It's happened to all of us. You are excited to try a new game, you go through all the stupid hoops it takes to start playing these days, and then you just feel... meh. 

When this happens, how long do you keep going hoping it will get better? How often does the game wind up winning you over in the end?

For me personally it depends on how I got the game. If it's something I bought for full price, I'm more likely to try and force myself to like it. Doesn't really make sense, but I'm human. I'll usually give games like 10 hours in those cases. Occasionally it will pay off. I didn't really like Shin Megami Tensei IV at first but wound up really enjoying it by the end. Other times though, I'll get to a certain point and realize I should have just given up way earlier. I got pretty close to the end of FFXIII until I realized "Wait a minute I'm really not having fun with this". 

If I got something for cheap or on Gamepass, I'll usually give up within 5 hours if it's not grabbing me. I played DBZ Kakarot recently for about 2 hours and am pretty sure I'm already done. Seems to just be fights and map exploration. If I want to fight there are other DBZ fighting games and map exploration is generally my least favorite part of most ARPGs.

So what about you? Are you an ADHD addled person who moves on quickly, or do you stick with it to the bitter end?

If it's a game that I spent a good amount on or has very good word of mouth, I typically stick with it unless I suck it at too much.
Otherwise, I typically drop out in an hour (two at most) if it's not grabbing me.

Depends on what I'm not liking about it

If it's something about the core gameplay loop then I know it's a helpless battle and I will drop it sooner, maybe 5 hours

If it's something about feeling locked or alienated of progression I can give it a try for 15 or even 20 hours before dropping it

If it's lack of challange, I generally go trough it for as long as I still hope there will be a difficulty spike but I really have no patience for overly easy games except when we are talking about life sims

If it's excess of challenge, I try to look for advice online until I learn the core mechanics, if it's still not enough to push myself trough the game then I drop it after 10 to 15 hours

If it's something about the graphics and/or artstyle being overly uggly, dated or unconfortting probably just a few minutes

I found that I don’t get a game unless it’s the only thing I’m thinking about. Otherwise I have a hard time playing through it even if I’m excited for it. Atlas Fallen, I want it even though reviews are mediocre, but I’m not thinking about it constantly, so I can wait on that one.

Doing it like this has been saving me money so that’s another plus.

I haven’t wanted to fall into the Starfield hype because I want it so badly to be good, and if it is, I will most definitely not stop thinking about it.

Yeah. I think that's why I dropped Kakarot. I could just tell the gameplay loop wasn't going to be my thing. 

In terms of difficulty, it depends if it's rewarding or not. If I feel like it's something where I'm just going to have to grind, I'll give up kind of quick. If it's something I feel like I'm actually getting more skilled I'll usually stick with it more. But that also depends. In Star Wars Fallen Order, I definitely felt like the challenge was fair and reasonable, but I just didn't feel the mechanics were fun to master so I bailed. 

Can't recall ever giving up on a game because of the visuals though. 

this has happened to me with basically every game i have ever played since i got back into gaming. that goes for TotK, Live A Live, Metroid Prime Remastered, Pikmin 4. literally everything. it's a little unfortunate but, it also happens to me when trying to get into books, shows, etc. it's hard for me to get hooked on something new.

due to that, i usually keep pushing myself for awhile to like it because i know it's paid off for basically everything in the end. all of the above games i ended up loving (bar Metroid... jury's still out on that one), just the same as every book i've read.

i think my issue is anxiety and fomo. i get the same feelings when i'm starting a new show; at first, i would 100% rather watch something i already know about (or play something i already know about, hence why MK8DX is my most played game) because it has the comfort of knowing what happens but, in the end, i could very well end up loving a show and now it's one of those shows i consider rewatching. a vicious cycle! lol

10hrs at most. If it hasnt grabbed me by then I usually just drop it, doesnt matter how much I spent on it or how hyped I was prior to its release. But it very rarely happenes, cause Im very picky with the games i buy o I buy them during a very good sale so it doesnt feel like im wasting much. That I remember it happened with SW Fallen Order, Days Gone and YLaylee impossible Lair, among others. 

Usually a few hours, there have been games I've given up on in the first hour only to try them again a year or two later and really enjoying them.

Depends on a case by case basis. Some games I should have stopped playing a couple of hours in, I forced my way through until the end, while others I've left after a single session even if they are good.

5 minutes. If a game doesn’t grab me in 5 minutes, I’ll play something else.

If I have multiple sessions with a game and I don’t get interested within 5 minutes repeatedly, I might never play it again.
With RPGs it’s a bit longer, maybe 30-45 minutes, and it’s usually 2-3 sessions… Might pick it up again later, and I might enjoy it a lot more then.