How do you make time for video games?

[Kittet3]

I've been reflecting a lot on my video game habits for the past year and trying to strike that healthy balance of enjoying a hobby I love while still exploring other hobbies (and doing homework :P) since I'm not 15 anymore and can't spend 6 hours straight playing a game on the weekends. I've begun to get interested in how other people make time for video games in the daily life when there are so many other things to divert our attention. Do people set aside a set time for video games? Or do people use them as a reward after completing a day's worth of duties? Or is it entirely a wake-up-and-feel-like-playing-for-a-bit type of relationship?

 

For me, I usually have a few goals for each day that I strive to complete and I use video games as a stress reliever between tasks or during breaks. I always tell myself that I can play as long as I want after I'm done with my tasks, but I'm one of those people that, if given three hours to do a task, will spend two and a half hours putting it off until the last 30 minutes  

 

I'm really awful at making threads, but I do think it'll be cool for others to share how they make time for video games and hopefully share some tips of how they balance their time  (Also I searched both the forums and google for a thread addressing this and couldn't find one, but let me know if it already exists!) 

[Rafi_004]

I try to play a bit everyday at 8AM before going to work ?

[Kittens Are Awesome]

Vita...nuff said. 

[Condemned09]

Instead of watching T.V shows I just play video games  

[Caju_94]

I go to work to the capital by bus, which can take from 45 minutes up to 2 hours (depends a lot of the traffic) in the morning + 45 mins/1 hour back home. And whenever I go outside home, I got a Vita.

 

Sometimes there are weeks where I barely can play PS4 at all or just a couple of hours, but I always play Vita on the bus anyway. Sometimes there are weeks when I can play and play a whole Sunday. And when I'm on vacations... Nobody can stop me!!!

 

I also barely watch TV, so that saves me lots of time.

Edited June 26, 2018 by Caju_94

[Yuukiyun]

I'm in a lucky position where I've got quite a bit of time on my hands, plus my work is related to video games, so I don't have to 'make' much time.  

 

When it comes to making time, I generally save time by multi-tasking certain things and/or doing them more effectively/faster.

For example, I can prepare a meal, and it it while playing a game. 

Or, I can let the dog out and walk faster. 

 

[dermarx]

29 minutes ago, Condemned09 said:

Instead of watching T.V shows I just play video games  

 

Same here. Most of the TV Shows a just boring imo so I play Video Games instead.

[Paleblood]

I sit down to play them, turn off my phone, and stop complaining that I don't have enough time.

 

J

[Terra]

I try to get at least an hour a day in. Some days I don't get to but If I can play at least once a week at the minimum it satisfies me. I also find the early mornings are ideal since I'm up well before work and get everything done so that means I get time to jump on. Some days though, I just get caught up in browsing the web, watching videos, or searching for more games to complete my retro collections >_>

[Honor_Hand]

You would think that working from home could help in finding more time for games but I really don't completely get that benefit.

 

I usually have a set time to play during the early morning hours and until around noon time. That's if there aren't any other home chores that need to be done, which I can assure you they never disappear completely. There is always something that needs to be done at home or at life in general that usually prevents me from playing completely or as much as I'd like during the mornings.

 

My working hours are spent, well, focused at work for the most part but ever since I got a Vita I find myself just doing a quick level or playing for a couple of minutes in between the work to unwind a little. Fortunately enough, I have no boss around to nag me while I'm at it lol If I get to finish my allotted amount of work for the day early, I play a little more before going to bed. although, more often than not, this is a rare occurrence.

 

I also work from Mondays to Saturdays, which means Sundays are my revenge days to get everything done as far as games.

[mecharobot]

Time is the one thing that I have loads of. Downside is that I can no longer look forward to gaming binges as some kind of reward or refresher. There is no excitement in it.

[Maxximum]

On holidays when I'm not going to school. They usually last 3 weeks to a month. 

[DistantFox]

I'm on summer vacation with no job (yet) with NOTHING interesting around me, and no friends nearby. Needless to say, I have a large amount of free time. Do I actually want that free time? Not really. I wish I had other things to do, but I don't.

Edited June 26, 2018 by OhDearGodRun

[StrickenBiged]

In my 30's, married, with a full time 9-5 job. 

 

Luckily, the wife goes to bed a couple of hours ahead of me. So I usually squeeze in 2 hours per weekday between 9-11pm. 

 

On the weekends, I'll stay up as long as I want playing games, usually hitting the sack anywhere between 3-5am depending on what time I have to be up on Saturday/Sunday. 

 

Chores, life, job, etc, is done outside of gaming time, obviously. 

[Mori]

If I feel like playing games, I play games. If I feel like doing sth. else, I do sth. else. Currently on a 'break' again. Sometimes I try to plan completing a game in a certain time frame, but if more important things come up, gaming takes a back seat.

 

Since I know that my backlog will probably last another whole year + a few more games coming in the future, I am not in a hurry.

Edited June 26, 2018 by Mori

[MidnightDragon]

My schedule makes it easy. Only do it on weeknights and weekends due to work. 

[Helyx]

I'm more interested in how I find time to go to work instead of playing games.

[The Arizona Ranger]

I try to find a few hours each day where I can squeeze in some quality gaming time. For the most part, I am able to game usually for two hours Monday through Fridays (when I work my two jobs). On the weekends, I am able to put in more time towards gaming since I have both Saturday and Sunday off. I usually manage between four to seven hours of gaming per day on the weekends, depending on what I have going on in my life. 90% of the gaming I do nowadays is on my PS4 Pro, and the remaining 10% is split between my Nintendo Switch and Gaming PC (Steam).

 

In short:

 

• 1-3 hours of gaming per day Monday through Friday (due to working two jobs).
• 4-7 hours of gaming per day on the weekends (depending on if I am busy, watching sports, away from home, etc).

[ProfBambam55]

4 hours ago, Kittet3 said:

Also I searched both the forums and google for a thread addressing this and couldn't find one, but let me know if it already exists!) 

if you're bored and/or interested the following thread kind of overlaps with your topic here...as such, not gonna bother repeating what's already been said...

 

[Lava_Yuki]

When was in uni, I'd play for hours on end and would easily be able to devote myself to 100+ hour plats and get it in a month. Now that I graduated last year and work on average 48-56 hours per week in a very busy job (doctor) with lots of night shifts, on-call 12 hour shifts etc. and weekends, I consider myself lucky if I get to game for more than 1 hour per day, and not everyday of course as I'm often tired after long days.

I try to set aside at least an hour before going to bed around 8 or 9 pm on a normal day, but usually can't fit anything beyond 30 mins or so on 12 hour days and nothing at all on nights as I just come come home, sleep, go back to work.

 

However, I try to make the most on days off. I get days off after a series of nights or 12 hour shifts, so I usually play a few hours to catch up since I don't get to play very long or very regularly. 

 

My gaming routine is:

Normal 9-5 or 8-4 day: 8-9 or 10 pm (unless I end up staying late overtime which is not uncommon)= 1-2 hours

12 hour shift either 8am-8pm or 9am-9pm day: 30-45 mins around 10pm

Night shifts (12 hours long) and 12pm-12am day: no gaming 

Those lovely days off: 4 or 5pm-7pm and them maybe some more from 9-11pm= 4-5 hours

 

On vacation, commuting long train journeys like when I go to London or something for a weekend,  I would obviously spend the entire journey on my Vita. Same goes for flights and when I'm not the driver in long car journeys. On my flight to Japan, I sunk a lot of hours into FFX/X-2 HD on my vita! 

 

I play some games on my phone like Tales of Asteria and FF BE etc. so I'd dip in and out of those when I get a spare moment during the day and when things are quiet. 

[AJ_Radio]

It’s not just a question of time but also on whether you’re committed enough to play through a game. 

 

I think most most people here in their 20s, 30s and 40s will safely say they were able to spend several hours at a time on a game. You grow up, you graduate college, you decide to have a spouse with kids, all that free time you once had is gone. 

 

I’m single and I can usually devote two to four hours at a time on a given day to play a video game. My story is I’ve lost a lot of interest in video games, they don’t compel me all that much like they used to. 

 

In the past couple years or so I’ve taken up hiking, biking and doing a number of extracurricular activities to help keep myself in shape, something that videogames will never do. A couple adult themed television shows and movies have also spiked my interest. 

 

I pick and choose what I want to play. 

[TJ_Solo]

12 hours ago, Paleblood said:

I sit down to play them, turn off my phone, and stop complaining that I don't have enough time.

 

J

 

I don't get why people over-think this and turn something truly simple into a diatribe.

 

[Kittet3]

So many responses, I ran out of reputation points! I'm really surprised by how many people say they play games in the morning and I may have to try that now that I don't have morning classes, maybe that'll stop me from pressing snooze a half dozen times. It also seems like the VITA is a popular way to play on the go when things get too busy.

 

16 hours ago, ProfBambam55 said:

if you're bored and/or interested the following thread kind of overlaps with your topic here...as such, not gonna bother repeating what's already been said...

 

That's the thread I was looking for! I knew there was a similar thread out at some point but couldn't find the magic keywords to bring it up.

 

17 hours ago, dj_helyx said:

I'm more interested in how I find time to go to work instead of playing games.

Maybe I should have rephrased the question and asked how people find time for life outside of video games

 

(Now I'm getting flashbacks of that old 'in real life' video game song that use to be on Spotify) 

[Gamer-Girl-Noire]

when i was at college i used to take my vita for the bus trip there and back and for the massive breaks we used to get.

i also used to try create a small routine not like a solid one but just a general idea of the time stuff takes to do then use free time for games at home

[dedennesteph]

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Edited July 27, 2022 by dedennesteph