Should I give up gaming?

yes please give up gaming and go away. WTF is up with these "im getting bored of gaming" and "should i quit gaming" thread? Maybe its a trend
 
You like gaming and want to do something constructive? Start making skins, models, levels, and other mods. Learning to make mods is a valuable skills that can also be applied to other projects.
 
You are not going to do this overnight. I rarely game (and rarely to me is like 30 minutes a day on average)... most of my spent on the computer is just surfing the web, web development, or looking at the internet domain market...

Sleep less, and drink more coffee.

As a senior mechanical engineer, with two school projects, a separate research project, along with my regular classes - I literally am absolutely swamped. Anytime time I don't spend time working on school related things, I get stressed out. Like right now (well not right now, but I will be stressed come tomorrow night).

And see if you can pick up a computer hobby. I've been working on web development here and there for two years now. I'm proficient with HTML/CSS, and PHP/MySQL. I'm pretty decent with Adobe PhotoShop, and now am taking on JavaScript next. This is my main useful outside of college hobby. And I have a lot fun with it.

Computers aren't just for gaming. (duh)
 
I wouldn't worry too much about it. If you are a 20 year old student you have plenty of time to build a CV. You do not have to give up gaming now or ever. You are just reaching the point where you realize that you do need to think about things like building a resume and finding a career. That has nothing to do with gaming. I'm a serious gamer and I had straight A's in college and made it through a professional school at a top university. Gaming is part of who you are.

Yes, life would be a lot easier if there were no games to play. We would all be more "productive." But personally, I fail to see the point of being more successful, or physically fit, or social, or rich, if you have to give up gaming to do it. Why even freakin' live? I would just frag myself and be done with it.

I will say this, however. Gaming is a hobby that will destroy your body if you do not stay in shape. Especially if you are a student, and you spend a lot of time studying, you simply cannot spend hours studying and hours gaming and be healthy if you do not get some exercise.
 
you ever seen those movies where the main character devotes all their time and effort to one certain something then they look up and suddenly they're not the person they thought they were and deeply miss what they were before?

games are that sort of thing. you get one life in this real-game of life.

and life is short.
 
elleana said:
I think you should just cut down. You can lead a perfectly normal life and still game some. But hey - you're in college. That's the best time to game, imo :) I spent most of law school raiding WoW and I still got by fine. I graduated in the top third of my class, had plenty of friends (girlfriend, even) and landed a job at a top firm.

A few tips: (1) Organize your life, and get your priorities straight. Life first, gaming second. Try and get everything else you need to get done first before firing up TF2.
(2) Try not to reject social invitations, because if you reject too many, eventually you'll stop being asked, and that'll be that.
(3) You might be surprised at how many other people out there game.
(4) Hobbies are overrated, IMO. If you have one, well and good. No point picking one up when you have interest just to have a hobby.
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Great. Point number 1 right there says it all. (congrats on law school btw)

I myself am a fourth year senior graduating college this spring with a major in CJ. (hopefully if all works out as planned lol) I game and have a life. The life I chose just did not happen to be the life of Olympic athlete. I love sports and working out. However, I did not dedicate my life to one sport straight out of the womb like China does lol.

Be happy with who you are. But if a change somewhere is felt, then take the time neccessary to assess the circumstances. It is not impossible to accomplish what elleana is refferring to.

"Be the change you wish to see..."
 
Hey, why don't you take up golf at $40+ a round? It's what I tell my wife every time she decides to think computer games are dumb...
 
Eh,... I game..ALOT (1100+hrs with Enemy Territory:Quake Wars alone). However, I work (pay bills, eat, car, etc)... I excercise (benching over 430).... I play an instrument (piano, guitar).....AND I get laid (gorgeous girlfriend of 6 years).

What was your problem again?
 
I would just take a break and setup some rules on when you can play and how many hours a week. Infact the best way to split up your time is get a job with lots of overtime and a girl friend... After that you cant wait to spend a few hours a week gaming.
 
GenBanks said:
I'm a 20 year old uni student and I'm having a bit of a crisis
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im from the uk also but finished uni ages nearly 2 years ago and now im a married man and have a full time job and still game maybe 5-6 hours a week :)

gaming should not be a chore or a habit. it should me a means of entertainment. like watching tv etc.

like everyone else has said, dont give up unless you really hate gaming but from the sounds of it, you do still love to game so i wouldnt quit. there are many people who have a great life and still play games inbetween there breaks. for example many professional soccer players(football) such has wayne rooney etc all play games in there free time yet they stil go out socialize, party out and train every day.
 
Life is about balance.
Choose what you consider important for you and balance it as a part of your life.
I think doing all sorts of different things is the best for anyone (especially people with short attention spans).
I can tell you my boss was also an all out gamer and he still is, but when he started doing some sports and incorporating more "out of house" social activities his life improved a lot. He now lives with his girl-friend, works out games and has many other fun interests.
I suggest you do the same.
Staying indoors and gaming 90% of your free time will get you nothing but being fat and having blisters
on your dominnat hand ;)..Choose life!!!
 
wow 300 hours of game time on TF2? i have not even managed that sort of hours on any game i've played lol
 
Why do you need people on the internet that you do not even know tell you if you should or should not stop playing games?
 
I think this issue is being made way too complicated. If you enjoy playing games there is no reason to stop doing so. If they take up too much time then you need to learn how to moderate all the aspects of your life and find time for whatever is important to you.

This is not hard.
 
Why do you need people on the internet that you do not even know tell you if you should or should not stop playing games?
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Because most of my friends are non gamers and many don't even know how involved I am in gaming... And there are likely to be people on the internet who have been in the same situation and have good advise.

Regardless, in my opinion this thread has payed off and I really appreciate all the insightful replies. Lots of detailed and helpful advise. I'm sort of realising that it's not really games directly that are the problem but just making an effort to keep myself busy with other things. I'm definitely glad I asked because now that I'm thinking about it dumping games completely doesn't make a whole lot of sense and doesn't address the root of the problem, only the symptoms. A big thank you! =D
*buys everyone a drink*
 
All my friends are gamers and in college.. Its balance.. we all play games at different times.. sometimes we call each other up and play cod4 or bf2142 together for an hour or two.. Its about balance.. We all have jobs, girlfriends, and we all go out and have fun.. Annually I at least throw at least one to two lan parties with my friends.. we game for 3-4 days.. then we all go back to our normal lives.. Gaming is a hobby.. Don't make your life revolve around your hobbies.. your hobbies should revolve around your life..
 
asking if you should give up gaming on a gaming forum is like asking

  • if you should get headers and new exhaust on a corvette forum
  • if you should go over to the dark side and start jucin' on a bodybuilding forum
  • if you should quit drinking on a popular wine/beer forum
 
That response was completely unnecessary. The OP (and many others) are asking very important questions. Unfortunately, for a great many of us, we have nobody around us to talk about it because "games are for kids" mentality. That is why they ask here. They are trying to understand the bigger picture. At least the OP tried to think in through and then asked if what he is thinking is rational.

I went through the same thing as the OP. I finally found my center in regards to gaming and pretty happy with it.
 
I definitely say that you shouldn't eliminate gaming altogether. I'm at a service academy so I'm extremely busy, yet gaming for just a couple hours on the weekends is fun. I can still get into games (though it takes me a long time to beat them now), but my priorities are focused on the "real" things in life....the important things like school, sports, friends, ect. Relaxing on a Sunday morning or something with a game before I go to bed is something I don't want to throw out. Besides, building and upgrading computers is a cool hobby, even if the upgrade only happens once a year or so.

I think you shouldn't toss your gaming PC, but keep it in case you want to take it up again. Change your priorities around a bit, get out and do stuff, but allow games to be an option by which you can chill out and relax.
 
I think you should give up gaming but you can always just be a casual gamer. I pretty much gave up gaming but yet I still just bought a gtx 260. I mainly only play World in Conflict, and the occasional UT3 and CC3 Kane's Wrath.

I'm a university student, so what I do is, award myself after writing a paper, or finishing a project by playing a game. That way I can get the best of both.
 
As a hardcore gamer since childhood, I've thought about this stuff quite often myself. The only real plus to all this gaming has been a genuine interest in computer hardware that can easily translate into some good paying jobs, or so I've heard.

If it weren't for my paralyzing social anxieties I'd probably have acted on these thoughts by now (age 25).

'Fraid it's the gamer's life for me.
 
If you have to think and debate about it that much than know this:

Money First.
Everything else, like women, gaming, cars, other hobbies, second.

So do whatever that takes, meaning finishing your uni degree, or learning a special set of skills that pays well, or starting your own business, investing, etc until you get money. Like that guy tony from scarface said

In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.

Or in your case do whatever the f*** you want, including gaming and hiring those trainers and teachers to give you some sort of special talent.
 
I think you can find a good balance. Nothing good can come from 8+ hours of gaming every single day. You make excellent points about being less tied to your room, getting proper exercise and the benefit to your physical health and posture, making more real life social ties, etc etc.

That said, to completely cut it out seems a bit extreme. You state many positive points as well, and to cut it out of your life is IMO going too far unless it is causing serious issues with your studies, your job, your health, or your personal relationships (all of which I have seen happen). Maybe you go cold turkey for a week or two if that's what it takes to even begin, but you should have the mindset going in that you plan on gaming in moderation.

Anything in excess is bad, but that doesn't mean that you should stop doing something that you enjoy if you can impose limits upon yourself.

All IMO, of course. :)
 
@GenBanks

Just quit. You'll enjoy life alot more. I was addicted to WoW for the past 4 years and I got off it... sold my account and I'm having an overall better life.

I spend much more time with my girlfriend (of 8 years) and I spend more time doing more important things. At first, it's really hard to peel yourself away... but after a week or so off the crack... you'll adjust and be perfectly fine. At least that's how it worked for me.

Don't waste your life in your room on the PC while you're at university. Go out... drink... party. You can game after work when you graduate from uni!!! Games will always be there.

Also, knowing Blizzard, SC2 and D3 probably won't come out til you graduate anyway!
 
Also, when people say that you can balance your life out between gaming and RL... it's very difficult to do that. Seems like you have an addictive personality and just drop it cold turkey. GOOD LUCK!
 
I am 24 yrs old now. I've been gaming since I was 4 years old. And not once have I ever thought of asking myself "should i quit gaming"

Honestly if you think you should by all means do so. I truly agree with an earlier comment, how about you cut down on gaming and if you want to learn something new, then by all means.
I truly thing no one should quit gaming if they love it.

I love gaming and always will. But its all a self decision not a decision you need random online forum members to make for you.

kkthnx :D
 
rickyz said:
@GenBanks

Just quit. You'll enjoy life alot more. I was addicted to WoW for the past 4 years and I got off it... sold my account and I'm having an overall better life.

I spend much more time with my girlfriend (of 8 years) and I spend more time doing more important things. At first, it's really hard to peel yourself away... but after a week or so off the crack... you'll adjust and be perfectly fine. At least that's how it worked for me.

Don't waste your life in your room on the PC while you're at university. Go out... drink... party. You can game after work when you graduate from uni!!! Games will always be there.

Also, knowing Blizzard, SC2 and D3 probably won't come out til you graduate anyway!
Click to expand...

yes. be like this guy, spend your time just discussing and viewing topics about gaming instead of actually gaming.
 
I asked myself if I should stop gaming a few months ago, but at the same time I really enjoy gaming. Instead I have changed the way that I play games and how often, I set real life first, exercise 4 days a week, and spend time outdoors.

I also knew that I would be rather upset if I didn't get to play upcoming games like fable 2, D3, etc. If you don't want to feel chained down gaming, then play them at leasure to enjoy the game & then move on, instead of using a competition mindset. I have no plans on joining a clan or guild again anytime soon and although they have been fun in the past, they've also been a major cause of stress and a commitment that takes over real life and my responsibilities.

However I recently moved as well, so it was easy for me to break my old habbits. Now everytime I see the neighbor kids playing outside, it keeps me inspired and motivated to challenge myself. I plan to buy a bike, a boxing bag, get back into paintball, and do several electronic equipment repairs and get back into hardware modifications, etc.
 
As others have said it appears you have some type of addiction to gaming. Maybe you should give yourself a little break from gaming so much. At your age it is important to grow and change by going out into the world and meeting some challenges, be they academic, social, romantic, athletic, etc... ideally you would meet challenges in all of these areas.

Maybe when you've got your school routine down, and possibly scored a girlfriend and a job, you can get a gaming PC or a games console and come back to it as a fun hobby and <i>just one of the fun things you enjoy doing.</i>

It pays to be well-rounded...
 
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