Video games have become more work than play
My family had a Super Nintendo when I was a kid. My dad also got into real-time strategy PC games. I was quite the gamer, beating games to perfection as much as possible. I could take both my dad and brother on in some of them and win consistently. I loved the exploration and strategizing.
Then I went through a phase in my college years and time in Japan where I tried to be more productive. Games were an addiction that didn't add value to my life. If I started a game, I might binge on it for a couple of days, and then either bored with it or realize its consuming to much, and then stop. After having played so many, the repetition became like a chore. In MMOs you have to grind (fight the same enemies over and over to level up or earn money). In RPGs, you go on quests, which is nothing more than "go someplace, do a thing, then come back." In the strategy games, I get to the plateau point where I'm above average, but can't compete with the pros. In music rhythm games, it gets boring playing the same song over and over trying to perfect it without missing a beat. Mobile games are notorious for ads and pay-to-win mechanics, otherwise it takes a lot longer to be allowed to advance.
I've been getting back into gaming a bit the past few months, for a few reasons:
- I'm excited for new play-to-earn model where my playing/working in the game can earn real money through cryptocurrencies. I also get to own assets in the form of NFTs, which can be traded or sold with other players.
- I got a VR headset, which opens a whole new world of novelty. While it offers even more escapism, some of the games I like also offer physical fitness. They make me work of a sweat. I've gotten sore legs before, too.
- In the past couple of weeks, I've been playing more with my family like I used to as a kid. We couldn't do that while I was off in Japan. So this allows me to spend more time with them instead of in isolation.
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