Anyone else whose interest in video games has waned?

[FritzWhite]

I don't really get excited about them anymore. I still check in on this site from time to time, but I don't really play much anymore much less collect.

I went through a period when I joined this site a few years ago where I was really excited about everything gaming and collecting. I visited multiple gaming forums, watched youtube videos about gaming and collecting, and used to get a rush from the thrill of the hunt looking for rare stuff on craigslist, thrift stores, and garage sales.

I acquired a bunch of games (to me it was a lot.. I know that it's all relative and that even at its peak my collection was miniscule compared to others) and had all the systems hooked up, but I no longer had the desire to play the games for hours on end like I did when I was younger.

Now when I have downtime, which isn't often, I either watch youtube, read, or post on another forum. Every once in awhile I play GTAV, but get bored after a bit.

I don't want to leave tcp because I have good memories here but I stopped caring about having a shelf with all the right games awhile ago, especially since I can still play everything on flash cart or modded Xbox  (though I never do). Anyone else go through this?

[sheep2001]

I go trough phases.  I definitely don't play like I did when I was young - very rarely does a game hold my attention like it did back then, but I still like having my games room.  To be honest it's a good way to be, as I'm 43 - if I was still as single minded about gaming as I was when I was 14, there would be something seriously wrong, and I wouldn't be married, running a business and living in a different country.  Priorities change, and I grew up. lol.

[wiggy]

Mine definitely has, but it's because I had a son about 4 years ago, a small business which is becoming less "small" as time passes, a new house in which I don't really have a game room, and some health issues.

All those things have seriously affected the time I have to play games, and my interest in playing them.

[TDIRunner]

I've been "collecting" a lot less.  The high prices are too much of a turn off. I'm currently really into some of the alternative ways to play games on original hardware without spending big bucks on actual games.  I still buy a decent amount, but it's usually stuff I want to play.  I very rarely buy stuff just for the collection (the NES Mini was an exception).  My play time is limited, but I still try to get some game time in a few times a week.  I'm at the point where I want to focus more on my backlog than actually building the collection.  With that said, I wont' pass up an incredible deal if I find one.

My oldest son is only two, but he's getting close to be able to play some of these games (besides the phone games he plays currently).  He and I "play" a lot of Mario Kart 8 together.  I have quotes around "play" because we are only playing single player and he is just holding the controller.  But he thinks it's a lot of fun and he thinks he is controlling the karts.  Sometimes he will just walk up and say, "Daddy, can we race?!?!"  We also have a lot of fun mimicking the winning animations of the characters.

[ShoothimNow]

Price hike =\.  I bought thousands of games for near pennies about 8 years ago (when I didn't have money) and now all those games are about $10 each.  I'm not saying "ha!".... I'm saying that to continue buying like I would would cost me an arm and a leg, and there's way too many real life problems (good ones) going on right now than spending $1000 a month on games =)

[ZX the Hedgehog]

This is part of the reason I was off the forum for a while. Interest comes in phases, and the price bubble isn't helping.

Anyone who is getting back into it, Goodwill is your friend.

[SheriffHarv]

I slowed down almost to a halt for about a year and a half.  I didn't pick up much during that time.  However just before Christmas my Wife and I went to Newfoundland and I stopped into a retro gaming store that was not there the last time I was there.  He had some great deals on NES games and I ended up picking up 20 games.  I got the bug again and since then I've been hitting up Ebay, Amazon and Value Villages and have increased my total collection by over 100 games for NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U, Gameboy, Game Gear, PS1, PS2 and PS3.  I had a co-worker give me an original Xbox and a Dreamcast with about 10 games each as well.  I think I'll take another break for a while and spend some time playing all the games I just picked up.

Much like what most of you guys seem to be saying, work and life sometimes conflicts with the hobby and I end up taking up to 6 months off at a time but all it takes is to stumble upon a good deal somewhere and I can't help myself.

I do think gaming in general though could be on the rise.  I noticed that my sister bought a PS4 Slim for Christmas, her last system as a Wii and even my Dad who is 66 yrs old bought himself an Xbox One S during Boxing week. (My Dad fixes computers so it's not that strange and at times he has been a bigger gamer than me, I have serious doubts that the NES we got in 1989 was actually for me as he seemed to play it as much as I did!!)  I am also really excited about the Nintendo Switch although I will wait until the Fall to get the System.  I have pre-ordered some games though, just because of Amazon Prime and the 20% off pre-orders.

[SegaNomadman]

I never really lose interest in gaming, I just don't always have the time to game nowadays. 

[shenske]

Interest in video games waned? No

Interest in actually playing games waned? Yes

The older I get the less free time I have. I have probably 2 real hours a week I can dedicate to playing games and not ignore my other responsibilities. Those 2 hours are usually not used playing games though. I enjoy games but time is the enemy ... adulthood.

[aaron-hagel]

I still have the same level of interest in games as I did when I first started collecting, it's just the time and money that have become limiting factors.  Raising a family and working limits the resources I have to devote to games.