Does getting older change what you play?

This is a response to a great thread on the PCG forum board. Link is at the bottom. Well worth a read.

I've considered this question before. Not only are we older but, as the OP says, we have less time to dedicate to games. I think that games used to 'get away' with a lot more in terms of poor gameplay. That is, pixel-perfect jumps, or no saves or simply the same levels rehashed.



Gamers these days are now more discerning. I don't think that we, or at least those who visit this forum, will take games that don't have an excellent tutorial, or simply take too long to get us into the action element.

For example, Sins of a Solar Empire has a terrible tutorial. It doesn't seem to realise that you only understand how to use the various mechanics of the game when they become necessary. Shogun 2's tutorial (albeit I've played all the TWs since the original) is much better: you use the game's mechanics as and when they become necessary, and the game seamlessly 'starts' when the tutorial ends. However, Sins is one game where I gave a few hours over a few games (plus looking at the forum and asking a colleague's son for advice) until I could actually play it competitively.

I think that there is, ultimately, a great thing in the experience of play. Sandbox games are a superb example of this. However, most evenings recently, coming to the end of term, all I'm loading up is Batman AA and kicking the hell out of a load of goons using two mouse buttons. Immense game! I should also begin to check out Megazell's list a bit more, too...


http://www.pcgamer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10688