Idiot Gamers: Waggle or Murder

[lordofduct]

You raise a lot of good points about how gaming really hasn't changed that much. There's always been debates over graphics, and there's always been people who were good and people who weren't. I do see two big differences between games back then and games now.

Back then, I beat the original Zelda. I was about 8 at the time, and in that game it's all really self discovery. There was very little direction in the game, just the insert maps, and a couple of NPCs that tell you how to get past the forest. Nowadays, you plunk a kid in front of Zelda, they'll get frustrated and leave. And they'll find one of the more accessable games out there. Back in the day, Zelda WAS one of the more accessable games. In general, these days the bar is lower. I think the main reason is that back in the day, most gameplay mechanics were based on arcade mechanics, where the goal was to get quarters. And there really wasn't a lot of story. So all you had was the gameplay. Now you put a lot of work into creating this world and this story, and you want players to experience it all. Games are designed to be quite beatable these days.

The other big thing is the overall demographic is much, much larger. When you were a kid, there was a few others with a Nintendo, and about half of you were good at it, the others weren't. Now, everyone at your job has either a Wii or a 360, but most of them only have a few titles, and have owned the console for multiple years.

Agreed, my point exactly. Larger demographic, most of which are casual gamers... lower bar to pass.

[gennss]

A) You do realize there was a time where public executions were the spectacle of the day.

b) you do realize they've been saying the same thing since mk1 and night trap was released.

c) and retail is always full of idiots. people are still asking for mario on sega, and weird stuff like that. parents b uying kids copy of grand theft auto, etc etc etc. in the 80s it was the same thing with movies. I knew way too many kids whose parents got them the goriest scariest films, however my mom was catious with tv shows... get used to it, the majority of people are dense, stupid, and rather ignorant. it just seems worse as you get older.

[Ivo]

The other big thing is the overall demographic is much, much larger. When you were a kid, there was a few others with a Nintendo, and about half of you were good at it, the others weren't. Now, everyone at your job has either a Wii or a 360, but most of them only have a few titles, and have owned the console for multiple years.

Actually I thought that 1 out of 3 homes in the U.S. had a NES. Don't know where I saw those stats. Maybe I'm making them up...

Ivo.

[ZeroAX]

Ok on point 2 you have an issue with people not liking non motion control games? Or that people like to play easy games and that they suck for it? Let me ask you one thing. How many books have you raed this year? How many books have all of us in this forum raed all of our lifes? (children books, comics and school books don't count)? If everyone was honest believe me it's going to be a pretty low number. No instead we spend our time playing video games,

Now let's be honest here, you'll gain more in life from a good book than a video game. So you can't judge other people for not liking our hobby. It's not that they are lazy. It's the opposite of that. It's that they are PLAYING, something that's supposed ot be fun, the reason gaming didn't reach the masses outside male teenagers before, is that people didn't like the idea of pressing buttons. It's wrong if they judge you, but since you have been judged (I'm guessing like most gamers have) for your hobby you should know better.

Now the violent part is a different thing. I think it's retarted. I never play a violent game just cause it's violent. Even when I was a teenager and everyone was playing metal gear solid or fps games on pc I prefered super mario and age of empires. I really think it's just a thing of maturity. I had a friend who played metal gear solid, reesident evil and digimon on his playstion one. I think it's bad parenting when your kid wants to act all grown up just by liking violence.

Like the other day I went to the movies to see wanted and next to me, a mother and her about 10 year old son were sitting and the stupid fart, would not shut up about how the movie has so much blood and that it's really cool because of that. And when I told the mother to tell her son to keep quiet she told me "he's just a little boy" .......... well the movie is rated 17+ you lousy mother bitch (ok I didn't say that but I did tell her why then did you bring him to this movie). Just goes to show that the apple falls under the stupid apple tree.

It's should be parents that are charged for letting their kids play a violent game not the retailers or the publishers.

[Ack]

Actually the violence debate started in 1976 with the game Death Race. I've only read 11 books this year on my own, certain books slowed me down and school isn't exactly helping. I used rabbit ears until...1997? I know what quadraphonic sound is(and yes, I did take the time to look it up to confirm). And yes, I've seen vinyls, cassette tapes, and 8-tracks. I enjoyed Citizen Kane immensely when I first watched it, it's quite the technical marvel, but having anything crammed down your throat for two weeks straight for school will generally make you dislike it. I can't compare it to Casablanca yet because I haven't seen it...though the DVD arrived yesterday. I'm currently looking at it across the room.

Now, I'd have to say that genres with lots of violence happen to be my favorite. Is that because I intentionally seek them out solely for violence? No, but it's hard to deny that violence exists in fighting, first person shooters, and survival horror games. Perhaps I should take a moment to explain why some people might enjoy those genres, not for violence purposes but for others.

1. Fighters are generally fast-paced, sometimes frantic games that are some of the best in terms of arcade multiplayer. It is one against one on roughly equal standings and you have generally only a minute and a half to beat your opponent. Fights can change back and forth in the blink of an eye and matches can be finished in as little as five seconds. That may seem like a negative, but it's actually a bonus in my opinion. I can throw SFII into the SNES and get a few rounds in before having to go to class in the morning. Are some of them gory? Yes, definitely. Are some not? Again, yes. Some fighters have no blood at all. Heck, some are bizarre and quirky, such as construction equipment fighting or even Tom and Jerry games. The violence may attract some, but I believe it is the lightning fast competitive nature that brings people to it. I get pissed at games that I have to sink hours into just to get treated as little more than a speed bump, and if you've played RTS or strategy games with some of the guys I have...

2. Survival Horror can be chock full of blood and guts, and no matter what, it's about one person surviving impossible odds. I think what attracts me to this genre is that it's supposed to scare me. I'm scared to death of what's going to be through that next door, around that corner, just down that tunnel, but I man up and push on through and when I beat a game it's like getting fresh air after having been trapped for a year underground. I have been tested, shown things that disturbed and horrified me, and I have overcome, making me a better person for it.

3. First Person Shooters. There are two ways to approach this genre. First, single player. I enjoy being one man against an army. Bullets are flying everywhere but I'm still pushing through and getting my objective done. It doesn't have to be gory, I've played cartoony FPS titles before and enjoyed them. Just as long as it is once again me against impossible odds and I can pull through(I should note, I'm a fan of Dynasty Warriors as well...)

But then there's the multiplayer. Again, two ways to take this. It's me against actual people, generally wielding the same equipment I am but perhaps more skilled as a player. It's me against everyone to see who's left standing every two seconds, seeing how long I survive in the struggle. And team multiplayer is the best. I am one person, surrounded by thirty others, attempting to get to point A and take it, or trying to slaughter the other side. Meanwhile, an army of guys every bit as capable as me is standing in my way, and it's my job to see myself and my buddies through. It's not just about fragging the enemy, it's about coordination, camaraderie, and always pulling your weight. It's about helping others get through the struggle, both in your squad and on your team. When somebody gives you an order, you do it and your team benefits. Team based multiplayer has made for many of my best multiplayer experiences and stories.

So yeah, I'd say I enjoy these genres not for the gore, but for that sinking feeling you have to fight when you realize the shit has hit the fan and you've got to get through it and fight to win. Perhaps this is my way for making up the fact that I don't like sports.

This generation? There are a lot of kids playing. They're mostly casual, have little interest in gaming history, and will eventually drop gaming later in life or will always just look at it as a minor hobby. There's more accessibility in gaming nowadays of course, hence more "casual" gamers vs. "hardcore" which has likely also increased, but only proportionally(and I thought many people on this forum were against using these terms...). As for kids today...well, if the Wii is the only thing they're playing, of course they're gonna expect motion controls in everything, especially if they're under the age of 10 and don't have much in the way of competent knowledge of games. Now somebody who's on this forum? I expect a little more out of their kids. But their cousins' kids? No way. If they are interested, they'll learn while they grow up. If not, casual gamers all the way, impressed by what the gaming media tells them is good. As for violence and gore, perhaps it could also be considered an expression of their masculinity to favor these games(statistics show fewer females play these genres)? As in "I can see this, so I'm obviously more of a man" or "more of an adult." Eh, take it how you will. I'm gonna keep buying the games I like, rest of the world be damned. Whenever I have kids, I'll teach them to appreciate the old AND the new. I'm getting tired of folks on here whining about the current generation. Yes, it DOES happen here, and I'm sure when the next generation occurs we'll all move on to start bitching about that one. And that needs to stop. Realize that yes, it's more expensive right now, but ultimately it's got the one thing we require: games. Some of which are quality and worth looking up. Do you have to pay full price? No. Do you have to like the other people who own the console? No. Do you have to like the company that makes it? Definitely not. But it is a machine to play games and that is what we do. Take some time, do some research, and I'm sure you're going to find at least ONE game on that machine you like, and probably quite a few more.

[gennss]

Ok on point 2 you have an issue with people not liking non motion control games? Or that people like to play easy games and that they suck for it? Let me ask you one thing. How many books have you raed this year? How many books have all of us in this forum raed all of our lifes? (children books, comics and school books don't count)? If everyone was honest believe me it's going to be a pretty low number. No instead we spend our time playing video games,

Now let's be honest here, you'll gain more in life from a good book than a video game. So you can't judge other people for not liking our hobby. It's not that they are lazy. It's the opposite of that. It's that they are PLAYING, something that's supposed ot be fun, the reason gaming didn't reach the masses outside male teenagers before, is that people didn't like the idea of pressing buttons. It's wrong if they judge you, but since you have been judged (I'm guessing like most gamers have) for your hobby you should know better.

Now the violent part is a different thing. I think it's retarted. I never play a violent game just cause it's violent. Even when I was a teenager and everyone was playing metal gear solid or fps games on pc I prefered super mario and age of empires. I really think it's just a thing of maturity. I had a friend who played metal gear solid, reesident evil and digimon on his playstion one. I think it's bad parenting when your kid wants to act all grown up just by liking violence.

Like the other day I went to the movies to see wanted and next to me, a mother and her about 10 year old son were sitting and the stupid fart, would not shut up about how the movie has so much blood and that it's really cool because of that. And when I told the mother to tell her son to keep quiet she told me "he's just a little boy" .......... well the movie is rated 17+ you lousy mother bitch (ok I didn't say that but I did tell her why then did you bring him to this movie). Just goes to show that the apple falls under the stupid apple tree.

It's should be parents that are charged for letting their kids play a violent game not the retailers or the publishers.

Actually i don't read anymore because i work 50+ hours a week and go to school full time. WHen i was in high school i would read at least a book a week. i single handedly pillaged the school library. i do occassionally go through my short story collections, this year i've read approximately 10 books which is extremely low number. (mostly william gibson)

I didn't have a run in videogames until post high school before that i'd go play in friends houses when i didn't have my own systems. Never affected my reading habits and really same for my friends.

[Niode]

The first happened in my local Gamestation, a 14yr old (maybe older) guy brought a copy of The Orange Box (for 360) to the counter and asked how violent it was. When told that it was pretty violent he asked the cashier for a more violent game. The cashier suggested Bioshock on the grounds that "you get to shoot little girls". So this boy walked out of the shop with a game he knew nothing about, going only on the fact that at some point he would get to shoot little girls! Is it just me or is that ridiculous? This generation care more about the violent content that litter the games that they buy than whether they are actually any good!!! (Luckily Bioshock is apparently a good game, although I must admit I have never played it).

I can't believe nobody has commented on the fact that a 14 year old kid walked out of a Gamestation with an 18 rated game... Which fucking retard sold him that? He deserves to lose his job. If I saw that happen I would have asked to speak to the manager. Then again in GS it probably was the manager that sold it to him...

That kid probably played that game for about ten minutes and then got stuck. I bet it's just gathering dust on his shelf.

Fucking kids.

When I have kids they aren't even gonna touch ANY violent game until they are old enough to play it maturely. As opposed to ZOMG BLOOD AND GUTS ARE SO KOOOL LLOLOLOLOLLL!!!!1!1!!!!1.

[Pulsar_t]

To anyone on here... do you like the movie "Citizen Kane"? I mean... really really like it. Cause I don't like movies like "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones". Now if you don't like "Citizen Kane", is it actually a bad movie? Cause I guarantee there is a lot of people who say otherwise.

I like Citizen Kane AND Indiana Jones, minus part 4 of course. I am not keen on Star Wars though. So there's a lot of varying opinions out there. More examples: I enjoyed Wanted (7/10) but thought the Dark Knight was overrated (8/10). However most of the time I don't like mainstream opinion on various issues. Gaming is just one of them. Ever noticed how on those home video shows usually the tape with kids in it wins nine times out of ten? Just because!

[FreshChurros]

As far as violence goes, all the kids at my high school love Halo and Grand Theft Auto. That's basically all they're interested in when it comes to gaming.

As for me, I started gaming when I was about 3. The first game I played was Super Mario Bros. on my dad's NES (which was considered quite old by the time I was 3). That game gave me a model of what's fun and what's not. Violence has never been an objective in my mind. I was actually quite adverse to violence until only about a year ago, when I finally bought Resident Evil 4 and ended up hiding behind the couch for a while.

Starting off with games on the NES also taught me another good lesson: keep trying. I died many, many, MANY times in Super Mario Bros., as the levels wore on and on. But I tried and tried and tried until I finally did finish the game. Nowadays, few games are even as hard as Super Mario Bros., but when a true challenge does come along, I know how to stick it out and get through.

Not all 14 year-olds are idiots.

[disorderlyvision]

Ok on point 2 you have an issue with people not liking non motion control games? Or that people like to play easy games and that they suck for it? Let me ask you one thing. How many books have you raed this year? How many books have all of us in this forum raed all of our lifes? (children books, comics and school books don't count)? If everyone was honest believe me it's going to be a pretty low number. No instead we spend our time playing video games,

speak for yourself. i read far more than i play games.