Who finances your Gaming/Tech hobbies?

[Ottoman]

Considering most of PG's fan base must be Under-18, the answer may be obvious but a lot of older guys don't earn yet so I'm trying to look at the wider picture here. Are you dependant on your parents money to fulfil your gaming habits or do you partially fund it? How many of you are entirely independent in this regard?

I remember buying my first gaming PC back in 2008. It was funded entirely by my parents and was more of a reward for me getting admission into a good Engineering institute. Thinking back, it was an ill-advised plan of action on my part because I didn't foresee the yearly expenses it requires. I haven't upgraded it since (which puts me at a disadvantage as I have been away from the gaming scene for sometime) but that's besides the point of this thread.

So I finally decided to replace my older phone with a new smartphone only because I was in a position to partially fund it. My brother was very generous in this regard for which I am thankful to him But I can't count on him or anybody else to fulfil my 'recreational' desires in the future.

I know a lot of people who work from an early age to fulfil needs like these. Which is a commendable act may I add.

I've added a poll to get a general impression. It is anonymous so don't shy away from choosing the correct option.

 

[Blastwave]

Me, all me.


Of course Parents paid for everything when I was a kid

But I have been working, earning myself for years and I finance my own hobbies and Tech

 

[Gamer150]

me i am working ..... age 24

 

[haroonshaikh]

My first PC was bought by my dad but it was just a regular PC. Me and my brother collected our pocket money for months and years and bought the gaming upgrades, which included ATI 9600 Atlantis GPU, Creative 4.1 ( still using after almost 8 years ), Audigy 2 zs, and many many more. Eventually I bought an entire new gaming setup last year from my cash award given by university. So now it is just me spending on my PC. But it is highly unlikely i would upgrade it any further because i can sense my priorities shifting away slowly...

 

[FaheemSaeed]

I Got Carried AwaY By my FINANCIERS

 

[AlienX]

I would disagree on calling it as 'recreational desires'. If your parents funded for a PC than take the optimistic approach, PC is not meant for gaming in first place but is, in reality, a highly productive tool.

Majority of under 18 are (with apologies) disillusional beings, they never realize the importance of time and money. Parents on the other hand fund into PC thinking that they will benefit from this valuable tool. Instead they (including me) spent most of the time beating about the bush and gaining practically nothing out of it.

Now coming back to recreational desires, I would say work is more fun than fun. From my own perspective and gaming since 1990. That's 23 years of gaming. I have concluded there is nothing worth in gaming. It's complete waste of your time/abilities/money/personality, Makes you isolated and normal people label you as nerd or someone not worth spending time with.

Gaming is a waste of intellect. It teaches you nothing.

All of the above applies when you make gaming your life's goal.

BUT. Gaming is pure fun. Fun comes after achievements, as little as they can be or to take you off from hectic routine and stress.

From here you need to differentiate between a hobby and drug or profession. Professional gamers (Starcraft 2) earn by playing games. As a hobby you spend on it when you can and you don't need to answer to anyone for that. Now when gaming becomes a drug, every penny either coming from your own hardwork or from parents is a waste of time/money.

Now back to topic. Who funds your gaming. Well that depends what importance is gaming in your life. If it's just for fun than you shouldn't concern yourself with such a weight on your mind as if to justify the money you are spending on it. As long as you are progressing in life and making yourself better with each step.

But if you are dillusional and playing WOW for 22 h/day or DOTA or anything which is actually affecting your normal life, Than even if you found a chest full of gold and have unlimited money, you are wasting it.

 

[abcd]

I am too old for this question now so I buy everything with my own money. But even when I was younger my parents weren't very fond of funding my gaming needs.

I still feel collecting money on your own over a long period to buy something gives you a satisfaction that getting it from your parents can never match. One of my most cherished memories is of buying the Sega Genesis when I was in school. It was a big deal at that time and it took me and my brother over a year to collect enough money to buy it. It was financed through eidi money, birthday gift money, pocket money, getting good grades money, and even lunch money. Even today I can remember the smell of the new packaging and plastic when I unboxed it!

 

[Journeys End]

well i have been financing all my tech needs and hobbies for the last 2 years except for the motherboard in my current rig which was a gift by my sister

 

[shahoo]

i have bought my personal gaming pc from my own money even though i am not earning,

 

[Spartan 117]

Well my Parents have been funding for PC and other hardware. I'm studying in UNI.

I do try to buy my own things for my hobbies whenever I can from the cash I get during EID or randomly from relatives etc.

 

[Lord AvaLon]

I would disagree on calling it as 'recreational desires'. If your parents funded for a PC than take the optimistic approach, PC is not meant for gaming in first place but is, in reality, a highly productive tool.

Majority of under 18 are (with apologies) disillusional beings, they never realize the importance of time and money. Parents on the other hand fund into PC thinking that they will benefit from this valuable tool. Instead they (including me) spent most of the time beating about the bush and gaining practically nothing out of it.

Now coming back to recreational desires, I would say work is more fun than fun. From my own perspective and gaming since 1990. That's 23 years of gaming. I have concluded there is nothing worth in gaming. It's complete waste of your time/abilities/money/personality, Makes you isolated and normal people label you as nerd or someone not worth spending time with.

Gaming is a waste of intellect. It teach you nothing.

All of the above applies when you make gaming your life's goal.

BUT. Gaming is pure fun. Fun comes after achievements, as little as they can be or to take you off from hectic routine and stress.

From here you need to differentiate between a hobby and drug or profession. Professional gamers (Starcraft 2) earn by playing games. As a hobby you spend on it when you can and you don't need to answer to anyone for that. Now when gaming becomes a drug, every penny either coming from your own hardwork or from parents is a waste of time/money.

Now back to topic. Who funds your gaming. Well that depends what importance is gaming in your life. If it's just for fun than you shouldn't concern yourself with such a weight on your mind as if to justify the money you are spending on it. As long as you are progressing in life and making yourself better with each step.

But if you are dillusional and playing WOW for 22 h/day or DOTA or anything which is actually affecting your normal life, Than even if you found a chest full of gold and have unlimited money, you are wasting it.

Well I tend to slightly disagree.
Back in the days when I got a PC from my Dad, I used it for nothing but gaming, movies and playing with it (yeah, I tried once to delete windows as well).
It was beneficial in the long run as I knew more about tech from anyone around and landed into better jobs eventually. Wouldn't give all the credit to gaming as you may be right to some extent but the time you spend with your PC you get to know it.
Moreover, whats the point of having fun in gaming if you are getting paid for it? Sounds more than a job and when I think of playing to earn money it sounds boring, hectic and tiring.

 

[AlienX]

Well I tend to slightly disagree.
Back in the days when I got a PC from my Dad, I used it for nothing but gaming, movies and playing with it (yeah, I tried once to delete windows as well).
It was beneficial in the long run as I knew more about tech from anyone around and landed into better jobs eventually. Wouldn't give all the credit to gaming as you may be right to some extent but the time you spend with your PC you get to know it.
Moreover, whats the point of having fun in gaming if you are getting paid for it? Sounds more than a job and when I think of playing to earn money it sounds boring, hectic and tiring.

When each nerve of you body works towards one goal, you accomplish it. Gaming, unfortunately, is the goal for many people. Now even if you have most powerful PC in the world and latest game, you still learn everything for one thing, Play a game and finish it.

The real curse is in finishing the game. Once you are done with a game, you start to look for another and another cycle of tinkering and upgrading and after finishing it, it becomes a useless commodity.

So when you spend your parent's money on gaming. By their consent or as a gift from them, you are wasting it in any form.

Just think about it, What do these games give you in return. Sometimes I wish I would have never introduced to gaming. There is a hidden curse in this "Hobby", you can't escape from the fact that your money is essentially going into dustbin but still every nerve of your body want's to play latest game.

 

[GloriousChicken]

@AlienX unintentionally bashing or what? :crazy:

 

[Lord AvaLon]

When each nerve of you body works towards one goal, you accomplish it. Gaming, unfortunately, is the goal for many people. Now even if you have most powerful PC in the world and latest game, you still learn everything for one thing, Play a game and finish it.

The real curse is in finishing the game. Once you are done with a game, you start to look for another and another cycle of tinkering and upgrading and after finishing it, it becomes a useless commodity.

So when you spend your parent's money on gaming. By their consent or as a gift from them, you are wasting it in any form.

Just think about it, What do these games give you in return. Sometimes I wish I would have never introduced to gaming. There is a hidden curse in this "Hobby", you can't escape from the fact that your money is essentially going into dustbin but still every nerve of your body want's to play latest game.

Well true that.
At times I envy people for having healthy hobbies.

 

[AlienX]

@AlienX unintentionally bashing or what? :crazy:

Nothing serious. Just midnight, half sleepy PG surreal adventure.

 

[MegamanEXE]

Well, I got my stuff in parts everytime I did well academically. Got a PSP for getting 3rd position in 7th grade. Graphics card for doing well in 8th grade. A whole PC for doing well in 10th grade, a smartphone for doing well in college.

But yeah, I can't upgrade regularly because my parents can't tell the difference between a pentium 4 and a Core i3, so there's that.

 

[r3aper]

So I can see another potential thread in the making, is a gaming a waste of time and resources? Lets see who's gonna make it. If no one does I'll make it over the weekend. Personally I don't call it a waste, call it unintentional or sub concious learning...you learn. Several studies have proven it. Further I believe if you find satisfaction from doing something you don't call it a wastage.

Now for the topic, had the Atari in home even before got hold of my senses, and then got SEGA and PSOne as a gift but from there I have never asked my parents for funding my gaming habits. Bought PS2 for almost 13k me and lil bro bought it from our savings. I still remember my mother's words "13000 rupay ka hai, bahut zaida paisay hotay hain yeh".

Waited almost 3 years till I was in a position to afford the PS3 and its games. Same goes for my tech hobbies.

Personally I too believe kids shouldn't be spoiled by fulfilling their every need so that they understand the value of things....And I'll stop here as we will drift into another debate.

 

[Yasir Nadeem]

Well me and my father built my current rig... And we always buy things like half my money and half my father's in things... Well i think alien x and others are right we get nothing from gaming it is just played for passing the time like i mostly play for passing the time but it is also the wastage of your energy most importantly , we feel tired after doing hours of gaming right ? Because our energy (i also mean using brain for gaming ;p) is put into gaming for completing missions ... And most of the people do not offer namaz and thanks Allah for what we have instead we just waste things that Allah Have Given Us and if ur tired offer namaz you will feel relaxed. Well i feel sleepy after writing this post.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[AlienX]

The narrative of thread suggests if you are doing something illegal and how do you fund it. I say all depends on original purpose of gaming. Is it affecting your life, your ambitions, health, social progression, love, your partner's life. If you say yes to any one of these, then it doesn't matter if you are fully funding it or your parents funding it, you are wasting your life.

I know a lot of older guys including me can fund into this hobby without problem. But We have at least 23 - 25 years of experience with us, we know the dark side of this so called hobby.

I don't know about others, but I have made it one of my life's goal to help make youngsters educated decisions instead of relying on guess work and ending up in complete wrong professions or wasting such a fun time when you are young.

I accept most of my gaming was funded by my parents, but now that I can afford a High End gaming rig, even have one, it just makes me sad when I realize games can teach you so much, but at the cost of social life, personality development, people's skills, financial management.

i am not a boring person though if you are thinking, I love gaming, I love to read fantasy novels, I own BF4, BF3 premium and have more than 500 hours spent in both. Just stepping back into reality is very important.

 

[HAMMER of THOR]

I haven't been gaming much for the past two years but i game now and then as i like "gamer's reflexes" as i play fast fps games. I especially see the benefits when i am trying to drive a car. Studies show that people who play fast fps games are BETTER at making "quick" decisions which is a skill not everyone has as most people make terrible mistakes making quick decisions. For reflexes and mental health i game now and then and it really does improve your concentration when you are staring at the scope of a sniper rifle round a corner. Though i was a crazy cs player once upon a time who would play 5-6 hours a day atleast when trying to go pro. But i quickly learned that it was not feasible for someone like me as i did not have the time really. I was, therefore, just content with having good skills ingame rather than wasting time on clans and tournaments in a sad attempt of going pro in a country like pakistan. I now only game for fun and keeping my reflexes sharp, although i find that it only requires that you game for a couple of hours a week only.