Are Games Losing My Interest, or Is it Just Me?

[freaper]

I've been having this exact same lack of focus for the past year or so. When I'm watching a video on Youtube that doesn't engage me 100% I'll browse Reddit or the Escapist on the side. When I'm playing a game where actions become predictable and repetitive I'll put on a series in the background or watch a video on Youtube.

If the game can't hold your attention completely, I don't think the player can be judged for wanting to enhance their experience. At the same time, however, if you can be bothered enough to play a game, and want to have a final say on the artwork, you probably ought to give it your full attention, at least for the non-repetitive parts.

In other words, I agree with all points in this article.

 

[JCAll]

I've been doing this too as I get older. The way I see it, as I inch inevitably closer to the grave my time becomes more valuable. So I have to fill it with more than I did as a kid.

 

[remnant_phoenix]

Very much depends on the game for me. If it's something I'm playing for story immersion, I can't do both.

If it's something just for fun play, like challenge mode in Hyrule Warriors, I may put on a podcast or audiobook. I remember as a kid playing Ocarina of Time over and over again (I very rarely got new games) while listening to books on tape because I'd already experienced it for the story and was just going through it for fun. Playing Civ doesn't really need audio to be compelling.

If I'm playing a game for the first time, and the story elements aren't interesting enough to be worth paying attention to, then I'd probably just stop playing it. Unless it was a non-story game like Geometry Wars or something...then again, the thumping techno music is a key part of that experience. Hmm...

For me, it has to be a game where the audio has no compelling appeal (for any number of reasons) but the game is still fun as a gameplay-only experience. Then again, that's rare. My favorite games are usually those that have a compelling fictional world that I want to fully immerse myself in. Then again, if I were a critic like Yahtzee, forced by professional obligation to play tons of junk that I didn't care about, I'm sure I'd do what he's describing.

 

[Vault101]

my computer fudges up every time I do something else so I usually don't....but sometimes with a game like XCOM I like to put something else on

 

[Zacharious-khan]

I've found this great podcast...thing for playing during game time called "Let's Drown Out", Its got this awesome Austrailian Teacher named Gabe and some grouchy guy. They play a game every week and talk over it. Right now they're going back and forth between Resident evil 1 and Xcom. It's like the high point of my week.

 

[Double A]

Sometimes I get like this, and I think it's just experiencing too many games. I fix my mood by reading a few books. Perhaps that would work for you as well.

 

[discrider]

Haha!
Yahtzee didn't finish the Witness!
Otherwise he would've found the final puzzle room that does have music, after turning on all the lasers, including the one that turns on twice, and looking online for the location of the easily missable switch that opens up that area, after probably already 'finishing' the game once and seeing all his puzzles reset on him!

But on the actual topic, it really depends on how the audio carries the game.
I'd disagree that engaging an audiolog requires the play to have become 'meaningless'.
Our brains are wired so that we can only process one stream of language at a time, whether auditory or visual, so you can't usually engage with a podcast and the plot of a game at the same time.
But there's nothing to prevent you solving puzzles, or navigating environments, or engaging other parts of the game environment whilst listening to the audio of either the game or the podcast.

So, if the gameplay is good but the audio isn't, it's easy enough to keep enjoying and engaging with the gameplay and switch out the audio.
Whether this changes your evaluation of the game depends on how much the game relied on its audio and how much weighting you put on the audio as a reviewer.
But as the main difference between a game and other forms of media is the gameplay, the audio doesn't usually factor into our opinions of a game all that much.

So switching out the audio, when the narrative and atmosphere doesn't require it, is perfectly fine and not usually detrimental to the game.

And if you really wanted to go into this, you could look at Beat Hazard or Audiosurf and consider how this affects our reviews of a game that is built around the player playing whatever music (or radio station) they like.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I do this too. I play my own music whilst playing multiplayer, and I sometimes chill out with a 3rd person shooter, or a hack and slash whilst listening to a podcast.

I also feel the same about it. Sometimes I skip dialogue, or feel bad for not being as invested in the game as possible, and feel as though I am just playing for the hell of playing rather than because I enjoy the game as much as I could.

I am also in the military, and because of this I spend a lot of time abroad. At these times I only have my steam collection on my laptop to keep my gaming needs, and more often than not, no internet. Then I am stuck without YouTube or current podcasts, so I play games with the intended soundtrack. Funnily enough, a couple of days into a det or an exercise, I lose the urge to multitask my games, and I get into the games much more than I did preciously.

I have a different idea of why I do this; although I know this could just be me. I feel that I sometimes do this because there are so many things I like doing that I sometimes feel like I am missing out if I am not doing them all when I can. I feel like I am behind on TV shows or movies that I havent had time to watch yet, or that I am missing out when I have a game I haven't played yet, and that I am waiting for an oppertune moment to start it, so I end up doing both at once.

What I think I need to remember is that it is entertainment. And that I need to find it entertaining. I can't have every experience of every game, but I should enjoy the ones I have. Especially in the limited time I have to play them..

 

[Guffe]

I don't game nearly as much as I used to.
It might have with age to do, and the fact that have less free time per day than a few years ago.
But it's still not the same, I won't be able to sit and play for 5 hours anymore in a way, were I start a game, look at the clock and notice it's gone 5 hours. After 2 hours I start getting exhausted, not physically like after a football training, but that I just don't want to play anymore.
There are exceptions every once in a while, Splat00n, MarioKart, Xenoblade X, Bayonetta. Hopefully another one that will have that effect is the new Zelda game when it's released.

 

[Tanis]

Only now?

I've done this every since I got a second screen.

 

[william1657]

Pretty much the only way I play games nowadays is while watching TV.
I actually have two TVs set up next to each other for this. One for Tivo, DVD, or Netflix and one for 360, PS3, or WiiU.

I've been doing this for ~15 years.

 

[Shocksplicer]

But Yahtzee didn't ask "Am I the only one?"
He asked if the games are the problem, or if he is.

The title of the article is "... or is it just me?"

Yes it is. It's still not saying the same thing as what Critical Miss is making fun of. CM is making fun of people who ask "am I the only one". Yahtzee is asking if he's the problem, or is it the games?
If you think that comic applies here then you are wilfully misinterpreting either Yahtzee, the comic, or both.

 

[geizr]

Speaking as someone approaching 45, my opinion:

1. You've gotten older which means your tastes have become more nuanced and requiring of depth. Your older mind has a lot more connections that require stimulation in order for you to actually get anything out of your entertainment. As a result, your entertainment has to contain parts that interact in more interesting (sometimes more complex) and dynamical patterns. There has to be more substance and layers to the content you take in such that it gives you something to puzzle through or pontificate upon, again providing stimulation to all those extra connections that have developed in your brain. Seemingly illogical chains of events or sequences are not as easily accepted unless they are able to operate on a deep personally emotional level (i.e. it can't be random teenager chittering and flailing).

2. Your attention span has been shaped, at least in part, by the Internet, which seems to induce a certain ADD-like state. This could also be an induced impatience that has built up, again shaped by the Internet culture. In any case, as a result of significant exposure to Internet culture, one can end up assimilating the rapid, and often whimsical, switching of the Internet's attention from one thing to another.

3. Many video games are designed like a baby's busy-center toy (for those that don't know what I'm talking about http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Discover-Activity-Center/dp/B0025Y07XE); lot's of knobs, doodads, colorful parts (FPSes probably break from this with the monotonous butt-shit brown color palette), and things that make noise but no real purposeful cohesion or coherency. It's just a random assortment of stuff to keep baby mindlessly occupied (so it's not crying). This wraps back into point 1.

I'm not going to hold these statements as being any sort of "truth", it's only my opinion. So, take them as you will. I will say that, for myself, as I was passing through my thirties, I experienced much the same feelings. After crossing 40, however, a funny thing happened wherein I began to make effort to bring more clarity to my life in deciding and determining what things I like, what things I don't like, what things I place importance upon, what my goals are, and how I wish to shape myself as a person going forward. I began dropping a lot of the baggage that had built up. I began to accept there are games I like, and there are games I don't like. Further, that some games I like, others may not, and some games I don't like, others may like; even more so, it's perfectly okay for it to be that way. These are simply matters of personal preference, and it is a waste of time, energy, and a deletion of personal joy to go on crusades about why other people do or don't like the same things I do or don't like (leave that kind of thing to young 'uns that have yet to learn better). The need for that kind of external self-validation has been vanishing as I have gained more ability to evaluate myself by more own internal metrics, rather than constantly trying to compare myself to everyone else.

I still play video games, though I don't have anywhere near the time I did when I was younger, but I have become much more choosey about what games I play, but I am not beyond experimenting outside my comfort-zone (that is, trying games I don't normally play just to see if I would like them; hell, for a passing time, I even found Destiny interesting, till I discovered the complete absence of plot, story, and depth).

Everything has its season, and when that season is done, you move on. You don't waste your life looking back and trying to live in the past. The past is done and forever frozen in its state for eternity. The present is where we are now, at this very moment and where our energies are spent. The future is the possibility, shaped by our current actions and choices, that we eventually find ourselves in and for which we prepare. Live from the past, live in the present, live for the future.

ADDENDUM: By the way, I've been playing video games since I was about 7, and I'm approaching 45; you do the math.

 

[verdant monkai]

It's just you mate.

when you do something for a job it can make anything boring. Also you played the division. A game where the final boss is a helicopter.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

Speaking as someone approaching 45, my opinion:

1. You've gotten older which means your tastes have become more nuanced and requiring of depth. Your older mind has a lot more connections that require stimulation in order for you to actually get anything out of your entertainment. As a result, your entertainment has to contain parts that interact in more interesting (sometimes more complex) and dynamical patterns. There has to be more substance and layers to the content you take in such that it gives you something to puzzle through or pontificate upon, again providing stimulation to all those extra connections that have developed in your brain. Seemingly illogical chains of events or sequences are not as easily accepted unless they are able to operate on a deep personally emotional level (i.e. it can't be random teenager chittering and flailing).

[snipped for length]

Thanks, this was a really insightful post and I think my brain has subconsciously gone in this direction in recent years. I think it's also the reason why I start to gravitate towards certain kinds of games more, for different types of gratification. I guess game critics and reviewers don't have that luxury as much, though Yahtzee definitely more than most I imagine, being a bit more of a 'niche' type of reviewer.

I would say this is the reason why I don't enjoy hack 'n slash RPGs as much, even though I still seem to really *enjoy* them, and appreciate how well they are put together. (Seriously, given the mechanics, I think they have the best story, optimization, balance, etc). But they just can't keep my attention very long anymore. Grim Dawn however seemed to keep things interesting with new skills being added to weapons when you upgrade them, so instead of just holding click on enemies until they are dead and running away before you are, you can add new things to the mix. This keeps it varied just enough, because normally in these types of games you pretty much hone your skills and levels in such a way that you only play one certain way for the entire time, grinding countless hours.

I think also the way games that come out these days, are very open-world focused. Since the standard was set by gems such as Saints Row, GTA, Fallout, Witcher, Red Dead Redemption etc. it seems everyone wants to follow this path without necessarily considering how to best keep the player invested. Witcher does it through story and character variation, which is why I think I could put 100+ hours into that. It must be difficult to design these collectibles and tasks without making them feel like busywork, which is why I stopped playing Ubisoft games. And why I'm uncertain about playing The Division, even though my brother got it recently. Well, getting older, and inadvertently having less time to spend on games too of course.

 

[Metalrocks]

i think its the games them self that are just mediocre these days. i have this feeling for some time now too that i dont get that excited for a title as i used to. i just think because developers try to make it too real that we just get bored of it. like rise of the tomb raider. its still a good game and had some fun but its dark theme is a letdown, so as typical action set pieces and also the story didnt grab me as i hope it would. even the new doom is not really on my list or the upcoming deus ex. as much fun and great the previous one was, i dont really want the new one.

the games i actually had fun were mostly indie titles like "beyond eyes". a very creative and bright game that is still emotional and colorful. sure its a very slow game but its refreshing. or just recently i got dead or alive 5 from steam. i enjoy it a lot because its not dark themed and its cheerful and colorful. yeah yeah, has hot bikini ladies in there doing cat fights but still cheerful regardless.

thats why my eyes are more drawn towards mirrors edge catalyst because its bright and you can maneuver almost everywhere. it just doesnt feel like a very dark toned title. more like a cheerful title that still has a serious story but can have fun with the game as such.
also i feel a bit more drawn to get overwatch as well because it has such a diversity on characters, each of them having their own abilities unlike COD or BF were you still a play a normal guy with different looking weapons.
also the hubs dont look like with typical brown or grey buildings. rather bright and colorful that allows you to move everywhere if the character you chose allows it.

so no, its not just us, its the games them self that we lose interest in.

 

[Groverfield]

I've noticed this problem too, first in MMOs, then any game with length, then most any game.

This is more an indictment against the games, however. I'd started Dark Souls for the first time a month ago, and was snapped back to game audio only, because I learned how important audio tells are in that game. I thought about it, and it's a layered problem. Games have almost always had music or at least audio sound cues. So why are we noticing this problem only now? There's many bits that can be linked into what's contributing to this:

1)Fear of wasting time by not splitting the audio senses to do what you might consider a necessary task for the day. "Might as well listen to the next episode, the game audio's doing nothing for me..."

2)Bad Voice Acting. I think this is probably a problem where voice actors do voices that make them stand out of the crowd of good voices, given how comparatively little work there is for voice acting in comparison to quality voice actors, that it's the one that grab attention. When voices get grating enough, it ends up being both a subconscious and conscious decision to drown out the game you're playing with a smooth yet snarky British accent, and a gruff but jovial Australian accent doing a basically audio-only podcast.

3)Game music just isn't as catchy most of the time. Games usually have to boast 30+ hours of gameplay, obviously you can't produce enough music to fill that time, hell, it's rare that they break 2 hours of music. There's some good recent exceptions, such as FF14's music (voice acting is still terrible,) or Hyperlight Drifter which does the audio cues against a non-grating mellow catchy background track.

When you're watching a cutscene and a youtube video at once, it's a similar problem, probably due to the cutscene being poorly paced, stretched out for better bullet points on the back of the box or just directed by someone who knows how to animate, but not direct. This might be due to game companies feeling that the money and effort they spend on good cinematics is wasted because being cinematic is considered almost a bad word in gaming because it implies a lack of game.

 

[Cowabungaa]

There is so much content and so little investment.

Maybe that's it. But then again, I do it even with expensive game I definitely have investment in. It carries over and it's a little frustrating, not being able to focus on doing one thing at a time and fully enjoying the experience. I only do that with reading these days and even then my smartphone is never far away.

I suppose getting a second screen (sort of by accident) didn't really help. But even when I watch a movie or show on my TV I often look shit up on my phone. It's like there's always a second screen, always more stuff. More, more, more.

There is a running joke that anytime mentions the sounds effects in Eve Online, the response is, "Eve has sound?" as almost no one leaves the music or sounds effects turned on.

I adored EVE's soundtrack though, back when I played it.

i think its the games them self that are just mediocre these days.

Except that I have this with any game these days. No matter how critically acclaimed, how old or what kind of game. From Stardew Valley to Mechwarrior Online to Fallout 4 to System Shock 2, I always feel like I have to do something else with it.

 

[Metalrocks]

i think its the games them self that are just mediocre these days.

Except that I have this with any game these days. No matter how critically acclaimed, how old or what kind of game. From Stardew Valley to Mechwarrior Online to Fallout 4 to System Shock 2, I always feel like I have to do something else with it.

weird. i dont have that with older games. its not like i play them frequently as i used to but i still like them like half life, the original doom and duke 3d, so as AOE 2. hell, just few days ago i have played mirrors edge again because i needed something different. certain game just really grew on me that i still like playing today but others, not as much anymore or not at all.