Hello,

I'm not much of a serious gamer anymore.  I've only played a couple of single player games on Steam, Zelda, and another MMORPG which shall remain nameless.  My total years span of gaming is roughly about ten years, and I'm in my early 40's.  So yeah, I started gaming late in my thirties. 

Why am I here?  Well, I hope I can fit in despite being a casual gamer.  I came here because I admire how people set goals, and I kind of need that inspiration to stick with my own.  I also joined because I want to keep my gaming in check.  My heaviest form of gaming was about six years ago when I was going through a terrible depression after the loss of my cousin who passed away at the tender age of thirty-two.  I'd game for about 12-15  hours a day, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 pm.  I was on a leave from work too, so it gave me plenty of time to game.  Fast forward to the current time, I do not play more than two hours a day, and only about four days a week, at the most.  I'm working part-time and have turned to other hobbies to fill my days off. 

So how did I go from extreme all-nighter gamer to a casual gamer?  Maybe a few factors came into play. 

1)  The MMORPG that I used to play became 'grindy'.  In other words it was repetitive, pointless, carrot-on-the-stick tiring, and had very little reward in the end.  It was a time-dump.

2)  I got caught up in different interests, particularly crafts such as knitting and sewing.  Highly detailed hobbies that require much attention and time.

3) The MMORPG I used to play became 'expensive'. 

Having written all that, it doesn't mean that video-gaming is not addictive.  I believe it can be.  After all, I experienced that type of addiction in my early years.  It was used as my way to cope with a bad situation in my life.  And the other factor that pulled me into videogaming was the community aspect.  The social ties that you form in video games, particularly MMORPG's is a very 'strong' pull. 

What's my ultimate goal?  I'd like to decrease my gaming even more.  I know that two hours a day, four days a week isn't much to some, but I think I would like to sort out why I'm still gaming in the first place.  Is it replacing something in my life?  Am I really happy gaming?  Is it the social ties that keep me there?  If I stop gaming entirely, but then go back as a moderate gamer, is that a fail?  I don't know the answers, but in my journey I just want to bring a balance back to other areas of my life, and I wonder if gaming Is still tugging at me as a distraction. 

Anyway, thanks for reading.  I have a lot of introspection to do from hereon.  And hopefully I can come to some conclusive answers, if not any form of self-improvement. 

Cheers!

Congrats on your decision CGH I've no doubt you will find answers to many of your questions here, we are here with you!