Realistically, games in the old days were just as long, and in most cases shorter than today's games. They artifically enlongated the game by making them more difficult. Although I do agree with you that games nowadays are more for a fun ride rather than a challenge. I mean hell, the fun of playing the game on the hardest difficulty is gone now; most people only do it to get achievements or trophies, not for the fun, challenge or satisfaction of acquiring the skill to beat a game on ultra hard.

MadVybz

I see how the games being harder would have made them longer, but I would always play through a game more than once back then, but now, out of the probably 40-60 games I have from this generation, I have only replayed (for fun, not achievements or trophies) Halo 3 (Starting Reach again as well), Gears of War 1 & 2, Borderlands, Fallout 3, Oblivion and Resident Evil 5.

A Link to The Past was much, much, much harder ;) (And the Zelda games that came before it were much harder than ALTTP ;))

ReddestSkies

I don't doubt you, haha. The hardest thing about Ocarina of Time was trying to figure out the puzzles and such. And that damn whale... xD

If you think games are too easy today, you should try shoot em' up games like Ikaruga and Gradius V. Also RPGs like Resonance of Fate and Demon Souls will tests yoru skils for sure. I'm with you though, most games today offer little of a challenge which is disappointing.

Shenmue_Jehuty

I am actually considering picking Demon's Souls up, I've heard a lot of great things about it! :D

OOT wasn't hard. At all.

The thing is that gamers in general don't like hard games. They like their games streamlined and easy. That's why "deathmatch" first person shooters died in favor of "vehicle spam" ones. That's why the shoot 'em up genre has completely disappeared from the mainstream, despite still getting very high quality entries on a somewhat regular basis. That's why the PSone and N64, that had libraries of easy games, completely crushed the hardcore Saturn.

ReddestSkies

Hey, that's your opinion. When I was younger, I honestly though that flying a fighter jet would be easier! :)

[QUOTE="lemmeplay96"]

I can still remember a time when most games didn't give you a difficulty setting and the game would get progressively harder, and in some cases, so hard, that it would take you ages to pass it or you couldn't do it at all.

ImBananas

The problem is though, that if a game has a difficulty increase, it's not anything different than enimies getting harder to kill. In Dead Space 2, you also found less ammo and health packs and it was good.

Developers: "Anyone who plays games like's COD! That is the game everyone plays" "Everyone"- that is the key word. The numbers that play it have become so huge that it seems that every gamer ever out there plays that. So if you copy it you will get the same numbers due to the fact that "everybody" plays it.

After a day of work I will sometimes kick back and relax by replaying a few COD missions. And I'm not afraid to admit that when MW3 comes out I willplay the campaign because I enjoy they campaigns and I want to find out what will happen to the characters and the story. After that I will replay certain missions when Ifeel like it, no mp, that's it.Butthat doesn't mean that since I play COD that I want all of my games to be like that.When I'm not tired and want to have some fun for right now I'm playing both Demon's Souls and Lost Odyssey. Two games that are nothing like COD. But since I play COD that means that all of the games I play need to be like it, right? No, absolutely wrong. Variety is what kept the gaming industry alive. Havng something for everyone. Now it is being narrowed down and it will die until devs realize thatwhen everything is the same color it gets boring.

Couldn't have said it any better myself!

Remember back in the day when gamers were "nerds" and "geeks". Now it doesn't matter. Because now games are "cool" as long as they have big explosions, craziness, and "that is teh awsome" moments. And don't get me wrong, I like a GAME (notice the singular) like that. But when every game wants to do the same (they want the same money)the industry starts to die. And all of these games that were known for being deep and complex are no longer due to the fact that it doesn't make the same money as the "KABOOM!" games.

Now everyone that plays COD and only COD thinks they are gamers, and the real gamers are thrown into the mainstream and the developers completely ignore them and follow the "popular" trends in video games.

Here's the problem: gaming has become way too over-exposed.

When I started gaming back in the 90's, the market was 10% the size it was today.

So, console developers would make games for the sake of making games rather than for money.

Now, with the massive successes of Activision and Nintendo, companies tailor their games for the mass audience in hopes of capturing the most profit.

Back when gaming was niche, studios like Rare, LucasArts, etc. developed passionate games that really spoke from the heart rather than the corporate machine.

They didn't care about the money...they made what they thought was fun.

You guys are absolutely right: indie developers are the new era of video games.

At this point I've all but abandoned traditional big-budget titles.

There are so many rehashes...sequels...and clones... that one of these days, the market is going to collapse under its own weight.

I forsee another crash. The industry needs a reboot every 25 years or so.

Hopefully then gaming can reclaim its niche status.

peterw007

Exactly, money is the biggest problem in the Video Game and any other entertainment industry. Hatiko and yourself both mentioned indie developers and to be honest, indie games are the only ones that I am having a lot of fun with at the moment.

Nah I prefer my games easy. Why would I want challenge in a video game? I want to be entertained here. I've already got my studies and getting my degree for a "challenge" of sorts.

I didn't think Ocarina of Time was a "difficult" game though... sure I disliked the water temple like many other people, but the only difficult part was getting that kokiri sword :P . Ah playing that game in 2007 at the chalet... good times, good times.

thattotally

I definately respect your opinion, but to be honest, a game that is easy the whole way through isn't very entertaining in my opinion. But hey, that's me, different people have different preferences. :)

ocarina of time is a hard game. But am I understanding you correctly that you stopped playing it for ten years? wow man you should finish it, great game. dkdk999

Haha, I have played it on and off for those 10 years and have only now started to play it properly, it's one of the best, if the THE best game I've ever played so far!