Well that was depressing. I didn’t expect for my previous video to resonate with quite so
many people, and in such a strong, negative way. It seems a lot of you think the good times are
behind you. And I don’t think that’s true. It is, if you’re expecting the future to be the same as
the past, but repeated. And I think that’s where the problem lies: it’s all to easy to stick with
what you know, and to remain there for too long. I centred that video around multiplayer gaming,
but it equally applies to my experience with single player games and with other hobbies of
mine, and even with mundane daily routines that I find myself drifting in and out of.
And perhaps I should have used those things instead, because the problem,
and solution to those things is more immediately apparent.
My experience with single-player games follows a predictable cycle-
it takes a while to get into them, during which time I’m tempted to give up,
and just to return to what I was playing before. But then I break through, and for a while I really
enjoy playing this new game! To the point where I can’t imagine playing anything else.
But eventually, my interest in it starts to fade, and I get less and less enjoyment from playing it.
And the day eventually comes when it ISN’T worth doing any more.
The difficulty is in identifying when that moment is, and when it’s time to move on.
With some games, I complete them and then I move on. I did that with Subnautica. I did that with
Doom Eternal. Both of these games took some time to get into, but once I was, I was hooked right
through till the end! But because I left them when they ended, I’ve left them with nothing
but fond memories, and a gaming experience that I know I could quite happily return to if I didn’t
have anything else to do. But I don’t return to them! And that’s the HEALTHY way of playing games!
But with some, like the Star Wars game I’ve been playing recently, I decided to replay it instead.
It’s one of those games that rewards you for getting better at it, and I quite
enjoyed returning to earlier levels again and kicking the asses of the enemies who made it
so difficult for me first time around. But it has meant that I’ve let myself get
bored of the game. Rather than letting the game’s end dictate when I move on to something else,
I’ve got myself stuck in an endless loop until I’ve grown bored of it. And then I
wonder why I don’t enjoy gaming any more! And that’s where the problem lies!
You don’t want things to outstay their welcome. Which games inevitably do, these days.
Multiplayer games have always been about grinding away at something with no end goal to reach. Even
single player games are getting grindier, where they’ll get regular new content and challenges to
try and keep you coming back, time and time again. Is it any wonder that we’re getting bored of them?
Especially with time going faster than it used to. That really skews my perception of how long
I’ve spent playing games. Look back at your childhood games, and seriously ask yourself:
how long did you play those games for? Because in my mind, I spent hundreds of hours exploring Lara
Croft’s mansion. But did I really? In reality, maybe I spent a dozen hours there. 20, perhaps.
My memories of it are vivid, but I probably only completed the assault course, the hedge
maze or the quad bike segment a handful of times. I imagine I played Counter-Strike Source for a
long time. But it was only for 3 years, compared with the 9 that I’ve played CS:GO for so far.
That’s an incredible difference! Yet from my memories of both, I could have sworn that I
spent more time in Counter-Strike Source- which was a game that I played casually with friends
after school- than I have done from CS:GO, which is a game that I’ve made a fulltime career from.
Back in the day, a game would get a sequel after just a few years. But Grand Theft Auto 5 has now
spanned 3 console generations. And Skyrim’s as old now, as Morrowind was when Skyrim first came out.
So yeah, MAYBE if you find yourself getting more bored of games than you used to,
then perhaps it’s because you’ve spent FAR more time on them than you think you have,
while that game you thought you spent your whole childhood playing, you actually only played
part-time for a year until the next one came out. If you ask me, the idea of sticking with the
same game for months and months is weird! Older games used to be a series of levels,
and then they were done. And it’s refreshing to be able to return to those sorts of games
where you can just pick them up and complete them in a single day. These are games that
don’t demand you unlock achievements, or to endlessly grind it for one reason or another.
They simply exist for you to play, and if you enjoy it, you replay them again.
And I’ll be honest: I’ve always got bored of games. I might have fond memories of Tomb Raider
2, but that didn’t stop me from buying Tomb Raider 3! I might not spend as much time exploring the
first level of a game as I used to, but I sure as hell am better at sticking with them till the end!
But I don’t think this is the problem. I think YOUR problem is how you react when you do finally
get bored of something. When I was a child, I couldn’t wait to move onto a new game. I just
couldn’t, because that would have meant buying it and I didn’t have any money. These days,
it’s the opposite problem- I have 1000 unplayed games to choose from but can’t
be bothered with any of them! So here I am, just loading up the same game again and again
out of habit because it’s less effort than having to get into something new.
So getting back to my first video again: I didn’t mean for it to be negative.
It was intended as a bitter-sweet celebration of nostalgia. But you can’t dwell on such things-
you enjoy them at the time, and then should treasure the memories fondly.
But never stop looking forward, and never stop trying new things.
And I might have been wrong about it. A lot of the people I hung out with
saw that video and have got back in touch. Apparently, they miss those gaming sessions too!
We even had a few matches of Age of Empires 2, and hung around talking afterwards. So maybe it
IS possible to relive those old times again. BUT… only in moderation. I know that if we do
this every night, then the same thing will happen. Sooner, rather than later. But maybe -if we keep
it as something we do once in a while- it could remain something fun. Something to look forward
to! But I won’t pin all my hopes and dreams on that one thing again. I want to ensure that my
life is made up of lots of different experiences, and that I’m always open to trying new ones.
And don’t just take it from me. As Einstein once said… Variety is the spice of life.