I Spend More Time Watching Games Than Playing Them (and I’m Not Alone)

One of many realities of maturity is that I haven’t got the time to spend on video games like I used to. But, some video games have epic storylines that I would wish to expertise. The answer is watching gaming movies whereas I do different stuff. I used to assume I used to be bizarre for this, nevertheless it seems I am not.

Survey Exhibits Most Avid gamers Watch Extra Video games Than They Play

A current examine means that players spend, on common, around 7.5 hours playing compared to 8.5 hours watching games. With so many nice video games round, why do these players spend extra time watching than enjoying? As somebody who finds himself watching video games greater than enjoying them, I can say there are a number of causes.

Why I Like Watching Video games

Have you ever ever sat on the sofa and watched your friends play a game? Even when I am not the one holding the controller, I nonetheless have one thing to stay up for. It is that sense of camaraderie and enjoyable you’re feeling being with somebody you recognize effectively. That very same kind of vibe is what you get from watching one of the best online game creators. Other than that sense of familiarity, there are some fringe advantages I get from watching video games as an alternative of enjoying them.

It is Funnier

The very very first thing that pulls me to watching a sport (or a channel that does gaming content material) is how partaking the creator is. Whereas some folks may take pleasure in watching a sport in silence, I discover that common commentary from the participant is important, particularly if the commentary is hilarious. Even “severe” video games like Elden Ring are extra enjoyable when the streamer makes you snicker quite a bit.

It is Faster

Talking of Elden Ring, have you ever ever performed a sport for a number of hours and located your self caught going over the identical battle or sequence? For some players, this is part of the sport. The patterns and modifications within the sequences are issues to study to get higher. For a few of us, although, it is a headache to should do the identical missions time and again. It is quite a bit much less tense when another person is doing them. It is also quite a bit much less time-consuming, since you can simply skip by the video to the place the streamer completes that battle or sequence.

It is Simpler

Frustration is likely one of the largest causes I depart a sport unfinished. I wish to assume I’ve a whole lot of endurance for a online game, so little annoyances do not hassle me. Besides, some video games are too troublesome or irritating for even me to get by. Nevertheless, watching another person wrestle and enhance could be entertaining. Once I die in a sport, it makes me bitter, however after I see another person fail at a sport, it may be hilarious, relying on how the fail occurred.

These Genres Are Higher to Watch

I used to have the ability to tackle lengthy, grindy video games as a result of they might give me a whole lot of content material to place my time into. Nevertheless, whereas my curiosity in these video games stays excessive, the time I can dedicate to them has now develop into fairly restricted. Streaming playthroughs of big RPGs like Divinity: Unique Sin or Pathfinder: Kingmaker is how I take pleasure in these video games now.

Video games which have a number of branching decisions that take time to find are nice for streaming. I discover myself watching a whole lot of Slay the Spire gameplay as a result of every playthrough is exclusive. Moreover, watching streamers can provide me concepts about new methods to strive after I get the time to really play the sport myself. The identical goes for different roguelikes and roguelites. I’ve spent manner an excessive amount of time streaming Caves of Qud content material.

Whereas I really like indie video games, there’s simply not sufficient time within the day to stream all of the indie video games I wish to expertise. In consequence, I have a look at small gaming channels that play by these titles to gauge discover those that catch my curiosity. I really discovered a couple of (like Fields of Mistria and Europa) due to the content material from these streamers.

That mentioned, there may be some gaming content material that I simply will not watch, though a lot of different folks do. MMORPGs like World of Warcraft have an enormous viewers, however I by no means actually obtained into watching these kinds of video games. It may simply be as a result of I discover them far more enjoyable to expertise firsthand.

Speedrunners and eSports Are Additionally Enjoyable

I obtained into watching speedruns from streamers a couple of years in the past, and I’ve learned a lot about playing those games from the speedrunners. Even seeing a speedrunner full a private finest for themself provides a rush of adrenaline for me. Speedrunning has a stunning variety of leaderboards and classes throughout totally different video games. I even watched somebody speedrun The Curse of Monkey Island as soon as, and that is an journey sport!

I first obtained into watching eSports after I was an avid DotA participant. I might tune into video games throughout The Worldwide, and even comply with a number of the gamers on these groups. The Worldwide 2024 garnered 1.44 million peak viewers, exhibiting that watching these video games remains to be an enormous a part of the participant base’s curiosity.

Between these two classes, I like to recommend speedrunners extra. After they flub a run, they will simply restart with out worrying an excessive amount of about it. Nevertheless, in the event you’re invested in an eSport crew they usually find yourself on the again foot, you can be caught watching them for some time, though the sport’s already determined.

Watching Video games Can Be as Enjoyable as Taking part in Them

Life is busy, and a few of us simply haven’t got the time to do the gaming we wish to. As a substitute of shedding observe of your favourite video games, I recommend you simply discover an awesome streamer who you take pleasure in watching play these video games. Some playthroughs final dozens of hours—like watching a Netflix collection. If you wish to sustain together with your sport franchises whereas not getting sucked right into a sport for hours, this may be one of the best tradeoff you may have.