Internet gaming making us lazy?

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Jon1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby Jon1 » January 26th, 2015, 3:39 pm

I never thought until now how lazy it's making people that they don't even have to leave the house anymore for games. I'm worried that kids today are so warped because all they do is play games all day. They don't ever go out into the real world and learn real world things. And the fact games are so immense makes it borderline epidemic. It's a huge slice a life taken away because they're always indoors playing games that are literally endless. There's basically no gaming alternative that won't zap oodles of time from kids' lives. That's why I've sort of been MIA since the late 90s. After 3d worlds got bigger than Goldeneye and Twisted Metal 2 it became too much to handle, and I know I just wouldn't have had any free time. Boy we could use a fast paced, 2d oriented console right now.

Paul1231
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Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby Paul1231 » January 26th, 2015, 4:02 pm

Actually what it has done for me is ruined my attention span for games the same way mp3 has for music.

Years ago I would bring a stack of CDs with me in the car, and I would listen to more of the songs on the CD than just the one I bought it for. I would find new songs that I may not have discovered. Now if a song doesn't grab my interest immediately I can skip to a whole different disk in a moment, instead of just sticking with it because changing out the disk means no music for a short time.

The same has happened with games. I'm hardly willing to give a game a sporting chance because I can just go immediately back to the menu and try a different one if I'm not immediately enthralled...

Bluenote1
Posts: 118
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Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby Bluenote1 » January 27th, 2015, 3:14 pm

[QUOTE=Jon]I never thought until now how lazy it's making people that they don't even have to leave the house anymore for games. I'm worried that kids today are so warped because all they do is play games all day. They don't ever go out into the real world and learn real world things. And the fact games are so immense makes it borderline epidemic. It's a huge slice a life taken away because they're always indoors playing games that are literally endless. There's basically no gaming alternative that won't zap oodles of time from kids' lives. That's why I've sort of been MIA since the late 90s. After 3d worlds got bigger than Goldeneye and Twisted Metal 2 it became too much to handle, and I know I just wouldn't have had any free time. Boy we could use a fast paced, 2d oriented console right now.[/QUOTE]

You sound exactly like our parents' did in the 80s!![wink]

I don't really see a big difference though.  In the 80s we played 2d games but you had to play them over and over and over in order to progress.  The time spent in beating an NES game was probably similar to beating a 3D game nowadays (with the exceptions of really long games like Skyrim, etc)

Vexer1
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Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby Vexer1 » January 29th, 2015, 1:04 am

Jon- yeah that's not true at all, plenty of kids still like going out.

My attention span for music and games(as well as movies and TV shows) has not decreased at all, i'm actually more patient with games now then I was a few years ago, lately i've been replaying games that I didn't give a fair chance to before.


Jon1
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Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby Jon1 » January 29th, 2015, 3:40 pm

Even if you spent the same time on each type, there's so much more information and knowledge that you need to remember in today's games, whereas back then it was about mastering jumps or beating a tough boss. It forces you to get immersed in it and learn all of the information that comes with it. And that's one of the biggest problems with today's games. After the sickeningly inexplicable extinction of 2d (right when it was about to reach its zenith), they resurrected it after a decade and, what do you know, they all sold like hotcakes. I think there's evidence that, given the choice, people would like their games less complex, but there is no choice. Since there isn't, kids simply don't have the will to learn anything about life. 

Bluenote1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby Bluenote1 » January 29th, 2015, 4:25 pm

[QUOTE=Jon]Even if you spent the same time on each type, there's so much more information and knowledge that you need to remember in today's games, whereas back then it was about mastering jumps or beating a tough boss. It forces you to get immersed in it and learn all of the information that comes with it. And that's one of the biggest problems with today's games. After the sickeningly inexplicable extinction of 2d (right when it was about to reach its zenith), they resurrected it after a decade and, what do you know, they all sold like hotcakes. I think there's evidence that, given the choice, people would like their games less complex, but there is no choice. Since there isn't, kids simply don't have the will to learn anything about life. [/QUOTE]

I'm not quite sure I follow this.  There is tons of choices for kids right now.  Look at all the downloadable games including virtual console, etc.  In fact, it's almost too much choice right now. 

2d games are everywhere right now.  Heck, Shovel Knight is nominated for game of the year by IGN!  There are tons of new 2D games all over the place.  In fact, I was starting to get sick of the fact that every new downloadable game is "inspired by NES", etc. 

Right now, you can buy a Wii U, and you can get full on 3d games, nes games, snes games, all kinds of indie 2d downloadable games, etc.  That's just with 1 system.

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VideoGameCritic
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Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby VideoGameCritic » January 29th, 2015, 6:21 pm

I think there is something in the psychology profession known as "the curse of choice" where if you are overwhelmed with choices it makes you feel less satisfied with what you pick.

I remember the last time I had Xbox points to spend on Xbox Live I was like a kid in a candy shop.  So many games to choose from!  So then I started wading through them and downloaded a bunch.  It was a pretty time-consuming process.  Most of the stuff turned out to be junk.  A lot of them were more novelty items than games.  I think I settled for Mega Man 9 but the entire process was beginning to feel like a big waste of time.

Compare that to walking into a store to buy a game.  Usually there's a pretty limited selection (of new stuff anyway) and the new releases are right up front.  It's fun to peruse them and not overwhelming at all.  You don't feel like you're missing anything because it's all in plain sight.  You end up paying more but at least you feel like you're getting something for your money.

Jon1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby Jon1 » January 31st, 2015, 2:56 pm

Sure there are 2d games out now (after an unexplained decade long hiatus), but the games that are most popular, and that are new releases like you'd find in stores, they're basically all 3d and way too complex. It gives this image of modern gaming as being anything but 2d. And, kids are always going to want to play what's popular, not some dime a dozen online games. Until there is a push for AAA 2d titles for the PS4 and XBONE (or however you say it) then this new 2d "phenomenon" is nothing but a blip on the radar screen. I think there might be fatigue setting in with the modern gamer, who's been basically told to play overly complex 3d games for several generations now. Fine, there's 2d games available for download or whatever but they're not being given a platform like those modern systems (except the Wii U) to even find out if there's a huge market for it, like there undoubtedly will. For the first time since we were given no choice but to either primarily play complex games with gigantic 3d worlds or quit playing new games, I feel like people are getting a little worn down by all the same crap and absolutely NO variety.

ptdebate1
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Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby ptdebate1 » January 31st, 2015, 4:09 pm

[QUOTE=Jon]Sure there are 2d games out now (after an unexplained decade long hiatus), but the games that are most popular, and that are new releases like you'd find in stores, they're basically all 3d and way too complex.

...people are getting a little worn down by all the same crap and absolutely NO variety.[/QUOTE]

Today's gaming industry offers more of everything, though. More 3D games and more 2D games than there have ever been. That's because back in the 90s, it wasn't the huge industry that it is today. Nowadays, there's room for literally any kind of game to exist as long as it has an audience, and huge sellers like Fez, Super Meat Boy, Shovel Knight, Rogue Legacy, Bastion, Braid, Super Time Force, Volgarr, Double Dragon Neon, Mega Man 9 and 10, as well as weirder games like Proteus, Unfinished Swan, Hatoful Boyfriend, and Thomas Was Alone.

Why don't 2D games have $100 million budgets? Because there's no way to make a 2D game cost that much to develop. 

Jon1
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Internet gaming making us lazy?

Postby Jon1 » February 2nd, 2015, 11:05 am

Fair point. I do think things are headed in the right direction.


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