How do you personally make time for gaming?

[vatermuzik]

I'm turning 35 this year and have a second child on the way. That being said, my play time is slowing significantly but I still manage to fritter away a few hours per week in my game room, mainly on weekends.

Besides balancing gaming with the usual work/home/family stuff, I try to make time for my musical projects - I write and record my own electronic, pop and ambient influenced music. Also, just listening to music is a huge treat these days. I recently got into collecting vinyl so it's only a matter of time before I start obsessively sniffing out deals on hi fi gear.

[Frag Mortuus]

Noise, some Dad-Rock is awesome!

Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, CCR, The Fugees, Rolling Stones, and Jethro Tull!

Ahhhh Zeppelin. I'm a huge Zeppelin fan. They are my favorite band of all time. One day I put on Kashmir (which isn't my favorite song by them, but it's a great gateway song for people that have never listened to them), and my son went crazy. He is only two years old so his dances are usually just spinning around in one spot or running in a circle. But this time....THIS time..he closed his eyes and started bobbing his head as if he where listening intently. He then put his left foot forward, with knees bent and started doing that hard rock type of sway from font to back where you're not really head banging but you are just jamming the hell out. As far as I know he has never seen that type of "dance" before and it just came to him as he caught his first real glimpse into the power of truly amazing music.

A few days later he and I are headed to the barber and I start playing Immigrant Song. I don't really think anything of it, but a minute or so later I hear him kind of talking, but not really. So, I look back and he has his hands in the air, he's bobbing his head to the music and trying to sing along.

I think he is going to be a life long fan This kid is going to be a rock star, lol. We bought both kids real instruments for Christmas. They got a ukelele, because we couldn't find a small enough, good quality guitar, real bongos that are much smaller but made to the same specs as a full sized set, and a keyboard. Not a day goes by that he doesn't pick up an instrument of some sort and play it. I'm getting him into drum lessons as soon as he is old enough. He likes it that much.

Again, this post was far bigger than I anticipated.

[Gamerforlife]

I'm single, mid 30s, self-employed and single...but I don't live with my parents, in a basement, nor is anything I own covered in cheeto dust. Gasp!

So, I play games whenever the heck I feel like it. Which actually is far less than ever before, even though I have the finances and time availability to fritter on it as a hobby. There are less and less new games that pique my interest, which leaves more time for other hobbies, experiences, etc.

Probably doesn't help overall in the discussion, but thought you might find it interesting that a single person with no kids who doesn't have trouble finding the time chooses not to, even though gaming is their main hobby.

You just described me and my life pretty well for the most part (not self employed unfortunately, working for a corporation), as well as how I feel about gaming lately, and how much time I actually devote to it anymore

[BoringSupreez]

Right now I don't really have time. I beat like 2-3 full length big-name games per year, along with a small handful of super short games I can beat in one go. But once I finish school and have my career solidified that will all change.

That's how it works, guys. Right?

[mas]

I usually play for an hr or so before I go to bed at night. Gaming usually puts me to sleep.

[noiseredux]

Damn I was expecting something snappier from an alpha-juggalo such as yourself.

Sorry Dad, you wouldn't understand my generation.

Sonic Youth is dad-rock, bud.

Bullshit.

[Exhuminator]

but thought you might find it interesting that a single person with no kids who doesn't have trouble finding the time chooses not to, even though gaming is their main hobby.

What I find interesting is that you would say gaming is your main hobby, all while consciously choosing not to play games, despite having plenty of time to do so. If I were you, I would look more closely at what I was doing in my free time outside of gaming. As that activity is now your actual main hobby it would seem.

You just described me and my life pretty well for the most part (not self employed unfortunately, working for a corporation), as well as how I feel about gaming lately, and how much time I actually devote to it anymore

From that dispassion I find your username a little ironic.

Well at least by coming to this gaming forum, you two fine gentlemen can indulge vicariously through those of us who actually play video games.

[irixith]

but thought you might find it interesting that a single person with no kids who doesn't have trouble finding the time chooses not to, even though gaming is their main hobby.

What I find interesting is that you would say gaming is your main hobby, all while consciously choosing not to play games, despite having plenty of time to do so. If I were you, I would look more closely at what I was doing in my free time outside of gaming. As that activity is now your actual main hobby it would seem.

Oh I still play fairly frequently...just put down Xeodrifter on the 3DS a few minutes ago. (Speaking of Xeodrifter...so far...mehhhhhhhhhhh. Obviously inspired by Metroid, obviously unpolished/unfinished, some cool ideas but mostly just plain boring...and yet this is a 9/10 reviewed game.) I've tried to figure it out for a long time. I play a lot of games, but perhaps don't receive a lot of satisfaction from them any more. Too many of them are schlock, or good ideas wrapped in poor execution, or a lot of other things. I wrote about it somewhere else on the forum, asking why we're so *forgiving* of games today, especially when the game is clearly not good. Perhaps I've reached the point where upon playing so many games across so many systems, where it takes something really special to be truly unique or different from all the rest. Maybe I'm more selective. It's really hard to pin down. In relation to other hobbies, more time is still spent on gaming than any other.

Well at least by coming to this gaming forum, you two fine gentlemen can indulge vicariously through those of us who actually play video games.

Well, as dsheinem says, making witty forum posts is a big part of the equation.

[Exhuminator]

and yet this is a 9/10 reviewed game.

Retro inspired fat pixel platforming indie games are a mandatory 9/10 didn't you know?

I'm sick of it too but 'eh.

Perhaps I've reached the point where upon playing so many games across so many systems, where it takes something really special to be truly unique or different from all the rest.

Curse of the connoisseur. All I can say is mix it up, mix it up. Constantly swapping genres, generations, and platforms works for me pretty well.

[irixith]

and yet this is a 9/10 reviewed game.

Retro inspired fat pixel platforming indie games are a mandatory 9/10 didn't you know?

I'm sick of it too but 'eh.

Perhaps I've reached the point where upon playing so many games across so many systems, where it takes something really special to be truly unique or different from all the rest.

Curse of the connoisseur. All I can say is mix it up, mix it up. Constantly swapping genres, generations, and platforms works for me pretty well.

Curses!