This is going to be a fairly short blog post today and the reason for that is in the topic title itself. I am a grown up gamer. I am an adult who plays video games. Now, that statement might evoke a few different reactions. One being "Wow what a loser! Who still plays video games?". Or maybe "So what?". But I'll tell you one thing I've learned growing up as a gamer - there is never enough time to play them.
As a kid the next game was always too far away. As an adult you can't keep up with all the games that keep coming out. I used to play every game over and over as a kid. Nowadays, I'm lucky if I finish a game at all. Oh, I still buy games, and I play them, however briefly, but then they go back to sitting on my shelf collecting dust. I still love video games, so it's not that I'm falling out of love with them. I think a lot of that has to do with limited time and more priorities. As an adult, I have to work to buy video games (and of course pay bills). I work 50+ hours a week and even outside of work I have other things I need to take care before I can sit down and play a video game. I can afford to buy new games (or old ones) but I just don't have the time.
When I go to play a game, this is what usually happens: I play it for a day or two, other priorities arise and I lose interest in going back to the game the next day. A new game comes, so I buy it. I don't want to wait to play it, so I do it now. But I only play it for a day or two. Recycle, rinse, repeat, etc. I just can't keep up! It's safe to say I'm more of a collector than a gamer nowadays but I still like to play my games. I own more games I haven't finished than ones I have.
Eventually I'm just going to stop buying video games. Or so, that's what I keep telling myself. I can't allow myself to keep buying games I don't have time for. Actually, now would be a great time to stop. It's a transitional period between console generations. I'm happy with my PS3 and feel no need to get PS4 anytime soon, if ever. I have no interest in Xbox One. I did get Wii U, which I sort of regret, not because it's bad but because I simply don't have time to dedicate to a new gaming system. But it's Nintendo and I have to have Nintendo. I also have a 3DS but I can't keep up with that either. I've actually been playing a lot of older games lately. Gamecube is at the forefront of my gaming time. I've been replaying Metroid Prime and Chibi-Robo. Gamecube and Super Nintendo are my highest priorities as far as collecting goes. Well, gaming too. The only reason I've played my PS3 the most in the last year is because it's still got some life left. And I also have a big backlog.
I'm perfectly happy with my old consoles. If I stopped buying brand new games now, I still have a few consoles to collect for and can still find games I haven't played or haven't finished. It makes me sad to know that I can't be current with gaming anymore. To be honest, I haven't even followed gaming news closely in a few years. I check in on it every once in a while but not daily like I used to do. I do miss those days, but it's also liberating to know everything I need as a gamer, I already own.
