Hopeless Divide

[Doubleplay]

I realized recently that I am a "stick in the mud", a hopeless romantic, an ancient relic. I get pleasure out of building something from nothing, be it my wealth, my property... nearly everything. This enjoyment includes building characters such as in UO. I ENJOYED training a character to GM and above in Provocation, Taming and etc., even though it took years to do it. I had a ball.

Sadly, this way of life is coming to an end. The realization came when I observed my grandchildren and the way they approach all the challenges of life and gaming. When Christmas rolls around and I buy the young ones software games, such as those for gameboy or nintendo, what do I find them doing an hour later? They are on the computer searching out all the cheat codes so they can start their game at the top. They want to know all the tricks as to how to get through all the puzzles of the game and how to get all the spells and tricks up front. They have no interest whatever in solving the puzzles thru gameplay, no interest whatever in conquering the next level by discovering the route, practicing the techniques and etc. The game to them is to find the best cheats before their friends do. The bragging rights and status in their social circles is how adept they are in conquering the game in as little time as possible in whatever manner possible. Two days later, the game is in a drawer somewhere, forgotten as they kids move on to the next challenge. The game, I might add would give me months, perhaps years of enjoyment but that is because I am an old school person... a stick in the mud.

The game makers are very happy about this. What a great deal. Sell the game for $50 bucks on Monday and by Thursday the kids are done with it, ready to buy the next new thing coming down the pike. Why cater to us fuddie duddies who take that same $50 game and spend hours, days, weeks, months enjoying the building of characters and conquering of puzzles?

I can see the light. There is going to be no support for me. The gamemakers are too busy chasing my grandchildren than worrying about my monthly fees. After all, I don't have many years left. If they stick with me where would that leave them when I croak? Behind the 8 ball I guess.

 

[Connor_Graham]

Sadly that's the normal attitude of the current generation of gamers. It started with the Nintendo games and their built in cheat codes for power ups and bonus levels, and has grown into massive cheats built into every game, up to and including unlimited life/health/ammo/etc, so there is basically no way to "lose". You can go from level to level and not have to worry about death or having to start over, or even actually learn how to play the game as it was meant to be played, thus never achieving that feeling of accomplishment when you do beat that final boss on that final level.

It's a sad, sad state of affairs the gaming world is currently in.

What's even more sad is that it's a great marketing strategy to increase sales of games, but that strategy is influencing our kids and how they view the world. Kids learn about life and how to deal with it by the games they play, but the only thing they're learning is the fast track of cheating and shortcuts is the fastet way to "win".

 

[Silly Seadog]

Arrrr, it be a conspiracy! And me knows the government be involved somehow!!

 

[UO Relic]

Agree with your sentiments, on a side note but along the same vein was chatting with the family over the weekend and the topic came up about good books. When my nephew was asked about any good books he had read he pretty much said he doesnt bother reading books and if they were any good they would have been made into movies *yikes* these are our future leaders?!?

 

[Silly Seadog]

Arrr, me wonders how long til any discussion of LotR centers round the online game and mere mention of anything previous to that draws looks o' disbelief and hearty guffaws! "'Twere a book?!?"

 

[RavenWinterHawk]

I realized recently that I am a "stick in the mud", a hopeless romantic, an ancient relic. I get pleasure out of building something from nothing, be it my wealth, my property... nearly everything. This enjoyment includes building characters such as in UO. I ENJOYED training a character to GM and above in Provocation, Taming and etc., even though it took years to do it. I had a ball.

Sadly, this way of life is coming to an end. The realization came when I observed my grandchildren and the way they approach all the challenges of life and gaming. When Christmas rolls around and I buy the young ones software games, such as those for gameboy or nintendo, what do I find them doing an hour later? They are on the computer searching out all the cheat codes so they can start their game at the top. They want to know all the tricks as to how to get through all the puzzles of the game and how to get all the spells and tricks up front. They have no interest whatever in solving the puzzles thru gameplay, no interest whatever in conquering the next level by discovering the route, practicing the techniques and etc. The game to them is to find the best cheats before their friends do. The bragging rights and status in their social circles is how adept they are in conquering the game in as little time as possible in whatever manner possible. Two days later, the game is in a drawer somewhere, forgotten as they kids move on to the next challenge. The game, I might add would give me months, perhaps years of enjoyment but that is because I am an old school person... a stick in the mud.

The game makers are very happy about this. What a great deal. Sell the game for $50 bucks on Monday and by Thursday the kids are done with it, ready to buy the next new thing coming down the pike. Why cater to us fuddie duddies who take that same $50 game and spend hours, days, weeks, months enjoying the building of characters and conquering of puzzles?

I can see the light. There is going to be no support for me. The gamemakers are too busy chasing my grandchildren than worrying about my monthly fees. After all, I don't have many years left. If they stick with me where would that leave them when I croak? Behind the 8 ball I guess.

Well
I got my kids the nintendo wii.
We have family night.
Play bowling. Invite the neighbors over and compete as teams.

We play mario galaxy? the one thats a board game.

They get a few games here and there but it depends on how you use it.

Hand helds definately are a no no for us. Its bad enough my daughter has a phone and text.

But I see it as a balance. She gets good grades, ice skates, plays volleyball, plays soccer and is a girl scout. The phone and text get figured into that equation.

Now the game makers my chase your kids with leveling games. Look for a different game system. Thats why we choose the Wii.

Did I mention we get 18 holes of golf in and my kids enjoy creating wii charactures.

But I hear you.

 

[feath]

I realized recently that I am a "stick in the mud", a hopeless romantic, an ancient relic. ....

my too, doubleplay! to me the fun is figuring out how to play it. i die a lot.

Connor_Graham mentioned it's the new generation that has to have the cheats - nope - not necessarily the new generation. my husband buys a new game, and he's reading cheats before it arrives in the mail! he honestly doesn't understand how i can start playing the game without them!

 

[Prince Erik]

It's not just video games this applies to. In the continual effort to make things better for children we've spoiled them all rotten, IMHO. My children are no exeception. They don't see the point of homework - it's too inconvenient. They'll watch a TV station they do not want to watch because the remote control is six inches away from their reach and getting up isn't worth the effort. My son would rather play wii baseball vs. go outside "in the hot sun" and try it for real.

Bicycles, skateboards, balls and bats all lie dusty on the garage floor like fallen monuments to our own childhood while we buy 6 yr olds cell phones, 10 yr olds can type 90 words per minute in chat rooms and 16 yr olds think going out on a date is meeting a cute elf in World of Warcraft at 4 am.

I worry more about my kids than they do, that's for sure.. though I assume my parents said the same thing when I was their ages.

-P.E.

 

[Landicine]

I tend to buy games a few years after they come out so I know if their worth bothering with. There still seem to be some pretty good rpgs out there. I agree there aren't enough sandbox-type games and probably a few too many levelers with very linear play.

I'm not sure we're being fair to the newest generation of gamers. Twenty years ago about when I was 9, I was reading Nintendo Power for its reviews, previews, and guides. Now, instead of waiting a month for the next set of tricks and codes, the internet provides them at the touch of a button. I know my mother-in-law, one of the older gamers, sometimes reads walkthroughs for the latest Zelda when she gets stuck. I use Uoguide and Stratics for information when I've forgotten which resist is lowest on a monster, which rare gem a certain recipe takes, or what the coordinates of Khaldun are.

Games are usually made and marketed to make the most money. If the younger gamers are buying 10 games for every one we buy, why shouldn't companies take advantage of that? If we older gamers want to be more than a niche market, maybe we should get more people playing.

Of course, it could be that game designers are missing our market. I know the Sims and its expansions and sequels made a ton of money for EA, but it really hasn't changed which games are made. The third largest video game franchise is pretty much ignored. Isn't the Sims another sandbox game?

 

[love2winalot]

Hail: And now with this new thingy called the, "Internet", I think thats the name, it has grow past just cheats and codes and such. The game developers themselfs have become lazy.

Take UO as an example. Remove Stratics, UO Guid, ect, and now go play the game. The In Game information is no where as good as it used to be, and not even close to as good as it should be. Because of this, Gamers in general have become internet gurus. It has become, "You Died? If you would have gone to internet site A, and then cross referenced over to site B, you would have know not to pull that lever".

When Stratics was down, how may stopped doing the event until it was back up again?

 

[Piotr]

Arrrr, it be a conspiracy! And me knows the government be involved somehow!!

 

[Leaf]

The really scarry thing is this generation wanting it now and getting bored in 2 days, will be deciding our fates when we are old. Are we worth keeping around? Are we worth the money for healthcare. Scarry to think about it. When I was young, if I got punished I was living in my bedroom for a week. When our boys were younger and we dished out punishments, their punishment was having to stay outside and play. Banning them from their bedroom and the family room with all the games and computers was a fate worse then death. I still remember our youngest saying he wished it was the olden days, he would have perferred a spanking to this. Things have changed.

 

[Sarphus]

The really scarry thing is this generation wanting it now and getting bored in 2 days, will be deciding our fates when we are old. Are we worth keeping around? Are we worth the money for healthcare. Scarry to think about it. When I was young, if I got punished I was living in my bedroom for a week. When our boys were younger and we dished out punishments, their punishment was having to stay outside and play. Banning them from their bedroom and the family room with all the games and computers was a fate worse then death. I still remember our youngest saying he wished it was the olden days, he would have perferred a spanking to this. Things have changed.

lol wow

We don't have kids yet... sounds like today's environment is kinda a scary place to raise kids. Granted, the way you describe kids wanting to play inside instead of outside sounds like it would adequately describe me. I see the outside as something you tolerate to get from place to place.

 

[Doubleplay]

I see that this has been moved to the hardly ever visited off topics section.

With all the back and forth regarding the use of exploits and dupes going on in the UHall section, I had simply offered my take on the fact that the divide between the new age gamers and the old age gamers was hopeless. It is like the age old conservative vs liberal arguments. No one can change anyone's mind, so why spend so much time fighting?

My Bad,
sorry.