Getting back into the hobby

[Setge]

Is not that I haven't played anything at all, but it was mostly on the switch and on my phone with a GBA emulator. But I'm tired of waiting for the day I will have more free time and decided to get back to clear my vast backlog. Finding this site (among some others too) was really a blessing, specially because I just lost interest in modern gaming.

Is anyone here going through something similar?

 

[Rovole]

For me, it was discovering Retroarch on my steamdeck, coupled with discovering Retroachievements. It has made me want to both replay some of the best games I've ever played as well as work through some titles that I never played, but always meant to.

Plenty of new games are coming out but only a handful seem worth actually playing. Like you, modern gaming has just lost its edge to me and it seems like we are being asked to ignore more and more scummy practices, invasive anticheat, drm, and terrible EULAs, just to play a damn game.

 

[Jayonnaise6105 Jayonnaise6105]

Yeah, sort of. I don't buy as many new games as I used to. I've been going on eBay or looking through local retailers for cheaper games that came out years ago that I may not have played.

I don't play games in as long stretches as I used to, maybe 2-3 hours every couple of days.

I used to play every WWE game pretty much as soon as it came out, but they've been getting worse and worse from a polish & design standpoint for a while now, without even mentioning the scummy business practices behind them.

I'm sure there are some good new games coming out, but I've also been working through my backlog or playing older games in general.

 

[Setge]

Btw, just to clarify something: With my Switch, I was actually buying games, as in acquiring physical media copies (not licensing them via some digital store, that's different!). But the increasing demand for DLCs, localizations that are somehow even worse than the already-bad PS2-and-earlier ones - with politically-charged tampering, fanfic-level dialogs and overall just not respecting the author's vision - as well as increasing prices and anti-consumer actions made me use the system just to play Master Duel, basically, as I'm a big Yu-Gi-Oh fan despite the tampering from 4kids.

I've even dropped my favorite Nintendo series, Fire Emblem, because of the aforementioned reasons. I simply refuse to finance a product that's lower quality and more expensive overseas.

 

[Turbo Kid]

Modern gaming has mostly lost me aside from retro indie games and the occasional 1st party Nintendo title on the Switch 1 like Mario & Luigi Brothership. I hate the PS5 as a console and the only game on it that is worth playing is Astro Bot. So far I have no desire to get the Switch 2 with all of the scummy things Nintendo has been doing with that system. And the Xbox brand just seems irrelevant in 2025. PC gaming doesn't interest me either and never has because I'm a physical collector so PC gaming offers me nothing.

So yeah, I get going retro. I play a lot of older games via emulation, but I own a lot of physical retro games too and whenever I try a new retro game via emulation and enjoy it, that entices me to buy a physical copy of it to add to the collection.

 

[Questless Knight]

"Is anyone here going through something similar?"

Can´t say I do I got plenty of free time but also I like old school as modern gaming. Honestly so many good modern games.
No man sky
Monster hunter world
Monster hunter stories
Cyberpunk 2033
Anno 1800
Fallout 4
Skyrim
Soul mask

And many more and I honestly can´t understand how one can lose interest in modern games or even old games as some people heck I can´t understand how some people can only play 1 game for years.

As some one that grew up with old games and play new games I can say old games had so many bullshit things im thankful modern game decided to give me more quality of life things.

Sure I can agree that modern games are way to easy or to much hand holdie. Maybe I should write to game developers and ask them how they would feel like if I hold their D when they pissing. Because that´s what they feel like that they need to hold my D or wipe my ass for me.

And sure some AAA companies are full of people not smarter than a fish stick but still.

But yeah Old games and modern games to me are fun as hell and I can´t comprehend how one can get sick of either.

 

[Vexicrypt]

Modern games are mostly dead to me because my PC is a rusty bucket and I can't afford overpriced hardware to upgrade. There are some titles I'd love to play but yeah, maybe one day. So I usually stick to older games and thankfully I have a good backlog to choose from.

 

[Setge]

Modern gaming has mostly lost me aside from retro indie games and the occasional 1st party Nintendo title on the Switch 1 like Mario & Luigi Brothership. I hate the PS5 as a console and the only game on it that is worth playing is Astro Bot. So far I have no desire to get the Switch 2 with all of the scummy things Nintendo has been doing with that system. And the Xbox brand just seems irrelevant in 2025. PC gaming doesn't interest me either and never has because I'm a physical collector so PC gaming offers me nothing.

So yeah, I get going retro. I play a lot of older games via emulation, but I own a lot of physical retro games too and whenever I try a new retro game via emulation and enjoy it, that entices me to buy a physical copy of it to add to the collection.

Interesting what you said about PC gaming. I do have some physical media games here in my collection. Also, it might be interesting to you to check on GOG, they do offer you the offline installers for the games there, so it is possible to make backups, including on disks.

 

[Aziamuth]

The key to enjoying gaming, as well as any activity, is:

1. Doing it in moderation (if all you do is gaming, without changing, you will get bored, whether you like it or not, because that's just how the brain works. Combine gaming with other hobbies such as playing an instrument, painting, exercise or simply going out)
2. Doing it when you actually feel like it (that means, don't force yourself with thoughts like "oh man I just have to beat this game". Enjoy the ride!)
3. Only play things that you truly have an interest in (for example, let's say you really want to try Disco Elysium because you're into dice-based RPGs and detective stories, but plenty of friends say that you HAVE to play Resident Evil 4 because it's so good, but you don't really have an intereset in RE4 for whatever reason)
4. Find the best way for yourself to experience the medium (this can mean a lot of things: on your own, with friends, with your favorite console...)
5. Don't be afraid to emulate. You don't owe companies anything, especially if you're short on cash

 

[TinRattler]

G'day mate I lost interest in gaming for 15 years barely played at all due to getting married (bad mistake) having 2 tin lids and work. Since my divorce and my tin lids love of gaming I got back into it.
Hope you find your love for the hobby again