Are games becomming to bland?

Kippa

Senior member
Dec 12, 2011
392
1
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I have bought a few new games over the past 12 months but my interest isn't that high in them. Come to think of it I have lost interest in quite a few games. I was talking to one of my friends and he had lost his gaming mojo as well. This made me think, is it just the two of us or is there more to it.

When Quake 1 came out it was brilliant, original and fun to play and to watch gfx wise for its time. Comming to think of it, quite a lot of games seem to merely be the same game iterated with just better graphics. Its like Quake 1 all over again for 20th time with shinier graphics.

My question is are games becomming bland these days? Just like the same game you bought 15 years ago only with better graphics.
 
Feb 25, 2011
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Same thing started happening to me a few years back.

Sex is better than video games.




No, but seriously. Some of the best developers have shuttered the last few years. No KotOR or equivalent single player RPG. Starcraft was a huge letdown for the RTS people. WoW gets cartoonier every expansion. MMO communities get crankier and crankier regardless of title, and several other highly anticipated (and very hyped) titles have... kinda flopped. (Old Republic, Star Trek Online, Mechwarrior Online...)
 
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Kippa

Senior member
Dec 12, 2011
392
1
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Looking to the future all I see is Battlefield version 28+ with new shinier graphics. The only game that holds my hopes up is the new Carmageddon game comming out soon. The first version of that was bloody, gory and and absolute joy to play. More to the point it was very original and nothing has come close it since.

The new Carmagedon game was funded by Kickstarter and so is the re imagining of the space game Elite. Maybe even though the mainstream gaming houses might not want to take a risk an churn out battlefield version 29, indie funding for small house independants bringing fresh new games like Carmagaddon and the new Elite are the way forwards for fresh fun to play orignal new games, not just another iteration of a stale old game.
 

Annisman*

Golden Member
Aug 20, 2010
1,931
95
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You're getting older.

This ^

Most games used to get me pumped, not because they were great, but because I could really immerse myself in them. (easier when you are younger)

But don't waver my friend, these are exciting times, I am now much more competitive in online fps games, and have been gravitating more towards RTS games with lots of in depth strategy and high quality finish (like Empire Total War).

Find where you are gravitating to, and let it take you there.
 

imaheadcase

Diamond Member
May 9, 2005
3,850
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Yah i play games for like a hour at a time now that i'm older. I used to sit down and put 10 hours straight into a MMO. lol Even thinking about that is making me tired.
 

Remobz

Platinum Member
Jun 9, 2005
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I barely have time to play games anymore. Getting older as well I suppose.
 

Zenoth

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2005
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I genuinely think that "getting older" can play a part, perhaps negatively so, in our interests, will and "drive" to play video games... especially when it comes to our capacity and time to play them for long periods. Like many others back then I was easily able to play anything that today would seem pointless not only to play at all but to play for any extended amount of time.

Additionally, over the years I became more selective, playing the types of games that happen to be fitting a seemingly non-stop growing list of prerequisites. When in comparison "back in the days" (let's say prior to around 2005 or 2004) I was willing to "try out" pretty much anything. And by "try" I do mean literally buying almost anything out of mere curiosity. And even if I was genuinely disappointed I still kept doing just that, telling myself "meh, bad luck, the next one will be better!". It might have been youth-related naivety or I was just plain too optimistic. I guess I changed over the years and my gaming experience might have "suffered" from that, or I'm just getting older indeed.

It was surely easier in the 1990's and early 2000's to find revolutionary games, since back then more often than not this or that game, this or that console, this or that peripheral was doing something new that had never been done before, and therefor looked, sounded, played or felt (such as the Rumble Pack for the N64) great. Even if it was just for a time, we had those "This is a first!" or "This will make history" moments, but since the current generation began (namely current generation of consoles) back in 2006 I feel that - generally speaking - video gaming isn't particularly "as interesting as it used to be", to put it bluntly (for me anyway). I still love to play specific games though, but in general the video gaming industry has become but a shadow of its former self over time.
 
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Aug 11, 2008
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I barely have time to play games anymore. Getting older as well I suppose.

I dont know if it is getting older, or if it is that I have played basically every type of game that interests me already. I still remember the sense of urgency, immersion and excitement playing KOTOR for the first time or COD 1, or some strategy games like Age of Empires or Company of Heroes.

There are really a limited number of game types, and you can improve the graphics, or make a new story, or even change some elements of gameplay, but basically when you are playing there is the nagging feeling that "I have done this before".

I think the last game that gave me that kind of exciting feeling of immersion was Skyrim. ME3 could have except for the ending, which ruined the entire experience. I have bought a lot of games on sales, even ones that were well reviewed such as Metro 2033, Witcher 2, Dues Ex HR, and started them all, but eventually lost interest.
 

Kippa

Senior member
Dec 12, 2011
392
1
81
I think a part of it might be the big industry houses "playing it safe" keeping with a known forumla that sells, rather than take a huge risk with something competly different and possibly loose millions of dollars in the process.
 

PhatoseAlpha

Platinum Member
Apr 10, 2005
2,131
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Looking to the future all I see is Battlefield version 28+ with new shinier graphics. The only game that holds my hopes up is the new Carmageddon game comming out soon. The first version of that was bloody, gory and and absolute joy to play. More to the point it was very original and nothing has come close it since.

The new Carmagedon game was funded by Kickstarter and so is the re imagining of the space game Elite. Maybe even though the mainstream gaming houses might not want to take a risk an churn out battlefield version 29, indie funding for small house independants bringing fresh new games like Carmagaddon and the new Elite are the way forwards for fresh fun to play orignal new games, not just another iteration of a stale old game.

Are you intentionally being ironic here? Carmageddon was released in 1997. Elite was released in 1984. Both are new iterations of games so old and stale they'd qualify as fossilized by this point. If you're after originality, pointing to two remakes is pretty odd.
 

Kippa

Senior member
Dec 12, 2011
392
1
81
My point is that most games are pretty much indestiquishable from each other. As for Carmgeddon and Elite, they were both unique games and whilst the new up and comming games are remakes the point that I was making is that they are indie funded taking a risk and not doing a "mainstream game" sort of game.

Doing a racing game in the vein of need for speed is what I would call taking the easy route doing what has been done before a million times. Doing a game like carmageddon is quit original compared to other relatively new racing games. I doubt a major software house would have risked their money on a new carmageddon type game and would have stuck with the bog standard racing formula that makes money.
 

Dankk

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2008
5,558
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There are still plenty of unique, innovative games being made (usually indie). You have to look for them sometimes, but they definitely exist.

It's 2013. Anyone can make a video game these days. Hundreds of them are released every year; we have more variety now than ever.

I'm tired of these threads. "Hurr durr all games are the same now." No, they're not. Stop playing Call of Battlefield #572 and find something different.
 

GaiaHunter

Diamond Member
Jul 13, 2008
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You have been playing videogames for what? 20, 30 years? That is what 30K-50K hours?

It is said someone needs to put in 10K+ hours to really master something.

If you would feel greatly challenged by any game, especially since UI/controls and gameplay have been some of the fields where games really improved, there would be something wrong with you.
 

Borealis7

Platinum Member
Oct 19, 2006
2,901
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i agree with the "getting old" sentiment, i feel it too. i have zero tolerance nowadays for a game that treats me like an idiot, or games that don't let me plan ahead and strategize.
also there is this thing that my friend calls "Teh Awesome" Factor (spelling intended) i generally step away from games with too much "Awesome" (same for movies).

in my opinion, big developers don't necessarily make the best games anymore and a small kickstarted project can get me more excited than a AAA title in development.
 

mizzou

Diamond Member
Jan 2, 2008
9,734
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I game pretty much the same way I have since I can remember. My gamer personality has remained constant. My time to game has changed, but overall I feel games have been becoming more complex.

I'm a wargamer/strategy player at heart, and this genre has typically been neglected post 90's anyway.
 

spaceman

Lifer
Dec 4, 2000
17,616
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there are really maybe about 3-4 a yr tops that keep my faith and i finish
ill dig and play one game for months./yrs
looking for the next best thing is a path to hating it
like tv/media/music/movies
98% are shit
 

Eureka

Diamond Member
Sep 6, 2005
3,822
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There's quite a few games out that are doing innovative things, either in gameplay or in terms of story.

Spec Ops: The Line had a pretty interesting story
Bastion did something interesting things in terms of narrative and environment
The Witcher 2 will melt your computer
Assasins's Creed and Crysis, both old by now, were both pretty interesting when they came out
Portal.

The thing is, the main reason why Quake was interesting was because technology finally enabled developers to do things that they could not possibly do before. However, ever since 3D graphics was possible, we haven't really discovered a "new" platform. We can do more in terms of gameplay modes, but going from 2D to 3D was the biggest change.
 

Keeper

Senior member
Mar 9, 2005
905
0
71
I DO think a large part of it is getting older. Suggestion... POST age at the end of your reply in this thread.

I can afford more now... So it DOES sadden me that games are SEEMING to become bland.
I have been gaming since PONG... So lets talk about I've been playing for a while.
I can remember the FIRST Atari game.
Tanks and Bowling... MANY 2 AM nights.
I moved on, the next Atari (the ONE with Joust). A C64.... A 286 386 486 etc.
Did Multiplayer. MMPORG. All that.
MANY MANY AMNY 3 AM nights. WOW was a time sink for me in my late 40's early 50's.
So a part of it HAS to be Jaded.

Certain things DO grab me now.
Just recently I could not put down Walking Dead. Played all 5 episodes in RECORD time.
Dungeon Defenders. SO GREAT.
LOVED the first two Mass Effects. I play 3 here and there.
Closest thing to KOTOR in my opinion.
I was about to put down BL2 as it was becoming a grind.
Tried Multiplayer. INTEREST RENEWED (Though its apparent I missed the peak. Any AT'ers still play this? JUST ONE CAVEAT... I am old and I usually SUCK LOL.. You will revive me OFTEN)

I look back and often wonder, Will there be another CIV moment.. THat pull for one more turn... Whats next..

Quake? And the Team Fortess Mod? MANY 3 AM nights.
Kotor... Queueing up your actions. Picking a team. and your actions impact outcomes.
BAulders Gate...
Wing Commander. Sighh....
Dungeon Master 2....
Sim City.

Who knows. I can only hope. Cause I still LOVE it.

A different perspective.
The kid in front of me buys EVERY Madden. Year on year.
Every MLB the SHOW, and yes, as alluded to earlier, every COD and Modern Warfare. He will be out there for COD 28 LOL
Andfor what? For one more Juke? For a new move? For updated Rosters. For a new gun? Who knows.
But its how he goes.



Hi, I am Keeper and I am 54.
 

biostud

Lifer
Feb 27, 2003
19,719
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You have to look for different titles, not the AAA titles, because they're mostly more of the same.

Chivalry is a new take on the FPS genre. It's not the best graphics, but the game play is both new and similar to other games.
 

lozina

Lifer
Sep 10, 2001
11,711
8
81
Its DEFINITELY not age related!

Games are indeed getting more generic, dumbed down cookie-cutter copies of each other.

Take for example the progression of railroad simulation titles. First we had RR Tycoon and Transport Tycoon Deluxe. You had so much depth to the tracks you laid - they required signals and so on. Railroad Tycoon 2/3 were big graphical improvements but some loss at depth. Then comes Sid Meier's RR Tycoon remake what a joke. Its a kid's toy. You just lay tracks in a pretty little landscape depth is almost all gone. Nowadays all you get are RR Simulators where you just ride on a train for hours watching yourself go under bridges but cant really do anything.
 

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
198
106
Its DEFINITELY not age related!

Games are indeed getting more generic, dumbed down cookie-cutter copies of each other.

It is age related, and it is related to dumbed down games.

As people age their reflexes slow down, this is why kids are better then adults (on average) in twitch based games.

It appears to me that companies do not want to try "new" stuff. Take left 4 dead series as an example. Where is the call of duty version of left 4 dead? Why haven't more game companies made something like l4d / l4d2?

Call of duty, black ops, black ops 2,,,, its all the same thing over and over.
 

moonbogg

Lifer
Jan 8, 2011
10,731
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For me it is a combination of age and the timing of video game development. The early years of PC gaming (think 3Dfx era and just before, around 1996 is when I took an interest in PC building) was very exciting for me. Graphics and hardware as well as games were really taking off in new, exciting directions and I had all the time in the world to enjoy those things to the max.
Today, hardware is hardware. Its all the same but just gets a little faster. The magic gaming juice has been all squeazed out of the magic gaming rocks as far as the games themselves go. We have evolution rather than revolution. New genres are hard to come by, and when they do they simply borrow from previous genres.
The lack of RTS games is a crying shame for me. I have been a die hard c&c and Battlefield fan from the beginning. Today, the only game worth much of my time is BF3. It has the competitiveness and excitment to really grab ahold of me and not let go. The next best gaming experience for me comes from games like Far Cry 3 and even that comes in at a distant second to BF3.
If I had a good c&c game, like a new generals or Tiberian Sun, I would dump hundreds of hours into it and love every second of it, but that hasen't happened (yet).

EDIT: I really think that I am ready for a major change in the computing related entertainment industry. It will take a brand new technology, something very different from anything available today. I am thinking a major evolutionary leap from things like the wii. Imagine a wireless helmet which gives you a virtual 3D environment in which you can point your body, run in place, duck, jump and go prone to play a war game, complete with rifle in hand, pistol on side, team voice communication, impact feedback vest from bullets etc. With the right technology, this can be done and done well in an affordable way.
The aspect of physical involvment would provide a fresh, new respect for a player's in game abilities. This would be the true dawn of E-sports.
 
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Sho'Nuff

Diamond Member
Jul 12, 2007
6,211
121
106
I've been gaming since I was 4, and I have certainly noticed that my interest in it has gone down over the years. I still buy a ton of games, but more out of habit. Many of my games have occupied me for very little time, and just sit unused.

Interestingly, I've found that my taste in games has changed dramatically. I used to be into FPS, strategy and long RPGs, but now my interest has drifted to games that either have no predefined goal (sandbox), simulators, or strategic/casual puzzle games (e.g., puzzle quest, Bejeweled, etc.)