Playing Video Games: How Much Time is Too Much Time

"You're wasting your time; You have no life."

Most of us have probably heard someone say this to us in some part of our lives. Be it youe parents, significant other, or fellow gamers; Increasing play time is viewed by most as unhealthy or anti-social. Why are video games, above all other hobbies, viewed with such a negative stigma?

I'm not prepared to write an essay on the subject, but I'm curious to know where people draw the line on how much time one should devote on video games and why video games are deemed "nerdy" by most people.

I ask this because I recently saw a level 52 while playing Battlefield 3. Now, I'm definitely not the type of guy to tell people to get a life. What they do with their own time is their business; however, I was curious, so I did on little digging on Battlelog and noticed this level 52 has 293 hours logged so far. Interesting. On a per day basis, since the game launched 57 days ago, that's an average of 5 hours a day.

I personally believe that that seems a little high. Again, I'm not trying to harass anybody about what they choose to do, but that's just my opinion and how I feel.

Interested to see what everyone's views are.

Only if it starts effecting family, spouse, friends,Kids, Education, Work, Health, or eevn Pets. Your not paying enough attention to important areas of your life. Then you are playing too much.

Like everyone says, as long as it's not affecting school, work or any other obligations you may have, then go ahead and game. I'm trying to get all my gaming in now because I'm going back to school in January.

If you have shut yourself off from society and your family so you can game constantly than you have a major problem (By "you" I mean people in general not the TC) Most guys that play shooters have lives. Its those online rpgs that usual get those people who live to game. I have other hobbies like archery and motorcross, but i dont do these alot because they are extremly expensive. Videogames are cheap entertainment.

It depends how much free time you have. If you're gaming rather than doing other things you need to do then you're playing too much. Most people fill their free time with something. Some might choose books, TV, DVD movie etc. What's the harm in wanting to play a videogame instead of those other things? Why is playing games seen by some as being a waste of time when other hobbies, like fishing, aren't? I know people who camp beside a lake for entire weekends, away from their friends and families, to fish and catch absolutely nothing. Lol. To each their own, I guess.x-2tha-z

I hate it when people act like TV is more productive than games...

I usually get bored of gaming after about 3-4 hours of playing time. 5 hours is a bit much in my opinion. Not all of us have that much free time, but if you do, by all means, game your little heart out. What you do in your free time is nobody's business but yours.

I think it is worth considering some of the things other people deem as "acceptable" - take for example football, hockey, golf, darts matches etc. Some people find it interesting to sit and watch sports on TV, or to watch soap's or drama shows on TV.

depends how old you are, how much you work, and if you have kids. If you're 16, you get good grades, you dont have a gf, and you dont have a job, why not play games a lot? I work 5 days a week, I have a GF, and im 31: so I really dont have that much time to play games. but honestly I dont care if somebody thinks that I play too much. I probably do spend too much time watching netflix. After work I'm too tired to do much of anything, so I just sit back and watch netflix (Breaking Bad is awesome btw!)

[QUOTE="x-2tha-z"]It depends how much free time you have. If you're gaming rather than doing other things you need to do then you're playing too much. Most people fill their free time with something. Some might choose books, TV, DVD movie etc. What's the harm in wanting to play a videogame instead of those other things? Why is playing games seen by some as being a waste of time when other hobbies, like fishing, aren't? I know people who camp beside a lake for entire weekends, away from their friends and families, to fish and catch absolutely nothing. Lol. To each their own, I guess.scouttrooperbob

I hate it when people act like TV is more productive than games...

Agreed

depends how old you are, how much you work, and if you have kids. If you're 16, you get good grades, you dont have a gf, and you dont have a job, why not play games a lot? I work 5 days a week, I have a GF, and im 31: so I really dont have that much time to play games. but honestly I dont care if somebody thinks that I play too much. I probably do spend too much time watching netflix. After work I'm too tired to do much of anything, so I just sit back and watch netflix (Breaking Bad is awesome btw!)

Talldude80

Since, my life's gettin F up... I play much more... lost job last friday... what do you expect me to do?
Since I was working 10 h each day? ;
Had no time for anything else than playing a game for hour or two after work then goin to sleep... and doing the same... everyday... for last 2 years. wow...
Thats... sad.
You are like F-n robot... till death.
GOD...

Since, my life's gettin F up... I play much more... lost job last friday... what do you expect me to do?
Since I was working 10 h each day? ;
Had no time for anything else than playing a game for hour or two after work then goin to sleep... and doing the same... everyday... for last 2 years. wow...
Thats... sad.
You are like F-n robot... till death.
GOD...

Matthew-first

When your eyes fall out of your head...then you've played too much.

[QUOTE="x-2tha-z"]It depends how much free time you have. If you're gaming rather than doing other things you need to do then you're playing too much. Most people fill their free time with something. Some might choose books, TV, DVD movie etc. What's the harm in wanting to play a videogame instead of those other things? Why is playing games seen by some as being a waste of time when other hobbies, like fishing, aren't? I know people who camp beside a lake for entire weekends, away from their friends and families, to fish and catch absolutely nothing. Lol. To each their own, I guess.scouttrooperbob

I hate it when people act like TV is more productive than games...

I hate how the world is. So I'd rather play video games than go out and meet people.

This is for you, then. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEepmylPdPwDrakebunny

I love the irony in this song. Thanks for sharing.

As long as you manage to fit other activities in on top of your game time, then you're good to go.

If you literally lack a social life, then I'd urge that person to stop playing as many games and try and go out and do other things with their time.

Too much of anything, be it good or bad in small doses, is always a bad thing.

But I think, it's all these redundant stigmas that have outstayed their welcome by a decade or two that's the problem. The negative media MMO's have garnered in the media don't help either. Less informed / old fashioned people still believe that playing games are strictly the past-time of kids or social rejects because of that. But at the same time, they spend their all free time doing other things like reading books, watching TV, going for jogs etc.

They seem to think video games are synonymous with mindless, soulless shooters filled to the brim with death and gore, or fantasy MMORPGs that enable the user to project themselves onto the avatar of an elf and lead a second life online.

To those people, I'd direct them to games like LIMBO. Videogames aren't the mainstay of losers and nerds anymore and they'd be wise to realise that as soon as possible. I wouldn't consider 90% of games art in any shape or fashion, but that remaining 10% is different; they have every right to be acknowledged in the same light as the best of art, books, movies and plays. They have every bit as much style and substance as the above.

It's all about how you spend your free time. just don't spend all of it on the one thing.

I don't agree with all these "scientific studies" into how playing video-games alters you perception of right and wrong and promotes violence and all that nonsense but I can side with them when they say: playing a video-game for too long will help remove you from reality.

Videogames are a pastime, not a lifestyle. If someone spent their entire day reading books or watching TV, I wouldn't look upon them favourably; the same goes for videogames.

I myself, find I can't play for more than an hour or two in a sitting without becoming bored or developing what I call a video-game "hangover" (When I feel I've played for too long, I'm not happy about it. i.e. It was light when I started, but now it's completely pitch black outside.)

That's how I know I personally have played too much, but it varies from person to person.

Get a bit of variety in your day-to-day, lead an intact and fulfilling social life and don't let videogamesget in the way of work/relationships/friends etc and you can play as long as you want.

This would be a great thread for the PGD board.

Anyways, 5 hours a day isn't too much, if you figure he sleeps 8 hours a night (which is a lot), and works for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, that still gives him plenty of time to be social. If he sleeps less like a lot of gamers, then that gives him an even greater length of time for daily gaming.

I'd say more than 100 or more hours every week is bordering on a bit to much to maintain one's health and sanity.