Is Your Time Spent Reading/Watching about games Disproportionate to Playing Them?

I find that lately I spend more time reading and talking and watching things about games than playing them. I suppose I can attribute most of that to not having enough money to buy new games, but I think my interest in actually playing games is starting to decline. Does anyone else have this problem?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I was actually just thinking about this recently, and unfortunately I think this is true for me at the moment as well. I still play some PS2 games on the weekend, and I play some DS games through the week, but for the most part it seems that I'm not playing games that much at all. However, I spend a lot of time on the internet reading the latest video game news, and talking about them online. So while I wouldn't say that my times are wildly disproportionate, I do think that I spend more time reading about them than I do play them.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I do read more about games nowadays rather than play them.

I'll go through the faqs for all the horror games I will never play, because I love the dark stories and backstories in that genre of game, but I wimp out of playing them.

I will also read lots of reviews for old/rare games in the hopes that I will find them chance one day.

It's not really related to the fact that I have no money for me, but rather that I find reviews and faqs to be interesting articles in themselves.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I really only have time to play when I go away on vacation. Otherwise, work takes up most of the day and at night I don't like playing games because then I wont stop and I'l be dead for work in the morning. I do talk way more about it than I play.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by RockgamerXIII

I was actually just thinking about this recently, and unfortunately I think this is true for me at the moment as well. I still play some PS2 games on the weekend, and I play some DS games through the week, but for the most part it seems that I'm not playing games that much at all. However, I spend a lot of time on the internet reading the latest video game news, and talking about them online. So while I wouldn't say that my times are wildly disproportionate, I do think that I spend more time reading about them than I do play them.

Man, I didn't even realize that until now. I spend an enourmous amount of time on the internet looking up things FOR gaming (ie, LCD TVs/sound systems/PS3 - Xbox 360 Wii news) and replaying various next gen movies rather than working on the pile of RPGS I still have yet to finish.

Sometimes I even start reading reviews of games I've beaten, I'm not sure why, but somehow it's quite strange that I can sometimes find reading about games more "stimulating" than playing the actual games. But not always, just to let you know.

Originally Posted by Summonmaster

I'll go through the faqs for all the horror games I will never play

Indeed, I can't even play Clocktower for SNES (LOL WIMP) but reading the walkthrough is almost like a suspense/horror novel.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I'd say I'm currently about 50:50 between playing games and reading about them.

I definitely agree that there are times where I spend much more time reading about games than actually playing them though.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Hah! I've indeed noticed this trend as well, and it's not only centered around videogames for me. I constantly find myself reading game reviews about games that I've already played before. At times, I even find video clips and other related clips more appealing than the game itself. This may or may not be related to the fact that most of the clips I watch highlight the best parts of the game. However, I wouldn't say that I spend most of my time doing this. I'd say that it's about 70%.

FELIPE NO

I spend more time actually playing a game than simply reading about one. I may briefly read about a game I'm interested in getting, but I know most of my time is actually devoted to playing.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I would say I spend more time reading/watching/talking about games than actually playing them.

BUT...

That's because I prefer to spend time with 1-2 games at a time, whereas it's not hard to read about/discuss a dozen or more games in a single sitting. I mean, I've posted several times over the past week about Suikoden V, but at most, I've spent 3 hours total on communicating about it (and maybe 10 flipping through FAQ's and the strategy guide and another 2 checking out a couple of fansites for the series), whereas my play clock just ran past 75 hours. Same for Burnout 3...35 hours played, probably less than an hour reading about it or discussing it. Same for New Super Mario, although it has been more of a hot topic, being recent and all.

In a lot of cases, I just like reading/watching stuff about games I have no desire to play myself. Watching a bunch of Silent Hill/Resident Evil or Halo or Final Fantasy fans go back and forth about their series is oddly entertaining. Seeing the latest generic-looking war game in action on those Spike TV videogame shows is a great way to keep up with what's current and not have to actually play the stuff. Or in other cases, I love reading about older games I either can't get or have been pushed to the backburner for ages...I've been meaning to catch up on translated SNES ROM's. Or there's even discussions on ones I've played...A hearty "What's your favorite Castlevania?" discussion is always welcome and I'll immediately start looking for all the smart people who answer Castlevania 3.

How ya doing, buddy?

Hopefully this trend will reverse for me. I just picked up Kindgdom Hearts 2 the other day (yeah I know, where was I March 28). So this should balance the time spend playing and viewing/ talking about things about video games.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I spend more time reading and writing about them, at a ration of probably 10:1 or more. I can read Internet forums, or reviews, in small chunks of time. It seems like games these days just take huge chunks of my time and energy to "get into." Then, if I don't have a chance to play them for a week, it's difficult to pick up where I left off. Internet = short attention span I guess...

How ya doing, buddy?

I usually read about them/discuss about them most of the time. While it's nice to get a new game, I seem to have a phobia of completing it. That sounds moronic, I know, but once a game's completed, it's over. Replaying through something like an RPG just for a second ending isn't really worth it.

But, when there's a game such as Bomberman DS which lets you play against 7 other computers in various maps, the replay value is endless. Most arcade games/fighting games hold far more replayability over the rest, and that's why I like them. Even if you "complete" them, their entire purpose is gameplay.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by speculative

I spend more time reading and writing about them, at a ration of probably 10:1 or more. I can read Internet forums, or reviews, in small chunks of time. It seems like games these days just take huge chunks of my time and energy to "get into." Then, if I don't have a chance to play them for a week, it's difficult to pick up where I left off. Internet = short attention span I guess...

That is my own problem almost exactly. I spend what seems like hours on the internet researching games for various nefarious purposes and then I get excited by the game but can't bother to go and plop it in the system and flop down on the couch. Too much effort, sometimes.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Spatula

Sometimes I even start reading reviews of games I've beaten, I'm not sure why, but somehow it's quite strange that I can sometimes find reading about games more "stimulating" than playing the actual games. But not always, just to let you know.

I do that as well but to see if there are views which match the opinion that I hold of a game. Sometimes I doubt I can distinguish whether I am really digging a game, so I look for some sort of excuse when my interest is waning. I am odd enough that I keep ratings of the games I play and I like to justify them.

I'm not a modern gamer in the sense that I do not anticipate new releases. I happily play my games on my SNES, N64, PS2...

However I guess the time spent reading reviews is probably not too much less than me playing them. I know I have many games which I have yet to play so I make sure not to spend too much time weighing up what games to buy next.

How ya doing, buddy?

I spend a lot of time reading up about games in general. I play a lot of videogames but I am always apprehensive before playing a game because I know it will take up a lot of time which is not something I have a lot of as a college student.

Overall though, I would say that I play more than read...

FELIPE NO

Yeah it is - I think i spend more time reading about them and upcoming titles that I´m looking forward too. That´s probably because I haven´t bought a game for ages.. also now during summer I rather do some exercise in the sun

I pretty much read about gaming every internet session. I check for news, announcements and read boards - and if I play the games, I usually play in the evening...

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?