(Discussion) Does Being an Adult Gamer Suck? - Retro Bird
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- Опубликовано: 30 ноя 2024
- Many of us have fond memories of gaming from our childhoods, but does that mean gaming as an adult isn't as good? In this video, I go over some the aspects of adult life that can take away from the gaming experience.
(Discussion) Does Being an Adult Gamer Suck? - Retro Bird / Do the Responsibilities Adults Have Take Away From Gaming?
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The worst is going home and having plenty of time to game but just being too tired to pick up a controller.
Yeah, this can happen too.
or working from home from a mentally exhausting job and just not having the concentration and energy to play games in a serious manner.
Story of my life. Literally every night I come home from work I want to hop into a game and fall asleep on the couch instead.
ALL THE TIME.
I don't have this problem because I don't have time. Kids and wife take it all
I don't have any familial obligations that prevent me from gaming, and as for work I make my own hours.
Besides the backlog, my biggest issue with gaming that is specific to being an adult is that nagging feeling of "I should be doing something else," and that's pretty much always the case, same can be said of RUclips and any other distraction though.
Yeah, that nagging feeling wasn't really around as a kid was it?
@@RetroBirdGaming it was if you didn't do your homework lol
I'm on a similar boat. My working hours are 8-5, and I don't have much responsibility outside of that. But I have too many hobbies: music, games, mtg, animes... the nagging is real.
Backlogs!. You wanna discuss Backlogs?. I got a back catalogue of games to play id need another two life times. Plus i got all day everyday to play. Its gotten stupid.
@@RetroBirdGaming We didn't need that feeling, because the nagging came from our parents! :P
Needing games that can be played in short segments, because it's rare to have a large block of free time. Also, being shut out of multiplayer games, because there isn't enough time to GIT GUD.
Things like the switch and its sleep mode is great for gaming as an adult.
Ah, those cherished games that allow for short bursts!
I got myself an NES again, perfect console for short burst playing, that and the Dreamcast for all the arcade ports.
Mario Kart on Switch works for me. Can pick up and play in short bursts any time.
Yes because we have played these games millions of times
It does suck compared to being a kid. My niece comes over, she's 5, she loves going through my physical Switch collection, looking at the covers, picking a game and then going through the ritual of taking it out of the box and putting it into the console. It's so magical to her, her face lights up when she's doing it. Her dad has digital games so she doesn't get to do this unless she comes to my house but seeing her going through and picking games just reminds me of how it was back in the day and how excited you were as a kid to try a new game blind based on the box art in the late 80s/early 90s. I still love gaming but that sense of wonder is long gone unfortunately
As adults, most of us of have lost that most important dimension to gaming: the sense of possibilities for an adult life not yet lived. When I play Metroid Dread, I enjoy the controls, the music, the level design etc. When my twelve year old plays Metroid Dread, he enjoys all of that AND he can imagine a future where he might be in space and smoking aliens. He knows such a thing is unlikely, but he can still feel that it’s possible.
The magic of playing games as a kid. I thought the same thing. You can never get that back.
@@xenos_n. “Magic” is the perfect word.
Yeah Metroid is hard one. Elden ring to ocarina if time is similar. Just exploring the world is so enjoyable
I can completely relate to everything you said lol the worst part about gaming as an adult is just finding the time to play, especially longer, more involved games.
It’s funny, if my father had been a game collector like myself, with hundreds of games across multiple consoles, it would have been incredible! But the only games my daughter has any interest in ever playing are Wii sports bowling and Mario kart Wii 😂
Maybe when my son is eventually old enough to game he’ll appreciate the little gaming paradise I’ve created 🤷🏻♂️
It doesn’t get any better. My oldest is 9 and plays Fortnite and Roblox. Luckily I like Fortnite so we play duos together. My kids were more willing to try my vintage games when they were younger but now have zero interest.
So true especially when newer games require so SO much time to not only get stared but to get into and, finish the game
Your last sentence resonates with me! I too had only a few games as a kid, but now have a collection of both old and new games that qualifies as your "little gaming paradise" that I hope to share and pass on to my kids. Well, both of my boys love games, but the older one only plays Pokemon and similar games, and the younger one dabbles with great games but won't branch out past a couple of other genres either. I guess it's inevitable that our kids won't like games in the same way that we do -- they'll like them their own way! ... But as you say it will be great if they grow into appreciating the variety of games we have collected over the years. Ironic that so many kids in other families would "poop their shorts" to have so many options! ... or would they? Maybe most of today's kid gamers just want to stick with a handful of games, or with one or two narrow genres (like my kids). Weird to think about. When I was a kid, I wanted to play everything!
By the way, one thing I will say is that my kids love to WATCH me play just about any game, from Atari 2600 games and early 80s arcade games up to Gran Turismo 7 -- so they do appreciate the variety as spectators ...
@@sonicmania9993 that’s cool that your kids at least dabble with console/handheld games. My daughter is quite content to just play Roblox on her iPad, I have to coax her into playing the odd Wii game with her old man 😂
It's the backlog really because since I earn money myself, I can buy whatever I want.
No need to wish for one particular well chosen game or to put away savings.
With that benefit however came the issue that I have SO MANY games now that I sometimes don't know what to play or simply replay a game for the second or third time because there are so many others to choose from which I haven't even touch yet.
This is my biggest ordeal. Even when you cut out some of the games you arent that crazy about, there are still so many games
The two hardest things for me 1 being too tired to want to play games after work or even the sometimes on my off days 2. Having enough games were I don't always get to revisit games that I already beat.
I can relate to both those things.
Yes, totally.
There are so many games out there. If you search you can find new experiences. 2022 has had so great releases so far
Amazing timing. I had to pick up my 9 year old nephew from his school yesterday and on the drive back we talked about this EXACT topic. Great video man!
How did it go?
@@eymed2023 it was a fun conversation. We talked about how when you're a kid, you have all the time in the world but don't have money to buy all the videogames you want.. but when you're adult, while you have the money you don't have the time.
Well im 47 now and retired so not doing much these days. My retro rooms have certainly helped me pass a few hours. Long live retro. Another great discussion RetroBird.
Agent 47 is never retired.
@@antfermic9170 2 lawsuits against a bluechip company that thinks the littleman doesnt stand a chance.
Never having enough time to really grind out a game. I used to love MMOs but there's no way I could play one now. The most multiplayer action I've seen in a while is playing Animal Crossing with my daughter.
I haven't played Animal Crossing in a while
My 13 yr old son is embarrassed to have any old tech in his room lol.
I love the NES and SNES and the younger kids love watching me
Wow, when I was his age (summer 99?) I found an old ColecoVision CIB at a garage sale. It hadn’t sold all weekend and ended up just giving it to me.
I had a Playstation and SNES but I hadn’t touched a console older than the NES at that point so it was a new world of video games to explore despite its age.
Those 13 year olds. Sometimes I wish they had nothing so they can understand what it's like growing up in the 80's & 90's.
@@tonyp9313 agree with you
All right for your kids! Maybe your 13-year-old will come around eventually as well :)
@@tonyp9313 How dare they be born later than you were
My biggest issue is selection paralysis. When I was a kid I only had a handful of games to choose from. Now I've got thousands and I can never decide what to play, so I end up looking at my shelves for a while and then, in a lot of cases, giving up.
I've got thousands and never get selection paralysis: here's my advice. Decide whether you want to play a quick game (like a shmup or fighter), medium-length game (like a platformer or a partial season of a sports game), or a long-term commitment game (like a RPG or open-world game). Then go to a random portion of your collection you haven't visited in a few months, pick a game of the correct "quick/medium/long" length out at random, and pull that puppy out to start playing! Unless you have bought a bunch of games in the past that you're not actually interested in playing (which I know some people do), you'll have at least a good but usually very good experience every time. Games are fun! Don't feel pressured to pick the *exact right one* every time. Once you get in that groove, you can then book "appointments" with longer games like Chrono Trigger or Spider-Man for your next three-day weekend. Good luck!
@@sonicmania9993 That's good advice. I only collect games that are subjectively good or nostalgic for me, so random selection works. I actually started writing a program for my computer that will help me decide on games to play either totally at random or by passing in a couple parameters about what I'd like to play (genre, platform, number of players, etc). Length of the game is a good thing to consider for that too.
@@omgninjabot That computer program is a great idea. Curating a large game collection is a bit of a challenge, but making the most of the games (i.e. playing them a bunch) can be even more of a challenge! That's one reason I like Bird's channel here, which focuses more on playing games and processing our happy nostalgia -- unlike a lot of retro channels on YT which just concentrate on collecting and talking about rare games etc. Some of those guys, I feel like they hardly play any games themselves LOL...
Not wrong mate!
For me, I've rediscovered my passion for gaming with one single genre.
shmups.
I've found they're perfect as an adult.
Highly technical, deep scoring and hard as hell. Short play times and real progression when you smash through a skill ceiling rather than having to sit through 4 hours of cut scenes! Perfect.
The limited time commitment versus fun ratio for shmups (and fighters) make them perfect for experienced gamer adults -- I agree. One of the reasons why Saturn is still my favorite console.
@@sonicmania9993 Saturn for the win. Currently trying for a 1all on Dodonpachi.....on the Saturn version. Restartitis kicking in haha
@@retrosuperbox8434 Go Go Go!!
This video hit so close to home…..
Without a doubt the #1 thing that’s different about my game hobby as an adult is my attention span, or lack thereof. By that I mean my motivation to play through and finish a game that I start. I still have the time and desire to play a lot of games, and in many ways my gaming life and interests are broader and richer due to the internet, but I just don’t have the drive/energy/motivation to stick with a game for very long and see it through to the end or 100% completion the way I used to. I recently tried to play through Majora’s Mask on Wii VC and 3DS and in both cases I gave up around woodfall temple, though I plan on finishing it at some point. I remember being a kid and somehow 100%ing the game with just a strategy guide. Now it feels like with unlimited resources as far as strategy guides for beating games I just can’t find the energy to blast through them to the end like I used to.
Same thing happened with Metroid Dread, I was super hyped for the game, got it on day 1 but just lost the desire right in the middle and stopped playing. Seems nowadays I just start a bunch of games and never finish them, where as when I was a young whippersnapper I would enjoy every last piece of any game that came my way. Oh well, it’s still a blast to start all these games every year. I think now more than ever, the idea of playing a game gives me as much joy as actually playing it. Same goes for music and guitar gear, I love collecting and building stuff more than I enjoy actually playing music on it. It’s probably just adult life, having too many hobbies and responsibilities and my time being split among everything.
Thought-provoking video as always Bird, you’re the best in the biz man.
I run into this too and I don't know why. I do finish some, but I have to put breaks in between and some I just start and never finish. Some of it I think comes down to so many game options.
Agreed all the way. I make it through a good part but then something just happens and all drive is gone and then I see my collection and just remember the good ol days and maybey watch some RUclips videos or get busy with other Adult responsibilities. I do feel proud I completed Altered Beasts via Mister and parappa the rapper 2 on the ps2 last week so I guess that's something lol.
Also some new games Ive just cracked open the experience a little bit. I started Octopath about 2 years ago and How silly was I? Made it to maybe chapter 3 for several characters.and haven't returned to it but loved it. Dread looks great but I'm so sure I will stop
Sounds like you just have to cut down on gaming & cut down on buying games.
With two young kids (2 years and 3 months) I'm certainly in that "Dad can't find time" problem- but most specifically, in the time I've found, I'm much more enjoying the collecting hobby (cards and games) both buying and selling. I watch RUclips videos like yours to give me that little feeling of entering the video game world, seeing little clips here and there or even reviews/etc. of others. But the hobby allows me to feel like I'm actually being productive. Whether it's "investing" or building a collection, or even selling stuff, I feel like I'm making good use of my time and learning something. Gone are the days where I feel OK spending 2 hours playing some game I don't even love because of the sake of completing it. Collecting is way more fun and rewarding for me. I will say, those old games (N64, gamecube, Sega, etc.) have a place in my heart that will never go away. For that, I am thankful.
Glad that you've found what works for you :)
As a father of two I felt that. I play games with my oldest son so there's still hope. Stay strong. Lol
I get that feeling too "I should be doing something else", "I'm just wasting my time", "Maybe i'll check it some other time" and so on.
Now that I'm in University it's like more hard school and you need to invest more there. Don't get me wrong, I still have plenty of time for games. Not having kids yet it's a blessing for my time as well.
I'm just not in the mood for too much games, now and usually I'm just making sure everything is alright with my studies and then go back to play the same game for the 30th time.
What irritates me if finding out games I want to play are available now for download. I tried once in the infancy of it, thought I was going to try something new. Then it lagged & the game did not load into my device, but they still charged me for it. Ever since then I'm Cartridge only. Got to wait for the game to get a cartridge release, like Cuphead. However, my kid self would love all the videos I am watching now like Retro Bird. There is literally Gamer this and that everywhere & when ever I want to watch it. Love being a Turtle, I mean Adult!
Can't make this stuff up: I just finished working over time at 11:00pm AST, came to sit down and see this new Retro Bird video, click play, make it 3 minutes and 11 seconds in, an my little girl comes into the room asking for a cup of water, lol. She's lucky she's so darned cute, bumping back my game time *grumble grumble* :D
Hahah priorities my friend :) She was just coming in to remind you how much you love her!
Nice video as always.
I would say a light mix of what you said in the video plus a bit of a merge. Since you have more options, many times you also have to decide which to play and some times you spend more deciding than actually playing.
I am 58 years young, and have been collecting since the Atari days... And super happy about not having any kids to steal away my gaming time!!! At the end of a work day, there's nothing like my awesome video-game collection to enjoy!!! At least as an adult I have disposable cash to spend on almost anything. And that reason alone is why I wouldn't want to be that poor kid again...:)
My 3 year old is taking a liking to my NES and its (for most of you lol) limited collection of games, but he asks for specific titles now, and I even caught him unpausing the game and moving the character randomly around the screen. I may not have a lot of time to play said games, but I am happy this is something we can enjoy together, even briefly. Once he gets good enough to handle the controls, I'd much rather have him play retro games than sit in front of a smartphone on social media. A book would be the best though ;)
@@the_kombinator No offense but your kid is 3. Why would he go on social media? I am assuming at 3 he can't read.
Ahh yes the good old Atari..It's better to play those games with a Genesis controller.
@@tonyp9313 Because he'll be three forever, and never want a smartphone because all his friends have one. Think a little, man.
@@the_kombinator Good luck with that.
I just feel going back to the cherished games a kid doesn't have the same magic, because their not new and the mechanics are not what you remember playing.
I do play (select) modern games to keep that 'first time experience' alive.
For me replaying those cherished games put me in a time machine and remind why I love video games in general. Bro I have a ps5, and play snes more than elden ring. Going thru Mega man X 1,2, and 3.
Gaming as an adult. Today's games all feel the same. I haven't been captured by many games in so long. Yesterday I started the new Kirby demo on switch and it hit me. I realized why Nintendo never trys to be a graphical powerhouse. It's because they don't want realistic games, they want fun and imaginative worlds and characters. When gaming focus got out online and micro transactions started, it kind of started the beginning of the end of the gaming most of us retro gamers love.
Why nintnedo is the only modern console I will ever play. Its keeps with the old nintnedo spirit yet it keeps it modern and still doesn't loose its nintnedo feel and charm. Agreed, graphics aren't everything. Well said.
Boy you hit it right on the head. It's somewhat comforting to know at least I'm not the only one that feels like that.
Yup, Nintendo does "sense of fun" in games better than anyone, still to this day. I do like some other modern games though -- you just have to pick and choose. Mostly Japanese games, for me.
As I sit here working an overnight shift unpaid for reasons, yes being an adult absolutely sucks and not just for gaming
That feel where either you have a mentally exhausting work day, have duties at home, have random family that never leaves you alone regards of intentions. Too many adult things.
As your kids get older, I find I have more time to play games either at night or even during the day when they want me to play a game with them. My six year old want ms me to play sonic games and Minecraft with him all the time.
Yes! I love it!
I would definitely say it's having to manage time so carefully. As a child, my days just felt a lot longer. In the summer, I didn't even have school and I had all the time in the world to play whatever games I wanted.
Now, it's like "I kinda want to play x and y, but I only have time to play one of them, and I don't know if I want to play x more or y more. Also, if I play either, I might not have time to write" (I like creative writing and journaling, too, and those take time). So much I would like to do, so little time to do any of it.
then you finally get to play your new modern game, wait for the download, then wait through the 20 minute opening cut scene, then slog through the tutorial.
Then it's time to go to bed :)
I'm a 39 year old adult gamer, and i dont have any kids. I struggle keeping jobs, so gaming helps me pass the time when im out of work. I own 6 consoles, 5 handhelds, and i have lots of video game merch of my favorite characters, whatever i can get my hands on or afford. :)
I mostly play platformers, nothing too hard, I appreciate every game i own, so its hard to get rid of any if i need to. I try to have fun when im not doing adult things. :)
It’s so true. I’d love to play more but when I get the time I love it more than when I had hours and hours for gaming. Imagine when we are all retired!!!
Found your vids lately and been really loving all your commentary and sense of humor. Keep it up man, cant wait for more :) much love from Taiwan
Hey, thanks for watching from all the way in Taiwan!
I do game less as an adult. But I really enjoy gaming with my kids. Passing down retro gaming is a dream come true.
Same - perhaps not a dream come true, but it's nice to see the same almost 40 year old console being enjoyed by a 3 year old, the rare occasion that its on.
Usually it's the typical adult grind but every once in a blue moon, I'll find a game that really grabs me, that I can sink some serious hours into, I'm talking afternoons if I don't keep myself in check. When that happens, it's pure gaming bliss that takes me back to my younger years. My current fix is one I actually wasn't expecting, FF15, six years after release and only by getting the Royal Edition for $20 in the bargain bin.
Nice score!
As a kid I felt that there was more of a sense of camaraderie around other kids who played the same games because we would talk about things like how far have you gotten? or could you beat this boss? and even play multiplayer games however I was stuck with the same 5 games throughout my entire childhood because parents were like you already have video games so you don't need more. Now that I'm an adult I can have any and every game I want but the friendships and sense of camaraderie is gone as I play alone in my mom's basement rarely going to the outside world for anything other than work.
im in my late 30s a few years back i had a guy in his early 20s say im to old to play games i was like hell my dad plays games
That 20 year old was a moron, games are catered more towards adults anyway.
I have no interest in most modern games which irritates me the most as a adult. Therefore I am not excited about most new games anymore like when I was a kid.
I absolutely loved this video. It made me appreciate my history and present of gaming as an adult. Alot of the things you mentioned ring true for me. The thing that sucks now; is that I have never had so many local and online multiplayer games (the Switch really is a bastion of coop indeed); but it is hard to coordinate with my friends as we are all busy and with different schedules or they just don't have the same console or games I do for online. At least if I visit friends; the Switch is a life saver for multiplayer on the go (or their TV with a Genki dock). Probably the train why the Switch is my favorite console of all time; is that it combines my gaming past and present together; while allowing me to present a seemless gaming opportunity with others at a very easy level of entry for anyone.
Glad you liked the video. Thank you :)
I'm an adult with very little responsibility.. I got plenty of time to be able to game :)
Sharing and talking about new games with friends. Now there seems to be no time or the info is out there. Had the best times feeling like you and your friend figured something out that now would ever imagine or playing 5 friends and thinking you were the best at a game. Watched a kid beat Castlevania in like 11 min. Took me 25 years.
I just got the platinum in Ridge Racer. I'm just trying to get the online trophies for the games I have. I hope Rayman Legends comes back up. I prefer playing with the PS Vita since I don't have as much free time as much as I used to. Most gamers I know play on Steam nowadays.
The 3ds eShop is closing and I still want to get the 3ds Fire Emblem games as well as Shadow Dragon. They haven't aged well for me, but I'm getting them for the characters I still like. I'm not a huge fan of JRPGS as much as I used to be, but I'm planning on playing with them once in a blue moon. I'm mostly sticking with the PS Vita since I got so many games I still need to finish up.
Man I remember when I'd have to spend my little kid money on a Prima guide in order to progress in Majora's Mask.. But then I could explain it to my friends and I looked SO cool.
Ah Prima paperback strategy guides...how I miss them so.
They had a strategy guide for Dino Crisis right?
@@tonyp9313 They had a strategy guide for just about every game...I do remember that Dino Crisis was one of them.
I'm watching this while I get ready to go to work lol I love the into you've done on this one
My buddy and I had this conversation (when we were in line to go see Ghostbusters: Afterlife in the theatre last December) and my buddy asked me how much time do I usually sit down to watch TV? I told him that I actually don't watch as much television as I used to...though I watch about an hour and a half a day (if possible). He then told me that he can probably get a half hour a day after his parenting and household responsibilities are done...or if he doesn't fall asleep. I gave him some advice about maybe getting his kids into gaming so he and they can game together (two birds, one stone), of course after chores, homework, dinner are done.
My feelings about the subject, as an adult I honestly get a bit depressed when I’m playing games because I just think about all the other things I SHOULD be doing with my time instead.
Even tho games are supposed to make me happy and be fun, sometimes the thoughts about everything else I need to be doing just ruin it.
Picked up video games as a hobby during the Pandemic. Started out as purchasing the PS1 which was followed by the PS2, PS3, SNES Classic, and Gamecube.
Played a bunch of really sick games I skipped out on as a child.
But now that I'm back to working full time, I no longer have the patience, time, or strength to push past certain areas and levels of games. I'll play certain games to get a a whiff they go back to my life.
In my Pandemic time I was able to play for the first time: Castlevania SOTN (finished), Silent Hill 1 & 2, The Last of Us, Super Metroid (80 percent done), Donkey Kong 1 & 2, and others
The irony of life: When you are a kid you have time but no money. As an adult is the other way. For years i ve been thinking a lot about most of the topics you talk on your videos. I figured out that, pherhaps, collecting/playing videogames as an adult is the way we try to emulate that sensation we felt when we were kids. The search of that sense of amusement is the ultimate goal, although some may not be concious about it. But on the road we discover that most of the times we are very far from it. There are some games that makes you feel as a kid, i can say that Zelda breath of the wild is one of them for me, but only certain games, only once in a while...
We all are between our mid 20s and late 30s here and we have been playing videogames for so long that it s very hard for us to get amused. The more you get involved in the hobby (playing, collecting), the more you walk away from it, don´t you think so?
Deep man deep.
The more games you play the higher your standards are raised. Every great game you experience sets a standard for other lesser games to fail to meet. Every cheap cliche gets more boring the more you see it. You start to appreciate moments of genuine originality more. It's the same with anything though. You could say you've become jaded but you're also more discerning.
This hits hard…coming out of a basement renovation that left me with no space to game for 6 weeks…oh adulting…at least I have a lot of games?
There are definitely pros and cons to adult gaming. One thing you mentioned that definitely irritates me about gaming as an adult is finding the time to game with friends locally. My friends and I all work full-time, so it takes a lot of planning and scheduling to finally tack down a day/time to meet up for a gaming afternoon. However, when we do have a gaming afternoon it is always hours worth of fun!
We do play online as well, but it just isn't the same as having some couch multiplayer and hanging out together in-person.
Yeah, it's hard work being an adult sometimes. But it was fun being a kid in the 80s, and I still find adult life preferable to my cold grave, so I'm not complaining.
Everything you said was spot on . The grass always LOOKS greener o the other side.
I can totally relate to the cleaning supplies, spot on.
Mine's a bit weird, but I have a hard time connecting with my closest and dearest friends because they play way more games and devote more time to gaming in general than I do. Our lives are pretty different and while we'll get together and talk every two or three weeks over nothing, when the conversation turns to video games, I usually blank out because I don't know what they're talking about.
Time! And working in front of a computer all day, it's hard on eyes plus university in the evening. But, oh boy that half an hour Friday night "arcade half an hour before movie" like when I was a teens makes it kind of special. Like actually going to movies back in the days.
One thing that irritates me now versus my childhood is my overall selection. My backlog is turning more into a struggle than a joy. I keep picking up at least one game per week and it goes right into my testing pile.
Yeah as a kid, if you weren't in a well off family, you had a few games you owned and going to rent a game every weekend was the most exciting thing, and your choices were just an absolute fraction of what they are now. I forget what the idea is called, but it's more difficult to make a decision the more things you have to choose from, and it feels overwhelming when you can play thousands of games at will. They also feel less special because of it. There was a magic to not having a large selection and having to make do with it.
All you have to do is cut down on buying games every week.
I work a full-time job and moonlight a little. I have lots of time to play video games, because I decided that relationships are a complete waste of time.
As far as it being better as a kid, yeah... one thing in particular is we didn't have to endure was DLC, updates or microtransactions in the SNES and PS1-2 era.
"a man never gets shot while doing the dishes"
I've been very happy and married to a hot and wonderful wife for a good number of years now. She is not a gamer but she puts up with me being one. Here's the trick.
Take the trash out first thing in the morning before going to work. Unload the dishwasher at the end of the day in case you don't have time in the morning.
Clean the house every chance you have in between. Take her to the grocery store on Friday night. It's less crowded. You have more gaming time on Saturday. It's stuff like this that makes my wife happy and I have more time to be a gamer and not look like a bum.
As a man who is married to a woman who isn't a gamer, can confirm. For my wife and I, our love language is spending time together. So I set up my game room to where there's a nice chair in there for her to sit on and watch her shows, while I sit at my desk and record videos/play games/edit videos, etc. Also, I always ask, "Hey, I'm about to start this, do you mind?" Asking her lets her know that I'm thinking about her before playing a game, and it goes a long way for her. Of course, adult priorities come first, but we have a pretty good routine. It also helps we are both introverts so we don't go out often lol
"Yeah, I was wearing pants that day." Okay, that was hilarious.
As someone who hates pants, I felt targeted by this statement ;)
I can’t do “when time stand still.” I can game between 7 (after kids bedtime) and 8:30. Screens any later than that really effect my sleep! I typically have 1-2 gaming session a week which works well until I’m really into a game, most recently Cuphead.
Loved this video. Your channel is so different I love it. But yeah for sure have less time. I work midnights and have a family and we have a 3 and 5 year old so I little to no time fir games. But still love it and have over 1200 games right now and 31 systems. Either have a short window when I get home or don't much sleep bc my wife works too. So way different when I was a kid to young adult. You had me cracking up with all the stuff adults do and so true
When we were younger we were not only able to play the games we have but those that our friends would let us borrow. I lent and borrowed quite a few games and in some cases that's how I was able to play some of the games we now call classics. I don't know about everyone else but i don't know anyone who can let me borrow videogames old or new these days :D
Thanks birdman... I'm going to make some time for a friend tomorrow and play some retro co-op
I hope you enjoy it!
This is the best Retro Gaming collector's content in RUclips.
Thank you for that!
For me it's the attention span. If, aged 12, I had an entire day for gaming, my eyes would've bled. Now, nearing 30, I want to do laundry, I want to cook, tidy, work extra etc.
As kids, the adults were our conscience. Now we're our own conscience!
I don’t really think anything is worse about gaming as an adult. People say you have more free time as a kid, but I remember I had so much school work and shit to do that it’s not even true. Like did nobody else have homework? I used to do school work until like 7 or 8 at night.
The trick, especially in high school, was to try to get as much homework done while at school.
@@Marc_Araujo I would do that but sometimes the hw would be online so I couldn’t do it in class, or I would have so much work during my classes that I had no time to do homework. It was brutal for me.
@@TimDespairBear11 Never had to do online homework until the early versions of Blackboard while in college.
@@Marc_Araujo I’m 24 so I was in hs like 2012-2016, most of the crap was online. They’d rarely give me an actual paper for homework. Back in the old days it was probably better but school is hell these days. I can’t even imagine how bad it is now.
@@TimDespairBear11 Born in 86 and graduated hs in 2004...kids have it much harder now with that crazy common core math bs alone.
"The sense of wonder" is the phrase I use when talking about playing Faxanadu on the nes as a kid.
I would argue otherwise, because unlike when you are a kid, you have a bigger disposable income and you can drive to game stores yourself instead of having to get your parents to drive you. Also not having to worry about age ratings anymore is pretty nice.
Still... With kids, work and and events to go to. It's hard to find time, to enjoy the games I buy.. The NES mini and the Sega mini, is the best thing to happen for me, when it comes to a quick and fun game play.
Yeah, I'd agree that that are still some positives when it comes to being an adult.
Never been so early on this channel. I'm new here and love the content!
also Rocket Knight Adventures and bananas are awesome.
Welcome to the channel! Glad to have you :)
Keep it up Bird! Great video!!
Thank you Casey!
Magical game time.......oooohhhh MAGICAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Having to buy your own games as an adult versus getting them as gifts as a kid. Also, as an adult you tend to not have nearby friends down the street you can just walk to and play games.
One thing I miss gaming as a kid that I don't have as an adult is my friends were into gaming as well. As an adult I think a lot of my friends grew up and don't game anymore. Life as an adult gamer can be lonely sometimes.
Yeah that happened with some of my friends. They just don't game anymore so we stopped being friends. As for the ones that game I am still friends with. Gaming is also a huge form of socializing.
Live evolves. When we finally get what we want we don’t have time for it.
The trap is not appreciating what new things you have in your life.
That's not a trap, that's what is literally saving what little time I have to play retro games - I mean, not appreciating NEW games, not necessarily new things ;)
It’s one of the reasons I love handhelds, especially those with save states and sleep modes. Much easier to squeeze in even twenty minutes of gaming.
Being an adult gamer is great for me. Yes, there are things I miss like playing regularly with my brothers or friends at home, but online gaming makes it still possible today. What has changed for me is the time I am playing with friends. While in my childhood afternoon was a good time just shifted to the evening time after work. On weekends I still plan, even in the mornings. So scheduled play time does not really exist for me.
Referring to appreciating new games: nowadays I even celebrate it when I buy games. If possible I build my holidays around them and if it is a game from a beloved childhood series that has made comeback - like the upcoming Valkyrie Elysium game - it makes me even more happy. Or finding an old retro game missing in my collection for a good price makes me feel young again.
Also the "lock downs" during last years pandemic made me feel like being in school again. The amount of time I had to play games, and doing other stuff like learning a new language, but with the wallet of adult was just great.
During a normal working week it is difficult for me to play time consuming games like the new Horizon Forbidden West game on PS5, sometimes it is "just" 30 minutes but still enough to enjoy that time. Sometimes I have these days where I use these days to take a break from gaming.
To sum it up: my experience is being an adult gamer just brought me many benefits. For those younger gamers: there's a great time coming to you, and I am still enjoying some of my other hobbies like reading books, playing guitar or photography.
Time is a big factor. I love video games but I'm finding I need to be selective about what and when I play. I've got other hobbies too I want to get better at like music and painting minis, and video games can be a big time hog. I don't want the filler that comes with a lot of games because of this.
I wouldn't say that it "sucks" but as I've gotten older, the type of games I play have changed. I used to be big into online fps games, but now that I make RUclips videos, that takes up a majority of my time, so I now focus on single player games. Online games are great, but now that my friends are older and we all have things going on in our lives, it's just easier to play single player games that I didn't get to when I was growing up. And also having a giant backlog and not enough time sucks as well.
Great video. So many good games, so little time (as an adult). The backlog is absurd.
One thing that irritates me more as an adult gamer is that I don't recover as fast from staying up late for a gaming binge. For example last weekend, my son and I challenged to play Ocarina of Time 3DS to see who can completely beat the game with all items the fastest, and we ended up staying up until 2AM, then the next day, I was already up at work time on a day off and could not get much sleep after that. On Monday when I went back to work, I was already tired and had a manic Monday at work.
Another thing, is that I am set in my ways of gaming from when I was young, and have a hard time changing up how I play to be faster.
Last thing, on usual days, I am usually just able to play about an hour of two Animal Crossing games checking on two towns, and I am pretty much welcome Mr Sandman to give me a dream and some sweet refreshing sleep, instead of putting in some other games like GTA Chinatown Wars which I actually want to play through one day.
Hard drive management is a big one for me. I miss when the games were just on the cartridge or on the disk.
Thanks for another interesting topic!
Gosh, the one thing about gaming as an adult, that's both a blessing and a curse, is the backlog. Seems like something silly to complain about, but I know I'm not the only one. I actually have plenty of time to play games, but I find myself rushing through them, trying to get all the best games in my catalog beaten. I really miss being able to relax and just appreciate a game. Last year I was able to finally lose myself in Breath of the Wild and Final Fantasy XII TZA, sinking more hours into those 2 games than I have any game in years. I do make a conscious effort to appreciate games while I'm playing them, but I tend to avoid longer games until I really want to get invested. It doesn't help that more and more new games are coming out all the time.
Longer games are not good. They drag on & feel like work. So retro games that are 1 hour in length is plenty for me.
I'm enjoying a time now where my kids are old enough that I can play games with them, but I'm old enough that they put me to bed most nights
It seems like as a kid, I had very few games, but a ton of free time. As an adult, I have a huge backlog of games, but not enough time to play them.
Only time I usually have time to play games is on Sundays. Playing for 30 mins to 1 hour every other day doesn't count.
The day i realized i started to get old was when i was hyped to play a game when i get home from work, i was thinking about it all day, then i came home, and as soon as i sat down on the couch i was gone, didn't even try to turn on my ps4.
Time. I watch alot more videos about games than playing them. Or sometimes along with lack of time sometimes im just so doggone tired from working that it'd be hard to enjoy. But the passion is still there.😊
Deciding what game to play next, that will be worth the investment of time.
One of the hardest things for me in becoming an adult was changing the style of games I played. In my youth I loved fighting games such as Street Fighter II but now I no longer have the reflexes to play at the same competitive level. So I transitioned away from twitch style games to ones which require more thought like RPGs & Strategy games. And don't get me wrong, these genres are rewarding in different ways but there are still times when I lament gaming in my prime.
You don't need quick reflexes for street fighter 2. You can just button mash your way through wins.
I'm still young (20) but life is full of obligations that make it near impossible to game. I have a daughter under a year old and a loving wife. I have a job that I have to commute an hour away and work full time hours with overtime. I spend most of my time at work so when I am home I feel obligated to spend as much time as possible with my family. I do occasionally play video games, I've found that if I can get my wife to like a game (Stardew Valley, Castle Crashers, Kirby Superstar, Mario 3D World) then I get to play it quite a bit. But I'm a big fan of long JRPGs and I've pretty much had to give up all hope when it comes to playing them. It definitely affects the genres that I play now.
Man this hits so close to home…
I had a feeling a lot of people would resonate with this one.
College and working have definitely been the most annoying things as an adult. Plus I sometimes get overwhelmed with just how many options there are for games nowadays. If I actually decide to play something, I often feel guilty that I'm not playing something else that a friend or coworker recommended to me.
One positive thing about gaming as an adult, though, is that my parents can't nag me about playing too many video games. haha
I'm among the lucky adults with very little obligations. I still experience the difficulty of "I should be doing something more productive" but also the lack of a pause option in games can be a pain in the rear end. Sometimes I've got to do something immediately and I have no time to get somewhere safe in the game. As a WOW player I've had many a trips to the graveyard.
As a game collector, one of the surprising side effects of being an adult with young children is findings games I would never have given a second glance at normally. There are a lot of older games (especially on the wii) that are great fun to play with or for my children (3 and 4 year old girls). "Garbage" wii games like Nights Journey of Dreams, Alice in Wonderland, Disney Princess Enchanted Journey, World of Zoo, and Zhu Zhu Pets have been great hits.
Finding the time to regularly sit down and play games generally is the most infuriating thing I find about gaming as an adult. That lack of time in turn limits the types of games I can play on a regular basis. Interesting topic!
I think there are a lot of things we don't take the blows for as a kid that ironically we were kind of training for by playing video games.
I've own Skyward Sword HD for at least half a year now. I have only completed the first dungeon.
I'm coming Zelda!
....... eventually.
But that's one of the reasons I haven't really started any of my RPGs like Chrono Trigger DS, Radiant Historia, and Persona Q2. I would have to commit such a long period of time for all of them and with the long periods of time between gaming periods I feel like I'll forget everything I've done.
I work around 60 hrs a week. I have a nintnedo switch so I sometimes play on breaks. A non issue as I like to play video games in small amounts at a time. I still love video games but I find the harder a game is it gets ur cravings met because u play it less and u get more of an achievement. Either way video games are always gonna be a passion.
If you're a single adult you'll likely have all the free time you want to game but most adults are married with kids and that makes it super hard. Being married for years without a kid I was still able to game enough to make me happy but then I had one kid and that changed. I always said I was ok not having kids but felt very selfish for saying this to my wife who wanted kids more then anything. I'm glad I had one but I'm definitely one and done lol. I actually look forward to gaming with him when he gets older and showing him the games I grew up on. Right now my wife and I both work fuIl time and take care of our 3 year old so I'm usually too tired to game when I have an opportunity. I expect this to change as my son gets older. Great video Retrobird!
Thank you!
Availability. The retro scene in my area is bare bones. 2 shops in a 100 mile radius and minimal inventory. Nevermind the prices I miss seeing wall to wall video game shops
Love your channel and have to say I would LOVE to see you attempt an Al Bundy cosplay (or at least an impression) you definitely have the voice for it!
I guess what's a little annoying is that the shift away from complete-in-box single player games to online-focused multiplayer games happened when I was already an adult. I would have loved playing the latest game for hours a day with people from all over the world as a kid, but now I want to be able to grab a game from the store and have it wait patiently on my shelf and then for it to offer me everything it has whenever I do find time to play it.
Irritating: I have a video game library, but not the time to play it. I'm totally going to instill that my kid be a kid, and not want to grow up :)
I'm slowly getting better at Adventure Island and Excitebike but preparing for finals and final projects are making those 15 minute game breaks fewer and far between though.
Oh, you wanted to play games anyways? No no no, the flexpipe broke on your family car and you need to fix it. I mean, I like some welding just fine, but not in the lousy Smarch weather... The day I get to sit down and play video games for several hours will be a summer thing... Oh no wait, I need to electrify my shed/workshop, extend my driveway, and build a walk-in shower.
Also maybe finally dial in the suspension on my project car of 16 years? Yeah, NES will have to wait.