Thinking about quitting gaming

[Whacker]

Warning, rather jaded, depressing post follows.

So I've had this thought a few times in the past few years. Gaming sucks right now. I've mainly been a PC gamer since the early 90's, and I've seen the highs and lows, seen a lot of good and bad games come down the pike. It's with the biggest irony that I'm posting this in a gaming subforum on a site dedicated to a specific PC game series.

From my perspective, I'm tired of the very real "dumbing down" of gaming. I'm sick of seeing every single last dev house cranking out games that cater to the lowest common IQ, and to people and kids who want a "quick fix". Sick of seeing games designed mainly for the console and a joypad, and then a halfarsed port to the PC that clearly shows absolute minimal effort on the porting team's behalf. Sick of games released with more and more huge and game breaking bugs, then half-hearted efforts to fix, if they're even fixed at all. I'm sick of seeing "community managers" who's jobs are to stifle dissent, "manage" the gamers, and spew propaganda instead of interact with the fans. Sick of crappy minigames, horrible AI, too much emphasis on graphics, bullet-time, misuse of genre types (RPG), subscription based gaming and MMOs, you name it.

There are a number of games that have recently been released which I had high hopes for and they turned out to be utterly boring, uninspired, and have zero depth and almost no originality. Bioshock is one, it is nothing like the old hybrid FPS/RPG's of yore that it was hyped up to be a successor to. The only thing it's got going for it is a semi-original setting. Hellgate London turned out to be an MMO in disguise, with incredibly repetitive and boring gameplay on top of the fact that you have to pay $10/mo to actually get the REAL (full) game. Jericho is a title unworthy of being associated with Clive and it's predecssor, Undying. Incredibly stupid party and monster AI coupled with (yet again) crappy controls on the PC equal a recipe for boredom.

It's not only these recent games but over the past 2-3 years or so that it's taken the real downhill plunge for me. I guess the main two areas that it's hitting me is in the RPG and flight sim market. Bethesda has decided they want to make fantasy FPS's now instead of RPG's... Meh, ok.
NWN2 was more of an arcade game than a D20 platform in my experience. And as for flight sims, IL-2 and LOMAC are the only two real honest to god sims with little to no arcadishness, and the 'fixed' version of LOMAC (Flaming Cliffs) is infested with Starforce. Even CA is going the route of pleasing AD&D kiddies in making their games more arcadish, non-stop fast-paced action games as opposed to reasonably challenging and enjoyable TB/RTS's.

So it comes down to it. I'm realy thinking about just quitting cold turkey. The lack of depth and complexity, crappy DRM, shoddy support, etc etc etc has really taken it's toll on me. I'm 28 years old, if I am a dinosaur relic of a (as I see it) so called "golden age" of gaming that's passed and will not be returning, then so be it. I have a family to spend time with, a career that needs a boost, and friends to spend time with. It seems like a no brainer at this point.

I'd be curious if any other working (post high-school and/or college) folks have been at this point and what their thoughts are...

Edit - removed something I shouldn't be talking about.

[Fragony]

It is become way better imho, the fine stuff is still to be found and there is much more entertainement. If you want to go beyond the package there are mods, made by fanatics for fanatics, that is a great, I am a huge Thief fan and still play it today because of the fanwork. Seems like people have a problem mainstream entering their private little space, I am in gaming heaven.

[Husar]

I've been thinking similar things Whacker but I believe there are still some good games out there, it just takes longer from good game to good game nowadays.

[lars573]

Do it. The same thing happened to me with comic books. Lack of interest and money (which only made the decision easier) forced me out. Keep and love the old stuff and try not to pay attention to the new.

[Adrian II]

I gave up tv years ago for similar reasons and never looked back. Who needs tv? I am a journalist, for god's sake, and even I never miss an issue or story on behalf of my tv aversion. But in the ever expanding gaming universe I feel there is enough fun to be had for a lifetime.

I share your disappointment over the terrible quality of after sales, fixes and fan-base comitment of today's great distributors. As for the rest of your complaints, sorry, I think you just suffer from overload. Go cold turkey for a year, then switch on one of your all-time favourites.

Oh, and don't expect the highest intellectual satisfaction from a buncha pixels, please.

*Logs into Wolfteam. Rarata!! Headshot! "Baby Wolf! *

[Bob the Insane]

I get this feeling sometimes then switch back to PnP RGPs...

Then when I have had enough of other people and switch back to some good SP gaming...

Then branch back to MP...

It is a cyclic thing really...

One thing doesn't change though, I am a gamer at heart, the gaming does not go away. It is just the medium changes to keep things fresh...

I don't whatch TV very much becuase the lack of interactivity loses my interest. I only like TV or films with a particularly good story, I don't watch it just to pass time...

So is it gaming you want to give up (focusing your life on more "serious" and "real" persuits) or is it just PC/Console gaming you are feed up with?

I already quit longtime. Do the same, Whacker.

Simple and honest question, if this is the case why stay on a PC game forum?

[Warmaster Horus]

Of course, Whacker, gaming today may be seen that way, but it depends what you're expecting of gaming. If you get enjoyment from a game for a reasonable period, then I think the game has done what it set out to do. There are plenty of pretty good games out there, it depends what kind you want. I like RPGs, so I play KotOR; I like Strategy, so I play Dawn of War... Not overly complicated, but which take some skill to play.
I'm just saying, don't quit gaming completely. Would be a shame... Just give it less time, and choose a game which is interesting to you. Better yet, replay the old classics.

[FactionHeir]

Good points Whacker and I'd have to agree.

Still, hanging onto some old games and the few jewels in the haystack that still come out once in a while may just be enough. Part-time gaming isn't too bad.

[Csargo]

[Whacker]

Of course, Whacker, gaming today may be seen that way, but it depends what you're expecting of gaming. If you get enjoyment from a game for a reasonable period, then I think the game has done what it set out to do.

Agree, the problem is that I'm NOT enjoying any of the new games, hence why I'm really going down this route. If one asked me what my GOTY is for '07, I'm at a complete loss. Honestly I'd have to say it's probably Vampire Bloodlines........

There are plenty of pretty good games out there, it depends what kind you want. I like RPGs, so I play KotOR; I like Strategy, so I play Dawn of War... Not overly complicated, but which take some skill to play.

Yes there are tons of good games out there, they're all just very old and I've played the crap out of them. I just got done playing KOTOR1 and SS2 a few months back, and Deus Ex and Fallout 1 and 2 earlier this year.

I'm just saying, don't quit gaming completely. Would be a shame... Just give it less time, and choose a game which is interesting to you. Better yet, replay the old classics.

Again agree, but my problem is that I've just about burnt out all my old favorites, and nothing new interests me at all. Thanks for the kind words though.

[econ21]

If one asked me what my GOTY is for '07, I'm at a complete loss. Honestly I'd have to say it's probably Vampire Bloodlines........

Yes there are tons of good games out there, they're all just very old and I've played the crap out of them. I just got done playing KOTOR1 and SS2 a few months back, and Deus Ex and Fallout 1 and 2 earlier this year.

I share your taste in older games - you are mentioning 5 out of my top 10 ever games in one sentence - but I am not convinced that gaming has declined dramatically since then.

Vampire Bloodlines is right up there with the Fallouts, in my opinion. Many similar virtues in terms of atmosphere, character and originality of sidequests etc. But benefiting from the rather astounding computer graphics of recent years. I'm very miffed that Troika went under for it.

KOTOR1 was excellent, but it seems from reports that Mass Effect is roughly comparable. (I'll have to wait a while for the PC release to find out for myself). Even Jade Empire - an underrated CRPG - kept my faith in Bioware strong. I disagree with you about the Obsidian offerings, NWN2 and KOTOR2, and found them very good offerings.

Yes, Bioshock and Invisible War were let downs after SS2 and Deus Ex, but I suspect we will see great things in those kind of RPG/FPS hybrids in future. Stalker was a pretty close near miss. Like Morrowind/Oblivion, it creates a pretty amazing gameworld. It just needs a bit more of a game to fit into it. On the more "action" side of the spectrum, Max Payne 2 and Mafia provided very immersive story based experiences.

One strategy game that has kept up my faith in computer games is Civ4. IMO, this keeps everything good about Civ2 and then adds lots more goodness. It's harder than Civ2 and also more flavoursome, in terms of little touches and fun gameplay.

I'm also getting a sense that hardcore wargames are making something of a comeback from independent designers - Matrix Games, Ageod etc - although as yet I have not managed to wean myself of the lighter genres of RPGs and TW to get back into the hardstuff.

[Xiahou]

Bah, if you're so disenchanted with the PC gaming industry stop with the commercial games that seem to be upsetting you so and look to indie gaming. There's are games available that you don't even have to pay for out there that have tons more character than a lot of the soulless crapfests that are being put out by the big publishers right now. The breadth and depth of low to no cost gaming (not associated with the big publishers/devs) out there to keep anyone busy for a long time. There's just too much emphasis currently put on pretty games with wow factor, that end up being shallow once you get passed the shiny stuff.

Incidentally, I don't completely agree that there are no good commercial games out there on the PC. Witcher and TF2 (which I know you won't touch) are both great PC games that I'm currently enjoying. M&B is also a perennial favorite.

[Odin]

So can I have all your old games Whacker?

Seriously, no need to quit. I think you need to think outside of your normal comfort zone and try something you havent before.

Take Command 2nd Manassas is a gem and challenging. You think your a compentent general? Good luck against Jackson. There are a few good mods for it too.

[TinCow]

My thoughts on your situation are that you should quit playing games. Clearly you are not enjoying them, so they're just a waste of money. It seems like a pretty simple decision to me. This is not a life-altering decision, it's just a choice not to buy games because you don't like them. It's no different than not buying a book you're not interested in or not watching a television program that you find boring. This is not divorce we're talking about, nor it is something traumatically difficult like breaking a substance addiction.

My personal opinion is that we're at a transition phase for gaming. Over the past 10 years, gaming has started going from a children's pastime to an adult pastime. You only need to look at the curve on the average age of gamers to see that. The gaming industry has simply exploded with the advent of console gaming for adults. There is far, far more money in it now than there ever has been since the genre was created. Thus, you have a large number of corporations that are jockeying for position in a very lucrative market that is likely to equal, if not surpass, the television and film industries for profit and market share.

When these kinds of industry booms occur, the very nature of the product tends to shift dramatically. No one really knows where the industry will end up, so they start firing out products like random, hoping to find the next big hit before their competitors do. When a success is found, the companies dogpile on it to make as much money as possible until the 'fad' wears off. When it does, they move on to whatever else has been found to be profitable since then. This results in many low-quality games, designed to focus on a few 'new' aspects in an attempt to test the marketability of the concept, followed by boatloads of cookie-cutter games that mimic the successes from the first part.

This is not a permanent situation. Eventually the gamer base will level off, the competitors will get used to their market, and the consumers themselves will become more discerning. This is especially true of the console market, which is increasingly turning into a PC market. Console players want to be able to download mods, install tons of patches, and generally make their games more than they are from just a plain vanilla install. For this reason alone, consoles that allow this will be more successful in the future and eventually consoles will become nothing more than pre-assembled gaming PCs. Stick a wireless keyboard and mouse on your coffee table, and no one will know the difference.

With this increase in consumer demand for more flexibility from the console market will come a greater demand for quality PC gaming. Smaller developers with 'niche' ideas will become more profitable and innovation, rather than cloning, will be rewarded by the market. This exact trend can be seen in the history of television and film entertainment. Both industries were originally small markets where hordes of independent groups made whatever programming they felt like making. There was a great deal of development and experimentation that really created the basis of the industry that we have today. These original pioneers showed the public what these new forms of entertainment had to offer and go the consumers interested in them. As they public got more interested, they started spending more money, resulting in higher profits. Then the less successful companies began getting bought out by more successful ones, and eventually you had a handful of major network broadcasters and movie studios who owned everything and controlled everything. With this concentration of control in a small number of hands, innovation took a back seat, as the producers concentrated on formulas they knew would sell.

Jump ahead to modern times, and you see all of that dissolving. Consumers became tired of the limited, staid choices offered by the networks and movie studios and began looking elsewhere. Today there are a vast number of television stations that cater to smaller segments of the market. The total amount of specialty programming has increased and people are now often able to get exactly the kind of shows they want to watch, whenever they want to watch them.

Consumers also started becoming tired of the formulaic Hollywood blockbuster. Box office sales began declining dramatically and many major studios are having financial problems. At the same time, independent movies are doing huge business, far outperforming their mega-budget brethren. They may not make as much money per movie, but due to their lower cost, they are far more likely to return a profit. This has encouraged many actors and directors to split from the major studios and do new and innovative work. The studios themselves have recognized this and now each major producer has their own 'independent film branch' which is responsible for scouting out new talent and distributing their works for a cut of the profits.

The gaming industry is going through this exact same transition. It's natural and it's impossible for any successful industry to avoid. Eventually, gaming will complete its move from a niche market to a mainstream market, and the quality and diversity will quickly start to re-emerge. I suspect it will happen far faster than it did for television and film as well. Both of those markets had technical and market constraints that made it exceedingly difficult for small companies to survive. For television, cable eliminated the major entry hurdle (broadcast bandwidth) and for film, digital cameras and computers eliminated the major entry hurdle (equipment and studio expenses). That is not an issue for the gaming industry, as there are few, if any barriers to entry. The internet itself guarantees access to all, no matter how low the budget. Once the console gain internet access comparable to PCs, the barrier is down and the flood of independent gaming will revive. As we've seen with the 360 and PS3, that time is not far off.

If you want to bow out until then, that is your decision to make. Personally, even with the lack of variety in gaming, I am still having a lot of fun. Yes, I may have to buy twice the number of games to get the same number of entertainment hours, but it's still worth the money in my book. I look forward to the days when 'independent' gaming resumes its former glory, like it has in television and film, but until then I will keep playing and buying as long as I have fun doing so.

[Crandaeolon]

I'm sort of in the same boat; I've been increasingly disenchanted with most modern games. For example, Bioshock's gameplay was deeply flawed in my opinion, and its saving graces - story and setting - did not do enough to lift it into classic status in my eyes. More than that, the driving force to finish it was to see how the story would end instead of its actual gameplay as it should have been.

I have a couple of theories. First, I believe gameplay matters more as one gains more gaming experience and in general consumes more entertainment. There are good stories, art and atmosphere elsewhere - only "gameplay" is unique to games. And, when you look back, actual gameplay innovations are fewer and far between these days, at least on the PC. Sure, there may be refinement of concepts and all sorts of rehashing and remixing with a couple new spices, but it is increasingly harder to break new ground.

Another theory has to do with difficulty, which also ties into gameplay. Modern games are expensive products that are meant to be consumed from start to finish, and for this reason their difficulty tends to cater to a low denominator. Again, Bioshock is a good example of this; it rides so completely on its story that actual gameplay elements are (most likely intentionally) almost meaningless. I'd argue that anyone with half a brain and some persistence will manage to finish it, no matter how new they are to gaming. There's no danger involved. To me, it seems like the developers wanted all players to be able to finish the game at any cost. In this case, the cost was so high that it almost makes Bioshock a non-game (it's just an "interactive story.")

Time constraints are probably another reason why gaming tends to interest less as commitments increase. Most games are relatively long when compared to other forms of entertainment, even books. Most of this length has little to do with story, it's just "padding" like fights, exploration, minigames. If that "padding" is not compelling, the game feels like a waste of time or, even worse, work. (Amusingly, what people these days call "padding" is pretty much the essence of the game.) As I speculated in the second paragraph, it's possible that once one gets more gaming experience under one's belt, it is less likely that a new game manages to impress with its gameplay, and since the majority of the content is not compelling, one probably gravitates toward more compact entertainment. NWN2 is a good example of how unoriginal and repetitive gameplay killed the entire game for me.

Personally, I still play games, however single player games take much less of my time these days. Multiplayer gaming in games that actually have good gameplay is where it's at for me. This includes both computer and board games. Modern, german-type board games are fine entertainment for any gamer who can find a few real-life people to play with, and board games are still a bit more mainstream entertainment than multiplayer computer games. Multiplayer computer games can take a bit more effort to get going, but can be worth it in a group of like-minded people.

EDIT: TinCow raises some very good points. However, I'd like to contend that the "quality" of games is ultimately dependant on gameplay; aesthetics and even story are secondary. Since the pace of gameplay innovation has diminished very dramatically over the period of computer gaming, even indie gaming, it's possible that we're not going to see a dramatic resurgence of new innovation despite changes in the market. The quality games of tomorrow will most likely be well done recombinations of old formats, with very few true innovations thrown into the mix. Due to the nature of games, new games will be increasingly less appealing to longtime gaming hobbyists because most of the core mechanics will remain the same.

Here's a link to one list of innovations in gaming. You'll notice that the vast majority are from the 80's or 90's; only a couple are from this millennium. (Number 13: Reversible Time is wrong; The Killing Game Show had Reversible time, in the form of a replay, and was released in 1990)

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?op...1&limitstart=0

[Pannonian]

There's always Mafia.

[doc_bean]

If you don't enjoy it, don't do it. gaming is supposed to be fun. Taking a break for a few years means you have a huge back catalogue of games to play if you ever decide to start playing again.

As for not that much good games being mùade anymore, I don't agree, I think it depends on the timeframe (what is recent) and the platforms you're considering (God bless the DS !).

[drone]

I haven't been thinking about quitting all gaming, but I have been extremely disappointed with recent games and the push to dumb down for consoles. My gaming time is limited anyway, I wish to spend the time on quality if I am going to put forth the effort at all. I still have a decent amount of older games that I can and still do play, so I don't really care too much at the moment about today's crap games (and the hurdles and pitfalls of the DRM stuck on them). So I just haven't been buying new games.

The best part about my situation is that I can finally make a break from Microsoft. I have a collection of old PCs, with Win98 and XP, that can play the classics, a decent XP machine in the works for newer titles I deem acceptable. I will make this dual-boot with Linux, and I'm done with Redmond. If you don't game, you don't need M$.

[caravel]

From my perspective, I'm tired of the very real "dumbing down" of gaming. I'm sick of seeing every single last dev house cranking out games that cater to the lowest common IQ, and to people and kids who want a "quick fix". Sick of seeing games designed mainly for the console and a joypad, and then a halfarsed port to the PC that clearly shows absolute minimal effort on the porting team's behalf. Sick of games released with more and more huge and game breaking bugs, then half-hearted efforts to fix, if they're even fixed at all. I'm sick of seeing "community managers" who's jobs are to stifle dissent, "manage" the gamers, and spew propaganda instead of interact with the fans. Sick of crappy minigames, horrible AI, too much emphasis on graphics, bullet-time, misuse of genre types (RPG), subscription based gaming and MMOs, you name it.

I know what you mean. Nowadays I only play the occasional bit of TW. I'm pretty much sick of games in the same way I'm sick of modern movies for their cliches, poor plots, non existent character development and over emphasis of CGI effects.

With games we have formulaic, dumbed down, linear, eye candy fests with almost non existent AI, multiple bugs and intrusive copy protection. Instead of feeling like the valued game player that actually pays these peoples' salaries, you're made to feel as if they're doing you a massive favour by even letting you buy the game in the first place.