Do you have to be in the right mood to play games?

When I was younger I was a total gaming nut. When I was at school in the days of the PS1, Dreamcast, PS2 and Xbox I was so into gaming (yeah, I was pretty much addicted) I played games whenever I was at home with nothing to do.

Now that I have gone through uni, got a job, car and all that gooseberry fool, I now find myself only wanting to play games when I'm in a good mood. It's weird. When I'm even slightly 'depressed' about anything or just had a bad day, I can't bear to turn on my 360 or PS3. The idea is just so off-putting. I'd rather 'waste' my evening texting and on 't'internet. However, when I'm in a good mood (and at home) I often think "hell yeah, I really want to get stuck into some [insert game I haven't touched for a while]!"

Does anyone else share this? Is there any logical explanation?

Do you find you only game under certain conditions or times of the day/week/month( :shifty:

)/ year?

Absolutely. I'ved got a horrible cold at the mo and I just don't want to play anything.

I've found lately that I often can't be bothered playing anything at all, instead preferring to just sit at my laptop and watch DVDs (mainly Deadwood), I just don't have the energy.

However, there have been times I've made myself play something and ended up enjoying it - like last night when I went on Bad Company 2 with a couple of mates and ended up having probably the best online game I've ever had!

To be honest, it's got to the stage where i know better than to try and play certain games if i'm in a foul mood. I've tried to "force" myself to play PES when i've been in a bad mood and it generally ends in disaster. I say force because i already know that it's gonna end in disaster because cheating AI tends to annoy me 10x as much as it normally does and i just end up taking the disk out and thowing it on the floor the second the CPU scores or i misplace a simple pass :oops:

I've been feeling slightly "depressed" recently, so rather than play anything taxing, like Gears on Insane, i generally play/do something laid back like just driving around in GTA 4 or doing some friend activities.

Something Fishy

Yes. I can sit around for ages thinking about it and not be bothered. Also I feel bad if i've played too much in a week and look to get off my arse and do other stuff.

My son can play far more than me, mustbe to do with being a kid. I'm limited by the old eyes now anyway but I rarely want to play for long anyway.

Even if I have nothing to do all day I can't bring myself to play anything until it gets dark.

After work I can't be bothered doing anything. The entire experience is just exhausting. The majority of my gaming is done on the weekends, as well as practically everything else I'm interested in.

Weekdays can suck my balls. Stupid work is stupid.

Corazon de Leon

I find that I need to be in a certain mood to play games that are time consuming, e.g. Pokemon Heart Gold at the moment. If it's pick up and play action, like a mission in Perfect Dark, I can do that whenever.

As long as i'm naked I can play games in any mood

I need to be in the mood for a game like Pokemon, but I can do a couple of puzzles in Picross or something like that pretty much any time.

Dr Cottle wrote:After work I can't be bothered doing anything. The entire experience is just exhausting. The majority of my gaming is done on the weekends, as well as practically everything else I'm interested in.

Weekdays can suck my balls. Stupid work is stupid.

That's bizarre. Surely playing games on work evenings could be an escape from your work as you seem to find it stressful (?)?

I guess you could say the same about me; surely gaming when in a bad mood could cheer me up... But I just don't feel like it. Odd.

I have to be in the mood. Only played games twice this week.

Of course. I can't be bothered to switch on my console and fish a game out unless I want to.

Although sometimes I switch it on and am so lazy I just play whatever's in the tray.

Last edited by mokeyjoe on Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yeah. I don't enjoy games if I'm in a bad mood. It's not very therapeutic. I like to play guitar to relax, and play games when I'm already relaxed.

Also I've found playing games when ill is a bad idea. If I play a game when I'm ill I have difficulty going back to it because it reminds me of being ill.

jamcc wrote:
Dr Cottle wrote:After work I can't be bothered doing anything. The entire experience is just exhausting. The majority of my gaming is done on the weekends, as well as practically everything else I'm interested in.

Weekdays can suck my balls. Stupid work is stupid.

That's bizarre. Surely playing games on work evenings could be an escape from your work as you seem to find it stressful (?)?

I guess you could say the same about me; surely gaming when in a bad mood could cheer me up... But I just don't feel like it. Odd.

Yeah, but there're lots of things you might usually enjoy but don't want to do when you're stressed or tired. Gaming requires concentration and engagement, if you're tired or have things on your mind it's often difficult to get into something like that. Things which are usually entertaining can be annoying.

Harry Bizzle wrote:Although sometimes I switch it on and am so lazy I just play whatever's in the tray.

strawberry floating hell, that is lazy!

I think you're right mokeyjoe. Gaming does need attention. It also keeps you awake (especially on bright HDTVs), which is a real reason not to play on work nights.

jamcc wrote:
Harry Bizzle wrote:Although sometimes I switch it on and am so lazy I just play whatever's in the tray.

strawberry floating hell, that is lazy!

I'm usually exhausted by the time I get home and getting up off my comfy couch to the cupboard where I keep my games is nigh on impossible, especially when I only want to play for say, twenty minutes before I realise I'm too tired to give a crap and switch it off.

The current "game in the tray" is Bayonetta. I haven't got any newer games so there's nothing to really replace it with and I want to keep playing anyway, which is convenient.

I seem to feel like this more and more. Like today, for example, I had literally nothing to do all day - no jobs or chores or work or anything, it was the perfect opportunity to play some games. But I just couldn't be arsed

Admittedly, I did play a bit of Fable 2, but even after about 20 minutes of that I'd had enough. Also tried a few games of FIFA10, but again lasted about 20 minutes.

Totally irrational, I should be making the most of having a free day to play games :fp:

Definitely need to be in a gaming mood to enjoy games.

The worst is when you're just generally lethargic and can't get enthused about anything - gaming is just a source of frustration and indecision!

Course, even when i'm enthused, there's a broad spectrum. There's the "I'm going to sit down for the next 10 hours and play Okami" mood - the Nirvana of gaming. The opposite side of the spectrum would maybe be a kind of "I'm going to mop-up some achievements", bite-sized micro gaming.

And this is all while neglecting Multiplayer. Nothing gets me more motivated to play games than when my friends invite me to play some Multi. Perfect gaming times - from taking it easy in Burnout Paradise, to getting super competitive in Halo 3.

All the colours of the rainbow.

Oxx wrote:Even if I have nothing to do all day I can't bring myself to play anything until it gets dark.

This.

The other day I was off and no one was home but I couldn't bring myself to play during day time. I just feel quilty don't know why.

At night times I strawberry floatin love it and often on till 1-2 am.

My attitude to gaming has changed drastically since i was younger. I remember waiting for the school bell to ring so i could go home and crack open pokemon red. Just lately it seems i barely ever game and i really need to be in the mood to even turn my 360 on. It is quite upsetting to be honest.

Do you have to be in the right mood to play games?

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