Game Over

Update

2009-02-13T10:22:00.002Z

Hi all,

I am a month and a half into this and I have not had any relapses.

Today I have decided to sell my xbox. This weekend I will put it on ebay and I will link the auctions here......

I think this is the end!!

Day 23, 'I like you more now that you have stopped playing games'

2009-01-23T11:52:00.004Z

This morning my girfriend said to me

"I like you more now that you have stopped playing video games"

I like myself more, I am more sociable, I am doing more exercise and I think I am in a better mood! However

I still desperately want to play some Left 4 Dead. I couldn't get enough of that game. It is like cross breeding

Terminator 2 with Evil Dead and Romero films and then putting you in both the director seat and the lead

role.

I highly reccomend giving it a go. Especially the Versus mode where you can play a zombie who has to kill the survivors!

Thinking about it makes me want to play it more than Zombies want brains!

I saw an interesting article today about the embezzlement of virtual funds (80bn) from a MMO (massively multiplayer online game) bank

This is not too disimilar from the 'Made off' scandal of recent weeks. I find it amazing how MMOs can build up such complex

mechanisms and systems. The chief of the virtual bank even issued a statement and two virtual bank managers have stepped

down from their roles! The highlight of the article must be the thiefs message he sent to the bank:

'So long, and thanks for all the fish"

If only Madoff had been that witty

Day 19, Busy Days + Zombies!!!

2009-01-19T15:19:00.002Z

Sorry for not posting for a few days. I have been choc 'a' bloc at work and at home. The giving up games malarkey is going well. I haven't touched any games and I am thinking about selling my Xbox 360! The closest I have come to playing a video game so far was a game of 'Zombies!!!' I played with friends. I think the game is great although my friends opinion may differ!

Since quitting games I have felt healthier (regular squash games), less stressed, more productive and generally feel better, plus it has made my girlfriend very happy!

On the down side I have been going to the pub a lots more than usual. This is bad on my finance and health. Maybe someone can write a thesis that compares video game addiction with alcohol addiction?!

In regards to my new projects I have yet to start on my book and I have yet to start Akira. However, I am mastering photoshop and am ploughing my way through the dark tower. I have become addicted to my MacBook, especially addicted to keeping it clean and out of harms way.

I have added a new project to my list. I want to make a video like this.

I will update this blog more regularly from now on so keep reading!

Day 10, MacLoving

2009-01-10T12:57:00.005Z

To all the mac haters out there, I have just worked out that you can indeed tap on the trackpad to single click and if you tap on the trackpad with 2 fingers its does a right click. Who needs a right mouse button!!

C

Day 10, Retraction

2009-01-10T11:53:00.002Z

First of all I would like to apologise for saying that two of my friends are addicted to World of Goo. They are not addicted they just really like it!

In the pub last night I was asked questions about why I am giving up games if I like them so much and why is the money raised going to a charity that wants children to play video games.

I do love video games but I feel that I spend too much time playing them, I used to wake up most mornings an hour earlier so that I could play video games. This made me tired and irritable. If i had a night in on my own I would play video games non stop. And I really do mean non stop, up to 14 hour sessions without food or water! This wasn't healthy for me. Since stopping video games I have been out more, socialised more, written a mediocre blog and I have read 2 books.

Any money that is raised will be going to child's play charity as I believe it is a worthwhile cause. It was set up by 2 guys who were fed up with the media and societies reaction to video games and its supposed link to violence. People like Jack Thompson (he is a douchebag) have spouted crap for years about how negative video games are. Child Play charity has raised millions for sick kids around the world and this shows how strong and how positive the gaming community is. Organisations like Childs play can really put people like Jack Thompson in his place.

I saw a couple of good gaming relation articles the other day. Firstly how video games are going to eclipse all other forms of media. I have been predicting this for years.

Secondly a good list of addicting games that will help you to get sacked. Of course I haven't touched any of these!!

C

The lol cat is for you McShane

Day 8, Ill

2009-01-08T21:02:00.004Z

I have been feeling poorly and I have spent most of the day sleeping or surfing the web. I was trawling through some Facebook pictures and saw this advert...... damn you advertising agencies

Day 7, 'The Dark Tower'

2009-01-07T22:08:00.004Z

I have taken up a lot of my new spare time by reading 'The Dark Tower' by Stephen King. I am currently near the end of the third book and I must say it is amazing. I have read other Stephen King books but none have been as engrossing as this. I recommend it. If you have never read the books (there are 7 of them) it is based on the poem below by Robert Browning who himself based it on King Lear by Mr Shakespeare:

My first thought was, he lied in every word,
That hoary cripple, with malicious eye
Askance to watch the working of his lie
On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford
Suppression of the glee that pursed and scored
Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby.

What else should he be set for, with his staff?
What, save to waylay with his lies, ensnare
All travellers who might find him posted there,
And ask the road? I guessed what skull-like laugh
Would break, what crutch 'gin write my epitaph
For pastime in the dusty thoroughfare,

If at his counsel I should turn aside
Into that ominous tract which, all agree,
Hides the Dark Tower. Yet acquiescingly
I did turn as he pointed: neither pride
Nor hope rekindling at the end descried,
So much as gladness that some end might be.

For, what with my whole world-wide wandering,
What with my search drawn out thro' years, my hope
Dwindled into a ghost not fit to cope
With that obstreperous joy success would bring,
I hardly tried now to rebuke the spring
My heart made, finding failure in its scope.

As when a sick man very near to death
Seems dead indeed, and feels begin and end
The tears and takes the farewell of each friend,
And hears one bid the other go, draw breath
Freelier outside ("since all is o'er," he saith,
"And the blow fallen no grieving can amend";)

While some discuss if near the other graves
Be room enough for this, and when a day
Suits best for carrying the corpse away,
With care about the banners, scarves and staves:
And still the man hears all, and only craves
He may not shame such tender love and stay.

Thus, I had so long suffered in this quest,
Heard failure prophesied so oft, been writ
So many times among "The Band"--to wit,
The knights who to the Dark Tower's search addressed
Their steps--that just to fail as they, seemed best,
And all the doubt was now--should I be fit?

So, quiet as despair, I turned from him,
That hateful cripple, out of his highway
Into the path he pointed. All the day
Had been a dreary one at best, and dim
Was settling to its close, yet shot one grim
Red leer to see the plain catch its estray.

For mark! no sooner was I fairly found
Pledged to the plain, after a pace or two,
Than, pausing to throw backward a last view
O'er the safe road, 'twas gone; grey plain all round:
Nothing but plain to the horizon's bound.
I might go on; nought else remained to do.

So, on I went. I think I never saw
Such starved ignoble nature; nothing throve:
For flowers--as well expect a cedar grove!
But cockle, spurge, according to their law
Might propagate their kind, with none to awe,
You'd think; a burr had been a treasure-trove.

No! penury, inertness and grimace,
In some strange sort, were the land's portion. "See
Or shut your eyes," said Nature peevishly,
"It nothing skills: I cannot help my case:
'Tis the Last Judgment's fire must cure this place,
Calcine its clods and set my prisoners free."

If there pushed any ragged thistle-stalk
Above its mates, the head was chopped; the bents
Were jealous else. What made those holes and rents
In the dock's harsh swarth leaves, bruised as to baulk
All hope of greenness? 'tis a brute must walk
Pashing their life out, with a brute's intents.

As for the grass, it grew as scant as hair
In leprosy; thin dry blades pricked the mud
Which underneath looked kneaded up with blood.
One stiff blind horse, his every bone a-stare,
Stood stupefied, however he came there:
Thrust out past service from the devil's stud!

Alive? he might be dead for aught I know,
With that red gaunt and colloped neck a-strain,
And shut eyes underneath the rusty mane;
Seldom went such grotesqueness with such woe;
I never saw a brute I hated so;
He must be wicked to deserve such pain.

I shut my eyes and turned them on my heart.
As a man calls for wine before he fights,
I asked one draught of earlier, happier sights,
Ere fitly I could hope to play my part.
Think first, fight afterwards--the soldier's art:
One taste of the old time sets all to rights.

Not it! I fancied Cuthbert's reddening face
Beneath its garniture of curly gold,
Dear fellow, till I almost felt him fold
An arm in mine to fix me to the place
That way he used. Alas, one night's disgrace!
Out went my heart's new fire and left it cold.

Giles then, the soul of honour--there he stands
Frank as ten years ago when knighted first.
What honest men should dare (he said) he durst.
Good--but the scene shifts--faugh! what hangman hands
In to his breast a parchment? His own bands
Read it. Poor traitor, spit upon and curst!

Better this present than a past like that;
Back therefore to my darkening path again!
No sound, no sight as far as eye could strain.
Will the night send a howlet or a bat?
I asked: when something on the dismal flat
Came to arrest my thoughts and change their train.

A sudden little river crossed my path
As unexpected as a serpent comes.
No sluggish tide congenial to the glooms;
This, as it frothed by, might have been a bath
For the fiend's glowing hoof--to see the wrath
Of its black eddy bespate with flakes and spumes.

So petty yet so spiteful! All along
Low scrubby alders kneeled down over it;
Drenched willows flung them headlong in a fit
Of mute despair, a suicidal throng:
The river which had done them all the wrong,
Whate'er that was, rolled by, deterred no whit.

Which, while I forded,--good saints, how I feared
To set my foot upon a dead man's cheek,
Each step, or feel the spear I thrust to seek
For hollows, tangled in his hair or beard!
--It may have been a water-rat I speared,
But, ugh! it sounded like a baby's shriek.

Glad was I when I reached the other bank.
Now for a better country. Vain presage!
Who were the strugglers, what war did they wage,
Whose savage trample thus could pad the dank
Soil to a plash? Toads in a poisoned tank,
Or wild cats in a red-hot iron cage--

The fight must so have seemed in that fell cirque.
What penned them there, with all the plain to choose?
No foot-print leading to that horrid mews,
None out of it. Mad brewage set to work
Their brains, no doubt, like galley-slaves the Turk
Pits for his pastime, Christians against Jews.

And more than that--a furlong on--why, there!
What bad use was that engine for, that wheel,
Or brake, not wheel--that harrow fit to reel
Men's bodies out like silk? with all the air
Of Tophet's tool, on earth left unaware,
Or brought to sharpen its rusty teeth of steel.

Then came a bit of stubbed ground, once a wood,
Next a marsh, it would seem, and now mere earth
Desperate and done with; (so a fool finds mirth,
Makes a thing and then mars it, till his mood
Changes and off he goes!) within a rood--
Bog, clay and rubble, sand and stark black dearth.

Now blotches rankling, coloured gay and grim,
Now patches where some leanness of the soil's
Broke into moss or substances like boils;
Then came some palsied oak, a cleft in him
Like a distorted mouth that splits its rim
Gaping at death, and dies while it recoils.

And just as far as ever from the end!
Nought in the distance but the evening, nought
To point my footstep further! At the thought,
A great black bird, Apollyon's bosom-friend,
Sailed past, nor beat his wide wing dragon-penned
That brushed my cap--perchance the guide I sought.

For, looking up, aware I somehow grew,
'Spite of the dusk, the plain had given place
All round to mountains--with such name to grace
Mere ugly heights and heaps now stolen in view.
How thus they had surprised me,--solve it, you!
How to get from them was no clearer case.

Yet half I seemed to recognise some trick
Of mischief happened to me, God knows when--
In a bad dream perhaps. Here ended, then,
Progress this way. When, in the very nick
Of giving up, one time more, came a click
As when a trap shuts--you're inside the den!

Burningly it came on me all at once,
This was the place! those two hills on the right,
Crouched like two bulls locked horn in horn in fight;
While to the left, a tall scalped mountain . . . Dunce,
Dotard, a-dozing at the very nonce,
After a life spent training for the sight!

What in the midst lay but the Tower itself?
The round squat turret, blind as the fool's heart
Built of brown stone, without a counterpart
In the whole world. The tempest's mocking elf
Points to the shipman thus the unseen shelf
He strikes on, only when the timbers start.

Not see? because of night perhaps?--why, day
Came back again for that! before it left,
The dying sunset kindled through a cleft:
The hills, like giants at a hunting, lay
Chin upon hand, to see the game at bay,--
"Now stab and end the creature--to the heft!"

Not hear? when noise was everywhere! it tolled
Increasing like a bell. Names in my ears
Of all the lost adventurers my peers,--
How such a one was strong, and such was bold,
And such was fortunate, yet each of old
Lost, lost! one moment knelled the woe of years.

There they stood, ranged along the hillsides, met
To view the last of me, a living frame
For one more picture! in a sheet of flame
I saw them and I knew them all. And yet
Dauntless the slug-horn to my lips I set,
And blew. "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came."

The books are very similar to Tolkien but less complicated in my opinion and more atmospheric. Buy, steal or listen to 'The Dark Tower' please

Day 7,Tetris 'helps to reduce trauma'

2009-01-07T09:47:00.008Z

"Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it" - Lily Tomlin

According to the BBC News website Tetris 'helps to reduce trauma'.

In response to my blog yesterday 'Cold turkey' although video games can be addictive and can create some social problems I always feel relaxed when I play them.

This is especially true when I play puzzle games.

I am now worried that my year without video games will be very stressful. Doe's anyone have any tips on how to avoid stress??

Day 6, Substitute

2009-01-06T16:08:00.004Z

I usually sneak an hour of gaming in when I get home from work. My girlfriend gets home an hour after me.

I now have a spare hour to do whatever my heart desires. And my heart desires to clean the oven.

Life is good without video games

Day 6, Jesus said to him, "Again, it is written, 'You shall not test the Lord, your God.'"

2009-01-06T13:35:00.003Z

Since my colleague, who I share an office with found out about this blog he has been playing the Streets of Rage music on his computer to try and tempt me.

I am stronger than this!

However he also humorously recounted how angry he got when he accidentally used a special move as soon as the level started. (The special move drains your life). It was the fuel for many young boys tantrums!

Day 6, Cold Turkey

2009-01-06T10:04:00.004Z

6 Days cold turkey. I genuinely think that after a year of no gaming I will not go back to it. This article in the Guardian details some potential problems of computer game addiction.

Althought I am a big fan of computer games, I do beleive that they are highly addictive. More and more games are adding levelling up (grinding) aspects to games. The latest COD games were the first shooters to add levelling up as complex as many RPGs. I would play COD for many hours not for the excitement or the social side, I would simply play it so I could gain enough experience to access new weapons or gold colour weapon skins. In the end this took its toll on my enjoyment of the game especially when I reached the maximum level. As soon as I reached the highest level I turned it off and stopped playing. This is why WoW have released new expansion packs which have increased the level cap.

Anyway, hopefully without video games I may become more productive and healthier!

Day 5 , Xbox Live Cancellation

2009-01-05T12:24:00.004Z

Xbox live has now been cancelled. At least I will save myself £5 a month now.

Day 5, £20

2009-01-05T11:04:00.003Z

I have been sponsored £20. Looks like I am actually going to have to go through with this now.

It is really sinking in now

Thanks to the sponsor. Click here if anyone else wants to sponsor me

Day 5, First day back at work

2009-01-05T09:41:00.004Z

I just booted up my work computer to find this as my wallpaper. All I want to do now is play Left 4 Dead. My wallpaper needs to be changed to something completely unrelated to video games. If you have any suggestions please send them to me on a stamped addressed postcard or write them in the comment section below.

Day 4, Chrono Trigger

2009-01-04T19:26:00.003Z

I just saw an advert on the internet for Chrono Trigger DS. This have now been added to my 'games I will miss out on this year'. I was always a Sega owner so I missed out on this game first time around and I was really looking forward to giving this a go. Oh well next year it is! Enjoy if you are playing it right now you lucky so and so's!

C

Day 4, The Empty Gap

2009-01-04T12:32:00.000Z

There is now an empty gap underneath my TV where my Xbox once lived.

Four days without gaming hasn't been too tough however I have been tempted on a few occasions. Firstly two of my friends are currently addicted to World of Goo, they were playing it the other day and hearing the theme music brought back happy video game memories.

Secondly I was at friends house the other night and saw his Wii underneath the TV. I was very worried that he would suggest playing the Wii. That would have been my first real test.

Finally I have just bought a new MacBook and it came preloaded with a couple of games. It is very frustrating knowing that I have games on here which I have yet to explore. Oh well, 361 days to go!

C

How to donate

2009-01-01T14:44:00.000Z

If you do want to donate you can either use the Widget at the bottom of this blog or you can donate here

Game over! Giving up gaming, The Rationale Day 1

2009-01-01T13:57:00.002Z

My name is Chris and I love video games! I have played them for years and they are my main hobby. I love the thrill of FPS's and the excitement of leveling up in an RPG. I have always played games and I try and fit in gaming on a daily basis. However, I have recently started to feel that they are taking over my life a little. See the problem is that I cannot play them in moderation. When I sit down to play a game 5,6,7 or even 12 hours pass by.

I have also started to feel that there are other things I want to do with my spare time. Therefore I have decided to give up all video games for 365 days, starting today 1st January. I am going to blog my efforts to stop playing video games on this page, I have also set up a Just giving page and a widget below if anyone fancies sponsoring this challenge. All money will go to 'Child's Play Charity' which is 'dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in a network of over 40 hospitals worldwide' . All money donated through this blog will go to Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Below I will detail the rules for the challenge, what I am going to try to achieve with all my new spare time, what I will be missing out on doing this challenge and also how people can check up on me to make sure that I have not relapsed!

The Rules

All forms 0f electronic based games must not be played for 365 days. Electronic based games include:

All consoles (E.g. Xbox 360, PS3, DS, Wii, Megadrive etc.)
All java/flash based internet games
All PC games including solitaire!
All mobile phone (cell phone) games
Pinball machines, arcade games (Coin-op), fruit machines (gamblers)
Any other electronic LCD games

There is only one exception, and that is Lips on Xbox 360 as it is more Karaoke than a video game and I enjoy a sing when I am drunk. If anyone feels this should not be allowed please let me know!

I am not allowed to partake in any gaming no matter how much friends insist or how intoxicated I am!
I am not allowed to watch other people play video games or give guidance
Watching videos of games on youtube etc is also banned.

What I will miss out on

Halo 3 Recon
Halo Wars
World of Goo
Call of Duty Modern Combat 2
Left for Dead new DLC (very upset about this one!)
Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars
Bionic Commando (Remake)
Resident Evil 5
Alan Wake
Chrono Trigger DS

I will update this list every time a new game which I really want to play is released

What I will do with all my spare time

Write a book
Take more photographs
Finish reading The Dark Tower
Read 'Akira'
Design a website
Master Photoshop
Write an up to date blog
Make a video like this

I will write updates on how close I am to achieving these new hobby quests

How you can check up on me

My xbox my main gaming machine is linked to xbox live. I will keep it linked up and if I sign on to play a game it will be recorded. You can use 360voice.com to keep a check on me . My page can be found here
I will delete all games from my mobile phone
My DS will be given to my girlfriend for safe keeping
As for all the other opportunitites I have to play games you will just have to trust me that I am not playing them. I have told enough of my firends that I am doing this and they will never let me live it down if I start playing games. I will be very honest especially as hopefully people will donate some money and I don't want to cheat you all!

I now enter my first day of no gaming. Wish me luck!

C