Leaderboard

Absolutely concur on that. I think we've all gone into this discussion previously and recently, especially when discussing EA. Game publisher overlords wants to monetize everything about gaming and make it a GaaS. So, we get shallow and casual games as a result. Gone are the days where there was a plethora of deep, unique games to play. The wonder of "going to pick out a new game to play" is gone. Gone are the days of going to the video game store to randomly pick out a game that looked fun and enthralling, sinking hours and days and weeks into it, then doing it again with another game... amassing a big collection of games that you could probably replay (I mean, I must have replayed A Boy and his Blob more times I can count). Now, publishers generally want something easy and sucking money out of players every chance they can get. So, we're looking now at games going down the lines of gambling. For those who are addicted or unaware of their addiction tendencies, it's not going to be alcohol or drugs or the casinos that's going to get them into crazy debt... it's going to be games that end up being pay-to-play. Somewhere in that above mess of words is a train of thought lol. Apologies on that.

Not personally. There are times when a particular game has been so enjoyable I have raced home from work to play it. But that's about it. Oh yeah and I used to dream about UAVS around the time of MW2 and Black Ops which was weird. I like to keep everything in balance and it helps to have lots of different interests. I could happily play a video game, read a book, play my guitar, run around a park chasing a ball etc etc Addictions wise I tend to avoid gambling. I think I would be addicted to that so I stay away. I've got family members with alcohol issues but fortunately I missed that one. I smoke too much though 🤗

Have any of you ever found yourself feeling addicted to gaming or known someone who has been? Where do you personally draw the line? Thoughts on this topic?

I don't think I've ever been addicted to a game although I did play MW2 and Black Ops in rather long sessions a decade ago. I also had some huge time sinks - mainly with strategy games when I was younger too but nothing of any concern that impacted with school or social life. When I hear about other people's stories, the differences are huge and are the absolute definition of addiction. Most games are shit nowadays and certainly aren't worth wasting time on - I couldn't imagine playing DOTA or CSGO for 14 hours a day like some. Others can play the likes of Warzone for 8 hours and then have another session after a short break. I am so glad I've outgrew a lot of genres and haven't been born into the skin/lootbox generation. Games have had more addictive and money sapping mechanisms in play in the past 7-8 years but thankfully I have not fallen into a lot of traps those games have. I also don't have the time to be addicted to any game either!

Yeah, it's a pretty nice one. It's heavy, it feels substantial so you feel like you did something. 😄 T-shirt as well. Pic attached. No, I just use Garmin. I do use "Livetrack" to let my wife see my progress in real time.

Honestly these topics I always say the same thing. When it comes to addiction, people either have addictive personalities or not. They will get addicted to something, then if they can stop that addiction, will just get addicted to something else to replace it. The things he describes can be attributed to anything you find pleasure in doing, whatever your hobbies may be, which is perfectly fine. It is if they start to get in the way of your day to day life and start negatively effecting work, relationships etc is when it becomes an 'addiction'.

Excellent games yesterday. Pogba was outstanding for France I thought, so it was a shame they lost how they did. But I'm not complaining 😁 All thoughts now on tonight. I predict a win 🙂

Anyone played this gem before? It's an old FPS game from 2005 but absolutely way ahead of its time. It's primarily an action game but it does have some light horror moments set on a tense and atmospheric backdrop. The gunplay is amazing and the game also makes use of incredible lighting and particle effects. You can also slow down combat with a Max Payne-style bullet time feature to see each bullet hit and the environmental destruction that occurs. The AI is also very impressive and every gun battle feels and plays differently. It's feels almost like a Half Life 2 mod or something. Currently it can be got at for £1.60 on Fanatical which is an absolute steal! F.E.A.R - Info ISTHEREANYDEAL.COM Visually, it still holds up very well and it feels mechanically incredible! Well worth picking up as they don't make games like this anymore

such a great game, played it when it first came out and had a blast with it, although it was kinda spooky for me back then when i was still a kid, i remember how realistic the skeletons of the shredded soldiers seemed and how the enemies would coordinate to flank you etc and using the gun that shot huge nails was awesome with ragdoll pinning enemies at the wall played the two expansions for the first time recently and they have aged really well, but i haven't cared about the 2nd or 3rd because i heard mostly negatives about them

My response to my mother when she came into my room that morning being all "You need to get off the computer and do something and get sleep" --> "IT'S SUMMER VACATION!!! I HAVE NO SCHOOL RIGHT NOW!" I don't know of many people who have strong willpower in shutting off Civilization at a decent hour lol.

@RenFengge ah I forgot about Civilisation. That game is another matter and the exception because it is digital heroin and to be avoided if you have any issues with willpower 😅 I think WoW and other Mobo games like LoL and DOTA tend to have a lot of issues with ppl over playing.

Some Fallout photos

The only aspect of gaming addiction for me is the trophies even though I know I won't get nothing out of it for use out side of gaming.

Similarly to Phil and La, I’d say I’ve been obsessive about a game here and there. Certainly to the point of all my free time being spent on the game. I think that’s where the line is though, even spending all your free time on something can be ok, it’s when yoy deliberately start making time by skipping school, work etc. Though I also find with any hobby of mine, if I’m absorbed in it too much I find myself through burning out or boredom wanting to do my other hobbies more until it breaks the obsession.

For me, personally, I seem have a keen self-awareness when it comes to things for myself. I love my video games, there's no doubt about that. I have played to the point where I have dreams as if I was in the video game I was playing, speech bubbles and all. Once, as a teenager, I was scolded by my mother when she came into my room one morning and was shocked that I was up for over 24 hours playing Civilization. I have sometimes become a bit obsessive about a game and having it in my thoughts whenever I have a moment to spare. However, I also know when to stop. For example, during my first play through of the Mass Effect Trilogy, we had plans to meet some friends. Yes, I played the game up until we had to leave. I know when to stop. I know when to put a game away, so it does not get in the way of my actual life. Sure, there are times where I may neglect work a little to play a game... but I'm not exactly going to ignore work either. All about balance really. To @LordBaguette 's point - he's right. People have addictive personalities or not. Those who do just swap out different addictions. I've seen people trade drug and alcohol addictions for fitness. Heck, the Whole30 protocol stemmed from one of the creator's addiction. In simplest terms, addiction is about dopamine and regulation. It can be for almost anything, and video games are just another thing that our brainiacs are recognizing that can fall into it. At least with certain addictions, it can be channeled for good things. There are studies where kids who grow up with video games actually have better problem solving skills than non-gamer kids. I'd have to find it again if anyone is interested. I cited the research for my own paper on video games a while back.

Right. I agree. But, I'm curious if anyone's here has ever found themselves addicted to video games. Addiction comes in 101 flavors, but I'm just curious about personal experiences with being addicted to gaming specifically.

Amazing day yet again. This Euros has been bloody fantastic so far, even the edgy games have had moments of brilliance in them. Left hand side of the draw is blown wide open now so these shocks can keep on coming....on that side anyway!

The Fallout: New Vegas tour sounds brilliant 🙂

I did my first official race, a night trail run: 7.23 mi Distance 1:11:54 Time 9:57 min/mi Avg Pace 371 ft Elev Gain 62nd out of 475, 13th in my age/sex group. I was a little off my pace. I had to quit running for about a month because I tore some muscles in my abdomen, and that hurt my training regime of course. Plus, you know, taco trucks out west. 😄