What Do You Do When You’re Not Gaming?

Reality - Video GamesGaming. It’s the bond that keeps our little community together. It’s the glue that holds us strong like… you know, glue, I guess. Anyway, we’ve been going strong for two years now, and we’ve talked about everything gaming related under the sun from a double takedown of Catwoman and Harley Quinn to arguments about which drug Hideo Kojima will use for his next inspiration.

And while I believe there are many more wells to tap, and deep ones at that, I thought I would venture a little bit outside the gaming sphere and find out more about you guys. I’ve said before that one of the things I love about this place is the way we all interact in the comments, so I’m counting on some pretty solid answers to this next question: what the heck do you guys do when you’re not gaming?

For me, as many of you know, I help run a goofy little outfit of guys making dumb Web videos. We’re currently on break right now, so in the meantime I’m doing a lot of personal writing. One of my dreams is to be a fantasy/sci-fi author. Barring that, I will just play video games the rest of my days until my thumbs fall off. And what about you guys? What kind of stuff are you into? Do you go to school? Work? Are you a superhero at night? Go!

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I write about samurai girls and space marines. Writer for Smooth Few Films. Rooster Teeth Freelancer. Author of Red vs. Blue, The Ultimate Fan Guide, out NOW!

21 thoughts on “What Do You Do When You’re Not Gaming?”

  1. Since I am starting senior year in High School it is mainly studying and hanging out with friends. I am in the Band and the Swim Team too. So alooooot of swimming and working out almost every night from 8-10. I also like backpacking and camping but have been doing that kind of less recently because of time constraints.

  2. When I’m not in class (I’m in college) and not playing games, I’m either helping my dad or doing something with music.

    I live on a farm and harvest time is coming up soon, so I’ll be spending a lot of time out in the fields both with my dad and another guy I work for. I may even have to skip some class in order to stay on schedule with both 0:

    Now this next part is not going to make any sense at all considering I’m a farm boy, but bear with me. I like country music, but I absolutely love dance music, especially the hardstyle genre, but really all music electronically produced. I’d say my favorites are deadmau5, Tiesto, Kaskade, and Scooter. So yeah, I spend a lot of time listening to that kind of music, and I even just bought FL Studio 9 and a MIDI controller, so I’m planning on experimenting with my own music. It would be a dream come true to be able to see deadmau5 in October when he is in Chicago and Tiesto in November when he is there, but I’ll settle for one or the other!

  3. Lets see, I like to rock climb and go backpacking, I actually just got back from a week long back packing trip up through the Sierra mountains and some of Yosemite (hypothermia at ten thousand feet and in the middle of nowhere is no fun).

    I draw and paint, I have been taking voice lessons for a number of years now and I play the guitar. I like to read both Science fiction and fantasy with healthy does of philosophy thrown in the mix.

    P.S. Newaythisckesgr8, where do you guys live? My brother in law owns a ranch in Wyoming and they are alwase hurting for help during the school year (most of there hired hands leave around August to go to college so they have no help)

    Muaddib, where do you go backpacking and how long do you normally go?

  4. I recently enlisted in the us army so I will unfortunatly be missing many a good games coming early 2011, but for the time being I’m wiling at a temp agency and working on my gaming backlog

  5. I’m back in college to get an Electrical Engineering degree, so lots of studying. I work for a company developing power plants here in CA part time. I also ride a Harley (yes I watched the SouthPark episode, and it’s funny), Kayak, hanging out with friends, track days (my buddy has an 07 BMW 335i modded up). I’m also a bit of a media hound; YouTube, Revision3, GameTrailers, etc. That’s how I found this wonderful little thing called SmoothFewFilms. lolz. I write too, screen plays mostly. Working on a pilot (I’m not a professional or anything, I just like good stories).

    @ Newaythisckesgr8
    Awesome music choices, I totally like the same groups. Particularly Tiesto, Crystal Method, and Carbon Based Lifeforms.

  6. PS: All of SmoothFewFilms and GamerSushi contributors/writers/actors/etc should answer this Q. I think everyone who reads GamerSushi would def be interested, I know I am. I’d like to know what you guys do in your spare time.

  7. Well I’m at school during the day and I work at Gamestop, and when I’m not doing either of those things I either game, hang out with friends, or read (usually game related novels). Pretty geeky stuff, but I think it’s better than sitting in front of a TV and consuming every bit of information Sport Center spews out for hours on end, like some of my friends do.

  8. @GadFly Jim
    During the school year it is mostly just weekend ones to places near San Diego. Summer I usually do one or two week long ones in the sierras or someplace a little more adventuresome.

    I also play bass and guitar. Just learned runaway by Jamiroquai. As for music, I love anything that is good. Yea that is very broad but it is true. From the Cool Kids to the Racontuers to Boys Noize.
    I like reading classic science fiction too, like Asimov and Clarke.

  9. Well, I currently work as a Sales Representative for a lighting fixture agency…We work on big commercial and industrial projects. I closed a school this week that had $200,000 worth of lighting on it. That is Canadian though, so it is more like $1.95 American.

    Other than that, I am a fairly voracious drummer. I have been playing for about ten or eleven years now. My old band had a fairly decent demo, and I have been trying to upload that on YouTube. If you guys are interested in hearing it, I will probably Tweet it when it is done.

    Other than that, I am currently reading A Feast for Crows, and a history of Blackwater, the Private Military Company now named Xe Worldwide, or something. It is chilling.

    I also do a lot of weight lifiting, running that type of active crap. Keep myself decently fit after I wasted all of High School being a butter ball.

  10. [quote comment=”13186″]
    P.S. Newaythisckesgr8, where do you guys live? My brother in law owns a ranch in Wyoming and they are alwase hurting for help during the school year (most of there hired hands leave around August to go to college so they have no help)
    [/quote]

    Unfortunately, I live in Indiana. I feel for them though, because it is hard to find help around here as well, even in the middle of summer. It is beautiful out in Wyoming though, that’s for sure.

  11. I have, how you say, no life. lol Well what can I say, if I’m not playing video games I’m going to school or chilling. I’m not lazy, there’s just nothing for me to do. I never got into a sports team because I’m not athletic and I’m not in any clubs (aside from German) because there’s nothing interesting. I do hang out with friends pretty frequently, but that’s not a hobby or whatever.

    Ugggh, thanks for depressing me, Gamersushi.

  12. When I’m not gaming I’m reading, watching films or listening to music.
    I’m presently reading ‘Tickling the English’ by Dara O’Briain, one of my favourite comedians, and I’ll finish reading ‘Bravo Two Zero’ by Andy McNab after TtE.
    I have recently been watching films that I never saw at the time (be it because I never got round to it or because they were a bit before my time) thanks to my friends HUGE DVD collection. Up next are Gran Torino and Hancock.
    As for music I’m into no genre in particular. If i like it I listen to it. This means my iPod is loaded with Metal, Rock and OST from games and films. My fave band are Rammstein FYI.
    Other than that I’d help my dad with the farm (it’s run as a part time job). We rear cattle for beef but we used to do it for dairy years ago.
    Other hobbies include airsoft which I’d like to do more often. Since I’m close to passing my driving test this should be easy enough.
    Today though I’m celebrating my 18th birthday! : D

  13. I am a musician at heart. I play everything from drums/guitar/bass/keyboards/synths/vocals anything I can get my hands on really..

    For work, I run my Father’s Roofing business as Estimator/secretary/errandboy. I also run a computer company with my friend, but so far it’s just for friends and family (www.cryptik.net which is currently down) and we also run a recording studio, where we are currently recording a 16 track LP for a band called December’s Insurgency.

    My post secondary education included Producing/Mixing/Mastering techniques and you guys can hear some stuff at http://www.michaudstudios.com or some of my stuff from my last pop/ambient album at http://www.jayrm.com

    @ Newaythisckesgr8 I’ve been using FLStudio for years (still use it for Midi sometimes) if you have any questions, shoot me an email.

    I recently put up all my old electronica stuff for free at http://www.michaudstudios.com (which I haven’t updated since New Years you can see, lol) so feel free to snag that. It’s all unfinished stuff, but some people asked me to put it up!

    Last but not least, I did the scoring and some audio work in my friend’s short sci-fi film called Outer Space. It’s about 30 minutes long, and you guys can watch it here if you like http://www.youtube.com/user/gubpresents

    (it’s broken into 3 parts). It won 2nd place at last years Halloween festival, won some awards at their University, and got some nods at a festival in Iowa (yah, Iowa)

    Lol, that’s me. (Oh, and I admin the crap out of MEAN slaughterhouse in CS 1.6)

  14. I live just outside Sydney, Australia, a long way from most of you I imagine. Currently I’m taking a break from university. I’m about 3/4 of the way through a geology degree. So since I’m not at uni, my boss has very kindly been giving me a ton of shifts at work. I work at my local supermarket, have been there for almost 6 years. Should be running the place by now, but sadly my talents have been overlooked time and time again 🙂

    When I’m not at work, I’m usually at home since all my friends are either at TAFE, university or have full time jobs. I meet up with a bunch of them once a week and we go to a trivia night at our local bowling club. Its a great night, nothing too serious.

    Otherwise I’m usually reading with my music on in the background. You guys talk about backlog of games, I’ve got a major backlog of books to work through. Most of what I read is sci-fi, especially the Star Wars EU, Kevin J Anderson and Peter F Hamilton.

    Music is very much a mixed bag for me, seriously I challenge anyone to have a more diverse ipod than mine 🙂 I have the usual collection of recent songs, rock, pop, country, whatever, some of it dating back to the 50’s. I’ve also got a heap of stuff from games, movie soundtracks, anime series (don’t really watch them, just like the music). But the real boost for its randomness is that I’ve got songs in 7 different languages on there. English obviously, but also Japanese, Finnish, Swedish, Russian, Italian and Latin.

    Wow, wrote a lot more than I thought I would.

    PS Happy birthday Skuba.

  15. I work in Accounts Payable at a large multimillion dollar company, watch TV and movies with my fiancee, while trying to save money.

    I read, write, play games (duh), listen to music and watch the Bucs, Rays and Bolts (Cause I am in Tampa).

    I like reading fantasy and history books, mainly. Currently reading Her Majesty’s Dragon, borrowed from Eddy and a book on Ronald Reagan, cause why the hell not.

  16. @Muaddib
    Cool, if you ever get the chance go hiking in the Trinity Alps. it is at a lower elevation than the Sierra so its easier, especially if you get altitude sickness, but just as pretty and there is not as many people. also if you like classic science fiction you should read H.G.Wells, Clarke and Asimov are two of my personal favorites too.

    @Newaythisckesgr8
    My brother in law lives in the very flat and empty part of Wyoming. but it still has a sort of harsh alien beauty to it.

    @supernovaforce
    I will take that challenge. Country, metal, classical, Irish/Scottish/Celtic, Electronic and Dance, Folk and or bluegrass, Indie/Alternative, Rap, Hip Hop, Reggae, Jazz, Oldies, and everything else in between. The different languages are English, Russian and Slavic, Italian and Latin, German, Japanese, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Icelandic, and Vonlenska also known as Hopelandic.

  17. @Gadfly Jim – I bow to the awesomeness of your music collection. My ipod is not worthy to be on the same planet as yours.

  18. Well, I volunteer as a member of staff for the Air Cadets here in the UK, I think most countries have their own version. My line is more what do I do when I am not at Air Cadets, don’t get loads of time for gaming, being involved in such a busy organisation!

  19. Let’s see, I spend most of my time working IT for an engineering firm, so I get to build some pretty badass PCs and then hand them off to other people to do fairly boring stuff. Spend most of my downtime with the wife and/or the marginally sane bundle of pure kinetic energy that is my 3 year old son. Other than that, I’m a pretty avid reader, in little bursts – always fiction, usually fantasy, sometimes sci-fi, anything by Tad Williams, William Gibson, or Neil Gaiman.

  20. I like to spend my time hanging out with friends (the non-gamer ones), go to the movies, eat out, and play racquetball every week.

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