Games do nothing but frustrate me these days

It's becoming a serious problem. I get frustrated at almost every game I play to the point of me wanting to give up gaming altogether. I do play Call of Duty and Trials, so obviously those games will frustrate me, but just about any other game does the same so long as I'm not winning or at least doing well.

It's a really annoying problem. I've lost the fun factor. Have any of you ever had this problem?

Not really. Are you playing games on the 'Easy' setting? That may help. Gaming is meant for fun. Looking at your trophies, you clearly have enjoyed some gaming over the last few months.

Maybe you have outgrown gaming? That's not possible, right gamers?

I thought CoD games were popular because they're impossible not to win at 0_o

Anyways, find a way to clear your head. Then go back to gaming and ease back in with some more mild experiences. Journey is a good choice, everyone is loving that one.

[quote name='zeldaking']Not really. Are you playing games on the 'Easy' setting? That may help. Gaming is meant for fun. Looking at your trophies, you clearly have enjoyed some gaming over the last few months.

Maybe you have outgrown gaming? That's not possible, right gamers?[/QUOTE]
When I just want to rush through a game because I've rented it or something, then I'll probably play on easy, but otherwise I just play it on normal and sometimes hard if it's not too difficult. I still play quite a bit, but I get frustrated now more than ever.

I think it's very possible that I've outgrown it. I've actually been contemplating that for a while now. At one point, I debated selling off the majority off my collection. I'd much rather just read a book or spend time with my girlfriend. I don't look forward to gaming as much as I used to.

[quote name='panzerfaust']I thought CoD games were popular because they're impossible not to win at 0_o

Anyways, find a way to clear your head. Then go back to gaming and ease back in with some more mild experiences. Journey is a good choice, everyone is loving that one.[/QUOTE]
Call of Duty is ridiculous, but the cheap players frustrate me. And yeah, I've wanted to play Journey. I need to play some more games like that because I had an absolute blast playing The Walking Dead. It's a nice change of pace.

Buy pizza when you beat a game. That way you'll have something to look forward to when you play a game. When you win you get pizza.

I would never quit videogames because nothing is better than videogames. Nothing.

Try playing a game that's intended to just be FUN, not a challenge, not a blockbuster... just something designed purely for fun. If you're still annoyed, take a hard look at your expectations.

I'm pretty irritated with Max Payne 3 right now, and I can't imagine who they think will play it on the hardest setting... people who like to cut themselves? Fun isn't the same checkpoint fifteen times in a row, killing the same 10 douchebags... is it?

i feel alike alot of games just feel like chores or busy work. you should have fun killing or fighting whatever it is in the game but when youre not even halfway through it and youre dreading having to plod through wave after wave of enemy you get to wondering if its the game or you.

max payne 3 im talking to you. it used to be you wanted to collect everything or pull off all the stealth kills you can to get that high score or bonus weapon now i just cant be bothered.

[quote name='bburpee']Try playing a game that's intended to just be FUN, not a challenge, not a blockbuster... just something designed purely for fun. If you're still annoyed, take a hard look at your expectations.

I'm pretty irritated with Max Payne 3 right now, and I can't imagine who they think will play it on the hardest setting... people who like to cut themselves? Fun isn't the same checkpoint fifteen times in a row, killing the same 10 douchebags... is it?[/QUOTE]


worst thing about mp3 isnt that its hard its cheap and buggy. and having to repeat whole waves of enemies because you didnt make it to just the right spot is so damn boring. i dont remember ever being this pissed off in the previous 2 games ( except that one level where you had to walk a red line and not fall).

[quote name='Tsel']When I just want to rush through a game because I've rented it or something, then I'll probably play on easy, but otherwise I just play it on normal and sometimes hard if it's not too difficult. I still play quite a bit, but I get frustrated now more than ever.

I think it's very possible that I've outgrown it. I've actually been contemplating that for a while now. At one point, I debated selling off the majority off my collection. I'd much rather just read a book or spend time with my girlfriend. I don't look forward to gaming as much as I used to.


Call of Duty is ridiculous, but the cheap players frustrate me. And yeah, I've wanted to play Journey. I need to play some more games like that because I had an absolute blast playing The Walking Dead. It's a nice change of pace.[/QUOTE]
You're a rager.Someone who gets easily upset because he/she is not winning.I've seen this behavior in adults and in children. I recommend you listen to Tibetan singing bowls while you play. Your second problem is that you're a collector or a video game hoarder.It's okay to hold on to games you really like,but get rid of games you don't care about.Before going out and buying that hot new release watch a short video of gameplay,play a demo if there is one and then see if you're still interested.If you're not having fun with a game stop playing it.Simple.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCTi-7l68UI

Gaming is art 2nd but entertainment 1st and is only occasionally designed to frustrate, see Dark Souls.

I like branching out and trying new games and its when playing these games, finding an unexpected good time if you will, when I've had the most fun.

Examples of these titles for me were Peggle, Portal 2, Just Cause 2, and FIFA 12. I'm traditionally a gta guy, love madden, and COD, but gaming is about variety, and you never know what you just might enjoy--don't let reviews or other gamers tell u what to play. If it looks fun try it, if you are still frustrated by it all then yeah, maybe you really don't enjoy hardcore gaming and should buy a Wii! Jk....sorta!

[quote name='bburpee']Try playing a game that's intended to just be FUN, not a challenge, not a blockbuster... just something designed purely for fun. If you're still annoyed, take a hard look at your expectations.

I'm pretty irritated with Max Payne 3 right now, and I can't imagine who they think will play it on the hardest setting... people who like to cut themselves? Fun isn't the same checkpoint fifteen times in a row, killing the same 10 douchebags... is it?[/QUOTE]

Max Payne 3 is exactly the game that sparked the idea to create this thread.

[quote name='mrx001']You're a rager.Someone who gets easily upset because he/she is not winning.I've seen this behavior in adults and in children. I recommend you listen to Tibetan singing bowls while you play. Your second problem is that you're a collector or a video game hoarder.It's okay to hold on to games you really like,but get rid of games you don't care about.Before going out and buying that hot new release watch a short video of gameplay,play a demo if there is one and then see if you're still interested.If you're not having fun with a game stop playing it.Simple.
[/QUOTE]

I do get frustrated, but I hardly actually rage. If anything, I just quit the game for a while. I can easily accept a terrible K/D ratio in Call of Duty so long as my team wins. It's more so when things are cheap or just flat out annoying that it pisses me off.

And I'm actually not much of a collector, especially when compared to most CAGs. I have probably 70+ 360 games and 30+ PS3 games. I don't have that much and definitely not so much that I'm a hoarder. I hardly ever buy new releases or games over $30 at all for that matter.

[quote name='Abear21']Gaming is art 2nd but entertainment 1st and is only occasionally designed to frustrate, see Dark Souls.

I like branching out and trying new games and its when playing these games, finding an unexpected good time if you will, when I've had the most fun.

Examples of these titles for me were Peggle, Portal 2, Just Cause 2, and FIFA 12. I'm traditionally a gta guy, love madden, and COD, but gaming is about variety, and you never know what you just might enjoy--don't let reviews or other gamers tell u what to play. If it looks fun try it, if you are still frustrated by it all then yeah, maybe you really don't enjoy hardcore gaming and should buy a Wii! Jk....sorta![/QUOTE]
I have a Wii.

But in all seriousness, Peggle and games like that are some of my favorites. It's nice to be able to just sit back, play a game, and not really have to worry about trying too hard. It's relaxing.

Thanks for all the advice thus far guys.

[quote name='Tsel']
I do get frustrated, but I hardly actually rage. If anything, I just quit the game for a while. I can easily accept a terrible K/D ratio in Call of Duty so long as my team wins. It's more so when things are cheap or just flat out annoying that it pisses me off.[/QUOTE]


It's the cheap stuff that get's me swearing like a sailor. I grew up with crap like that (with NES and SNES games), so it grinds my gears when there's instakills and other cheap crap leftover from the arcade days.Anymore I'm the same way, I'm tired of hard games, but still want to play the mainstream games. I've chalked it up to getting old, as I'll be 30 in a few months, but I've never been a twitch gamer.

My advice.. Kick back, knock the difficulty down a bit, and play single player games and Co-Op games only. I've been doing that for a about a year and a half, and I'm not missing the hustle and stress inducing BS.

I must be a glutton for punishment then 'cause I've been playing the heck out of Dark Souls I know how you feel though OP I get like that occasionally, particularly when I'm playing online in fighting games. I mean I know I shouldn't let a video game bother me, but when I've lost 5 matches in a row it just really grinds my gears... To put it lightly.

Stop sucking at video games?


Okay I kid, you are just growing up.

I used to play games at harder difficulty levels for the achievements and for the personal satisfaction, but as I've gotten older and my free time has gotten shorter, I find myself playing games on easier difficulty levels to maximize my play time and to keep gaming a fun hobby.

I kind of have the same problem. I feel like most games just aren't any fun anymore or I don't have the time for them. I'll buy many games and either never play them at all or play them for like half an hour and be done with it because it'll either frustrate me or just plain suck.

Like others said play on easy, or what works for me is I only actually play through the games I'm really honestly looking forward to. Max Payne 3 for example got all these great reviews but I really can't say I'm enjoying it much. I'm in my 30s now and for me it's all about the fun and/or the immersion/story anymore. I'm playing Max Payne on easy with hard lock on just so I can see the story more than anything. I tried it on normal + free aim and it's ok but I couldn't honestly say I was having fun with it.

How do you like Trials Evolution? That's a game that is pretty difficult to get the golds on but I've found myself playing that more than a lot of full retail games. It's one of the few games I don't mind trying over and over and over.

Also as someone else said try something like Journey. It's fantastic for relaxing and playing. It's only like 2 1/2 hours which is actually another reason I like it. I played through it 4 times within 2 days and I never do that. Another one I really enjoyed was The Walking Dead Ep 1. If you have someone to play with (like your gf) give Lara Croft and The Guardian Of Light a try. Me and my wife really liked that one 2 player.

Also If you want something just plain fun I really liked Saints Row The Third. Nothing really challenging but quite a bit to do and it's all about fun.

Basically just find a game you really like/want and play that and you'll end up enjoying it just as much as any other games you used to enjoy.

[quote name='Tsel']I do get frustrated, but I hardly actually rage. If anything, I just quit the game for a while. I can easily accept a terrible K/D ratio in Call of Duty so long as my team wins. It's more so when things are cheap or just flat out annoying that it pisses me off.[/QUOTE]
To me it's not even about whether or not my team wins, it's that I get at least one kill and can actually move on the map without getting sniped or strafed a nanosecond after respawning.

The only times I'll really quit is when I'm on a team with other similarly ranked people and the opposing team is made up of all super high level people and we're getting absolutely in' trounced.

I had this happen recently on Battlefield 1943. I think I was playing around 11-11:30pm EST when it happened. Before anyone on my team could even get off our carrier, the people on the other team had their fighter planes in the air and were strafing any of the landing craft we managed to get off the carrier. Before you would even hit the beach you'd be dead. Rinse and repeat for 10 minutes straight to where if ONE person on my team had a kill and I was annoyed enough to quit.

Same thing happened the other night as well. I was playing the game with a buddy of mines' nephew on my squad against a team mostly comprised of people at the highest rank in the entire game.

It's one thing if you get killed once or twice while trying to get off the ship and onto the main part of the map, but it was every mf'n time.

I've had that problem many times as I hate hard games and just don't have the patience for them.

The solution is to just find games that don't frustrate you, and stop playing games that do.

Example, I'm playing Skyrim now and just turned the difficulty down so I can just focus on exploring the world and doing quests and not have to worry about dying in combat. Most first person shooters in single player are fine for me as well as long as I don't play above normal.

I avoid things like fighters, action games etc. that are skill based and usually higher on the difficulty chart. I also stopped playing online MP as I suck at it and just get pissed off.

Just a matter of finding the types of games you can have fun with, not being ashamed to drop the difficulty level if a game is pissing you off and you're not having fun with it, and not hesitating to ditch a game you're just not enjoying and move on to something you can have fun with.

That said, I do feel like I'm pretty much done with gaming after this generation. I'm in my mid 30's now and I just don't have the time and interest in gaming that I used to. I still enjoy it, but I'd usually rather do something else (movies, sports, reading etc.--and all that's after work, exercise and social outings/obligations) so I don't see myself buying a next-gen console. But it's not due to the frustration as I've figured out how to minimize that. I just don't have as much desire to make time for gaming as I did in the past. It's mainly just that games are big time sinks so it's harder to justify 10+ hours to get through a game now that I'm busier and easier to fit in a 90 minute movie or read a chapter of a book before sleeping etc.

Take a few days off. I find myself in the same boat these days. I am one of those completionist types and try to go for every achievement if I can. It all comes down to the game for me. If I really like the game (Mass Effect 3 had some frustrating parts on Insanity for me) I'll keep on pushing because that feeling of satisfaction afterwards is well worth it.

On the other hand, I was getting very pissed a couple minutes ago doing those stupid Rally Point races on RAGE. I was gonna say screw it and turn it off. It took me like 5~10 minutes only but I was just getting extremely annoyed. I'm not really much enjoying RAGE so it's taking me pretty long to finish it.

That's another thing I changed that helped my frustration and burnout level. I don't pay any attention to achievements/trophies any more. I just play the game and have fun and when I'm done, I'm done.

I just wasn't having fun going after most achievements/trophies as I was usually already tired of the game after beating it, and a lot of them are boring, tedious or frustrating to get.

I think the Achievements concept is one of the worst ideas in video games. Developers took aspects of the game that were previously player driven and made them developer driven. They've effectively reintroduced a scoring system after everybody worked so hard in the post-Arcade era to get rid of Points Scored.

The problem is it's harder to convince people of systemic neuroses over meaningless bullshit trophies than it is some arbitrary number in the upper-left corner of the screen.

I'm familiar with the arguments for Achievements. They're stupid. Ultimately it comes down to lazy developers, and then other developers who had to follow along. Even otherwise respected game developers haven't had the stones to stand up and say, "No, I'm not derailing the narrative and experience by rewarding players for consuming 3 health pots between 2 PM and 3 PM on a Sunday." Instead, you just claim the trophy exists in addition to the game, when in fact its existence, for 90% of your audience, will be the game itself.

And here we are, with trivial, Acheivement-driven gameplay as the norm and a lot of hollow "games are art" opinions.

I find I rage the most at badly designed games. Mechanics that I can't seem to get around with pure skill or just cheap shots I die to. I can definitely tell too, because certain games like Killing Floor I'm completely calm all the time despite the level of difficulty. More recently, Diablo III has drawn my ire a lot because of lag, cheap enemy combinations, or other design flaws.

If you're finding a trend with a certain game or genre, more than likely it's the game; not you. However, if it's every game you touch as you said, then maybe your focus needs a shift. When a game beats me, I try to figure out why rather than get angry and that's when I have fun. If the game isn't very challenging or I'm dying to reasons beyond my control, then I'm not.

Only thing I can recommend is try going back to an old game that you just had fun with no matter what. That will be really telling.

I've given up on trying to earn trophies. After netting a few very difficult platinums, I've decided that I'd rather experience the game and it's story more so than spend countless hours pulling my hair out trying to obtain difficult trophies.

Also, if I don't find a game appealing after an hour of play, it goes on the chopping block. Being married with a kid seriously impacts my gaming time... therefore I tend to stick with only the games that I'm truly interested in.

[quote name='dothog']I think the Achievements concept is one of the worst ideas in video games. Developers took aspects of the game that were previously player driven and made them developer driven. They've effectively reintroduced a scoring system after everybody worked so hard in the post-Arcade era to get rid of Points Scored.

The problem is it's harder to convince people of systemic neuroses over meaningless bullshit trophies than it is some arbitrary number in the upper-left corner of the screen.

I'm familiar with the arguments for Achievements. They're stupid. Ultimately it comes down to lazy developers, and then other developers who had to follow along. Even otherwise respected game developers haven't had the stones to stand up and say, "No, I'm not derailing the narrative and experience by rewarding players consuming 3 health pots between 2 PM and 3 PM on a Sunday." Instead, you just claim the trophy exists in addition to the game, when in fact its existence, for 90% of your audience, will be the game itself.

And here we are, with trivial, Acheivement-driven gameplay as the norm and a lot of hollow "games are art" opinions.[/QUOTE]
I've broken myself out of the mindset of planning trophy runs because it was starting to ruin gaming for me. I wouldn't ever get a game purely for trophies, so it was never that bad but it was to the point where I was concerned about missable trophies or wishing I had planned better to make a trophy easier to get. Now I just say the platinum unless I get close to the end and realize I want to shoot for it. Some games are just awful and punishing myself to try for a platinum becomes work.

It certainly doesn't help that this generation has a higher ratio of derivative shite to gems. Budgets are out of control so the best talent is gambled on blockbusters and there's not much new and exciting. Even Nintendo was a ing yawn fest this gen.

I used to think I was burnt out as well but then I played several retro games that were still 'virgin' to me and am even more convinced the problem is contemporary game design. Yard Work simulator with swords is not fun.

I honestly wish there was a way to turn the trophy/acheivement notification off entirely. I've never been someone who sought after them, but after so many years of seeing them pop up, there's definitely an inherent Pavlovian response to it. I like seeing them, but I don't know why. Like I said, I wish it could be removed entirely (while not jeopardizing other notifications, obviously).

Still, I've always told myself I'll stop gaming when it stops being fun. That's my basic rule for individual games, too... even though my OCD hates not finishing something, I try to really ask myself if I enjoy the game. If I don't, I just stop. The last big one I had that realization about was Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. It was fine, and I recognized the technical achievements of it, but I just... I just wasn't enjoying it. I don't see any reason to put myself through hours and hours of something I'm not having fun with. That's another trap I used to fall into... trying to convince myself to keep going with critically-acclaimed stuff that I just wasn't into. I slogged through GTA4 and I'm still annoyed about it, mainly because I kept feeling like I was missing out on some grand thing that everyone was raving over. It's a bizarre mindset, but it's there. The flipside of that is... and I don't admit this lightly... one of the games I played this year that I've had the most fun with? Duke Nukem Forever. Even though I can see all the flaws, surface and otherwise, I'm enjoying the hell out of it. And, really, isn't that the point?

So, yeah... if a game is frustrating you, drop the difficulty. If that's still not doing it, just stop playing. There's only so many free hours in a lifetime, so why spend them doing something you're not enjoying, especially when that's the primary goal of the medium in the first place, you know?

[quote name='Tsel']It's becoming a serious problem. I get frustrated at almost every game I play to the point of me wanting to give up gaming altogether. I do play Call of Duty and Trials, so obviously those games will frustrate me, but just about any other game does the same so long as I'm not winning or at least doing well.

It's a really annoying problem. I've lost the fun factor. Have any of you ever had this problem?[/QUOTE]

Have you ever tried watching a "Let's Play" on youtube or JustinTV.

I still love games but I only play AAA titles in small doses (or quirky games like that new Rock of Ages)

I find watching video of other people playing games is relaxing and fun. Especially third-person horror games - it's fun to watch people freak out and/or do stuff that I would never think of trying. Plus you can skip right over the parts of the game that suck.

Also - I like achievements but only the ones that fall in my lap. If I happen to get really close to an achievement I'll probably power through it but no biggie.

I'm much more into finding easter eggs, well-done DLC, and mastering the game controls.

[quote name='007']I honestly wish there was a way to turn the trophy/acheivement notification off entirely.[/QUOTE]

You can turn off all notifications on the 360. That will kill the achievement and friends online pop ups. Not sure if it kills the game invite, message received etc. pop ups as well. Probably does I imagine, which may be problematic if you play online.

I imagine the PS3 has a similar option, but I haven't looked for it.

[quote name='Anaris82']It's the cheap stuff that get's me swearing like a sailor. I grew up with crap like that (with NES and SNES games), so it grinds my gears when there's instakills and other cheap crap leftover from the arcade days.Anymore I'm the same way, I'm tired of hard games, but still want to play the mainstream games. I've chalked it up to getting old, as I'll be 30 in a few months, but I've never been a twitch gamer.

My advice.. Kick back, knock the difficulty down a bit, and play single player games and Co-Op games only. I've been doing that for a about a year and a half, and I'm not missing the hustle and stress inducing BS. [/QUOTE]
It's exactly the cheap stuff that pisses me off the most. I can't necessarily say I'm getting old as I'm only 21, but I'm definitely maturing in this aspect. I'm moving away from gaming slowly, but surely.

I actually gave up Call of Duty for probably a few months and I found myself rarely getting as frustrated as I do when I play that so maybe that's the culprit.

[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']I used to play games at harder difficulty levels for the achievements and for the personal satisfaction, but as I've gotten older and my free time has gotten shorter, I find myself playing games on easier difficulty levels to maximize my play time and to keep gaming a fun hobby.[/QUOTE]

I usually play on hard if there's an achievement involved, but if not, it ends up being a less stressful experience because I can play on easy and just sit back and enjoy the game. I hate having to sacrifice achievements just to get the most fun out of it.

[quote name='ShockandAww']How do you like Trials Evolution? That's a game that is pretty difficult to get the golds on but I've found myself playing that more than a lot of full retail games. It's one of the few games I don't mind trying over and over and over.

Also as someone else said try something like Journey. It's fantastic for relaxing and playing. It's only like 2 1/2 hours which is actually another reason I like it. I played through it 4 times within 2 days and I never do that. Another one I really enjoyed was The Walking Dead Ep 1. If you have someone to play with (like your gf) give Lara Croft and The Guardian Of Light a try. Me and my wife really liked that one 2 player.

Also If you want something just plain fun I really liked Saints Row The Third. Nothing really challenging but quite a bit to do and it's all about fun.

Basically just find a game you really like/want and play that and you'll end up enjoying it just as much as any other games you used to enjoy.[/QUOTE]
Trials Evolution is pretty fun, but for some reason it frustrates me a whole lot more than Trials HD did. I don't really understand why either. I pretty much only get mad when the damn bike tires bounce. :lol:

Saint's Row: The Third, I played recently and loved every minute of it. I haven't played a game like that in a while so it was really refreshing. Red Dead Redemption is another game that I don't have to worry about being too difficult. It was the perfect difficulty and just allowed me to relax in a whole new world and have a blast.

My girlfriend and I play games like LittleBigPlanet, Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, and LEGO Harry Potter, but I'll give Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light a try. I hardly ever get angry when we're playing together, so that's good. Yes, even if she beats me.

[quote name='dmaul1114']That's another thing I changed that helped my frustration and burnout level. I don't pay any attention to achievements/trophies any more. I just play the game and have fun and when I'm done, I'm done.

I just wasn't having fun going after most achievements/trophies as I was usually already tired of the game after beating it, and a lot of them are boring, tedious or frustrating to get.[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't be able to completely write off achievements as I still enjoy earning them, but I can't deny that some of them just piss me off. It's mostly difficulty and collectable achievements. Why!?

[quote name='Jodou']I find I rage the most at badly designed games. Mechanics that I can't seem to get around with pure skill or just cheap shots I die to. I can definitely tell too, because certain games like Killing Floor I'm completely calm all the time despite the level of difficulty. More recently, Diablo III has drawn my ire a lot because of lag, cheap enemy combinations, or other design flaws.

If you're finding a trend with a certain game or genre, more than likely it's the game; not you. However, if it's every game you touch as you said, then maybe your focus needs a shift. When a game beats me, I try to figure out why rather than get angry and that's when I have fun. If the game isn't very challenging or I'm dying to reasons beyond my control, then I'm not.
[/QUOTE]
Yes, yes, yes! Badly designed games and poor game mechanics are the number one source of my frustration. Hell, I even get pissed at my PS3 when it hangs on a loading screen or doesn't allow me to push any buttons. I just think "I never have these problems with 360" and all of a sudden, my knickers are in a bunch.

Killing Floor is another game that doesn't get me mad despite the difficulty, but Max Payne 3 is rage-worthy simply because of having to replay the same damn checkpoint over and over and over.

I can't say I get mad at every game, just the more competitive and difficult ones. I won't get mad at games like God of War, GTA, or even racing ones. It's mostly online shooters, really difficult or cheap games, or fighting games in general.

[quote name='camoor']Have you ever tried watching a "Let's Play" on youtube or JustinTV.

I still love games but I only play AAA titles in small doses (or quirky games like that new Rock of Ages)

I find watching video of other people playing games is relaxing and fun. Especially third-person horror games - it's fun to watch people freak out and/or do stuff that I would never think of trying. Plus you can skip right over the parts of the game that suck.[/QUOTE]
I love watching LPs, especially horror games, like you said.

[quote name='Tsel']Killing Floor is another game that doesn't get me mad despite the difficulty, but Max Payne 3 is rage-worthy simply because of having to replay the same damn checkpoint over and over and over.[/QUOTE]
From what I've heard, MP3 is riddled with bad design choices so I don't think you're alone. I'm canceling my PC order for it after all the negative feedback.

You know, sometimes it's possible to get mad at yourself for not performing too. I ran into that a few times playing Batman: AC. I'd be in the groove, building up a huge combo and make one mistake to it all up. It can just set off a bad play session from the start depending on the mood. Once the rage starts flowing, it can be hard to stop sometimes lol.

Not sure how much multiplayer you do, but I'd say if you want to decrease your frustration, stop playing online with random people. Seriously that is about the worst kind of gaming I can imagine nowadays. I just can't be assed to bother putting up with the stupidity that totally dominates online play.

I've grown to hate most multiplayer as I don't have a huge friend list on my PS3. So I'm usually trying to lone wolf it and we all know how that tends to go in most games now.

Single player is normally fine if I don't play on hard (normally for trophies), so I will usually browse the trophy list first, see if there's any I KNOW I will never get, then stop worrying about getting the trophies from the game meaning I'll play it on easy or normal.

It may be time to take a long gaming break. Don't necessarily sell off everything, but don't continue buying games if you're not interested. Nothing wrong with taking a long break, maybe even wait out a console generation or two to go by.

I started pre-NES and went non-stop until N64. Then I took a haitus completely skipping everything from PS1 until Dreamcast. To this day I still don't understand the difference between a Saturn & Dreamcast, nor do I care.

My entire gaming consisted solely of multiplayer Perfect Dark for a few years.

A PS2 entered the house at my ex's request, and it was very late in the cycle; Xbox was completely ignored. I didn't have a next-gen system until the Black Friday $99 360 sale.

One caveat: I did have a GB/GBC/GBA(SP)/DS since day one, and have played them rather consistently instead of consoles. Once the 360 entered the house and brought achievements with it, my DS has sadly all but rotted away in a corner.

[quote name='Tsel']It's becoming a serious problem. I get frustrated at almost every game I play to the point of me wanting to give up gaming altogether. I do play Call of Duty and Trials, so obviously those games will frustrate me, but just about any other game does the same so long as I'm not winning or at least doing well.

It's a really annoying problem. I've lost the fun factor. Have any of you ever had this problem?[/QUOTE]


My frustration with gaming has increased as I've grown from a child to an adult. I no longer have as much free time to die over and over again in a single game. Between my family, my job, and my friends, spending two hours on one section of a game is like pulling teeth.

I've had to learn to step away and only play when the mood strikes me. I had Arkham City day one, but the desire to play it didn't hit me until a few months later. I also learned to stop playing games when I started raging. I'd just switch to a standby that I actually enjoy, otherwise I might ruin the entire hobby.

[quote name='Tsel']It's becoming a serious problem. I get frustrated at almost every game I play to the point of me wanting to give up gaming altogether. I do play Call of Duty and Trials, so obviously those games will frustrate me, but just about any other game does the same so long as I'm not winning or at least doing well.

It's a really annoying problem. I've lost the fun factor. Have any of you ever had this problem?[/QUOTE]


I haven't reached the point of giving up, but I do understand the frustation level. I really suck at games so I constantly hit a brick wall with games especially if there is a boss fight. It's fun the first few times, but after 20 or more attempts and dying, I quickly hate the game.

The thing that really annoys me is this continued game design where you can't save anywhere, and have to repeat entire sections when you die. One recent example was the damn jet ski level in Binary Domain. You are flying down this tunnel with obstacles coming at you. Hit an obstacle, you die and have to repeat the entire 5 minute sequence. It took me 20 tries to get past this freaking level. I didn't experience joy at completion. I felt relief that I'll never have to play that level again. A game shouldn't make you feel this way.

That's why I enjoy open world RPGS and strategy games the most. If I get stuck on a quest, go do something else and get more powerful. I absolutely love turn based strategy games because every experience is unique. Sadly, they don't make many of these games.

One game that frustrated the hell out of me was the God of War series. Specifically, the part where you had to climb the pillars in Hades. I managed to keep my frustration level down by giving myself 3 tries to beat the level. If I failed, I shut off the game and tried again later, and eventually I got out of Hades! lol

Achievements are fun, and also easy to ignore. If going after achievements makes a game less fun for you, then, uh, don't play that way? The problem is you, not the achievements.

Anyway, I usually play games on the easiest difficulty just for the story/experience, then if I really enjoyed it and want to go through the game again, I might try cranking up the difficulty, or even trying to complete the achievements.

Apart from the difficulty issue, you just need to realize when you're not having fun with a game. It's tricky, because it's easy to fall into the trap of "I should be enjoying this." And sometimes it does pay to push through something-- I played the first level of Dead Space, wasn't sure whether the game was really for me or not, and put it down. A few months later, I decided to give it a second try, and for whatever reason it clicked with me and became one of my favorite games of all time. But for the most part, you need to be willing to abandon something if you're not having enough fun. There are sooo many games now-- there's always something out there that you will absolutely love, and until you find it there's no reason to waste time slogging through stuff you don't love.

I think video games are very frustrating, however there are types of games that are not as frustrating. I recommend the Pokemon games, they are least frustrating and probably the easiest video games I have ever played. If you follow a guide you can definitely finish them without any trouble. I also recommend any RPG that is turn based and that you can level up in, those are about the most non-frustrating games you can get. Also I just started playing The Maw on XBLA, and its awesome and non-frustrating.

But please, excuse me if I don't have the reflexes to press a button fast enough or if I miss that jump. I shouldn't have to try a jump 30-40 times before I get it, that is just ridiculous. I shouldn't have to play a level 30-40 times just to beat it. I don't have a sibling or other person in the household either that I can just hand a controller to and have them get over the difficult part for me, I am all on my own. I refuse to play Mario games because I find them the most frustrating out of all video games, basically that and anything with rubberband AI, which is a huge complaint of mine as many of you already know. To continue the rant, I am just really frustrated with Nintendo right now, they basically make their game so you can't win, the only thing they have going for them for me right now is Pokemon. The games have kiddie graphics, but the difficulty is cracked up to 10 out of 10....

I don't know how children play video games, I have watched countless kids throw the controller down in frustration because they can't beat a level, there are really only a few games that are easy enough for kids, IMO, and kids these days just don't have the patience or try to sit and play the same level for 2 hours in order to beat it. I know parents who have had to remove video games from their children because the children became so frustrated with them. I have played many children's video games, and find most of them to be excessively difficult for the age they are designed for. Honestly, a game designed for kids should be excessively easy, with the option to crank up the difficultly if there isn't enough challenge. Kids have to start somewhere. I guess that is why most kids are turning to the iPod touch or their parents old iPhone these days for games, the games are much easier than console games, a lot cheaper and the games are perfect for children with short attention spans. I haven't seen any kid get frustrated at an iPod touch game and all my siblings and relative's kids have iPod touch's and iPad's.

As far as achievements go, half of them are worded badly, and sometimes they are glitchy and do not pop when they are supposed to. Sometimes I think the developers are just teasing us with achievements sometimes, they want to see if anyone is stupid enough to play the game just to get that one achievement, but unfortunately the system has been started so they can't take it away right now. It does add a lot to gaming though as I find Nintendo games that have no achievements are pretty boring now but I shudder at what mario games would be like with achievements as if they aren't bad enough already, and we really shouldn't be complaining about it as it does add value to the game and perhaps you can delay purchasing another game if you want to go back and get the achievements in the game you are currently playing, this could help save you money or help out when you are waiting for a game to drop in price.

[quote name='SaraAB']I think video games are very frustrating, however there are types of games that are not as frustrating. I recommend the Pokemon games, they are least frustrating and probably the easiest video games I have ever played. If you follow a guide you can definitely finish them without any trouble. I also recommend any RPG that is turn based and that you can level up in, those are about the most non-frustrating games you can get. Also I just started playing The Maw on XBLA, and its awesome and non-frustrating.

But please, excuse me if I don't have the reflexes to press a button fast enough or if I miss that jump. I shouldn't have to try a jump 30-40 times before I get it, that is just ridiculous. I shouldn't have to play a level 30-40 times just to beat it. I don't have a sibling or other person in the household either that I can just hand a controller to and have them get over the difficult part for me, I am all on my own. I refuse to play Mario games because I find them the most frustrating out of all video games, basically that and anything with rubberband AI, which is a huge complaint of mine as many of you already know. To continue the rant, I am just really frustrated with Nintendo right now, they basically make their game so you can't win, the only thing they have going for them for me right now is Pokemon. The games have kiddie graphics, but the difficulty is cracked up to 10 out of 10....

I don't know how children play video games, I have watched countless kids throw the controller down in frustration because they can't beat a level, there are really only a few games that are easy enough for kids, IMO, and kids these days just don't have the patience or try to sit and play the same level for 2 hours in order to beat it. I know parents who have had to remove video games from their children because the children became so frustrated with them. I have played many children's video games, and find most of them to be excessively difficult for the age they are designed for. Honestly, a game designed for kids should be excessively easy, with the option to crank up the difficultly if there isn't enough challenge. Kids have to start somewhere. I guess that is why most kids are turning to the iPod touch or their parents old iPhone these days for games, the games are much easier than console games, a lot cheaper and the games are perfect for children with short attention spans. I haven't seen any kid get frustrated at an iPod touch game and all my siblings and relative's kids have iPod touch's and iPad's.[/QUOTE]


LOL, this was me as a kid in the NES generation. Now those games were brutally hard. Good thing the NES system was built like a tank cuz I constantly threw my controller and slapped the hell out of the machine in anger when I would get so close and fail at a level.

One game that brought out scary rage in me though was Starcraft Online. I would play with random strangers, and become enraged when my great strategy fell to pieces because of one mistake, or people running hacks, or asswipe teamates that would decide to backstab me at the end of the game cheating me out of my win. It would make me so mad that I smashed a keyboard one time. I finally quit the game and decided it wasn't worth it.

Hahah, well I am mature enough right now so that I won't throw a controller or do something like that, because I have a $300 TV in front of me that I paid for myself so I obviously don't want to ruin that. I honestly don't rage at all when I play games, I just stop playing, but instead I come on here to rage about my frustrations with games. I know it was worse during the NES days but its also bad in a way today since a lot of game design is cheap, controls are badly thought out and a whole lot of games out there just control poorly.

Even pokemon is starting to frustrate me, I used to spend hours breeding the perfect pokemon, however that is no longer interesting anymore since someone with a hack can beat my perfectly breed pokemon in 10 seconds. Then there is the battle area where the AI just cheats, again this is common in a lot of Nintendo games, which is why I am not too keen on them right now, also taking 2 years to release a certain game. Thankfully the battle area in pokemon is completely optional. Once again I am not at the point in my life where my only concern is waiting 2 years for a game to come out, and I would hope at my age that is not the case, that is an awful long time to wait for a single video game to come out when there are hundreds of others coming out in those 2 years. I should clarify, the main pokemon game is fine, its just that the fact that nintendo allows the GTS to become full of ridiculous trades and hackers to beat you in the online matches with those who play normally having no chance whatsoever. This was very fun in the beginning, but the hackers just took over and completely ruined it. Even the company that has made video games the longest still doesn't know how to prevent a hacked pokemon from being used in online battle.

Animal Crossing DS was also extremely frustrating, again very fun at the beginning, but then hackers came in and ruined the game's economy completely. I eventually sold my copy.

Haha, I think breaking a controller is a rite of passage for a gamer. Everyone has done at least one. I actually got good at repairing them with spare parts as a kid. Never got into soldering, but seeing how a controller worked was pretty cool.

[quote name='4thHorseman']I've grown to hate most multiplayer as I don't have a huge friend list on my PS3. So I'm usually trying to lone wolf it and we all know how that tends to go in most games now.[/QUOTE]
What games do you currently have that you'd play mp for? I only have Red Dead Redemption, GTA IV & Episodes and Battlefield 1943 that I play the mp from currently.

As for breaking controllers outta rage, I don't think I've ever done that myself. I've thrown a controller down before on the cover on my bed. But I've never thrown it against a hard surface that could cause it to break. In this gen, I wouldn't even dare consider it. Even though I currently have 3-4 spare controllers that I could just switch to if mine broke or whatever, it'd still annoy me to have to switch to a different one, especially if it was because I personally messed it up. Not to mention since a spare controller costs $54.99 MSRP for the PS3, which is a BIG reason why I would never throw one.

Don't get me wrong. I've dropped them before(from a height of about a foot or so up) or they've slipped out of my hand. But throw them? Hell no.

Must mention when talking about video game frustration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in6RZzdGki8

[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']What games do you currently have that you'd play mp for? I only have Red Dead Redemption, GTA IV & Episodes and Battlefield 1943 that I play the mp from currently.

As for breaking controllers outta rage, I don't think I've ever done that myself. I've thrown a controller down before on the cover on my bed. But I've never thrown it against a hard surface that could cause it to break. In this gen, I wouldn't even dare consider it. Even though I currently have 3-4 spare controllers that I could just switch to if mine broke or whatever, it'd still annoy me to have to switch to a different one, especially if it was because I personally messed it up. Not to mention since a spare controller costs $54.99 MSRP for the PS3, which is a BIG reason why I would never throw one.

Don't get me wrong. I've dropped them before(from a height of about a foot or so up) or they've slipped out of my hand. But throw them? Hell no.[/QUOTE]

I have to agree a $ 50-60 controller, and possibly a LCD TV definitely do not mix, especially when you are an adult and you pay for everything yourself. However some spoiled kids don't care because they know that when they break it mommy and daddy will run right out to get them another one.