Siobhan Keogh: How adulthood changes your relationship with games

Siobhan Keogh wishes she could spend her weekend's playing Halo.

Gone are the carefree days of gaming all weekend as a teenager - or are they? Siobhan Keogh takes a closer look at the relationship of gaming in adulthood.

There's no doubt that my relationship with video games has changed as I've grown into adulthood. Often, as a child and teenager, I thought that adulthood would mean that I could do whatever I wanted because there'd be nobody around to tell me what to do. Once I was all grown up I could spend an entire weekend playing Halo if I wanted to.

If you're not yet an adult, I'm sorry to tell you that it just gets harder. Here's why you probably won't be spending your 20s and 30s shooting the Covenant in the face.

You have less time

My life is pretty busy. Every adult's life is, right? Like most people in their late twenties, I've been paying my own bills for years now and yet it somehow seems like each year I take on a little more responsibility and have a little less free time. And, relatively speaking, I have it easy - I'm not a parent like many of my gamer friends.

Sometimes I daydream of the weekends and afternoons I used to spend as a teenager and uni student, sitting on the couch playing through a JRPG because the only responsibility I had was to myself. Mostly, though, I'm happy to be so busy - most of what makes me busy actually enriches my life.

But it does mean that I don't have time for games that make me feel like I'm wasting my time - looking at you, Assassin's Creed 3 - or games that overpromise and underdeliver. If I only get to spend a couple of hours a week playing games, then I'm going to spend my time playing good games.

I also find myself increasingly drawn to shorter games. Now, before you pipe up and say that reviewers get free games and therefore my opinion on this doesn't count, keep in mind that I buy most of my games myself. And I'd rather play a great game that's 10 hours long than a great game that's 50 hours long, because that 50-hour game just won't get finished.

You have less energy

If you think that gaming will help you unwind after a long day at work, I have bad news for you.

While some games can be played to unwind, others require way too much concentration and brainpower. If you're playing your way through a really intense game, chances are when you get home after a stressful day you're going to want to do something less interactive. While you might want to spend three hours playing Company of Heroes, you'll frequently find yourself binge-watching a TV show instead, probably with a drink in hand. It's just so much easier.

Your expectations change

Game that are designed purely to maximise fun are fantastic. I still play Mario Kart and thoroughly enjoyed Just Dance 2015 when I reviewed it last week.

But increasingly I want to let go of the idea that games have to be fun. Instead I want them to mature as I've matured and tackle bigger issues (although it's great if they're still fun, too).

Fortunately I'm in luck there - in the last few years games have really started to grow up. Game studios have finally cottoned onto the fact that a really, really good narrative about three-dimensional characters, rather than alien races fighting one another, is sometimes all you need to have a hit. The fact that The Walking Dead has been so successful is proof - it's a game that focuses on the subtleties of human relationships. People love it because there's always someone to identify with.

And while Heavy Rain is a love-it-or-hate-it game, I've always admired that it dealt with relationships and sex in a grown-up way.

But the good news is...

Despite it all, you somehow find the time, energy and passion to play and enjoy yourself anyway. Whether it's a few minutes on your smartphone on the bus, or an hour with your console before bedtime, you can always squeeze it in. And when you do, you'll value the time that much more.

* Do you still find the time to play video games in your 20s and 30s? Or did you give up gaming as you got older?

- nzherald.co.nz