I’m married I have a child and I’m addicted to videogames…still.
Does this make me a bad person? Why do I like them so much? Why can’t I work on days of major releases? Why do I spend so much money on them? Why do I want to sit inside, veg-out on the sofa and have a long gaming session? Why does my wife hate them? Why am I asking all these questions? Can someone please answer them? Am I really talking to myself here? What am I going to do with myself when I grow up? Am I ever going to live life like a normal human being ever again?
Let’s face it, we’re done. I’m done and if you’re on this website you’re done as well. We’re what you would call addicts. I’ve called myself all kinds of names over the years, nerd, dork, and geek to name a few. Maybe I’m trying to hide the fact that what I really know about the game industry would make even my mother cry with disappointment. It’s not anything in particular that I wanted to learn. It just happened. I didn’t want to sell wine and liquor for a living, but that just happened as well. I suppose the countless hours and minutes playing games turned into something. Just like the countless hours of the restaurant biz. If only I had put my efforts into saving lives or something…who knows maybe I’d be a doctor. Jebus knows that with as much time as I’ve spent in college I could be both a lawyer and a doctor. I’m not, and that’s that. I deal with that on a daily basis.
I’m certainly not a bad person because of it. I may not have much of a social life because of videogames, but they do keep me out of the bars and clubs. Which isn’t a bad thing, I don’t need the hangovers anyway. They just seem to get worse and worse as time goes on. It’s just plain horrible, on a good night of drinking I can count on being hung over for two days, when I was 21 I had no issues…12 years later it’s a whole different story. So videogames actually help me from being dependent on liquor or whatever my poison for the night is. So that’s a good thing. My liver is happy, it doesn’t need the punishment anyway, my kidney’s they love me, as do my lungs. Because if I’m drinkin’ I’m smokin’ and if I’m not drinkin’ I’m not smokin’.
I always ask myself what is it about games that I like so much. What exactly is it? I mean I have been playing the same shit over and over and over and over again for years. They never change, whether it’s a sport’s game, shooter, RPG, it’s all the same basic premise. It doesn’t matter though, they are all different. Wolfenstein 3D is basically the same premise as Gears of War, but come on…is there really a comparison? Wolfie doesn’t have a chainsaw machine gun…
I do have to say I’ve always read, but lately I prefer to do my “reading” via my games. Playing a RPG, is no different than reading a wonderful fantasy novel, actually it’s better because you can physically experience it. Playing Knights of the Old Republic is far better than watching the garbage Star Wars movies that just came out. I love gaming because they take me to some places that I’ve only read about or seen in the movies. I don’t need to read anymore, I can use the games for my imagination. I mean of course I need to read, the point is, it’s very easy to get lost in videogames. The fact is: The first three Star Wars movies, (the prequels if you will) should have never been made, and everyone knows that Knights of the Old Republic is much better than any of the prequels!!!!
The thing about this habit is, I don’t care. I will always take days off. A good video game or console release is like my Birthday, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Memorial Day, and even Thanksgiving rolled into one big fat videogame holiday that I will always celebrate! No matter what day it falls upon. There ain’t notin’ that’s gonna stop me either. I got fired from a job because I refused to work on the Ohio State v. Michigan game, that's pure dedication. Just as days with big football games the same happens with videogames. It never fails on days of big releases of new consoles or new games, I suddenly fall ill. I think it's chronic.
It started with the Sega Saturn, continued with the Dreamcast, the Xbox, and the 360. I don’t know what it is, but I get this sudden fever that knocks me out. It knocks me down so hard it forces me to sit in front of the T.V. all day for a couple of days to bask in the glory of a new gaming console or game. Again, I’m 32 years old, I was 31 when the 360 came out I spent a whole week sick when that came out. I’ve got problems. I am planning on the flu at the end of this month, due to GTA IV. I know I have some other sick days scheduled in my appointment book I am just going to have to look them up. Don't think for a second I worked when Halo 3 came out, I think I had tuberculosis.
I spend way too much freaking money on games. That’s a F’in fact of life. I spend way too much money. I suppose if I sat down and counted it all out, It would take me a bit of time, but I’ll try to add it all here quickly, I’ll start with the Genesis $250 for the console, 30 games $50 a piece. $1500. The Sega Saturn, hmm I have to try and remember $500? Or $400? I don’t really recall, I’ll low ball it though. 25 games at $50 a piece, $1250. The Dreamcast, (I went crazy on this one)…I had it all keyboard, network adapter, four pads, four VMU’s, crystal case, the fishing rod, I’m going to say for all of that right there…roughly $410, then the system, which was $299? Plus 40 games at $50 a piece…$2000! Then we have the Xbox and the 360, the most expensive yet, I don’t know if I want to add those up it’s scary. I can easily say I’ve spent about $15,000 on gaming in the past 15 years. A grand a year, and that’s a very liberal number. I know I’m on the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to blowing money on gaming. I didn’t even include my PC’s…
If one thing is for certain, gaming offer’s a bit of a break from the norm, it offers a place to hideout from the real world. It brought the world “Nintendo Kids”. Fat kids who you can tell spend way to much time in their basement or living room playing games. Maybe the Wii is a direct result of this scary epidemic. I can always pick out a “Nintendo Kid” out a group. They act aloof, they aren’t too coordinated, they’re always flopping around and shuffling nervously, they are also very whiney. When they get the Gameboy in their hands it’s like giving crack to a smoker, they’re calm and they are in their realm. I personally, would rather chill on the sofa, order a pizza, drink a few beers, and play games. It certainly doesn’t develop people skills, I know that but why would I want to go outside? I mean I have everything I need inside. A nice place to lay down, food, beverage, and a good source of entertainment. Xbox Live is making it harder to go out into the “real” world and meet friends. That’s hardly an excuse though.
It’s a wonder she even puts up with me. My wife. I can’t blame myself, she knew what she was getting when she married me. I never hid the problem from her. In fact I think it kind of laughed in her face. We’d have all night sessions of Worms, maybe she thought it was a passing fad. She was sorely mistaken though. It’s not much of a fight anymore. I did have to compromise a bit, I had to ease up on the time spent playing and the amount of money spent playing. It was a give and take. My problem with the give is, my time to play interrupts my sleep time. I can only play late at night. That doesn’t work too well, so I try to reserve playtime for the weekends. Again, that’s a no go, she’s got me locked down pretty much from 10PM until 7AM. Hardly the best gaming hours, but love does find a way and I manage to slide some time in here and there. I think it’s her pure hatred of the act itself (playing videogames) that drives me to push the envelope. The only problem is, there is more at stake if I push too much. It’s true, women do control it all. It doesn’t matter; it all comes down to them.
Frank Sinatra once said: “I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.” That’s the same way I feel about gaming, those who don’t play will never get the satisfaction. It’s something that has to be understood to fully appreciate. I’m sure it’s much like spelunking. I don’t feel an intervention is necessary. I don’t need it. Of course that’s one of the traits of addiction: denial. I’m going to have to grow up someday. Sadly, I still don’t know what I want to do with my life. I mean I know what I want to do, but the chances of me winning the Poweball and becoming a dedicated pro gamer isn’t likely. So I suppose I will figure something out eventually.
My life will be as normal as it can be to everyone on the outside. I know though, deep inside: I am a gaming maniac waiting to happen! Hell, I have been my whole life, articles like these are part of my self imposed twelve steps. I’ll get through it all I always do…
The magnificent Prey was once again abandoned as Microsoft disregarded Arkane Austin's achievements and crucified it just for Redfall.
well, not entirely ... the main Arkane studio i.e Arkane Lyon's still there ...
Its only that, the sequel will take more time now ... after Blade & Dishonored 3
Not even this Prey
Still longing for a sequel to the original Prey with Tommy
The studio didn't even want to call this Prey, it was just Bethesda being dicks to them for some reason.
Keep dreaming then as Prey and Dishonored 2 did not sell well enough to get sequels.
Hence we got Deathloop and Redfall instead.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has already cemented its legacy through its sprawling open world and commitment to player freedom.
Yesterday I was playing and there was a puzzle with two gears, (one moving and one stationary) and I couldn’t figure out how to get the stationary gear moving .
I took my spear and stuck it against moving gear and it transferred the motion to the stationary gear and that solved the puzzle.
I was so shocked I went online to see what was the intended way to solve this and I didn’t see anyone solve it quite the way I did (from the few videos I watched).
I definitely believe that this “intuitive” gameplay is the future of game design.
Indeed. The number of puzzles I solved thinking this will never work surprised me. One puzzle had me wanting to pull my hair out though. It was one of the jet rail puzzles. I looked up tips and one solution was as simple as creating a box and draping it over the rail and riding that across as you stood in the middle of it. I was done. 🤣
Star Wars is coming to Helldivers 2, unofficially that is, as a new mod revamps in-game models and sends players to a galaxy far, far, away.
might have a guess that this is actually an essay with some minor errors.
buy a wii,sell your 360,and all your worries will be gone,it will infuriate you so much that you won't like videogames ever again.
I plan on blogging about the experience rather than the news end of things. It's been awhile since I've written, I need to dust off that part of my brain. Hence the minor errors. As far as an essay goes, nah it was meant more for entertainment.
Well, if this is true,
you could try and quit cold turkey, or
set limited amounts of time,
try the xbox family timer?
Slowly cut down until it becomes a hobby.
not an addiction.
Don't quit.
It's your passion, and nothing can ever replace that.
Quitting gaming for you would be like tearing out a part of your soul.
Screw anybody who puts you down or hates your games. It's just as justifiable as ANY other medium of entertainment that ANYbody else chooses to enjoy.
Game on, dude!
It's fiction, sarcastic fiction, dark comedy if you will.