I honestly don’t see how the average working class adult find that time. I feel like gaming is a luxury for rich/middle-class teens.
Yes. But I worry about your premises. Except for a few thing, gaming is not a 10 hour long experience every time; you can just easily slip-it in any free time. Not having the time to play video games sort of implies you never have free time, which would be concerning.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding the question and it is not about having time to play video games as much as will to play video games. Interests can shift over time; for some people, it’s playing different types of games, for other, it’s having different hobbies over time.
I think the same way people have to be a bit social, they need a bit of “me” time here and there. All things in balance and all that. But the material “time” needed to play video games? Yeah, it’s there.
Adult here. I have now over 10 years of experience as an adult, although closer to 20 years of experience playing video games.
There are two realizations that are needed to understand the relation of someone in this life style who is also a fan of video games.
First, no I do not have as much time as I used to have to play video games. In school and university times I would easily play over one hour per day on a week day and much more on a weekend. But nowadays, I spend 8 hours per day on a weekdays working on my job, plus a few hours doing house work. So can’t play as much as I could.
But second, I also want to do other things. Nowadays I actually read much more then I used to. I also try to do other hobbies, and try to do social activities much more. I tend to spend more time with other people too. So out of my free time that I would use for video games in the past, I actually allocate that time for other activities.
I still absolutely love video games. They are a part of my life. But I probably play two to four hours per week only. These hours are few but highly meaningful anyway.
I think part of the journey for me to become an adult, to have a job, responsibilities, and such, has also been about broadening what I do, so it doesn’t upset me that I can’t spend so much time on video games, but rather it makes me happy that I have a fuller life.
This response resonates to me. I would also add that after working all day looking at a computer screen and my mind is tired I like to enjoy other activities away from a screen. If I do look at a screen in the evenings, many times I dont want to think about a game or have to make choices for a game character. The times I really enjoy games are on the weekends. I imagine one day being an old man and getting to play video games all day again like I did when I was a child.
in my experience, adults yes. adults with kids, not for a while.
you get to play some games again when your child starts sleeping longer hours at night. if your spouse is ok with it you might be able to go to sleep later and play a session. just make sure your spouse is ok with it. even better if your spouse also plays.
and hopefully when they’re old enough you’ll play together anyway.
if you have another child only a year or two apart however that’ll set you back a couple years probably. 2x children is like 4x time sink for some reason.
Depends what kind of adult. I’m in my 30s and I still game for hours on multiple days in the week. But I don’t have a family with kids to maintain.
Sure.
Energy to play? Well that’s a tough one…
Yes, just dont have kids
Only on the weekends, between chores.
I drive a truck for work, and it’s my home during the week. Theoretically, I’ve got some gaming time while waiting on loading docks, but in terms of providing time for gaming, I can’t count on it. Some of my customers are annoyingly efficient. I prefer to nap anyway.
I could always play once I’m parked at the end of my trip, but after 11 hours of driving, I’m often too mentally fried to even watch TV.
Plus, my truck’s power inverter can’t handle running my gaming PC anyway. So it waits for me at home.
I don’t prioritise gaming anymore. The family comes first. Work comes next. Gym. Hunting. Fishing. They all come before gaming. I still do game a bit. Mostly once I’ve put the kids to bed and I get a few hours me time. But honestly, I’m normally too tired and instead put a brain-dead show on that I don’t need to think too hard about.
I have all the time I ever did (little), but I use it differently. I’d rather take a walk in the mountains with my wife than play a game. In my mid-30’s I quit smoking, smoking, and playing games. Nothing against those things; I just wanted to use my time differently.
I read a ton more too, and find it far more enjoyable.
No, but i neglect important things to play anyway.
People watch about 3 hours of television a day. Yes, you have time to play video games.
Maybe? I can watch tv while I fold laundry or exercise. I can’t play games and fold laundry at the same time.
Skill issue! Train harder!
No, most definitely not, and it… Sucks.
I just wanna sit down and play Minecraft or something again.
Yes. mid-40s, no kids, and I work from home.
Wife and I play RPGs on the weekends (currently enjoying Last Epoch and waiting for the next Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader DLC), and during the week I usually play single player games (right now in the middle of Lies of P and Fire Emblem: Awakening).
Looking forward to when my office moves into a new building; I will then have an hour-ish commute by train where I can whip out my Steam Deck and catch up on my backlog.
Until then, it’s basically just getting whipped out for a couple 15-ish minute sessions most days.
Yes, as I chose not to have kids and my wife also enjoys video games.
Edit: However, I do tend to hyperfixate on other interests for periods of time.
