I recently tweeted “I nearly jumped over the balcony of the last flight of stairs I was working down this morning. Definitely been playing too much HL lately!” I lied. I actually haven’t been playing that much lately.
In fact, I probably play less video games than all my visitors. I’m too obsessed with the site! I DID think about jumping over the balcony, but not because of the amount I had been playing, but because I can’t get HL out of my head.
The whole episode got me thinking about how much time we spend playing games.
In the last year or so, I have rekindled a love of squash. I felt it was time to get away from the keyboard and out into the open. Please ignore the slight irony of going into a sweaty, smelly court. I needed to rebalance my activities.
All around me, I “see” Half-Life. Random shapes that look like elements from the game, sounds, etc. I nearly bought a crowbar in a hardware shop last week. It had a blue handle, which is why I didn’t.
The point is that being this obsessed over too long a period of time is not good for me. But here is the contradiction. I want to spend more time playing and less time “mucking about” with the site. And once the new theme is online, I am going to do just that. PLAY MORE. Especially other games, but more about that in late December.
So, I ask you and I want you to be completely honest with yourself:
Do you play to much?
Don’t just think about HL, consider all the other games too.
To be honest I haven’t been playing games regulary. Few weeks ago completed walking dead S2 and before that game I played was in June. It would be nice to play little more games, because I have long list of unplayed games in my steam library.
I’ll try to play more indie sidescrollers in near future, because thats the best I can play with my laptops underpowered integrated graphics. Someday in future when I’ll build my PC I’ll need to catch up with games that I haven’t played in few last years
I used to play too much, but now its not enough. I have the time available, its just that there are so few FPS games, mods and maps available any more. Or I should rephrase that, if there are maps and mods (for games other than HL), I don’t know where to go to find them.
I play less than some years ago as well, mainly because modern FPS don’t give me the same feeling as the old classics. Most of the time it’s pretty graphics and not much else! Also I have the impression that there isn’t much of a mapping scene for modern games anymore, or if there is, I don’t really care ;).
Well it’s always good playing mods, but the HL game itself, unless it updates, it’s not changing, it’s just the same game we’ve always played and it gets old, but I think it would be nice if someone made a new mod that makes HL2 a bit more difficult. No I’m not talking about SMOD, I’m talking about alot more NPCs and puzzles and blockades, and less ammo and health. It’s HL2 for SUPER PLAYERS! If anyone wants to make something like that, I believe that slot is still available!
Imagine playing all of Episode One where you’re forced to do the One Free Bullet achievement if you know what I mean, or using the Buggy without the tau gun.
Hey MegaSean!!! Keep those Scanner-Lifes a-comin’! 😀
Also, I agree with you. Mods have definitely kept Half-Life alive. Speaking of achievements, the hardest achievement I’ve ever gotten was Neighborhood Watch in Episode 2.
The problem with being a mapper is that a huge chunk of time that would otherwise be spent playing games gets sucked into making them instead. It’s not quite the same thing.
Yeah, I have to agree with that one, but just being a modder in general causes this (as I’ve been working on a project for Civ 5 lately), and even when you’re trying to play a game you can’t help but try to analyze why the developer made the choices they did.
I was obsessed with hl2dm, prolly still am, I played it so much when I found out about it that I would be scared and almost duck irl when hearing something remotely sounding like the xbow bolt. I would read up on guides etc and do this lefty righty thing at work while trying to synchronize my hands for bhop, and sometimes looking at something afar I would squint and look for my Z button to zoom in… And yes I did consider jumping over railings as well hahah haven’t we all?!
Now it’s all in moderation but I don’t think I’d change anything if I went back, the HL universe has me and I love it.
I play a lot of different games, honestly. I play enough stupid flash games to keep my “instant gratification” gene happy. I play enough FPS games that I often find myself trying to crouch or use a flashlight in other games that don’t have them. 😉
That said, I have no compelling reason NOT to play whenever, I’m a house elf. I do laundry and dishes and cleaning, and then leech off… I mean, um, work on my research online… <_<
Just last night, I decided I really needed to replay Deus Ex Human Revolution – as well as needing to sort through my game music a bit and put a play list together of some of the most inspiring and/or amazing pieces of game music I have. There are a few from HL 1 and 2 that would make it there. I enjoy seeing how games relate to other games, as well as real-world concerns, at any rate, so replaying with an eye for whatever specific item du-jour keeps a replay value high no matter what game it is.
For me the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and mods never gets old.
I play only in weekends, but it’s not enough time to play all the mods and variations of this game. Even vanilla is a living game, never the same situation, thanks to A-life. And there is Metro Last Light…
My gaming is just about right! I’ve lately been watching too much game streams on twitch than I actually play games.
I haven’t been playing much since HL1 modding has slowed down to about 5 new mods a year now. Lately I have gotten into watching games played on youtube that are kinda scary or profound. Ever heard of ‘to the moon’?
I’d like to play a bit more, but for some reason I can’t seem to get onto Steam, maybe the account has been compromised, they did get me back on a couple of weeks ago…after a 10 day wait and many messages to them, by which time I was getting rather annoyed at their lack of sensible response…or any response come to that….but finally after much complaining I did get back in….but today I find I’m locked out again….man, I hate Steam. Unnecessary, incompetant and un caring…as if the games don’t cost enough, you are forced to play through their meglomaniacal system….it’s just wrong..
I would agree. For being such a large and wealthy operation, particularly one that prides itself on being dedicated to its fans, Steam’s apparent lack of a dedicated customer service department amazes me.
A lot of big stores realize that old adage that the customer is always right. Even if it goes against your better judgement, you give them the benefit of the doubt in order to maintain customer loyalty. Yes, you’ll always have customers who abuse that privilege, but the vast majority won’t. The majority will have minor issues from time to time and it’s up to you to keep them happy and shopping at your store because they want to continue doing business with you.
Steam, on the other hand, knows it has a quasi-monopoly on the PC and there are certainly times when it operates like one. It has done a lot of good for PC gaming, but you can’t shake the fact that it could do better by its customers.
‘like’..
here’s the latest…they’ve just replied:
Hello,
A staff member has replied to your question:
Hello Duke,
In order to investigate this issue, we must verify your ownership of the CD Key.
Please handwrite your Support Ticket Number 6558-YSFV-0890 directly on the quick reference card or sticker above the CD Key (the number should not be written on a separate piece of paper or inserted with an image editor) and reply with a digital photo or scan of the CD Key in .jpg format. Please ensure that you submit a full-color image, rather than a photocopy.
If you have any difficulty locating the CD Key on the packaging, please see the following link:
http://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7480-WUSF-3601
Note: Please use a pen with permanent ink and avoid marking over the CD Key code.
… talk about jump through hoops…
sooo, anyway, I did that and got back in…for 2 days, now locked out yet again….sigh…
That’s bad luck. Did you change your password? Maybe your PC has been compromised. Please let em know if you would like to borrow a Steam account with the standard HL games on it.
No, I’d like to ply a lot more, never have enough gaming time due to work sometimes 🙁
Major fracture detected
Automatic medical system engaged
Morphine administered
I heard those exact words.
I hardly play games anymore. I really want to but when I load up say Skyrim, wich used to be my favourite game of all time, I just run around for 5 minutes, maybe kill a bandit then I say “Meh”, close it and load up Youtube, reddit, tumblr or -Insert popular time-wasting website here-
The last game that had me hooked was The Walking Dead, ooooh, such an amazing game. No other game have really caught my eye. The day Half Life 3 is released I will be taking a month of work, but we all that it won’t be soon.
I do play Indie games more than I play “normal” games. Games like Rogue Legacy and Don’t Starve are so much fun. Oh, and Binding Of Isaac Redux will soon be released! 😀
When I play too much, my GF kindly reminds me there is more too life than playing games! (winkwink) 😉
I trained my wife that’s kinda normal. Good Luck!
Don’t know if I play too much but sometimes I’m sure I can zoom.. and I’m sad that’s not real…