I just play the game until it's over. If I beat it fast, so be it. When I get into a game like Mario, for example, I just play as much as I can until it's over.

I put about 20 hours into oblivion before I progressed the main story quest.....at all. I was head of the mage guild, I had become the fox dude, leader of the fighter's guild, leader of the assassin's guild iirc, and a few others probably too...wait where was I?

Which would I be again?

It depends on the game really. I don't always collect everything, but I don't rush.

Usually a reasonable time, and I collect as much as I find fun without it getting tedious (for example, I got every Pictograph in Wind Waker, which was a verrry looong but fun sidequest, but I'm not about to hunt down EVERY SINGLE heart piece for no reason, espesically since the game is easy)

Spend too long on one experience and you'll miss another.

That being said, I spent 10 hours in Okami in the same field feeding monkeys and making stuff bloom OVER AND OVER AND OVER...

I usually mess around quite a bit first. Try to get a lot out of the side quests and what not. Though, I am not anal about it, as evidenced that I have never gotten 100% in a Metroid Prime game or the 3D Zelda games. Usually get 85%+ though.

Only when I don't like or am sick of the game and want to get it over with. :p

It depends on the game. In some games, like Bioshock, I spend a lot of time wandering around because the environment and story is great. Others, like Halo 3 or Heavenly Sword, I just move on through the game because there isn't much else to keep me interested. Both games were good but didn't offer much incentive to explore around. Then there are other games like Blue Dragon or Twilight Princess where I do some side quests but move through the game at a decent clip, ignoring some of the more annoying - or boring - side quests.

most of the times i take my time mess around but not to much,for some reason i just cant mess with side quests to much even though i want to

like for instance in zedla and metroid games i like to complete the whole game,but in games like dmc,and gta i dont

yeah,like with dewys at first i liked it but then got very repetitive and i didnt even win the ones that are sorta like space levels