Be Excellent To Each Other

We've all read the warnings that say we should.. but do you take a break while playing games for an extended period?

The only reason I ask is that I don't, and I pay the price with massive headaches that occur with alarmingly regularity.

I've voted yes, but those breaks usually mean going to make a cuppa or something. I don't get headaches but I do suffer from lower back problems so have to move my arse off the sofa occasionally.

Yep. If I've been playing for a couple of hours I usually go and get a drink or talk to the missus for a few minutes or something.

I don't consciously take a break because of any specific fears but I always get interrupted or distracted by something or other.

As I tend to sit on the floor when xboxing, my spine and buttock generally insist that I take a break every once in a while.

No, I tend to get too involved - for instance I can start playing at 10am and by 8pm realise that I really should eat something.
No ill effects yet, though.

They've found pain associated with back, arms, shoulders and legs when sitting in one position too long to be chronic rather than acute, so you're probably doing yourself a lot of harm without realising it. Instead of something going 'twang', it builds up over a number of years.

We have a history of bad backs on my dad's side of the family, so I try to be very careful.

I rarely play games long enough to require a break.

I never have , however i do find that i dont have the time to devote to sitting infront of a game for that long anymore , probably the longest i can manage is an hour or two but often my gaming time is more like 30 - 60 minutes , so as long as your in a comfortable chair it doesnt seem to matter.

In the past i would sit for hours at a time playing the same thing (Ultima III , IV / Bards tale / Monkey Island / Elite / etc) and could often start things early evening and not finish until the middle of the night

Yeah, this. Except I tend to be in bed when playing a lot of the time, as I play on the PC. When I play downstairs I'm usually sat or lying on the floor anyway, because I find it more comfortable. I tend to get up and go annoy my housemates or make tea or a sandwich semi-regularly. I cane it now and then though, admittedly.

Anytime I play a game long enough for a break to be required, it must be a weekend. This means I am probably either stopping often for a drink or some tasty food or other pleasant things. So I whilst I don't plan breaks I naturally take them.
I don't really play as log as I used to anyway. A couple of years ago I could have sat all night playing. In fact, Jen and I sat up all night just after we moved in together. We made a comfy bit on the floor with tons of pillows and cushions and the duvet, armed ourselves with a bottle of Jack and some Coke(fridge in living room=win) and something to smoke and had a great time. Those were the days, when we worked late and had lots of days off...*sigh*

I normlly need pee and coffee breaks so yes.. but like Grim.. I can get involved, when I used to play eve I would look at the clock and would have lost 5 hours..

I think this stems from me now having a more time to play games these days.. That'll probably be it!

Don't smoke in the house, so yes.

I used to play games for long sessions without a break but as I get older and fatter, I need more trips to the loo and more there's more fumbling in cupboards for crap to eat.

Can't remember the last time I even managed to play anything, let alone have a session long enough to warrant a break.

I don't. I will bring snacks upstairs so I don't have to break and just end up shifting uncomfortably in my chair to ease pains that develop.

But the chair has a cushion on.

You need to take the power back!

Yes, for each hour more or less.

Heh, I don't think that's the problem, I've just had a bit of a busy month. I'm not really in the mood for much work today though, and there's a plastic guitar (well 3, actually) within arms reach (if I really, really, stretch).

I sometimes do, but generally only to play a different game :/

A change is as good as a rest.

I don't think this could be closer!

How exciting!!

Not if I can help it.

These days I play when I get the chance late at night and stop when my eyes go wonky.

Same with games too.

Well if it's a multi-load.......

Only when I need more drink/to piss/to go and interfere with the missus/missus comes in and interferes with me. Certainly don't plan any.

I think the longest "session" I can do nowadays is about an hour - and even that's with interruptions (aka nagging).

Being a father, having a girlfriend and a long commute to work and back has pretty much put the mockers on long games playing times. I have Zioette over for a couple of nights per week and all-day on one weekend day, so I can't really get much gaming done on those occasions and I'm usually too tired from work to play into the night once I've handed her back to her mum, but the missus is pretty good and she'll happily leave me to get a few hours of gaming in on the other weekend day, provided we do actually leave the house at some point during the day.

Case in point: Fallout 3's The Pitt expansion is meant to take a couple of hours to play through. I've been on it all week so far and still only about half way through.