouch for anyone else, but i get what you are saying Kid-o. i Anymore get Incredibly Bored of games <Save for some Games like Castlevania, SF etc> i just Can't seem to keep focus on them, now i don't have ADHD or the like. i just play the for bit and am like "Meh... this really isn't fun anymore" I Find it best to take a week off, and Play one game now and then. Seems to keep my Interest in it.

That is when I'm not Doing something Else/Working <off ATM due to Ice/Snow ect going on>

Hope ya can get back into it like you where, but maybe Break from every game, Except you're Absolute Favorite. and play it for 30 or so minutes now and again, till you get out of the Burnout.

 

[jmarlboro]

I'm 39 this year, I can't play the way I used to when a kid or teen,
so I just research it since I'm a boring old fart now.
there's a sense of wonder when you try things for the first time that you can't keep feeling forever
and thank god for that because diversity is key for a healthy brain right?

 

[χKai]

i Anymore get Incredibly Bored of games <Save for some Games like Castlevania, SF etc>

maybe Break from every game, Except you're Absolute Favorite.

That's just it; even my all-time favorite games are uninteresting anymore; unless it's someone else playing it. I don't like to backseat game, but I love giving suggestions to those who will take them; in itself, it becomes a game of finding just the right person. Some people will outright refuse any sort of help, opting to bear through it themself on their own, even if it's hard or practically impossible for most players. Then you get some people who appreciate you holding their hand every step of the way, pointing out every trap or secret. I guess I've always kinda liked watching how other people deal with situations in games.

But yeah, I've been trying to force myself to game again. I made a Zelda randomizer and played it until I got a stomachache. Not sure if it was from being sick or if the game was really stressing me out that much.

 

[tigg]

I am almost 50 and currently feeling the exact same way. Where just a few years ago I could play for hours, now I get so bored after a few short minutes. I think part of my problem is though, that I am home all day and can't go anywhere else, so I am going a bit stir crazy. At least, that's what I hope the problem is, because I love video games and really would hate to lose the passion to play them all together lol.

 

[χKai]

I am almost 50 and currently feeling the exact same way. Where just a few years ago I could play for hours, now I get so bored after a few short minutes. I think part of my problem is though, that I am home all day and can't go anywhere else, so I am going a bit stir crazy. At least, that's what I hope the problem is, because I love video games and really would hate to lose the passion to play them all together lol.

I think we are just nearing the arc where we're starting to get too old to play, and so
We have to train some younglings to become our successors, like some sort of Video Gamer Pokémon Trainers.

 

[DunkeyKong]

I think we are just nearing the arc where we're starting to get too old to play, and so
We have to train some younglings to become our successors, like some sort of Video Gamer Pokémon Trainers.

Profesor Oak would be proud

 

[χKai]

Yeah it's just too bad kids these days will never measure up to the old greats of our era.

I blame Fortnite. Also Minecraft.

 

[Zerpina]

@χKai @tigg @jmarlboro Ya, us old Fogies, just can't Keep up With these Damn kid's and Their XCubes, and Sotendos and Segu Swatchs...
GET OFF MY DAMN LAWN!!!!

 

[χKai]

@χKai @tigg @jmarlboro Ya, us old Fogies, just can't Keep up With these Damn kid's and Their XCubes, and Sotendos and Segu Swatchs...
GET OFF MY DAMN LAWN!!!!

If only Segata were here.

 

[Zerpina]

Yeah it's just too bad kids these days will never measure up to the old greats of our era.

I blame Fortnite. Also Minecraft.

I blame the MTv!

 

[bjork]

There's bound to be lulls in any kind of area of interest, I wouldn't sweat it too much. Just let it happen and then when something hooks you, it'll be really great fun.

 

[Waffles]

I haven't played anything seriously since I was paid for it, and then I haven't even been in front of game (bar mobile stuff that can be consumed in very short sessions) since 2019. The only outlier was the Pandemic, when the kids and I started and completed a Pokemon Crystal Clear game, which took around 75 hours of in-game time to do.

 

[suzakuryuu]

I felt the same thing couple years ago, at the point that all the games I played are some idle gacha, hopping from one to other. Having a handheld for gaming is what change me and bring me back to playing more game. But still, I rarely clear 1 game before playing another game...

 

[Matricks]

Yeah, around 50s Im mostly done playing to finished any games on PS4 and Xbox One as the modern games are fk boring and long cuts/tutorials like Im retard working and back to kindergarden, instead Enjoying my Skills.
So just modding/test/tweak the all the past psx,ps2,xbox,x360, ps3, ps4,nds, switch,psvita, psp,wiiu,3ds and back with retrogaming emulators anbernic,gpd win3 handhelds or pc gaming laptop rtx3080.
Nowaday is collecting, testing, tweaking and play intro through a collection of more 100,000 games of gaming history.
Should play Elden Ring to have the real gaming challenges.

 

[ninjaalex]

I love videogames always have, always will. I just don't have the time to play them anymore. I work 5 days a week and I'm usually doing something else on days off.

Games from the 90s are my favourite. All stuff I played back in the day, but there are some great indie games being released.

 

[Zerpina]

I love videogames always have, always will. I just don't have the time to play them anymore. I work 5 days a week and I'm usually doing something else on days off.

Games from the 90s are my favourite. All stuff I played back in the day, but there are some great indie games being released.

Gods i feel you, i wouldn't be up this late Right now, if not for the Ice and snow knocking me out of Work, and yesterday when the power came on, i didn't play any games, i started tinkering with a Laptop i found in a box i was rummaging through i had forgotten about <need a charger tho, my multi adapter one no go with it>

Now my power was off for 4-5 days <<lost track of time tbh> so my DS/Trimu Smartpro got used quite abit.

 

[RageBurner]

For the past 5 years or so, I've been going through a kind of drought; the games I used to love and care about no longer interest me the way they used to. I know a lot of that is simply getting older and taking the other things in my life more seriously, taking care of what I need to in order to get by as my health slowly declines and the aging process seems to be speeding rapidly toward the geriatric.

That doesn't mean, however, that I lost all interest; just that, these days it seems like I only want to collect, patch, mod, or test games rather than actually sit and play any of 'em; to be honest, I'd kinda rather watch someone else play instead. I feel like the old lady in the rocking chair in the corner who just feels happy watching her grandkids have fun.

I'm only in my mid-30s; is it normal to feel a sense of lethargy for your past hobbies/passions, has anyone else gone through a similar change in their life?

I made this thread to talk about it.

I don't think there's anything abnormal about it. Time passes, tastes change, we begin to be more aware of our time, we become more critical, more selective. That dopamine shot we long for doesn't come as easily anymore.

This is incredibly predictable, but let me make a food analogy here: when growing up our taste buds have not experienced much, discovering new flavors seems fresh, exciting, amazing... but as time goes on, we start to long for cozy home cooking, we realize we like what we like.

Games are the same, and, really, besides Monster Hunter, I haven't been playing much else with any degree of consistency, because I like its loop. I used to be a big JRPG buff growing up, but now I won't play any unless it's something really special, or something that had never been available before in English and recently got a patch, and so on.

 

[lvl]

I do understand what you are saying, but regarding newer AAA games. I find more enjoyment from smaller indie games or i just end up going back and play older titles. I think my tastes or even our tastes do change as we get older. When i was younger, i enjoyed FPS and fighting games alot, now i find myself enjoying visual novels our point and click adventures.

 

[amirfor]

I had this happen to me in my early-to-mid 30s.

I've found that due to aging, you need to go back to building physical and cognitive training regimes to maintain interest, this will help getting back to a healthy medium. I found that I had let myself go, so I integrated my physical training regime into my gaming as a feedback loop; I level up in a game, I do a carousel of 30 push-up, sit-ups or squats (wide or narrow, alternatively swap with sumo stomps).

Another thing we need to do at this age is do some cognitive mental training; find a challenging median for something like a Tower of Hanoi-type of game and break the boundaries on that. Write down a list of binary words on paper like left-right or up-down and alternate between those, swap them around.

If we don't take care of ourselves at this age range, we won't get to enjoy our hobbies decades down the line, period.

I recently got back to alternating between games too, I set two or three games I alternate between them - games I never played before. I progress on one, move onto another, so on and so forth; you're forcing your brain to adapt and find your limits; find a happy middle doesn't bore you and doesn't overly frustrate you, then you slowly push that boundary more and more.

It's something we need to do, otherwise we'll struggle more if some of us are genetically predisposed to things like early mental decline or Alzheimer.

Edit: I should clarify that all these games I've been playing are from previous generations, new games mostly don't interest me.

 

[χKai]

I do understand what you are saying, but regarding newer AAA games. I find more enjoyment from smaller indie games or i just end up going back and play older titles. I think my tastes or even our tastes do change as we get older. When i was younger, i enjoyed FPS and fighting games alot, now i find myself enjoying visual novels our point and click adventures.

Been playing a lot of visual novels and point and clicks myself lately. I always loved to read, maybe that's the reason why and not just because it's an 'old-person thing'.

Found a cool one the other day called The Citadel of Chaos, I think it's based on a book series by Steve Jackson.

Oh, and another one I've been on is called Dungeons & Decisions; it's a phone app that used to be called "Medieval Fantasy RPG", I don't fw many phone app games, but this was pretty well-written.

 

[dropsmegamega]

While I still play a lot of games, I also lost interest in a lot stuff I would otherwise have loved when I was younger. With age we naturally get start getting more conscious about how we waste our time and also harder to please. That being said it could just be a phase, at some points in my life I've stopped playing games altogether and then when I return I feel a renewed love for games.

 

[Karnik]

I agree with most. After 40, you almost completely lose that magical sense of immersion and identification with certain video game characters, unlike in the past, and you lack that complete dedication that can only happen if you are free from economic, work, emotional worries, etc.

Well, about me, it's not entirely true. I still feel joy and involvement in playing 16-bit beat'em ups in front of TV with my son and my brother, and we also have a good laugh.

As for handhelds, I always find time for a quick game of some puzzle game armed with a DS Lite and stylus, or during a work break with my super strategic (easily hideable) keypad Nokia 301

However, if I have more time available, I certainly don't give up on picking up some snes or psx jrpgs left pending, to try to finish them in a way or another.

One thing is certain; I have never liked modern 3D games and I am happy to abandon them completely, so my choice of titles is much more limited, even if wide.

Basically, my explanation is this: it is the daily responsibilities, the practical problems of every day, the household and work chores, ultimately not having a mind free from duties and deadlines, that prevent one from fully enjoying the world of video games.
If one were served and revered by others, without the need to work, do household chores, or think about health; if one were a prince or billionaire heir, he could dedicate himself body and soul to video games, maybe until old age, and take his beloved consoles even to the grave, and enjoy eternal rest in the company of the immortal Sonic, Mario, Kirby, Rayman or the like. Period.
Yours truly.

 

[lvl]

Been playing a lot of visual novels and point and clicks myself lately. I always loved to read, maybe that's the reason why and not just because it's an 'old-person thing'.

Found a cool one the other day called The Citadel of Chaos, I think it's based on a book series by Steve Jackson.

Oh, and another one I've been on is called Dungeons & Decisions; it's a phone app that used to be called "Medieval Fantasy RPG", I don't fw many phone app games, but this was pretty well-written.

Is this the one? https://store.steampowered.com/app/856900/Citadel_of_Chaos_Fighting_Fantasy_Classics/

 

[χKai]

Is this the one? https://store.steampowered.com/app/856900/Citadel_of_Chaos_Fighting_Fantasy_Classics/

Probably!
The one I've been on is for Sega Genesis and appears to be some kind of homebrew.