Ever Thought About Quitting The Video Game Hobby?

BioMotor_Unitron · Feb 17, 2002

Just curious. I ponder it now and then. The hobby tends to become materialistic, and quite frankly, I sometimes wish I did not own all of this stuff. Then I think about the great times playing the great games, and I relent.

I forget who it was that said it, but it was something along the lines of, "Treasures that you cannot leave behind are not treasures at all, but manacles."

Serious replies only please, no smart-ass "Sell/Give me your stuff!" replies.

Zeekade Zarathos · Feb 17, 2002

I don't ever think I'm going to quit forever, but I do take long breaks at times. And it helps that I don't spend ALL of my money on games, but do a lot of volunteer work and donating as well so I don't feel like a total, materialistic, self-centered prick with all these ultimately pointless bleeping boxes.

aria · Feb 17, 2002

Well, when all life itself ends for myself next fall (cough, cough, Law school, cough) I'll probably put the aquisitions and playing on hold for a while. But I know I'll get back to it at least occassionally (there are a few current Law school students on these forums). It'll be like a nice long break

rarehero · Feb 17, 2002

it would be so nice to quit.
especially the NEO scene.
this scene is so fucking bitchy its not even funny.
i love the games and thats the only thing that
really keeps me around.
i could never stop, because there is always some
thing cool to look forward to or to look back to.
but fuk it all and stop collecting would be kinda
cool one day.
its just so hard when you ve come so fuking far
with your collection though.

Galford Forever · Feb 17, 2002

I wholeheartedly agree with you. Videogaming turns extremely materialistic. My neo collection isn't that large, but my video game collection is quite large. I think about all the money I've put into it, and it I'm kind of embarassed about it. The memories are great though. I think that's really what collecting is all about for me... trying to hold onto your memories. The more you like something the more you want to keep it in excellent condition. I know I'll never sell my games, and yet I'm OBSESSIVE about game condition. Sometimes I do wish they'd all go away so that I wouldn't obssess about them anymore... It can become a chore and a burden all too quickly. Then again I can never leave gaming. I just love it too much. Games.. can't live with em, can't live with out em

.

steveold · Feb 18, 2002

I had small scrapes of this idea not too long back. Or at least the idea that I better slow the hell down.
Lately, I have had deals gone not as desired. And then there's the money issue where you think about it and realize how much you spent.

Thankfully, I am almost at that point where I'm closing up my library and enjoying them instead of hunting.

NSX-T · Feb 18, 2002

Originally posted by BioMotor_Unitron:
Just curious. I ponder it now and then. The hobby tends to become materialistic, and quite frankly, I sometimes wish I did not own all of this stuff. Then I think about the great times playing the great games, and I relent.

I forget who it was that said it, but it was something along the lines of, "Treasures that you cannot leave behind are not treasures at all, but manacles."

Serious replies only please, no smart-ass "Sell/Give me your stuff!" replies.<hr></blockquote>
I quit about 8 years ago, but started gaming again about 2 years ago.

xonox · Feb 18, 2002

I have a couple of hobbies: video games, electronic music (composing and listening), rc cars, computers...

I always tried to find out which hobby i should concentrate most on. I tried to give up music but i couldn't. I almost gave up on game playing but so many good games exist that i can't stop (mostly arcade games for me...). I gave up rc cars for 4-5 years at least but i got back into it last summer with some friends.

I often try to do something else when i am tired with one hobby. I don't try to give up on any hobby anymore. I just try to do whatever i enjoy most depending how i feel.

Sometimes i do not play a lot of games for many weeks. It helps me to not spend all money on neo geo games.

If you feel fed up with gaming, I'd suggest taking a small break. Do not get rid of stuff you like. Just take it easy, maybe try doing something else.

Really long walks in the middle on the night helped me a lot of times when i was bored with something, kind of cleans my mind

Wolf · Feb 18, 2002

I always toy with the idea. I always think about other ways I could put the same money to good use.

In the end, I know that I can never leave the hobby. I always come back for the same great experiences.

FeelGood · Feb 18, 2002

What would improve your life more: giving up your carts, or giving up this site? I mean, some people spend more time at neo-geo.com than playing neo-geo games. Which one are you?

Neo Bomber Man · Feb 18, 2002

Originally posted by BioMotor_Unitron:
Just curious. I ponder it now and then. The hobby tends to become materialistic, and quite frankly, I sometimes wish I did not own all of this stuff. Then I think about the great times playing the great games, and I relent.

I forget who it was that said it, but it was something along the lines of, "Treasures that you cannot leave behind are not treasures at all, but manacles."

Serious replies only please, no smart-ass "Sell/Give me your stuff!" replies.<hr></blockquote>

Certainly. Now a bit more frequently than in the past. Overdosing is a good way to kill the fun of it all I can say.

Personally I would be happy if new games came to an end right now as I could busy myself forever on what the past 17 or so years of game-programming has yielded.

I would love to sell it all, collect a few thousand, and be on my way, but I have a belief about myself: The things that I truly love in life, no matter what, I will always come back to, and despite all the prolongued periods of not playing, wanting to sell, failing interest due to shortage of time & the myriad of others, some more and less justifiable, I still have my stuff, and am still here.

I suppose it's mainly because, I consider myself first and foremost an arcade gamer, which is where I do spend far more time gaming than anywhere else. We still have a great arcade scene around (now don't go turning this into a "we have no arcades around here" thread) and so, I will keep with it for as long as it remains. Playing at home is simply not so convenient as it used to be, for me.

ray_7 · Feb 18, 2002

For the meantime, NO WAY!!! But maybe when I'm on my 20's, I'll definitely QUIT. :cool:

Tadaima · Feb 18, 2002

My highly criticizable opinion is that you either for yourself or for other people. Let me explain that.

If you play for enjoyment, to entertain yourself, then there is no reason to quit, save if you finished every game on Earth, that you are so skilled and gifted at playing games that no game will ever resist you.

But if you play to give yourself a cool image through the eyes of other people, then stop playing and sell all your stuffs.

Honestly, I do not feel like quitting the video game hobby. I was born with ColecoVision, grew up with Atari, learned to read and write with SNK, got through teenagehood with SNK and Capcom, had my first fun with Nintendo and discovered what feces really is about when I first played a Playstation.

So, it's all a matter of taste and cycle. If you don't feel like playing games anymore, just give it a break. I'm sure you'll get around to it sooner or later!

-Tadaima

Tiptonium · Feb 18, 2002

I've been buying, trading, playing, selling video games for a long time. At one point I had around 25 or more different systems, some having nearly complete game libraries. Not focusing on the few systems that I really enjoyed really took its toll on me. From 88-90 I did not buy any video game - I was burned out in more ways than one. I needed a break. That, and work was really taking all of my time.

Around two years ago I began focusing on a few systems that I really cared about (Neo Geo, Vectrex). Those I did not have a close connection to had to go. Gone are my NES, Coleco, Intellivision, Atari 2600/5200/7800, Turbografx, 32X, Pong and several lessor known systems and games. They all found new homes. I even sold off a few rare Atari Jaguar, Genesis and SNES items, something that I thought I'd never do.

Getting rid of these distractions did a few things for me. It put cash in hand so that I could focus on my favorite systems. It gave me the means to easily obtain the next gen stuff. It also cleared a lot of room in my house!

Takumaji · Feb 18, 2002

I have never thought about giving up the video game "hobby", simply because I don't call it a hobby, but part of my personal life style.

Video gaming influenced many aspects of my life, specially my music, and was a key factor during my childhood and youth. I still feel the very same deep, omnipotent thrill when I play one of the old games that started it all for me, like Asteroids, Pong or Defender, Missile Command, Pac Man, Scramble or Phoenix; I grew up with arcade cabs, micro computers and consoles. I learned to code 6502 assembler, programmed my own games (on various 8Bit systems), worked in game stores during the summer holidays, spent weeks to track down arcades for the rarer games...etc...

Now, FFWD to 2002; I'm 32, and I still feel the same kind of magic, as fresh and inspiring as ever.

No, I don't think I'll ever stop.

*sings "When I'm Sixty-Four"*

Dampfwalze · Feb 18, 2002

Funny that this topic shows up because this is exactly my problem at the moment. Kind of a videogame crisis.
I am about to sell the most of my videogames because I don't have the spare time to play all these games. RPGs and Adventure Games especially need a big amount of time and I don't have this time anymore.

But the NeoGeo will be the last system to sell (if at all) because the games are arcade games and could be played through in half an hour (average time) which is perfect for my needs.

Takumaji · Feb 18, 2002

Dampfwalze, just three words:

DON'T

DO

IT!

FeelGood · Feb 18, 2002

I find that RPGs aren't about time so much as they are about appeal now. I used to play any RPG, even if it didn't look cool, now I won't. But if an RPG looks cool, I'll make time. I'll play for about 2 hours after work, pass out at 1:00 am, and go back later the next evening. Weekends are good for RPGs too.

SonGohan · Feb 18, 2002

I actually did quit in '96. I loaned some fat kid my Playstation, and he stepped on it and it broke. I was so pissed that I just ended up pawning all the rest of my shit as well (which I really wish I hadn't). Now I get a new job in November of '00, and my FIRST paycheck, I walk past the electronics department in my store. I see a game I've never heard of (particularly because I hadn't been keeping current with them), and fucking died right on the spot. Capcom vs SNK for Dreamcast. I had always dreamed of a game like that. So instead of paying my bills, I loaded up with a brand new DC ($150 at the time) and 3 DC games. Then I had to go out and buy all the rest of the shit I had pawned those years back. I'm back into it now more than ever. If you ever feel like quitting the scene, KEEP YOUR STUFF. You never know if/when you will return to it.

BioMotor_Unitron · Feb 18, 2002

I have seen some excellent points made in this Thread, thanks for keeping it serious, folks.

Completely getting out of the hobby would be a major endeavour for me, due to the number of consoles, games, and cabinets. You know you are deep into a hobby when it is easier to continue with it than it is to get out of it.

Of course, it would also be a bit odd if I gave up gaming, especially having my best competition living in the same house.

I gave up gaming in the past, when I moved to Seattle and left my Genesis and all my Genesis games with a friend, with the understanding that I would be back to Alaska at Thanksgiving and pick them up then, only to discover he had sold everything for $25.00 so he could buy some beer. <img src="graemlins/ohno.gif" border="0" alt="[Oh No]" /> I did not play a console again until I bought a PSX and Final Fantasy 7.

A year or two ago, I took a sabbatical from the scene, and came back the better for it. Perhaps I should do so again.

Magician · Feb 18, 2002

I don't think I ever would want to. I can easily see myself in my retirement years playing something, be it a NES, Playstation 9, Neo 512(bit), Sega Katana, Nintendo Dolphin, you know what I'm talkin about. Asking me to stop gaming is like asking a cocaine user to stop for a day. I simply get too much gratification and enjoyment from gaming. When I die, I want to be buried with a Atari 2600 controller because that's when it started, J/K.

Dampfwalze · Feb 18, 2002

Originally posted by Takumaji:
Dampfwalze, just three words:

DON'T

DO

IT!

<hr></blockquote>

Yes I know. It's a shame to destroy a collection
but there are so many games that I have no time
to play. I even have some SNES games (bought a
longe time ago) that I haven't played yet, like
Earthbound and Lufia 2. Surely great games, but
I never found the time to play them. Sad thing.
A little list of my unplayed games (all new and
mint, only tried once to see if they are O.K.):

Final Fantasy 7-9 US
Final Fantasy Anthology US
Final Fantasy Tactics (with Strat. Guide) US
Xenogears US
Vandal Hearts US
Suikoden US
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue PS US
Wild Arms US
Chrono Cross US
Valkyrie Profile US
Skies of Arcadia US

And this is only the RPG fraction.
I love RPGs but I hardly found the time for them.
<img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[Crying]" />
So I think it's better to let them go into the hands of someone who uses them.
I'm just unsure if I should give them to someone
I know, or to put them on ebay.

the_move · Feb 18, 2002

Gee!

Quitting?!

No way!

Kazuya_UK · Feb 18, 2002

I havent really thought about quitting per se, but sometimes I think we all get involved a little TOO much in this scene and probably do spend too much time posting on forums and chatting than actually playing video games... thats when you start getting annoyed by the lamers and morons around in this scene.

Best advice I can give if you start to get fed up with games (or many other things for that matter), is to just give em a break for a while (you know, absence makes the heart grow fonder etc). At times I haven't touched a video game for a week or two, and then when I come back to them it feels that bit more special.

If you do anything too much, it can become a chore after a while.

[ February 18, 2002: Message edited by: Kazuya_UK ]

garou_d · Feb 18, 2002

Originally posted by Dampfwalze:


Yes I know. It's a shame to destroy a collection
but there are so many games that I have no time
to play. I even have some SNES games (bought a
longe time ago) that I haven't played yet, like
Earthbound and Lufia 2. Surely great games, but
I never found the time to play them. Sad thing.
A little list of my unplayed games (all new and
mint, only tried once to see if they are O.K.):

Final Fantasy 7-9 US
Final Fantasy Anthology US
Final Fantasy Tactics (with Strat. Guide) US
Xenogears US
Vandal Hearts US
Suikoden US
Lunar 2 Eternal Blue PS US
Wild Arms US
Chrono Cross US
Valkyrie Profile US
Skies of Arcadia US

And this is only the RPG fraction.
I love RPGs but I hardly found the time for them.
<img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[Crying]" />
So I think it's better to let them go into the hands of someone who uses them.
I'm just unsure if I should give them to someone
I know, or to put them on ebay.<hr></blockquote>

Excuse me but you should go to the selling forum. This very intersting topic is not about selling.

Ever Thought About Quitting The Video Game Hobby?

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