This post is going to be a little different than what I’ve previously written. There is so much that goes into the video game industry, player experiences and games themselves that I have plenty of topics I could cover. This time I would like to talk about gaming overdose. Something that many gamers don’t like talking about is how many hours they actually spend playing. There have been many times I have played for 3-5 hours non-stop except for bathroom or snack breaks. Nowadays, I don’t have that kind of time to dedicate solely to my console, but if I did I know I still could! When you finally get that great game you’ve been waiting to play for months, it’s no wonder we won’t put down the controller.
Imagine when that movie that’s been hyped about finally gets released and your sitting in the theater. Even if it’s a 3 hour film you won’t move from your chair because your so into the film. People tend not to understand what’s so fascinating about gaming, but that’s because they haven’t experienced it themselves or it’s just not their cup of tea. Some people would rather watch a football game or some other activity, but for us gamers we enjoy our video games. There comes a point though, when too much is too much. There needs to be balance in our lives, and if we have a hobby/past time that is taking up much of our time then we need to take a step back. We often don’t notice how quickly time can pass between loading, boss battles, dungeon grinding or side quests but before you know it you have to go to bed!
If you have a family to maintain or you’re studying in school, whatever stage of life you are in, make sure that your gaming habit isn’t overwhelming other areas. Yes, it’s super fun, and personally I could game every day if I could for at least 1-2 hours, but then I would be neglecting my wife, job, exercising, writing articles like these and other responsibilities that I have. We all have free time throughout the week (some more than others), so be sure that you can schedule ahead of time your gaming sessions. Make it a time that you are looking forward to, so it’s that much more enjoyable.
A good sign that you’ve been gaming way too much is if friends and family have said that they barely spend time with you, or you’ve been on the console/handheld for hours. Sometimes we ourselves don’t notice this so comments from others are a great indication.
There is a time for everything, and there is a time for gaming. Don’t put all your free time into just that, look into growing the gifts that God has given you, the plans that He has placed in your heart to accomplish. We are all here for a reason, and we are all here with a purpose and a destiny to fulfill. Let’s use our time wisely and not always be stuck in a room conquering the digital landscapes of our beloved gaming endeavors.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
A Time for Everything
3 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.