10 Habits That Are Secretly Ruining Games For You
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- Have you ever considered what habits you've formed when it comes to video games? In this breakdown, I discuss 10 bad gaming habits that have crept into my life over the years (and ultimately reduced my enjoyment of games).
► Books Mentioned:
- Atomic Habits - James Clear: jamesclear.com...
- Dopamine Nation - Anna Lembke: www.annalembke...
My bad habit isn't even that I spend too much of my free time playing games, its that I don't spend enough.
I go to work and have hectic days and when I come back home, rather than kick back to a game that I've probably been fantasising about playing all day, I just mindlessly watch a random movie or scroll RUclips
Would definitely like to explore this concept in a future video-I've experienced it a handful of times and others have talked about it as well
I've had this happen to me on occasion. If it's a game that maybe is fairly new that you're excited about, save a video to hype yourself up for when you get home to get your mojo up and see if that motivates you to break the spell and play. It's a cool two-for-one special of comfortably aligning with your habit of getting on RUclips anyway but also stoking the desire to play.
@@Taima wow, that actually makes sense. Thank you
@@touch2start Glad to be of help :)
I've been there. I was too tired to start engaging with my games for years, and the only ones I'd manage to commit time to were the ones that offered a familiar daily grind. Most of the time I just sat down with RUclips or Netflix instead.
I think that if you plan ahead and put yourself in a mindset to push through that initial "get started" hurdle, you'll quickly find yourself having a good time with the game.
I also started logging my game experiences on Mastodon, which helps me stay focused until I actively decide that I'm done with the game. Be that because I've finished it, 100%ed it, or just realized that I don't want to keep playing it.
Teenage me: Why do I have to finish my chores just to play games?!
Me now: I can't wait to finish my chores so I can play games!
Yeah, our parents were on to something there.
I am guilty of all of these bad habits, as well as mindlessly scrolling through online sales for hours looking for new games/deals, wasting time I could be spending playing any of the hundreds of games I already own digitally
That’s why I switched to physical copies only. Bought PS5 with disc drive and treated it as a fresh start and I only search for some deals on used games for it. It made me appreciate them much more and I feel urge to finish one game before purchasing another one.
And then you finally buy a game, and you end up not even playing it. Then, months later, you notice it got put on game pass.
I would add point 11. Don't buy games "for later". There is high probability that there will be more good occasions to buy more games "for later" because of great sale, super deal and other reasons - and you will end up with "pile of shame" that may turn your hobby into chore, or strip you of any pleasure doing so,because "you have to play them all".
If you buy game, or have it for free - at least run it and check out. And don't feel bad about ditching games you don't like or don't feel like playing - you're probably not a content creator, streamer, or professional reviewer - nobody and nothing forces you to play anything you don't want to. The concept of "Pile of shame" also shouldn't do so.
Thus don't build one, and don't cope with one.
Haha, I'm definitely guilty of the "pile of shame" from Steam sales, old Humble Bundles, etc. I've improved on that a lot, though. I completely agree about not feeling bad about ditching a game. That's the number one thing that helped me. I used to always complete games no matter what. Now, once I realize it's not fun anymore, I drop that game SO FAST. I can appreciate the fun I had in the first 20 hours, but don't feel bad about not slogging through the other 30.
@@Kryxx07 It's good you got over with it.
For me as a former content creator (w/o success, but that's life) building a pile of shame was easy - I need this stuff and I must get it cheap attitude all along. Same with struggling with games - I must pass at least here, because I want to review it. Those principles grew into habits, and even after years I'm still prone to be tempted by sale or two, and can't help but take EGS freebies - I'm still struggling to avoid getting more that I can play, but at least I spent less money.
The massive pile of shame remained of course. Sometimes it's hard to not feel guilty about all these games I still haven't played, but well - I probably never would play them all - and it's fine as long as I have fun playing no matter what I'm playing, I guess.
Judge, I plea guilty
I sincerely love the feeling of finally getting to a modern classic years, even decades after they've been released. There's just something very intimate about feeling like you're probably one of very few people playing this huge game right now. Games i did this with and adore now are the Mass Effect, Persona and Metal Gear Solid series, Red Dead Redemption, Hollow Knight, Super Metroid, Slay the Spire and so many more.
not trying to be rude, but I don't think any of those games you mentioned are ones you were the only person playing at the time. I expected Tony Hawk 1, Tenchu, or Knack 2
Hollow Knight? Slay the Spire? These are hella popular modern games
Yeah, I checked on SteamDB, and all of those games except of Metal Gear and Metroid have 1000+ people playing them at the moment on Steam. Slay the Spire has more than 10 000.
Damn I dont like any of the games you mentioned. I like other underrated games like Wipeout, Soul Reaver, Beyond good and evil, Tomb Raider 😂
I loved NES Metroid. I loved Metroid Prime. I only played Super Metroid this year. Never had time for it. What a fun time. I hear you.
This is true.. finish Silent Hills 1 and man those japaneses fellas know's how to coock
Timestamps and chapter titles (if you copy these into the description Mark, RUclips should pick these up and add chapter navigation to the video):
0:00 It is possible to develop bad habits from playing games mindlessly
1:08 Bad habits form from prioritizing near-term over longer-term rewards
2:35 1. Trying to play too many games at once
4:16 2. Continuing to play a game when it's no longer fun
5:45 3. Getting upset when a game's difficulty increases
7:06 4. Playing the same way in every game
9:02 5. Not appreciating games holistically
10:41 6. Getting too engrossed in PvP
11:53 7. Allowing others to form opinions of games for you
13:29 8. Defaulting to guides instead of figuring things out on your own
15:30 9. Playing only "the latest and greatest" games
17:00 10. Overindulging in games
19:32 You are not alone. What gaming habits do you struggle with?
I do like how this video isn't pessimistic and explores the whys and how you might counteract each of these. It's a good watch!
thank you friendly neighborhood timestamp guy
Thank you! I don't have time to watch this video so for now, I'd like to just get the overview.
another habit that’s been a double edged sword for me is multitasking youtube videos/podcasts while playing. with my adhd, it was initially helpful for my grinding and farming. however, i started doing it more and more to the point I was barely following the story and numbing myself out of the narrative overall by not fully engaging.
I beat all of the Dark Souls games solo, and I can say from experience that I don't gain much satisfaction from overcoming difficult challenges. Beating a boss, to me, is just a moment to think about the next one. The trial never actually ends until there's no more game left to play.
This is me. Never got that whole argument about overcoming difficult challenges.
The release of the tension built up by challenges.
That's a you thing not universal,i beat sekiro Alone without using guides or asking for help and i absolutely loved it,the bosses are some of the best in the industry and despite the fact that i Lost a lot against the final boss when i defeated him i felt good cause i didn't give up
Same happens to me. I don't enjoy that kind of games at all. It just increase my anxiety.
In response to number one, I actually had the opposite problem. I only ever focused on one game and I refused to move on until I beat it. Then I just stopped gaming for years cause I didn't wanna play that game but I also didn't want to move on and end up never completing it.
I solved this by allowing myself to play multiple games at a time and my gaming hobby is alive and well.
I know your second point goes over when to drop games, I've gotten better with that as well :) My gaming life has been pretty good for the last year or so
Same. I'm not very good at putting away a game that is half finished, and that has sometimes led me to game less, since I may not always be sufficiently motivated for my "current" game. I've transitioned to having a pool of 2-4 single player games at a time, so there is always at least one tempting option when I have to opportunity to sit down and play.
I had almost the same thing. The difference for me is that I just played online games only while being stuck on a single player game
Being able to drop a game I don't like or playing several games is so liberating
I used to enjoy gaming SO MUCH, wouldn’t matter what game. Then, a few years ago, I downloaded Genshin Impact. Immediately fell in love with everything, open world, collecting, story line, characters etc. I played every day for at least 4+ hours for like 2/3 years… but this year, i just couldn’t open the game. I just don’t have the attention span or the motivation to play it anymore. So I tried playing other games but nothing was fulfilling anymore. Playing Genshin ruined gaming for me. I really want to go back to gaming but I just can’t figure out how I could enjoy it again…
Sounds like burnout. Just take a break from gaming and come back to it later. Your brain needs a breather.
In a very similar boat
You'll get back in time. Same happened to me with destiny. After a got rid of my intoxication from the game I swore I would never play another live service, gatcha, endless game ever again. Gaming was great again.
Interesting, my experience was the complete opposite. Played games all the time as a kid, but lost it completely in my teens. Then Genshin came around and thanks it I finally enjoy games again. I do think a big part is not burning yourself out though; I know countless others like you who have burned out on Genshin, which is obviously awful, and I'm very sorry for you (though like others said, with time that spark WILL reignite again). But for me, I just stick to half an hour a day, maybe an hour or two every other weekend, and it's completely reignited my gaming spark. Thanks to that I can enjoy other games again as well, so I'll always be grateful to Genshin for that.
As a small channel that is uploading lets plays, and many of them are blind I sit in a weird spot where I hate feeling like I was wasting a viewers time. I hate when anger slips into recordings, but in blind runs if I know we have spent hours on something with 0 progress I don't mind looking up stuff. I can do basic editing to edit out large bits of fails, but to me I just want a viewer to not watch hours of fails. I enjoy save scumming and other little things because I like getting a move on. I leave in anger if I feel my rants had a point, but I often mute the audio in editing if I feel like I got a bit to heated. My problem is the slope of trying to make an easy to watch video, that is not hours of losing to one thing or being 100% lost. Blind runs have been my go to way to play games, on my backlog. Same for my brother as I let him play stuff too, as we do commentary together. The thing is I know the point is not knowing what to do, but once that goes on awhile I feel like I wasted time. Because that makes me feel like I wasted a recording and now need a whole part to correct whatever I feel I ruined. So for me it's a weird mess of trying to be blind and unfiltered while also looking up stuff to save time because I hate feeling like our parts are huge time wasters. I mean we are not super watched as it is, so it makes me double down to try and remove very large time wasting loss.
Thanks for this invitation to self-aware behavior. It has been a struggle for me to keep balance in life in general, but I especially struggle to strike a balance with games.
Consistency, courage and striking meaningful and personal social contact is adamant to stay clear of vicious self-destructive habits. Being conscious about ill-managed situations and exploring the feelings that might have elicited them are powerful too, but I know first hand how challenging facing our feelings can be.
So like any complex system, there are many things to keep in check but there are also many angles in which things can be positively influenced.
Videogames are an amazing artistic medium and the interactive marvel of our time, one that I find is worth upholding for its merits but also befits a fair reflection of its drawbacks.
I never expect to win on the first try.
I expect to win on the *second* try.
The irony is that the backdrop for this section was Mantis Lords, which was one of the few Hollow Knight bosses I beat first try.
Great content! I'm in fact one of those who tried playing too many games at once that it became rare for me to finish games nowadays.
I've been struggling with that for a long time since I love the games that I play, but I also get distracted by the other games that I want to play.
If anything, I'd definitely want a compilation of advices on how to be patient, consistent and to finish your game while managing the burnout or anything that comes in between that may prevent you from finishing it. Another is how do people manage having multiple games while can still catch up back with their old games later on, which I do by keeping a spreadsheet with the list of my to dos and the last things I did in the said game.
One thing I need to stop doing is going onto things like YT to watch videos about the game, pros/cons, reviews, playthroughts, etc., unless the game is like Terraria old and finished because it definitely kills my interest in games.
I definetely prefer playing multiple games at the same time because of the variety. Some times you want to play that dense intricate RPG, but sometimes you just wanna chill hop between buildings in spiderman, or even play that slow nintendo game that relaxes you before bed. But you touched gold on tip #1. I always limit it to some extent in the genres, otherwise it becomes a bit of a hassle remembering commands, plots, mechanics and everything everytim. Not only that but the fact that when I think of what i wanna play in a session i normally think in generic terms like: "Today i wanna play a colorful easy game" or "today i wanna play some dark heavy story" etc etc. so its hard for me to pick when there's multiple in the same category. Helps me to only have downloaded one game from each of these made up categories that i already know alligns with certain moods of mine xD
About guides: I remember a friend told me "No guides for the first run. After that do whatever you like", and unless I'm really stuck I do enjoy my first run even if I *later* find out I missed some good optional parts of a game.
About the last point: that's some good advice. I'll try it myself so that I'll accomplish more (even just menial tasks) and feel more rewarded both for a clearer conscience *and* for gaming 😊
As a parent of 3, I don’t have enough time to ‘just explore’ on some games so need to use guides a bit more to keep progression.
Nice video, some actual useful substance. Regarding 'discourse', I think gamers should understand that most of the discourse surrounding a game immediately after release is highly reactionary. Part of that is inherent, as first impressions can have a big impact, but many people also enjoy just piling on and kind of going with the popular narrative, even if they had no first hand experience with a game. And it can get out of hand early on, both in terms of praise and criticism. If you're trying to get a good idea about a game from user impressions(which is worthwhile), it's often a good idea to let things cool down a bit. If you can be a bit patient, give it a week or so and you'll start to see more grounded and comprehensive views about a game.
For some games, like Starfield, a week or even a year is not enough.
The timing of this! I actually am going to be making a video on being a patient gamer. Uninstalling all the games in your library and only picking one. Play it. Experience it. Explore. Discover. Get lost in its world and story.
Then move onto the next game. But don’t game hop.
Excellent video. The biggest one for me was getting out of internet discourse. It has a serious effect on which games you think you like/dont like. Once I got out of it my gaming experience improved a lot. For example im a huge AC fan and that community is extremely toxic imo. Most everyone in the hardcore fanbase despises AC Odyssey so i never even gave it a shot. 50 hours deep currently and im absolutely loving it. Just play games
The Street Fighter 6 Battlehub theme in the background gave me confidence you knew what you were talking about.
I find that (intentionally or not) I fell into the habit of only playing my nintendo switch when traveling. Given the amount of time that "travel" actually represents for me, I wasn't playing my switch hardly at all and basically haven't finished a switch game aside for BotW since the system launch. Trying to change that by playing it at home sometimes too... might get a TV to hook it up to
I didn't need this video as I've learned all of these and have been trying to get people that I play with to follow these "philosophies". This is how you truly enjoy games and im glad you made the video so that I may share it with my friends.
If I get frustrated to the point I want to quit a game I'm definitely looking up a solution 😆 because that ruins the fun for me too yeah it would feel better if I figured it out on my own but I'm very thankful for RUclips tutorials nowadays because back in the day I completed way less games because of frustration. But, overall I agree with this list. Nice video.
Self binding is an interesting strategy, I’m gonna try this out.
I know how to be a RUclipsr now: talk about feelings, then queue up Final fantasy X music.
I hate to say, I love it
Do you play games?
WELL YOU DOING IT WRONG
(7) Another issue with The Discourse™ is that it's often weaponized and dishonest. I've seen people spend the last _month_ on obsessively attacking a game and its developers (based on disinformation) while I've spent the same time period on playing and enjoying said game... plus a dozen demos I was curious about.
Number 9 disintegrated for me as I fell more deeply in love with Video Games. There is so very much to find in Video Games. The new stuff will be there when I get around to it. For now, I'm playing Community Pom and Koudelka.
Bad habit #1 is definitely not me as I'll usually spend most my trying to get the most out of one game with maybe a second or third one at most. Hence my huge backlog.
My worst gaming habit is that I'll often buy new games when they just come out paying a premium price for them and not get to them until months or years later. By then I could have waited and purchased them later at a cheaper price but I always fear that they will become rare and/or hard to find at an even higher price.
Great video, loved the book recco, will definitely be reading that next. WoW and Destiny really have that dopamine loop down to a science. And it’s nice to hear it’s not just me that struggles and needs to put systems in place to limit its potential problems.
Almost every point resonated with me a lot. Currently in my 40s, so having the financial space to buy too many games, I spend so little time actually playing them, going on to the next new hype/game.
It's something I've been trying to do for a while now, to not buy new games until I played/finished some of my already owned games ...
And this video inspired me to go and try this again. I've created a list of games that I started, really enjoyed, but at some point left - often just for the reason of boredom / new game being out - ... so I should go back and continue. And the games aren't the small games either: Horizon Zero Dawn, HollowKnight, Tunic, GOW: Ragnarok ... for instance
So thanks for this inspiring video 👍
I'm 46 and here's my advice for you (speaking from experience, there): Get married and make children. You'll have much less money to buy games (but also much less time to play them). ;)
@@jamic6107 funny. I'm 43, have 2 kids, 1 wife and 2 cats. And yes, in the first years the time to game was less... but now my kids are in their teens, I get more time again.
And it's not that I spend absurd amounts on games... but just too much on unplayed games ^^
Save scumming is useful not only to guard you against your own actions, but also against the game crashing.
You should understand for what reason you are saving. And only if you feel save scumming is hurting your experience should you regulate how often you save.
I am however a big advocate to avoid saving in the middle of a battle, and to sit still for a few seconds before saving, to make sure you don't fall down a hole, or get hit by a falling rock or something, right before your save. Overuse of save scumming can have deadly consequences, if you save mid-air, or right before a deadly blow hits you.
I also have something against saving right before a random event, like pickpocketing, or getting random loot. This I see as cheating, but sometimes it's worth it, I just admit to myself that I'm cheating the RNG systems.
Only exception to this is maybe saving in between major boss phases is ok.
I do feel sacrificing the tension in a game is worth not having to redo large portions of it. But this depends one what you want from the game, and how much time you have.
I definitely need a drop in dopamine but not while I'm going through a health crisis
I think puzzle games, like Talos Principle, or the Outer Wilds, don't give that much of a constant flow of dopamine actually and instead have bigger bursts of it after completing PARTICULARLY HARD puzzles. So I think the type of game matters as well.
You forget to take the different dominant play-styles or accessibility issues into account. What works for you doesn't necessarily work for others. There have been games where save-scumming kept me into a game and allowed me to enjoy it's world and it's lore, where otherwise I would've quit from frustration; I also don't enjoy focusing on 1 game because then it starts to feel forced, like work; i allow myself to mindlessly hop between games because it's fun; I usually play in a similar way and similar games, I play this way because I enjoy playing this way. I have tried playing "evil" roles in RPG and I hate it every time. I have tried playing multiplayer or competitive games and I hate it every time. But I do agree with several of your points too, like 3 and 8 are my main personal challenges.
Great video! Keep up the fantastic work! 🔥
I started tracking games I beat a few years back & started committing to beating a game once I started it (within reason, I'll quit if I'm not having fun) & it's been super rewarding to be able to look back at a list of those games & recall beating them.
Also when playing FF16 some of the hideout music really set a relaxed vibe & caught my attention, that's the last time something caught me off guard in a game that really caught my attention.
My biggest gaming bad habit is a bit of a strange one
I strongly admire video games as an art form, and want to be able to experience and appreciate every aspect of it. I know how much work is put into every miniscule detail, and I am going to make sure they're seen, dammit.
Unfortunately, this has ended up with me having a strange habit of caring too much about the """intended experience""" of games, which in reality, has led to me experiencing zero player expression.
I always use the default names of characters. I never customize any armour or named characters. (If its supposed to be me, I do, if theyre already a character, like link from botw or the dog from chicory, I do not). I always play on the default difficulty. I don't put my characters in silly outfits during cutscenes. I need everyone to shut up during the credits so I can hear the music. I don't do any silly gimmick builds. I end up going for 100% completion beyond what's fun
In my quest for completely appreciate every aspect of a game, I end up missing out on very intentional bits of expression and, well, fun
This is interesting. I can relate to this to a less extreme degree. I would suggest forcing yourself to experiment in short bursts or certain context. For example, if it's BotW and you think the Switch shirt is kinda funny but don't want to taint the sanctity of the character that is Link and look a fool while you do the story, maybe just wear it for a few in game days while exploring. If you really like immersion, maybe do something like roleplay a not too unrealistic scenario where your clothes got "damaged" or otherwise "dirty" while you were in a particularly nasty scrap or from wear and tear and so while you're out in the world you're gonna dress a bit differently until x amount of time passes or you get to the best laundromat in the world at Zora's Domain or something lmao.
I don't know how to classify it but I have this terrible habit with survival/simulation/and ARPGS, where Ill play one of these for a good chunk of time and drop it. The problem occurs with the addictive nature of these games, ever increasing character builds, intuitive crafting systems, and unlock tree progression.
I can of course identify the problem but its like I cant convince myself of what I'm saying is real. Its an addiction that's kind of hands of with survival and sim games, because it only sparks when a new survival game comes out. The problem is due to the nature of how the games are designed it always feels like unfinished business that I want to get to the end of the unlock trees for.
Based, needed, thank you.
I feel targeted... Seriously though, incredible video. I appreciate the insight and look forward to what you take on next!
I have developed the habit of waiting until a title has been released and starts selling at firesale prices before I purchase it.
I not only get a great price on the game but I also first experience it after the bugs have been found and generally fixed and any updates or gameplay balance issues have been ironed out as well on my initial playthrough hence giving me a better experience.
I have only a very small number of game franchises I buy at full price on initial release more to support the studio and franchise than anything else.
The last two games I have pre ordered basically I waited months for the issues to be fixed before ever playing.
These days most of the titles I buy are multiple years old and at rock bottom prices but mostly well reviewed and highly rated games I have not played or classics I may have played on a different platform years ago that I want to revisit.
I do find that many remastered older games are so much better than the newest titles that are so poorly optimized that they do not even run well with the latest CPU and/or 4090 class GPU.
When it comes to newly released titles the older "disc" based releases were usually much more a finished and polished released product than the hot mess we often see the newer games in their initial release state.
I wonder sometimes if the devs are just getting lazier or if the gaming community has just gotten more complacent as far as buying games which out of the gate are inherently broken?
May its a combination of the two!
I do usually limit myself to about two games at a time max and then they must be different genre games as well.
The worst gamers = gamers autopopping the platinum trophies from PS4 to PS5, again and again and again....
My game crashed and saving often saved me from having to replay long stretches to get back to where I was and redoing annoying gameplay before the crash. So I don't think that's a bad habit.
fantastic video!!! personally I’m not much of a “hardcore gamer” but I do enjoy quite a bit. Lately I’ve been stressed about grad school classes so final fantasy has been my escape in the evenings after work and homework. I definitely relate the most to having too many games going on at once, and having too many games in my library. I got the Batman Arkham trilogy for switch on sale when it was $30…haven’t touched it yet. I still want to play it, but I’m still stuck on the final fantasy high
I do feel like I have a good grasp on when it’s time to put a game down like when final fantasy X got too difficult and I just kept getting frustrated, so I picked up 7 instead. I know I can’t play video games all day, then it feels like a chore. I usually only play a few hours in the evening
thanks for this video. helpful
I seem to have to play more than one game so i don't burn out on any one as i play it to death.
why is it easier for kids to play games and not think about all this crap
I personally struggle with "upgrading" in a sence i try to get the best everything. Best guns, best world ect. Take stellaris. I cheat all my stuff (single player), just to do a playthrough i wanna try and experiment. But very quickly i reach a void where i am not really able to do much until the final boss.
Not just woth cheating. Also just normal survival. Like project zomboid, i love the beginning. But once i get settled or i get enough stuff it get boring for me. I don't survive for 2 or more weeks due to difficulty. I struggle due to boredom. I complete tasks way to quick for a rewarding ending.
And this can still happen if i have a goal.
I am fixing this tho.
Currently playing the sims 4 with all dlcs, which i got for free cause ea is greedy. And i come into a whole different game. With soo much choice. And in project zomboid i try to take things slow and appreciate my character and the world.
Stellaris i still struggle but hey. There is no beginning or finish without a journey. I will get there
I struggle with making gaming feel like another task. Because I have a limited amount of time, I feel like I need to make the most of my time playing. It becomes a task because I feel like I need to play to finish a game so I can check it off my backlog. I almost feel bad or like Im wasting my time if Im not making progress. Does anyone have any tips for this?
"Open up the MENU and quicksave." SMH, someone isn't a TRUE save scummer.
How can I commit to Warhammer 3. I get completely destroyed😅
what's the song in the background. it's heattt
This video is sponsored by Ed Sheeran
What's the cat dango game at the end?
Monster Hunter
Its a cutsene for when you make food in the canteen
“Travel game”, do you mean a game like star field or no man’s sky where you travel a lot? Or a game that’s good for playing while traveling/commuting?
A game you play when you travel! (something you keep installed on your Switch / Steam Deck / phone / other mobile device)
Some really good points here, interesting topic, thanks. God bless. Jesus loves you!
2042 was not turned around. Disliked and unsubbed
on 7:07, the most fun i had in a pokemon game was my first play through on pokemon platinum where i only leveled up infernape destroying every team but also losing a ton
9:10 which game is this? I want to play that.
@@TyrantRC823 Octopath traveler 2
Ooohhh that Nier Automata music at the begginning! Nice
Thanks for the vid mark, i look forward to the next one!
#7 is the reason why I refuse to take part in any gaming community. There's always something that people will endlessly whine about it and paint the game in such a negative light that I wonder if these people even find any joy in playing games. It sucks the energy out of you.
I can't juggle between games, specially if they are too similar because I will get muscle memory passing from one to another. Normally I don't even play a game in the same genre right after finishing one.
But I do get where people who juggle come from because you're expecting them to "hook you" at the first minutes, and some games simply require some comitment to "click" for you.
The last one is definately THE BEST advice.
I'm sick of these youtube creators making the "Video games aren't fun anymore" videos. They're all over RUclips, IG and Tiktok.
My borhter in christ you made playing video games YOUR ENTIRE JOB AND IDENTITY of course you're gonna get burned out.
Yeah it's funny, I'm a somewhat jaded, definitely cynical and angry old 32 year old going on 72 but even then I'm not inclined to agree with those "why gaming is dead/where are the good games/etc" and just get mad at them instead lol. They're the types of people to either, as you said, make it their job and identity and burn out, or only play whatever's hot right now, or play a game tens of hours beyond where they feel done with it for the sake of completion for content or otherwise, or ignorantly ignore the thousands of indie games that exist and are fantastic because they're fools.
@@Taima Exaclty. Or when they play older games, they only play games they ALREADY know instead of looking for some hidden gems they might have missed out.
If you havent finished a game dont blame yourself, blame the developers. If you havemt finished a book, dont blame yourself, blame the author. If you havent finished a movie, blame the producer. If you havemt finished that DIY project in the garage, blame yourself!
Something you didn’t mention which I feel kind of ties in with the first one is the FOMO of play. Something like TotK I just ended up putting down because there’s SO MUCH stuff to do and explore. In my mind, I want to experience it all! So I end up falling into a pattern of just completing things because I want to say that I’ve done it. After a point I realise I’m ticking boxes off of a list and it becomes a chore.
By being invested and wanting to see it all, I’ve just put myself off the game that I like
My bad habit was trying to get a platinum or 100% achievements in EVERY game i played. It ruined my experience many times. But solution to this problem was really, really simple. Just 100% games you really enjoyed and after finishing the story or campaing you still want more.
Good video. I've come to a lot of the same conclusions over the years. I especially had a hard time with playing too many games and kind of burn out and not enjoying progressing in any. I was playing D2 hardcore single player for months and after I died at 93 I needed a break and some variety. But the variety ended up biting me in the long run. Now I'm disciplined and back on my D2 lvl 99 journey 😅
I keep on trying to minmax or have perfect runs so yes i do savescum a lot. And always looking up guides on best way to play the game. This are bad habits.
I really needed to hear Number 2. I’ve been doing a real slow burn run through Resident Evil 7 because I’m already halfway through and didn’t wanna lose that time. I need to get better at admitting that a game is not the right game for me at the right time. I used to be a little better about that. Like I dropped Metal Gear Solid when I was like 13, came back to it at 21, and loved it. I’m 28 now, so idk, maybe I should drop RE7 and come back in a few years when my tastes have expanded more.
I have a bad habit of mindlessly playing through games and just going through the motions. Sure, sometimes a view catches my eye or I find an interesting quest to take on, but when push comes to shove, I end up interacting with the game's mechanics way less than I should. I sometimes tunnel vision into the main quest because of its flow, but end up missing a significant portion of what the game can offer.
the last advice hit me so hard.
I remember when my depression was so intense that I was playing without fun. I played many hours because I couldn't sleep but I wasn't having fun even with my favorite games. Nowadays, I have a better routine at college, go to therapy sessions and I can enjoy games.
Save scumming has become a problem for me emulating games, I tell myself I'm justified cuz back then, games would be designed to have skill checks to prevent you from completing them in one sitting and stuff... But I know sometimes I just wonder "I don't feel like making up a strategy to beat this, can i just bash my head against it until it budges without wasting resources?" and it cheapens my immersion
I like to always give any puzzles and anything that stumps me in a game a solid effort and time allowance before I look it up. Once i've put in solid effort and exhausted any ideas, then I finally give in
Remember to play what you actually enjoy, not what you are expected to play. The biggest games these days usually aren't designed to be enjoyed - they are designed to make you addicted and take your money.
This video is a must watch!
For me now, one bad habit is to rely too much on achievements and completion. One have to accept that there are games that can never be completed. Recently I got banned for Forza Horizon 5 without any reason, a game where I put more than 820 hours playing, and the ban will be lifted when I get 60 years old. That's out of our control and some games are impossible to complete due servers closure and that sort of things, but it feels bad when you're a completionist and perfectionist yourself...
These sound like the opposites of what I struggle with. Usually my problem with gaming is that I want to play a video game so I sit down by my PC, open Steam, look through my library of 125 games or so... and find nothing to play. And when I do manage to find a game to play (usually when I buy something new), I rarely maintain interest in it long enough to finish (out of those 125, only 11 are in my "Finished" category).
About number nine
I recently left the prison of being a switch only gamer
I’ve gotten a ps5 and I’ve been playing every game it’s wild
If it’s part of my problem where I just buy a game if it’s under 10 bucks
Gonna take your 10 and raise them up a level, linking them to why I quit WOW, incoming shitshow from an ex-500 pound grad school dropout:
1. Too many at once: Oh no it was only WoW and nothing else. Until the depression went nuclear, then I tried doing 3 MMos same time (wow+ff14+gw2)
2. Continuing when not fun: Oh 'fun' stopped a long time ago, it became about ego and self worth
3. Upset over difficulty: Mythic raiding used to be medium. Today it's nightmare until nerfed then still rough. But nope have to keep going b/c its only thing good at
4. Same way every game: Oh I definitely got sick of warlock after 15 years but fuck no not gonna try diversifying even when everyone said I should
5. Not appreciating holistically: Grizzly Hills OST? Chilling flying and herb collecting? Nope I was psycho M+ing nonstop, used same appearance for months, turned off game sound.
6. Too engrossed in PVP: I thought I avoided PVP since burning crusade pretty well. Until a PVE title was locked behind 2400 glad rank. Worst 170 dollars I ever spent.
7. Others opinions about games: Yeah no I failed to convince most ppl in guild to try FF14. It was okay, until I started bashing WoW every other day in front of them while playing the game I hated. Yup
8. Defaulting to guides: ??? I can raid/dungeon in a suboptimal spec? Yeah no that was like asking me to stop breathing. I'd actually rather hold my breath back then and pass out
9. Playing only latest/greatest: Yup gotta grind the latest and greatest best gear, every tier. What? Play an old RPG? Oh right like transmog runs from 2 xpac ago ok sure /brainoff
10. Overindulging: 1117 days / 26k+ hours / equivalent of 13 working years at 9>5 job
lol what am I supposed to do with my rank 1 parse? its good for toilet paper today I guess, orange numbers feel comfy on my asshole?
Sorry this devolved into a rant, but hope it was entertaining for everyone that put up with it
PS: now 300 lb
6 is big trouble! And for me 8 can be a problem. Yeah, sometimes I use walkthroughs when getting stuck, which is ok. But often I tend to figure out which is the best way to play the game (dialogue choices , consequences, order of mossions) that I end up spoiling the story for myself...
Because I grew up mostly playing game demos, it’s hard for me to play a full game in a setting, need to change to a different game every 1-2 hours lol
As far as getting to modern games
I bought princess peach show time and legend of dragoon on the same day.
I like to juggle playing games inbetween one new game I just can't pass up and am really excited for
But I also try and play a retro game I REALLY have always wanted to play
like watching genz play video games bcus they dont know about the classic tropes all games had through out gaming history so they never figure them out and its hilarious.
I think my worst gaming habit... is not using any of the 1,000+ healing items that would really save me from a game over screen. Because I most definitely (and probably don't) need those items for fhe final boss. So I just hoard it.
Though, let's be real, some level of hoarding is justified in some games anyway when a certain item is legitimately scarce or rare. Which I believe can cause us, the players to carry this habit over into other games which can and will be less fun.
Like, hoarding all the water you can carry in a desert and conserving every drop possible, compared to hoarding the same amount of water in the city.
Water is scarce and a must for survival in the desert, *you will be required to drink the water frequently to survive.* Because desert hot and desert dry.
Water is still a need for survival in the thriving city, but the conditions are significantly more comfortable. Drinking fountains, water coolers, vending machines, restaurants... We definitely do not need to keep hoarding this water, but...*we do it anyway.* Maybe we need it on a particularly hot summer or an intense drought that might not happen until that water goes stale or whatever.
My bad habit is probably that i COMPARE games 😂 when playing
Seems like your experience with your mage in Elden Ring was a very good example of "optimizing the fun out of the game" (using the most efficient playstile even when it makes the game boring and/or tedious).
As for me, my main bad habit would be completionism: doing every subquest, collecting every item, grinding all my characters to max level, unlocking every ability, etc.
I'm also guilty of save scumming and resorting to guides, if only to optimize the completion process.
One addiction I have i wish I could curb is buying games when they’re on sale
It’s not the worst addiction since I won’t buy a game that’s above 10 bucks but it sucks
Its interesting because as an Adult without [as] shitty of a life to escape from I've actually naturally broke most of these habits. Granted there are still games I dump thousands and thousands of hours into (Monster Hunter and Satisfactory) but other than that I play a game 'til I'm satisfied and move on. The difficulty one is something I still need to move past. I dropped Monster Hunter World for a long time because I refused to engage with Alatreon, I still haven't beaten him and rather started over on PC. But other than that being in control of my life, my time, and my money kinda guided me into appreciating the games I have, carefully choosing what I buy, and not playing them more than their worth stopping them from being a chore.
I rarely use guide unless Im really really stuck, my bad habit comes with rpg type games. I have a bit of fomo so most of the times I minmax, I optimize, and make sure seeing it all and I resort to guides and wikis. On other areas, I just use it for planning and collectibles like armor and stuff (I love dressing up my characters)
There are some games that are so massive in scope that you need to look at the wiki every day (pokemon actually comes to mind) for quick info and you'll fall behind if you don't do this. So my advice is like yours: just play one or two of these games at a time. Save your brain and internet use.
Another issue I had for the longest time is playing easy difficulty too much or using cheat codes all the time. If you find yourself on easy mode or cheat codes too much, consider trying a harder difficulty or just a different game
i'd say that for point 2, if a game that you feel invested in starts feeling repetitive, instead of watching the final cutscenes on youtube, put the game down for a couple of weeks or even months and then pick it up from where you've left. If you watch a youtube video for the conclusion of a game, you're robbing yourself of having actually experienced it. There's a reason you've put in 40, 50, 60 hours. Watching the final cutscenes on youtube gives you that instant gratification but doesn't give you the experience of actually going through it yourself, which is a whole different thing.
If I get bored I stop playing. But when I go back I think I have abilities or moves from other games. That's my issue
Experimentation is often a pre-requisite for me spending any significant time in a game. Variety and customization are high up there on my priorities list. Which is why I'll always prefer Paladins to Overwatch.
I can't stand games that feel like they're pigeon holing you into a certain playstyle. Or when using a certain character means you have to use a specific tactic. It's especially frustrating when the game actually has multiple playstyles yet the design of the game makes certain strategies so disadvantageous that the hardship isn't worth it.
I get so tired of games when I try to focus on just one. I find that most games are longer than they need to be and I tend to burn out towards the 3/4 mark because I get the feeling that I've squeezed most of the juice out of the game. That 1/2-3/4 mark is usually when I'm satisfied with my level of competence in a game and a lot of games tend not to have much compelling challenge beyond that. Just adding more enemies or making them hit sponges doesn't make me engage with the game on a deeper level
Great video! Though, points one and two seem to contradict each other. If I commit to a game, I want to finish it. Maybe limiting play sessions to shorter time intervals? It’s always that last push for any endeavor which separates the good from the great. It might be a trudge, but maybe I’m playing the game too much to begin with.
My bad habit tends to be not finishing big games that take hours upon hours to finish (ex AC Valhalla or AC Odyssey)
5:20 I had an experience like this I was playing the game ancestors and to be honest the game got repetitive after a while the last straw for me was when I passed a generation(basically leveling up and legacying) the game put my tribe in a horrible position that was the last straw especially after I spent hours trying to fix it
Online gaming can take up so much time out of playing any single-player games, where unlike online, offline progression has an ending, thus another can be experienced. If I did not take a break from something like Dead by Daylight, I never would have finished The Outer Wilds.