Growing Out Of Games

[yusuo]

I grew up playing games, every type of game I could play, I have fond memories of the majority of them but I've found recently that I just don't get excited about it any more, maybe this is due to the fact that I don't have as much time as I used to or maybe it's because the quality has got shockingly worse.

Take for example, I recently bought a PS4 off a friend as he needed the money, I got 6 games with it, Tomb Raider, Battlefield, Witcher 3, GTA V, Assassins Creed and Mortal Kombat. Thing is I've barely played them (to be fair I completed GTA V on PS3) I just can't get into it like I used to be able to, I find them too easy or too monotonous . Take for example I'm playing Tomb Raider, never played it before but I can jump and climb through the game without even thinking always ending up exactly where i need to be, there's no challenge

Is all this due to the quality of games going down and if not what game do you guys (and gals) recommend that may spark my interest again, what are your thoughts on the matter (forgive me if this has been previously asked) are you bored with what is available now a-days, are games just not fun anymore, do you find them linear and too easy.

 

[DinohScene]

Play on higher difficulties.
I speedrun games these days, keeps the interest factor on it.
That and heavy storyline games.

 

[yusuo]

Play on higher difficulties.
I speedrun games these days, keeps the interest factor on it.
That and heavy storyline games.

I play on the highest difficulty on most games, still easy to walk through

 

[Blaze163]

I still play games but I've noticed my tastes change drastically over time. I'll always have a sweet spot for the old Sonic games, Starwing, FF7, etc. But these days I just don't have the time or the energy to really commit to a big game with a long story. My PS3 is mostly used for Rocksmith 2014. It's just a glorified amp/training tool.

 

[FAST6191]

Despite all that do you still keep abreast of the gaming news, developments and such like?

I ask mainly as I have seen that one several times, including in myself, before now.

That said on quality being worse I am not seeing it. There are plenty of safe bets but I am willing to wager that the only thing that will make them unplayable in 20 years will be my RSI/super performing robot hands owing to my hands being replaced due to said RSI.

 

[TecXero]

I've found my taste has changed as I got older. Now, most of the games I enjoy are smaller games, like AA and Indie games. I'd try branching out and trying games you've never really thought of before.

 

[yusuo]

Despite all that do you still keep abreast of the gaming news, developments and such like?

I ask mainly as I have seen that one several times, including in myself, before now.

That said on quality being worse I am not seeing it. There are plenty of safe bets but I am willing to wager that the only thing that will make them unplayable in 20 years will be my RSI/super performing robot hands owing to my hands being replaced due to said RSI.

I do, I read Kotaku daily, as well as frequent this site. I still play the old games regularly, but I feel that may be more for nostalgic purposes, I do still do enjoy gaming but the gems are few and far between now a days, the last one i've thoroughly enjoyed was The Last Of Us, the rest I find as go find something - cut scene - go find something else - cutscene - etc..... (part of the reason i didn't enjoy the uncharted series) to truly have me now I need a really good story, something that will make me want to keep on coming back

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I grew up playing games, every type of game I could play, I have fond memories of the majority of them but I've found recently that I just don't get excited about it any more, maybe this is due to the fact that I don't have as much time as I used to or maybe it's because the quality has got shockingly worse.

Take for example, I recently bought a PS4 off a friend as he needed the money, I got 6 games with it, Tomb Raider, Battlefield, Witcher 3, GTA V, Assassins Creed and Mortal Kombat. Thing is I've barely played them (to be fair I completed GTA V on PS3) I just can't get into it like I used to be able to, I find them too easy or too monotonous . Take for example I'm playing Tomb Raider, never played it before but I can jump and climb through the game without even thinking always ending up exactly where i need to be, there's no challenge

Is all this due to the quality of games going down and if not what game do you guys (and gals) recommend that may spark my interest again, what are your thoughts on the matter (forgive me if this has been previously asked) are you bored with what is available now a-days, are games just not fun anymore, do you find them linear and too easy.

I do think I am growing out of games a little, I rarely get as excited about them as I used to, but when you are younger you find more joy in things, so that's to be expected. Nowadays I rarely get hooked on a game, but it does happen. Usually I just get enough of any particular game after a while and take a break from it, sometimes a long one. Some of the only games that still manage to get me hooked are new home console Zelda games and Pokemon, and the occasional JRPG, but I am very picky with my JRPGs. Haven't gotten hooked on a Mario game since Super Mario Sunshine.

I don't think it's due to the quality of games going down, although in some cases that is certainly true. It's just that when you are young, games just seem more exciting, and you are less likely to care about flaws in the game like it being repetitive, and when you get older you start finding enjoyment in other things than you did as a kid and the things that used to take up most of your free time as a kid no longer seem that important or exciting as you have more things that you enjoy doing just as much.

Edit: Oh yeah, the mention of indie games reminds me that Super Meat Boy, Fez and VVVVVV got me pretty hooked too. To this day VVVVVV is a game that I can pick up anytime and play through in one sitting and it's almost as fun as the first time I played it. I must've beat it 5 or 6 times by now and I haven't even had the game that long. Just mentioning it makes me feel like playing through it again. That game has the best replay value of anything I have ever played.
Never did beat Super Meat Boy, I took a break from it once I got really stuck on a level and it's really hard to get into it again now that I haven't played it in a while, might have to replay it from the beginning just to re-learn how to not suck at the game.

I'm really itching for Zelda U, I think it might be my next big game that I get hooked on and play for hours every day. Unless they fuck it up with the open world stuff in which case I'll be disappointed.

 

[yusuo]

I do prefer JRPG's, But i'm more turn based then the crap they pipe out now, Final Fantasy XV doesn't interest me at all because of that, I hated XII, I tolerated XIII. Ni No Kuni is something I would of loved to play sadly I gave away my PS3 before I got round to it though, i need something I can invest in

 

[BobDoleOwndU]

I do, I read Kotaku daily, as well as frequent this site. I still play the old games regularly, but I feel that may be more for nostalgic purposes, I do still do enjoy gaming but the gems are few and far between now a days, the last one i've thoroughly enjoyed was The Last Of Us, the rest I find as go find something - cut scene - go find something else - cutscene - etc..... (part of the reason i didn't enjoy the uncharted series) to truly have me now I need a really good story, something that will make me want to keep on coming back

I do find that is harder to find a game that I can't wait to get home to play now; I mostly think it's due to a lack of new genres rather than a lowering quality of games. When I was young, new genres were popping up all the time and it was awesome because it was a completely new experience with every game. Now, sadly it's a lot of more of the same.

However, recently I can happily say a few games have popped up that have been holding my interest. Metal Gear Solid V is awesome, definitely recommend it; Destiny: The Taken King is also very fun, much better than the vanilla game. I'd highly recommend playing it with friends though. And an old favourite of mine, the Monster Hunter series. I've been playing MH since Freedom 1 on the PSP and can say I was not disappointed with MH4U. Awesome game; again better with friends.

 

[yusuo]

Destiny: The Taken King is also very fun,

This did peak my interest, is it any good. I over killed COD back in the day and that's what's holding me back. I don't wan't to be bothered with another generic FPS

 

[DjoeN]

Well, you grow out of it slowly (I'm age 46)
Console games and Consoles don't get me hooked anymore
I got rid of most of my Console collection (still got some nice stuff) but if it comes to gaming, only Handhelds still get my time (Smartphone/Tablets not included, i even don't play games on those)
Handhelds are great, No TV needed, portable, play while you wait somewhere, etc...

Even my 2 of the 3 kids (twins age 14) are not that interessted, last i asked what the wanted, a new game for the consoles i own, a N3DS or a Drawing Tablet (Intuos Manga edition) for there computer
without thinking both did go for the drawing tablet

My other kid (age 7) yelled: I want Animal Crossing Home Designer and Hatsune Miku DX and Disneys Infinity 3 (she owns a 2DS), she is into gaming like i used to be when i was young

 

[FAST6191]

I do prefer JRPG's, But i'm more turn based then the crap they pipe out now, Final Fantasy XV doesn't interest me at all because of that, I hated XII, I tolerated XIII. Ni No Kuni is something I would of loved to play sadly I gave away my PS3 before I got round to it though, i need something I can invest in

I went completely the opposite way -- real time or something very close to it is what I go in for now. Though I would have reversed XII and XIII in your list -- XIII was maybe not an abomination but certainly nothing I would wish upon anybody and XII was not without its charms, I might even play it again one day soon.
With that said have you tried what I would probably call my three favourite games, at least if you want to wave labels like RPG around, in Resonance of Fate, Eternal Sonata (and if you are thinking of getting a PS3 to give ni no kuni a spin then get the PS3 version of this) and Magna Carta 2 (a 360 exclusive)? Later you mentioned stories in games. I do not think I have ever seen a story in a game that I would truly rate, however if you can pretend you have never seen a clash of cultures anime or read a sci fi book (or worse still clash of cultures, post apocalyptic sci fi in either) then I will put forward Resonance of Fate on that front.

I do, I read Kotaku daily, as well as frequent this site.

[insert kotaku is the gaming equivalent of the daily mail comment], however I guess if you skip the comments and filter some of the commentary you are not likely to miss anything big.

 

[duwen]

Sounds to me like you're not growing out of games, you've just realised that a lot of modern games are all very similar fodder; fps, open world, generic crap.
...you're not alone. I've known it for a long time.
That's not to say that I don't still enjoy a major release occasionally (I lost months to Destiny when it first came out... won't touch the latest dlc though), but I do find a lot of current/last gen console games incredibly boring and formulaic.
...but I'll never grow out of games. I'm in my mid 40's and have been a gamer since the 1970's, and while I'm struggling to find anything about the PS4 or the xbone to entice me I've got a massive backlog of games to keep me happy on my x360 all the way back to my Neo Geo CD. And right now I'm thoroughly hooked on my 3ds and rediscovering the Daphne emulator.
My advice; don't let yourself believe you're growing out of gaming, just change how you play, what you play, and what you play it on.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Sounds to me like you're not growing out of games, you've just realised that a lot of modern games are all very similar fodder; fps, open world, generic crap.
...you're not alone. I've known it for a long time.
That's not to say that I don't still enjoy a major release occasionally (I lost months to Destiny when it first came out... won't touch the latest dlc though), but I do find a lot of current/last gen console games incredibly boring and formulaic.
...but I'll never grow out of games. I'm in my mid 40's and have been a gamer since the 1970's, and while I'm struggling to find anything about the PS4 or the xbone to entice me I've got a massive backlog of games to keep me happy on my x360 all the way back to my Neo Geo CD. And right now I'm thoroughly hooked on my 3ds and rediscovering the Daphne emulator.
My advice; don't let yourself believe you're growing out of gaming, just change how you play, what you play, and what you play it on.

Personally I think that's just the nostalgia talking. Was it really that much different when we were younger?

 

[cvskid]

You guys aren't growing out of games, just that classic games are better then newer ones.

 

[duwen]

Personally I think that's just the nostalgia talking. Was it really that much different when we were younger?

When I was young? lol! Yeah, it was definitely different. Not counting the crappy Binatone 'pong type games' console I had back in the 70's, my first 'home system' was a 48k Spectrum in the early 80's - the variety of games that were available on that was outstanding. These days it's a case of Activisions FPS versus EA's FPS versus Activisions Sci-Fi FPS versus Microsofts Sci-Fi FPS, and a football game, a driving game or two, and a time-sink that's passed off as being an RPG.
Yeah, maybe I'm tainted by a bit of nostalgia, but like I said I can still get sucked in by the occasional 'generic sci-fi fps'... but it's more a case that sometimes you just don't want a game that demands so much of your time, and there's a lot to be said for 'quick fix' games.

 

[orcid]

Just don't play if you don't like to play. I skipped nearly the whole PS2-era, because I was tired of videogames at this time. Later in life I started playing again. I think it's more a matter of circumstances and taste than a matter of 'growing out'.

 

[BobDoleOwndU]

This did peak my interest, is it any good. I over killed COD back in the day and that's what's holding me back. I don't wan't to be bothered with another generic FPS

Personally I find it very fun. I will admit that I'm not a fan of the PvP, but that might just be me personally. The PvE on the other hand is very enjoyable. Running around with friends doing strikes (you go and fight through some enemies and then fight a boss at the end) and raids is always a good time. Also it has the RPG aspect of finding new/better gear if you enjoy that. There's not really another FPS like it, but that causes some people to like it and others to not.

 

[HaloEffect17]

Growing out of games?

Nah, I'll always be a gamer at large. I would say I feel hyped more for titles than I used to back in the day.