Because I have a kid.

and they won't stop playing minecraft, so I can have a turn

I dunno man. My daughter goes to bed around 7, mom doesn’t follow that much later. That leaves me with my console and a hand full of online friends, blasting enemy npc’s -currently in the streets of Washington DC. I don’t think I’ve ever gamed more than I do now.

Edit: I’m 43, some of my team mates are 55+. Just wanted to add that.

Maybe also: wasting time gives you a way bigger thrill if you understand how precious it is. It is many factors though, probably not only family.

True! It’s also kind of a trade off on a few other activities. My social life isn’t really that active in the evening anymore, don’t really feel like going to a pub much like I did in my 20-30’s, and like Rylex I don’t really watch that much television anymore. Maybe about 30 - 45 minutes after gaming to unwind a bit, but I find myself searching for something to watch longer than actually watching something (only having Netflix as a subscription helps too, television was too empty minded to pay for imho). I don’t have any Facebook or twitter or stuff like that either. Other than that I do a bit of reading and some tutorials for my job, which seems a relatively good investment of my time, so I allow myself to have a bit of mindless fun in the evening :)

Also a good way to keep up with (likeminded) friends who have moved to the other side of the globe, although time zones can be challenging lol

The mindless thing is pretty important. My former self would have cringed at the amount of casual games and cheapo e comics that pass my tired eyes.

Also, especially while sick, a strange attraction to slightly tense reflex games somehow keeps unwinding the mind.

Edit: Here's a nice discussion on this: Gaming while ill

Last time I was sick, I played Final Fantasy. I chose that game because it's a turn based RPG, thus no reflexes are needed. I've also beaten it many times, so I already know what to do. It neither physically nor mentally taxed me. It just kept me entertained for a few days.

or maybe we stopped playing because after 30 years of gaming, there's not much that's new.

everything is a reworking of some other game. and you can really only replay half-life just so many times.

the last game I actually played on any system was about 6 years ago. Viscera Cleanup Detail was the game.

Gaming these days I think is more like film than ever. Triple A titles are just rehashes but there's a lot of more interesting mechanics on the small game side. If you need a quick place to look, check out the various PAX 10's over the years.

The problem with the small game side is that the games are so small. I've become so spoiled over the past couple decades by games like Minecraft, Kerbal Space Program, the Elder Scrolls games, civilian flight sims, SimCity, Civ, etc., that I have a hard time getting into a game if I can't pour hundreds or thousands of hours into it -- both actually playing it and, crucially for my enjoyment, continuing to engage with it when I'm not playing, whether that's doing research, arguing on Reddit about how that last patch totally nerfed my favorite class because the devs are obviously morons, or just daydreaming at work about character builds or new things to try when I get home.

I used to play smaller games in between, but these days I just can't be bothered anymore. I'd rather play nothing at all than play some game that won't even last a whole weekend. I can always find something more interesting to do with my time.

Absolutely, and I feel this with a bunch of triple A games as well. RDR2, TLOU, and hell, even GTA V were pretty immersive! Lots of decent indies too.

Did you stop watching tv and listening to music as well?

i stopped watching TV in the 90s.

I actually started listening to music more often and playing instruments more, once I stopped gaming.

Can’t really blame you on the tv, kudos for making music!

If you can't find new and unique game concepts you aren't looking in the right places.

bend over and i'll show you some unique gaming concepts 😉

You aren't looking in the right place.

I've been playing the hell out of City of Heroes on a private server lately.

I'm not sure what it is, but I just don't have the desire to play video games like I used to.

It's not a lack of time. I've found myself with more free time than I ever had at the height of my video gaming days

And it's not that games aren't as good as they used to be. They are better than ever as a whole but I just don't enjoy them like I did in the past.

Thus, 100% this. I actually really want to play, and then instsrt something and my desire just plummets.

There was a point after college where gaming just died for me. Maybe it was the constant grinding on MMOs I played that soured the whole thing and eventually stopped playing altogether. I didn't play as much for two years. Then I bought a used copy of Assassin's Creed (the first game) after seeing the trailer for Assassin's Creed 3. The story and lore drew me in and I was back into gaming again. I dusted off my copy of Fallout 3 and played it again from start to finish (my previous save got corrupted because Bethesda Creation Engine).

Some games I don't have time to play but like the story, I just watch it on youtube. I don't game as much as before and prefer single player experience. I can only tolerate some multiplayer matches. I've played PUBG and good at it, but don't play it religiously. Haven't played it since. Online sessions in fighting games are probably the worst. Some fighters give you option to turn off voice chat and prefer it that way, but I just avoid them altogether. Too many obnoxious people.

I game a lot. I do fine in competitive games. At this point, I run into the same issue I do with all other mediums: there is just too much good content to consume it all.

For me, I just get distracted by other pixels and too much television that I want to watch. While the major majority of my gaming takes place on my PC now (playing MMORPGs), I really, REALLY miss my console playing. I've taken some steps to set aside a few hours a week just to play a game on my PlayStation (currently replaying my favorite game, GTA: San Andreas), and it seems to be enough... for now.

I find I can’t keep up...because I don’t have the option of putting in hours upon hours of game time. It would be cool if I could filter competitive servers and only play with other old farts with jobs and kids. Reality is I just can’t keep up with punk-ass kids with no real life responsibilities.

My friend always summed it up nicely... “I will never have as much time as students or bored housewives to put into the game.”

I have time, but I always spend it doing other things. The only gaming I do these days is on my lunch break on my 3DS. Currently playing Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.

Hmmm. Been a few years since I played through Deus Ex. Maybe it’s time to do that again.

Try to get 100,000 points on Donkey Kong.