I used to love playing video games…almost exclusively sports games, mostly football and hockey.

About 15 years ago my brother and I went halfsies on a PS3, along with Madden and NHL. We played for about a day or so and then seemingly overnight, lost interest. It sounds weird, but that's how I remember it.

Fast forward to about a year ago when NCAA returned and I started to get the itch. That itch has continued to grow and I'm now considering a PS5, and really want to get back into playing football and hockey games again. I make good money so a console and a few games wouldn't be a problem, but it still feels like a gamble because I'm afraid I might lose interest again.

I know it's a specific situation, but has anyone ever experienced this? If so, how did it go?


28 comments

  1. Well, World of Warcraft finally drew me back in last summer after about a decade lol. Feels good, friends are playing too!

    Initially had a monitor for my Xbox so I could get 120 fps in 4k while playing CoD, but I then decided to build an entire gaming Pc with the new 9070 xt. Oh and then I decided why have a nice gaming PC with a shit monitor and splurged on an Alienware OLED.

    No regrets!

  3. Didn’t play for years, then over Covid all my friends got consoles and played CoD as a way to interact. Then someone suggested TLOU, played that and trying to capture that incredible game again ever since.

  4. It took a lot of time to realize a lot of it was due to other people in the games. If you play team games, then one person playing selfish is annoying. Everyone playing selfish in team games consistently when you are the only one trying to help out is a quick way to burn out.

  5. The nice thing about gaming is that you can get in at really any price point you can imagine. If you’re afraid of losing interest and wasting the money, maybe pick up something used?

    The other thing that comes to mind is the environment you were in and the relationships you had at the time. Did you spend all that time gaming with your brother and friends? And if so, when you lost interest were you hitting a rough patch in those relationships? Playing games socially is a pretty solid way to get back into the hobby, though I’d warn against trying anything competitive for the sheer amount of salt you’ll be forced to endure.

    Alternatively, why not try getting out of your comfort zone and pick up something entirely new that looks interesting? I’ve gone through the cycle of getting in and out of games several times, and the thing that always keeps me coming back is how wide the space is. Playing something completely out of your experience with some kind of artistic focus could be a good way to just jump all the way in.

  6. After defeating and achieving complete mastery of the Halo and Guitar Hero stuff long ago, I walked away, sold the 360 and never went back.

  7. Age of Empires and NCAA Football hit just as hard now as they did 15 years ago. Only thing is I have just about 3 hours per week to play them lmao

    The more casual you are, the better NCAA football is

  8. I gave it up for many years, life just seemed too busy to play, but I started playing again about a year ago. It all came back pretty quick, and it depends on your reasons for playing, some days I’m tired of people and just play by myself, other days it’s a good way for some extra social interaction.

  9. I got my first console after I graduated college in 2017 and got pretty into COD. I was decent, finishing towards the top of the lobbies. Transitioned to Warzone when that game out during COVID and could still hold my own. I got busy around 2022 and stopped playing as frequently. I tried to hop back in last year with my wife and her friends. What the fuck. I can’t even stay alive for 30 seconds before some asshole 360, slide, dive, front flip, headshot combos me.

    I did buy a budget racing sim setup though a couple years ago and that has been a blast!

  10. I keep crawling back to Wizard101. There is just SOMETHINg about that game that scratches an itch. I still have a heart for my PS3 and PS4. But I have not gone outta my way to keep up with major titles. Maybe I’ll get a PS6. Maybe.

  11. I play very sparingly, now. I have a Switch that I haven’t touched in ages and will sell pretty soon, and a PS5 that I play maybe one game per year on. The last game that I played on PS5 was Astro Bot.

    I could see myself dusting off the PS5 to play Ghost of Yotei this winter, and I will definitely get GTA6 whenever that actually comes out. There are probably four future titles that I would be interested in playing, if they ever get made- another Astro Bot, another Spiderman, another Last of Us, and another Uncharted.

    I could see myself buying a Switch 2 whenever they release the next 3D Mario, and I would probably pick up the new Mario Kart as well. If (when) they make another Zelda game, I’d be down for that, as well.

    All of that being said, I never really have the urge to go and play anymore.

  12. As someone who just started to dabble in games again after decades away I’ve really been enjoying game streaming. It’s nice to be able to buy a service for a month, play what I want and then cut the service if the urge to game leaves. Then it’s not the huge investment of buying a gaming pc or console.

    I mainly use GeForce now and steam games but xcloud with game pass ultimate is a great way to have a huge library at your fingertips.

  13. The new Doom game had me hooked for a while recently, but other than that I have a hard time really getting into anything I’m playing.

  14. Yup. It comes and goes in waves for me. I needed a break after epics like RDR2. During covid I pivoted to online games like COD WARZONE for some social gaming and change of pace, and needed a break after that. Now I’m all hot on INDIE games that are easy to pick up and put down, but still give the fulfilling sense of wonder and excitement. I imagine I’ll hit a wall, and then in a few years I’ll be onto something new

  15. I have never been able to get back into them when I tried. We have an old school arcade I’ve been to once. It was fun but I haven’t been back.

    Now a days my bike is my obsession 

  16. I was there a few yrs ago, but I realized that I only *really* played a couple genres of games, that’s why I was starting to get burned out on them. Try different types and different studios, indies have a lot and don’t cost as much as AAA games (usually)

  17. I don’t think I’ll ever get it back. Never getting rid of my systems though, just in case. Still kicking myself for all the old ones I pawned over the years

  18. (M30) phase in my life were most of the boys are married and kids (I am married and we are working on expanding the family jiat wanted to get a more solid base line and save up for a home)

    With the boys less and less active other then are annual TTS 40k campaign we do every winter i found gaming boring playing with random is fine but nothing like playing with the boys in hell divers or tarkov ect.

    I felt lost and un interested in most games and would jist stare at the screen doom scrolling YouTube and my steam library.

    I found i half to get immersed in a game lately that has bin wartales ( end up roll playing the party who is in this party what are there ambitions ect has brought alot of joy)

    Other games like gates of hell i am playing a cold war gone hot mod and watch documentary and videos of mechanized infantry tactics and company’s and tryed to build my conquest army around it and have had amazing time.

    Other is arma 3 prairie fire again watching documentary around sog units and playing the campaign/dynamic ops

    Gone back to play threw half life 1-2 ect and halo all the way threw

  19. I think it’s natural to change interests as you grow and you really shouldn’t feel obligated to enjoy the same things forever.

    Just give it some time. Let it get special again.

  20. It’s okay. I don’t really play anything Super New, I’m still enraptured by like 2019 and older games. For now I’m not really playing anything because I’m just so busy with work and hobbies. When I do get around to playing again, I’m going to start at PlayStation 2 and work my way through my video game library

  21. I’m in that situation now. I was a FPS and sports gamer for many years before going to MMORPG’s in 2007. Stopped playing in 2022, and as much as I would love to get back into it, I’ve played a dozen games and just can’t get into it again. It does leave me feeling a little empty, especially on cold winter weekends when I most enjoyed playing in the past.

  22. I have been playing again. I mostly like the same kind of games that I did when I was a kiddo, but it’s baffles me how much most games suck.

  23. Last played a game in 2013. Graduated college, toured with bands and travelled the world.

    2024 comes, bought an xbox. I for some reason thought GTA 6 was coming out haha.

    I occasionally get on. Like maybe 2-4 times a month.

  24. Played a lot of videogames until 18, went to college, stopped, then came back to my hometown by 24. What drew me again was playing FIFA with the boys and in the meantime, playing games that really drew you in to play them, with good stories. I played Last of Us, all the Uncharted’s until then (1 to 3) … and started loving videogames again.

  26. For every 10 games that I try, only 1 lasts more than 1 day on my computer… Every other game seems a copy of something I’ve played before.

    And sometimes when I’m playing, I think “I’d rather be reading/training/riding my bicycle/etc”.

  27. I gave up social media, gaming, all cold turkey, for about 6 months.

    I then built a pc and here I am.

    My gaming got reinvigorated first with a port of pokemon gold and has led to expedition 33. It’s been a great return.

    I’m now more mindful of what games I play and how much time I spend playing.

    I can now go a few days without gaming and not think about it.

  28. It’s hard, because we are trying to recreate something that’s most likely not feasible. You’ll never be able to commit the amount of time and energy that you used to so everything feels like a watered down version on your young glory days.

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