The Video Game Critic

For me, it's either after 9pm when the kids are in bed and if the wife is occupied with something else. Some weeks, it's 2-4 nights.... some weeks, none at all.

Another time is the 2-3 times a year that I have the house to myself for a day or two, and if I don't have a list of chores to be done.

Guess that's why I prefer older games....easier to play in short bursts.

Mostly not at all anymore if I'm honest. For awhile it was after the kids were asleep and when the wife watched TV or played Animal Crossing. Right now as I type this the kids are asleep, she's playing Animal Crossing, and after I submit this, I'm going to go read. It's kind of weird actually, given how much my youngest now loves games, giving me more, not less opportunities to play games even when they're awake.

Is is bad that I worry about this as a married 30 year old with no kids? My wife wants kids (2) and I don't care if we have any at all, so we've compromised at one. The thing is, we're both getting settled in our careers and are planning to get a house, so we've put the kid thing on hold. However, sometimes I worry about my free time after having a child being severely limited, not only gaming but other hobbies as well. Is this something other people worried about before having kids, or am I being selfish?

Mostly late at night like you said. After my daughter goes to sleep I can play a bit. So many times I'll be like "I have a half hour." Turn on PS3, wait for update, wait for installation wait for 10 loading screens before the game starts.....turn off PS3 to go do stuff I have to do or go to bed.

Shapur wrote:Mostly late at night like you said. After my daughter goes to sleep I can play a bit. So many times I'll be like "I have a half hour." Turn on PS3, wait for update, wait for installation wait for 10 loading screens before the game starts.....turn off PS3 to go do stuff I have to do or go to bed.

This. When younger people online talk about long game installs not being a problem and that they are just the way things have to work now, I always think, "yeah, wait until a half hour might be all you get for the next two days, then tell me a 15 minute update process isn't off-putting."

David wrote:Is is bad that I worry about this as a married 30 year old with no kids? My wife wants kids (2) and I don't care if we have any at all, so we've compromised at one. The thing is, we're both getting settled in our careers and are planning to get a house, so we've put the kid thing on hold. However, sometimes I worry about my free time after having a child being severely limited, not only gaming but other hobbies as well. Is this something other people worried about before having kids, or am I being selfish?

Kids definitely impact your time management, and I'd say every family is different. And although it's good to be smart about when to have kids, there's really no perfect time--always something going on that will make you think to delay child bearing,unless it's higher on the priority list.

Bottom line, kids will force you to be smarter about how you spend your free time, and you have to be flexible and laid back enough to roll with the punches. I've had many plans change due to my kids' illness, needs, etc. I could stay up until midnight each night I suppose, but my physical and mental health would certainly suffer...lol.

I would have been content with one, but I always value my relationships with my siblings, and wanted my children to have that support as well...(we have 2, maybe more some day).

Hobbies (movies, gaming, music) probably average around 4-5 hours/week. That's pretty good I think.

Has to be at night, if at all. Usually I just end up playing a few minutes on the PSP before passing out. Every now and then I will do a late night marathon, but im usually fading by 9.

Atarifever wrote:Mostly not at all anymore if I'm honest. For awhile it was after the kids were asleep and when the wife watched TV or played Animal Crossing. Right now as I type this the kids are asleep, she's playing Animal Crossing, and after I submit this, I'm going to go read. It's kind of weird actually, given how much my youngest now loves games, giving me more, not less opportunities to play games even when they're awake.

I recently got a SNES, thinking that since my daughter is 9, she'd be interested in playing with me. Ehh....not so much. We do tons of other stuff together (like we watch episodes of Star Trek OS together), so it would be pretty selfish of me to push the gaming issue. May not be here thing. Plus, I just realized that when I played video games, it was with my friends, not my parents....duh!!!

So now, in the 20-30 minutes of time I have, I try to bang out a speed run of Ninja Gaiden or a few levels of Yoshis Island. Plan on grabbing a copy of DK Country and my gaming collection may be complete. Lol.

David wrote:Is is bad that I worry about this as a married 30 year old with no kids? My wife wants kids (2) and I don't care if we have any at all, so we've compromised at one. The thing is, we're both getting settled in our careers and are planning to get a house, so we've put the kid thing on hold. However, sometimes I worry about my free time after having a child being severely limited, not only gaming but other hobbies as well. Is this something other people worried about before having kids, or am I being selfish?

Don't take this the wrong way but if you are going to have a child you really need to be 100% into it. I don't think there is anything wrong with being a bit apprehensive about losing all your free time(you will), but you don't sound like you really into it. To be honest any hobby you have might be put on hiatus for the next you know 20 years or so. Mostly depending on your financial stability of course.

I don't wanna be one of those doom-and-gloom types whining about how its so hard. It isn't. For me most of it is fun really but still not a decision you can really take back.

I have a 15 year old son and an 8 year old son; both love gaming. I play Zombies on COD 3 with my older son, and my younger son loves Forza. I can play whenever I have free time.

However, 2 or 3 years ago I was playing Skyrim when my younger son, who was about 5 years old at the time, was in the room. My wife, who was in the other room, said to stop playing, but I told her it was fine. Sure enough, 1 minute later I decapitated a foe (never knew I could do that) and my son said to my wife "Mom! Dad hit a man with his sword and his head fell off!"

I almost died myself that day.