How do you keep your passion for gaming?

I used to play a lot of video games when I was younger then, I stopped for a year or so, it was when I discovered the internet and got distracted from gaming then, I returned to gaming and I became more keen on it then in 2016 (or early 2017), I stopped again and I never returned again, I may play for an hour or two per month but, for some reason, I can't get myself to play although it's really the best form of entertainment and I have a good laptop that will handle the games I always dreamed of playing when I had a weaker laptop.

What do you think I should to ignite the love of video games inside me again?

NOTE: I still like watching video about video games, not people playing but, history of games (not these videos with a stupid gameplay footage with music, no, the video that tell the stories of development of the games and the studios) and sometimes I watch gameplay videos, I still check the news on the gaming subreddits but, I can't get myself to actually play the games.

@hjyfbnm: Hello, sir! I hear your story you're just like me. I used to play videos games a lot when i was a kid. The Gamecube was really amazing, my first game was Metroid. I started playing ps3 when i was 12, and i loved it! I always loved games, but when i turned 14 games got a little tiring...

I got myself a PC, and everything changed... I was so in love with computers, i played games everyday. Me getting a PC, enhanced my gaming experience, and i started grasping video game Technology... I learned so much about Computers, and Graphics. Now video games aren't just games to me, it's something deeper in my soul... I'm like Neo from the "Matrix", i see everything in games so clearly and i have a deeper understanding... I have a love for graphics, so when i see cool Graphics i get a warmth in my heart...

What I'm trying to say is, try to immerse yourself in a game. Visualise yourself in a game, make actions feel fulfilling and real. From every click to every space-bar jump, feel alive. I hope this helps you in your gaming life, keep gaming, and stay awesome my friend:)

I have been gaming since the 80s and my passion is still just as strong. Everyone has different interests and priorities in life. So, don't feel bad about not gaming much these days. Best way to get back into games is to play simple games that you can pick up and play and just enjoy them. Once you get your gaming mojo back, then you can move onto the more complex and deeper games.

I been gaming since 1993 when SNES arrive and ever since my parents got me my first console gaming, gaming has been a part of my passion and been gaming for the past decades. I came to PC gaming much much later in 2007. And from their, gaming on PC makes my gaming life much easier then ever before.

To be honest, I've largely lost my passion for gaming. It has been quite a few years since I've found any that truly captivated me, that I didn't get bored of rather quickly due to a lot of copy and paste content. I'm not just speaking elder scrolls and fallout copy and paste quests but Division 2 was much the same way. There has also been a growing toxicity with online games that I do not care much for anymore. I am looking for something to rekindle that, but I can tell it won't be coming from any AAA titles.

@ulfrinn: Hopefully, this new decade of gaming will turn things around for you!:)

Maybe, but developers will actually have to start trying again.

@ulfrinn: Very true

Maybe if you post more on GS forums you will eventually realize that it's a huge waste of time and then go back to gaming, with a vengeance.

I largely just stick to a small collection of games I really enjoy playing and keep an eye out for new games I might really enjoy. Finding groups of people to play with also helps. A good group of regular players will make any game a lot more enjoyable to play.

I did just find a recent game that I haven't played before but I am really enjoying. Mordhau. The gameplay is so fun, and unique.

That's pretty much how it is for me but the 90's. I look at what others spend their money on and it's their hobbies or something to past the time in a fun manor until the grind is over.

There are so many great hobbies though that are every bit as worth as much money as one would put into gaming. I've been focusing on some of those, like game development, shooting sports, and other hobbies. Imagine trying to make a game yourself, and there is this mechanic that you have in your head that you actually get to work. The achievement and accomplishment I get from that is greater than what I would get from beating someone elses game.

So if modern games are beginning to bore you, you may find more entertainment in making them.

@ulfrinn: deep stuff, ulfrinn.

It's true though. Life is a game, what achievements will you unlock for playing ;-).

been gaming off and on since the 80s, hardcore pc gamer 1995-2010 with hundreds of titles on my book shelves...around 2009 i decided I needed more in life than just gaming, i was spending every weekend gaming and working lots of hours monday through friday ( I was also getting bored with new titles just being repeats and no innovation).

Today, I have about 30 titles that I cant live without and havent purchased anything new in a year, I might game this weekend for a few hours and then not touch anything again for months. It might take me years to get through the witcher 3 but i cant do long gaming sessions anymore, life is too short and discovering other things in life is key. I probably wont give up gaming completely , still enjoy it on rare occasion and building new pcs .

I frequently lose my passion for video games, but never really lose my passion for gaming. If I'm not playing video games, I'm getting my fix through cards games (the CCG variety and/or poker), board games, tabletop wargames, or pencil-and-paper role-playing games. Even if I'm not regularly or actively playing, I'm still tangentially engaged, building/testing decks or painting miniatures or building terrain or crafting campaign storylines and world building. One of the things that helps me always come back to video games is having those other outlets because my joy and passion for one inevitable stokes the fire for the others. Playing a lot of tabletop Mordheim got me into Vermintide in a big way, which make me craft a Warhammer-influenced deck the next time I played Magic: The Gathering. Playing a bunch of space-themed games on PC made me want to check out Starfinder and run a campaign for my friends, which eventually led to a couple of them getting those PC games and us playing together.

Actually, friends can be a pretty good means of restoring passion/keeping it alive. I find that having other people excited to play and enjoying games can go a long way toward getting me excited to be playing. Maybe I'm easily influenced that way or something, but enthusiasm can be infectious. Unfortunately, I'm of an age where most of my friends are now married and/or have children, so it's hard to schedule playing stuff together, especially games that involved major time commitments. So, while the OP said they don't watch videos of other people playing games, I might actually recommend people try that when they need that extra motivation. Again, seeing someone else having a lot of fun with a game can spark your desire to get in on it. Even if you don't stick with that particular game, just the experience of playing something might be all it takes to hook you and draw you back into the hobby.

Lastly: exercise. If you have a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, where you already do a lot of sitting (especially in front of a monitor), you need to get up and move around, or get outside and take a walk. (I find early evening walks are great for that, though your mileage may vary depending on your local weather/temperatures and the area where you live, not to mention your schedule.) Sitting around at school/work and in your free time is a breeding ground for ennui and depression, both of which are detrimental, not only to your well-being but your motivation and ability to derive pleasure from activities you'd otherwise enjoy. Treadmills, ellipticals, rowing machines, stationary bikes...all great places to get some exercise (doesn't have to be an intense workout, just some physical activity) and just let your mind wander and indulge your imagination a bit. You might have trains of thought or whimsical fantasies that spark a desire to play a particular game, old or new. Or, as ulfrinn suggested, you may come up with an idea for your own game and that gets you excited, either to try and figure out how to make your idea a reality (whether through developing from the ground up or as a mod for a game you already enjoy) or maybe just to play some games just to see how their systems work as a means to further develop your ideas.

Beyond that, all you can do is wait for the passion to return on its own. Maybe it will take a few years. Maybe it won't ever come back. It's fine if it doesn't. Sometimes you outgrow hobbies. If it doesn't excite you anymore, if you don't enjoy doing it, why try to force it? Enjoy your memories of the fun you had but you should feel free to move on.

I'm taking a somewhat forced break I guess. Was kind of fading before my video card quit, but now I kinda have to so....

but it just results in me spamming netflix n stuff. Eh.

Emulators, sometimes old games can spark back the passion I been playing SSX3 and having a blast. Alot of these older games especially sports ones where better back in the day and I don't even like sports but the gameplay is so fun.

That's whats killed the passion for me. The narrative now is either re-hasing the same game as last year or if it's a new IP the formula is take the least amount of risk while making the most amount of money.

Even early 3d games it seemed like the developers where actually competeting to make the best game and to destroy there competitor. Now it's robot wal-mart assemble line development (cookie cutter game with minimumal risk drawn out for as much profit as possible).

I actually a few months ago and picked up an old game informer magazine that had the best games of 2002 and it actual made me a little sad. The top 10 AAA games of 2002 where arguably as good as the entire current generation of consoles top 10 combined for this entire generation........ (that's embarassing)