How much time do you spend.

Rubric

Part of the furniture
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
2,145
Apparently i am pathetic, this is what i have been told this morning.
Why i hear you ask? (oh your not, your just agreeing). Well anyway apparently i spend too much time playing computer games. I spend between 2-3 hours a day, sometimes between 9pm & 12am but normally 10pm to 12am when the missus has gone to bed.

What i want to do is get an idea of what normal behaviour is in this regard so if you could post the following i would be grateful

Age:
Sex:
Status: Cohabiiting or married, single, in a relationship etc.
Any Kids:
What job you do:
How often do you play:
How long do you play for:
What times of day do you play:

Then i can see how normal i am compared to the FH population.


Cheers all.
 

throdgrain

FH is my second home
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
7,197
Im married aged 43 and have two kids one 19 and one 17, so Im older than most of the people who post here, though strangely enough Im about avarage age on the other forums I use. I was a motorbike shop manager for more years than I care to remember, until in the last year Ive worked for a credit card company.

I play pc games for maybe 2 or 3 hours a day, sometimes more. Why?

Well, I get bored. I dont mind people sitting watching the TV, but Im not really into it much myself, never have been. When the kids were younger of course you have to stay in rather than go out, and I was bored shitless until I discovered Doom 2 and Quake.Since then I tend to spend my evenings playing on my pc rather than watching The Bill or whatever shite it is on telly, and my wife dont mind so thats ok.

It makes me laugh, sometimes kids say "why are you playing CSS (or whatever) you're too old you should be doing *whatever*. I tend to wonder if they think that somehow playing a pc game on the internet is somehow really badass and rebellious :) To me its a very harmless and innocuous past time, and if you consider what I was up to when I was thier age, and indeed right through my 20's and beyond, its also very healthy :)
 

Clown

Part of the furniture
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
4,292
I don't see why chilling playing computer games is any worse than coming home and slouching in front of the TV watching Eastenders and all that crap.
Use the dark skinned side of your hand on the woman.
 

Calaen

I am a massive cock who isn't firing atm!
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
9,538
Age: 29
Sex: Male
Status: Married 2 years (7 year relationship)
Any Kids: 1 (6 months old)
What job you do: CAD manager
How often do you play: every couple of days
How long do you play for: 6 hours a week
What times of day do you play: after 7pm on a week night, weekend any time at all if I am doing nothing


Before the Baby

Age: 29
Sex: Male
Status: Married 2 years (7 year relationship)
Any Kids: 0
What job you do: CAD manager
How often do you play: Everyday
How long do you play for: 2-4 hours a night
What times of day do you play: after 7pm on a week night, weekend any time at all if I am doing nothing

I find that since Eden was born I find it really hard to motivate myself to go upstairs and leave my wife/baby.

I am hoping that when WAR comes out i will try and set a little bit more time for myself to play.

The whole playing when your partner in bed thing has its downside I experienced a period with my wife when she would express displeasure at me for wanting to play a video game instead of go to bed with her to talk. Regardless of the fact that as soon as she hits the pillow she is out cold.

The best thing is to talk about it :p
 

Rubric

Part of the furniture
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
2,145
I don't see why chilling playing computer games is any worse than coming home and slouching in front of the TV watching Eastenders and all that crap.
Use the dark skinned side of your hand on the woman.

Lol,

Thing is she doesn't like me playing while she's around very often so i tend to play when she hits the sack, she thinks i am tired and grumpy with her and the kids (2 and 4 year old) because i stay up until midnight. The only reason i have been tired and recently is because i have not been sleeping well due to preperation for a big interview and running the interview over and over in my head until i got the decision. I don't go out as can't really afford to and i don't really drink which is all my mates do.

The way i see it is if she thinks my staying up late (in her opinion) is a problem then fuck it i will play when she is up and watching mind numbing tele that i couldn't care less about.
 

Jimmae

One of Freddy's beloved
Joined
Dec 23, 2003
Messages
388
Age: 25
Sex: male
Status: single
Any Kids: not that i know of
What job you do: it geek
How often do you play: more or less every day
How long do you play for: 1-2 hours
What times of day do you play: late evening, no real set time

i used to play a lot more when i was into mmorpgs, but now i mainly play on the xbox 360, and only then when my friends are online to play with, otherwise ill watch a dvd or read. ive never understood why people think its "sad" to play games as oppose to watching corrie/eastenders/emmerdale etc every night, surely actually talking to people and interacting with something is better than living life vicariously through soap operas?
 

Rubric

Part of the furniture
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
2,145
The best thing is to talk about it :p

Yeah tried that, the thing is she thinks i am addicted to it because i have to play a few hours a day. And maybe she is right. I don't know tbh it's something i enjoy doing and helps me to unwind and forget about any other hassles in my life. She doesn't enjoy gaming at all other than 20 minutes on her DS occasionally so she can't understand what makes me want to and she thinks i have a problem.
 

Trem

Not as old as he claims to be!
Moderator
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
9,293
Age: 35
Sex: Not since my PC addiction
Status: Living with someone, have been for about 8 years.
Any Kids: 1 (just over 3 years old)
What job you do: Nothing (recently trained to be a sparky and now awaiting assessment)
How often do you play: About 3 nights a week.
How long do you play for: About an hour.
What times of day do you play: After 8pm.

Now having said the above I have had the "you spend too much time on your pc" thing off Samm when we first moved in together and granted I did play *lots* then. Before work, after work ect. We actually split up partly because of it. I play less now because I have grown out of it slightly and got back into movies more.

When Samm gave me the hassle it annoyed me, its because she doesn't get it, if I was sat writing cook books for hours on end she would never of had an isse with that, or if I was inventing a magical cream to remove muff and eyebrow hair forever she would of understood. I really was stuck between a rock and a hard place, but fuck me I *needed* to play CS more than anything :D

Women just do not get it (with a few exceptions).

Funny though, now I aren't so bothered about playing she also isn't so bothered about me going on every night if I wanted to. Women do my fucking head in :eek:
 

Hawkwind

FH is my second home
Joined
Jul 5, 2004
Messages
7,541
Age: 41
Sex: Male
Marital Status: Married (12 years - I'd be out now if I'd killed her on the honeymoon!)
children: 1 boy 7.5 years old
job: Programme Manager for an IFE company, just look up /// Panasonic Avionics Corporation - Elevate the Experience /// cba to explain it.
How often: Almost every day.
How long for: 2-4 hours
Times of day: 5-7 pm or sometimes 9pm-1 am (if the ho's in bed)

Wife does occasionally moan about me playing games but she also agrees it's better than just vegging out in front of the TV. In MMORGs I tend to do alot more in the summer when family is back in UK for 3 months.
 

Rubric

Part of the furniture
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
2,145
Maybe it's the type of games i play. I currently only play FM2008 and WoW. Although WoW seems to have lost it's appeal to me somewhat so i will be canning that i think. I want to get an XBOX360 or a PS3 which is what has kicked all this off i think. But the way i see it is with the XBOX they are more pick up and put down easily type of games. The only problem is the fact we only have 1 tv which means again i will be playing it at night after she has gone to bed.
 

Fana

Fledgling Freddie
Joined
Dec 23, 2003
Messages
2,181
Im a 28 year old male. I was a student until spring 2007 when i had to start working despite not having finished my education due to economic problems. Working a temporary job at the moment, while looking for the next. Im single, no kids. I used to game alot as a student (alot!), and while it was more a sympthom of other problems it took alot of time that could have been used more productively. These days ive drastically cut down on my gaming, both because ive realized i want to see some tangible result from my pastimes (learning, strenght and conditioning, artwork etc) and because it simply fails to amuse me above a certain timeinvestment. Ive also moved most of my gaming over to the xbox360 from the PC, since it feels more casual (also stops me from booting up the computer when i want to game for an hour).
 

Fafnir

Resident Freddy
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
3,024
Age: 31
Sex: Male
Status: single
Any Kids: No way, dont want a poop machine.
What job you do: Security
How often do you play: Dunno i play when i want too.
How long do you play for: from 5 min up to 12 h, depending on what i feel like doin.
What times of day do you play: Between 00.00-24.00, depends on when i work, and what other things i got planned. But no biatch will never take my FREEDOM.
 

ford prefect

Can't get enough of FH
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
1,386
I'm 33 and spend probably 2 or 3 hours in the evening either gaming or surfing, but then I hate TV too, and if I'm not on the computer I'm usually reading a book or building something in the garage.

My Father in law spends about six hours a day either playing games or buying crap on ebay, and he's 65 this year and he doesn't even own a TV and hasn't owned one since 1978, (although that doesn't stop the TV licencing people wrting to him every year).
 

tris-

Failed Geordie and Parmothief
Joined
Jan 2, 2004
Messages
15,260
Age: 21
Sex: male
Status: in a relationship
Any Kids: not afaik
What job you do: student/glass collector
How often do you play: every day if possible
How long do you play for:1-3 hours
What times of day do you play:any time i want

.

you will be normal but then you are in a community of gamers :)
 

Jimmy

Resident Freddy
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
1,072
Age:21
Sex:male
Status: 3 year relationship moved in together last year
Any Kids: 0
What job you do: internet Gaming Cafe manger
How often do you play: almost every day
How long do you play for:couple of hours manily while at work
What times of day do you play:during the day if at work or if missus is at work or on an evening while soaps are on
 

Vae

Resident Freddy
Joined
Dec 23, 2003
Messages
1,181
Age: 29
Sex: Male
Status: Engaged
Any Kids: No
What job you do: Accountant/Head of Finance

How often do you play: Most evenings if we're not doing something else. I incredibly rarely watch TV except for a few downloaded US Shows as almost all TV is mindrot that I cba watching nowadays.

How long do you play for: The fiancée (Mycenae on here) understands that I use gaming for relaxation/fun/unwinding. She finds RTS's or similar deadly boring so if I'm playing something like that she'll browse the web, play puzzle games, her DS or go watch TV. I'm quite conscientious about trying not to spend too much time doing something like that and make sure I try and spend some time with her e.g. curled up on sofa with her watching a film or playing a board game with her. We were playing WoW for quite a while and used to play together on that which was more interesting to her. She enjoyed it but doesn't have quite the tolerance for sitting there as long as I do. Overall I play for less time than I used to while single (when I'd play all the time I wasn't doing anything else) but that's part of the price you pay for being in a relationship and one I don't begrudge (and I'm not saying it just because she'll probably read this later!). I'm just glad she's as tolerant as she is!

What times of day do you play: Evenings/Weekends when not doing something else.
 

Chilly

Balls of steel
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
9,046
23,male,work as a linux techie coder and general monkey, single and no sprogs, play about 0 hours a day. On the days I do play, maybe 1-2 - but thats like 1 out of 10 days.

I spend my down time at home doing freelance webdev for beer money.
 

taB

Part of the furniture
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
1,791
Age: 28
Sex: Male
Status: Single
Any Kids: No
What job you do: Wine Merchant
How often do you play: Most week nights & probably 1 weekend in 3
How long do you play for: 20-30 hours a week
What times of day do you play: Evenings

I enjoy playing games & am currently cash poor - these two things go well together :)
 

Laddey

FH is my second home
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
7,124
Age: 19
Sex: male
Status: in a relationship
Any Kids: no
What job you do: student/part time
How often do you play: i play call of duty 4 from 3 pm - 6 pm daily. Accept sundays when i play all day while the wife watches movies and shit like that.
How long do you play for: ^^
What times of day do you play: ^^
 

Tom

I am a FH squatter
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
17,179
35, single, play games a couple of hours a day, usually I obsess on a single game (it was DOD:S, now its TF2).

I watch the telly about an hour a week. I do download plenty of stuff from the internet and watch on my computer though.

I only work an average of 2-3 days a week anyway so I have plenty of spare time. When the weather isn't minusfuckingcold I tend to cycle lots.

I have friends who watch the telly 4-5 hours a day so frankly I think theres nothing wrong with playing games for 2-3 hours.
 

Dukat

Resident Freddy
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Messages
5,396
Age: 22
Sex: Male
Status: Single again! :D yayyy
Any Kids: No
What job you do: QA for a food company (contract work - hoping to join the army but its taking forever)
How often do you play: Usually Daily
How long do you play for: Usually for longer than 2 hours
What times of day do you play: Usually 3pm till 5/6pm, OR 7/8pm untill 10/11pm

I started with PC games at around age 4, playing games like frogger and spear of destiny on the BBC Basic, since then I've played games when most other kids were watching tv - I still went out and played football and did all of the other things considered 'normal' though, its only really since college that my PC gaming has gotten to the point where it was happening instead of me going out and being sociable.

Like clown said, I dont see the problem with it as long as its in moderation, taken to excesses it starts to become a problem but you could say the same for anything else in life.
 

tris-

Failed Geordie and Parmothief
Joined
Jan 2, 2004
Messages
15,260
ah dukat what happened to that bird you did a new years fireworks thing for? :(
 

Dukat

Resident Freddy
Joined
Jan 10, 2004
Messages
5,396
ah dukat what happened to that bird you did a new years fireworks thing for? :(

Just finished with her last week, which was a bit of a shame really, but we're still friends and its not awkward or anything, best possible ending I suppose.

It was really good for the first week, every second we weren't together we were texting eachother, we did the fireworks thing and went to a couple of parties, it was great, but about a week after new years we just seemed to run out of steam, I normally see her twice a week at a running club I go to(which is where I met her), and then we'd go off shopping or whatever in the week, but after a little while even the running club seemed like a bit of a chore, it did start to get a bit awkward so we had a chat and decided to give it a rest.

It was a bit strange really, first time I've not been single over new years, normally I get a bit lonely on new years eve, I have to say this year made a nice change :)
 

dub

One of Freddy's beloved
Joined
Dec 24, 2003
Messages
700
hmm well time you enjoy wasting is never wasted time :)
 

rynnor

Rockhound
Moderator
Joined
Dec 26, 2003
Messages
9,353
Apparently i am pathetic, this is what i have been told this morning.
Why i hear you ask? (oh your not, your just agreeing). Well anyway apparently i spend too much time playing computer games. I spend between 2-3 hours a day, sometimes between 9pm & 12am but normally 10pm to 12am when the missus has gone to bed.

What i want to do is get an idea of what normal behaviour is in this regard so if you could post the following i would be grateful.

Sounds pretty good to me - Im 35 - Married 10 years (this year - gulp!) - 3 kids and I use my pc every night - jobwise I'm an IT contractor of the well paid variety - I play games/argue on forums/read the news/chat to mates etc. etc.

To me its much like going down the pub (sans alcohol) and instead of a sterile non-interactive medium like the tv its thought provoking/maddening and engaging.

I no longer watch the TV full stop so instead of veg'ing out I do stuff :)

Every man needs somewhere to wander off to for a break from the kids et al. - if the Mrs ever really put her foot down I would let her know in no uncertain terms that this time was non-negotiable.

It has many plus sides to the alternative ways I could spend my evenings - I'm still on hand for nappies/policing the kids and I put them to bed every night leaving her free to get on with whatever she likes.

I would highlight the upside of what your doing more or alternatively shock therapy like going out with your mates straight after work and coming home at 3AM to give her a taste of the alternatives...
 

Rubric

Part of the furniture
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
2,145
Sounds pretty good to me - Im 35 - Married 10 years (this year - gulp!) - 3 kids and I use my pc every night - jobwise I'm an IT contractor of the well paid variety - I play games/argue on forums/read the news/chat to mates etc. etc.

To me its much like going down the pub (sans alcohol) and instead of a sterile non-interactive medium like the tv its thought provoking/maddening and engaging.

I no longer watch the TV full stop so instead of veg'ing out I do stuff :)

Every man needs somewhere to wander off to for a break from the kids et al. - if the Mrs ever really put her foot down I would let her know in no uncertain terms that this time was non-negotiable.

It has many plus sides to the alternative ways I could spend my evenings - I'm still on hand for nappies/policing the kids and I put them to bed every night leaving her free to get on with whatever she likes.

I would highlight the upside of what your doing more or alternatively shock therapy like going out with your mates straight after work and coming home at 3AM to give her a taste of the alternatives...

I guess the only thing i can do is start playing when she is up still. And then go to bed at the same time as her. There is nothing i am interested in on tv anyway so i guess see how that goes.
 

TdC

Trem's hunky sex love muffin
Joined
Dec 20, 2003
Messages
30,801
Age: 32
Sex: I aer teh MANNNN!!1
Status: in a relationship aiii
Any Kids: I most certainly hope not
What job you do: IT projects person. I "align" stuff and "position" things.
How often do you play: I have the urge to play daily. I usually go for it when teh mrs is working tho
How long do you play for: I can play for hours and hours and hours. I have to stop myself.
What times of day do you play: usually in the evening, but afternoons are good too. sometimes this takes me into the early mornings.

Rubric, dude, you're running into a classic trap, beware. At least, imo ofc. My gf gives me hell on occasion, I'm addicted, I dislike her company, I neglect housework (true), etc. etc. it's all true from her perspective.
What I do is two things: primo, I explained gently and quietly that gaming and drawing things on the computer are hobbies of mine, from which I extract great pleasure and help to evaporate stress from my work. I can't help that they both occur on the computer, and are more or less solo activities which are immersing, both through their nature and by my own choice.
Seccundo, I purposely take time out of gaming/drawing/otherwise being on the computer to spend time with her. I note that shutting the pc off and sitting down with a book/watching the mindless drivel that is <some country>'s next top model or a movie or, and most especially going to bed with her at the same time shuts off the endless bitching that apparently is a female's prerogative, and makes her happy again. For her do I do this small thing, because for me it's indeed a small thing, but for her it's a big thing. And the bitching stops, very important ;)

I work differently to her: as she's a girl, she can do 18 things at once, she can get on the internet, answer email, phone her mates, mother, me, do the dishes, washing, clean the house, water the plants, make plans for the future, and redecorate the cave all at once. Me, I can only do one thing at a time, and even then I tend to drift off into space from time to time and have to be gently prodded back to whatever I was doing (I get that all the time, I call it relaxing, she calls it being wrong in t'head). So in my case it's game, and then dishes, and then game, etc. thus she sees me as being horrible....unless I do the small thing and presto! she's all smiles and light again.

Teh female logic is ofc more often than not the absolute reverse of what you're thinking yourself: I buy a set of headphones so I will no longer bother her with the sound of exploding aliens, whereas she sees me wearing headphones so I will not hear her when she craves attention. Woo, joy :)

Anyway, speak to her and be available to her with all your might, but imo you are perfectly in your rights to ask, nay demand an hour or two to yourself. Ofc, never forget that this time will be flexible as far as she's concerned, ie she can take away from it up to a point ;) (I'm joking! no really!) Remember, you're there to protect the cave, make a fire, kill the rhinoceros, lift heavy rocks, and warm icy cold feet at night. At times you have to take out the trash too, but on the game day / hour / period then you're your own man.

Trust me, I tested her recently by playing Bioshock for three hours a day for days on end and I got some seriously nasty looks after a while. Now I'm going to get a take-away she likes, and do the dishes afterwards. No games today, just for her. And there will be sweetness and light, oh yes there will :)
 

Raven

Happy Shopper Ray Mears
FH Subscriber
Joined
Dec 27, 2003
Messages
44,617
Age: 29
Sex: Male
Status: Married 5 Years
Any Kids: No
What job you do: Accountant /yawns
How often do you play: Most days
How long do you play for: anywhere between an hour or 6 hours a night, depending if its raid night in WoW. The wife will sleep a solid 15 hours Friday and Saturday night, i have 6 so its not unknown for me to have 12+ hour sessions at weekends if I haven't got anywhere to go.
What times of day do you play: Late evenings usually, weekend day time
 

mycenae

Can't get enough of FH
Joined
Aug 22, 2005
Messages
877
Age: 28
Sex: female
Status: engaged, living together 2 years in july 08
Any Kids: No
What job you do: nurse
How often do you play: Most days
How long do you play for: Very much depends on what I'm playing, how tired I am and whether I can be arsed. Sometimes I'll spend 5 mins played bejweled 2 and that'll be it for the day. When I used to play WoW, I could easily spend a few hours a night playing, but that seems to have gone down the toilet recently as we haven't resubbed, nor do I think there is any intention to in the near future. As Vae said, I have no interest in RTS's (bar starcraft which I can tolerate, just, but it frustrates me hugely) and I really hate civilisation type games. That said, i don't begrudge him playing them, and its true, he does make an effort to make time for me, but I also make an effort to be with him, even if its just sitting next to him surfing the web while he plays.
When I first met him, he played WoW ALOT, and I figured that it as going to become a major issue in our relationship if I didn't at least try to understand what all the fuss was about. Sure enough, I got sucked in and ended up spending a fair bit of time on the damed thing just like him, though his tolerance and ability to sit playing WoW for long periods has ALWAYS exceeded mine. Top whack for me is about 3 hours, he has no problem playing all day.
I don't watch soaps or trash telly, but I do like some of the documentaries and will channel hop quite happily for an hour or 2. Movies, books, cds etc also take up my leisure time as do board/card games and socialising. We're fairly well balanced I think.
What times of day do you play - not really set in stone, whenever I guess.
 

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