Aging Gamer Tastes

2DMention

2DMention

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(Cross-posted in Neo-Geo.com)

Am I alone, or have any others of you have noticed that, as you get older, your tastes and level of skill in gaming has changed?

Don't get me wrong - I still go for the "hardcore" games like Child of Eden, but I find myself playing -*gasp*- My Sims, gameshow games like Wheel of Fortune and press you luck, and even some of the DL games targeted at women like puzzle games for example.

I also like to play the old games like Pac Man and galaga because of the gameplay and how I can play them in 10 minute "shots" and don't have to devote 20 hours to a difficult game.

So sound off! Anybody else feel the same way or want to add anything?
 
I would say my taste has honed in a bit and also being an adult has shortened my gaming time.

I used to love rpg's but these days i buy them, play for 2-3 hrs and then they collect dust.
I just cant devote that much time to one game and really enjoy it anymore.

I enjoy puzzles, but not so much the gameshow games or trivia games or casual.
Id rather play some pixeljunk anything then that kind of thing.
I love a good atmosphere/story driven game with lots of save points :)
 
I've lost interest in JRPGS and 3D platformers mostly, though I had quite liked those genres when I was a teenager on PS1 and N64.
I tried playing Mario Galaxy 2 but threw in the towel after finishing the first set of worlds. It all felt like a shinier M64.
 
I'm a bit burnt out on hack-n-slash, mainly because it's changed very little since the PS2 era. NG3 and the new DmC aren't changing that opinion so far.

I still enjoy my FF games, though the corny nature of them is coming off stronger than say, when I played them as a 10 year old.

I miss being hardcore with games like WoW, Counter-Strike and Starcraft. But it's hard to find time now, and many of those genres have changed into a much less interesting scene. Right now I just play Street Fighter and LoL for the competitive fix. Hopefully Tribes Ascend will occupy me when it drops next month.

I mean seriously, shooters don't even have recoil these days :cry:
 
I definitely lost interest in hard games personally. Though honestly I was never a big fan of super hard games like shmups etc. I just played hard games back in the NES/SNES era as there wasn't much choice since I was young and had to play the few games a year I got as gifts etc.

I've always been more into gaming as a way to veg out and relax for a while.

My genre tastes have shifted. I used to mainly play platformers, fighting games and sports games in the NES/SNES generation. The N64/PS1 and last gen I played a lot of 3D platformers, some JRPGs and still a few fighters and sports games. I was also mostly into Nintendo consoles up through this era (though I did own a PS1, PS2 and X-box).

My genre tastes started changing toward the end of last generation as I started playing some FPS games like the Halo series, WRPGs like KOTOR etc. and started getting bored with Nintendo franchises and platforms, jrpgs etc. in general.

This generation I started with a Wii mainly because I didn't want to pay the $400-600 launch prices for the 360/PS3. I got sick of it pretty quickly as I was tired of Nintendo franchises and didn't care for motion controls.

Once I got a 360 I started getting more interested in gaming again by really getting sucked into FPS (and third person count Gears of War) games and WRPGs like Oblivion, Mass Effect etc. And that's mostly what I play these days.

WRPGs are time sinks, but can also be played in shorter bursts by just doing a side quest or two. They're great to veg out as they're generally relatively easy, and if not you can usually turn the difficulty down and still get achievements.

Shooters can be frustrating at times, but they're usually not too bad on default difficulty. And I love playing something like Call of Duty online. I stink at online shooters, but I have fun trying and their also great for "pick up and play" gaming as there's not story too keep track of and you can log in and play 1 or 2 matches, or spend a whole night playing.

For short burst--i.e. 10 minutes here or there-gaming I mainly play some casual games on my iPad.
 
I still love RPGs, but I don't have the patience for the grinders anymore. I have much less time to game so I need quality out of it.

I play A LOT more FPS then I use to. I use to only play them on the PC back in the day, and never finished any.
 
as a kid i loved everything except crap i had to read a lot like lets say a final fantasy game. the 1st online game i did really hooked me into online play(dark forces 2) and eventually got into everquest so i stopped the whole varity thing for a while after that hehe.

but now im back to pretty much just doing all types of gaming consoles, pc, xbox arcade, even got me a 3ds the other day. ironically the story based games were i have to read a lot i now actually love(i think as ya get older some people liek to read more). i also hate online fpses hehe.
 
The solution is to have a son who is a good gamer so you can sit back and enjoy watching all the game has to offer (but which you likely would not be able to reach yourself because you can't twitch like you used to).
 
For me it seems to be lack of time that causes me to play shorter games, no games, or take forever to finish a single RPG. I also find some activities cycle in and out such as watching more or less TV programs, doing more or less fishing, etc. Having my first child was the biggest changer.
 
my skills gone way up and it improves as i try diff games. but overall what i notice is how most younger gamers are whiny bitches and quitters in need of attention so they either wont shut up on their mics or they troll games and game companies are dumbing down games more and more so less practiced gamers can jump in and play.

because of the whole skill thing every so often i go to onlder consoles games i had troubles with as a kid and try and beat them its fun times.
 
Nothing has changed over the years, except for the fact that I don't play games with regenerating health much. (only a few minor exceptions here or there because I dislike regenerating health).

I have also gotten better at games over time. Other than that, nothing.
 
I'm totally the opposite on that. I hate hard games and hate rationing health packs etc. so I LOVE games with regenerating health!

But I've also gotten worse at games as I play much less than I did back in middle school, high school or even college.
 
I can't say that I've noticed my habits changing as far as what types of games I play is concerned. I play JRPGs less and I don't tend to complete racing games like I used too, but probably the only noticeable thing. For me, I find if any of my time has cut back, it's watching television. I might watch television two nights a week now if that.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I'm totally the opposite on that. I hate hard games and hate rationing health packs etc. so I LOVE games with regenerating health!

But I've also gotten worse at games as I play much less than I did back in middle school, high school or even college.[/QUOTE]
I don't mind the idea regenerating health, but what I do mind is to me it seems like a lot of these games with regenerating health also tend to have horrible bland level design.
 
Yeah, I just play the big, mainstream games for the most part so maybe I miss those with those kind of problems.

Unless you think games like Gears of War, Halo etc. have poor level design. In which case I'd disagree.
 
It is funny, but I've become more of a console gamer later in life. With the exception of a dalliance with a SNES, I was mostly a PC gamer. Then PC gaming waned and my interest in computer gaming waned with it. Funny, but it was Guitar Hero that got me into consoles, and now I own a PS2, Wii and a PS3.

As others have said, the time to play games isn't there like it used to be, so while I still like RPGs, it is difficult for me to finish one. I do collect a lot of shorter games which I can pick up and go with for a few minutes at a time. I also share my time with my 5 year old, sometimes playing together.
 
JRPG's I was on a mad dash to get them all on the PS2. Now if I don't pick them up on 360 or pass on a deal I kinda just shrug it off. My patience use to be alot better, now, not so much. I Think the backlog is finally starting to dawn on me.

Also fighters I still enjoy just not at the crazy extent I use to. Though as I grow older I admit I kinda want to get into an annual sports title just to say "yes, I've played it and enjoyed it."
 
I'm more patient with games these days... which is funny because I have significantly less gaming time. I'm also most tolerant towards game designs. Not all games need great graphics, great stories, etc. as long as they're fun (Duke Nukem Forever, Godfather II, The Saboteur are 3 fairly good recent examples).

Funnily enough, as many nostalgic memories as I have of past games, I hate it when new games directly use nostalgia solely as fan service.
 
Yeah with work and school taking most of my day during the week, I usually stick to story-less games/games in which I don't need to invest much time mentally. I.e. fighting games/monster hunter/fps games/platformers.

On the weekends I usually binge on single player story games and try to finish them within a couple days since I never know if I'll be able to get back to the game and remember what is going on.

There is nothing worse than investing hours into a game to only come back to it months later and have no clue what is going on. Can't tell you how many times I've started Fallout 3 only to stop 10-15 hours in.... and do it all over again months later. :whistle2:x
 
If anything, I have more of an appetite for difficult games as I've gotten older, but what I have lost all patience for is games where you lose a lot of progress when you die. I don't necessarily have hours every day to play, so I want to feel like I'm making progress all the time.

As for types of games, I played Japanese games, mainly JRPGs, almost exclusively until getting an Xbox 360 in 2009. I hadn't touched an FPS since Doom on the PC. Now I play a lot more Western stuff.
 
Honestly, I rarely play games these days and instead focus on collecting merch from my all time faves.

When I do play, I tend to intentionally stay behind the curve for about 12-18 months as a lot of the crap tends to filter away, I'm not hyped for the games that I do play, and I tend to enjoy the hobby as a whole a lot more.
 
games with frequent save points matter. save anywhere is great. games to unwind is good, much like a good beer or two, or exercise.

quality games matter. good atmosphere or gameplay are important. buggy games are discarded like trash.
 
I think I've become more inclined to just give up or quit on things that aren't "fun" or allow you to enter into that state called "Flow".

If I'm not progressing or getting somewhere in a game these days I'm more likely to just quit it and move on. I have more disposable cash than I did 5-10 years ago, but far far less time to play things.

So I've got more games that I've picked up on the cheap (I don't buy things until a year after they come out now) but less time to play them, and if they don't bring me enjoyment; away they go.
 
My gaming sessions have definitely shortened and my attention span for games has lessed on the whole. I used to be able to play for 5 or 6 hours straight but now I play for a little bit, pause it and go do something else and come back or I just play for a hour and turn it off. Rare exceptions like fallout 3 aside where I can still play for long periods of time still come around but they are few and far between.

My skills with action games has diminshed also. I used to be able to do every move in the game and kept things varied but now with most action games I just find one set of moves Im comfortable with and use them 95% of the game, or I find one weapon I really like and stick with it.

Im also a lot less patient with games. I find them to frustrate me and make me lose my interest much faster than when I was younger. I find myself losing interest and giving up easier than I used to, find myself a lot less excited about games than I used to be also. I find myself with a lot of gamings just playing them to finish them and not taking my time to enjoy them, they may start off great but I just end up like half way through saying "fuck it" and then blowing through the rest of it.
 
Agree 100% with the people who've said that frequent checkpoints or save anywhere features are must. I have no patience for games like GTAIV where there were no in mission saves and you have to keep doing easy parts over when you die at the end before a save point etc.

I also play many fewer Japanese games than in the past, but that's due to the aforementioned change in genre interests to mainly playing FPS and WRPGs.

And I agree about the having less patience for games--that's the biggest part of why I don't like hard games. Life's a lot more hectic and stressful than when I was young, so I just don't have the patience for a hard game and just get frustrated and pissed off. I want to unwide after long days of work, not come home and play something that frustrates me and puts me in a bad mood. I just have little patience these days, unlike back in school when there wasn't much to worry about.
 
Fighters are a genre i used to love, but as i get older they just dont do it for me anymore. Mostly everything else is intact after 30 years of gaming though ;)
 
mine really haven't changed as much.

i still prefer games with minimal story. i'll play games with story, but impatience kicks in and i just want to do something that requires skill.

i like difficult games because i like the strategy that goes into it and the skill you develop. i was playing NES ninja gaiden the other day and i appreciated the fact that if you screw up in 6-1, it makes 6-2 harder so that you have to play 6-1 better. nowadays that kind of long range strategy isn't as prominent. (i did play Deus EX 3 the other day and struggled in one of the missions. when i reloaded from the start i noticed that several parts were easier if you don't get caught in the beginning, so there is a long-range strategy in this game and i enjoyed it a lot.)

for me, unwinding IS challenging, thinking creatively, wondering what to do next, honing skills, being engaged.
 
[quote name='kainzero']
for me, unwinding IS challenging, thinking creatively, wondering what to do next, honing skills, being engaged.[/QUOTE]

I can see that.

For me I teach and do research for a living, so I spend my days thinking creatively, working out problems etc. so my brain is pretty fried by the time I get home and I just want to mostly shut it off and play something I can veg out with, or just watch a movie or read a novel etc.. :D
 
when i veg out, i sleep and listen to music... that's probably the only thing that really makes me relaxed.

with games there's always something to learn about the system and explore so i never really feel at ease, there's always something to think about it.

generally, i think my mind prefers to be more engaged than most other people though.
 
Yeah, games are definitely not ideal for vegging out compared to other things for sure, simply because they are interactive.

But it's a lot more relaxing for me to run around exploring a world and doing side quests in a WRPG, than to play some uber-hard action game etc. FPS games are less relaxing, but it is cathartic to go around blowing the hell out of stuff.

I just don't like hard games that are about skilll in timing, or mastering a complex combat system etc. So it's not really not wanting to engage as much as it is not wanting to deal with complex stuff, or frustrating things where I die a lot and have to keep doing parts over and over.

The other things I do to relax also involve some mental engagement be it watching tv or sports or movies or reading a novel etc. Just less than games since it's more passive engagement--which is more relaxing after a day of thinking through shit at work.

I hardly ever sit around and just listen to music anymore. I just don't have the attention span for it these days, so I pretty much only listen to music in the background when working, or driving or working out etc.
 
Well, my tastes have certainly changed.

Im 28, in the ps1 era I loved JRPGs, now I can hardly stand them, mostly its because the story lines have not changed much. So everytime I try one it quickly becomes been here and done that. The only one ive played this gen is Lost Odyssey, which I loved.

I also hated strategy games when I was younger, I used to watch my cousin play RoTTK and Genghis Khan on the NES and I didnt understand the enjoyment. Now I love to kick back and enjoy a tactics or strat game.

Between the ages of 16 and 24 I was hardcore into MMOs, its all I played. Now I cant stand even having a conversation about them.

That all said I still have a wide taste in games and still play stuff from every genre aside from MMO. My favorites this gen are Borderlands, Fallout, Deus Ex 3, League of Legends, and Bioshock. I guess you could say my favorite genre now is FPS/RPG hybrids.
 
Gaming is changing, not our tastes. Games these days are mostly 3rd rate movies with 2nd rate game play. Cut scenes get more priority then the actual craft of the game.
 
I can't agree with that. The cutscene craze was much worse on the PS1 and even last gen than now IMO.

Or maybe it's just that mainly play FPS and WRPG games and neither of those tend to have super long cut scenes. I mean there's a lot of story in a lot of WRPGs, but there's a ton of gameplay so it's not like one of the Metal Gear games or anything.
 
[quote name='willardhaven']Gaming is changing, not our tastes. Games these days are mostly 3rd rate movies with 2nd rate game play. Cut scenes get more priority then the actual craft of the game.[/QUOTE]

Gameplay is better then ever but I do kinda agree on the plots of games.

People give game plots way more lattitude then they would give a movie. Frankly, most game plots completely suck - it's time people started demanding more.
 
I do agree that game plots need a great deal of improving. No reason they can't have plots on par with those in good movies and books. I get that the interactive nature--and move away from linear games/story telling--complicates things. But that's no excuse for how boring and cliche most stories are even in story driven games like WRPGs.
 
[quote name='camoor']Gameplay is better then ever but I do kinda agree on the plots of games.

People give game plots way more lattitude then they would give a movie. Frankly, most game plots completely suck - it's time people started demanding more.[/QUOTE]

To be honest, I think some people give too much latitude to plots in movies, considering what does well and what doesn't do well.

Games and movies have one thing in common: as long as the viewer is entertained, a lot can be forgiven.
 
And I want something I can get through quickly. At only playing an hour or so a night it takes me nearly month to get through a standard 10-20 hour game. (I dont play the same game every night). This means I maybe finish one to two games a month, if I'm lucky.

Add to the fact that there's usually at least one game out each month that I DO want, and I'm never getting anywhere in the old backlog.

Sometimes playing games I just wish they'd be over and I could move on the next thing. (I'm looking at you Infamous and Dragon Age).
 
I generally only play one single player game at a time, and one online game like Call of Duty.

I finish less then one game a month on average--I've averaged around 7 games a year the past 3 years or so. There's just not that much that interests me these days. I'll play a few major FPS games like Halo, Call of Duty, Bioshock etc. Maybe one or two 2nd tier shooters like Bulletstorm. And then a couple of WRPGs or the occasionally action/adventure game like Assassin's Creed etc.

Well, that's excluding playing maybe 2 or 3 XBLA games a year. With those I guess I play about 10 games a year.
 
I used to play a plethora of different genres and games, but lately I seem to be stuck in the sandbox game rut. I play GTA and nothing but GTA whenever I'm on.

Last game I finished(besides a GTA or clone) was Limbo. Before that was......I really don't remember.

I really have to either trade in my copies of GTA IV and Episodes or just give them to my one buddy to play around with so I can finish part of my 40+ game backlog.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']I do agree that game plots need a great deal of improving. No reason they can't have plots on par with those in good movies and books. I get that the interactive nature--and move away from linear games/story telling--complicates things. But that's no excuse for how boring and cliche most stories are even in story driven games like WRPGs.[/QUOTE]

I appreciate it when gameplay mechanics are woven into the story, I feel that Bioshock did this pretty well. The vita-chambers, the plasmid vending machines, it all felt more organic then the typical menus full of skill trees and different flavors of EXP

I think it comes down to hiring good writers - most companies don't want to spend the coin for a good plot because they believe it won't be a big selling point - unfortunately I think they're mostly right. For example, as far as videogames go Enslaved had an interesting plot written by an A-list author, but I wonder how many gamers cared...

[quote name='TheLongshot']To be honest, I think some people give too much latitude to plots in movies, considering what does well and what doesn't do well.

Games and movies have one thing in common: as long as the viewer is entertained, a lot can be forgiven.[/QUOTE]

Maybe, but people still give crappy movies like Green Lantern hell and there is not a reviewer that would blink if that movie's plot was used in a game.

I thought this was an entertaining read: http://www.fuhnny.com/stupid-video-game-plots/
 
Since I have limited time to play games now, maybe a few hours at night, I need something I can get enjoyment out of in short bursts. So if something doesn't 100% grab me in the first few hours I'll most likely stop playing. I just don't have the time to get into something only to quit halfway through.
 
My interests haven't changed much, but I've gotten much more selective quality-wise, which is why, more often than not, you'll hear me bitch about a game on here instead of saying I like something. :lol:
 
I have been playing video games since 1988

-NES
-Commadore 64
- Old school Mac
-PC
-Game Boy orig
-Sega Gen
-N64
-PSX
-PS2
-PS3

I have always loved RPGS, Phantasy Star 1,2,4, Chrono Trigger / Cross, FF7, FF6 and even some of the newer RPG's. But my taste have changed slightly.., games being released all seem to be using the same formula...so yes I would be playing a different game but it would still feel like I have done it all before and really what is the point...to even finish it.

Now I have been drawn to games like Elder Scrolls, Fallout Vegas, Fallout 3, From Dust, Deus EX

Games that have some action to them without a ton of cut scenes and people chatting about their lost pet or a legendary sword. Guess I want a game that will take more than 10 hours to play but does not require me to spend those 10 hours confined to my chair for the duration.
 
I've been gaming since I was about 5 or 6 (1980 - 82) and I'm having more fun since the SNES. I don't have as much time, but I do stay up later than all my friends gaming. I get bored of the casual games. I can play them for a while, but I lose interest in them very fast (which is why I guess I prefer dedicated gaming handhelds, i.e., PS Vita, over an iPhone or iPad).

I did find though that certain grindy JRPGs lose my attention. I tried to play FF3 on the DS a few years ago, and just couldn't even force myself to finish it. Overall though, I don't get as angry with games anymore, and I find that when I go back and play Atari games, I can get a lot further then I could when I was a kid (Bruce Lee is one example--I could never get past like the 4th or so level before, but I think I actually got to the last guy the last time I played).
 
I can't play RPGs anymore. I just finished Mass Effect 2, but that game isn't that long. (for 1 play through) ME2 is more of an action game imo. But games like Demon Souls, and Final Fantasy, I don't have time for. I started Demon souls, and I spend some long nights wandering around, with nothing really accomplished.. I just don't have time for that. As an adult, I'm really enjoying the 5-8 hour games. Also, I'm trying to get away from a lot of the online shooter stuff. I enjoy the competition that those games bring, but the countless hours of online multiplayer takes away from the time that I could have spent with some great single player games.
 
[quote name='Vampire_Zio']I have been playing video games since 1988

-NES
-Commadore 64
- Old school Mac
-PC
-Game Boy orig
-Sega Gen
-N64
-PSX
-PS2
-PS3

Now I have been drawn to games like Elder Scrolls, Fallout Vegas, Fallout 3, From Dust, Deus EX

Games that have some action to them without a ton of cut scenes and people chatting about their lost pet or a legendary sword. Guess I want a game that will take more than 10 hours to play but does not require me to spend those 10 hours confined to my chair for the duration.[/QUOTE]

Ditto, Ditto and Ditto! I almost don't even need to write my own response after reading yours!

Anyways, gaming has most definitely changed over the years - the NES was my first system also followed by the Commadore 64 and then some straight-up PC-gaming for years to follow along with the Sega Genesis and then Nintendo 64 in that mix a little later. I got big in PC-gaming again for a while before dropping it completely once the Playstation and later Xbox hit the gaming scenes in a big fashion. Then once Xbox LIVE was introduced later followed by the PSNetwork there was no looking back at PC-gaming anymore for me - I never thought that would happen - but times obviously change - both for games themselves and for US as GAMERS. Games adapt and so have we. And I love every bit of it...
Enough blah blah blah, I love FPS's and Racing games a whole bunch. But I also love many other genres - like some RPGs like Oblivion - even though I may not spend as much time playing too many of those titles. I love a good story - it's like watching a movie or reading a good book, I love to get completely immersed in a good story. But I do love the tough games as long as it keeps my interest.
I will continue to play games I think until I can't physically or mentally handle it anymore, I make time to play and thankfully my loved ones understand my addicti- I mean 'hobby' : ) and I'm able to play as I please.

I simply LOVE to play GAMES...
 
I think I'm falling into the trap of sitting around message boards talking about games, and not playing them so much.

I hate to become "one of those guys" :baby:
 
[quote name='2DMention']I think I'm falling into the trap of sitting around message boards talking about games, and not playing them so much.

I hate to become "one of those guys" :baby:[/QUOTE]

I'm a little guilty of this sometimes. Only because I'm stuck at work wanting to play games, so forums are my outlet.
 
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