When do you put down the controller?

   When you're a gamer growing up it's pretty hard to come to the rationalization that you have to put the controller down eventually.  How do you know when it's that time though?  Is there some magical moment when you just realize, "Hey man.  It's been real," and drop the controller like it was a microphone after blowing up someones spot?  I don't think so.   I do believe that there are some signs for gamer's to recognize and come to the reality that they really need to step away from the controller.  

Don't neglect giving your woman some attention, give her the other
controller.

I'm an avid comments reader of various video game sites and while lurking through one particular article I noticed someone blatantly not happy with the way the video game industry has become.   They went on and on about everything being terrible and nothing being "the way it used to be". As I was reading it, I couldn't help think of the age ole saying:  "Back in my day we used to climb up 8 bit hills with three lives, limited inventory space in our backpacks while being chased by fire breathing, flying turtles..." Okay so maybe I changed that up a bit, but you get the point.

I would imagine that this person was probably my age (in their 30's) because my generation went through the real evolution of the video game industry.  We grew up with the massive changes that came with technologies huge breakthroughs in the video game scene.  We were the front lines of the newer gaming generations in our teens and college years as computers became an everyday household item along side our consoles.  We saw the huge graphics changes, the Cartridge to CD to DVD to BluRay change over and a brand new set of console wars.  (Nintendo vs Sega to Playstation vs Xbox) My generation has definitely been through the trenches when it came to being apart of the evolution of gaming and that's why I firmly believe this is where the bitterness and resentment stemmed from for this specific individual.

Over-critical thinking aside, he/she did have some valid points about how the "scene" is more about publishers milking a customer dry through the likes of micro transactions and DLC's. The overall tone of their rant though was just pure negativity about everything and anything video game related.  They gave off a vibe like they were ready to break up but just can't pull the trigger.  Was he/she just a typical hipster gamer remembering a better time of rainbows and princesses and needed to vent  his frustrations of this "new trend" being an abomination to what was cool back in the day?


Possibly.  This person, however, was attacking games that are well loved for being exceptionally different and have had a major impact on the gaming industry. (They weren't trolling either.)  They spoke about Telltales - The Walking Dead and The Last of Us being "too publicly accepted" because major gaming sites gave inflated scores and wrote up completely inaccurate reviews.   Basically, they claimed that the editors/gaming websites were in the pockets of Naughty Dog (Playstation) and Telltale and were told to blow the trumpets of all that is amazing and holy about the games to sell them.

Now.  I've played both games and both were amazingly well written and paced.  As I previously wrote in an earlier blog about The Last of Us, the story was the major selling point of the game.  It will force other video game production companies to look at the incredible emotion that forced the player to feel during the story and challenge them to recreate what Naughty Dog was able to do.  Telltale was able to provide the same kind of incredible emotion into a three hour game for nearly every "episode" that it has produced in The Walking Dead series.  You feel for Clementine/Lee in season one throughout their adventure in Zombie filled Georgia and continue that journey with Clementine in Season 2 hoping (praying) nothing else horrible happens to that little girl (but in the back of your mind trying to accept that something will.)

When you are so angry // bored // not interested in something exceptionally created and well put together in a video game, it's definitely time to put the controller down and find a new hobby.  Hobbies are supposed to be a release from stress and bring you a sense of happiness, not anger about something completely out of your control.

Another sign it may be time to put the controller down is a fairly obvious one:

Putting the controller down:  On the baby? No.

When you have a child (or a family in general), your priorities obviously change.  At least they should.  It's one thing to have a girlfriend/boyfriend and neglect snuggle time to beat a boss finally (though I hope you have a comfortable couch), it's a completely opposite and terrible thing to neglect the child that you chose to create. When the kid is old enough to pick up a controller, that's when you can probably start integrating "watching" them by playing something fun... but until then.  Baby comes first. 

Game, Set, Match: Baby.

Now I'm not saying that you should give up gaming altogether when you have a baby, but I'm sure many gamer parents can agree that your " video game play time" severely diminishes.  On the flip side, you have a new thing to play with and corrupt that is way more fun than anything on a television/computer screen would ever be able to provide.  (Though with the way technology is going.................   I'm kidding. There is no substitute.)

One last sign that I think it's time to put the controller down is when it starts to interfere with your work//school.  This one is something I've personally dealt with and I'm sure many other gamer's who are reading this (If any at all are reading it, HI MOM!) know all too well.  If you're staying up a few nights a week to try and complete a game it's okay if you've already completed what you needed to get done in real life.  However, when you're staying up and have a ten page term paper to write or a 9 am deadline on that Power Point presentation for your boss.... Just slap yourself in the face.   The digital world will always be there to satisfy your zombie killing, first person shooting, RPG'ing and Minecrafting needs while the real world has no pause button. 

Live your life and game while you can but never forget to continue to enjoy both of them.  If you don't enjoy your hobby of video gaming anymore, put the controller down before it filters into your real life.  No one will think wrongly of you for doing so.

((except your guild, clan, online girlfriend and maybe the people who are playing on the server you host...... they'll get over it.  promise.))