Am I the only one who intentionally avoids buying games?

[Jeff Connelly]

Walt Fair, Jr. wrote:

Playing with grandkids, working on my radio equipment, developing engineering analysis techniques, hiking and camping, studying to keep up with technology and learn new things, helping the local radio club, traveling, etc. I'm never bored or at a loss for something to keep me occupied and entertained. And in 2 more weeks I start grad school again.

Well you are quite the guy Mr. Walt Fair, Jr., P.E.

[Lilith C]

The primary reason I avoid buying games is that I've grown so abysmally old that I don't have the reaction time I used to have. Why would I want to prove to myself repeatedly that I'm incredibly bad at all of them. That said, I do occasionally download some of the free games that only have a one hour play limit before you can't even restart them. Once the time limit runs out I can easily resist the inclination to buy it.

I'm not a programmer but I play one at the office

[Sicelile]

I too avoid the games just 'cause I can't seem to do any better than learn how to use the keys. Maybe I wouldn't if I was good.

[SeattleC]

When game companies hire psychologists and deploy obvious intermittent reward systems to train users like rats, it's time to steer clear. They are spending big bucks to make games addictive, to suck money from your wallet. Last game I played through was Halo. I'd blink, and 3 hours had gone. That was before I had kids. I don't have three hour chunks of time to invest in something with no payoff nowadays. Our monkey brains aren't evolving fast enough to escape well-designed addictions. Eventually there will be laws to limit too-well-rafted video games, junk food, etc.

[Shri624]

Ian Shlasko wrote:

Don't even get me started on Zynga games (Farmville, etc)

It's to late for me, spending to much time on Mafia Wars X|

[Naturality]

I managed to stave off buying New Vegas, but unfortunately I received as a Christmas gift. My time is now GONE.

"Sir, I protest. I am NOT a merry man!"

[normanS]

Your post raises three questions: (1) Did you actually buy Digger? I was given it - my first pirated software, before I even owned a PC. That meant I could only play on a PC at work, during my half-hour lunch. (2) What was your high score? Somewhere I have a 5 1/4 inch disk showing my score as about 106 000. (3) Have you played Digger recently? If not, have a look at http://www.digger.org/[^]. It matches my fond memories of the original version.

[Jecc]

No, you're not. I get mine for free. :) Just got "Assassin's Creed: Brotherwood" this Christmas and my birthday is coming up soon. (still haven't finished one of the games I got last year) And of course, there's plenty of little free games around the web. It's funny how most of the games I've ever bought were for someone else.

[Zaibot]

I was curious what you were talking about...... I've been playing the game for about.... 16 hours out of 22 since last night when I read this thread... I did get some sleep though :-)

[Ian Shlasko]

Addicting, isn't it? :)

Proud to have finally moved to the A-Ark. Which one are you in?
Author of the Guardians Saga (Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels)

[Zaibot]

Are you kidding me =) I think it will even make my past red alert addiction look like nothing =P I do enjoy it anyway =) Train's got stuck got to go! :sigh:

[Fabio Franco]

Christopher Duncan wrote:

Anyone else avoid games because you know they'd suck too many hours out of your lives?

I know the feeling. Sometimes the game is sitting there and I think: "I'm gonna like this!". And then: "I'm gonna waste a lot of time on this.". Sometimes it's really difficult to make the right decision and occasionally I buy the game just to regret it later (when I have to wake up for work 2 hours after going to sleep). I prefer not to buy any game, but sometimes I fall into temptation.

[RTS WORK]

I play a lot of games. Right now Fallout: New Vegas (PC) and Call of Duty: Black Ops (XBOX) are sucking some of hours out of my life. Mostly garbage time between doing stuff after work and bedtime. I originally got into the XBOX because all the "cool" (read younger) developers in the office had one and I wanted to stay in the social loop. Then I found that XBOX live on the console is a viable social networking tool (not into Facebook or Twitter). Now I hook up with former co-workers and friends around the country I don't see enough and chat up whats going on. Like in the old days when mom would call aunt Gladdis and talk for two hours. Thing is for a lot of people Games are just another vice like smoking, drinking, drugs, and food. The important thing, like with any vice, is to be able to walk away.

[RTS WORK]

Your like a drug dealer you are. Pushin the games. "First one's free" :)

[RTS WORK]

But how did they know that New Vegas would make a good gift??? I was skidish about getting it because of the bugs but by the time I opened up that familiar package at Christmas they had rolled out a patch and I was on my way. Currently delivering new security codes to all th ranger stations.

[MJ08]

I grew up playing games like "Chuckle Egg" and "Daly Thompson's Decathlon" on the old BBC computers. I’d play them all day and night. The last game I bought and played to death was "Phantasy Star" on the SEGA Master System; I stopped playing on computer games soon after that fearing I’d never find a girlfriend! Back then, they told us: “if you stare at a screen too long, your eyes will turn square” and we believed them!