[Misc] Would you play a video game for 500 hours?

[giveusfalmerplease]

My biggest timewasters which i used to play on the bus to and from work as well as at home were the various match 3 games and Farmville , which i must have played over 1000 hours on!. I recall getting up early before work to dig up the plants i had planted the previous evening and planted fresh ones so i could dig them up on the bus! but it got to the point where say you need to plant 100 haystacks, wait 2 days!! for them to mature then cultivate them and start again. it got to the point where it could take 4-5 days of elapsed time to complete even a simple task and thats when i finally called it a day. I look back now and think i could have completely redecorated my whole house in the time i spent doing that!!

 

[hart's shirt]

A quick glance at my Steam library page reveals the following top time-sinks....

1,546.7 hours - The Elder Scrolls:Legends

600.5 hours - Skyrim

569.6 hours - Eternal

475.2 hours - Civilization 5

443.4 hours - Oblivion

319.1 hours - Rise of Nations

241.7 hours - MTG Duals

In addition, there's about 200 odd hours spent on Magic Online/Arena.

And, of course, entire summers spent playing various versions of Elite and Football Manager.

 

[AstroSloth]

Just including PC games, there's quite a few.



I've probably got over 500 on quite a few console games too, namely COD MW2 and the Destiny series.

I don't count them as wasted time, I've made great friends I talk to often and have met before including at esports tournaments at Birmingham Arena. They also help improve aspects such as problem solving, decision making and reaction speed so aren't a complete waste of time.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Yes I have Civ5, EU4 and DOTA2 plus usually get close in FMs over the season. Expect have been others over the years.

Better than TV as interactive and can play with friends while socializing, since currently about 10,000 miles from their closest pub etc.

 

[Gabbafella]

Without looking at actual times I couldn't say for certain, but Rocket League it's probably around 1000hrs, Burnout Paradise was well in excess of 3000hrs.
Gran Turismo 7 releases soon and I'd imagine I'll pump more than 500hrs into that. A regular RPG for me is always 100-150hrs+, Horizon Forbidden West comes out in a couple of weeks which will be another 100hr+ for me.
It's easily done, and luckily my Mrs appreciates we both have our hobbies and one of mine is gaming so she lets me crack on some evenings.

 

[father_and_son]

I got an xbox360 during lockdown with a load of games, that being one of them. Haven't started on it yet. However, I played so much Fallout New Vegas last year that I know my way around it better than the 1 mile radius around where I've lived for the last 20 years.

ThIs Is how I feel. I can navigate Helgen in-game with my eyes closed, I must have done that start several hundred times (mostly because lots of mods require a fresh game, so "abandon current save, install mod, get captured by Imperials" is a regular event.

If you like Fallout then Skyrim should become a favourite too. Have it on 360, xBoxOne, PS4, PC and now on XBox X. All modded differently so different experience on each.

 

[jackanada]

Almost seven years ago with a baby imminent I boxed everything up as I thought I wouldn't have the time for a while.
Three kids later I'm thinking the next time I spend an evening playing a game I'll be retired.

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

Completely depends on the genre. I wouldn’t want a story based game stretched over that length for the same reason I couldn’t watch the Apocalypse Now Redux - it just became tedious. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a perfect example of good story telling across a decent playtime without overstaying it’s welcome. There’s plenty of side missions and completionist bits outside of the story for people that do want to extend the playtime.

Games like Football Manager, Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley are very different kettles of fish as they’re mostly non-linear and for me at least, something to do to mindlessly unwind after work, something you can play whilst watching TV and horizontal. You tend to ‘accidentally’ sink hundreds of hours into those games and they feel like less of a chore.

 

[m@goo]

Modern video games boast longer and longer playtimes – but does the idea of spending hundreds of hours on a game make you feel excited, or exhausted?

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/jan/12/would-you-play-a-video-game-for-500-hours

I buy Football Manager every year and sink at least 700 hours into it each time.

Gaming is my primary hobby and, whilst I don't put 500 hours into every game, I do play a lot of games. I used to feel a bit of guilt about it, in my twenties mostly, but now I'm approaching 40 I no longer care.

I don't think gaming is seen as a waste of time like it used to be anymore is it? It's just seen as another form of entertainment along with TV or any other hobby. And probably because those of us in our middle age have grown up with gaming. In fact it's known to be good for mental dexterity, problem solving and hand/eye coordination isn't it. I wonder if we'll be the first generation to see a drop in cases of dementia due to gaming all of our lives?

 

[portlock seagull]

Opposite here. Used to 'waste' a lot of time playing games in my teens and 20s. Devoted much less time as I've gotten older.

You mean “grown up”?!

 

[portlock seagull]

The reason I stopped playing games about twenty years ago was because they’re so vast and immersive! They can wreck relationships or at least stunt them, and I prefer the real world.

Bring back Horace Goes Skiing I say!!

 

[Dunk&Disorderly]

I could quite easily spend my life playing Cities Skylines. Thankfully my computer won’t run it without setting on fire and this saves me a serious amount of wasted time.

Again like someone said, having 2 kids too it’s nigh on impossible to invest the time you need to.

Maybe when I retire.

Cities Skylines is dangerous. Not sure how many hours I've sunk into that game but it is a LOT. That and FM are the main two, in the past has definitely been GTA, Skyrim, Counter Strike Source, countless others.

 

[The Fifth Column]

I've been gaming my entire life, started out on a ZX81, Spectrum, Amiga etc then went over to PC gaming before getting into consoles with PS3 and 4. Got a Xbox X before Xmas and it's a great escape from everyday life. My two teenage boys are avid gamers and it's fair to say it was a massive lifeline for them during lockdowns, like a lot of kids they really suffered and gaming gave them a way to play and communicate with their mates and interact with others in the various gaming communities. Gaming isn't sad single blokes sitting in darkness pushing buttons, there are whole communities out there and gaming requires skill and decision making and are immersive experiences. There is lots of evidence to show that far from being a negative activity it can actually bring really positive attributes to kids who engage in gaming. The gaming communities are also rich sources for kids to make friends, learn and generally just have fun. I'm well into my 50s now and gaming is something me and my lads have in.common, we can chat about the various games we play, tactics, funny moments, challenges and frustrations. It's a fun safe activity that we share and connect with. Our leisure time isn't confined to gaming we do all the other stuff families do too but it is a key hobby of ours. It isn't without its pitfalls for sure but I can safely say kids have never been bored when gaming has been available and they didn't feel the need to wander the streets looking for excitement and all that brings...

 

[jcdenton08]

Most appropriate thread I could find;

Currently signed off work sick, and been playing some games lately - just finished Links Awakening on the Switch…

But I’ve just rediscovered Age of Empires II for the PC. Picked up the “definitive edition” version on Steam for around £5. It has new HD visuals, new quests, all of the DLC and expansions plus built in coop/multiplayer.

Absolute time sink of a game and a masterpiece from my youth (originally released 1998)

 

[RandyWanger]

I'm sure I have at some point.... (off to check epic/steam logs)

 

[US Seagull]

I put over 500 hours (525 according to Steam) into Football Manager 2012. I've sworn off Football Manager ever since.

My next highest is 340 hours in Crusader Kings 2 and almost 250 in Fallout 4.

 

[JackB247]

I had almost a month in playtime on Modern Warfare 2 back in the day, think that adds up to more than 500 hours!

Gaming still even now at 27 still provides a good outlet for social interaction with friends. As some have pointed out on here, particularly valuable during lockdowns.

 

[MJsGhost]

I spent a fair amount of time gaming in my yoof and a bit in my mid-late 20s.

I'm 44 now, so the closest I come to it these days is the time wasted on here.

With a busy job, a dog and a young family, I am lucky to find half an hour for a shit, shower, and shave some days, let alone spend a couple of hours gaming.

If I were able to find the time, there's a long list of things that I would do before I got round to gaming again, even though I enjoy it. I absolutely loved The Settlers back in the 90s, so I reckon I'd be an absolute sucker for the modern empire building / strategy games, as well as football manager (anyone remember the old excel based one? I got a verbal warning at work for wasting so much time on that )

 

[chickens]

I’ve sworn off Football Manager for my own good, but have definitely ploughed more than 500hrs into the various versions I’ve had.

Civilization 5 was another time-sink, as was a far lesser known game called “Sins of a Solar Empire” which I had a brief obsession with.

I don’t get the time I used to for leisure activities, but if I can get a go on the console these days then Elden Ring is taking up my time, and proving a horrible mix of really addictive and incredibly frustrating.

 

[Rovert_Fugazi]

Yes.