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Playing Games While Not Ruining Your Relationship?

Posted by Cliff on from the razor-sharp-balancing-acts dept.

Silicon Mike asks: "A nice sized group of us here at work recently picked up City of Heroes, and started playing together. While all of us were gamers to some extent, now we're all pretty addicted and want to play together online all the time. The problem some of us are running into is that our significant others aren't too happy with us gaming all the time. Other then the two obvious solutions (quit playing or dump the significant other) I'm wondering how other people have deal with it? I tried installing Zoo Tycoon on my other computer and saying 'Look honey, cute bears' but she just didn't bite."

2 of 1,054 comments (clear)

  1. Balancing Act by andyrut · · Score: 5, Informative

    I had the exact same problem, and for me the choice between my relationship and gaming was fairly simple: do both.

    I was involved in a competitive gaming league which held matches once a week. Even though our team played in a fairly low bracket in the league, we still took the time to practice before we played our weekly match. It got to the point where I was investing a significant percentage of my free time gaming and it began to wear on my significant other.

    Eventually I said to my team "hey guys, I can practice once or twice a week for X hours and play in our match." That worked out fine and I had a lot of fun playing. But more importantly, I kept my relationship and gaming time well-balanced.

    If you feel like spending significantly MORE time gaming than being with your significant other, then take a step back and decide whether one or the other is really worth it. I'd choose the gal, myself.

    I've been fortunate enough to have a girlfriend who will accompany me to LAN parties and put up some respectable numbers on the fragboard. :)

  2. Re:Adulthood calls... by Craig+Shergold · · Score: 5, Informative

    My wife and I played through both Ratchet and Clank I and II, and then moved on to other, cooler games afterward. I've been patient, and also let her hold the controller a lot, and now she games more than I do. Even though she won't retain the same level of interest as I do, I'm sure she will have a continued appreciation for my desire to play sometimes.