"Addict" or self-control?

Soldato
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I definitely had an unhealthy relationship with gaming, it really did interfere with me living a normal life once upon a time. I'm not sure I'd ever class it as addiction, but it was certainly destructive behaviour.
 
Soldato
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I've taken to watching people play games now more than playing them myself. (I always used to think people who watched people playing games were mental... Haha!) I don't know whether its because i have less time to play or just because its less work? I don't really watch TV so i can just stick a stream on while i'm doing something else and dip in and out of it. Plus they are generally better than me at said games so its almost like you can experience it through the streamer?
 
Caporegime
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I've taken to watching people play games now more than playing them myself. (I always used to think people who watched people playing games were mental... Haha!) I don't know whether its because i have less time to play or just because its less work? I don't really watch TV so i can just stick a stream on while i'm doing something else and dip in and out of it. Plus they are generally better than me at said games so its almost like you can experience it through the streamer?

I am sorry but I think this is just sad. Watching videos for tips, tricks or walkthrough I can see the point but just watching someone play is just silly when you can be playing yourself.
 
Soldato
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Question for everyone.

Playing games for escapism and playing games for entertainment? Are they both the same?
Bit of both I think. It's entertaining and as gaming requires your full attention it can take your mind off of other things, like just the daily grind for example.
I enjoy gaming but go through periods where I hardly play. I've probably played about 3 hours in the last 3 months. I sometimes don't feel like it and then in the future I'll just get my enthusiasm back and enjoy it much more and then maybe do a few long stints for a few days and then settle back into 5 or 6 hours over weekend. Games while enjoyable can kind of being repetitive for me,yet strangely I enjoy openworld games more which some find boring but it feels more realistic and random than some of the more linear games.

I find it difficult to get back into games sometimes if I leave them for a while. The controls etc, the story, what you're supposed to do :).

Some people have addictive personalities. Probably a bit more healthy to be addicted to gaming than hard drugs although having a sex addiction might be more admirable? :D
 
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Soldato
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I would say there have been times when I haven't got the balance right but I would not say I've ever been addicted as such. Life priorities have meant that gaming has taken a back seat. (children and post grad exams have seen to that). Nowadays, on a nice day I'd much rather wash the car, go out to the park with the little one or crack on with the garden. I'm lucky to get 2 hours a week nowadays.
 
Permabanned
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It's still very much the top form of escapism for me, surpassing films, books, etc., and I'll have a bit of childish giddiness secretly for many upcoming titles for years to come. But only ever like 6 hours max, nowadays maybe 2-3 hours on Mon-Friday and 4-5 on one of Sat or Sunday. Years ago it was often 5 hours or so nearly every day of the week, which I think is unhealthy but not terribly so. Haven't tried the current VR yet, but I wonder what such will be like, and how I'll handle it, when tech advances much further.
 
Soldato
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Big part of my childhood, gaming. World of Warcraft for me was the hardest time though, I spent so much time in that game, and it definitely interfered with my getting on with a somewhat normal life!

These days I simply don't have the same attention span or the energy to commit to lots of hours in a day, it's rare for me to play a game for more than 2-3 hours at a time, but I've never completely quit gaming in all these years, just played less.

I play/enjoy a lot more single player games now, find it easier to pick up and play when I want without relying on other people, or feeling forced to spend hours in raids.
 
Caporegime
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That's different. Watching E-Sports is no different to watching a game of football. Just watching some random dude play games. Especially single player ones when you could be enjoying it yourself. That's the same as watching someone watch a film.

You're either watching someone because their commentary is worth it or you aren't going to be buying the game anyway and still want to see if it was a sensible idea. You can also use it as a review which is far easier to judge than a likely biased article/youtube video. I wouldn't really say it's like someone watching a film as there's no interaction there as it would distract too much from the sequential nature of a film, as opposed to the downtime that is associated with most games.

I don't care for E-Sports (or watching any Sport for that matter) though, i can't get past the idea that i'm wasting my time even more than normal just to take part in what is essentially sectarianism - obviously you don't need to partake in the toxic side of the culture, but it overwhelmingly sours the entertainment and creates a violent echo chamber.
 
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Associate
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I went full-blown gamer after my car crash in 2006, with a major spinal injury and no certainty of returning to work.
I bought an Xbox 360 purely to socialise with my mates - my self confidence had taken a real hit and adjusting to life in a wheelchair was tough enough, without seeing the looks on their faces (before we would go sailing, downhill mountain biking, compete in jui jitsui tournaments, etc).

I was already into PC gaming, but sitting in my wheelchair for long periods caused pressure sores and it was a long time to find a suitable office chair that could support me, so I moved to the sofa and hooked the pc up to the TV.

I slowly managed to pick up the pieces of my life and learned to walk (for short distances), then as my self confidence grew, I was able to socialise more.

I can't say I've ever been addicted to gaming (3 years of heavy morphine use took care of that), but it definitely helped escape the reality of my situation (I was an optician, but went back to uni to study law - the crash was 18 months into my first salaried job after I qualified).

The company I worked for were awesome, taking care of my Bupa bills, relocating me closer to my family, (plus 85% pay for 9 years helped). It allowed me to focus on my rehabilitation and What's Next.

Medical retirement at 36 wasn't my goal as a newly qualified corporate lawyer, but after getting married and having three kids with my amazing wife (we originally dated in our teens, then went separate ways for 10 years), who knows me at my best and my worst, I've started to pick up the bug with my 7 year old Autistic boy.

I'm currently building him his first gaming rig and look forward to hearing my wife complain how much time we're staring at a screen...
 
Soldato
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Somewhere in the middle.
The addiction is quite real. I lost a lot of my life playing WoW but I did enjoy the experience so it's not all bad.

Ive also spent the last 6 years quite addicted to Dota2 but that seems to have stopped since having a child and real life getting in the way.

The real problem people seem to overlook is the addiction to our mobile phones. I spend an unhealthy amount of time looking at mine and I'm very self aware of the fact. People's obsession with social media will screw society over a lot more than gaming.
 
Soldato
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The addiction is quite real. I lost a lot of my life playing WoW but I did enjoy the experience so it's not all bad.

Ive also spent the last 6 years quite addicted to Dota2 but that seems to have stopped since having a child and real life getting in the way.

The real problem people seem to overlook is the addiction to our mobile phones. I spend an unhealthy amount of time looking at mine and I'm very self aware of the fact. People's obsession with social media will screw society over a lot more than gaming.

True but I think that is exposing certain peoples natural instincts. Always seeking attention and approval.

Same for others who are addicted to hook-up sites such as Tinder, POF etc.
 
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