Breaking the Habit: Video Game Addictions

[Gangrell]

We've all had certain games catch our eyes, and others we've played to the point where we are depraved of sleep and just sleep in for the rest of the day. Being gamers as we are, most of us have encountered this syndrome one time or another. So, what has been the most addicting game(s) you have ever played and how long did you play it before you put it down?

About two years ago, it was Baldur's Gate II when I played it, and up to the present time today, it's a rare game (or so I'm told) called Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. I played that for an entire weekend, about three days straight before I put it down, then I learned when you play a game that hard that long, you get sick of looking at it [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Bozos of Bones]

First it was StarCraft, who I played for one and a half days straight the first time I got internet access. Next it's probably Icewind Dale 2, as I must have beaten it some 15 times already. Morrowind is definetly on the list as that game kept me awake and playing endlessly. I'd like to put Baldur's Gate 2 here, as I've got my hands on it,but I haven't had a chance to too far as I've got a new computer and lost the old party due to a HD crash. That one also kept me going.

[Xen]

It`s been BG 2 for me for 4 years now. I just like it and never get bored.

[Thoran]

Doom, Doom 2, Quake.

I was addicted to shooters for years. It wasn't so much the games themselves as it was the head to head competition with others. I played on average 3 hours a day... every day. It got to the point that during our daily hour game (12 of us would play during lunch) whatever team I played on would have to play 2 men short to even the odds.

What got me over it was Quake 2, a visual improvement over Q1 but with poor gameplay in comparison (far slower, when I played it it felt like I was running through water). Could be I just burned out, but twitch games don't hold my interest anymore.

[Hivetyrant]

Its really more of a series for me, the Command & Conquer series, but out of all of them, it would have to be Red Alert 2, when I was at boarding school, I once played that game for about 40 hours, then I got in a heap of trouble because I didnt do my assignments. I have been playing that game since it came out and have mastered all difficulties and levels, but I still cant stop playing it.

[Bozos of Bones]

I just remembered, The Sims also took a big chunk out of my public life. On summers 2001 and 2002 me and my best friend used to ang over at my house for days at a time, taking only thirty-minute naps and playing The Sims all the time. It was a very interesting time of my life, as I've found out that after three days of no showering and sweaty summer gaming the human body reeks like a rotten boiled egg.

[ 07-26-2004, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: Bozos of Bones ]

[Keal]

FF7, FF8, and Kingdom Hearts take a lot of time out of my public life. It's gotten to where people say I act like Squall, Cloud, and Sora.

[Ilander]

Well, Rareware's Nintendo 64 title Perfect Dark occupied me for months and months...every time more than one male was in the room, we'd play, for at least two hours...

(Perfect Dark is a FPS that's pretty much a souped up version of Goldeneye)

Good times, good times

[Link]

I have my moments. Sometimes I can play UT with my flatmates for months and don't get bored. Then one day I decide I've had enough and start playing something else, which can be almost everything. BG2, Age of Empires 2, even Spider Solitaire

[Albromor]

For me it was Baldurs Gate 1 and to a lessor extent Morrowind. I was so undisciplined that too many of my other vastly more important commitments suffered. I won't do that again. Since then I have yet to play a game that drove me like BG1. Interesting because Thief 1 and 2 as well as the C&C universe are other games that I have played extensively, but once I left the screen I would not even think about them. Not BG1 though. Too much time and sleep lost.