Have Gamers Gotten Too Picky?

[nekunando]

I watched a video recently from IGN's Game Scoop that touched on some of my own personal feelings.

 

 

I'm extremely picky these days to the point where I'm almost instantly dismissive of many games, even at first glance. Part of it is that the experience gained over the last couple of decades of gaming has made me more aware of what I enjoy but there's also the fact that, as highlighted in the video above, time and money is so limited these days that I don't feel the need to drop money on a game that I may not even enjoy that much, especially given the fact that I already have a huge collection of software at home that contains loads of amazing games and there's still a hunger to go back to many of them

 

Are you a picky gamer or do you feel little to no restriction on what you may potentially buy or play?

[Glen-i]

A very interesting topic.

 

I wouldn't think I was too picky. I would definitely say I've become more picky over the years, but that's due to trying new stuff in the first place.

 

Personally, I wonder if people have become too critical. Naturally, as people grow older and get less free time, they're much less willing to tolerate irritants in games.

 

Sorry to use you as an example, @Hero\-of\-Time, but your playthrough of Dragon Quest 7 so far is an interesting subject.

I wonder if back in the PS2 era, you would have been more tolerant of the focus on NPC's and their stories?

Don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly valid complaint. But I do find it intriguing to think if you would have tolerated it back then.

 

I also wonder the same thing about when I played FF8. I still maintain the game has many, many flaws. But I'm sure if I played it back when I was a kid, I would have been more OK with it.

 

Despite that, I think I prefer having a more trained eye on games I enjoy. I'm much less likely to stumble across a game I hate these days.

[Happenstance]

I probably need to become more picky. My problem at the moment is that while I am working and dont have the time to play everything like I used to, I'm still in the mindset that I can play all the games I want so I still buy all that even slightly interest me. I've just got a big pile of games at home that I've only touched once.

[Hero-of-Time]

Sorry to use you as an example, @Hero\-of\-Time, but your playthrough of Dragon Quest 7 so far is an interesting subject.

I wonder if back in the PS2 era, you would have been more tolerant of the focus on NPC's and their stories?

Don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly valid complaint. But I do find it intriguing to think if you would have tolerated it back then.

 

Nah, I wouldn't have put up with it back then either. I've never cared for NPCs much and find them a waste of time, especially when the developers try to make them witty and just come off as cringe worthy. I'm more interested in the main plot.

 

In terms of the topic at hand, even though i've been gaming for 30+ years now and know what I like, I still love trying out new genres or games that I normally wouldn't play. Stuff like Bloodborne, Telltale games, Dragon Age Inquisition, Life is Strange etc. are games I probably wouldn't have touched when I was younger, but I have learned to appreciate things that are outside of my gaming comfort zone.

 

There are an amazing amount of games on the market today and so many different and fun experiences can be had if people would just be more opened minded. I think it was @Fierce_LiNk who has mentioned in the past just what an eye opener getting a PS4 was for him due to just how many different types of games and experiences were on offer. He took a chance and it paid off.

 

I'm honestly glad that I haven't lost the desire to try out new games. This happened to my oldest brother and he will only play things he's familiar with and instantly dismisses things that he has no connection with. He's missing out on so many games. His loss, I suppose.

[Jonnas]

I'm not too picky about choosing games to buy or play. If I skip one in my backlog, it's because there's another one that's more my jam at that moment. And I already bought more games than I expected in genres that I usually don't play (like Plants vs Zombies and Mark of the Ninja).

 

As I'm playing... definitely more now than when I was younger. As a younger lad, I was way more tolerant of writing issues or broken gameplay, and now all I can see is how much they screw up the narrative and/or game. I try to be more receptive towards a game's qualities, but I don't let flaws slide as easily as before (see: my AM2R post complaining about design hiccups, despite it being a 5-star game).

 

As for "gamers" in general... I think "they" are unbelievably picky when reading up on a game before getting it, but it tends to wash away when "they" actually play the game (stuff like the mass complaining of No Man's Sky or Mass Effect 3's ending tends to be exception rather than norm). I'm really not talking about anybody in particular, just generally consistent behaviour I've noticed across the internet.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Jonnas

[bob]

I could probably stand to be less picky.

 

I generally get to play about 3-4 games per year, so when I find one I know I'll like, I play it. But it means I don't get to play much outside my comfort zone; always choosing safe games and sequels.

 

I should really try new things, but since I treasure my gaming time so much, I don't want to miss out on the games I actually like, for ones I may not like.

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

Great topic.

 

I think I was always picky - back in the day when I was around 9-10 and could go to my local sunday market to trade my Mega Drive games with the few pounds I'd saved up from offering my services as a cleaner to my mum in the house - I'd take AGES to pick a game because I knew the wrong choice meant a few weeks at least with a crap game!

 

Going into the age when I could kind buy second hand games during the N64 era, I was just as fussy too and for the same reasons. Only difference then was that I could invest in a few magazines to scope out reviews - but things were somewhat easier with the N64 as I KNEW once the box had dat golden seal of approval it would surely be a respectable game. I guess this is also a reason why I may have been sceptic of third parties.

 

With the habits formed from my youth, I remained the same - sometimes preferring actually to buy and replay old games that I loved than to invest in a probable good game or at least a game with mixed reviews.

[Ashley]

Not watched the video as I'm short on time, but I'd say I think 'pickiness' actually comes down to practicalities. We're getting older and we have less time to game and less money to spend on it (or, it becomes less of a priority) and as such people become less picky.

 

I think steam sales show people aren't that picky about buying games

[Ike]

I think I need to be more picky. And I have tried to be recently, but it's not due to review scores and more of a "will I actually play it?" since I seem to buy more games then I actually play. Before I would just buy anything that I was even slightly interested in. This is partly why I cancelled my PSVR preorder, I just know it won't get used.

 

I think it weird that if a game is digital only then some people will refuse to buy it. If you want it and it's a reasonable price, then why not?

[Glen-i]

I think it weird that if a game is digital only then some people will refuse to buy it. If you want it and it's a reasonable price, then why not?

 

Ah, you're just like me. I find this strange as well. Ace Attorney really hammered this point home, there were people who were massive fans of Ace Attorney, yet were adamant about not buying Dual Destinies because it was digital only.

Most of them never traded in the previous games, and yet hated the thought of owning it in digital form. (Of course, they might have changed their mind since then, but let's assume they didn't)

 

I mean, if you're not gonna trade it in, is it really that big a deal?

Edited September 19, 2016 by Glen-i

[Fierce_LiNk]

There are an amazing amount of games on the market today and so many different and fun experiences can be had if people would just be more opened minded. I think it was @Hero\-of\-Time were to recommend something similar to The Walking Dead, I'd go for it because we share a similar opinion on that.

 

I usually like branching out and finding new things. The pay-off is great when you encounter something new and awesome. Naturally, not everything will be, but that's the risk you run. The alternative is to play it safe and just stick to stuff that you know you'll like. Forever. It's like listening to one band or sub-genre of music over and over again. Sure, I love The Smashing Pumpkins, but sometimes you want something new and different. 65Daysofstatic, Olafur Arnalds, Foals, etc. You can't really develop as a person by doing the same stuff over and over again, thus you can't develop if you keep playing it safe. Being picky is a bad thing, imo.

[nekunando]

I've got to admit that I had an inner laugh when I saw the thread title and then who it was created by. @nekunando, you're the pickiest one here!

 

Haha.. I'm certainly not denying that I did say in the opening post that I'm extremely picky, and yet....

 

I think I need to be more picky..

 

....I feel I still need to be even more picky too

 

Smyths had a sale on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain form PS3 several months ago meaning I managed to pick it up for £5. My gut feeling is that I won't really enjoy it, especially after my lacklustre experience with Ground Zeroes and a plummeting interest in the franchise over the years, but I almost felt like I had to own it and couldn't turn it down for that price.

 

Ultimately, though, I'm not sure when I'll actually get around to trying it out

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

I don't think having a particular taste in games limits your development - If you only want to drive Audis and nothing else, your knowledge or experience of cars isn't lessened because of your particular taste in products.

 

As long as you're happy and enjoying what you're doing, thats all that matters.

[Dcubed]

Why yes, I reckon that people these days have gotten more picky (at least across the internet). Look at people's obsession with minor technical details online (to the point where they have become key selling points in marketing and have encouraged the release of mid-gen upgrade consoles), or their obsession with metacritic scores.

 

For these people, a game is either the greatest thing mankind has ever created, or it's a pile of garbage. There's no in-between.

 

Amongst the general public, there's also a matter of convergence as well... Most people will only play what their friends play and that means that they'll stick with buying the same games every year and nothing else. You only have to look at the sales charts to see this phenomenon develop, they used to be much more diverse, now, you see very little variety in what the general public buy.

[Jimbob]

When i was younger, i was picky. I only played games of a certain genre, and only by certain developers. And because i was younger, i didn't have the funds i have now in order to buy games. Had to save up pocket money, and any money i had at Birthdays and Christmas's and choose games wisely. Best bargain i had was a copy of F-Zero X for £3 at a car boot sale.

 

These days, i'm not so picky. And i guess i can thank the likes of PS+,Games with Gold and forums online.

 

Some games i'd never have thought about playing, games like Rocket League, Dead Rising, Journey and Mass Effect. I'd never have played games like this when i was younger.

[RedShell]

I don't consider myself to be at all picky when it comes to gaming. Obviously I have my favourites, but I also love trying out new stuff whenever I can.

PS+ has been particularly great in that regard.

 

Anyway, I reckon a lot of gamers have become way too picky. The obsession with reviews and stuff like Metacritic is a big part of that. I mean sure, check that stuff out, but don't let it be the primary influence of what you play!

 

I've got to admit that I had an inner laugh when I saw the thread title and then who it was created by. @nekunando, you're the pickiest one here!

That gave me quite a chuckle too.

[Rummy]

I think I had much more limited access to games as a kid - even though I'd get birthday/xmas money I think I was only ever allowed to spend it on one game each time; that kinda forced me to play the crap out of what I had in addition to learning to love them too(even the poor choices made sometimes :p). A lot of my influence back then for what I'd buy tended to be reviews in magazines such as ONM or obvious titles like Mario/Zelda etc.

 

As I've gotten older and gotten more money, I've been able to spend more and buy more - but as peeps here and the video guys mention time has now become a harder to find. I'll tend to only buy games at a good price(still gotta think about money, and saving 5-10 each time can add up eventually!), and if it's a game I'm not sure about I'll usually check with folks here rather than review sites of metacritic etc. The only reviews I tend to put good stock/faith in are the N-Europe ones(and I really like the summary points/scores).

 

Yet despite saying I struggle to find time to play a game - I do find myself not wanting to buy short ones. Like...I feel like I'm not getting my money's worth. It's a silly mentality I know, but one I find it hard to break out from. I'll usually kinda feel like I want at least 10ish hours out of a game. Yet having said that I know I've had great experiences with games like Journey, Portal etc similar to the guys in the vid! So...I guess I'm somewhat a little picky, though not as much as some, and it's potentially going to make me miss out on experiences unless I get some compelling evidence/convincing from someone otherwise.

 

 

All of this now makes me wanna try and save up some money and go bargain hunting for cracking ol' preowned titles in CEX or something. I recall when I got my 360 there was such a wealth of a back catalogue and some games could be picked up for dirt cheap on Play.com - that gave me some experiences I wouldn't have had otherwise!