my gaming revelation

So here's the deal - My parent's said they would buy me a new laptop as a graduation gift so, as a result, I've been surfing these forums like crazy for the past couple of months trying to figure out the best balance between a not-so-crazy price and blazing fast gaming performance. I've been to just about every subforum checking out the XPS's, the Gateway FX's, the Quosmio's, the Alienware's, and finally - the M860tu. I soon began obsessing over the prospect of possibly owning a monstrous Sager NP8660 and crushing every game that stood in my path. I would spend a rather unhealthy amount of time on the Sager/Clevo forum - it found a cozy spot in the top of my bookmarks folder and the refresh button soon became my best friend as I eagerly awaited reviews and updated impressions about the performance of the NP8660.

Fast forward to now - the M860tu (NP8660) is out and getting pretty stellar reviews for the most part. My dad is willing to spend the 2000+ dollars...all I need to do is wait for him to get home in a week and he'll be ready to order it. Life is great....or is it!?!

Un-fast-forward to yesterday - I was feeling more bored than usual so I decided to download Steam onto my parents pc and play some good old fashioned Counter Strike. It took me a while to get back into it...I hadn't played any pc games for about a year so I spent the first few minutes flailing around trying to get my bearings while taking bullets to the face. Eventually I got back into the groove and settled into a comfortable 1:2 kill/death ratio. So on and on it went until eventually I turned around to take a quick glance at the clock and GAHHH!.... three hours had passed by! Maybe I'm just getting old (21, let's hope not) but something just didn't feel right. I had just spent three hours in the middle of the day accomplishing absolutely nothing.

Basically it all comes down to this - I hate video games. Yes, I am shocked too...I mean, I would always laugh at people who said they were too old for video games. I would think to myself, "I'm gonna play video games until the day I die", but all of a sudden it just doesn't feel the same. Don't get me wrong...I still have an absolute blast actually playing them, but once the computer or console powers down, all the fun disappears and I'm back in reality with hours of my gone life down the drain (200+ in Oblivion's case ). In a way, gaming can be compared to masturbation (I don't know why I suddenly thought of this analogy but I'm rolling with it)...sure it's fun while it lasts, but once it's over you can't help but feel a little bit like a scumbag.

Another factor attributing to my new-found disdain for gaming is my increased interest in the guitar. I'm currently trying to get in at least two hours of practice a day, and there's just not enough time in the day for both hobbies.

So yea, there you have it...the tragic story about the death of my passion for video games. I obviously don't expect anyone else to feel the same way...these are just my own feelings/musings. All that aside, I am currently in the market for a shiny new non-gaming laptop .

 

Feel free to donate the extra 1000 dollars you won't need to spend to a *ahem* charitable cause.

But great if you feel that way. Go look up them Dell studio laptops. The acer aspires are pretty sweet and so are the Asus M51 series. Just at least get something with a dedicated gfx card. You never know when you'll need it.

 

I hear you. Games are a great, dont get me wrong, but way too easy for me at least to escape reality a little longer than expected. For me it is the whole addictive-personality thing. Never have found a bad habit I didnt love...

I have lately been able to balance things out, though. I get up at 6, work out for an hour, get the little man off to kindergarten, and then help out with a little house work before I 'reward' myself with an hour of gaming before I head off to work. Everything in moderation.

So in my opinion...get something with a decent graphics card! At least you'll have the option then if your attitude changes...you know you're gonna kick yourself when Fallout 3 is released if you dont.

Good luck, and congrats on graduating...maybe someday I'll finish that senior year (though being a tenth year senior is a conversation in itself

 

I guesss it all comes down on your perspective; for instance Some see video games as addicting time-wasting socluded and alone but other people(me) find gaming relaxing, satisfying and love inviting some buddies on a friday and rent some games and eat Pizza.

 

I've always liked video games and always will probably... I know they're a waste of time as well, and you can spend your time MUCH more wisely.... but they're here for entertainment, and basically nothing else. I like to sit down with Counter-Strike or Crysis or some other game for a couple hour sessions... but I only get the chance to do that once or twice a week.

If you've found you don't want to waste your time on video games anymore, I say more power to you, you've found a whole lot of extra free time

And I agree with the other two guys though. I'm sure you'll get a hankering to play a game here or there. I'd say get something with a dedicated video card still. It's good for more than video games as well (no shared ram, better video playback, etc). And if you don't want to splurge like a Sager... take a look at the Gateway's again.

 

Oh Grasshopper,

You only feel this way because you currently have a life.

See if your Dad will offer a rain check on the gaming laptop for when you're married.

 

My videogame addiction comes in spurts. I'll be dying to play a game for awhile, but i know i've got work to do...so I put it off untill i can afford the free time. then I dont feel as guilty. It really should be a reward, and in moderation. When videogames become a part of your daily schedual (If someone has an hour of everyday blocked out for videogames) then it can eat up your time. But it is entertainment. Somepeople go to the movies. Some see a concert. Some play videogames. Some go to a club. Just gotta decide what's best.

 

I hear ya @ OP....
Gaming isnt what it used to be, I mean, when you devoured ANY and EVERY game that cometh your way...
You're 21, and soon you'll be 22 (oh noes, i can add!)..
And eventually, Life will suck you up...

BUUUT!!

you'll still want to play...

Happens to me..
I have a life, job, etc... only, no wife... dont need one atm, have had many girlfriends, but, they'll just waste your money if they're not serious w/you...

So... After all the tihngs that you do during the day, at the end... you just feel like sitting back, and enjoy a good game, and by that, I mean you're not gonna stare at bare polygons and low-res textures, you're gonna need a nice machine to run 'em... so, buy the laptop.
And if by the end of the month you still think you're too mature to play games, just ship it to me:

Benjamin Leon
***********
***********
*******, Honduras.

Thank you.

and by the way, gaming is NOT like masturbation, wrong analogy, masturbation makes you feel like a scumbag, whereas pwning someone in gaming, makes them feel bad, not you.

oh and i also play guitar at my church...
Ibanez rg5 ex1, its a beauty

in conclusion,
gaming is now a bit more selective than before, thats why you feel like that...
just game what you want to, or if you really look forward to a game...

like playing guitar, you WONT nail ALL the songs in the whole wide world, you'll just practice and get perfect on some, the ones you *really* like

oh and send it to me if you dont want it... srsly >_>

 

so anytime you see a movie, watch futurama, go clubbing or something like that your going to have a revelation like this because you got nothing accomplished. these thing are entertainment not something that was made to get something in life done. so when ever you see a good movie or watch a funny show on tv or stop playing guitar your going to fill like a scumbag?
(sorry for my wording)

 

To some gaming is a hobby to others it's a lifestyle but you have to remember it's all just entertainment!
Just have fun man at whatever you do and don't let it overtake your real life.
You just found a new outlet to focus your free time and that's not a bad thing.
Think of all your wasted time practicing your guitar, what does that actually get you, exactly nothing!
Just have fun man!
And what the hell does gaming have to do with masturbation?

 

rofl I don't know, it was like 2:00 A.M. and I was high off of a 24oz. Monster when I made this thread

But yea, you guys make pretty valid points. I realize that the decision to just not get a laptop with any gaming capability is actually quite pathetic. In doing that I would basically be giving in to the fact that I have no self-control when it comes to gaming. Therefore I am changing my mind yet again - I WILL buy a gaming laptop - not just for gaming, but also to work on my ability to usefully manage my time (i.e. I wont play games until I've played guitar).

 

carpal tunnel

 

oh and just ftw, playing guitar rocks.

 

masturbating does not make me feel like a scumbag.

 

yea I was actually considering not getting a laptop at all and just getting a really nice amp

right, it wasn't really supposed to be a general analogy...I was mainly talking about myself

 

Yeah This summer I decided to give up gaming. Mainly because I can't control my gaming habits. I realized that I was neglecting other important parts of my life (school, social life). So until I can learn that self control I won't be gaming all that often.

After I uninstalled my games and quit playing, I suddenly had a large amount of free time on my hands. So much free time that I sank into the pit of extreme boredom. So If you are going to quit gaming, make sure you have something to do otherwise. I eventually got a job, and now that school has started I have no time to game anyways.

 

hahah well everyone has their priorities... I try not to play a game before I've cleaned up a bit or done something else

But if you're doing any computer-related work other than say messenger or word documents, I'd say a nice Clevo system isn't going to be a hindrance in the least! WUXGA screen ftw! 1920x1200 = productivity!

 

Want to know why I am over 21 and still game... but not with addiction?

- Beta test them.

after testing so many games (most recent for me was Crysis and UT3), I do not play those games when they came out to retail.

... you just get tired of the game after many hours of testing it... from the same maps to the exact way weapons fire with knowing the delay times.

Be a beta tester, you will get money to test games, and you wont get addicted afterwards... trust me.

LOL... not a waste of time when you get compensated for the time spent.

 

Is it really that easy to become a beta tester?...Don't you have to "know people"?

 

Yeah, I'll beta test! I realize it isn't fun like playing a video game... but hey, you can actually tell people you get paid to play video games!

 

yup when i was younger 13 to 17 i used to play the most addicting games ever lol starcraft, diablo 2 but then at 18, i realized that i needed to focus more on school. but now that i have finished school and going to work, I'll buy myselft a NP8660 and do moderate gaming

 

Good post, OP. I can definitely relate.

I have the same problem with everything from reading magazine subscriptions to news on the web to forums like this to watching PBS and History and Discovery Channel. Like videogames, all of them meet a need; unlike videogames, what they accomplish is a little more deceptive as to its real value. A game is just a game and as good for cooling down after a rough day or getting past a boring spot in the evening as anything it might replace, like t.v. or going to a casino, etc. Its value is limited and that's okay. But those other things all make me feel I am learning something, which I hold as an extremely high value.

The problem is that they still take up time, and can divert me from more important goals. Sometimes I feel like I've learned more and more reading some magazine, and then the unsettling realization sinks in that it doesn't matter. At least, not if I've been diverted from more important goals. Like now, I have three books, all of which I expect will be enjoyable reads, sitting on my shelf that have been there for a month.

There really is only so much time to go around, and even spending it well doesn't always mean that much if you could have spent it better. What then when it comes to things that are really easy to look down your nose at, like giving yourself a bit of pleasure playing a videogame? You can't get any time back you lose and afterwards there usually seems to be some better way you could have spent a whole lot of it.

I hardly game at all now, and I also thought I would never, ever be the type who would not be gaming pretty regularly, even if only a few hours a week. It's hard to believe how far wrong I was. There are just things I value more highly. Even the things I don't think are all that important have started to gain importance in my eyes, because I have to drop so many of them to stick to my main goals. So I treasure all the more the "kinda important" things to do and enjoy in my life that I have left. This puts gaming so far in the background that it's usually borderline unthinkable to me now. There is just so much more to do.

For instance, write soon to be forgotten posts in this soon to be forgotten thread. (I guess I must have gotten something out of it though, right?) And learn Chinese. And study digital photography. And work on a short story I've been mapping out. And get a broker's license.

Sheesh, sometimes it's overwhelming and I could really use some Warhammer or something.

 

You already have an MSI-1651 and you're gonna buy an NP8660?!

 

Check out the Gateway 7811-FX, it's a pretty good gaming rig and won't break the bank.

 

Judging by the Gateway forum, the 7811-FX currently seems to be the most unstable laptop available.

 

QA/beta testers are always needed.

For all consoles and PCs.

You must be very persistent and show that you have interest in the field... to help making a great final product.

I outlined it here:
Career in Gaming as a Gamer

 

What's the average pay for beta testers if I may ask?

 

I think the true gaming revelation lies in that quote.

In fact, the best games the in world were bare polygons and low-res textures and some of the worst are on a graphical high. Maybe our problem is we seek too much visually and not enough mentally. Thats why I get such a rush when I pull out my gameboy micro and get lost into a game for hours. Those Zelda games are so crazy...

Hmm...something to think about. Anyone care to agree with me?

 

I feel your pain. I bought my great laptop, rules in gaming and all but my school blocks almost all ports so I can't play Call of Duty 4 =[ and then, I realised I had so much work to do so I wouldn't have a lot of time playing anyway. I should have chose a closer to school to my house and stick to my good old desktop XD

 

On most days I play about 1hr of CSS just for laughs and stress relieve some days I dont play at all some I play more. But yes, I found something last year to replace the majority of my gaming time, which happens to be NBR.

But with Uni assignments coming hard and fast, and intramural soccer leages kicking off, things are gona get alittle busy at my end.

 

that was not meant to be taken literally,..
but thats what's "in store" now... high graphically developed games..

but for me?
the best gaming era was when the NES took over, SNES, Sega Genesis, when NeoGeo started going cool on the arcades, Mario 64 ffs... PSONE's FMV's lol

Starfox on SNES...
that was gaming for me n.n

freaking Goldeneye :|

 

Well it has a lot of truth to it. For me, older games always win, I dont know why =/

 

i have to agree with that XD
though a new game or two suddenly bring something new
but they're not as addictive as before where you used to beat the same game over and over..
heck ,... i remember bought jurassic park 1 for snes.. i'd beat it on a daily basis... 3 hours to beat...
but i did it, every single day for 2 weeks
then... every month, and so on...
games now dont offer that for me... only if multiplayer.. like jedi academy, been playing it for 5 years now

 

sky is the limit... it will depend on how long you do it, and how well.

if you love your work, the money will follow.

my friend does it part time and gets around $30-35k

 

Yeah nowadays you're forced to the more social aspect of the game. Before the game alone would be a blast and multiplayer used to be a really good time (mario party, mario kart, goldeneye, turok, etc). Nowadays, while the graphics rock the single player modes get old fast...=/

 

I feel ya.. lol, Mario Kart... on SNES was... omg... i MUST PLAY THESE NAO!! brb! >_>>

 

Like 24 hours a week?? That's pretty good... $25+ an hour to beta test

 

Hey, that's admirable man. I also happen to be totally with you.

I once went for a month without tv, video games, caffeine, and sugar. Total revelation. You completely rethink your life without all of those distractions. You have time to focus on your problems and how to get rid of them. Life begins to look promising.

 

Looks like some of us have taken gaming on a different level

 

Nothing sucks me in like a good point-and-click adventure game...I'd say The Longest Journey was the last really great one.

 

I assume you've played Full Throttle then... If you haven't, do! If you have, acknowledge it's godliness.

Life doesn't imitate gaming. Gaming imitates (or completely replaces) life.
So instead of saying "Life is a game" you could say "Games are a life".

 

Umm.... I'm not sure if you're trying to be deep or just confusing... But I can't say I agree. Gaming only completely replaces life when it becomes an addiction... for most people it's entertainment and a little recreation.... of course life doesn't imitate gaming.... who would ever say it does??!?

 

Well when you're hopping on mushrooms, I suppose it can sometimes imitate Super Mario...

 

Try some of the recent Kheops studios ones; they're pretty good (not as good as TLJ, but close and definitely better than Dreamfall :/).

I've known some beta testers (and one WoW GM), and they get paid crap... like $15-20k full time, so... ehh...

 

Arguing that gaming is a waste of time suggests that virtually all recreation is a waste of time.

For me personally, I'm fine losing an hour or two a day to a video game. Why? While my day job is writing for you yokels, I'm also a film student. Given that video games are a nascent art form, it's interesting to see how they've evolved and the creative decisions that go into them. These decisions can be learned from.

For example, I compared the writing of Call of Duty 4 to Crysis. There are some superficial similarities, but Call of Duty 4 takes a more mature and interesting bent to its dialogue and writing than Crysis does. CoD4 is generally pretty sensitive and intelligent; Crysis is some teenager's wet dream written by Germans who think this is what Americans want to see and hear. By extension, what does that say about us when the game is so painfully racist?

Mass Effect is topheavy with great writing and in some ways captures the essence of Star Trek better than the last three series did. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is based on the same story as Tarkovsky's landmark science fiction film "Stalker" is, and having seen "Stalker" gave me a greater appreciation for the game. The film and the game are both extraordinarily atmospheric.

Modern games really aren't a whole lot different from film, television, and music in how they affect us. But I like being able to deconstruct the art, and being able to take a critical eye to some of these is a useful skill that lends itself elsewhere. Being able to properly explain why "Crysis" is such a turd is invaluable.

Gaming also improves skills that are useful outside the game itself. The improved hand-eye coordination isn't a joke, but they also aid in problem solving skills. As you get older and your mind begins to break down, the time you spent playing video games may wind up serving you well by keeping your mind sharper later in life than someone who didn't play.

And finally, for me personally...I just like to be able to decompress. I enjoy living vicariously and being able to act in profoundly immoral ways that I never would in real life. If I have a day go by where I haven't had a chance to play something for at least a little bit, I feel like I'm a bit too tightly wound.

So I don't know. You could say I'm addicted, but I'm pulling a 3.7 GPA in university and got into Phi Beta Kappa, so I'm not exactly feeling held back here.

And for the record, anyone who feels ashamed of themselves for masturbating needs to seriously rethink their belief system. But maybe that's the perspective of age talking (in my ripe old age of 26.)

 

blah, just play have fun lose a few hours and dont take it too seriously, all recreational activities are meant to waste time.

 

No kidding, video games are just meant to be entertainment, just don't take it too seriously, expand into other hobbies, and play when you feel like it.

 

One of my favorite games, and one of the most highly rated ever, is the original X-COM: UFO Defense. Even though the graphics were far from exceptional even by the standards of the day (1993 I think?), the game was still scary! The game was really thoughtfully put together, and though the gameplay mechanics were not terrifically complex, somehow they still haven't been matched.

People have done various takes on the game since, trying to "improve" it, but their efforts have fallen flat since things were designed so well the first time. Not because the graphics were done so well. The gameplay. So altering the gameplay to improve the game wound up unraveling its accomplishments.

Gameplay is the thing. That's why some old games with simple graphics are still so satisfying years later, while some of today's gorgeous spectacles get old in a week or a month, or even the first time through.

 

Upon further consideration, I think I'm probably going to skip the laptop all together and get a new amp. I really have no use for a laptop while I'm living with my parents. I'll probably just wait until I leave for school next year before purchasing a new computer.

 

plz send me the money thats left over plz T_T