How do you divide your gaming time?

Neo · 02-09-2005, 02:27 PM

With all the consoles plus a PC I constantly have the feeling that there are more great games than I will ever have time to play. Because of this I sometimes have a hard time getting into a game as I'm constantly wondering if there is some other game I should really be spending my time with.

Since I'm scientifically minded I like to classify everything, including the games I play. What I do is concentrate on a single game at a time, what I refer to as my "focus" game. This is the game I will spend most of my time playing. Then I will have a secondary game I refer to as a "distraction" game. This is typically a sports or puzzle title - something which doesn't have a clear objective. Right now my focus game is Fable and my distraction game is Halo 2. Halo 2 was originally a focus game, but now all I do is play online occasionally; I'm no longer working through the campaign.

This is not to say that I don't play other games at the same time, because I do. I just like to have a primary and secondary game so I'm not jumping back and forth between different titles. I hate coming back to a game like Metroid Prime that I haven't played in months because I have no idea where I am or what I was trying to accomplish at that particular time.

And of course I'm always playing the sims (now the sims 2) and writing stories about them. I haven't played WC III in a long time which is a shame considering I bought a new video card just for that.

In the future money and time constraints may force me to support a single system instead of three consoles and a computer like I do now. I consider GC to be my "flagship" console but that doesn't automatically mean I'll be doing all things Revolution in the future. I'm waiting to see which next-gen console will be my main focus.

dropCGCF · 02-09-2005, 02:47 PM

I game when I have time.

I usually play the same games over and over again.

DeathsHand · 02-09-2005, 02:50 PM

I too sort of prefer computer games... I dunno, it just seems more cozy and comfy to be in my nice office chair right up in front of the screen controlling the game with a mouse and a keyboard...

But I simply suck at working on more than 2 games at once... For me nowadays my gaming time goes like this:

90% of gaming time is spent on WoW

the other 10% at first was at first MGS3, then RE4 came out so I ignored MGS3 and beat 4, then bought RE1, 2, and 3 for PS1.... So I started playing 2, and I've almost beaten it twice now...

But I'm with you, I can't stand putting a game down for awhile and then not being able to remember what I was doing... It drives me insane...

That being said, I have 10 or more games that I bought and never/barely even started playing... I'll get around to it... some day...

Neo · 02-09-2005, 03:01 PM

I was interested in WoW but decided to pass since you can't play as the undead. That gave me an excuse to narrow down the field of great games I have to play.

CamFu · 02-09-2005, 03:02 PM

I've run into this problem so much. Me having a family and all, I don't get to sick down and play as many games and as long as I would like.

I usually try to jump on to my PC or Console, depending what mood I'm in, when my family has settled down for the night. Usually I don't get into RPG/Adventure/Platform very much, because I don't have the time to do it. I guess that is why I'm such a big FPS kind of guy.

It took me months to complete Zelda:OoT, because every time I sat down to play, attention was needed else where. But I finished Zelda:WW in a week (I was deployed at the time and I had hours between down time). That is way I'm really reluctant to get WoW. Spending a monthly fee to play that just a couple hours a month, just doesn't justice the purchase. And for the same reason, that is why I'm looking into buying Guild Wars. Was a fan of Diablo II, this doesn't have an monthly fee… If I play a couple times a month (no my character won't be amazing), but I will get my RPG fill. Which I need as a gamer once in a while.

With FPS, I pop in the game. Play around for a little bit, and it's easy to just jump off when ever I need too.

I really don't have it down to a science when and how long I play. It's all just spur of the moment kind of thing. If I get some time, BF:1942 here I come. If the family is away for the day (visiting in-laws), something like Second Sight will be played. If I know I only have an hour on the system, Madden gets thrown into the system. This way I know that I will get at least the feeling of a completion of a game. Games may vary, but that system is how I play.

There are times when I get hardly any playing time at all. Like yesterday, I went to put in Halo2, and I only got in like 3 games and had to quit.

Dyne · 02-09-2005, 04:09 PM

I've divided it as such!:

RPG's: 0%
Everything else: 100%!

It's not that I dislike RPGs, it's just that most of them are boring, pointless pieces of time-wasters. I've worn out many an A and X button just to go through dialogue. The last game that made me quit RPGs was Golden Sun: The Lost Age.

I much prefer Arcade games now. I mostly play Outrun 2, which is sex in 5-minute intervals, Ordyne on the Turbografx which is a sweet shooter, R-type for the Turbo Grafx, Mr. Driller DS, which is a nice puzzle/action game that's also makes for good time wasting, and Zelda, which is about as deep into RPGs as I'll go.

In my line-up I'll have the portable games, the quick arcade game, and the ocassional 20-hour long adventure I'll work on when I have no studying to do (I.E. Metroid Prime 2, Metal Gear Solid 3.) Unfortunately, most of my collection is made up of these 20 hour adventures, and I need to beat a lot.

Now you can probably see why I deleted 40+ hour RPGs from my gaming time.

GameMaster · 02-09-2005, 04:39 PM

If I'm not at school or doing school work, I'm usually online or gaming.

At the moment I'm not doing any console or handheld gaming. Just WarCraft 3.

I only buy one game at a time so I don't usually have to divide my time up. When I buy a console or handheld game, I try to stick to it daily until I've completed it or I'm tired of it. Handheld gaming is generally reserved for filling empty time between other events (like breaks between classes). With some exceptions like Pokémon and Mario 64 DS, which I played at home for a while.

I plan on either renting or buying Star Fox Assualt and when that happens, WC3 will become the secondary entertainment until SFA is completed or no longer fun.

The Germanator · 02-09-2005, 04:45 PM

I usually concentrate on one game at a time. Right now it's only been MGS 3 and Ratchet and Clank, though I haven't even started Ratchet and Clank 3 yet... I plan on buying Minish Cap and that may take up some time...

I only plan on bringing my NES to college this term though (gets too cluttered otherwise) so that means any next-gen games left unfinished will be that way for a long, long time...

Blackmane · 02-09-2005, 05:01 PM

Right now I am totally focused on computer gaming, especially CS:S. I rarely play consoles, although I do get the chance to play PS2 when I can, and when I do, I like to play Amplitude. It is such a fun game.

Neo · 02-09-2005, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Germanator

I usually concentrate on one game at a time. Right now it's only been MGS 3 and Ratchet and Clank, though I haven't even started Ratchet and Clank 3 yet... I plan on buying Minish Cap and that may take up some time...

I only plan on bringing my NES to college this term though (gets too cluttered otherwise) so that means any next-gen games left unfinished will be that way for a long, long time...

Top-loader?

DeathsHand · 02-09-2005, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neo

I was interested in WoW but decided to pass since you can't play as the undead. That gave me an excuse to narrow down the field of great games I have to play.

Try telling that to my undead rogue...

Fox 6 · 02-09-2005, 05:14 PM

I usually play for a couple hours after i've done my home work. On the weekends i play for longer if I'm not busy.

Vampyr · 02-09-2005, 05:15 PM

I have this problem ALL the time. It feels like I was happier when I was a kid and didn't have money to buy games.

Because then I could only buy one every month or so, and I would have plenty of time to focus on it and beat it before buying another one.

But now I spend 10 minutes standing in my room staring at a stack of games wondering which one I should play (I have so many unbeaten ones), and I usually walk away disgusted because I can't decide.

I think I'm going to start using Neo's "primary/secondary" plan. Because when I DO play a game, it usually ends up being something like a fighter, which I can play for years and never beat, and thus I never get anythign accomplished.

I also agree with Dyne on the RPG thing. I sick and tired and done with them. I always buy more than I can ever possibly beat. From now on I'm just buying the ones from my favorite series, like Xenosaga, FF, and The Elder Scrolls. No matter how much I want another one, I'm not getting it. I usually have more fun with the action oriented games anyway. Instant gratification is great.

The Germanator · 02-09-2005, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neo

Top-loader?

Hell yeah. Those suckers work pretty nicely.

Canyarion · 02-09-2005, 05:37 PM

There are about 10 (good) games that I still have to beat (again).... I just... play what I feel like playing.