Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Real Life vs. Gaming. Can it be balanced by a hardcore gamer?

I've found myself doing something I never do the last couple of days. I haven't played a single game. I haven't even so much as turned on my 360 or loaded Angry Birds on my phone. What's wrong with me, you might ask. I'll tell you: real fucking life.

I don't know what's wrong with me but I have some sort of satisfactory feeling from being productive and I'm not even being productive. I don't know if it's because I feel like I'm wasting time when I'm on games or what but even though I'm not studying, applying for jobs, or making money, I feel like I'm actually doing something that's beneficial to my real life instead of just mindlessly entertaining myself.

Now don't get me wrong, I love games and  I'll still play but for some reason I'm enjoying this feeling right now. I have a new sense of satisfaction from knowing that I'm about to go to the gym and then grab a bite to eat out and about (probably with friends) instead of sitting here eating a pop tart while playing Call of Duty.

Is it that hard for those of us considered hardcore gamers to balance the two? Do we strive for perfection in the games we play so much that we feel we must put in all or none of our time in  order to be successful? Such was the case with my World of Warcraft career, at least. In WoW, I felt like there was no point in playing if I couldn't at least play 8 hours a day. I mean, if I don't have the best gear and the best arena ratings, I feel like I'm failing myself. You'd think this would be a lot easier of a hurdle in an FPS that can be dropped at any time but it's not. When I get on Call of Duty after even a few days absence, I notice a major drop in my K/D and ability to aim. This discourages me from even wanting to get on after not playing for a day. To be honest, I'd like to play right now but I worry that I won't be able to keep up with the expectations I have for my skill in the game.

Perhaps this problem is isolated to me and a few people I've witnessed with the same gaming habits or maybe I'm not wording this correctly to get my point across. What do you think?

25 comments:

  1. Yep. Only games really appealing to me nowa days are big releases and even those are far and in between.

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  2. I've been playing Halo: Reach since the day it came out (albeit there was a month where I didn't have XBL, but otherwise, every day). The only reason I can is because I'm unemployed. I'm still productive though, I play guitar, draw, write, and am attempting a few other new things. It's all about balance.

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  3. I went cold turkey for a while...then GTA4 came out and bang went my life!

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  4. not really. hardcore gaming is essentially a job.

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  5. As an ex hardcore gamer I'd say you have to pick one or the other.

    Followed and Supported.
    bigunicorn.blogspot.com

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  6. I know where youre coming from. It is hard to balance.

    The real issue is that real life, especially if you want to be successful takes a lot of time. You can be a gamer, but hardcore is a bit too hard.

    Anyway, great blog! I'll be following

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  7. It's definitely tough to balance. I've just found myself playing games that allow me to invest a half hour or so at a time and still get rewarded. Good post man.

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  8. nice post! it's very very interesting

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  9. i tink real life should be more important

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  10. Back when I played WoW religiously every night it was like having a second job, and I really didn't have a real life. So no I don't think there could be balance if you're working and hardcore gaming. Otherwise maybe it could be if you didn't "work". interesting post!

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  11. I had the same problem a couple years ago, I played WoW hardcore and it fucked up everything else. I finally quit WoW and managed to get my life in order again, then I started playing wow again, but semi-casually. An hour here and an hour there, its perfectly possible to balance RL and gaming but you got to be really careful or you'll fall back into the vicious circle of pop tarts and basementdwelling.

    Good luck though, a challenge never hurts!

    also, followed :)

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  12. it absolutely can be. anything is possible you just gotta have the will to be able to get your ass out of that chair and go to work when it's time.

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  13. I feel like you have to draw a a line and tell yourself you can't go past it. That is how you have to live in balance with yourself.

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  14. I get good grades, have a social life and also game. Not hard...
    Followed!

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  15. i've been struggling with this balance lately, i need to make more money somehow >_< great postin followed

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  16. I found that when I was really into a game, i couldn't stop thinking about it. All day, even when I hadn't played in hours, it was the only thing on my mind. Scary stuff, man.

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  17. My ex couldn't balance his life... thanx for the thoughts.

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  18. It is kinda hard to balance. I find that, as I'm getting older, gaming is having to take a back seat to life. It's sad.

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  19. Completely understand where you're coming from.
    I'm a hardcore gamer, since I came out of the womb :P But some days I just feel like I'm wasting my fucking life, which in retrospect, I am but it's still doing something I love.
    Conflicting.

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  20. You'll eventually find balance between the two extremes, just gotta give it some time

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  21. definitely hard to balance out.

    my internet addiction diminished when I started playing RL (socializing, professional alcoholism etc.)

    but trust me. When Diablo III comes out, i am screwed.

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