5 Tips On Gaming For The Busy Gamer

Over the past 10-15 years, I've gone from being able to spend up to 30-40 hours a week playing games, to probably more like 10 hours a week. As the duties of a grown up life start to add up, I simply can't spend as many hours on my hobby as I used to. Not that I am complaining, but it does mean that spending a week leveling my Soldier in Anarchy Online is no longer a viable course of action.
I have found that in order to still get the most enjoyment out of my biggest hobby, I needed to make some adjustments to the way I handle my gaming.

Can't game as much as you used to? Take heed of the immortal words of the Hitchhiker's Guide and read on!

Here are my 5 best tips to anyone that also finds themselves with a big desire to nom-nom-nom on all the gaming goodness that the video games industry offers up, but have a calendar that does not easily allow for 8 hour galaxy saving gaming sessions.

5: Read about games and be selective about what games you want to play

With little time to actually play games, you'll want to try to make sure that the games that you actually spend your time on will be worth it.

I try to keep up with game coverage on various gaming sites. I have several favorite gaming sites that I read regularly. Through these I check out previews and reviews of new and upcoming games, and I generally have an idea about if I want to try a game well before it is out. Of course, it does take a little out of the fun of stumbling upon something you never heard about, but I think it's worth it to reduce the risk of playing a game for 5 hours and then going "meeeeh, this kinda sucked".

Steam holds Halloween "scary games" sales blowout - Get your 5 euro Bioshock now!

Never ones to miss any excuse for a crazy games sales bonanza, Steam is holding a Halloween themed sales fest, where a bunch of "scary" themed games are discounted to low low levels.

These happy pumpkins know the goodness that is the Steam Halloween sale!

I've had a looksie at what is available in this gut filled bucket of pumpkin festival related game titles, and here are a few fantastic games that you can pick up for cheap, if they have not already made their way into your gaming collection:

5 Video game phenomenons that we'd like in real life

The world of video games is a little microcosm of its own.

There are so many gameplay mechanisms that we as players have become so used to that we don't even think about them at all.

I have 3 lives?
Makes perfect sense to me!

Things such as a checkpointing system is an example of a mechanic that you would probably only really notice if it was absent.

These things all make playing games a more enjoyable and relaxing experience, but imagine if we could transfer them into the real world.

If you could pick 5 video game mechanics to transfer into reality, which would be the ones to pick?

Looking ahead into Q4 2011 -5 games that I can't wait to play

The fourth quarter (October to December) is traditionally the big release window for video games.

Like a large blob of ketchup suddenly dislodging, it hits me every year with equal measure of surprise and makes me go "oh crap, how the heck will I find time to play all of this stuff?".

Q4 of 2011 is no different.
Sporting mega titles such as Zelda, Gears of War, Skyrim and Rage it is enough to fill a hardcore gamers mind with equal amounts of jubilant glee and deep despair (empty wallet says hi).

For a more detailed overview of every big game coming out in Q4 you can check out this list IGN made

Skyrim alone could eat all your gaming time from November and out

As both time and money are resources that needs to be considered, I have tried boiling the games to get in the next three months down to just five.

This should hopefully let me actually complete all the games that I get, and also it means that I do not have to give my girlfriend a home made present for Christmas (you can only really give someone so many crappy clay ashtrays. Especially when they don't even smoke)

So without further ado here are the games that have made the "do want" list:

5 Deus Ex lessons for wannabe super agents

I've already expressed my opinion on Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

The game puts you in the role of Adam Jensen, badass extraordinaire. Ex-cop and head of security of one of the biggest and most influential companies in the world, Adam is a man that can get the job done.

If you wanna become as cool as Adam Jensen, you gotta know the tricks of the trade

Budding agents can take many key lessons to heart from Deus Ex. 

Like how crawling out from a ventilation shaft into someones office and reading their personal e-mails, while the inhabitant of said office is looking right at you, is perfectly fine behavior and will not cause any suspicion at all.

I have managed to narrow down the five points that I think are the most essential for any super agent in the making.

5 Reasons not to invite Darth Vader to your dinner party

You may think that having the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, to your party is a great idea.

You’ll impress your friends with your connections to people with power and in case your kitchen appliances break down while you’re preparing dinner you’ll have someone around that’s good with his hands around (even if they are strictly speaking not *his* hands).

Do not sit him at the Younglings table

However, before you make this decision I  will give you 5 reasons why this is a bad idea.

Keeping up with current events -Personal Top 5 gaming news sites

The world of video games is a fast moving one.

As a person that has a considerable interest in video games you need to keep up on what is going on, what new game did Blizzard just announce? How did Duke Nukem Forever actually turn out? What is the latest crazy game with scantily clad women that has come out of Japan?

All this is of utmost importance to impress fellow bespectacled gaming oracles at the water cooler/coke vending machine.

New DLC for Minesweeper?! Stop the press!

The information you need is out there (somewhere just to the right of the Truth. If you see David Duchovny you've gone too far and will need to make a u-turn).

Here is my personal top 5 of gaming sites that will both inform and entertain in your quest for ever more nuggets of video gaming enlightenment.

5 good sci-fi video games on Steam for under 5 euro each

The economic crisis is hitting us all, even us nerds have to hold back on our extravangaze.
Some of you out there may even still be using phones that you bought more than 12 months ago!

Video games are expensive but even during hard times we must be entertained!

If you don't have a tree like this, then you may need to think twice when choosing what games to buy

I have gone through the bargain bins of Steam and picked out 5 sci-fi games for under 5 euro each that I think should keep you entertained for many hours and take your mind off how you may not be able to afford that Iphone 5 at launch...