Topic: The Dilemma of playing video games in Spring and Summer

[Pixelated Pixies]

Being as it's February, it is still relatively 'baltic' (see http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=baltic) here in Ireland. Even still, for the last week or so we've being experiencing a spell of unseasonably sunny weather. The mornings have been getting brighter, the afternoons longer, and people's antipathy towards one another, if not dispelled completely, has at least become less acute. As for myself, I've been running more, visiting the park, and taking my pint outside to read a book. All of which is great.
 
The problem (if you want to call it that), however, is that I find it very difficult to get motivated to play video games in such conditions. Currently, it's still getting dark at about 5 - 6 PM, so there's still plenty of time to get some gaming done during the dark hours. As the days get longer though, I seem to lose the ability to play games for protracted periods of time (which is going to be a problem given that Awakening is released here in April).
 
My question is, does anybody else lose their motivation or stamina for gaming when the birds be a singing and the sun be a shining? Do you substitute indoor activities for outside ones? Perhaps instead of playing Call of Duty you go to Paintball? Do you supplant playing Mario Kart with actual Go-Karting? Maybe you're a fan of Kirby who opts to go outside and inhale actual ice cream as oppose to virtual ice cream? Let us know.
 
 

[lolmonade]

I think it all depends on how many hours you typically game in a day.
 
Currently, I'll be lucky if I am able to squeeze in 1 hour a day after working 8 hours, making dinner for my family, and putting my son down for bed, so typically the best time for me to game anyway is from 8:30 - 10:30 PM.
 
I typically don't prioritize gaming over going outside or having live social activity unless i'm really invested in the game.  And even then, I still have to make sure my son isn't killing himself by sticking his hands in an open socket or getting himself attacked by our cats.

[Pixelated Pixies]

And even then, I still have to make sure my son isn't killing himself by sticking his hands in an open socket or getting himself attacked by our cats.

lol. What is it with kids and electrical outputs? I was keeping an eye on my 5 year old cousin last week and he seemed drawn to every possible socket he could find.

[shingi_70]

Still pretty crappy winter out in my neck of the woods. That mixed with not having a car and not  having masde that many friends at my community college means i've been been gaming more.


However once the weather breaks and I don't mind busing to events and have made more friends in the spring and summer I expect my console time to be reduced a bit


But its also why I have been playing my 3DS more. don't mind taking my 3ds with me while im running so I can stop to take a break at a store and play something.

[ejamer]

Echo of lolmonade's post.


That said, even if my gaming resolution does wane during nice weather I wouldn't be worried. We got 30cm of snow yesterday and will enjoy sub-zero temperatures for at least another month. Welcome to Canada - the land where summer lasts roughly two months, spring and fall are considered month-long bookends, and a harsh winter rules the land for two thirds of the year.  (Exaggeration. Yet not nearly as much of one as I'd like.)

[ejamer]

...
But its also why I have been playing my 3DS more. don't mind taking my 3ds with me while im running so I can stop to take a break at a store and play something.

Your version of running sounds different than mine. 
Did you mean running errands? Or do you really go outside for a run with a gaming system in tote for when you get winded?

[Ceric]

On the Son getting Electricuted.  Their are some great outlet covers if you can find them that don't swivel but slide.  What makes them so great is that they are flush, stops accidintal electrician, and (this is the best part) makes it very much harder to knock out a cord.

Winter and summer rarely change my gaming habits.  Especially since Winter for me is a lot of holidays and Birthdays.

Echo of lolmonade's post.


That said, even if my gaming resolution does wane during nice weather I wouldn't be worried. We got 30cm of snow yesterday and will enjoy sub-zero temperatures for at least another month. Welcome to Canada - the land where summer lasts roughly two months, spring and fall are considered month-long bookends, and a harsh winter rules the land for two thirds of the year.  (Exaggeration. Yet not nearly as much of one as I'd like.)

And yet somehow you became the country of nice people and Cheese and Gravy covered fries.

...
But its also why I have been playing my 3DS more. don't mind taking my 3ds with me while im running so I can stop to take a break at a store and play something.

Your version of running sounds different than mine. 
Did you mean running errands? Or do you really go outside for a run with a gaming system in tote for when you get winded?

What you haven't ran and played a game at the same time

[shingi_70]

...
But its also why I have been playing my 3DS more. don't mind taking my 3ds with me while im running so I can stop to take a break at a store and play something.

Your version of running sounds different than mine. 
Did you mean running errands? Or do you really go outside for a run with a gaming system in tote for when you get winded?

Running errands or on a treadmill.


when i'm running outside its usually only me, and my phone.

[ShyGuy]

During the Summer I usually only game when it's dark.

When I was playing Wii, this was reinforced by the fact that the sun peaking around my blinds would mess with the sensor bar.

[Ian Sane]

I don't play games as much in the summer because I'd rather go for a walk or ride my bike.  If the weather is nice it feels like I'm wasting it staying indoors, particularly since as a working adult, there just isn't the free time one had as a kid.  Far too often do I get a work week of sunny days, stuck in the office while the weekend rains.

Weekends with poor weather and a lack of other responsibilities to do are my ideal time to play games.

[Ceric]

...
when i'm running outside its usually only me, and my phone.

Well that reminded me of this song.

[Pixelated Pixies]

Gotta love some Numan.