With so many new games, where do you find the time?

I usually play one, maybe two games simultaneously, but it's divided into two categories: short term and long term games. When I am playing a "long term" game, I rarely play anything else. Long term for me is anywhere from six months to maybe two years. Examples for me include Guild Wars, and now it's Team Fortress 2 and Soul Calibur 2.

I may take a short break with a long term game to play the latest epic title release, but I usually play a bunch of "short term" games in between long term releases. It saves me money since I can buy a good game used when I am finally ready for it.

I buy 90% of my games, and I find the easiest way to find more time for games is less sleep. (3-4 hours a night or more depending on the game)

I don't rent games.. but i have the benefit of working from home (being outside f thehouse for a maximum of 2 hours per day).

If you have less free time on your hands, it's always best to buy than to rent. Just make sure you do plenty of research first. Most of the games I play I trade in unless they have high replay value or our multiplayer.

When I get a new game it mostly just cuts into my tv time, but fortunately the internet and my pvr makes that a non-issue

I hear ya man. Between a career, gf, and friends I dont find myself with lots of time left to play games. I more casually playin games now.. find myself playin mame and games that I dont have to dedicate many hours to. Though I did find time to beat COD 4 and Crysis. Guess for me it depends on the game if its good I will make time. Wish I could be a teenager again..so much time play watever..those were the days

And this is where I find myself too. Between work, wife, a 17 month old and things to do around the house. I find my down time to be 11pm till 2am. Some nights shorter and some nights longer.

I don't have time to play tons of games either. I don't think it is a time management thing as much as it is a prioritization thing. For one, it's a lot easier for people to play a lot if they are single and don't have kids. For the rest of us it's just a matter of squeezing the most out of our remaining personal time. Personally, I just buy a very few select games and take my time playing through them in my spare time. With the PS2 by the time I finished one game and was ready for the next, the next game I wanted had already been price cut about 50%...

I buy and resell most often on ebay, it usually ends up costing $5 to play the game unless you originally purchase it new.

I only keep the games I think will be fun to play multiplayer while friends are over or ones I really like.

I go through spurts but mostly only play at night 2-3 hours a couple of times a week.

I don't go through that many games, but feel I have played all the big hits, RFOM, Heavenly Sword, MGS4, Ratchet, Uncharted, Orange box, COD4, GT5P, conan(not a big hit but I had fun) And I am currently playing battlefield bad company. I tried elder scrolls oblivion but it was too slow for me and looked like it would take way to long. I like games 8-12 hours in length. I quit Ninja Gaiden Sigma, because it annoyed me in so many ways.

I have had my ps3 about 8 months. So it looks like I go through a game a month or so.

One word for you, Weekend, usually I get most of my games in on Friday and Saturday with random games during the week. I dont sleep that much on the weekend usually four or five hours a night, Sunday is the nigh of 9 pm bed though. Or you could do like I did in college and bust out like 5 hours a night of sleep and play tons of games.

Rahimlee54

Easily. Single and no kids.

Agreed.

I lock my fiance' in the closet and tell her she can't come out until I'm done.


...Ehhh If it were only that easy. Luckily, we don't live together yet and she's in school.

My answer is "I don't." I've still got Burnout, Battlefield, Disgaea, Soul Calibur, Last Guy, Pixeljunk Eden, Pixeljunk Monsters (waiting for the trophy patch) that I am not finished with. I basically just have one 'main' game that I'm always playing (cycled between Burnout and Battlefield, now it's SOCOM fttb) and I sneak in little bits of everything else when I want a break.

I don't have a rug-rat, but I find the same window of time works for me. My wife's usually in bed by then and I work from home mostly, so I don't typically need to be up at the crack of dawn. That's usually 15-20hrs a week right there.

And since I'm usually around the house all day, sometimes I'll play during a lunch break. And on rare occasions, I'll take part of the day off to play a big new release.

Finding the "time" to game is all about priorities. If you find you have less time to keep up, then that probably means you need to get your priorities straight!

You just have to be a little more picky about what you're playing. I buy more than I rent, because I have to piecemeal my way through the games over longer time periods. In order to support both of those habits I spend more time researching game reviews and prices.

As with most everyone, prime gaming time is after dinner just before bed. I just game instead of watching TV.. there's nothing worth watching anyway

There are too many games nowadays that are good, or worth playing.

The thing is, you can try to be really selective, and just get the games that get a LOT of praise and such. But that looks to a fairly cookie cutter, watered down experience. Where everybody plays the same games and everyone's "top 10" is exactly the same. Which is fine, you can't go wrong... but there is so much off the beaten path.

As of now, I am trying to cover myself by only buying one or two games a month, and playing lots of DS. I can squeeze in DS time when I couldn't plop down and play a console game, and there are some great games on the platform.

So true.

My solutions don't take much time, but help keep you aware of some of the personal favorites and hidden gems:

1) Stop in to Gamestop once every couple of weeks for a quick browse of the used bins. Occasionally I find some ten dollar game that I either haven't heard of or was mildly interested in despite lackluster response. I got the first Manhunt this way (very cool for $10), and the first Condemned ($10). Both great games for the price.

2) Gamefly. I use it to check out games I have no interest in buying and that aren't the "latest and greatest" new releases. Usually I get something that sucks, I play it for 30mins-1hour, pop it back in the mail, and wait for the next game. But every once in a while I find something worth holding on to and playing through to the end or buying (Fight Night R3, Dirt, ICO).

Like many here I too find it challenging to: 1) find time to play and 2) when I do get the opportunity, I have so many titles I'm interested in...which should I play first? COD4 took up about 90% of my playing time but I think it has finally run its course with me (haven't played a match since mid Aug.) and as of late I've actually been going back to an old favorite....Warhawk, among a few others.

Nowadays my gaming generally takes place between 9:00'ish pm - 10:30'ish pm MST, a few nights a week, 4 if I'm really lucky. Some evenings the wife heads to bed around 8:00 pm (the same time as my boys) and I'll get an extra hour, but often there are plenty of other household "jobs" that need attention before I get to gaming, such is life.

Madden 09, Warhawk, MGS4, BF:BC.....and tonight NHL 09 are the games I've primarily been playing. As for renting, I've actually never been big on that option...I generally purchase my titles new/used and either trade them in later or sell them on craigslist.

Like most, I sacrifice sleep for game time. I'll get on from around 11 pm to 1 am. Most of the time, I'll buy games when I can get a good deal by watching Cheapassgamer.com or Amazon's lightning deals/deal of the day. I'm more of a collector so I usually don't sell or trade my games. Also, download and play demos. You'll know soon enough which games you'll want to spend more time with.

Yikes... ya gotta get your sleep amigo . I sacrifice TV watching myself. Outside of an occassional Blu-ray movie, I pretty much only watch the Lakers when in season and the news.

I don't. I'm still waiting to play MGS4 and GTA4 since I haven't played 3 for either. Played COD4 well after I got it. Occasionallly play Warhawk since I can drop in and out. Nice to be able to play for 30 minutes at a time or so if I don't have a lot of time.

I'm a bargain hunter as well. Will buy games and play them when I can. Got a few from the GoldBox day. Currently playing R&C.

Here I'd rather play the PS3 than watch the idiot box. Except of course for college football. During the summer my game time is drastically reduced. Between yard work, family, dog, and mountain biking. Gaming is a rainy weekend thing for me in the summer time. Looks like I'll be gettin some gaming in this weekend

Ditto. It amazes me how much time some people are able to pour into games. And I don't mean that as a judgment -- I wish I had more time for gaming. Lately all I've been playing is COD4 multiplayer, and even on that game alone people are putting in sometimes 5 - 6 hours every day in order to rank up through prestige 10 times, get all the gold guns, etc. I bought the game and started playing it release day, but my total play time is like 4 days (actual game time) . Sheesh! Not to mention the games I have waiting on my shelf: GTA4 (played for about two hours since I got it), Orange Box (haven't touched episodes 1 and 2 yet), Assassin's Creed, Skate (played for about four hours since I got it last year), MGS1, 2, 3, and 4 (!), and a handful of games for Xbox 360. I just don't get how some people keep up with it all. Not that I'm complaining; this is a great time to be a gamer!

I too sacrifice sleep (get around 6 hours a night). I try not to work too hard (my job is pretty cool about the whole "life/work balance" thing). And my wife is pretty cool. She watches a lot of TV but understands that I'm just not interested in watching crap on MTV or America's Next Top Model. She watches that stuff, I play games and we juggle the kid. Weekends are usually reserved for family during the day, but again I get on at night.

As for TV, the DVR is the best thing ever invented. Getting through the regular 5-6 hours of TV I watch a week in about 4 is fantastic. Fall season means a lot of ER, 30 Rock and The Office, but that's all saved until after the kid is in bed and we can just watch it in one blast.

I work 40 hours a week. I have 3 hour night classes from Mon-Thurs and another class on Sat morning. Sometimes I even have to work Sundays. How do I do it? I've acustomed my body to just around 6-7 hours of sleep a night. Lots of Full throttle energy drinks. Tell my gf to cook for me and then leave me alone. And sacrificed "together time" for gaming time.

Err....

LOL. Methinks the "gf" won't be around for long...

Well I will tell you how I don't do it...

If I only had one system it would be tough but I have all 3. I have several games I haven't even touched yet still in the plastic wrapping. (sigh)

So many games...so little time.