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I think the real trouble started about a year ago. Over the past 12 months, not a single multiplayer experience has been able to hold my attention. Neither Killzone 3, Resistance 3 or Uncharted 3 (pretty much anything with a 3 in it) could hold my attention for more than a week or two.

Maybe multiplayer and I were just seeing each other a bit too much before that. I was addicted to the likes of Uncharted 2, Bad Company 2, Modern Warfare 2 (pretty much anything with a 2 in it). I'd spend a ridiculous number of hours with multiplayer in those days. I'd sit down to play for "maybe an hour," only to look up at the clock and find it was suddenly two in the morning. When I wasn't with multiplayer, I found myself thinking about it constantly.

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Then, out of nowhere, the honeymoon was over. I poured untold hours into single player campaign after single player campaign and, I'll just say it, multiplayer was no longer as attractive to me.

Part of me wonders if this is just a symptom of getting older. I'd never suggest that I have "matured" beyond multiplayer, because I think it can provide just as engaging and wonderful an experience (and frequently way longer) than any single player campaign. Just that, at this point in my life, maybe multiplayer isn't what I'm looking for anymore. Maybe I just crave more intimate, fulfilling experiences with my games without the interruption of other players.

I think a good comparison would be the evolution of my relationship with horror movies. The horror genre is still my favorite, but certain types of gore-fests just don't sit well with me these days. If it's a monster tearing people apart, I'm game. But if it's a demented human being doing all the horrible stuff, you can count me out. I used to love those types of movies, but it's like someone flipped a switch in my brain one day and, blam-o, I can no longer find enjoyment in them.

It could also have something to do with pre-mature boredom. I know that's a touchy subject for a lot of gamers, but I'm not embarrassed to admit that it happens from time to time.

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I think I have betas to thank for this particular problem. I used to dig deep into betas without a hitch. When the actual game came out, I'd be more pumped than ever to play it. These past couple of years, though, I feel like betas may have killed my enjoyment before it ever really got a chance to get started.

Whereas I used to have no problem playing the same two maps/single mode/limited gear over and over again, that sort of repetition tends to suck all of the fun out of a multiplayer experience I was otherwise looking forward to these days. Even though I know the full game will feature two dozen more weapons, 10 additional maps, six more modes and all kinds of other tweaks and additions, a few days with a beta seems to be enough to deflate my excitement for a given title. The actual game comes out and, at that point, I barely even want to look at the full multiplayer offerings.

The latest example is the Starhawk beta, which I'm pretty sure the EULA prohibits me from going into details about. But what I will say is that, even while diving into the online beta, I kept finding my thoughts turning to, "Man, I'm really looking forward to playing this in single player."

Maybe this is just a phase. There was a time in college when I was pretty sure me and gaming were through. I'd play Mario Kart or Smash Bros. with friends, sure, but a good two years went by with me barely even realizing I had a PlayStation hooked up and ready to go. Then, out of the blue, I found myself playing again. I was playing more than ever, actually, leading up to an adulthood that would eventually see me actually getting paid to play and write about games.

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I'm thinking multiplayer and I just need some time apart. Maybe that will solve all of our problems. I see multiplayer prancing around in those new Battlefield and Modern Warfare getups and I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel some of those old emotions start stirring up.

But I need to be strong. Multiplayer is doing just fine without me and, at the moment, I'm doing just fine without multiplayer. We were good for a while, but now it's time to be apart. Here's hoping that one day we will run into each other on the street, sit down for a chat and discover that the old spark has returned.

Infinite Ammo is a weekly column by Ryan Winslett about video games, the industry that makes them and the people who play them. He can be stalked via his blog at staticechoes.com and followed on twitter @RyanWinslett.