(Yes, it’s been several months since I last posted. I can’t guarantee it won’t be several more before I do so again. ;-) )
It’s nearly 8:30 PM on a Wednesday night. It’s quiet in the house, as Lucas has had his last bottle of the day and has crashed out in Jennifer’s arms. Fairly soon, I’ll be putting him in bed.
The newest version of DOOM was released last weekend, and my copy arrived on Monday. One would think that it would be a perfect time for me to get some gaming in while he’s sleeping, especially as I almost always play with a headset.
Nope, not going to happen.
It’s definitely been a major adjustment. Now that Lucas is asleep, it’s time for me to prep his stuff for tomorrow, and then go to bed. I’m honestly too tired to do anything else, especially as my normal wake-up time on a weekday is 5:30 AM.
I think Jennifer put it best yesterday: I have to adjust to being a gamer geek dad, as opposed to being just a gamer geek. I can still play, of course, but I have to do so in accordance to Lucas’s needs and schedule. It’s taken a while to sink in, because I would hear about new games that I want to play, and I get disappointed that I don’t get to play them right off the bat.
My best plan so far is to adapt how I am handling my computing time now to the new gaming schedule. On weeknights, my gaming will most likely be limited to what I can play on my iPad and iPhone. This isn’t a bad thing, as there are plenty of quick casual games I can play on my iDevices. Talisman: The Horus Heresy was just released, for example, and anyone who knows me knows I love to play Talisman. In addition, The Pinball Arcade is always good for some quick fun, as two of my three favorite tables (Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Judge Dredd) are already out for the platform, and the third favorite (Doctor Who) will be out by the end of the year. I’m even considering reinstalling Mortal Kombat X, and not letting myself get too angry at the character Challenge Towers (or avoiding them entirely).
On weekends, once Lucas is asleep or otherwise occupied by Jennifer, I can spend time playing games on my PlayStation 4. As I mentioned earlier, DOOM was released last weekend, so that should take up some of my time. In addition, Blizzard’s new shooter, Overwatch, will be out next week. I’m not usually for multiplayer games (even if I love playing Destiny) but Overwatch impressed the hell out of me.
In any event, it’s taking some getting used to. I may not game like I used to, but I think that with this new schedule, I can strike a happy balance where I can be a dad and still get in my gaming time. :-)