Am i tired of videogames?

[London Geezer]

Time for a thoughtful thread without a trace of console/games/developers wars or financial analysis.

The story is simple: I think i've grown out of games.

I've been buying a few games over the last few months, mainly because they got rave reviews and i wanted to try them out.
2 days ago i started off RE4, and from the start i just felt like i could not possibly embark into such a task. Even thinking about all the things i would have to do in the game put me off straight away. It's like i had a small panic attack and turned the thing off as soon as i got to the small house thing right at the beginning of the game. I think the old-school interface didn't help much, the "find thing and read the caption" kind of thing i was so used to do years ago.

Am i getting old? Have "other things" in life changed the way about how i feel about pushing buttons in from of a flashy mess of pixels? I mean, in retrospective, i have spent a ridiculous amount of my time for something that, at the end of the day, is actually quite pointless! I'm getting old, definately.

The only games i'm enjoying at the moment are the ones i can pick up, play for 30 mins or so and put down, games like Katamari Damaci and Burnout (whichever it is). Anything more and i either have to change game or just stop playing altogether.

I was really looking forward to play Kingdom Hearts 2 and Final Fantasy 12 but if i REALLY think about it, i'm quite sure i won't have the time or even the will to go through two massive games like them. And i hate it. I hate the fact that i don't enjoy games as much as i used to, if at all, but there is nothing i can do about it. It's nothing technical, updated graphics will probably bump my interest a little, but the novelty will wear off fast, like new PC games with great graphics (like HL2, Farcry, FEAR and others) were totally boring for me, even though they were the prettiest games i could put my hands on before the 360 came out.

Am i the only one here who feels like that?

 

[Apoc]

Buy a DS, is made for people tired of the same games, like you.

 

[Titanio]

No, you've described me down to a tee, unfortunately.

It's a long time since I last finished a game properly. I have a lot of unopened games, and games I started to play but just stopped - often when the realisation hits me of just how much investment I'd need to make. As you say, it can be a little overwhelming.

I definitely have been tending toward pick up and play games, also. Lumines, Mario Kart DS, Kirby etc. Civ4, if only because you can play a game start to finish, entirely, in a couple of hours..at least I get a sense of completion from that.

Actually, I guess the only exception to this lately has been WoW. But as I level up and see how much more effort and time is required, I can already see myself being put off.

So no, you're not alone, unfortunately :/ I don't know if it's because I'm distracted, or my attention span is shrinking (!), or I just value my time more and want quicker gratification.

 

[GB123]

I go through phases like this, i have many hobbies and i cycle through them, when i get bored of one i pick something else up.

I never feel like i'm growing out of video games, but i do get bored of gaming at times.

 

[zifnab]

It’s been the same for me the last couple of years although I did recently pick up a used gamecube along with Zelda and Metroid, which I played quite a bit. I typically play the flagship titles that come out but I normally only play for a short bit at a time and I have a tendency not to finish them. The sound of an 80 hour game doesn’t appeal to me so when I hear a game is only 10 hours long, I consider it a plus. I also have that feeling of wasting time and having more important things to do, but on the other hand I then feel the same thing applies to other things like watching tv or dvds and to some extent internet use.

I think the problem for me is many games feel like a chore and if I’m playing for the sake of a plot, I often feel I may as well go watch a movie or tv series instead (which imo typically have superior plots as well). The enjoyment factor has gone down for me, but I guess that comes with getting older along with the fact that games are essentially the same. I do still enjoy playing games a lot if it’s with my friends - not so much over the net, but where we’re sitting in the same room.

 

[Titanio]

I do still enjoy playing games a lot if it’s with my friends - not so much over the net, but where we’re sitting in the same room.

True. These are actually my most enjoyable gaming experiences by far now. The last time I got 4 friends playing Warioware and Mario Kart on GC, Street Fighter on the PS2..that was really just pure fun, which I don't get nearly as much anymore playing on my own or on the net.

 

[Rodéric]

20 hours is fine IMO.
RE4 isn't that long and it's fun from the beginning to the end
I loved it, best game of previous year to me !

Tired of gaming is rather to replay old games such as Outcast (best PC game ever), Indiana Jones & the fate of Atlantis, Dune II... like I do ^^

 

[drpepper]

I definitely have been tending toward pick up and play games, also. Lumines, Mario Kart DS, Kirby etc. Civ4, if only because you can play a game start to finish, entirely, in a couple of hours..at least I get a sense of completion from that.

Ok... either you're really good at Civ 4, or they made the game too easy.

I too am in the same boat. I bought Siren 2 or 3 years ago and still haven't finished it. I'm having a hard time finishing Dragon Quest 8 as well, but I'm determined to do it! I'm having more fun right now in Sim City 4 since I'm not challenged to finish a tediously long and hardcore game.

 

[function]

When you start gaming you buy games that you think will be fun or put a few coins in an arcade machne that grabs your fancy. You like the look, the idea sounds cool, you think it might be good for multiplayer, etc. You buy a lot of stinkers but find some gems.

When you become more older (more "senisble") you start buying games that get good reviews, games that come from a company with heritage, games that are marketed to fit your "lifestyle" (wtf that means). You buy games because you don't want to miss out, or because you've played the others and don't want to "fall behind". You approach everything with knowledge of how the game is supposed to play and how you're supposed to enjoy it, and you kow how much fun you should have with it becuase of everything you "know" about this game and games in general.

Or you're a fan boy and buy games because they're supposd to be the next big thing for "your platform". That's another bad one.

Anyway, you end up trying to "enjoy" games like you'd "enjoy" a shampoo you've selected, or the beer you buy because its what all your friends buy or what you've always bought. It's all about what you "should" get and not what you want to get because your're excited or you have a hunch.

It's all balls.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I don't buy games unless I'm going to play them to completion (or very near, like FFX which bored me too much to finish yet), so don't buy many. I just don't think there's enough variety to games, so whatever you play, often you've played something similar before. Next-gen FPSes are still FPSes and play the same. If you've had a lifetimes worth of FPS gaming, they're not going to attract your attention.

The other captivating factor, strong stories, are rarer in games than Hollywood these days. Games are good pasttimes when you've time to kill, but you're not missing much if you're not playing games IMO. It's good for social gaming though, like PES!

 

[Phil]

I'm actually experiencing the exact same thing - or at least, I was - until recently when it got a bit better again with the purchase of DMC3. Still, before that - I havent' touched a game since the release of MGS3 - and that was a big thing for me since it was undoubtedly my most anticipated game. As a matter of fact though, it took me a few attempts and a long time to get passed the initial stages of the game until it really grabed my interest. I'm glad I kept trying though, since I firmly believe MGS3 was the best game to date I've played. Still, I can't help but think I that I'm getting old too...

Well, since completing MGS3, I haven't touched a game for longer than 10 minutes. I'm glad to note that the break helped somewhat and picking up DMC3 proved to be quite a good purchase: Simple, and yet still challenging and addictive.

Once I complete DMC3 - which may not be before the end of next month - I'm not going to be playing much games until Winter sets in again (I'll be spending most of my time chassing the sun with the car), so that'll give me some time to cool off. After that, hopefully my interest will be back with the releases of Final Fantasy XII.

 

[BlueTsunami]

I'm going through the same thing also. I'm honestly waiting for some sort of Virtual Reality or in the least some sort of game made with Stereoscopic technology in mind (with the goggles). I AM pretty tired of the controller and make thing move on screen....I want to be completley immersed in the game...

The Revolution might be able to sustain me for a while but i'm not sure. After reading that Stereoscopic thread...i've been wanting something along those lines....

 

[blakjedi]

Yes your getting old (at 23 at that?!)

Games I have played but couldn't finish but would love to finish

Zelda Windwaker
SC1
SC3
RE4
God of War
GunValkyrie
Condemned
PD0
Jade Empire
Riddick
Skies of Arcadia
Untold Legends PSP
one other game that i cant remember but really wanted to play with a character named Jade and Pig sidekick

games that i finished in recent memory

Def Jam FFNY
Ridge Racer PSP

err thats it

and play Geometry Wars nearly every day ( not so much in the last two weeks though)

I think the main feeling that prevents guys like us from finishing these games is called "tedium." I dont want to invest all that time in a game. I prefer daylight to dark rooms with a controller. I prefer to spend my time in dark rooms with women. I prefer live interactive events like the Coldplay concert I went to last night (the stage show was terrific!) There are so many other things I'd rather do with time in general (sleep!) but in my quiet stolen moments, I don't mind a quick game or two. Or when I'm sitting waiting on a flight or actually flying, getting into some Untold Legends or RR-PSP (the music in that game is beyond nice) is great.

Finally l-b, check here: http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26222&highlight=hardcore+gamer to remind yourself that you had demoted yourself to casual gamer as early as last December!

 

[London Geezer]

Yes your getting old (at 23 at that?!)

24 in 2 weeks. That's almost a quarter of a century.

Finally l-b, check here: http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26222&highlight=hardcore+gamer to remind yourself that you had demoted yourself to casual gamer as early as last December!

I think i'm demoting myself again. I'm slipping down the ladder i think. From hardcore gamer to casual gamer, now a non-gamer...
Although i must say, you can take the hardcore out of the gamer but you can't take the gamer out of the hardcore!!

 

[digitalwanderer]

If it makes you feel any better LB, I go thru that phase all the time. It comes and goes depending on how busy/hectic my life is and I think it relates to how much free time you really have for gaming compared to how much free time you THINK you have for gaming...and the panic in your brain trying to balance the two kills off all the fun of gaming.

It goes away, just give it time and don't fret. Good gaming day are still ahead.

 

[London Geezer]

Also, I want to point out that 30 is the new 20!

Easy for you to say that, you're already on the other side... from now on it's all downhill for you, you can relax... I have the pressure of getting there! You know what that does to your hair!!?
I mean, when you don't enjoy simple joys of life like games or masturbation, you know you're getting old.

 

[digitalwanderer]

LB, I turn 40 in just a tad over a month....BELIEVE ME when I tell ya I know how you're feeling.

Age has nothing to do with it, it's just another thing looming heavy on your mind. Don't fret it so much, life gets MUCH better the older you get.

 

[blakjedi]

... life gets MUCH better the older you get.

Listen to this man. he speaks the truth. My twenties could never have dreamed of being as good as my thirties are. Shoot at the concert last night Chris Martin celebrated his 29th birthday with the crowd and I was like he's had it pretty good for only being in his twenties but his thirties will really rock!

Games are great when they fit into the nooks and crannies of life.

 

[London Geezer]

I'm humbled.

I was kinda joking of course, getting older doesn't REALLY worry me. It just bugs me that videogames don't make me happy anymore. Maybe i'm just happy for other things and videogames in comparison are just useless... I get much more enjoyment from books, but i'm a 30-40 books a year kind of guy so that kinda explains it....

 

[blakjedi]

The great thing about books is that you still use your imagination... you can be fully engrossed in your imagination and there is no end to the amount nuance, inflection, sentiment or realism you can inject into the scene. A long time ago when videogames looked like the crack of of some fat guys ass, you knew it wasnt realistic so your mind took the symbolism and created an enjoyable environement in its place (think Donkey Kong or altered beast).

Now that games have the imagery available to present you with a realistic looking world, which still isn't quite right, your mind spends more time nitpicking what should look right with the picture in front of you than enjoying manipulating the scenery/scenario in front of you. Better graphics have taken away our imagination and probably 90% of the enjoyment factor of the 8 bit/16 bit era games.