(Topic ID: 288279)

Am I the only one who is playing less during the pandemic?

By Nokoro

3 years ago


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  • 27 posts
  • 23 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by c0wb0y
  • Topic is favorited by 1 Pinsider

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    #1 3 years ago

    It seems like with everyone stuck at home during the pandemic, not spending money on vacations, etc. that pinball is surging, both in prices and sales. And, yet, I find myself playing less than ever before. My game room is now serving double duty as my home office, and frankly, I just don't want to be in there anymore during non-working hours. I try to go for walks as much as possible during breaks. While I always did that, I find getting outside all the more important now.

    Anyone else feel like this? I still love pinball. I've just lost a bit of the motivation to play as much as I once did.

    #2 3 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    My game room is now serving double duty as my home office, and frankly, I just don't want to be in there anymore during non-working hours.

    Well for others with a gameroom/office maybe but its about the same for me. The only thing that's different is I don't have people over and I love it. U know this pandemic has solidified my joy in being alone, finding out that most of the time I was drinking and drugging cause I had to otherwise the tedium of other peoples conversations would be unbearable. Now I drink and drug alone. Never been happier.

    #3 3 years ago

    I've played less during the pandemic, but for an entirely different reason.

    Since we've had so much time at home, I've been busting hump on finishing my basement. Had a good 6-month period (whilst working on drywall) that I had all the pins wrapped up and didn't touch 'em once. Afterwards, I didn't want to fire them up while there was still dust around or I had the potential of bumping something into them.

    Now that I'm really close to being done, I find myself going down there and playing more....

    Later,
    EV

    #4 3 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    It seems like with everyone stuck at home during the pandemic, not spending money on vacations, etc. that pinball is surging, both in prices and sales. And, yet, I find myself playing less than ever before. My game room is now serving double duty as my home office, and frankly, I just don't want to be in there anymore during non-working hours. I try to go for walks as much as possible during breaks. While I always did that, I find getting outside all the more important now.
    Anyone else feel like this? I still love pinball. I've just lost a bit of the motivation to play as much as I once did.

    It's certainly okay to play less pinball -- but when I find myself not turning on my two machines for long periods of time I try to get myself to play five games a day for a while, this usually gets me back in the swing of things and enjoying it again. Breaks are fine too though!

    Anyway, my game time has been pretty pandemic neutral -- really hasn't affected my pinball playing one way or another.

    #5 3 years ago

    My machines don't live with me they are a 10 minute bike ride away. So it kind of helps that I have a different place to go and play / work on the games. It's almost like going out!!!!

    I did go a couple months without playing much but that happens in non pandemic times too.

    #6 3 years ago

    I think many people are experiencing depression due to the pandemic, especially those with mental health issues. Depression can make it hard at times to enjoy even the things you love...so that can definitely result in playing less pinball.

    #7 3 years ago

    My kids are definitely playing the games more, I know because I'm spending more time fixing the little things that break.

    #8 3 years ago

    My interest in my photography went way down during the pandemic. Even though I could drive around the backroads of New England without running into people my motivate to be out and about went down.

    But I did plunge into fixing up my garage for working on pins and picked up a restoration EM project over the summer. Looking forward to when I can invite the neighbors over to play as they watched me working on it.

    #9 3 years ago
    Quoted from EchoVictor:

    I've played less during the pandemic, but for an entirely different reason.
    Since we've had so much time at home, I've been busting hump on finishing my basement. Had a good 6-month period (whilst working on drywall) that I had all the pins wrapped up and didn't touch 'em once. Afterwards, I didn't want to fire them up while there was still dust around or I had the potential of bumping something into them.
    Now that I'm really close to being done, I find myself going down there and playing more....
    Later,
    EV

    I'm doing the same; fixing up the garage and turning into a game-room. New wall done, electrician was here a week ago, sanding and paint done. Yesterday I installed a carpet. Tomorrow I will install the (inside) door. Soon time to move in the pinballs and start playing - really looking forward to that!

    Meanwhile I scan ebay and similar site for fun game-related stuff to put up on a few of the walls. Got a bunch of pin promotion flyers and some signs so far.

    #10 3 years ago

    I've been playing more. Picked up an Iron Maiden pro last October and am in the market now for a Houdini. That combined with weekly trips to Pinball Hall of Fame, following all COVID protocols of course, has me playing at least another 5-6 hours a week than I did pre pandemic. Looking back I can honestly say pinball has helped me keep my sanity over the last 11 months

    #11 3 years ago
    Quoted from CrazyLevi:

    My machines don't live with me they are a 10 minute bike ride away. So it kind of helps that I have a different place to go and play / work on the games. It's almost like going out!!!!
    I did go a couple months without playing much but that happens in non pandemic times too.

    That's a nice break.

    We have a very nice finished basement which is the game room. It is one of the nicest rooms in the house. I used to love being down there after work or on weekends. However, now it's just the place where I spend all my time working away from the sun. It takes some of the desire away from playing pinball.

    #12 3 years ago

    I only like to play when having friends over. So haven't played more then a game or two a week since this started.

    #13 3 years ago
    Quoted from arcademojo:

    I only like to play when having friends over. So haven't played more then a game or two a week since this started.

    Same here. Pinball is an activity that I love to do with others. I'll play a few games a week, but nothing sustained

    #14 3 years ago

    I've been playing more (and drinking more) during covid. Since I don't have any commute I have more time to go to the basement and get some playing in. As a matter of fact, I'm heading there as soon as I get done posting this. Wish me luck....

    #15 3 years ago
    Quoted from Nokoro:

    My game room is now serving double duty as my home office, and frankly, I just don't want to be in there anymore during non-working hours.

    Yes, my thoughts exactly. This pandemic has turned my game room into my conference room, so it's no where near as fun to be in. I'm sure my kids feel the same way about their "classrooms" upstairs.

    #16 3 years ago

    Somewhere there is a Seinfeld quote here "when work George and pinball George are in the same place...2 world's collide"...

    #17 3 years ago

    My wife and I play as much if not more than normal.

    #18 3 years ago

    I've been playing the hell out of my games during the pandemic, so did my family. I wouldn't call them life savers but they surely made these painful times much easier.

    #19 3 years ago

    Buy less, play more and don’t sell. Works for me.

    #20 3 years ago

    I've been playing less because I've been writing deeper organization home projects. I've also finally had time to tackle tech issues that had been lingering

    #21 3 years ago

    Definitely playing less as I only have one game at home, but used to go out with a friend of mine twice a month to play pins on location. I used to own about 15 pins, but cut down as they made a come-back in public locations, plus I successfully infected several people with the pin bug, so was able to play their pins. We have a pin at church, but I mostly go virtually, so that’s another option that’s significantly reduced. And there are no tournaments.

    So basically, all possibilities to play pinball outside my home have stopped.I sure wish I hadn’t given away several broken down EEs back in the day.

    #22 3 years ago

    I burnt out by late summer. I brought 6 machines back to life with various levels of restoration. Got half way through #7 and gave up. Still sitting in the corner with parts spread out.

    I haven’t even turned a machine on since Christmas.

    #23 3 years ago

    Yes, much less. and it's wierd.

    Working from home kills a good pinball habit.
    I've still rotated the collection well, with help, but play much less.

    #24 3 years ago

    This thread inspired me to go down to the basement and play a game last night after probably not having played a game of pinball in over a month. I chose LOTR and normally when I have not played LOTR in a while I do not make good progress toward Valinor the first couple games. Well, it turned out to be just one game, but an epic game. I grand championed and was just destroy the ring away from going to valinor. In destroy the ring the ball touched the slingshot only once and immediately threw it straight out the right outlane. I don’t usually play LOTR for score anymore so it was a huge game to top my grand champion. The one thing I did different was I completed There and Back Again which I usually don’t try to do.

    #25 3 years ago
    Quoted from Pinslot:

    We have a pin at church,...

    Hallelujah!

    Later,
    EV

    #26 3 years ago
    Quoted from DCFAN:

    This thread inspired me to go down to the basement and play a game last night after probably not having played a game of pinball in over a month. I chose LOTR and normally when I have not played LOTR in a while I do not make good progress toward Valinor the first couple games. Well, it turned out to be just one game, but an epic game. I grand championed and was just destroy the ring away from going to valinor. In destroy the ring the ball touched the slingshot only once and immediately threw it straight out the right outlane. I don’t usually play LOTR for score anymore so it was a huge game to top my grand champion. The one thing I did different was I completed There and Back Again which I usually don’t try to do.

    Ha! Glad I could help.

    #27 3 years ago

    I have a similar setup with a work are in my game room. When I'm on Zoom calls, people ask if that's really the room or if it is a background photo. They get a kick out of it.
    I had several very productive months getting smaller issues resolved, completing a complete restore, a playfield clear, and picking up a new pin. But I hit a wall with my Close Encounters project and have just ground to an overall pinball halt. I'm just so tired of being home all the time.
    My game play time has completely dropped off since December.
    My wife works in a hospital and related a real mundane conversation she had with some nurses she works with. Something about minivans vs. SUV's - nothing groundbreaking. It hit me that I haven't had simple fun small talk in forever. Most small talk I have with people on meetings is about Covid or weather.
    So... yeah. Bummed out and it is making me not do things I'd normally enjoy.

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