It’s fair to say that my zest for gaming has somewhat diminished over the past year. Now that’s not to say that there aren’t games that I would like to play. “Monster Hunter Wild” is still permeating as my next potential addiction. The “Elder Scrolls Oblivion” Remake is a wonderful, if curious surprise that I’d be very interested to explore. GTA VI, which last week received its obligatory delay is now 12 months away. Though I have my Switch 2 pre-order ready for next month’s release, that’s really a console used to entertain the family, rather than a system to absorb myself into. But aside from that I find there is little to be excited for in this industry. Now this doesn’t mean there aren’t great games being released, but with the looming industry rise in software cost potentially crippling the more casual consumer, you do start to wonder if you are being priced out.

It is such a huge risk now. Time as well as financial limitations dictate this hobby, especially at my age. If I’m not working, which currently involves overnight shifts, I’m sleeping. Which again requires me to sleep during the day. Then most of my time is dictated by family responsibilities. So finding any time to immerse myself in a game, particularly expansive open world RPG’s, with branching quests and narratives is a tricky thing to navigate. Particularly when you consider that the only time I get for myself is in the evenings. So because of work, I only get weekend evenings. By which time I’m liable to fall asleep with my character standing there, tapping his foot in frustration and tapping his imaginary wristwatch, wondering why I’ve abandoned him in a troll infested cave for 3 hours. And there’s the cost. What if by some miracle I’ve found the time to indulge in this expensive hobby? Can I really risk spending £70 on a game I don’t like?

Sure you can take the time to read reviews, gauge some kind of insight from public opinion. Even relying on instinct to make an informed decision. But that doesn’t guarantee you’ll like it. I was convinced that I’d love “Balders Gate 3”. Everything I’d read and heard suggested as much. And though I respected the game and the developers remit when it comes to creating games, I just couldn’t get into it. Now that’s not necessarily the games fault, and certainly more of a “me” problem. But it is still a lot of money to spend on a game you are not enjoying. It used to be that you could rent a game, a process that would give you ample time to assess whether a game was right for you. But even if renting was still such a thing, you’ve now got to find £80 worth of disposable income to purchase it.