If you have ever worked on more than one video game and/or book during a same time period, how did you prefer to handle them?

Do you:

Play only one game or read one book at a time, and move on to the next game or book after you finish the current one; or,

play one game plus read one book at a time, and move on to the next game or book when you are finish with the game or book; or,

multitask among many games and books, jumping back and forth; or,

something else?

Also, how many video games and/or books can you handle during a same time period?

Books: unless we're talking fiction and non-fiction then I read one at a time. I never read two fiction books concurrently.

Games: usually I play games of different genres concurrently. I'm not about to force myself to play a game I don't want to be playing so I leave myself a choice while trying to apply just enough restraint so as to ensure that some actual progress is being made - if I come back to a game after too long a break without having made a great deal of progress then I tend to start over.

I don't read or watch TV or movies.

I've got a good ninety games installed right now and ADD.

I don't because it fails miserably, books especially.

Games I can juggle something that is pure gameplay like Sc2 multiplayer or TF2 with something complex like New Vegas.

I alternate between games, and it usually takes me about 6 months to 2 years to complete a game! but Buy a game for $9.99 play it for 2 years, Can't beat that!

As a gamer and a reader I usually play one game and read one book at a time. If I play two games at once they must be of completely different genres, though even that usually doesn't work as I start neglecting one of the games.

I ever only read one non-fictional Book, or better, have one recreational read. As I need to "read" a lot of books for my work, I have several on my desk at all times.

While I often play more than one game at a time, I try to avoid similar playstyles. (atm I'm mainly playing DX:HR DLC and Anno 2070) which are very different in pace.

Yeah, I used to play 1 games at a time but now group genrés together into groups and play one of each - at the moment I have
Icewind Dale - RPG/FPS slot
C&C Red Alert - Stratergy slot
Need for Speed Underground (XBox) - Car/plane slot
Dragon Sphere - adventure slot
Some games are harder to catagorise than other though, obviously, I think I'd put GTA-likes in 'car/place' but don't know where I'd put Giants if I ever chose to replay it

I can only play one stateful game* / read one book at a time. I loose my frame of reference pretty easily and I'm in danger of having to start over if I wait too long.



*I can play games like Tetris and Left 4 Dead together. There's nothing to remember.

I play 3 games at a time. One game on my 360, one on my laptop and one on my PC.

The xbox is use when the TV is available and I only have a short time to play. Mostly weekdays after work for an hour or 2.

The laptop is used when my Girlfriend is watching shitty TV like “Say Yes Too The Dress”.

The computer normally is only played on Sunday (my only day off from work). I manage to get 3 to 4 hours of game play in depending on weather, Girlfriend nagging and how late I stayed out drinking.

Books: one at a time usually during lunch at work or travel. I never have been a big reader that is why my grammar and spelling suck so much.

I only ever read one book at a time (tried to read several at once one time, it was.. unpleasant :P ).

For games it's a bit of a different story - usually I can play quite a few at a time and still make progress and have fun. If something awesome is released I'll generally devote most or all of my attention to that one game until I finish it, have to take a break from it, or another awesome game is released.

Games are typically not as deep as books (at least in plot and content) so for most its easy for me to dip in and out of pretty much any game I want. The exception would be stronger RPGs like Baldur's Gate or The Witcher where not only are things more immersive but also more complex (esp in the former).

As for books I can easily have several on the got all at once in fantasy, though I'll tend to focus one one at a time of those several for a while and then randomly shift books as I feel like it. That is barring Discworld books which I tend to latch onto and read till they are done forsaking all other books.

Well, I usually throw two in the air at first then gradually make sure I get a smooth rhythm going.

I only read one book at a time and since around 2002 or so they've been non-fiction 95% of the time. I just prefer to get my fiction elsewhere. Right now I am reading a Time Life book about spies in World War 2.

I don't watch movies very often but I do usually have a season set of TV I am slowly working through. I do that one at a time as well, unless I get bored and move on to another show. Right now I am watching NYPD Blue: Season Three.

Games I do juggle, but only different genres. I will play one RPG, one shooter, one adventure game and maybe one "other" at the same time. I try not to juggle two of the same kind of game because then I usually neglect the one that's not as good. Right now I am playing Skyrim, Batman Arkham City, Lost Horizon and Splinter Cell Conviction.

How do I juggle multiple games/books at once? Very poorly. :D

But that doesn't keep me from doing it. I can't provide any numbers, I'd have to create a list of books and games I've started and that I still delude myself into thinking I will finish reading/playing one day.

Sometimes, very seldom, I start a book or game and remain persistent, finishing it after a couple of days or weeks. That doesn't mean that I don't read in other books or don't play other games during that time, but I always come back to the first. But most of the times I switch from one to the other and in the end neglect what I've started.

I guess one reason for that is my curiosity. I enjoy trying out new stuff, seeing what it's like, and the urge to check something out is often greater than the interest in sticking with it. The other might be boredom or frustration; actually most of the times when I leave a game for another is because I'm stuck, I got bored or something in the game annoyed me. Also, I've got a greater chance of finishing something (and motivating myself to finish it) if it's short.

EDIT: My reading habits are independent of my gaming - well, ok, they compete with each other regarding my time, but they are two separate hobbies for me. I never think about first completing a game/book before I start another book/game.