Difficulty Curve? Attention Spans changing?

[ExedExes]

[TheGregzilla]

If the game is good enough, it wont matter though.

Exactly and if you haven't found that in modern gaming then you need to keep looking, because it's there. The already mentioned Super Meat Boy is a perfect example of this. As are Rayman Origins, Hotline Miami, and Guacamelee. They exist, just ask this community, we'll tell you which ones they are.

I actually was fortunate enough to happen upon Super Meat Boy info before it was released, got it release day and wasn't dissapointed. One of the best indie games I have ever played.

But for every sensible person playing a good game, there are thousands of people mouths agape, drool running down their chin, playing Call of Duty all night and all day because its 'Gods gift to gaming'


I hate that modern mainstream games have this sense of 'its not if you beat it, its when.' I haven't played a modern console game in years that I either couldn't beat or didn't, and the fact is I can fully admit Im not great at video games. I love them to death but normally Im a little behind the curve.

[TheGregzilla]

AHHH This is perfect! Plus I love Regular Show, so that just adds to it.

[Stark]

But for every sensible person playing a good game, there are thousands of people mouths agape, drool running down their chin, playing Call of Duty all night and all day because its 'Gods gift to gaming'

I hate that modern mainstream games have this sense of 'its not if you beat it, its when.' I haven't played a modern console game in years that I either couldn't beat or didn't, and the fact is I can fully admit Im not great at video games. I love them to death but normally Im a little behind the curve.

What I'm saying with those example above are that there's diversity, which is a good thing. There was diversity in the old days too, not every game was Contra or Ghosts n Goblins. I like that there are games that don't try to beat you into submission and you can just have some fun playing it. Call of Duty is a perfect game for just zoning out for a few hours and having fun.

[Menegrothx]

I think the problem is becoming the definition of 'experienced serious gamer'.

Look around the internet and even ask around with a general crowd of video game players. Younger gamers (and even some adults) Seem to think serious gamers play

(and almost exclusively from my experience..)
-Call of Duty
-Oblivion/Skryim (with mentions of the older games bringing in cries about graphics..)

I don't know whether it's funny or enraging when casuals&new school gamers think they're being hardcore by playing the most popular, dumbed down and easy games on the market. Yes it's "hardcore" compared to Facebook games, but that's not saying much. Drop a COD kid into a game of Counter Strike or Quake and they'll get annihilated in seconds over and over again untill they'll ragequit. Or give a Skyrim kid a real WRPG and see how far they'll get before they'll quit because they don't know what to do or how to play the game.

What I'm saying with those example above are that there's diversity, which is a good thing. There was diversity in the old days too, not every game was Contra or Ghosts n Goblins. I like that there are games that don't try to beat you into submission and you can just have some fun playing it. Call of Duty is a perfect game for just zoning out for a few hours and having fun.

There's nothing wrong with unchallenging/atmosphere or experience based video games (like Journey for instance). The problem is when baby's first FPS/RPG/[Genre] games become the norm and try to pass of as the norm, or even as hardcore. Skyrim and Call of Duty aren't cute little casual games on the DS or Facebook. They're tough looking masculine games about killing people. It's the same thing with story games. "Cinematic" AAA games shouldn't try to act like they're some great examples of using video games as a story telling medium when they have shallow characters and bad writing, a big dissonance between the actual gameplay and the story&cutscenes and substandard/mediocre gameplay&dame design.

[isiolia]

There's nothing wrong with unchallenging/atmosphere or experience based video games (like Journey for instance). The problem is when baby's first FPS/RPG/[Genre] games become the norm and try to pass of as the norm, or even as hardcore.

As has been brought up though, how many games still offer nothing in terms of challenge in order to collect every trophy (or whatever the game offers)?

Just because challenge isn't mandatory doesn't mean it isn't there.

[TheRev]

Give me a good NES Style platformer any day. Not that I prefer them. But I do have a soft spot for the good ole 8-bit style.

[garrett123]

If you want it from the source

I suck at video games

It took me 1 hour to beat a level in Phantasy star Universe.

[JayJaySut]

I think the problem is becoming the definition of 'experienced serious gamer'.

Look around the internet and even ask around with a general crowd of video game players. Younger gamers (and even some adults) Seem to think serious gamers play

(and almost exclusively from my experience..)
-Call of Duty
-Oblivion/Skryim (with mentions of the older games bringing in cries about graphics..)
-League of Legends/World of Warcraft
-Forza (and similar racing titles)
-Madden

This is from 90% of the people Ive ever talked to video games about. These are the so called 'serious games for real gamers.' And just a glance around the internet shows the same.

Yeah, I see your point there. The definition has changed now all it takes to be a hardcore gamer is to play games that look realistic and are bigger, skill isn't a part of it. The word hardcore gamer used to mean something now it's almost an insult to be called that. Another thing I might add is that I don't really care about challenge that much, it's not a negative thing if a game isn't hard, anybody can make a hard game. I don't think I like Meat boy because it's hard, I think being hard helped but anyone can make a hard game, it was really the sense that you were mastering the controls and a combination of good level design that made it fun being hard just gave you more reason to master your controls and reflexes. And also I wouldn't say difficulty is the only thing just general amount of effort required and how much you're really going to do yourself, I would say Fez is a hardcore game in its second half because you have to take notes and do it yourself, not being lazy. You get more out of games the more you put into them and I don't think modern gamers get this, they don't want to work for their entertainment and are missing out on some good games because of it.

[3DSStrider]

Tell me where these people are so I can punch them. I hate people that won't play old games because they're old, and that hatred runs deeper for when that extends to movies and such.
Seriously Gregzilla, not all of us kids are idiots. I, for example, much prefer Contra to CoD.