I’ve discussed this before but as I get older the length of my gaming sessions (which are not very long anyway due to running the site and projects!) get shorter and shorter.
I have a fair amount of free time but can’t play for long because my mind wanders onto all the tasks and work still needed. That said, even if I didn’t have other things requiring my attention I doubt I would play for me than a couple of hours, it’s just too much for me.
What about you?
The Poll
My mind also wanders, but I can always just stop playing one game and start another. Or I might only play 30 minute segments, and do something else for a bit before coming back, provided I had the luxury to do that.
i voted 2-4 hours but it really depends.
i can play cs:s all evening (3-5) hours, although quite rarely, but I played only one map of hl2 in one session. im a maximalist and an old game that I am familiar with I can play hours. another that I need to learn and it stresses me out I play 1/2-1 hours at a time.
today I played almost the whole day (vacation, yeah 8), with good old age of empires 2 and company of heroes (which is new, I bought it now on steam sales, but its familiar from dawn of war), and it wasnt tiring. it reminded me actually of my university years when I spent much time playing aoe2 instead of preparing for my exams – happy days 8).
another factor is that most of the time I feel guilty to spend more time playing at this age. not this week however, this week is for fun and relaxing 8).
I thought you were on Holiday and without any internet.
A wheeze to see what happens without you, I reckon 😀
Anyway,
Checked 4 to 8 hours but it depends on the mod.
With Strider Mountain, the world ceased to revolve until I’d finished the first play.
I only stopped for natural breaks + 2 sleep nights.
Following plays at Normal and then Hard x lots – 1 to 3 hour chunks.
For other combat classics 2 to 4 hours depending on time available.
Research and Development, for as long as I could until my brain fried trying to solve the puzzles – an hour at the most.
For the good but not classic combat mods, eg Dangerous World 1 to 2 hours.
Yeah, I was going to say that,on holiday huh….lol
I was. I can schedule posts to appear any time in the future. The harder part was getting the poll to appear in the sidebar. Kalkin to the rescue again.
Hey at my age who needs sleep!! Sometimes I play till the cows come home!! 😉
In the age of HL2 (post 2004), I’ve played as long as 8-10 hours, with a few short breaks for restroom and meals in between. Lately, I’ll go 4 or so, rarely as long as 8, but mostly because I’ve got things getting in the way (life, work, etc).
When I replayed the entire HL2 series, I went the better part of 5 hours the first time on HL2, then broke things up a bit ’til I hit Ep2, then went marathon to finish it–I play like I read, I start slowly, trying to savor the story, but it ends up a mad rush to read what happens next, and get to the end. :/
I play as long as I want to.. Unless Tessie is being friskly or I have an obligation.. I play!/ I have played, lost track of time and found out I was gone 10 hours once..lol
I said 4-8 hours… provided I have a game that will keep me occupied that long. And, for that matter, a game that isn’t mentally exhausting. Something like a multiplayer shooter demands a lot more concentration than a single player game, or a very familiar game, and I can only play those in short spurts.
I have a bad obssesion of finishing all hl mods I download, and I mean, complete ’em from begigining to the end, and then start with another one, whiich takes me arround sessions of 2-3 hours playing I mean, just an average, I think I play like 1.30 to 2.00 hours when I can do it…
Provided I am playing a game that is long enough and immersive enough, I can play indefinitely. If I am tired of a game (or finish it) I may switch to another game, depending on how long I was playing for, but I usually stop completely at that point and do something else that doesn’t require a computer.
Unfortunately, it is rare for me to have such a large chunk of time to just sit down and play. I guess it makes it all the sweeter when I can splurge for a whole day.
i’ll plat death match for hour losing time. single player mods I know I can come back too, but during happy hour playing can last till the fingers are bleeding.
Life is short! Although video games are fun, there are many others things in life and throughout the world to see and explore. I voted 2-4 hours. After that, I start feeling like I am wasting too much time.
Lately, I’ve been playing Deus Ex in 3 hour stints whenever I can, so 2-4 hours.
I like to play for a long time, up to 4 or 5 hours, but most games don’t give enough new things for it to be fun for longer than 30 minutes.
hmmm, Thought I answered this one already…..Somertimes disease huh?..lol
Play?.. I can lose ALL track of time, many times found the sun coming up or it being totally light outside…finding out its been as much as 12 hours…what’s the word for people who do this kind of thing?… Junkie?..lol.. Mod junkie mostly, but I go back and play the old stuff. I have 30 some odd mods in the 3rd party games, some that do not show up, as I’ve yet to pick up the episodes just yet.. They will show up then. When that happens there will be probably in excess of 50 mods in there…
A few years back I passed out on the job from chronic pain..I woke up, no one had come along and it was almost a half hour later. I had gotten out to check the equipment… I had been living with chronic pain now for almost 30 years and that night it took me to the ground..
Why did I bring this seemingly nothing to do with the question paragraph?… Had it not been for these games I would have lost what’s left of my sanity by now. They are a dristractionary therapy of sorts. I can get completely lost in game play and be oblivious to my surroundings.. People have told me they’d been yelling at me for several minutes I was so into what I was doing..lol..
There is no time limitations on what ever activity I choose to use. So it can be all day, all night…or just a few minutes…
I could play with the lady in the thumbnail for over 8 hours. In fact, I would even let her beat me every once in a while…just to keep things interesting.
I voted for less than 2 hours. However, I could map for over 8 hours straight. Those two hours would mainly be my total playtesting time during that 8-hour period, for testing any maps I’m working on.
I almost have to map for 8 hours at a time, with all the work on my plate. Sadly, I have not had 8 hours a day to work on my projects lately; usually I only have 4 hours a day.
Personally, I’m not as concerned with how long I can play as I am about having the complete freedom to choose when and how long I feel like playing.
I’m ashamed to say…well, not ashamed, but..I still put in at least one 16 hour play day a week. I take restroom, sandwich and nap breaks. The other days I probably put in an average of 8 hours a day. No wonder I need new glasses. And a job. I think I’m using gaming as an escape from the economic collapse and lack of work. I don’t worry about it as much when I’m deep into a game or mod.
16 hours IS a long time but I also understand your point of view. Gaming is definitely used as an escape and at the moment there is quite a lot to escape from.