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As I get older and I've played every genre, I think few video games are fun. Many video games are addicting(stardew valley), many games invoke nostalgia(Ninten

As I get older and I've played every genre, I think few video games are fun. Many video games are addicting(stardew valley), many games invoke nostalgia(Nintendo/Zelda), some are slot machines(Diablo 3 and Starcraft Coop), etc... You wonder how many games are genuinely fun, and how many are marketed well and cause a network effect. Did people really like playing Madden 20xx and Call of Duty X? Or did 1 popular friend get their psychology exploited, and if you wanted to be cool, you'd buy the game to play with them.

haunter 3y ago
>Did people really like playing Madden 20xx and Call of Duty X? Can't talk about those games but Fortnite is a fine example of insanely popular game yet it's actually really fun too. I was ignoring it for a long time and started playing when the Covid lockdowns started and I was surprised that it's actually a good TPS game + the constant updates what makes it really enjoyable. Live service games live and die by the updates and Epic does the gameplay updates really well: new or unvaulted weapons every 2-3 weeks, new map changes every 3 months etc. So it always feels fresh, just enough change that you don't get bored. There is also the aspect of instant gratification which makes the genre appealing to a lot and easy to jump in. It doesn't take a lot to understand what's going on and if you fail you just start a new game, akin to rogue/lite/like genre which is coincidentally (or not) became popular since the 2010s too.
bkandel 3y ago
Can't speak to all games, but I have found that the Mortal Kombat/Tekken style fighting games really aren't that much fun to me anymore. Smashing buttons is fun for like maybe ten minutes, but it gets boring real quick.
- haunter 3y ago
  On the other hand Street Fighter VI is the perfect example how to reinvent the genre. The new campaign mode is really good and makes the game 100x better than any other previous title. Honestly japanese studios has an insane year in 2023 (Zelda, RE4 Remake, FFXVI, Armored Core VI, Street Fighter VI etc.)
  - hospitalJail 3y ago
    >Honestly japanese studios has an insane year in 2023 (Zelda Zelda TotK seems to be pretty disappointing from what I read. After BOTW I finally gave up playing every Zelda game. Nintendo is the best when it comes to video game marketing, they basically brainwashed us since we were toddlers and they have a tight grip over mainstream reviews. I don't know if TotK is good, but we won't be getting too much honest feedback until the hype dies down. Remember when people said BOTW was the greatest game of all time? That aged poorly. Anyway, I am quite skeptical of people who put modern Zelda in their 'great' games list. They havent been a powerhouse since N64.
- nathants 3y ago
  the competitive fighting genre evolved into fortnite. it will be interesting to see where it goes next.
Goronmon 3y ago
You wonder how many games are genuinely fun, and how many are marketed well and cause a network effect. Are you trying to approach entertainment as if there is some objective measure of "fun"? And how is this issue specific to games? Aren't movies, TV and books all subject to your same concerns?
- hospitalJail 3y ago
  >And how is this issue specific to games? Aren't movies, TV and books all subject to your same concerns? Yes
Kinrany 3y ago
Don't play genres, a genre is inherently about something that sold well enough to spawn lots of clones. Like a lot of software, the need for commercial success compromises many good ideas.
b3lvedere 3y ago
Fun changes with you i guess. I've been playing videogames since the days of Pong. I've had a pong console, the ZX Spectrum, the Intel 286,386,486,etc, Xbox, PSP. Still have the Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, GameCube, Wii, Switch and nowadays i play most of my games on my "family gaming computer" which is a MSI Trident 3. Of course life happened and i don't have much game time. And i got older of course. What i do like are the stories in the games. I like rpgs, but hate the fighting and grinding. I like fpses, but hate their mazes/puzzles (except for the Portal games). The limited time has made me picky on what game i want to play, so there are very few games that i really complete. I want the most of my invested time. The last one i completed was Star Trek Resurgence. Nice story, nice graphics and the qte's made sure the game progresses without needing much time. It was lots of fun. I'm still trying to complete Yakuza 5. The stories are nice, but it takes lot of grinding.
austinl 3y ago
I've noticed this as I've gotten older, but I think it's me—not the games. I can point to two reasons: * I have less time or patience to invest in learning the intricacies of complex games that used to be so rewarding. I've been a big fan of Paradox games over the years, but man, the amount of time needed to really appreciate games like Hearts of Iron or Crusader Kings isn't worth it to me anymore. * I feel less capable of "suspending reality" in RPGs. When I was a kid, I feel like I could get super immersed in things like the Elder Scrolls games—I probably have more hours in Oblivion than any other game to date. But I don't quite get that same feeling anymore. Adulthood, I guess? Now, I almost exclusively play relaxing games that don't require too much mental overhead (like Diablo). I'll still pick up indie games that get a lot of traction (enjoyed Hades and Disco Elysium), but rarely touch AAA games.
ARandumGuy 3y ago
There are a lot of different types of fun. For example, there's a lot of satisfaction in accomplishing something, even if you didn't have "fun" doing it (this is why people like to climb mountains or 100% games). Conversely, if you've had a long day at work, playing a game with easy dopamine hits may be what you need to unwind. Some people just want an excuse to hang out with friends, and a non-intense game can be a good way to do that. Games ultimately fulfill a lot of different needs for people. Not every game needs to be the most engaging thing ever, in the same way that not every movie needs to be The Godfather. And I think it's important to recognize why people play games without being condescending about it.

haunter 3y ago

>Did people really like playing Madden 20xx and Call of Duty X? Can't talk about those games but Fortnite is a fine example of insanely popular game yet it's actually really fun too. I was ignoring it for a long time and started playing when the Covid lockdowns started and I was surprised that it's actually a good TPS game + the constant updates what makes it really enjoyable. Live service games live and die by the updates and Epic does the gameplay updates really well: new or unvaulted weapons every 2-3 weeks, new map changes every 3 months etc. So it always feels fresh, just enough change that you don't get bored. There is also the aspect of instant gratification which makes the genre appealing to a lot and easy to jump in. It doesn't take a lot to understand what's going on and if you fail you just start a new game, akin to rogue/lite/like genre which is coincidentally (or not) became popular since the 2010s too.

bkandel 3y ago

Can't speak to all games, but I have found that the Mortal Kombat/Tekken style fighting games really aren't that much fun to me anymore. Smashing buttons is fun for like maybe ten minutes, but it gets boring real quick.

haunter 3y ago
On the other hand Street Fighter VI is the perfect example how to reinvent the genre. The new campaign mode is really good and makes the game 100x better than any other previous title. Honestly japanese studios has an insane year in 2023 (Zelda, RE4 Remake, FFXVI, Armored Core VI, Street Fighter VI etc.)
- hospitalJail 3y ago
  >Honestly japanese studios has an insane year in 2023 (Zelda Zelda TotK seems to be pretty disappointing from what I read. After BOTW I finally gave up playing every Zelda game. Nintendo is the best when it comes to video game marketing, they basically brainwashed us since we were toddlers and they have a tight grip over mainstream reviews. I don't know if TotK is good, but we won't be getting too much honest feedback until the hype dies down. Remember when people said BOTW was the greatest game of all time? That aged poorly. Anyway, I am quite skeptical of people who put modern Zelda in their 'great' games list. They havent been a powerhouse since N64.
nathants 3y ago
the competitive fighting genre evolved into fortnite. it will be interesting to see where it goes next.

Goronmon 3y ago

You wonder how many games are genuinely fun, and how many are marketed well and cause a network effect. Are you trying to approach entertainment as if there is some objective measure of "fun"? And how is this issue specific to games? Aren't movies, TV and books all subject to your same concerns?

hospitalJail 3y ago
>And how is this issue specific to games? Aren't movies, TV and books all subject to your same concerns? Yes

Kinrany 3y ago

Don't play genres, a genre is inherently about something that sold well enough to spawn lots of clones. Like a lot of software, the need for commercial success compromises many good ideas.

b3lvedere 3y ago

Fun changes with you i guess. I've been playing videogames since the days of Pong. I've had a pong console, the ZX Spectrum, the Intel 286,386,486,etc, Xbox, PSP. Still have the Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, GameCube, Wii, Switch and nowadays i play most of my games on my "family gaming computer" which is a MSI Trident 3. Of course life happened and i don't have much game time. And i got older of course. What i do like are the stories in the games. I like rpgs, but hate the fighting and grinding. I like fpses, but hate their mazes/puzzles (except for the Portal games). The limited time has made me picky on what game i want to play, so there are very few games that i really complete. I want the most of my invested time. The last one i completed was Star Trek Resurgence. Nice story, nice graphics and the qte's made sure the game progresses without needing much time. It was lots of fun. I'm still trying to complete Yakuza 5. The stories are nice, but it takes lot of grinding.

austinl 3y ago

I've noticed this as I've gotten older, but I think it's me—not the games. I can point to two reasons: * I have less time or patience to invest in learning the intricacies of complex games that used to be so rewarding. I've been a big fan of Paradox games over the years, but man, the amount of time needed to really appreciate games like Hearts of Iron or Crusader Kings isn't worth it to me anymore. * I feel less capable of "suspending reality" in RPGs. When I was a kid, I feel like I could get super immersed in things like the Elder Scrolls games—I probably have more hours in Oblivion than any other game to date. But I don't quite get that same feeling anymore. Adulthood, I guess? Now, I almost exclusively play relaxing games that don't require too much mental overhead (like Diablo). I'll still pick up indie games that get a lot of traction (enjoyed Hades and Disco Elysium), but rarely touch AAA games.

ARandumGuy 3y ago

There are a lot of different types of fun. For example, there's a lot of satisfaction in accomplishing something, even if you didn't have "fun" doing it (this is why people like to climb mountains or 100% games). Conversely, if you've had a long day at work, playing a game with easy dopamine hits may be what you need to unwind. Some people just want an excuse to hang out with friends, and a non-intense game can be a good way to do that. Games ultimately fulfill a lot of different needs for people. Not every game needs to be the most engaging thing ever, in the same way that not every movie needs to be The Godfather. And I think it's important to recognize why people play games without being condescending about it.