Do you still find gaming 'fun'?

Excuse the slightly idiotic title if you will. On another forum I frequent a user spoke about how they felt like giving up gaming because they were simply becoming completely bored of it and of how it inhibited them in real life from going out and being active, and how basically they used it as a way to sink away from real life and any difficult or uncomfortable situations as opposed to an occasional distraction. But they went on to say that it's not just this which they feel is their reason for falling away from gaming in the past year or two as they felt that gaming doesn't have that touch and quality that it used to have and it doesn't have that same level of immersion and variety it used to.

Now this of course can just be one person's view on the gaming world, but most other similar-aged gamers (most of which grew up with the fourth-fifth generation of consoles, or the generations of the Super Nintendo and PS1 respectively) agreed and said that they felt as if this generation has lacked any of that variety that it used to have and that any current innovation is rarely anything more than a simple tweak, and the likes.

Personally I'm beginning to feel less enthused by gaming too. I have recently noted that as of late I am not really playing games for pure fun that much any more, but mostly to say "I have played that game now and can be done with it" or "X title is out of my backlog of games, now onto the next one" so I can get the most out of my money and gaming time rather than "wasting" it on a multiplayer mode of just one game where my victories or losses or other stats add up to nothing in the long term. I've also seen tons of other people (many of which are on N4G) seemingly feeling the same way, as if much of the enthusiasm of gaming has been sucked away this generation. The lead up to big releases don't ever seem to be like they used to; are we just getting (and expecting to get) the same derivative sort of experiences more often than not? And with good reasoning? Is the current dependency on online multiplayer gaming experiences (and the lack of splitscreen co-op games) pushing us further away from just having fun with games?

In other words, do you still gain real enjoyment from video-games these days, or do you feel it is (and you experiences are) waning?

Nate-Dog


Excuse the slightly idiotic title if you will. On another forum I frequent a user spoke about how they felt like giving up gaming because they were simply becoming completely bored of it and of how it inhibited them in real life from going out and being active, and how basically they used it as a way to sink away from real life and any difficult or uncomfortable situations as opposed to an occasional distraction. But they went on to say that it's not just this which they feel is their reason for falling away from gaming in the past year or two as they felt that gaming doesn't have that touch and quality that it used to have and it doesn't have that same level of immersion and variety it used to.

Now this of course can just be one person's view on the gaming world, but most other similar-aged gamers (most of which grew up with the fourth-fifth generation of consoles, or the generations of the Super Nintendo and PS1 respectively) agreed and said that they felt as if this generation has lacked any of that variety that it used to have and that any current innovation is rarely anything more than a simple tweak, and the likes.

Personally I'm beginning to feel less enthused by gaming too. I have recently noted that as of late I am not really playing games for pure fun that much any more, but mostly to say "I have played that game now and can be done with it" or "X title is out of my backlog of games, now onto the next one" so I can get the most out of my money and gaming time rather than "wasting" it on a multiplayer mode of just one game where my victories or losses or other stats add up to nothing in the long term. I've also seen tons of other people (many of which are on N4G) seemingly feeling the same way, as if much of the enthusiasm of gaming has been sucked away this generation. The lead up to big releases don't ever seem to be like they used to; are we just getting (and expecting to get) the same derivative sort of experiences more often than not? And with good reasoning? Is the current dependency on online multiplayer gaming experiences (and the lack of splitscreen co-op games) pushing us further away from just having fun with games?

In other words, do you still gain real enjoyment from video-games these days, or do you feel it is (and you experiences are) waning?

Recently I'd noticed I'd been doing the stuff in red and I've started to stop that. I have a backlog of games that I just decided I won't play until and unless I actually want to.

My problem is I find games significantly less enjoyable as I grow older, as I become more critical and less tolerant. I'm having a really good time with the new Mario game though, because it reminds me of a simpler time in life (and it's still difficult and challenging in every sense). But it seldom happens that I feel satisfied with my gaming experiences, and that's sad. I felt into gaming during the N64's life cycle and the Xbox 1's formative years. Since then, things have been on a constant decline for me

I still enjoy them.
Actually find games to be more educational nowadays, although that might be because I pay more attention to that kind of stuff.

I suppose factors that might have decreased my enjoyment is the hype that games get. Raises expectations too high which the game can't match. At the same time, I've enjoyed games that didn't get much hype.
For example, I was expecting Driver:SF to be predictably mediocre, but found it really enjoyable, while I expected SaintsRow2 to have a poor story but actually felt an impact when one of the supporting characters died.

Another thing is that I now think of the programming and general development behind the game while playing. This might lead to more appreciation for some things, but also kills the immersion in other places. Scripted games in particular are a bane because they always feel flat for me. In my mind, I just see a flip-switch instead of the actual cinematic sequence the game is trying to show me. 

Last factor is that most games have lost the challenge. Regenerating health especially has taken out all the challenge. The entire game is a series of pointless battles involving hide and seek... whereas without regenerating health, it's a series of battles where your success in the last fight has an impact on how you must play in the next one. 

Despite these things, I still enjoy 'em. Maybe I'd be enjoying them more without those factors, but still... 

Yeah pretty much in the same boat as both of you, sometimes I'd try to just finish a game cause it's on my backlog but really didnt have any urge to play it. Once I stopped playing as much it gave me more time to find other stuff I like to do. 

But Im still not completely done with gaming, every once in a while a game will release that I'll want to play. But very different from 3-5 years ago where I'd play a lot. 

Now I'd usually rather watch a movie/tv show than play something from my backlog. Also the gym is pretty much the highlight of the week for me, it's one of the few things I plan out and think about throughout the week kinda like before but with gaming instead. 

Still fun, I have a lot of outside hobbies so I never burn myself out with gaming.

thebudgetgamer


Still fun, I have a lot of outside hobbies so I never burn myself out with gaming.

Do you change your avi and sig every day???

MidnytRain

thebudgetgamer


Still fun, I have a lot of outside hobbies so I never burn myself out with gaming.

Do you change your avi and sig every day???

Sometimes, I like peanuts because it's versatile.

My trophy level has been at lvl 13 for over 2 years now. 

Haven't played a call of duty since MW 1

Been gaming since the original Nintendo

Last game I platd was Prototype 2

Games started but couldn't finish:
Demon souls
Bioshock
Bioshock 2
Soul Calibur v
Burnout paradise
Lbp 2 (this is rly an amazing game btw. It deserves best game of this gen)
Gran Turismo 5
Mvc3
Assassins creed 1 and 2
And the biggest shocker is that I only beat uncharted 3 once.

All I'm looking forward to is gow ascension, gta v and ff versus 

Dnt rly care a out next gen it'll get here when it does. They should wait til 2015

Of course i do... Why would i play games otherwise.

N4G Adventure Part 1 - screw it

Yes.  Very much so.

Yes and no. I can no longer play games in the volume that I did a few years ago. Back in highschool, my friends and I would play Counter-Strike or Team Fortress 2 for 2-4 hours a day, usually in one sitting.


These days, I'm 3/4 of the way through university - making games, so I'll be lucky if I can get an hour or two of enjoyment out of video games.


When you know how games work and operate at every stage of the process, it does take away some of the magic. I find myself analyzing more than playing :\

Most of the time, yeah. Though I'm playing through Homefront right now just for the sake of beating it and I think it's giving me cancer.

Very. Before this winter break, I think I put about 50 hours into gaming the past two years. Maybe I was just not interested, or too busy... Or maybe I just lost 'how' to game? I felt like I was bum rushing every game, not enjoying it. 

In 2012, the only game I bought and played was Borderlands 2 - this was a mindless fun game, I played it friends and friends only. This became the only games I played. Then during fall of 2012, I got the pleasure of playing The Walking Dead. And idk, it just hit the sweet spot. Suddenly, it was all back. Why i played games, and more importantly, HOW I played then. 

I'm going to be expecting Highs and Lows, but I'm going to try to keep gaming. More games will be a miss than a hit, but that's ok. Coz that one 'hit' makes all those misses worth it..........


yes I am talking about games lol

-MD-


Most of the time, yeah. Though I'm playing through Homefront right now just for the sake of beating it and I think it's giving me cancer.

Why don't you make your sign bigger i can't see well enough.

N4G Adventure Part 1 - screw it

Kon

-MD-


Most of the time, yeah. Though I'm playing through Homefront right now just for the sake of beating it and I think it's giving me cancer.

Why don't you make your sign bigger i can't see well enough.

Kon doesn't like it when a woman is all up in his face. 

Yeah, I still enjoy gaming but not as much as I used to. Current consoles have become old and stale and the graphics are showing their age.

That said there are several announced games I am looking forward to this year.

GTAV
Pikmin 3
Lego City: Undercover
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Bioshock Infinite
Dead Island Riptide
Dead Space 3
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Dark Souls 2

Kon

-MD-


Most of the time, yeah. Though I'm playing through Homefront right now just for the sake of beating it and I think it's giving me cancer.

Why don't you make your sign bigger i can't see well enough.

You mean sig? It's no bigger than a few other people's sigs. Deal with it, son.

TheNocturnus


Yeah, I still enjoy gaming but not as much as I used to. Current consoles have become old and stale and the graphics are showing their age.

That said there are several announced games I am looking forward to this year.

GTAV
Pikmin 3
Lego City: Undercover
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Bioshock Infinite
Dead Island Riptide
Dead Space 3
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Dark Souls 2

Noct, you should really play Just Cause 2. I know it's not a game many people mention, but wow.. just playing that game and exploring, it really has some of the best scenic value (in games). I'd recommend it, I think it's art direction that has begun to show it's age. Not the games itself, Just Cause 2 looks really good. 

Do try it!

Well i can say i don't enjoy typical games anymore, they all fell like I've been there and done that. However interesting and unique experiences still get me exitedm ala journey. I really can't enjoy anything that feels extremely gamey anymore, struggling to play vanquish for longer then 30 mins right now. I find story to be far more important then gameplay in getting me to finish games these days. 

Rage_S90


Well i can say i don't enjoy typical games anymore, they all fell like I've been there and done that. However interesting and unique experiences still get me exitedm ala journey. I really can't enjoy anything that feels extremely gamey anymore, struggling to play vanquish for longer then 30 mins right now. I find story to be far more important then gameplay in getting me to finish games these days. 

So you like cinematic games rather than actual video games? I'll quit gaming before I ever get to that point. I'd rather watch movies.