Goodbye Gaming

[Drakmeire]

I've been playing games less and less lately and I hate that fact, I'm going to college for game design and if I gave up on gaming all my dreams would shatter due to my entire life being spent on developing storylines and ideas I got from studying other games. I hope that once college slows down I'll get back into the habit. I understand that you can give up gaming and follow your dreams. but I don't think I have that choice. I've burned all other bridges. I've even talked my two best friends into working in the same game studio and then forming our own company at some point.
Follow your dreams. and wish me luck on mine.

 

[octafish]

I maybe play for an hour a day, and not every day. Wife, job, kids, the whole catastrophe... It's why I am so judgemental about the games I play if I don't think it's great I don't play it. Civ 2 destroyed a year of University for me, so I know where you are coming from. Kudos and stay strong. Oh and re: Guitar once you know C D and G it's time to form a band...

 

[Chewster]

I can appreciate that, but could you not just...cut down a bit?

I dunno, seems drastic, but if it is what you want, then best of luck.

 

[midknightfox]

On a less serious note. . . Rock Band 3 will be coming out. . . and with Pro mode, you may have traded your Xbox for a guitar that your Xbox could have taught you how to play. . . with a GAME.

Getting Rock Band 3 and learning guitar through that is bound to be less expensive than lessons, and also easier to learn than getting books, watching videos, and pretty much any other way you could possibly teach yourself.

 

[PureIrony]

If you try to devote every facet of your life to one dream and cut out everything else you love, it stops being a dream and eventually becomes something mundane and without passion, and you'll find yourself longing for what you've given up.

You have my commendation for sheer dedication, but I don't think this will make you happy.

 

[cheeseraven]

You know, I hear a lot of people saying stuff along the lines of,

"Congrats but you can still be productive and play video games on the side"

To those people I ask, why can't my video game hobby be productive in and of itself. I want to go to college to make games, so i play them a lot. Im not wasting my time, im getting to know my medium.

Anyways, good for you for quitting if you think you were spending too much time and not getting enough out of it. But, if your cutting down on games because you thing games are innately a waste of time, I would urge you to reconsider your ideas.

If your doing something you enjoy, is that worthwhile just because a game is a "game"?

 

[lacktheknack]

I'm on the verge of the grade/game problem, but haven't tipped over it yet.

Yet.

And gaming will be violently cut if it does.

 

[lacktheknack]

On a less serious note. . . Rock Band 3 will be coming out. . . and with Pro mode, you may have traded your Xbox for a guitar that your Xbox could have taught you how to play. . . with a GAME.

Getting Rock Band 3 and learning guitar through that is bound to be less expensive than lessons, and also easier to learn than getting books, watching videos, and pretty much any other way you could possibly teach yourself.

I highly doubt that "pro mode" is going to be half as effective as some slow, unrushed quality time with a REAL guitar with its own feel and character.

Sad truth.

 

[thepyrethatburns]

I can identify. This is going to be the last console generation for me. Technically, I'll still have the PC but Starcraft 2 is the first game that I've bought in years.

For me, it's because, if I buy a game, I hold onto it forever. (This is why I'm judgemental on games. I'm pretty much buying it for the rest of my life if I buy it.) I still play Intellivision 2 games. The problem with this is that I've been getting the gradual feeling of "Yeah, I've played this before." I wouldn't have gotten into this generation except my friends ganged up and bought (and practically forced down my throat) a 360. So I decided to go out with a bang and get the PS3 and Wii so I'd have one generation where I didn't buy the consoles retroactively. Since then, the friend who was the biggest gamer (Used to have a gaming review site and did freelance game reviews for other sites back in the PS1 days. He also got me to do both for awhile.) has more or less dropped out of it with this generation. Other friends still play but not as much.

So I won't have a pack of friends prodding too much. I'll still play my old games. Given that I've completed about a third/quarter of them, I'll have plenty of stuff to still play.

With the extra time and money, I'm planning to become fluent in German. I'll probably also work on either becoming a CPA or studying to get back into computers. (Was in accounting. Then went into IT for 8 years. Few years back, I went back to accounting. At some point, I should really commit to a path.) Perhaps I'll start traveling again. Before I stopped traveling, I saw every state in the Continental U.S. as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and a good chunk of the EU countries. Might be nice to get back into that or, at least, see Hawaii and Alaska so I can say that I've been in all 50 states.

As well, I've not been happy with a lot of the developments in gaming. This former "FPS games should only be played on PC" gamer has been pretty much driven out of the PC market by DRM. The move to download-only games is a trend that I will not be on board for. XBLA games, sure. DLC if it's worth it. But not having physical copies of retail games? To hell with that.

So I can understand the desire to put aside the games or, at least, drop out of the gaming rat race. As we grow older, our priorities change. I was at CyberCon when Michael Stackpole gave a speech on the roleplaying fanbase. In it, he pointed out that a large percentage of the fanbase just grow out of it. At the time, I remember thinking to myself that I'd be the exception. A year later, I was almost completely out of roleplaying. With video games, I will have a LARGE selection of older games to ease the transition so I can't see myself having any trouble dropping out.

 

[ThaBenMan]

That's great, good for you, man. I wish you luck with the guitar and I hope you get where you want to be.

As for myself, I'm not sure if there is anything right now that I need to change. I don't really play games that much nowadays - I keep up on gaming news and new releases, and I like to talk about them here on the Escapist and with friends.

 

[Chromanin]

To add more content, you are the reason you were wasting time. Not video games.

I think that was his point. He's not blaming video games. He said was playing them too much, and his grades were suffering. So he felt it was necessary to cut back severely.

And to the OP, good for you, man. It's awesome that you've identified what you want in life. I wanted to learn an instrument at one point, too, but I thought, "That's really going to cut into my game time," and that's what I want in life: games. Good luck to you and your new found passion.

 

[Michael Dagastino]

So, what am I moving on to?

Music. I put up an add on Craigslist and knew that I wanted to spend whatever money I got on a guitar. It's something I've always wanted to do. You'll never believe my luck when someone e-mailed me offering to trade the Xbox for a very nice guitar setup.

That's a good area. PRetty much what i have done, except i still have all my stuff, because Rock Band 3 is coming out soon.
But that is a good thing to get into, and really tough. I am taking Music Theory I right now, and it's pretty damn difficult. Though i am loving every second.

What kind of guitar set up did you get?

 

[brunothepig]

To each their own. Fair enough if you want to cut back, I'm not gonna judge you. Those of you saying "it's your fault you spend too much time on them", yeah, he said that. That's why he's getting rid of his saves and 360.
As for moving into music, nice choice. I was playing keyboard for a while, I stopped lately since I've had exams. Plan on playing again once I've moved.
So anyway, congratulations on your decision. Hope it works well for you.

 

[midknightfox]

On a less serious note. . . Rock Band 3 will be coming out. . . and with Pro mode, you may have traded your Xbox for a guitar that your Xbox could have taught you how to play. . . with a GAME.

Getting Rock Band 3 and learning guitar through that is bound to be less expensive than lessons, and also easier to learn than getting books, watching videos, and pretty much any other way you could possibly teach yourself.

I highly doubt that "pro mode" is going to be half as effective as some slow, unrushed quality time with a REAL guitar with its own feel and character.

Sad truth.

I dunno, I have heard talk of being able to plug in your own electric guitar provided it uses a standard amp plug. If this is true and there are at least SOME decent tutorials on how to make notes. . . all one would really need is music reading knowledge for being able to play songs presented outside of the game.

My source is IGN on youtube. See this video if you haven't already: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5De9eCH1EU

If its anything like what that guy is describing, Pro Mode has some real potential as a cheap personal teaching aid. Of course NOTHING is going to replace crazy amounts of money and time with a private tutor. However, there have been shows aimed at kids that show them how to play instruments that give no feedback at all to the player and just shows how to make notes. Kids learn off those just fine. I think Pro Mode will just be a step higher than something like that, but aimed at all ages. It won't be as cheap as a cable program or a dvd, but it won't be as expensive as a guitar teacher or class either. Its right in the price range of a gamer who really WANTS to learn how to play, but generally doesn't have the time or money for lessons.

Think of Pro Mode as the Rosetta Stone of the music world I guess. . . if it lives up to its potential that is.

 

[Kouen]

Good luck with your future non gaming endeavors!

 

[Hatchet90]

I'm with you man, I gave up a lot of my gaming time for learning how to play the guitar also. Let me just say that it will be frustrating, but there's no greater feeling than accomplishing something like learning how to play a Led Zeppelin riff or a Bob Dylan song.

 

[Worgen]

time enjoyed is never wasted, I dont plan on ever giving up games since really what is a waste of time? in the end everything is dust, so enjoy the time you have

 

[MintyNinja]

Congrats. I know that feeling very well. In fact I've only been paying attention to new releases out of habit now. But the truth is I don't have many other options so I'll stick with what I've been doing for the last 18 years, reading and playing games. Good luck.

 

[Mikeyfell]

this sounds like whining
No offense

but there's no one hobby rule
there's no reason you can't game and play music

since Rock Band came out I've been a real drummer

I guess I've never had a problem with grades though
[sub]because I live in California and my I.Q. is a positive number[/sub]

but still, more power to ya

 

[starwarsgeek]

Good for you. Follow your passion, man!

but there's no one hobby rule
there's no reason you can't game and play music

He said he was cutting back a lot, not that he is quiting entirely.