Ben-DutkaOver time, habits, preferences, and opinions change. Of course, when we're younger, none of us actually believe that.
And yet, it's basically inevitable. So if you've been playing games for a significant amount of time, how have your habits changed over the years? What's different between then and now?
I think for many, as they get older, they have less time. Life happens. Responsibilities start to pile up. Hence, it's not surprising to learn that many veteran gamers tend to stick to titles that don't take a thousand years to complete, and they also prioritize on a frequent basis. In other words, they stick with the best of the best because when you have limited time, you want to get the most out of your leisure activity. The key is juggling your spare time with games that might require a fair amount of effort and attention, because you're often tired when you finally get a chance to sit down and play.
But there are other factors. As the industry changes, your tastes might change. Me, I used to be a die-hard RPG fanatic in the original PlayStation days and while I will still claim a deep love of old-school JRPGs, my tastes have become far more diverse. At this point, I'll play just about anything that's good, with the usual exception of the fighting, strategy and flight genres. Strategy/RPGs can really grab me but they'd have to be turn-based; RTS just irritates the hell out of me. I also love shooters but because I basically refuse to play them online, I really only play the campaigns, so I guess I don't qualify as a hardcore FPS follower.
But time is an issue as it is for most everyone I know these days. So yeah, I also have to be very selective. My "completionist" mentality has eroded away, too…although it still pops up from time to time, especially if a game really hooks me. However, I've never been able to play a game for a ridiculous amount of time in any given day or week, so it's not like the limited time is hurting me too much. How's about you?
I try to limit my game playing to about an hour, sometimes two, a day on most days. RPG's seem to only work well for me on a handheld. The instant on, instant freeze feature of the PSP makes it like picking up or putting down a book. Zoning out and just gaming these days is practically impossible. I'm finding it hard to give epic story driven games the uninterrupted attention they deserve. I'm finding the more arcade, pick up and play, games are more dominating for me. I don't mind. There's a definite nostalgic feel I get with them.
Anyway, I have skills and talents that need my time and it's easiest for me to play games that don't create an appetite for themselves via narrative, grinding, or anything that requires a lot of invested time to get something of value back out.
Those games are great. It's just hard to give them what they need to make them worth it.
I can just copy and paste the fourth paragraph.
As I have other great hobbies, gamimg is the least of the time that I put in, + gaming is an expensive hobby so it kind of turms me off for a while.
Well I have less time and money, both due to school, but I'll be graduating in less than two weeks so hopefully that will change (As soon as I get my replacement power supply, that is :/) For those reasons, I'm more discerning than I used to be, and stick with higher-quality games. As far as genres go, I'll play most anything, though I really like adventure, action, puzzlers, and platformers. I'm less interested in shooters, but I still like them. I like RPGs as well, though not quite a die-hard fan of them. I haven't had the time to invest in the either. And yes, I still play music games.
I guess in a nutshell, my tastes have changed in the fact that they've expanded to include genres that I may not have had interest in long ago. I used to play more sports games as well, mostly football, but had my fill of them a long time ago.
I'm just not as utterly satisfied and able to fully immerse myself. I'm hoping Ni No Kuni can bring back some of that magic, but maybe it was all smoke and mirrors to begin with. A trick of nostalgia crudely played by Squaresoft and others.
World, you are waiting for that game to revive your gaming flame too, huh? That demo was like a dream come true! I wish that it gets a massive reception so it can become a huge wake-up slap on some companies which have strayed from their paths of legend and glory…
I really hope to shatter the 2 hour rule my brain must have imposed on me since I can hardly stay awake…
Oh yeah, no time, no money and getting tired of playing would be the reasons why I don't game that much… I still have like 6 quality games I bought cheap that I haven't even touched.
Yet here I am playing right now the game I can pick up and play for an hour or 2 which is Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition. It's fast, entertaining and pumps me up when I'm upset. It's like my COD… or catnip. Lol
Last edited by Yukian on 12/11/2012 11:25:11 PM
I've been playing video games for exactly a decade now. What was just my normal relax time became my hobby and obsession (crazy anyone?).
All the way through to the PS3 days my favorite publishers were Konami and Capcom, not the now Capcom unfortunately but I still adore Konami.
Now I'm more open minded to all games so before I judge it, I play it even though the genre doesn't hold my interest (I'm not a JRPG fan but I also wouldn't hesitate to try any new installment).
So yeah, old habits die hard.
Job, marriage, kid, bills, etc. etc. etc… the gaming passion hasn't died, but the time available for it, sure has. Instead of playing as soon as I get home… I play after people go to bed.
I'm sure I'll spend those obscene hours on games again… you know… like when I win the lottery.
Same here, I turn the PS3 on after the fiancee goes to bed. I bought myself a nice set of headphones and I enjoy that time a whole lot more actually!
Last edited by bigrailer19 on 12/11/2012 11:58:27 PM
Same here, only I have escaped into our "office-room" at home, moved the PS3 there. No longer the luxury of the big TV in the livingroom, but at least there's more opportunities to turn it on.
I certainly am playing less games now than I was 2 years ago. School and work are definitely preventing more game time, but that's not a bad thing.
So I enjoy the time I get to play a little more. And I actually find myself getting more immersed.
I think this is where I will be at with my gaming habits for awhile.
Ben,
As 2012 nears its end, i just wanted to say thank you, for giving us a site that spews originality and thought. Your articles are very thought out and in some cases it feels like you read my mind.
Keep up the great work, eventually this site will find the masses, and when it does; i couldn't think of a better person to be rewarded.
Edit: I do have one complaint however, can we find a way to keep articles alive a little longer. It seems after a day there's no point going back to the article because the comments section is dead. I know that we have a small number of registered users, but maybe as a suggestion you can incorporate a change in design to make it more friendly to view past articles. Not sure if its possible, but if you could look into it at least, that would be awesome.
Last edited by The Real Deal on 12/12/2012 1:05:34 AM
Thanks for the kind words. PSXE appreciates its readers just as much if not more than the readers appreciate PSXE. 🙂
I really don't think there's a way to keep older articles alive and to be honest, the owner wouldn't want that. Everything moves so fast and multiple daily updates are required; putting any sort of reflective emphasis on the past just doesn't work well.
For elongated, ongoing discussions, I wish more people would go to the forums. That's what they're FOR, after all. 🙂
Ben,
NP. I guess i didn't know the forums existed. I will have to take a look in there :P. As far as reflective emphasis, i am not suggesting more then a couple of days. As it stands there dead whenever you post the next days articles.
I know there still visible but everyone moves on. Eh.. i guess that's just life though.
Thanks for the reply, and you know me, i won't log in until the next Dark Souls Article; so until then keep up the great work.
P.S. even though you can't see me, i am on this site everyday.
There is one way to elongate the discussion under the various articles: Implement the Disqus comment system instead of the current local one. That would give us all a notify when someone has replied on our comments and is a much better comment system overall.
You guys should check it out Ben, it's excellent. See disqus dot com.
I disagree with the Disqus comment system. For some reason, I just don't like it. On the other hand, a notification for when someone has responded to one of your comments is a grand idea.
Really? I think it's very good. It doesn't beat a well written custom system for your particular site of course, but as a quick fix, just to get a more advanced discussion system on your site fast, it's an excellent solution in my opinion.
Last edited by Beamboom on 12/12/2012 8:04:33 AM
My habist have me angry at square enix; that countdown site was a for a browser game.
you should have known, Square – Failure!
I just have so little time nowadays, between working, writing, helping take care of my sister's kids and sleeping, I'm lucky if I can get an hour on weekdays and three on weekends. I suppose it doesn't help that I'm sort of losing my passion for the hobby a bit :/
I'm just disappointed in myself as a whole of late. Hopefully all of that will change in six weeks when I leave my current life behind.
Lawless 🙁
Life has a way of doing that to ya. I don't believe your losing you're passion for the hobby, your just waiting for God of War, The Last Of Us, Etc.. Not sure what your interest are, but as of late there hasn't been any games that have wowed me. Not to mention PS4 announcement next year, that should get your blood pumping!
I dunno about that. GoW3 wowed me for what it was, but it's not something I'd want to revisit too often. The Last of Us is interesting, and I firmly believe that it'll be an amazing game, but I'm suddenly not vibing too well with it either. Dishonored, I was expecting to love, but I'm on the second mission and it's boring me already. Maybe it's just that I'm feeling differently about the games I'm playing, but so much I'm finding underwhelming.
Lawless,
<<<<Hopefully all of that will change in six weeks when I leave my current life behind>>>>
Whatever it is, I hope that it turns the much better for you.
Thanks Saint.
The biggest change in me is that I once had lots of time but little money, so I'd have relatively few games but would play them several times each. I used to have a rule that I'd play a game once then consult a walkthrough on subsequent plays for things I missed the first time around.
Now that my situation has reversed, I find myself buying lots of games that look interesting, but only playing a fraction of them. Also, only games that are pretty short get played a second time, so if I'm playing something with a lot of Easter eggs, I no longer have any issue checking a wiki or something. I know that the chance for subsequent playthroughs is remote.
easy, just take up a job where gaming is required like me.
easiest excuse you will ever get!
seriously though time is not really a habit, to say your gaming habits have changed would mean you like different things, or do things differently than you use to.
how often and how long you do it is irrelevant, thats not a change.
If you don't mind me asking, what's your job that involves gaming?
game programmer.
I've naturally bought substantially less in this past year and plan to maintain that – It forces me to really be picky about what I play.
As far as what I like? That hasn't changed much at all, I merely want the most refined version. Regardless of the sudden absence of daily gaming, I won't be stopping permanently for some time.
It's weird, I have less time these days, but I also have a job, which in turn brings in money and allows me to buy more games….so I find myself playing more than I used to simply because I have the ability to buy more games.
The completionist however is dead. I just dont have time to double the hours I invest in a game just to "complete" the game and get some trophies. (That part makes me kinda sad).
Games are just better than they used to be though. Stories are better, graphics are better. So now I'm interested in many more genres than I used to be.
You nailed it in paragraph 3 Ben. Life Happened. I've also gravitated towards shorter games. I'd even say I'm afraid of long games that require a huge time investment, regardless of their quality. This is a stark contrast to me 10-15 years ago. Then it was all about maximizing the return on my investment. If I could get 100 hours out of a game, then it was more worth my money than the similarly priced 8 hour game. But, I could finish that 8 hour game in a day where the 100 hour game could last weeks. I can't even imagine having that kind of time now… I'll take the 8 hour game please.
With only a few rare exceptions; I also find that I don't like the white knuckled, fast paced, high stress games anymore. At the end of the day, when I'm tired and need to chill out, that's the last thing I want in my video game. Give me fun, engaging, and relaxing games please.
I know Journey would not have had such a profound impact on me had it come out when I was younger. But now, it is the perfect game for me. I don't know how else to describe Journey, it was perfect.
I seem to be on the opposite end of things from most of you. Now that I am retired and no longer have a house, vehicle, or credit card payments, I am pretty much able to play what I want when I want. The kids are raising their own families so my gaming is not limited to Mario, Zelda, Starfox or Metroid. Oh I forgot Earthworm Jim!
Girlfriend, pre-med classes, full time job, and all the rest of life's responsibilities have left me with about 30 minutes of gaming time in the night before I fall asleep, so I basically play a bit of whatever is on my Vita.
When I was younger sport franchises such as FIFA and Tiger Woods along with racing games and series such as Need for Speed, Burnout, Colin Mcrae Rally, the annual Formula 1 installments and occasionally Mario Kart with friends were the games I was into the most. The only time I played FPS or action games; the most notable of which were Goldeneye on N64, GTA games, Timesplitters 1 and 2 for PS2 and Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Gamecube, was around friends' houses.
As I've grown up I still enjoy racing games such as the Motorstorm titles, F1 and Gran Turismo, and still play FIFA regularly but I've gotten heavily RPGs and open world games such as The Elder Scrolls titles, Fallout 3 and New Vegas, Red Dead Redemption and GTA4 along with FPS series like Call of Duty and Battlefield. In terms of action games I love the Uncharted series and I also like the Assassin's Creed and Bioshock games too. I own both Littlebigplanet games but haven't really got into the creating levels side of things as much as I thought I would.
I would say I've branched out a lot in my taste in games but that I've also become far more selective in terms of what games I buy, paying greater attention to PSXE review and Metacritic/Gamerankings scores.
Last edited by Totalz on 12/12/2012 11:49:45 AM
Somehow I manage to make time, between work and schooling. Still young though, so I can't distinguish how my habits changed until I'm married and have kids in the future.
Definitely became more casual in playing than in my early teens, where I was a completionist. That drive has left gaming a while ago, my trophy list can attest to that.
Lately though, after the burnout this year from great games (Uncharted 3, Soul Calibur, Tekken Tag 2, Assassin's Creed III) I went back into looking for all those original games I had rented or owned originally on the PSX before trading in for PS2 games. I dunno, it seems like the older games had a more replay value incentive before the more recent online multiplayer filled that in.
I am now 47 and game more than I ever have. My muscle car restoration hobby has suffered. I haven't turned a wrench in over a year. I work a full time job and have an assembly job that I do at home for 22 hrs a week. I still find time to game for 1-2 hrs a night and 5-20 hrs a weekend depending on my assembly work load. I don't have a wife or girlfriend to get in the way. My kids are gone and the house is paid for. I guess when it warms back up I need top get my butt outside and start working on my car projects again and put the controller down!
Now at 60, I've found that I've stopped liking side-scrollers & most top-down view games anymore.
That's probably why I still haven't even attempted to play Outland or the last Laura Croft game yet, although I've had them on my computer ever since PS+ gave them out.
And the only other thing is more of an indirect action, and through no fault of my own, that I can no longer buy or play the batch-lots of games I was buying when I had a job.
And with that said, that I'm even able to get just 1% of those games now these days, I consider myself lucky, thanks to the four yearly $25 GameStop cards used on their B1G1F deals.
Getting a dog, has been the biggest time consumer that I have ever had.
Even when I started fulltime work, I still gamed at least 15-20 hours a week (although it was about 40 hours before that).
But now that I have a little puppy to look after and entertain, I am lucky to game for 5 hours a week. So sad 🙁
However, despite the lack of time, my completionist mentality still survives.
Last edited by Akuma_ on 12/12/2012 4:47:26 PM
The only thing that has changed is that I'm more willing to play xbox and pc games then I was several years ago. Was always a nintendo, sega, and sony person.
Considering I was able to sell off my PS3 without a second thought, I guess it could say things have definitely changed. I still clutch my valuable PSone classics, but everything else just isn't as important as it used to be. Of course… being married, having two children, and working full time tends to rearrange your priorities.
mainly its work… or school
as a kid i played all the time and now although i still do its been drastically limited
i have SOOOO many games piled up read to be completed… i only tried them all for a minute or two literaly …and cant find time to beat them..that or their too hard to figure out because you need more time than necessary to beat them..
and the fact i always go back to COD as its an easy fun game that everyone else pplays online too doesnt really help
what i AM noticing is that handhelds are strting to appeal to me MUCH more the Vita is one hell of a system and the fact its getting more and more games just makes me happy in places i never though possible XD
this last need for speed and call of duty were a disappointment but hey its been out barely a year.. well enough rambling i need to go back to gaming and buying a game i wont play until x-mas break