Committing to Not Buying Games (Jan 2024)

[Ado Tori]

I am unable to maintain long hours of play, namely due to:

• Mental Fatigue
• Stopping after tilting 
• Quickly achieved goals in sessions

By creating so many intervals between sessions, game completion for me has been slow. 

Here's where my problem manifests: 

Because I'm bored with my current games, I buy more to excite myself into completing them. 

Slow game completion for me is caused by Achievement Hunting or 100% Completion.

Mastering something, even slowly, gives me great satisfaction. Seeing my backlog grow year on year does not.

This issue even extends to F2P titles I've never launched. I feel the FOMO.

I aim to stop purchasing games or start any F2P titles.

[Pochatok]

Hi Ado!

Do you intend to quit games entirely in the future, or are you aiming for moderation? 

Beyond "seeing the backlog", do you have other motivators for NOT starting new games?

 

[Ado Tori]

Hello Pocha,

My main problem is pre-occupation.

I want to moderate my thoughts on gaming.

My worst thoughts regarding gaming are anxieties.

For example, today, I learned about Endless Dungeon. Doing so reminded me of Shoulders of Giants and Windblown.

I did not purchase these games, but they do interest me. And I get anxious that I haven't started them.

Alongside the backlog, I want to avoid starting new games because of:

• Family criticizing my purchases
• Impulse purchase guilt
• Every game's learning curve

[Axe]

Do not start playing f2p titles, they are only more addictive. Run while you still can.

[Ado Tori]

Sniper,

I've had my share of F2P titles.

Ironically, the two that affected me the worst were Dota 2 and Fortnite. 

I played Dota 2 heavily from 2013 - 2015, and I stopped because:

• Poor treatment from my IRL friends when playing together
• Zero confidence in personal ability
• Unfamiliarity with the MOBA Genre

Some teenagers brought me into Fortnite after I met them through Overwatch 1. 

Many things made Fortnite unenjoyable:

• Extremely competitive community
• Playing against controller players
• Cesspool of collaborations

Dota 2 trashed my confidence, while Fortnite burnt lots of my money. 

Regarding F2P abstinence, Disney Speedstorm caught my interest during the D23 Expo (2022). 

I didn't purchase it during Early Access and haven't launched it after it became F2P. 

[Amphibian220]

Welcome to Game quitters

Can you share about your interests outside of gaming? What sports or school subjects are you interested in?

[Ado Tori]

Hi Amphibian,

I got a diploma in Interior Design in 2018, so school's way past for me. 

It's relevant since my interests lie in character design and animation. 

Currently, I work in fanfiction and fan art.

When I can at work, I study Microsoft Excel functions. I'd want to study KNIME afterwards.

[Ado Tori]

It's a new year, so it's time to see how I did. 

I'll separate games into three groups within the scope of buying or starting.

• Mandatory Purchases (Required to complete current games)
• Bridge Constructor Portal: Portal Proficiency DLC [100% Completed / Achievements] (Base Game available via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
• Dead Space 2: Severed [One Achievement Remains] (Base Game available via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
• Dota 2: All Crownfall Pathfinder Packs [Crownfall Master Level 2 Earnt] (Dota 2 is Free to Play)

 

• Additional Purchases (Never played prior)
• Windblown [Currently 100% Completed, Awaiting Endless Mode Update] (Decided to buy after 2023 Game Awards Announcement)
• Rotwood [Not Yet Launched] (Seemed adjacent to Windblown, will play while waiting for Endless Mode Update)
• Dungeons of Aether [Not Yet Launched] (Still at 11/15 Achievements for F2P Lovers of Aether)

 

• Returning Games (Continuing previous games)
• Roblox: Hot Wheels Acceleracers Realms (No microtransactions present, started in 2021)
• Asphalt 9: Legends (No microtransactions present, playing on a premium streaming service, started in 2022)
• Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice [100% Completed / Achievements]

Regarding excessive purchases, Steam seems to be the biggest offender. Returning to the platform after a three-year absence is the most likely cause. 

[WilderDaze]

When you are a perfectionist and aim for 100% completion rates you are guaranteed to run into this conflict sooner or later. The issue is that the ultimate goal of achieving a perfect result doesn't necessarily correlate with a sustained level of enjoyment. This is why perfectionism is commonly described as a compulsive behaviour; because it takes priority over our actual enjoyment of things and tricks us into thinking we cannot proceed unless we've turned every stone. Look at the open world genre and all the frustrations it has caused among completionists and you will find this to be true.

The other issue you have run into is that you are trying to predict the feelings you might have in the future. Buying a lot of games in advance, because we felt good about them in the moment, is not a guarantee that we will actually be interested in them when the time comes to play. Life changes and our interests and motivations are very much fleeting. This I believe is what makes us exhausted when we end up with too many paths to take. Kind of like when we're browsing Netflix for an hour only to realize that we were building excitement for something that didn't exist in the first place.

Dopamine plays a big part in all of these behavioral patterns and it's important to understand that the primary function of dopamine is not to be released when you do the activity, but rather in the moment when you first thought of the activity. When we see a large billboard with a big tasty burger on it the dopamine is being released in order to alter our course of action, so that we eventually end up with that burger in our mouth. The anticipation of a burger becomes almost as powerful as actually eating it. Buying video games of course triggers the same mechanism; we read up on games, watch videos of games and buy lots of games on sales, because we are building anticipation and exciement in our wait for greatness. Streamers have understood this extremely well as they are basically the mukbang crowd for gamers.

I personally do not recommend going down this route because I think perfectionism, first of all, is a complete fallacy. Acting perfectly should be about practicing restraint most of all, yet you have a very chaotic way of purchasing and approaching new games. That alone should tell you that this is just your mind playing tricks on you. Obviously you seem to look for other experiences before you are fully completed with your current one, because you are simply not entertained anymore and the only thing that is somewhat driving you is to "complete" the game. But as soon as you stop feeling joy then that is in reality when you are completed with the game. That is when you should move on. But I reckon you can't because you feel unsatisfied with the prospect of having a number saying "97%" on your screen instead of "100%"; especially if it's in a long row of previous perfections. But in the end it's nothing more than a number - it really isn't. Fight back, work on yourself, and you will be shocked to see how easily the brain develops new patterns that almost makes you forget how you behaved in the first place.

Edited January 27 by WilderDaze

[Ado Tori]

Let's begin with perfectionism. Frankly, I find myself aiming above completion criteria/achievements. I've aimed for deathless runs or secrets the games don't even demand. Perfectionism also manifests in play-by-play. How far ahead am I leading? How economically did I finish an encounter? Competing in fun is confusing. If fun was enough, why are winners rewarded more? Punishments aren't always literal, but people shame and mock failure. There are also hidden caveats to success. When earning an achievement that only 3% of the player base has, there is the knowledge that the other 97% couldn't get there. The best way to explain it would be surviving eliminations in a reality show.

Why is this mindset only for games? For me, it's because games are played by choice. Because of the consequences, people have to find income and self-care. Games don't test skills as much as characters because people decide to be there of their own free will. The knowledge that I did something many others couldn't gives me sober peace, and I try to dissect why I was able to push through. Aside from moving on when something's done, that is my motivation.

Edited January 28 by Ado Tori

[WilderDaze]

You're ultimately in charge of your own life and only you can decide if it's worth the investment or if it's a complete waste. I personally think that if you have fostered the mentality to be so disciplined and determined, then that can also be applied elsewhere and possibly grow into something more significant and life-altering. I know this from experience as I myself was a perfectionist when it came to gaming. I was completely obsessed with competitive ranks, achievement hunting, learning pro controls etc. Ultimately it consumed me to a point where I couldn't even scroll a menu screen without feeling remorse; there was always more time to be gained or a decision that could have been made better. I believe that there are a lot of people who can practice more restraint than I ever could, but still, in the end we all lose the same amount of time and possibly our peace of mind chasing these artificial accomplishments.

I eventually took a complete step away from gaming for almost 9 months in order to re-evaluate this part of myself, and I realized that I could turn these traits around and use them in a more healthy manner. I'm almosty shocked when I look back at the events that unfolded but over the course of those few months I learnt how to ski, how to photograph, I started piano lessons, I got muscular after hitting the gym every week and I also traveled to Iceland after years of thinking "maybe one day I'll see the world". And the best part about this is that SO many people recognized those achievements compared to the things I accomplished in my games. I've had so many encouraging comments over the years where people are in awe of how determined I am and how effeciantly I follow through with my goals. And having a friend say that to you while they look you in the eyes with complete sincerity is so much more powerful than a "like" from a random stranger on the internet.

The point I think I'm trying to make is that the "sober peace" you are referring to does not only occur in gaming. In fact, I believe this feeling can be further enhanced by applying it to real life activities that hold a much greater value to ourselves. Even though you've reached the top 1% of a leaderboard in one of the hardest games ever, you are still at the same point in life as before you started that journey. This does not happen at all with other activities in life, because there you are making actual achievements that have a long-lasting effect on your personal prosperity. Gaming is simply a really poor investment if your ultimate goal is to have a strong sensation of inner peace and accomplishment. It demands an extreme amount of time and effort for something that never really transforms into anything significant, and that cannot be achieved in less time and with much greater effect elsewhere.

Edited January 29 by WilderDaze