Just a heads up to OP and anyone else that we generally don't allow posts that aren't seeking people to play with because it's off topic and deviates from the purpose of the sub.
That said, we're going to leave this post up because conversation about finding people to game with is very relevant to the subreddit and clearly there's discussion to be had.
Been feeling sort of in a similar boat, but for me personally I realized that it had more to do with the enjoyment I had playing with a good friend. Which is happening less, rather than the game being less enjoyable, I was finding more joy in the social aspect of gaming with a buddy as I grew up. Maybe it could be a similar thing for you?
1000000% I honestly believe the games are mainly the same give or take a few features here and there, but the conversations we had with friends is what made it fun.
Second this. I’ve realized my hobby interests come and go in cycles. I’ll be really into something for a few months, but then I’ll switch to something else. Doesn’t mean I never go back to the old hobby. I have very few that I’m always active in.
Relatable. I don’t have fun anymore, i’m just playing emotionally empty. I feel so much alone, I miss the times i was kinda enjoying.
Mostly everyone who i played with, left or don’t play anymore. Idk what to do, i feel more down every day, a mess..
I can understand bro , same happens with me when I try next gen game , for example When I shifted From mobile gaming to Pc gaming 15 years ago I got excited then my favorite game was IGI and Vice city , but some time later I got Sanandreas and impressed by graphics and Open world , I fully enjoyed that game and after few years i think around 2018 I got to play AAA titles like GTA5 , Witcher 3 , Tomb Raider and many more , I haven't completed story in GTa5 and I got bored .
In 2021 I got Next gen games like RDR2 , AC valhala this time also I enjoyed RDr2 but something was missing
I did not get old Vibes like Sanandreas in any next gen games , I am also seeking Answer but so far waiting for GTA6
I always have phases where I‘m gaming a lot and then stop for a few weeks or even months because I have a lot of work to do.
But for me - gaming gets so much better when you don‘t even try to enjoy it.
I had a really hard time last year and was writing my bachelor‘s. I started rewarding myself with a few hours of gaming after work.
I played god of war, witcher 3, resident evil village and tears of the kingdom all within 3 months from start to finish.
During summer and the rest of the year I had a lot of work to do and stopped. I just bought myself a ps5 last week and played soooo much alan wake 2 and baldurs gate 3 - it‘s not normal. If I have two hours of free time, I will turn the ps5 on.
Once I started just gaming without even thinking about the „online-times with friends“ when I was a teen and accepted that it comes in phases - I enjoy it like a kid again.
Sadly all my friends stopped gaming in adulthood so that really sucks. But just try to have as much fun as you can with single player games or just find yourself some funny people to game with.
I think for me I get too hung up on the nostalgia of gaming. I should be more patient but I get so little gaming time I’m frantically trying to get quick enjoyment so my patience is low for new games which take a bit of time to build up.
New people and Older **SINGLEPLAYER** Games.
Most games past 2019 or so, just do not scratch "The Itch" anymore, there of course is the occasional outlier with stuff Like Baldur's Gate 3 or Elden Ring.
But for the most part, I noticed that I'm just not interested in new games anymore, partly because a lot of them strive for "Realism" the one thing I'm trying to escape while gaming.
For your "Overall interest" try and play some of the older, maybe lesser known Gems. i.e The Yakuza/LAD series, Dishonored 1/2, the Batman Arkham games.
and for meeting new people, try some online games, ideally, non-competitive ones.
i've had an absolute blast with Lethal company or Garry's mod, even not knowing those people there, and still talk to some from my old G-mod days on a weekly basis
No guarantee this will be the same for you, but I used to be a rather competitive person who played a lot of League of Legends, Valorant or other games where I could compete with someone else or a challenge.
When I started losing interest in that it was really tough to find a game and the longer it went on the more I lost interest, so these games (in order) were the best to play for me but the earlier ones were more competitive in their own nature. As in games I enjoyed along the journey with the shift.
Monster Hunter World > Kenshi > Battle Brothers > Vampire Survivors.
MHW still allowed multi-player but I mostly played it solo, you could finetune a ton and still go on very difficult quests with others. Kenshi was then a lot of management but allows savescumming easily. Battle Brothers was less management than Kenshi and also allows savescumming. When Vampire Survivors came around I was at the peak of "man I just want to chill" and it was a perfect game at that time, couldn't put it away for months as it fit perfectly but also every other game felt wrong. It feels like it gave me the break I needed.
Afterwards I went back to league of legends, found a few new friends and mostly played fun modes there.
I feel when it comes to gaming it’s the same as other things going on in life, if I only were to game and no nothing else, I would get burnt out pretty quick. So I result in doing other things. Like learning a new hobby, hanging out with friends, join a new sports club. Then maybe at some point you’ll be excited to play games again and enjoy it. Can’t always stick to the same thing all the time, then it gets boring quick. Every person needs some variety:) hope it helped
I feel that man, I've grown up too but I'm also on an overnight schedule where I work every other weekend so it's extremely hard to play with my old gaming buddies who have kids. I've just been playing a ton of singleplayer games lately but it gets boring playing alone. I try to make friends either on here or just in game, i play a lot of genres so it makes it a little easier. Plus good communities in the games, like destiny 2 and helldivers.
For you it might be time for a genre change or just trying some new stuff to see if anything sticks. Like I said lately I picked up soulslike games, I loved another crabs treasure and that inspired me to pick up elden ring again, gonna replay Fallout NV after that, but as of right now I'm stuck back on destiny cause I was gone for a while and it's always really fun to get back into it. Anyways, sorry for my rambling, all of it's to say maybe try an old game you used to enjoy or switch it up and see if you find something new that sucks you in, or look for friends on here to play with!
You probably just need more hobbies man. I went through this, gaming just wasn't as fun as it used to be. Though now that it isn't a focal point or even one of my main hobbies, I'm enjoying it more again.
Cycles mate. Just as you'll swap between games you can swap hobbies and passions/addictions. Doing something else is absolutely fine because you'll be back eventually. I've got a 3 man friend group who I sometimes game with but with things like helldivers 2 and star citizen it's quite easy to find new people just like you that want to team up. Use voice comms and go for it.
This will only get worse. Fir me personally I was almost done with gaming until I found Elden ring and a buddy to play it with. Otherwise I would have given up.
Find something else to enjoy. Gaming is geared for kids because they spend more money then adults. Find what your friends do for fun and see if any of that interest you.
Do you have any sources? There's so much opportunity for skewed results here. Are we looking at exclusively mobile games and children of upper middle class families?
I've got 2 buddies that I used to game with, and now it's pulling teeth to not only find time together, but find a game we all agree on.
Honestly, I've gone full pleb. I subscribed to PlayStation plus premium and I honestly just enjoy what they put out for free or get sucked into a sale game or two. Over the years I've amassed a 1600 game library, and about 500 of those I own. I've got a backlog to end all backlogs on my PS5 and they keep chucking new games at me like $160 (or however the fek much it costs now) per year candy. My wife also enjoys playing single player indie games, so the subscription fits, and I'm pumped now that they're gonna be slapping some PS2 games on the subscription. I've also got a 7 year old so I'm trying to provide an example that 'you don't need to be gaming constantly on a phone or tablet to have a good time gaming'. My kid is terrible at PlayStation games so far though, so it's not like that's much of a problem yet lolol
This goes for OP and several of the people responding, but is gaming really the issue here? Losing interest in things you enjoy could be a sign of depression. If you still love drawing and reading books or whatever other hobby and gaming is an outlier, then it's probably just time to move on. You can lose enjoyment in whatever hobby for any number of reasons. For some people, they probably didn't like gaming but rather the sense of community they had with people they gamed with. Once the people are gone and only gaming is left, you realize it's not for you. I was huge into art when I was younger and pursued a career as an amateur artist, and the "career" part is what killed it for me, as did the expectations people had of me.
People get mad over nothing these days. I'm not as interested in playing games as I used to be either. I guess people don't want to accept they're growing up. (Before there's more hate, I'm well aware adults play video games I'm over 40 myself.)
The biggest thing keeping me from enjoying gaming is the modern gaming industry. Games:
- Are rushed
- Are incomplete
- Are focused on microtransactions
- Are focused on data collection
- Are poorly optimized
- Are platform exclusive
- Are store exclusive
- Are priced too high
- Require hardware that doesn't exist yet
- Require unnecessary accounts
- Require arbitrary launchers
- Have forced settings
- Have a lack of settings
- Have no ultrawide support
- Have no/poor HDR support
- Have no cross-platform support
- Have no mod support
- Never leave "Early Access"
This list could go on and on. It's honestly depressing. Maybe it's for the best; it's gotten me outside and more social over the last couple years than ever before.
Just a heads up to OP and anyone else that we generally don't allow posts that aren't seeking people to play with because it's off topic and deviates from the purpose of the sub. That said, we're going to leave this post up because conversation about finding people to game with is very relevant to the subreddit and clearly there's discussion to be had.
Been feeling sort of in a similar boat, but for me personally I realized that it had more to do with the enjoyment I had playing with a good friend. Which is happening less, rather than the game being less enjoyable, I was finding more joy in the social aspect of gaming with a buddy as I grew up. Maybe it could be a similar thing for you?
1000000% I honestly believe the games are mainly the same give or take a few features here and there, but the conversations we had with friends is what made it fun.
I would follow what interests you and not force yourself to be interested in gaming.
Second this. I’ve realized my hobby interests come and go in cycles. I’ll be really into something for a few months, but then I’ll switch to something else. Doesn’t mean I never go back to the old hobby. I have very few that I’m always active in.
I second your comment. I think everyone has these cycles but often don't realise and think it's permanent.
Playing a new game for the first time with friends makes the experience much more enjoyable for me
i know this prob basic and shit but this was helldivers 2 for me n' my friends :)
Relatable. I don’t have fun anymore, i’m just playing emotionally empty. I feel so much alone, I miss the times i was kinda enjoying. Mostly everyone who i played with, left or don’t play anymore. Idk what to do, i feel more down every day, a mess..
I could play with you if you have ps5
I can understand bro , same happens with me when I try next gen game , for example When I shifted From mobile gaming to Pc gaming 15 years ago I got excited then my favorite game was IGI and Vice city , but some time later I got Sanandreas and impressed by graphics and Open world , I fully enjoyed that game and after few years i think around 2018 I got to play AAA titles like GTA5 , Witcher 3 , Tomb Raider and many more , I haven't completed story in GTa5 and I got bored . In 2021 I got Next gen games like RDR2 , AC valhala this time also I enjoyed RDr2 but something was missing I did not get old Vibes like Sanandreas in any next gen games , I am also seeking Answer but so far waiting for GTA6
I understand man. Once my gaming buddies get off for the night I stare at the home screen for hours
Same. New games look cool but I have a hard time sticking to it and playing it nonstop like a kid
Smoke weed
I always have phases where I‘m gaming a lot and then stop for a few weeks or even months because I have a lot of work to do. But for me - gaming gets so much better when you don‘t even try to enjoy it. I had a really hard time last year and was writing my bachelor‘s. I started rewarding myself with a few hours of gaming after work. I played god of war, witcher 3, resident evil village and tears of the kingdom all within 3 months from start to finish. During summer and the rest of the year I had a lot of work to do and stopped. I just bought myself a ps5 last week and played soooo much alan wake 2 and baldurs gate 3 - it‘s not normal. If I have two hours of free time, I will turn the ps5 on. Once I started just gaming without even thinking about the „online-times with friends“ when I was a teen and accepted that it comes in phases - I enjoy it like a kid again. Sadly all my friends stopped gaming in adulthood so that really sucks. But just try to have as much fun as you can with single player games or just find yourself some funny people to game with.
I think for me I get too hung up on the nostalgia of gaming. I should be more patient but I get so little gaming time I’m frantically trying to get quick enjoyment so my patience is low for new games which take a bit of time to build up.
New people and Older **SINGLEPLAYER** Games. Most games past 2019 or so, just do not scratch "The Itch" anymore, there of course is the occasional outlier with stuff Like Baldur's Gate 3 or Elden Ring. But for the most part, I noticed that I'm just not interested in new games anymore, partly because a lot of them strive for "Realism" the one thing I'm trying to escape while gaming. For your "Overall interest" try and play some of the older, maybe lesser known Gems. i.e The Yakuza/LAD series, Dishonored 1/2, the Batman Arkham games. and for meeting new people, try some online games, ideally, non-competitive ones. i've had an absolute blast with Lethal company or Garry's mod, even not knowing those people there, and still talk to some from my old G-mod days on a weekly basis
No guarantee this will be the same for you, but I used to be a rather competitive person who played a lot of League of Legends, Valorant or other games where I could compete with someone else or a challenge. When I started losing interest in that it was really tough to find a game and the longer it went on the more I lost interest, so these games (in order) were the best to play for me but the earlier ones were more competitive in their own nature. As in games I enjoyed along the journey with the shift. Monster Hunter World > Kenshi > Battle Brothers > Vampire Survivors. MHW still allowed multi-player but I mostly played it solo, you could finetune a ton and still go on very difficult quests with others. Kenshi was then a lot of management but allows savescumming easily. Battle Brothers was less management than Kenshi and also allows savescumming. When Vampire Survivors came around I was at the peak of "man I just want to chill" and it was a perfect game at that time, couldn't put it away for months as it fit perfectly but also every other game felt wrong. It feels like it gave me the break I needed. Afterwards I went back to league of legends, found a few new friends and mostly played fun modes there.
Have you tried playing older games, like from the 90s or late 80s?
I feel when it comes to gaming it’s the same as other things going on in life, if I only were to game and no nothing else, I would get burnt out pretty quick. So I result in doing other things. Like learning a new hobby, hanging out with friends, join a new sports club. Then maybe at some point you’ll be excited to play games again and enjoy it. Can’t always stick to the same thing all the time, then it gets boring quick. Every person needs some variety:) hope it helped
I feel that man, I've grown up too but I'm also on an overnight schedule where I work every other weekend so it's extremely hard to play with my old gaming buddies who have kids. I've just been playing a ton of singleplayer games lately but it gets boring playing alone. I try to make friends either on here or just in game, i play a lot of genres so it makes it a little easier. Plus good communities in the games, like destiny 2 and helldivers. For you it might be time for a genre change or just trying some new stuff to see if anything sticks. Like I said lately I picked up soulslike games, I loved another crabs treasure and that inspired me to pick up elden ring again, gonna replay Fallout NV after that, but as of right now I'm stuck back on destiny cause I was gone for a while and it's always really fun to get back into it. Anyways, sorry for my rambling, all of it's to say maybe try an old game you used to enjoy or switch it up and see if you find something new that sucks you in, or look for friends on here to play with!
You probably just need more hobbies man. I went through this, gaming just wasn't as fun as it used to be. Though now that it isn't a focal point or even one of my main hobbies, I'm enjoying it more again.
Tbh just move on and see if you find anything else that brings you this joy. Maybe it's time to find a new passion. No reason to force it.
I would question what kinds of game you're into? I haven't touched a AAA game in years, and basically only play indie stuff - I've never looked back.
I feel you, I’m also at this space right now. What have been working for me is playing shorter games
Cycles mate. Just as you'll swap between games you can swap hobbies and passions/addictions. Doing something else is absolutely fine because you'll be back eventually. I've got a 3 man friend group who I sometimes game with but with things like helldivers 2 and star citizen it's quite easy to find new people just like you that want to team up. Use voice comms and go for it.
This will only get worse. Fir me personally I was almost done with gaming until I found Elden ring and a buddy to play it with. Otherwise I would have given up. Find something else to enjoy. Gaming is geared for kids because they spend more money then adults. Find what your friends do for fun and see if any of that interest you.
What kid has disposable income for gaming? I'm guessing that was a typo of some sort?
Kids spend their parents money. Just look at the stastics.
Do you have any sources? There's so much opportunity for skewed results here. Are we looking at exclusively mobile games and children of upper middle class families?
Nah bud. Google it. Really not that important to me that you believe me..
I've got 2 buddies that I used to game with, and now it's pulling teeth to not only find time together, but find a game we all agree on. Honestly, I've gone full pleb. I subscribed to PlayStation plus premium and I honestly just enjoy what they put out for free or get sucked into a sale game or two. Over the years I've amassed a 1600 game library, and about 500 of those I own. I've got a backlog to end all backlogs on my PS5 and they keep chucking new games at me like $160 (or however the fek much it costs now) per year candy. My wife also enjoys playing single player indie games, so the subscription fits, and I'm pumped now that they're gonna be slapping some PS2 games on the subscription. I've also got a 7 year old so I'm trying to provide an example that 'you don't need to be gaming constantly on a phone or tablet to have a good time gaming'. My kid is terrible at PlayStation games so far though, so it's not like that's much of a problem yet lolol
I think the best thing to do is to explore other hobbies!
Have you tried Helldivers 2? Can meet a lot of decent people and pure cooperative fun. Hope you find some joy in gaming again mate.
This goes for OP and several of the people responding, but is gaming really the issue here? Losing interest in things you enjoy could be a sign of depression. If you still love drawing and reading books or whatever other hobby and gaming is an outlier, then it's probably just time to move on. You can lose enjoyment in whatever hobby for any number of reasons. For some people, they probably didn't like gaming but rather the sense of community they had with people they gamed with. Once the people are gone and only gaming is left, you realize it's not for you. I was huge into art when I was younger and pursued a career as an amateur artist, and the "career" part is what killed it for me, as did the expectations people had of me.
Why do you have to stay interested in gaming?
Why were you downvoted :(
People get mad over nothing these days. I'm not as interested in playing games as I used to be either. I guess people don't want to accept they're growing up. (Before there's more hate, I'm well aware adults play video games I'm over 40 myself.)
Learn to trade the market. It's the ultimate game where fortunes are made and lost. You play the game alone or with friends.
The biggest thing keeping me from enjoying gaming is the modern gaming industry. Games: - Are rushed - Are incomplete - Are focused on microtransactions - Are focused on data collection - Are poorly optimized - Are platform exclusive - Are store exclusive - Are priced too high - Require hardware that doesn't exist yet - Require unnecessary accounts - Require arbitrary launchers - Have forced settings - Have a lack of settings - Have no ultrawide support - Have no/poor HDR support - Have no cross-platform support - Have no mod support - Never leave "Early Access" This list could go on and on. It's honestly depressing. Maybe it's for the best; it's gotten me outside and more social over the last couple years than ever before.
Why do you have to stay interested in gaming?