As a 50-year-old gamer, I know EXACTLY where you're coming from. Family responsibilities aside, I too have found that my tastes have changed over the years. I still love various genres and generations of systems, but I just can't get into the games that force you to grind anymore. Give me a game that I can just pick up and play for 20 minutes or a half hour and I'm good.
Richard Herzog I'll see your games and raise you Galaga, Asteroids Deluxe, and Robotron:2084! Oh, and Donkey Kong 3, because that game was WAY under-appreciated.
I'm the same age and this is exactly how I feel. Glad its not only me then. Will I ever give up gaming though? Very unlikely because I still love to play occasionally and still love my old Atari 2600/Arcade games, not to mention Pinball machines. I just purchased a 3 sided arcade cocktail cabinet with 2400 games which is currently being shipped to me now ;-)
At 45, I'm having the same issue. Every year I get less interested in games and I can't stop it. I only prefer to play quick games that I can play in 15-20 minute spurts. I feel as though playing games for hours is taking time away from things that are more important. When your young you feel like you have plenty of time, but the older you get the more you ponder how much time you actually have left and every minute becomes more precious. Your not alone John, there are more of us out there than it seems.
I agree with everything you said. When I was in my 20’s I had the time and patience for all types of games but now that I am in mid 30’s, married and with kids I don’t have the time to invest 1 hour just for a download to even get into gameplay. Retro games allow my kids to play, even at a early age, so I get to game with them instead of them just watching me. Love the channel thanks for your hard work ... keep it up!
Yes having a kid definitely comes first with my gaming, anything he wants to play is priority because, they're not kids forever, enjoy your time with them. I also don't like long drawn out games anymore. I prefer casual games like rhythm games, DJ hero, etc. I recently picked up a PS2 DDR pad at a thrift store for 2 bucks, can't wait to try it out and get some exercise lol. When I do have some serious time to game in the middle of the night I'm a huge fan of the N64 wrestling games by AKI/THQ, and playing my Atari 2600 games like Alien, Porky's, Indiana Jones, Space Shuttle, Pitfall, Adventure, and the Activision Anthology on PS2.
I completely agree. As I have gotten older I spend less time on multiplayer and more on games with good stories and fun single player campaigns. The multiplayer games I play have quick matches with substance instead of the typical shallow one on the market now.
I know exactly what you mean. Same thing happened to me with shooters. I loved Halo 2, 3, and 4 but now I just don't enjoy first person shooters much anymore. I'm currently excited for Red Dead Redemption 2 and Elder Scrolls 6 (one day). I've been playing a lot of old Gameboy games recently. Enjoying Star Trek TNG and Super Mario Land. The shelves are coming together nicely! Can't wait to see them full of games! I need to build a game room for myself one of these days.
I think it has more to do with modern shooters focusing on unlocks and cosmetics rather than gameplay. People spam team deathmatch because it is the most efficient way to grind, rather than more interesting game modes such as capture the flag or search and destroy. If you try to jump straight to a better game mode without unlocking everything, you play at a disadvantage. This personally turns me off from many shooters.
I completely agree - the magic window to play a game is 15-30 minutes. I am 27 years old and I grew up with a super nintendo and I currently have consoles between snes through xbox 360 and I find myself playing more of the games on the older end due to the fact I don't need several hours to play the game. Thanks for the great content as always!
Great video, Immortal John Hancock. These current issue discussions about the realities of gaming and collecting are a strength of your channel. My current genres are: vertical shooters, racing with driving rig, virtual pinball, and nintendo. I also acknowledge other great fun games out there, but i’m not wasting my time with them!
A solid 8 to 10 hours game still is perfection to me. I can usually beat those in about a month if I find time and that "magic moment of interest" every couple of days after work. You can come back to it a couple of days later and pick it again up right on the spot. And never have I been into RPGs (with exception of Earthbound :) From an early age on I knew my time was precious and better not wasted on games in general. So, when I did play I considered my time even more when I got older. I dunno. I guess that is very instinctively built into myself and may differ with everybody. This video seems to have really touched a spot in some people, John. Thank you, always a pleasure to watch!
I hear ya John! I’m married with 2 kids. I’m burnt out on COD games and I want a racing game like Need for Speed Most Wanted on XBOX 360. I’ve been picky with games in the last few years. Game room is looking great😁!
John, as a avid gamer myself turning 40 has very much changed my gaming habits. I also find that I will only have 20-30 min a day free to enjoy a game. I can not spend the time it takes to keep up with today’s huge games. Lately my choice has been to enjoy some Bubble Bobble in the evenings with my wife before bed or spend some time playing A link to the Past with my daughter. If I do manage to get a hour or so to play, I do enjoy HvV in Star Wars Battlefront. That is limited to once a week maybe.. Thanks again for everything you do and I love knowing people share the same feelings in the community!
I can closely relate to this video John. I started off with the classics like you, then I started with more complex games and I really got into MMOs, which are a HUGE time sink. Ever since I met my wife 8 years ago, the way I play games and the type has changed drastically and for the better. Its a no brainer when choosing to spend time with the wife now that our kid is in college, or gaming, in which she is not really into herself (she is more of a reader). I have turned gaming into casual instead of hardcore and I feel good about it.
Very interesting hearing your game preferences as time has gone on. As a young kid, I never had patience to play longer games, but now at 26, I finally sat down and played Breath of the Wild and loved spending my evenings searching and trying to accomplish things that required some grinding. Really looking to getting into some JRPGs soon.
Same here sir, the wife and kid has sparked my love for arcade games again as the window for my free time slowly closes. I love the pick up and put down aspect of shooters & beat em ups!
Right there as well. 2 kids and the job I just find myself playing quarky indie games or going back through my retro collection for the quick gratification. I still buy AAA stuff but I never get around to investing my time into them. I'll save them and get around to them one of these days.
First off! Amazing shirt! Having a wife and kids, and the extra responsibilities that come with that definitely impact my choice in game genres, since it's harder to sink so much time into gaming these days it has changed what I enjoy in gaming and I've started to appreciate shorter games or games you can pop in and out off for short play times.
My tastes in genres has changed slightly the older I get. I think it has to do with life getting in the way. I used to play more Halo and CoD type games and their multi player options but it's too much work now. There are people that have more time to play and get really good so when I play, I die every time I respawn. And the whole leveling system gets exhausting. Personally I love story driven single player games. It's a way to escape the real world and just let me mind relax. Great video!
You know what, John? I’ve been feeling the same way too. I’m 35 years old and I found myself lacking the patience for long games nowadays. I still love long RPGs, I just have neither the time or patience anymore. I still do enjoy them every now and then, but as I grow older, I find myself more attracted to racing & fighting games where you can play for a hour, 2 max, and move on, or save and come back later. I still enjoy the good old Arcade games the most, though, Some games are an exception of this rule, at least for me, mainly Legend of Zelda and Super Mario games. But I’ll sit down and play Sonic or Mario Kart for perhaps 2~3 hours at a time. TL;DR, it’s not just you, many people, including myself, can relate to what you’re feeling. I do know I feel guilty about it, but life is just too busy with work & family to dedicate the time and mental energy. I keep thinking perhaps I had some time off everything adult related (work, bills, responsibilities in general) I’d one again get in the mood to play these games.
im 38 and feel the same way dude. i have such a huge backlog now, but ive decided to focus on the nintendo franchises for now because i missed a lot there over the years. currently finishing Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Pride and Zelda Skyward Sword. PS - im married and one thing that has helped my gaming habit is that ive gotten my wife into gaming :-)
Mario Galaxy 1 is amazing. Galaxy 2 is not better IMHO. Skyward Sword is also amazing. I think the Wii was probably Peak Nintendo. Returning to it after 4-5 years and I can't help but think how revolutionary it is. No other console does what it can with a Wiimote and Nunchuck. SD graphics doesn't really matter. Metroid Other M is also under rated. The translation is awful but everything else feels like a sequel to Super Metroid.
You playing some Wii games? make sure not to miss "Sin & Punishment 2" and "Xenoblade Chronicles"! Those two are some of the best games you can ever play
I decided I'm going to stop buying games perging the one I know I'm not going to play and just focus on the ones that I have, these days we have too much sensory overload and games are too big and the skill required is too high. But living in the future is cool so I want to enjoy what I can out of it.
There was nothing that compared to my first play-through of Metroid Prime back a few years ago. After 35 years of gaming, that was by far the most exciting and engrossing experience I've had in a game. I'll chase that gaming "high" for the rest of my life. But Nintendo's marquee franchises in general (Mario, Zelda, etc.) usually never disappoint. :)
Fascinating disscusision John. Life can be a very long journey and with all that time comes exposure, preferences, and experience. I think its subjects like these that can change us and our likes/dislikes. As a kid much like you Id play whatever I could get my hands on, not really thinking much about it. It was all a new experience to me so I could go into the game wide eyed and bushy tailed regardless of genre. As a Teen my choices pinpointed a bit, I was still constantly curious about everything but I tended to lean far far more into specific genres such as: Horror, Rpg's, Fighting, Platformer, Action, and Point and Clicks. Fast forward to adult hood and my taste have refined themselves to a very limited category despite having appreciation for many of them. Now a days I find myself COMPLETELY burnt out on Rpg's and long games alike, just no longer into the extremely large, time consuming like experiences anymore. Where games like Shenmue, Final Fantasy 7, Yakuza, Parasite Eve, Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, Phoenix Wright, etc, would be my cremé de la cremé before, I find myself now admiring more from a distance than through a personal run myself. Now, I simply prefer Platformers, Action, and Fighting games. I'll spice things up a bit by throwing in a curve ball everynow and then, but essentially those are my go to's, still LOVING point and clicks as a genre but simply not willing to sit down and play them anymore. Crazy how we change tunes so very often and how deeply we can do so. Very fun examination though! PS: Room's lookin really good man, keep it up!
Dude you and your game collection have come along way since then! 👍😀Here's to many more and the eventual game museum! This is one of the best channels I've subscribed to. Thanks man. 👍
Just discovered a Raspberry Pi 3 this year (gift from gamer friend). Playing old school games (NES, Sega Genesis, 32X, MAME arcade classics) and still loving these old titles. In turn, I spent much less time with COD Infinite Warfare (which is not good), MW Remastered (average at best; why I bought the DLC is a mystery to me) and other modern games. Even playing less Battlefield 1 (a great war sim game). Those old school classics (console or arcade) are just a blast (i.e. Burgertime, Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, R.B.I. Baseball, One-On-One) and more than just a trip down memory lane. Also, as you stated, games I can complete in 30 minutes are perfect. Job, kid, responsibilities take over. Great video, John. Hope to see you at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo on Oct. 20-22. Oh yeah: I'm 50; 51 in 2 weeks.
I've always been terrible with first person shooters, so I never played too many of them, but I feel what your saying. I've got 3 kids, a full time job and I'm back in school, so time for anything extra is very limited. I was able to pick up a SNES classic this past Tuesday and haven't even been able to really experience it at all yet. 15 to 30 minutes is the perfect time to pick up a quick game and get that gaming fix. Recently I've been doing more on Steam, just because I'll be working on school stuff on the computer and can just switch over to Steam easily. One of the games that had me hooked for a while was Poly Bridge (which my 5 year old son quickly became interested in watching me play and also play). Your game room is coming along great!
To me, the 8th console generation has been the most disappointing since the video game crash. This entire generation has focused on huge Blockbusters with multimillion-dollar budgets that don't deliver or indy developed games that are basically modern versions of classic games I played in the 80s and 90s but with a twist. There have been a few gems here and there so I'm not saying the entire 8th generation has sucked but in comparison to previous generations this one is disappointing. These days I find myself collecting the games rather than actually playing them.
Absolutely! I've recently turned 42 and my tastes have completely changed. I used to be hardcore into COD type shooters and action platformers. Now i'm into super casual puzzle games, gone back to turn based RPGs, but I have always had a spot in my heart for racing games. I do still enjoy shooters, but the whole team competition shooters have died off for me. Of course I think a lot of it is based off the hateful people that play them all day. That and the general smack talking and swearing done by so many young kids that play these games. Honestly, it makes me sick because my kids would be severely punished for talking like these kids. What makes me sick is the parents that let there children act in this manner. It ruins the experience for everyone.
I share your exact feelings on "Battlefront" multi-player server-based "rentals", I like to return to my favorite experiences offline, excellent point my friend.
Hi, John, I recently discovered your channel and I really enjoy your videos and the positive vibes that you give out. You seem like a really good dude. I can definitely relate to what you are saying about game genre fatigue. I used to play a lot of first person shooters and I can't really play them anymore either. I would say the same for 3D platformers (except Mario), most RPGs and really difficult retro games that take a long time to get good enough at to beat. Now that I'm in my 30s, I view my time as much more valuable and I still like playing video games but I can't play them too much because I feel like it takes time away from things that are more important things. Like you, I prefer to play them in short bursts once or twice a week. I have come to enjoy Indie games more because they tend to be short and I love all the variety and creativity of Indie games.
Great topic, John. I completely understand. The only games I can play for extended periods are games as I recall most fondly, such as Shenmue. Beyond that, I love games with smaller levels or stages (such as Mario 64) because I can just pick it up and play a level whenever I have some time and not worry about player for hours without being able to save. I have a very refined list of games that I will play, unless I have family or friends over. Games like SOR and TMNT Hyperstone Heist are perfect for me. I appreciate Breath of the Wild and Open World games, but they are just way too large for me to ever actually finish.
I really feel the same way as you. As i grow older and older i noticed that i do not have the energy or interest to play certain genre of game anymore like rpg which require alot of time and focus. great video john.
Funny same happened to me over the years. My thing was the huge sprawling RPG's.....loved them. I find that games like Zen/Pinball FX on PS4 and the ACA Neo Geo titles on the Switch get more attention lately.
I had been pondering what happened to certain game genres that just vanish, like the skateboarding and plastic guitar games. You have genres that are huge, then they go away. Real-Time Strategy was another one on the PC. I had been calling it "play mechanic fatigue", that players get bored. I think "Game Genre Fatigue" would be a better name here, and I would use it. This is worth discussing further. I do think games genres can get overplayed. Beyond this, what I believe you are experiencing is just a change in life priorities. Game genre fatigue can go deeper than this, and is worth discussing more. Thanks for doing the video.
The problem is you've already collected everything so the spark is gone. I just started collecting for the turbografx and it's totally got me excited collecting again and I'm really having fun.
I just read alot of the comments, and i see alot of people agree with you, and as do i, especially with the FPS genre, i played fps (cs1.6) for 10 years, but i dont play fps games anymore, or computer games, i dont like games that i cant beat anymore. I still love rpgs, becouse its a wonderfull story that ENDS, and thats my favorite part, is when a game ends and you absorb the entire game... i feel you 100%
I can totally relate to what you are saying. I been a big fan of shooting games for years specially call of duty franchise. But when I was not exited by the new call of duty I realised that I got fatigue for 1st person shooters. I did not play infinite warfare as much as previous entries. Call of duty is a great franchise I just got burned out on it .. instead I been playing games I thought I would never play. Like zelda BOTW.. bayonetta 2 and lots of retro games. Maybe I'll return to call of duty sometime..but I need a break.. love your videos !!! This is the first video I see you in with no hat.. lol
Great video John. Another factor in our changing tastes is which genres are actually released. It seems like we haven't had good arcade sports games since the ps2 era when EA had their EA Sports Big line and Midway was making classics.
Yep....been there, done that. I played games from the arcades to the home consoles and now some online - it all changes, and it's nice that we always have choices! I think as we get older and have families, the time we spend enjoying games diminishes a lot - that's just life. Enjoy all of what makes you happy!
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that as you get older your time is more precious, I am 54 years old and its definitely the case, love the videos you produce.
I think it's the age and the rush of not having enough time which can make you lose interest of playing these type of games and most of the games out there. The same thing can happen if you're a collector and got a lot of games lying around which will make you again lose interest of playing games because it's difficult to choose from and you'll always after new stuff to add to the collection. I'm 32, but unfortunately got the same feeling and rush inside of me. I need to figure something out and get all of the other games out of my mind so I can enjoy 1 game at a time. I need to stop thinking of the ticking time. Time needs to stop around me, at least the thoughts of time. The internet will take you away from gaming which is another thing to keep in mind. Less internet more gaming.
Hi John, I agree with your video. I find that I gravitate towards shorter more arcade like games. A lot of modern AAA games also just feel like simulations. They REALLY impressive simulations but lack that arcade game play that I enjoy. To be honest, I didn't like simulations back in the day either.
I'm 48 and feel the same way. I was a die hard CO2 gamer. Then in 2012 I lost intest. I think some of it is it all feels stale and they went off in advanced warfare themes. Now i am into nintedo again. Guess i came full circle.
You're not alone John. I'm 42 and I feel exactly the same way! I have so many games I want to play, I have played in the past and still get my attention but for some reason I can't sit down and invest in them. I feel that some of the multiplayer games I don't won't to play cuz the people online are soooo ANNOYING. I typically just want a single player campaign. If I had friends online I would probably play those types more but I just don't. I find myself playing retro titles more than anything these days.
I'm 43 and still enjoy some simulator games from more modern times. I love Gran Turismo and Forza, I have a PC setup just for some games on Steam including Euro Trucking Simulators 1 and 2, American Trucking Simulator, and most recently discovered the Car Mechanic Simulator series which I love. If I know I only have a few minutes to play a game I will go for a retro game on an Atari console but if I know my time is in hours I may spend time on one of the aforementioned simulator games. I enjoyed FF back in the day but RPGs are not my thing anymore. I either want arcade action (miss seeing shoot em ups these days) or relaxing game play a simulator can provide.
Great video & I agree with you 100%. I'm married with 2 kids & love & will always love gaming & keeping up with the industry but I too go through stretches where I'm not into certain genres or gaming for that matter.. But it's all good as the love will always be there!
I never knew how to put it in words but you just did it for me. Especially the part about your multiplayer progress disappearing forever. My best friend is hardcore online multiplayer gamer and always wonders why I don't like it. That's why.
hi, John, first, I need to say I love your style, vids and games collections. I am 43 old Player from Germany and I love to play classic arcade games on modern consoles, especially while i am in Party Chat with my friends and talking about good old times. this brings me back ever and ever. I also Switch to modern games. Currently, I also play BF1, i played COD, but they all become boring and if they´ve been boring, I mostly never touch them again. much more a problem with open world games, I start playing them, most times ist starting awesome, but playing it for hours you realize you see always the same grafix and only hunting for new quests and finally wasting your time. thats the difference with the good old 80´s, for example Sidescrollers like Green Beret (US rush n attack) or Double Dragon. I play them 30 mins and in my opinion I had ssen more gfx and a had lots of fun comparing to nextgen games. and not to forget, the replay factor is miles ahead. I am also collecting games, all Systems, most games on c64, but main scope is to get the games I was involved in my youth. unfortunately, the Prices have strongly risen and its hard to get all those gems. Keep it up, John, you doing right. Your Collections are absolutely awesome. Bye
Im 34 been gaming since 87 and I feel like there are just too many games to play these days. I am more into modern titles but I see all kinds of cool games that I am into and sometimes won't touch them for years or I burn through games giving them one play through because there are just so many of them out there. Of course Im married, 2 kids, full time job doing YT and attempting to have a social life but there just isnt enough time to touch all of this games. I do feel burned out on open world titles atm but that's because there are so many of them I think.
Yup, I feel the same way, I'm just trying to stick to the games I really enjoy and take it all in. Games are like art work and when I get a good one it takes longer for me to get through them. Currently sacrificing TV just to get in some game play.
I agree you can feel like youre missing out on the next new game and lose the moment or abandon that open world game, I do like games you can complete in a couple of sessions, you say i will play this another time but most of the time never do,
36 here and I stick mostly to JRPGs and have since I first played Final Fantasy VI (III on the SNES). The only time I play a FPS or shooters like Gears of War is with my son. I have a 9 year old, and a 4 month old. I know some of it is my hand-eye coordination sucks now, but some of it is I see playing an RPG as my way of relaxing and being alone for a short bit...usually in the bathroom until one of them needs me.
Thats definately part of it too for me. Its a great problem to have, but there is 1000s and 1000s of games now with emulation of old games, plus the massive backlog of games on the previous systems I have hooked up. This generation and last mainly, the rest is emulated. Im restless so I constantly start new games and jump around from save file to save file, game to game. The more spread out it gets the less games I complete. So I try to focus on a lesser amount of games but there is always so much I want to try and play that it gets insane. I end up beating alot of games but there is so many hours of games Ive played that I may never go back to. Games have to be alot better to really tempt me to go back to them and complete them, when theres always something else better.
I completely get where you're coming from here! I used to be able to play certain games for hours on end and now for some reason I just can't. It's frustrating because I don't want to do what I've always loved doing. Maybe it's an age thing but I miss those days of gaming until tiredness kicked in rather than bordom.
I completely agree with your thoughts. As a child of the 80's I grew up spending all my spare time playing games and went through many of the same genres as you, as I got older. But in those early days, gameplay was king. Forget ultra realistic graphics if the gameplay was not there it was a flop. So now my playing time is limited, I find I prefer to find some retro classics that I missed back in the day, or some new mobile game that has the same gameplay purity that equates to sticking 10p (c) into an arcade machine and see how far you can get. Rather than some blockbuster title.
I feel the same way . This is why retro is so popular . Simple and fun and not too time consuming . When your day is filled it's hard to remember all the elements that go along with a certain lengthy games . Controls , Story , hints ....ect . I'm sure my feelings will change again LOL
This was something that greatly shaped my gaming for years. I grew up playing the medal of honor games and being absolutely enthralled with them. When Call of Duty came around I played the first few, followed by the conflict series, and the brothers in arms series. Around that time the store shelves were inundated with military shooters and I had burnt out on the genre, especially with the yearly release of call of duty games coming from two separate dev teams. To this day I have yet to really step back and as I tend to prefer single player and Co op to multi-player, I generally steer clear of most shooters as the multi-player is the main focus. The only exception in the past how many years now was sniper elite, though it may not be the best that AAA gaming has to offer, it is still different and enjoyable. Other shooters were still fine though, Halo, Half Life, metro, bio shock, and third person shooters like mass effect.
John, I totally agree. I’m getting older. I have a family and responsibilities but I love gaming. Simple, pop in and play games are my favorite. I’ve barely touched my ps4 for gaming due to the time consuming games I own. I keep finding myself going back to fun Atari and NES games. Thanks for your videos 👍
I completely understand. I had the very same experience, as I am getting older, I have so little time that I cut every game with long intro and cutscenes because I just have usually 10-15 minutes to play so retro gaming was my safe haven.
I resonate with this John, for me its the RPG genre, this is due to my awesome wife and kid so something has to give. I count myself lucky though, as new RPGs don't seem to be as good as the classics. Awesome videos by the way.
As you can see from many comments, our gaming tastes evolve and the amount of time we have for playing changes for various reasons (especially family and other obligations). Perfectly normal and nothing to fret. I was a huge Halo fan and for some unknown reason, I stopped playing after about an hour of Halo 4. I subsequently bought Halo 5 but haven't touched it. Dunno what happened. I'm sure I'll return to it later but until then, I'm having fun with other games. Totally agree about the grind. That's one reason why I play games at the easy setting now.
I can relate 100%. In high school it was flight sims and FPS, college was strategy games and RPGs, after college was back to FPS games, and now that I'm a family man and working I've been enjoying 16 bit platformers like crazy lately.
Looking good man, keep plugging away at it. You will get there. As for types of games I like. It is basically whatever I am in the mood for. And what console I want to start up. I own the games that I like to play. Mainly because of space, and I am not into a bunch of shovelware. lol
Although I go in cycles, I seem to play games that I can pop in and out in shorts bursts. It's tough to try and play a long rpg after staying away for awhile. I forget storyline and game mechanics. That's why I still like fps multiplayer matches, short and sweet. I'm just not very good at them anymore. Another great video!! Hope work life has improved for you.
I tend to skip multiplayer first person games aswell now. I used to love them alot. Also story heavy games that demand multiple hours to complete don't really get the time from me anymore. I started out Witcher 3 about 6 times now and I haven't left the starting area. Now I play more laid back games that dont need that much concentration on story. Like Terraria or similar games. Also a bit of Mario Kart on the SNES or similiar to even that. In short games that are fast to start and fast to stop. This gives me more "time" to experience more games coming out. Cuphead is a great example. Great topic to share John. All the best.
I'm starting to feel like this about video games in general. I get to the end of the day, open up my 3ds, fire up a game, stare at the screen, and then proceed to close it after a minute. I don't know what's happening to me.
When younger my first console was a Master System in 1986. Loved R Type, Wonderboy Series and Alex Kidd. Getting older afterwards I bought an Amiga and started gaming on that for a while. Then bought a Mega Drive and then SNES. Loved both of them but SNES slightly had it for me as it was the newer console. Then had a break from gaming during my late teen early 20's. Meeting girls etc. 🙄 Bought a 60GB PS3 new in 2007 £500!! Loved it to bits. Never off it. Uncharted got me back into gaming. Then bought a PS4 in 2016. Like it but didn't have the same impact as the PS3 did. The first PS3 got YLOD after about 6 years. Have since bought another 60GB PS3 a few weeks back. Am looking at now getting an OG X BOX and collecting for that too. Love the videos. Now 39 years old and Married, but loving games still. Keep up the good work.
preach on brother, I too have tired of FPS games, have never had the time for RPG's and i do find myself playing games in relatively short bursts now, whereas I previously would have happily plowed hours into one game in one sitting, my love for games hasn't diminished, it's just that my habits and tastes have changed over time, I figure it's an age thing!
I have definitely noticed my tastes and moods change significantly throughout my life. Sometimes its related to what is going on at the time, and sometimes its just how I feel or feel like doing. What it comes down to in the end is if you are personally having fun and enjoying what you are doing at that moment in time.
Yes my game play has changed since I have gotten married and with 5 kids. I use to play a lot of war games or just straight killing games but with ur kids watching that's hard to do. I have gotten back into playing sports game with my boys and all kind of racing games that are kid friendly. Love the game room me and my wife are working on a new game room has well. Going to be more kid friendly. It size going to be around 32 feet by 28 feet we want pool table, air hockey, fuseball, and our games going to be on the walls. Keep up the good videos and God Speed
Time has always been a factor for me and is why I miss cheat codes. Often times it is hard to go back to a game and re-learn the controls and remember what is happening in the story. I loved what Allen Wake did with its chapters and recaps of stories and would love it if more games did the same.
I think alot of these latest generation shooters . Have lost there roots , with jet packs , power ups , airstrikes, cards , perks, pay to win. all that extra stuff. The way they sell these games with different more expensive DLC packages {eg Deluxe ver} , There use to be a time when a good DLC just randomly released , and people bought it because it was good not because they felt like they had to by a season pass to own a complete game.
I couldn't believe that when my son purchase Battlefront II for his PC last week at an EB games store all he got was a cover!!!!.. No DVD, box manual... WTF??? You now have to download the game using a code they provide inside the cover yet still charge you $80 for the game.... What a rip off.
zach konkel , Whoooah !!! ⏩⏩ Tribes' jet packs ???!! (Yeah, I know - it has both 1st and 3rd person PoV) It predates Halo.... Heck, it was terribly undersold on the PS2 regarding its offerings in the measures of LAN and online multiplayer in addition to character selection to go along with their impressive equipment/weapons packaging, selection and task abilities.... Even have 2-player splitscreen LAN play among a few consoles when family's gathered together or, otherwise, online. I still play Tribes Aerial Assault on the PS2 online and I'm introducing family and younger relatives that haven't a clue. Yet, they really do appreciate the fun we have with the afforded strategy and tactics... not to mention that layer of flight from the jet packs. ⚫ I agree with the DLC - it and the loot boxing is going to jade a generation if some of the scale of open-world side missions and trophy collecting doesn't preemptively deplete their reserves of stamina needed to stoke their curiosity. Part of why I'm sharing the classics with the young as well as with those that hadn't had the contemporaneous opportunity on the way. ⚫ There is so much already existing in the pipeline in the way of fun coupled with curiosity in some 'discovery' from exercising reappraisal mechanisms --- whether it's the simple addition of a PS1 mouse alongside the left thumbstick of a controller for Quake II on the PS1 or, subsequently, four firewire-networked NTSC-U PS2 consoles for Unreal Tournament -- similar controls except with a USB mouse, instead, in tandem with a DualShock 2 and the added third input device of a USB keyboard for each of the four players' consoles. ⚫ Somewhere deep inside, we're all simply getting back / keeping in touch with our fire-side chatting while learning about each other, sometimes stewarding personal growth by offering insight to another perspective, learning to coordinate with others with patience for ourselves while getting the hang of / mastering our controls that all serve as teaching moments through various ways of communication / observation in our gathered experience.
At 42 I'm there too John. I've been a huge gamer since the arcade days. Currently I find my fix on Switch and PC. My dilemma is with a 400+ games on steam alone not to mention my other games on Origin, Uplay, GOG and emulators. I guess I just feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start. I always find my fix to be quick old arcade games on Mame or just watching videos on UA-cam like this one. Ugh . Thanks for the content and distraction John.🤘
First off, nice shirt. I have been in the same route as you. I haven't been playing as much long sit down play games. I have been playing more short games and also I have been getting into some TCGs which are fun short experiences. I think its just part of live and getting older.
I am 35 and my tastes in gaming have changed drastically over the years. Almost positive it happens to everyone as they get older. Especially when it comes to really long games. I'm quite happy with 8-14 hour games. Cuphead has been a blessing this past week.
I totally understand . I find too that my attention isn't like it was when I was younger . More responsibilities in life. It's why I like the retro games. I think sometimes the older you get the less patience you have too.
It's that unexplainable feeling. I used to get so excited about new Resident Evil games coming up (Especially RE2), after Veronica, I still like the games, but that level of excitement sort of faded. Same thing with fighting games. Loved Darkstalkers and Samurai Shodown but I don't get the same feeling from fighting games anymore. I love open world games now. Games such as Borderlands and the Stalker series. Still love strategy and retro type arcade games but that's about it.
In my 30's artist from australia. Always played games off and on since i was a child. Now I'm really into games and i collect a little bit of everything. Really want to find an amstrad computer one day because it was the first thing i ever played games on as a child. UA-cam channels is one of the things that got me to start collecting. The other reason is my parents were antique dealers and collectors so ive collected lots of different things my whole life. The games i play are a bit of everything. Still enjoy the master system.
I'm on the same boat man... I just can't be bothered going through the tutorials and spending hours to get over the beginning phase just to get into the game.... So now I just play my fighting games ans I can just pick up and play them
Glad to hear it's not just me. I am 46, and try as I might, I just can't get into games like Battlefront 2. I have played it this weekend and it just doesn't grab me. It's fun for an hour or so, and that's it. One thing I have also noticed as I have gotten older, my attention span has shortened. I still love RPG's but I find it hard to finish them.
My taste in game comes in waves. There are games I will always want to play, and others that I will only touch when I have time to dive into them. Currently I am playing Destiny 2 with friends on a few times a week basis, which is fun because I like co-op in a game, it reminds me of playing games with friends as a kid. When I just want to play something short, I've been going through old nes puzzle games. I also love the Gran Turismo series, but currently have no desire to play racing games, but only a year or two ago I bought GT5 XL and GT6 and played through both. The older I get I notice I tend to play one main game at a time and I will only dabble in other games when I need a break.
I feel the same way about first person shooters , i used to love playing Call of Duty alot , that was my go to game online , to chillout. Play 2-3 games , 30 minutes get up and do soemthing else. I would play it everyday for 6 months then anticipate the next Call of Duty to be announced rince and repeat. But i'm tired of shooters , i've recently got into Yooka-Laylee and i love it , really like the platforming. It's not a perfect game but it's something different you know. I also feel the same way about gaming and time , i could spend a whole weekend playing one game start till finish. I can't do that anymore , i need a game i can jump in and out of.
I know exactly how you feel. Been there done that with most games since the Vic 20 came out in the 70's (my first computer which I still have and which still works). What I look for these days in a game is something thats very unique which no other game developer or company currently does. At times something comes along which then gravitates me to that game but its because its very 'different' and has that 'wow' factor. For example even Minecraft in its early development days was so different to other games that I played it for hours a day and really enjoyed it and its not even that old a game. If you look back over the decades there will always be that one game that stood out because it was ahead of its time where gameplay, story and graphics just makes you want to play it. A bit like movies these days I guess. We are all looking for that little 'something different' to excite us! :)
My taste in gaming has narrowed down considerably over the years. I used to play everything. Well, except FPS. Never liked those because I can't see the difference between them. Nowadays I play Elite Dangerous, Ys games (except Ys 7, that game is ... not good) and old school point 'n click adventures. It's only natural, I think. We get older, we have more things to do besides gaming, and so our preferences change. Don't worry about it. Half the fun is in your memories. Look at all those games you have and in an instant you relive those awesome days. Life is perception. Memories are part of that. We moved on from having to play those games to be content with the memory of playing them. Take care John, and don't worry. Everything's cool.
Growing up, and into my teens, I would usually only get a game during my birthday or Christmas. This made me appreciate the games more, as I was "forced" to play those specific games (thankfully they were ones like FF IX!). I did go through a bit of a fatigue with rpgs, I'm starting to get back into them slowly.Three games that are one my mind for the next while are Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade 2, and Octopath Traveller.
I was BIG into RPGs as a teenager, back when I had infinite time on my hands, but in my adult years I've gotten much more into arcade games. Quick bursts of fun suits me better these days.
John I couldn’t agree more I’m 42 so my first system was the Atari in 82/83 and I bought those exact two games together one night two years ago. I was just saying to myself about two months ago everything is turning into first person shooter and they just don’t capture me the way games did back in the day. I think it’s several reasons one is we are older and the nostalgia aspect of those early games and another main point; is I know these are still video games but in ways they are not. Technology in most things is a double edged sword, the give and take with anything. I’m like you, I know they are gorgeous and good games but something is also lost with the vast advancements in video games. Give me a coop side scroller any day of the week. FYI I’m sure you’ve heard but if not ; Bloodstained Ritual of The Night is a side scrolling 2d platform coop. I cannot wait!!!!
I also find myself not having time to play long games, or feel like I can't even start one because it can be a daunting task, but I am nostalgic about a lot of those games. I play one game that is a big time commitment and also try and play shorter experiences in between so I don't get burnt out!
I totally understand! When I bought my PS4 I really didn't play it as much as I used to. I'm not big on multiplayer games and it seems like most games are going that way these days...
Hi John, I’m a 38 year old UK gamer, completely agree. I have 3 kids and a job and a dog, and I just can’t get into modern download/season pass/more updates type of games. Found myself only playing snes/megadrive/switch pick up and play stuff now. Currently completing all the games I never had but my mates did back in the day
Hey John, Me and my wife have been playing so much player unknown battlegrounds we love it. The suspense is heart stopping I've kinda been felling fatigued with first person shooters but PUBG reignited the shooter flare for me
As a 50-year-old gamer, I know EXACTLY where you're coming from. Family responsibilities aside, I too have found that my tastes have changed over the years. I still love various genres and generations of systems, but I just can't get into the games that force you to grind anymore.
Give me a game that I can just pick up and play for 20 minutes or a half hour and I'm good.
jcchaconjr we might be talking about a new genre of game for our generation
Richard Herzog I'll see your games and raise you Galaga, Asteroids Deluxe, and Robotron:2084! Oh, and Donkey Kong 3, because that game was WAY under-appreciated.
Same.
jcchaconjr yeah i hear you bro im 41 going tru the same phase right now thanks for your wisdom.. and honesty great vid.
I'm the same age and this is exactly how I feel. Glad its not only me then. Will I ever give up gaming though? Very unlikely because I still love to play occasionally and still love my old Atari 2600/Arcade games, not to mention Pinball machines. I just purchased a 3 sided arcade cocktail cabinet with 2400 games which is currently being shipped to me now ;-)
At 45, I'm having the same issue. Every year I get less interested in games and I can't stop it. I only prefer to play quick games that I can play in 15-20 minute spurts. I feel as though playing games for hours is taking time away from things that are more important. When your young you feel like you have plenty of time, but the older you get the more you ponder how much time you actually have left and every minute becomes more precious. Your not alone John, there are more of us out there than it seems.
I agree with everything you said. When I was in my 20’s I had the time and patience for all types of games but now that I am in mid 30’s, married and with kids I don’t have the time to invest 1 hour just for a download to even get into gameplay. Retro games allow my kids to play, even at a early age, so I get to game with them instead of them just watching me. Love the channel thanks for your hard work ... keep it up!
Yes having a kid definitely comes first with my gaming, anything he wants to play is priority because, they're not kids forever, enjoy your time with them. I also don't like long drawn out games anymore. I prefer casual games like rhythm games, DJ hero, etc. I recently picked up a PS2 DDR pad at a thrift store for 2 bucks, can't wait to try it out and get some exercise lol. When I do have some serious time to game in the middle of the night I'm a huge fan of the N64 wrestling games by AKI/THQ, and playing my Atari 2600 games like Alien, Porky's, Indiana Jones, Space Shuttle, Pitfall, Adventure, and the Activision Anthology on PS2.
I completely agree. As I have gotten older I spend less time on multiplayer and more on games with good stories and fun single player campaigns. The multiplayer games I play have quick matches with substance instead of the typical shallow one on the market now.
I know exactly what you mean. Same thing happened to me with shooters. I loved Halo 2, 3, and 4 but now I just don't enjoy first person shooters much anymore. I'm currently excited for Red Dead Redemption 2 and Elder Scrolls 6 (one day). I've been playing a lot of old Gameboy games recently. Enjoying Star Trek TNG and Super Mario Land.
The shelves are coming together nicely! Can't wait to see them full of games! I need to build a game room for myself one of these days.
I think it has more to do with modern shooters focusing on unlocks and cosmetics rather than gameplay. People spam team deathmatch because it is the most efficient way to grind, rather than more interesting game modes such as capture the flag or search and destroy. If you try to jump straight to a better game mode without unlocking everything, you play at a disadvantage. This personally turns me off from many shooters.
I completely agree - the magic window to play a game is 15-30 minutes. I am 27 years old and I grew up with a super nintendo and I currently have consoles between snes through xbox 360 and I find myself playing more of the games on the older end due to the fact I don't need several hours to play the game. Thanks for the great content as always!
I feel the same way! It is like you were peaking into my life to make this video. Even down to the genre and games you mentioned! Great Video!
Great video, Immortal John Hancock. These current issue discussions about the realities of gaming and collecting are a strength of your channel. My current genres are: vertical shooters, racing with driving rig, virtual pinball, and nintendo. I also acknowledge other great fun games out there, but i’m not wasting my time with them!
A solid 8 to 10 hours game still is perfection to me. I can usually beat those in about a month if I find time and that "magic moment of interest" every couple of days after work. You can come back to it a couple of days later and pick it again up right on the spot. And never have I been into RPGs (with exception of Earthbound :) From an early age on I knew my time was precious and better not wasted on games in general. So, when I did play I considered my time even more when I got older. I dunno. I guess that is very instinctively built into myself and may differ with everybody. This video seems to have really touched a spot in some people, John. Thank you, always a pleasure to watch!
I hear ya John! I’m married with 2 kids. I’m burnt out on COD games and I want a racing game like Need for Speed Most Wanted on XBOX 360. I’ve been picky with games in the last few years. Game room is looking great😁!
Brian Mihalic most wanted for the 360 was the best NFS game even my wife would play and she don't care for video games.
John, as a avid gamer myself turning 40 has very much changed my gaming habits. I also find that I will only have 20-30 min a day free to enjoy a game. I can not spend the time it takes to keep up with today’s huge games.
Lately my choice has been to enjoy some Bubble Bobble in the evenings with my wife before bed or spend some time playing A link to the Past with my daughter.
If I do manage to get a hour or so to play, I do enjoy HvV in Star Wars Battlefront. That is limited to once a week maybe..
Thanks again for everything you do and I love knowing people share the same feelings in the community!
I can closely relate to this video John. I started off with the classics like you, then I started with more complex games and I really got into MMOs, which are a HUGE time sink. Ever since I met my wife 8 years ago, the way I play games and the type has changed drastically and for the better. Its a no brainer when choosing to spend time with the wife now that our kid is in college, or gaming, in which she is not really into herself (she is more of a reader). I have turned gaming into casual instead of hardcore and I feel good about it.
Very interesting hearing your game preferences as time has gone on.
As a young kid, I never had patience to play longer games, but now at 26, I finally sat down and played Breath of the Wild and loved spending my evenings searching and trying to accomplish things that required some grinding. Really looking to getting into some JRPGs soon.
Same here sir, the wife and kid has sparked my love for arcade games again as the window for my free time slowly closes. I love the pick up and put down aspect of shooters & beat em ups!
Right there as well. 2 kids and the job I just find myself playing quarky indie games or going back through my retro collection for the quick gratification. I still buy AAA stuff but I never get around to investing my time into them. I'll save them and get around to them one of these days.
First off! Amazing shirt! Having a wife and kids, and the extra responsibilities that come with that definitely impact my choice in game genres, since it's harder to sink so much time into gaming these days it has changed what I enjoy in gaming and I've started to appreciate shorter games or games you can pop in and out off for short play times.
My tastes in genres has changed slightly the older I get. I think it has to do with life getting in the way. I used to play more Halo and CoD type games and their multi player options but it's too much work now. There are people that have more time to play and get really good so when I play, I die every time I respawn. And the whole leveling system gets exhausting. Personally I love story driven single player games. It's a way to escape the real world and just let me mind relax. Great video!
That is almost exactly how my game preference has gone. Crazy how life changes our game choice as we get older. Good video
Great video John , hits the nail on the head for what most people experience at one point or another.
Great video John! And your video game room is really starting to come together!
Glad to hear your position on a seldom discussed topic. We appreciate your honesty with a hobby we all share.
You know what, John? I’ve been feeling the same way too. I’m 35 years old and I found myself lacking the patience for long games nowadays. I still love long RPGs, I just have neither the time or patience anymore. I still do enjoy them every now and then, but as I grow older, I find myself more attracted to racing & fighting games where you can play for a hour, 2 max, and move on, or save and come back later. I still enjoy the good old Arcade games the most, though, Some games are an exception of this rule, at least for me, mainly Legend of Zelda and Super Mario games. But I’ll sit down and play Sonic or Mario Kart for perhaps 2~3 hours at a time.
TL;DR, it’s not just you, many people, including myself, can relate to what you’re feeling. I do know I feel guilty about it, but life is just too busy with work & family to dedicate the time and mental energy. I keep thinking perhaps I had some time off everything adult related (work, bills, responsibilities in general) I’d one again get in the mood to play these games.
Your content has been amazing... Very well said!
im 38 and feel the same way dude. i have such a huge backlog now, but ive decided to focus on the nintendo franchises for now because i missed a lot there over the years. currently finishing Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Pride and Zelda Skyward Sword.
PS - im married and one thing that has helped my gaming habit is that ive gotten my wife into gaming :-)
Mario Galaxy 1 is amazing. Galaxy 2 is not better IMHO. Skyward Sword is also amazing. I think the Wii was probably Peak Nintendo. Returning to it after 4-5 years and I can't help but think how revolutionary it is. No other console does what it can with a Wiimote and Nunchuck. SD graphics doesn't really matter. Metroid Other M is also under rated. The translation is awful but everything else feels like a sequel to Super Metroid.
You playing some Wii games? make sure not to miss "Sin & Punishment 2" and "Xenoblade Chronicles"! Those two are some of the best games you can ever play
I decided I'm going to stop buying games perging the one I know I'm not going to play and just focus on the ones that I have, these days we have too much sensory overload and games are too big and the skill required is too high. But living in the future is cool so I want to enjoy what I can out of it.
There was nothing that compared to my first play-through of Metroid Prime back a few years ago. After 35 years of gaming, that was by far the most exciting and engrossing experience I've had in a game. I'll chase that gaming "high" for the rest of my life. But Nintendo's marquee franchises in general (Mario, Zelda, etc.) usually never disappoint. :)
Fascinating disscusision John. Life can be a very long journey and with all that time comes exposure, preferences, and experience. I think its subjects like these that can change us and our likes/dislikes.
As a kid much like you Id play whatever I could get my hands on, not really thinking much about it. It was all a new experience to me so I could go into the game wide eyed and bushy tailed regardless of genre.
As a Teen my choices pinpointed a bit, I was still constantly curious about everything but I tended to lean far far more into specific genres such as: Horror, Rpg's, Fighting, Platformer, Action, and Point and Clicks.
Fast forward to adult hood and my taste have refined themselves to a very limited category despite having appreciation for many of them. Now a days I find myself COMPLETELY burnt out on Rpg's and long games alike, just no longer into the extremely large, time consuming like experiences anymore. Where games like Shenmue, Final Fantasy 7, Yakuza, Parasite Eve, Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, Phoenix Wright, etc, would be my cremé de la cremé before, I find myself now admiring more from a distance than through a personal run myself. Now, I simply prefer Platformers, Action, and Fighting games. I'll spice things up a bit by throwing in a curve ball everynow and then, but essentially those are my go to's, still LOVING point and clicks as a genre but simply not willing to sit down and play them anymore. Crazy how we change tunes so very often and how deeply we can do so. Very fun examination though!
PS: Room's lookin really good man, keep it up!
Dude you and your game collection have come along way since then! 👍😀Here's to many more and the eventual game museum! This is one of the best channels I've subscribed to. Thanks man. 👍
Just discovered a Raspberry Pi 3 this year (gift from gamer friend). Playing old school games (NES, Sega Genesis, 32X, MAME arcade classics) and still loving these old titles. In turn, I spent much less time with COD Infinite Warfare (which is not good), MW Remastered (average at best; why I bought the DLC is a mystery to me) and other modern games. Even playing less Battlefield 1 (a great war sim game). Those old school classics (console or arcade) are just a blast (i.e. Burgertime, Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, R.B.I. Baseball, One-On-One) and more than just a trip down memory lane. Also, as you stated, games I can complete in 30 minutes are perfect. Job, kid, responsibilities take over. Great video, John. Hope to see you at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo on Oct. 20-22. Oh yeah: I'm 50; 51 in 2 weeks.
I've always been terrible with first person shooters, so I never played too many of them, but I feel what your saying. I've got 3 kids, a full time job and I'm back in school, so time for anything extra is very limited. I was able to pick up a SNES classic this past Tuesday and haven't even been able to really experience it at all yet. 15 to 30 minutes is the perfect time to pick up a quick game and get that gaming fix. Recently I've been doing more on Steam, just because I'll be working on school stuff on the computer and can just switch over to Steam easily. One of the games that had me hooked for a while was Poly Bridge (which my 5 year old son quickly became interested in watching me play and also play).
Your game room is coming along great!
Absolutely. Good video John
To me, the 8th console generation has been the most disappointing since the video game crash. This entire generation has focused on huge Blockbusters with multimillion-dollar budgets that don't deliver or indy developed games that are basically modern versions of classic games I played in the 80s and 90s but with a twist. There have been a few gems here and there so I'm not saying the entire 8th generation has sucked but in comparison to previous generations this one is disappointing. These days I find myself collecting the games rather than actually playing them.
hehe what video game crash, no crash here :P but yes this gen is very disappointing
Me too same here 8th generation is so disappointed with so many regions
Absolutely! I've recently turned 42 and my tastes have completely changed. I used to be hardcore into COD type shooters and action platformers. Now i'm into super casual puzzle games, gone back to turn based RPGs, but I have always had a spot in my heart for racing games. I do still enjoy shooters, but the whole team competition shooters have died off for me. Of course I think a lot of it is based off the hateful people that play them all day. That and the general smack talking and swearing done by so many young kids that play these games. Honestly, it makes me sick because my kids would be severely punished for talking like these kids. What makes me sick is the parents that let there children act in this manner. It ruins the experience for everyone.
Wow! I feel this way too. I felt more invested in games 5 - 10 years ago. There was something magical that kept me into games longer than now.
I share your exact feelings on "Battlefront" multi-player server-based "rentals", I like to return to my favorite experiences offline, excellent point my friend.
Hi, John, I recently discovered your channel and I really enjoy your videos and the positive vibes that you give out. You seem like a really good dude. I can definitely relate to what you are saying about game genre fatigue. I used to play a lot of first person shooters and I can't really play them anymore either. I would say the same for 3D platformers (except Mario), most RPGs and really difficult retro games that take a long time to get good enough at to beat. Now that I'm in my 30s, I view my time as much more valuable and I still like playing video games but I can't play them too much because I feel like it takes time away from things that are more important things. Like you, I prefer to play them in short bursts once or twice a week. I have come to enjoy Indie games more because they tend to be short and I love all the variety and creativity of Indie games.
Great topic, John. I completely understand. The only games I can play for extended periods are games as I recall most fondly, such as Shenmue. Beyond that, I love games with smaller levels or stages (such as Mario 64) because I can just pick it up and play a level whenever I have some time and not worry about player for hours without being able to save. I have a very refined list of games that I will play, unless I have family or friends over. Games like SOR and TMNT Hyperstone Heist are perfect for me. I appreciate Breath of the Wild and Open World games, but they are just way too large for me to ever actually finish.
I really feel the same way as you. As i grow older and older i noticed that i do not have the energy or interest to play certain genre of game anymore like rpg which require alot of time and focus. great video john.
Funny same happened to me over the years. My thing was the huge sprawling RPG's.....loved them. I find that games like Zen/Pinball FX on PS4 and the ACA Neo Geo titles on the Switch get more attention lately.
I had been pondering what happened to certain game genres that just vanish, like the skateboarding and plastic guitar games. You have genres that are huge, then they go away. Real-Time Strategy was another one on the PC. I had been calling it "play mechanic fatigue", that players get bored. I think "Game Genre Fatigue" would be a better name here, and I would use it. This is worth discussing further. I do think games genres can get overplayed. Beyond this, what I believe you are experiencing is just a change in life priorities. Game genre fatigue can go deeper than this, and is worth discussing more.
Thanks for doing the video.
The problem is you've already collected everything so the spark is gone. I just started collecting for the turbografx and it's totally got me excited collecting again and I'm really having fun.
I just read alot of the comments, and i see alot of people agree with you, and as do i, especially with the FPS genre, i played fps (cs1.6) for 10 years, but i dont play fps games anymore, or computer games, i dont like games that i cant beat anymore. I still love rpgs, becouse its a wonderfull story that ENDS, and thats my favorite part, is when a game ends and you absorb the entire game... i feel you 100%
I can totally relate to what you are saying. I been a big fan of shooting games for years specially call of duty franchise. But when I was not exited by the new call of duty I realised that I got fatigue for 1st person shooters. I did not play infinite warfare as much as previous entries. Call of duty is a great franchise I just got burned out on it .. instead I been playing games I thought I would never play. Like zelda BOTW.. bayonetta 2 and lots of retro games. Maybe I'll return to call of duty sometime..but I need a break.. love your videos !!! This is the first video I see you in with no hat.. lol
Great video John. Another factor in our changing tastes is which genres are actually released. It seems like we haven't had good arcade sports games since the ps2 era when EA had their EA Sports Big line and Midway was making classics.
Yep....been there, done that. I played games from the arcades to the home consoles and now some online - it all changes, and it's nice that we always have choices! I think as we get older and have families, the time we spend enjoying games diminishes a lot - that's just life. Enjoy all of what makes you happy!
Rambling perfection...I can really relate to this. There's more of us out there than you might think..
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that as you get older your time is more precious, I am 54 years old and its definitely the case, love the videos you produce.
I think it's the age and the rush of not having enough time which can make you lose interest of playing these type of games and most of the games out there. The same thing can happen if you're a collector and got a lot of games lying around which will make you again lose interest of playing games because it's difficult to choose from and you'll always after new stuff to add to the collection. I'm 32, but unfortunately got the same feeling and rush inside of me. I need to figure something out and get all of the other games out of my mind so I can enjoy 1 game at a time. I need to stop thinking of the ticking time. Time needs to stop around me, at least the thoughts of time. The internet will take you away from gaming which is another thing to keep in mind. Less internet more gaming.
Hi John, I agree with your video. I find that I gravitate towards shorter more arcade like games. A lot of modern AAA games also just feel like simulations. They REALLY impressive simulations but lack that arcade game play that I enjoy. To be honest, I didn't like simulations back in the day either.
Nice topic John. Interesting to hear your experience.
I'm 48 and feel the same way. I was a die hard CO2 gamer. Then in 2012 I lost intest. I think some of it is it all feels stale and they went off in advanced warfare themes. Now i am into nintedo again. Guess i came full circle.
You're not alone John. I'm 42 and I feel exactly the same way! I have so many games I want to play, I have played in the past and still get my attention but for some reason I can't sit down and invest in them. I feel that some of the multiplayer games I don't won't to play cuz the people online are soooo ANNOYING. I typically just want a single player campaign. If I had friends online I would probably play those types more but I just don't. I find myself playing retro titles more than anything these days.
I'm 43 and still enjoy some simulator games from more modern times. I love Gran Turismo and Forza, I have a PC setup just for some games on Steam including Euro Trucking Simulators 1 and 2, American Trucking Simulator, and most recently discovered the Car Mechanic Simulator series which I love. If I know I only have a few minutes to play a game I will go for a retro game on an Atari console but if I know my time is in hours I may spend time on one of the aforementioned simulator games. I enjoyed FF back in the day but RPGs are not my thing anymore. I either want arcade action (miss seeing shoot em ups these days) or relaxing game play a simulator can provide.
Great video & I agree with you 100%. I'm married with 2 kids & love & will always love gaming & keeping up with the industry but I too go through stretches where I'm not into certain genres or gaming for that matter.. But it's all good as the love will always be there!
I never knew how to put it in words but you just did it for me. Especially the part about your multiplayer progress disappearing forever. My best friend is hardcore online multiplayer gamer and always wonders why I don't like it. That's why.
hi, John, first, I need to say I love your style, vids and games collections. I am 43 old Player from Germany and I love to play classic arcade games on modern consoles, especially while i am in Party Chat with my friends and talking about good old times. this brings me back ever and ever. I also Switch to modern games. Currently, I also play BF1, i played COD, but they all become boring and if they´ve been boring, I mostly never touch them again. much more a problem with open world games, I start playing them, most times ist starting awesome, but playing it for hours you realize you see always the same grafix and only hunting for new quests and finally wasting your time. thats the difference with the good old 80´s, for example Sidescrollers like Green Beret (US rush n attack) or Double Dragon. I play them 30 mins and in my opinion I had ssen more gfx and a had lots of fun comparing to nextgen games. and not to forget, the replay factor is miles ahead. I am also collecting games, all Systems, most games on c64, but main scope is to get the games I was involved in my youth. unfortunately, the Prices have strongly risen and its hard to get all those gems. Keep it up, John, you doing right. Your Collections are absolutely awesome. Bye
Im 34 been gaming since 87 and I feel like there are just too many games to play these days. I am more into modern titles but I see all kinds of cool games that I am into and sometimes won't touch them for years or I burn through games giving them one play through because there are just so many of them out there. Of course Im married, 2 kids, full time job doing YT and attempting to have a social life but there just isnt enough time to touch all of this games. I do feel burned out on open world titles atm but that's because there are so many of them I think.
Yup, I feel the same way, I'm just trying to stick to the games I really enjoy and take it all in. Games are like art work and when I get a good one it takes longer for me to get through them. Currently sacrificing TV just to get in some game play.
BansheeCharger I have exact same «problem»! 😛
I agree you can feel like youre missing out on the next new game and lose the moment or abandon that open world game, I do like games you can complete in a couple of sessions, you say i will play this another time but most of the time never do,
36 here and I stick mostly to JRPGs and have since I first played Final Fantasy VI (III on the SNES). The only time I play a FPS or shooters like Gears of War is with my son. I have a 9 year old, and a 4 month old. I know some of it is my hand-eye coordination sucks now, but some of it is I see playing an RPG as my way of relaxing and being alone for a short bit...usually in the bathroom until one of them needs me.
Thats definately part of it too for me. Its a great problem to have, but there is 1000s and 1000s of games now with emulation of old games, plus the massive backlog of games on the previous systems I have hooked up. This generation and last mainly, the rest is emulated. Im restless so I constantly start new games and jump around from save file to save file, game to game. The more spread out it gets the less games I complete. So I try to focus on a lesser amount of games but there is always so much I want to try and play that it gets insane. I end up beating alot of games but there is so many hours of games Ive played that I may never go back to. Games have to be alot better to really tempt me to go back to them and complete them, when theres always something else better.
I completely get where you're coming from here! I used to be able to play certain games for hours on end and now for some reason I just can't. It's frustrating because I don't want to do what I've always loved doing. Maybe it's an age thing but I miss those days of gaming until tiredness kicked in rather than bordom.
I completely agree with your thoughts. As a child of the 80's I grew up spending all my spare time playing games and went through many of the same genres as you, as I got older. But in those early days, gameplay was king. Forget ultra realistic graphics if the gameplay was not there it was a flop. So now my playing time is limited, I find I prefer to find some retro classics that I missed back in the day, or some new mobile game that has the same gameplay purity that equates to sticking 10p (c) into an arcade machine and see how far you can get. Rather than some blockbuster title.
I feel the same way . This is why retro is so popular . Simple and fun and not too time consuming . When your day is filled it's hard to remember all the elements that go along with a certain lengthy games . Controls , Story , hints ....ect . I'm sure my feelings will change again LOL
This was something that greatly shaped my gaming for years. I grew up playing the medal of honor games and being absolutely enthralled with them. When Call of Duty came around I played the first few, followed by the conflict series, and the brothers in arms series. Around that time the store shelves were inundated with military shooters and I had burnt out on the genre, especially with the yearly release of call of duty games coming from two separate dev teams. To this day I have yet to really step back and as I tend to prefer single player and Co op to multi-player, I generally steer clear of most shooters as the multi-player is the main focus. The only exception in the past how many years now was sniper elite, though it may not be the best that AAA gaming has to offer, it is still different and enjoyable. Other shooters were still fine though, Halo, Half Life, metro, bio shock, and third person shooters like mass effect.
John, I totally agree. I’m getting older. I have a family and responsibilities but I love gaming. Simple, pop in and play games are my favorite. I’ve barely touched my ps4 for gaming due to the time consuming games I own. I keep finding myself going back to fun Atari and NES games. Thanks for your videos 👍
I completely understand. I had the very same experience, as I am getting older, I have so little time that I cut every game with long intro and cutscenes because I just have usually 10-15 minutes to play so retro gaming was my safe haven.
I resonate with this John, for me its the RPG genre, this is due to my awesome wife and kid so something has to give. I count myself lucky though, as new RPGs don't seem to be as good as the classics. Awesome videos by the way.
Cool video. Keep it up!
As you can see from many comments, our gaming tastes evolve and the amount of time we have for playing changes for various reasons (especially family and other obligations). Perfectly normal and nothing to fret. I was a huge Halo fan and for some unknown reason, I stopped playing after about an hour of Halo 4. I subsequently bought Halo 5 but haven't touched it. Dunno what happened. I'm sure I'll return to it later but until then, I'm having fun with other games. Totally agree about the grind. That's one reason why I play games at the easy setting now.
I can relate 100%. In high school it was flight sims and FPS, college was strategy games and RPGs, after college was back to FPS games, and now that I'm a family man and working I've been enjoying 16 bit platformers like crazy lately.
Looking good man, keep plugging away at it. You will get there. As for types of games I like. It is basically whatever I am in the mood for. And what console I want to start up. I own the games that I like to play. Mainly because of space, and I am not into a bunch of shovelware. lol
Although I go in cycles, I seem to play games that I can pop in and out in shorts bursts. It's tough to try and play a long rpg after staying away for awhile. I forget storyline and game mechanics. That's why I still like fps multiplayer matches, short and sweet. I'm just not very good at them anymore. Another great video!! Hope work life has improved for you.
I tend to skip multiplayer first person games aswell now. I used to love them alot. Also story heavy games that demand multiple hours to complete don't really get the time from me anymore. I started out Witcher 3 about 6 times now and I haven't left the starting area. Now I play more laid back games that dont need that much concentration on story. Like Terraria or similar games. Also a bit of Mario Kart on the SNES or similiar to even that. In short games that are fast to start and fast to stop. This gives me more "time" to experience more games coming out. Cuphead is a great example. Great topic to share John. All the best.
I'm starting to feel like this about video games in general. I get to the end of the day, open up my 3ds, fire up a game, stare at the screen, and then proceed to close it after a minute. I don't know what's happening to me.
When younger my first console was a Master System in 1986. Loved R Type, Wonderboy Series and Alex Kidd. Getting older afterwards I bought an Amiga and started gaming on that for a while. Then bought a Mega Drive and then SNES. Loved both of them but SNES slightly had it for me as it was the newer console. Then had a break from gaming during my late teen early 20's. Meeting girls etc. 🙄 Bought a 60GB PS3 new in 2007 £500!! Loved it to bits. Never off it. Uncharted got me back into gaming. Then bought a PS4 in 2016. Like it but didn't have the same impact as the PS3 did. The first PS3 got YLOD after about 6 years. Have since bought another 60GB PS3 a few weeks back. Am looking at now getting an OG X BOX and collecting for that too. Love the videos. Now 39 years old and Married, but loving games still. Keep up the good work.
DUUUUUDE... Depending of the angle of the video shot... The room seems too small or too big.
I LOVE IT.
preach on brother, I too have tired of FPS games, have never had the time for RPG's and i do find myself playing games in relatively short bursts now, whereas I previously would have happily plowed hours into one game in one sitting, my love for games hasn't diminished, it's just that my habits and tastes have changed over time, I figure it's an age thing!
I have definitely noticed my tastes and moods change significantly throughout my life. Sometimes its related to what is going on at the time, and sometimes its just how I feel or feel like doing. What it comes down to in the end is if you are personally having fun and enjoying what you are doing at that moment in time.
Yes my game play has changed since I have gotten married and with 5 kids. I use to play a lot of war games or just straight killing games but with ur kids watching that's hard to do. I have gotten back into playing sports game with my boys and all kind of racing games that are kid friendly. Love the game room me and my wife are working on a new game room has well. Going to be more kid friendly. It size going to be around 32 feet by 28 feet we want pool table, air hockey, fuseball, and our games going to be on the walls. Keep up the good videos and God Speed
Time has always been a factor for me and is why I miss cheat codes. Often times it is hard to go back to a game and re-learn the controls and remember what is happening in the story. I loved what Allen Wake did with its chapters and recaps of stories and would love it if more games did the same.
I think alot of these latest generation shooters . Have lost there roots , with jet packs , power ups , airstrikes, cards , perks, pay to win. all that extra stuff. The way they sell these games with different more expensive DLC packages {eg Deluxe ver} , There use to be a time when a good DLC just randomly released , and people bought it because it was good not because they felt like they had to by a season pass to own a complete game.
Goldeneye and Turok are the only first person shooters I care about lol.
They are only concerned with making cookie cutter games they know will sell because of the younger crowd
I couldn't believe that when my son purchase Battlefront II for his PC last week at an EB games store all he got was a cover!!!!.. No DVD, box manual... WTF??? You now have to download the game using a code they provide inside the cover yet still charge you $80 for the game.... What a rip off.
zach konkel ,
Whoooah !!!
⏩⏩ Tribes' jet packs ???!! (Yeah, I know - it has both 1st and 3rd person PoV) It predates Halo.... Heck, it was terribly undersold on the PS2 regarding its offerings in the measures of LAN and online multiplayer in addition to character selection to go along with their impressive equipment/weapons packaging, selection and task abilities.... Even have 2-player splitscreen LAN play among a few consoles when family's gathered together or, otherwise, online. I still play Tribes Aerial Assault on the PS2 online and I'm introducing family and younger relatives that haven't a clue. Yet, they really do appreciate the fun we have with the afforded strategy and tactics... not to mention that layer of flight from the jet packs.
⚫ I agree with the DLC - it and the loot boxing is going to jade a generation if some of the scale of open-world side missions and trophy collecting doesn't preemptively deplete their reserves of stamina needed to stoke their curiosity. Part of why I'm sharing the classics with the young as well as with those that hadn't had the contemporaneous opportunity on the way.
⚫ There is so much already existing in the pipeline in the way of fun coupled with curiosity in some 'discovery' from exercising reappraisal mechanisms --- whether it's the simple addition of a PS1 mouse alongside the left thumbstick of a controller for Quake II on the PS1 or, subsequently, four firewire-networked NTSC-U PS2 consoles for Unreal Tournament -- similar controls except with a USB mouse, instead, in tandem with a DualShock 2 and the added third input device of a USB keyboard for each of the four players' consoles.
⚫ Somewhere deep inside, we're all simply getting back / keeping in touch with our fire-side chatting while learning about each other, sometimes stewarding personal growth by offering insight to another perspective, learning to coordinate with others with patience for ourselves while getting the hang of / mastering our controls that all serve as teaching moments through various ways of communication / observation in our gathered experience.
At 42 I'm there too John. I've been a huge gamer since the arcade days. Currently I find my fix on Switch and PC. My dilemma is with a 400+ games on steam alone not to mention my other games on Origin, Uplay, GOG and emulators. I guess I just feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start. I always find my fix to be quick old arcade games on Mame or just watching videos on UA-cam like this one. Ugh . Thanks for the content and distraction John.🤘
I love the idea for storage on that wall!
First off, nice shirt. I have been in the same route as you. I haven't been playing as much long sit down play games. I have been playing more short games and also I have been getting into some TCGs which are fun short experiences. I think its just part of live and getting older.
I am 35 and my tastes in gaming have changed drastically over the years. Almost positive it happens to everyone as they get older. Especially when it comes to really long games. I'm quite happy with 8-14 hour games. Cuphead has been a blessing this past week.
I totally understand . I find too that my attention isn't like it was when I was younger . More responsibilities in life. It's why I like the retro games. I think sometimes the older you get the less patience you have too.
It's that unexplainable feeling. I used to get so excited about new Resident Evil games coming up (Especially RE2), after Veronica, I still like the games, but that level of excitement sort of faded. Same thing with fighting games. Loved Darkstalkers and Samurai Shodown but I don't get the same feeling from fighting games anymore. I love open world games now. Games such as Borderlands and the Stalker series. Still love strategy and retro type arcade games but that's about it.
In my 30's artist from australia. Always played games off and on since i was a child. Now I'm really into games and i collect a little bit of everything. Really want to find an amstrad computer one day because it was the first thing i ever played games on as a child. UA-cam channels is one of the things that got me to start collecting. The other reason is my parents were antique dealers and collectors so ive collected lots of different things my whole life. The games i play are a bit of everything. Still enjoy the master system.
I'm on the same boat man... I just can't be bothered going through the tutorials and spending hours to get over the beginning phase just to get into the game.... So now I just play my fighting games ans I can just pick up and play them
adem do u play online or against computer
Alex Torrez just the computer... On the hardest setting
Glad to hear it's not just me. I am 46, and try as I might, I just can't get into games like Battlefront 2. I have played it this weekend and it just doesn't grab me. It's fun for an hour or so, and that's it. One thing I have also noticed as I have gotten older, my attention span has shortened. I still love RPG's but I find it hard to finish them.
My taste in game comes in waves. There are games I will always want to play, and others that I will only touch when I have time to dive into them. Currently I am playing Destiny 2 with friends on a few times a week basis, which is fun because I like co-op in a game, it reminds me of playing games with friends as a kid. When I just want to play something short, I've been going through old nes puzzle games. I also love the Gran Turismo series, but currently have no desire to play racing games, but only a year or two ago I bought GT5 XL and GT6 and played through both. The older I get I notice I tend to play one main game at a time and I will only dabble in other games when I need a break.
John I love your broadcast from the new game room.
I feel the same way about first person shooters , i used to love playing Call of Duty alot , that was my go to game online , to chillout. Play 2-3 games , 30 minutes get up and do soemthing else. I would play it everyday for 6 months then anticipate the next Call of Duty to be announced rince and repeat. But i'm tired of shooters , i've recently got into Yooka-Laylee and i love it , really like the platforming. It's not a perfect game but it's something different you know. I also feel the same way about gaming and time , i could spend a whole weekend playing one game start till finish. I can't do that anymore , i need a game i can jump in and out of.
I know exactly how you feel. Been there done that with most games since the Vic 20 came out in the 70's (my first computer which I still have and which still works). What I look for these days in a game is something thats very unique which no other game developer or company currently does. At times something comes along which then gravitates me to that game but its because its very 'different' and has that 'wow' factor. For example even Minecraft in its early development days was so different to other games that I played it for hours a day and really enjoyed it and its not even that old a game. If you look back over the decades there will always be that one game that stood out because it was ahead of its time where gameplay, story and graphics just makes you want to play it. A bit like movies these days I guess. We are all looking for that little 'something different' to excite us! :)
Same here! Quick games are fun. Played mercs from capcom with a friend yesterday 25 min till end screen. We both loved it.
My taste in gaming has narrowed down considerably over the years.
I used to play everything. Well, except FPS. Never liked those because I can't see the difference between them.
Nowadays I play Elite Dangerous, Ys games (except Ys 7, that game is ... not good) and old school point 'n click adventures.
It's only natural, I think. We get older, we have more things to do besides gaming, and so our preferences change.
Don't worry about it. Half the fun is in your memories. Look at all those games you have and in an instant you relive those awesome days.
Life is perception. Memories are part of that. We moved on from having to play those games to be content with the memory of playing them.
Take care John, and don't worry. Everything's cool.
Growing up, and into my teens, I would usually only get a game during my birthday or Christmas. This made me appreciate the games more, as I was "forced" to play those specific games (thankfully they were ones like FF IX!). I did go through a bit of a fatigue with rpgs, I'm starting to get back into them slowly.Three games that are one my mind for the next while are Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade 2, and Octopath Traveller.
I was BIG into RPGs as a teenager, back when I had infinite time on my hands, but in my adult years I've gotten much more into arcade games. Quick bursts of fun suits me better these days.
John I couldn’t agree more I’m 42 so my first system was the Atari in 82/83 and I bought those exact two games together one night two years ago. I was just saying to myself about two months ago everything is turning into first person shooter and they just don’t capture me the way games did back in the day. I think it’s several reasons one is we are older and the nostalgia aspect of those early games and another main point; is I know these are still video games but in ways they are not. Technology in most things is a double edged sword, the give and take with anything. I’m like you, I know they are gorgeous and good games but something is also lost with the vast advancements in video games. Give me a coop side scroller any day of the week. FYI I’m sure you’ve heard but if not ; Bloodstained Ritual of The Night is a side scrolling 2d platform coop. I cannot wait!!!!
I also find myself not having time to play long games, or feel like I can't even start one because it can be a daunting task, but I am nostalgic about a lot of those games. I play one game that is a big time commitment and also try and play shorter experiences in between so I don't get burnt out!
I totally understand! When I bought my PS4 I really didn't play it as much as I used to. I'm not big on multiplayer games and it seems like most games are going that way these days...
Hi John, I’m a 38 year old UK gamer, completely agree. I have 3 kids and a job and a dog, and I just can’t get into modern download/season pass/more updates type of games. Found myself only playing snes/megadrive/switch pick up and play stuff now. Currently completing all the games I never had but my mates did back in the day
I hear that, i got burned out on first person shooters and now im hooked into rpg's....anyhow keep up the great videos and youre informative bro
Hey John, Me and my wife have been playing so much player unknown battlegrounds we love it. The suspense is heart stopping I've kinda been felling fatigued with first person shooters but PUBG reignited the shooter flare for me
Another great video John. 👍🏻