Game Therapy is a new video series I’ve created to foster discussion about how we all use games to cope with the ups and downs we experience in life.
The theme for this edition of Game Therapy is burnout. A large percentage of my gaming is dedicated to creating reviews, let’s plays and video series like this one. Spend enough time playing games this way and you’re destined to get burnt out at some point. So when you get burnt out, how do you deal with it? Do you play other games? Do you stop gaming altogether? I created this video to show you how I deal with gaming burnout.
As counterintuitive as it may seem, gaming is actually one of the ways I cope when I’m burnt out on games. Madden NFL Football never disappoints in this regard. I think it has something to do with the fact that the game of football is somewhat predictable and consistent. Sure, individual games can have situations that differ greatly from one another. But at the end of the day, it’s still football. The goal of scoring more points than your opponent never changes. This gives me a sense of control and a dose of mindless fun that does not require the same cerebral investment of my other more work-related gaming activities.
Some may also find it unique that I play Madden a bit like an RPG. I create most of the characters on my team, adjust and manage their abilities and tendencies and attempt to blend them all together into a cohesive unit. I create fantasy representations of people in my real life. I try to anchor each person – myself included – in a bit of reality, but I do take some creative liberties with my squad. To illustrate, you’ll notice that I’m a quarterback and quite a bit faster in the game than I am in real life (I played Safety and Receiver). If you look closely, you’ll also notice that Jesus Christ is my Center (slight humor and double entendre intended). Many of my real-life teammates, friends and even family members share the field with me in this adventure that I escape into when burnout manifests.
But enough about me. Peep the video if you haven’t already and let’s talk about how you deal with gaming burnout.
