Am I alone? Ashamed to admit...

[Circo]

Well I figured that if I was going to have post the first thread in this section I would address a problem that I have. I am not proud and sometimes I find it ironc, but it's time I come clean.

First, I used to be a fairly avid gamer, definately not hardcore, but a gamer none the less. I have not forgotten my roots, I currently have in my collection almost every video game ever made, Terrabytes of the stuff...really. And I know that I am not alone here in this. I also have most of the current consoles and handhelds. And many games for each, heck I'll admit it, EVERYTHING IS MODDED :(

I love video games, but I no longer play them (FEELING THE SHAME) I mean sometime I play come on, but it has been ....wait for it.... almost 6 years since I have played a game to completion. There was the little problem I had with MMOs but I have been re-habbed and can now say I am ok. I guess I could say I have played over 10,000 games in the past 4 years for my website, but I wouldn't call it playing. Sure I ohh and ahh every once in awhile over some gem I find, but it always leads to the same thing, I move on and fast. So I am no expert of games, I am ashamed, but it is the life I lead. I tweak and fiddle and grind away, it involves games, just not in the way nature intended.

I have lost my way and maybe just someday I will find my way back, or maybe I am having midlife ADD, I do not know. But for now I will keep doing what I am doing, and leave the reviws to the current experts...... Good Luck and hope the same desn't happen to you ;)

[scrapple]

Im sorta in the same boat...
Ever since I graduated from college, I have turned into somewhat of a casual gamer. I play games for maybe an hour or two at the most. I used to go on 8 + hour binges but that has stopped. I also was addicted to Ultima Online, then Everquest in college, and my grades went to shit, so I stopped. Post gradution, work took over and after a 9 hour day, I didnt want to play games. Then my wife got pregnant and games became a 1 hour at the most late at night experience (xbox live mostly). I then deployed to Afgahnistan for a year, and was able to play a bunch of games to completion, because I had tons of free time after the day was done. I beat Call of Duty 2, 3 and 4, most of the metal gear games, Half Life 1 & 2, and a few others. Now I am back home and once again I get 2 hours at the most a day to play games (after my daughter goes to bed), and usually I spend those 2 hours with the wife watching a movie, or playing casual games with her. We just played some Puzzle bobble last night on the cab and she got hooked. I smoked her 15-4.

[Dazz]

Back in the 80's and 90's I was a hardcore gamer... I was a competitive gamer and played in some of the largest tournaments in the country. In the 2000's I started playing MMO's, started with BBS/MUD's/MOO's/MUSH, moved on to Meridian 59, Ultima Online and then to beta testing Everquest. Eventually gaming has given away to family life and more hobbies. I find it more fun to play with my kids than to play games now. During the summer we have a full schedule and gaming doesn't happen as much during the time. We are big coaster junkies and spend a lot of time at amusement parks/water parks and I fly radio control aircraft which is another damn expensive hobby.

At the ages of 6 and 10 years old my kids have played more classic games than kids twice their ages have even heard of. Eventhough we have every current generation console (Wii, PS3, 360, NDS, PSP), my kids still seem to play on the arcade cabinet more than anything.

While I don't game much right now, I do make it a priority to play a classic almost every day. I know my roots and I don't like to stray too far. While I was still very active socially as a pre-teen and my teenage years gaming was still a big part of my life. I feel that gaming saved my life from getting into a lot of trouble and drugs. I give gaming a lot of credit with how my life has turned out.

[BadBoyBill]

Well I can tell you that I dont really play the games as much anymore, I think once my cab is done I'll play alot more, Im much more into game artwork nowadays more than anything. I do play dragon warrior on and off because I love that game, and when my cab is done I know SF4 is gonna get alot of game play after I purchase the PC version. I think my main thing is that I just dont have a clean setup yet, and which is pretty much one of the main reasons why I started HyperSpin. One of these days Im just gonna sit back, relax and play games all day long.

[Circo]

Well I can tell you that I dont really play the games as much anymore, I think once my cab is done I'll play alot more, Im much more into game artwork nowadays more than anything. I do play dragon warrior on and off because I love that game, and when my cab is done I know SF4 is gonna get alot of game play after I purchase the PC version. I think my main thing is that I just dont have a clean setup yet, and which is pretty much one of the main reasons why I started HyperSpin. One of these days Im just gonna sit back, relax and play games all day long.

Thats why I started EmuMovies, was for the clean setup, I fear I will never finish lol

[BadBoyBill]

Ditto

[billpa]

Circo,

I think you are my long lost twin brother....hehe. Im not too good at arcade games save a few of my favorites and I spend most of my time working on stuff (like HS artwork) than playing. I dont have a cab so thats one of the reasons. Other is my work is usually pretty busy and I try to do some graphic design on the side for extra cash.

Either way, I think I will play more now that I got the okay to set up MAME in my office. I will take some pics soon!

[Dazz]

Circo,

I think you are my long lost twin brother....hehe. Im not too good at arcade games save a few of my favorites and I spend most of my time working on stuff (like HS artwork) than playing. I dont have a cab so thats one of the reasons. Other is my work is usually pretty busy and I try to do some graphic design on the side for extra cash.

Either way, I think I will play more now that I got the okay to set up MAME in my office. I will take some pics soon!So... How much would you charge to design/create some custom artwork for my cabinet?

[Circo]

Actually my second Cab was my downfall, before that I had plenty of playtime :) Since I built this beast, I have been trying to get it perfect. And everytime I get close, some new front end comes out...... (Looks Around) You know who you are :D

[BadBoyBill]

Another reason I don't play as much anymore now that I think about is that gaming to me has always been a thing to do with my best friend and also my dad, now that were all apart its just not the same, plus battling people in the real arcades was also a ritual, this is also becoming obsolete, sf4 will help bring this back for me.

[brian_hoffman]

I dont play very much games either,, I spend the majority of my time making the stuff work..

:(

[Zero_Hour]

I certainly have spent too much time in the past gaming.
Was lucky enough to get an Atari VCS, and am lucky I didn't cripple myself from the odd way I held onto the joystick. I had friends that had O2 and Intellivision systems, so I got quite a nice exposure to most of the early systems. In the 80's I got my first computer - a C-64, and my friends had an Atari 1200XL, and an Apple IIe, between the constant bickering about who had the superior system, much gaming was had by all. Through all of that there were the almost constant trips to the arcades, which were quite plentiful in the early-mid 80's. Finally getting to college, saw my gaming drop off considerably - I always had access to Nintendo, and Sega systems, but never owned them myself until very late into their lifespans. I thought I had kicked the habit.

Grad school changed all of that, I was in a program for Multimedia Technology, with way too much access to nice fast internet connections and lots of high end equipment - several of us in the program actually hijaked a machine (with our Profs full knowledge) and set up a Quake server - I've been a slave to various FPS games ever since.

MAME was to say the least one of the most incredible programs I have ever discovered though - a wonderful time machine that let me replay all the classics without having to try and track down an actual functioning cabinet in a seedy bar or rundown laundromat, and I've been a regular player ever since I discovered it.

But back to the point of the OP - I definitely don't play any of my videogames as much as I have in the past. I'm much more selective about the games I pick up even though I have a Wii, a PS3, and a very nice gaming rig, I no longer can say I game every day - Unless Photoshop is a game (Adobe should really look into adding achievements - "You've Unlocked Filter Mastery!"). I like playing around with the artwork more now, than actually playing the games it's based on. So even though my MAME Cab plans are still plans (all the parts and materials are there, I just need the willpower to build it), my consoles gather dust, and I haven't fired up Call of Duty 4 in weeks, It just doesn't bother me.

To be honest the HS project has me more excited about videogames than any game has gotten me in a long time.

/ramble

[The Loafer]

I see I'm not alone. :)

My gaming history dates way back too (I'm 44 years young). My first console was the old Sears pong thingamajob back in the 70's, well my dad bought it. My first real purchase was the colecovision and I had every adapter they put out for it (including the Atari expansion and some Atari games) and every game either Compucentre or Eaton had except for two: Smurf and one other I can't think of. That's when my addictive side came through. There was no way I would ever had had the chance to play the 80+ games on the coleco to warrant the purchases but that's the way I am.

Next up was the Adam computer (still a colecovision junkie) and all their tape games). Then, the Apple II+ clone (the Cherry II eheh), the commodore 64, then the Atari ST, then the Amiga, etc., etc.

My collecting got worse, I rarely finished any games. On the Amiga, I remember finishing Sword of Sodan and a few of the Sierra and Lucasfilm adventures but that's pretty much it; most games I would boot up, mess around with for a few days and then FF them (File & forget).

It's still not good, though things have gotten better. I've got an xbox 360 and a PS3 right now and I own about 40 360 games (and I've traded in maybe 30) so I'm still collecting BUT because of the advent of xbox live, I get to play with friends and thus I try real hard to stick to games I can complete via online coop. I can't say enough about Live, it's fantastic and worth the little $5 per month fee I pay for a fairly robust and consistent online experience. Games I've actually finished on the 360 (online): Gears of War, Crackdown, Rainbow Six 1 and 2, Ghost Recon 1 and 2 and a few others. As for offline, I also finished COD4 (what a game!). For comparision, I finished 1 game on the xbox: Crimson Skies (couldn't put it down!). So I'm getting better, and it's all because of online and really, it's all because of playing with someone else, which imho nothing beats. Lets face it, gaming is a great reason to socialize, well at least for me.

[joebells]

I used to play for 8+ hours when I was younger too. I just had to beat the next level or make it to just one more save point. I would make sure to always beat a game in under a week for some reason. But during college I stopped playing pretty much completely. After college I got back into gaming and now I still game occasionally. When a new game comes out from Nintendo(definately my weakness) I'll usually pick it up when I can find a deal on it and play it whenever I can until I beat it, although even that doesn't always happen any more. Alot of times I'll play through collecting stuff or whatever until the end and then just stop before finishing it for some reason. Generally though I find myself messing around with the computer and programs/frontends for gaming way more than the actual gaming now.

[Ego-X]

I find myself pretty much in the same boat!

I think the problem is by having so many games you effectively commoditize them which almost makes them worthless.

Kinda makes me wonder if I would actually enjoy having all the money in the world

[The Loafer]

I'd like to find out myself :). Seriously though, it's one of the reasons why I want to force myself away from the "full set" pokemon mentality of "gotta have 'em all". Instead, my plan is to have no more and no less than 250 mame games installed, which in turn will force me to actually play the @%@# for a change. Same with the pinball stuff, the console games, etc. Maybe top 50 of each, but actually play them.

I admit it, I doubt I will be successfull. I'm an addict... :(

[joebells]

I don't think that would work for me as I know they are all readily available

[deadsoulz]

You definitely are not alone. I am now 30, and have found my gaming desires to decline when games are in my hands, but the excitement and anticipation for new games hasn't really faded. I do play arcade games casually more now, that my cabinet is complete, but on the console / computer side I used to play hours a day, but I have a hard time even spending an hour, I am a Husband and Father now, so I am sure that has a lot to do with it, but I think age does as well. While I am no longer a hard core gamer, I will always be a gamer. Someone up higher posted about friends and family they used to play games with not being around anymore, I think that is most of it for sure. You enjoy playing with them, and the harmless competition and smack talk involved. There are exceptions to this rule though, when Diablo 3 comes out, Red Alert 3 comes out, I will be playing them till I beat them, but these type of games are few and far between. Thank god for emulators though, I have been really enjoying mame now on my cabinet, and visual pinball is a blast.

--ds

[FrakAttack]

Just the opposite for me. I'd pretty much lost interest in gaming until I discovered emulation and found a lot of old gems I'd overlooked. Emus reignited my passion for gaming.

[mattdyer07]

I stopped playing as much but for the reason is im fresh out of high school and my mom is basically telling me to focus now and play later. bahhhhhh hummbugg!

[The Loafer]

Though there's nothing wrong with a balanced approach (fun and work CAN co-exist) your mom is very wise, pay heed to what she says.

[cathaldub]

I stopped playing as much but for the reason is im fresh out of high school and my mom is basically telling me to focus now and play later. bahhhhhh hummbugg!

tell her to go watch american pie or something

[Circo]

You definitely are not alone. I am now 30, and have found my gaming desires to decline when games are in my hands, but the excitement and anticipation for new games hasn't really faded. I do play arcade games casually more now, that my cabinet is complete, but on the console / computer side I used to play hours a day, but I have a hard time even spending an hour, I am a Husband and Father now, so I am sure that has a lot to do with it, but I think age does as well. While I am no longer a hard core gamer, I will always be a gamer. Someone up higher posted about friends and family they used to play games with not being around anymore, I think that is most of it for sure. You enjoy playing with them, and the harmless competition and smack talk involved. There are exceptions to this rule though, when Diablo 3 comes out, Red Alert 3 comes out, I will be playing them till I beat them, but these type of games are few and far between. Thank god for emulators though, I have been really enjoying mame now on my cabinet, and visual pinball is a blast.

--ds


Just don't turn it into a job :D I absolutely love emulation, but if I stop too long to play a single game or enjoy one of my consoles, I start to feel guilty that I need to get back to work. So nowadays my downtime means getting away from any type of gaming. At least I love what I do and I don't plan on stopping until i have every game done!

[Keyser_Soze]

There should be a warning message on some of these boards.

"Cab and FE making may be harzardess to your gaming health."

or

"Play, don't tweak"

Thankfully, HyperSpin came along and my cab is finished.
Let the good times roll.

[BigMal]

Hahahaha what a great thread. I'm 33 and remember the golden age of gaming.
I started out in arcades (they were mesmorizing!) and when my parents bought me an Atari 600XL I was addicted. I moved through to a C64, Amiga and occassionally consoles.

Nowadays I own a PS3 and a MAME cab. I love the old school arcade games, the music, the gameplay etc. and am extremely proud of my cab (especially now that I have the awesome HS frontend).

My addiction is as strong as ever and I've even pre-ordered Killzone 2. Strangely I'm like a lot of other posters in this thread, I hardly play the games! I wait with excitement for the next great game to come out and am usually blown away by its awesomeness but just don't have the time to sit down and play for more than half an hour - I'm just excited to own the game! (what a sad person I have become).

I turn on my MAME cab every now and then but usually it's to apply updates or to tweak certain things or to challenge my wife at Tetris. I think building an arcade cab and knowing you have an arcade cab is enough for me, it's what I dreamed of as a kid and is a reality now.

If I ever win the lottery I'll retire from work and make MAME cabs to give away to people for free. Share the arcade love! :-)

[Propaganda]

I dont play very much games either,, I spend the majority of my time making the stuff work..

:(

I would have to agree with your statement above. I was a huge gamer in my earlier years, I am now 33. Primary arcade, NES, C64, and AMIGA.

I spend way more time tweaking the system learning new things to try or implement with the emulators. I think this is what I enjoy most.

We frequently have people over for drinks and what not and I love it when people see my cab and ask "what game is this?" An I can respond, what GAME, well let me show you. Everyone is excited, thinks it's so cool and then always asks, "you don't have this game do you?" (Of course I do) or "what was that game where." (and then you find it).

I love to see other people enjoy the cab, that's what makes me happy. Even the wife thought I was a geek for building one, but once it was finished she was showing it off and saying how cool it was.

lol.

[koolbrez67]

I feel the same circo I love to game but I barely even play anymore. I find that every six months I play for about a month then I get back to whatever I was working on. It happens every fall. Last year it was fallout 3. I get more out of watching my kids play and when I get god status when they ask for help on a game. Like the last time My son was playing Super mario bros. He could get past the second level so I helped and the next thing I knew 10 min later was I had finished the game for him. He thought it was pretty kool but said I just wanted help getting thru the level. I am happy knowing that I was able to bring joy and I mean joy to everyone that uses my work. I feel like a kid again back in the arcade. It is a pretty kool feeling. Ok I am going to stop I have work I got to finish.

[mildanti]

Yah i'm kinda in the middle, i play alot of games, actually wipped out the old xbox and played some Farcry last night. But when i joined hyperspin i spent alot of time makin themes. My friends would come over and i would be on Photoshop and they would call me a loser for what i'm doing but i didn't care. But when they see hyperspin as a whole they start to drool.

[StarControl]

When I found Hyperspin I was in the middle of building a cab. It's all cut out in pieces in the garage and partially assembled and partially painted. I've got a box full of every controller known to man. I keep telling myself I'll get back to it after the next box art set. I can play some of the basic mame games on my Mac with an X-Arcade controller, but basically I am obsessing about Hyperspin video game art these days so I don't play games at all. But I'm having fun, and I guess that's all that really matters. Someday in the not too distant future there will be wheel art and box art and videos for all the major systems and themes for all the major arcade games, and then I'll finish the cab and then maybe I'll play video games but I'll definitely be showing off the system to guests.