Are Video Games getting easier?

[Akalistos]

Yes they are... and aren't. It a difficult question and here's why. Videogames is a business. They need gamer to buy their product when Arthritis will cripple us. Therefore, the need game that are easy enough for newcomers. So yeah, they are easy... but that doesn't mean they can't be hard. Every games have different difficulty setting. So now, when you see is NORMAL would translate to EASY back than. Also, for the nes' Kids like myself, they ramp up the difficulty to make sure if we rant a game, we couldn't finish it in the time allowed. Now, it all about multiplayers that hook gamer for more that one rental. What can we do? All we need to do is accept this and play on Hard, God mode, Very Hard, Brutal, Titan difficulty and leave the Normal to the new generation. (alto they would never known true hardship like Contra on 3 live and Battletoad. Beside i remember 12 years ago playing Super Double Dragon with friend and being able to last until the last boss with one of my best friend back then. Sigh! Good times.)

 

[oxiclean]

splinter cell conviction was painfully easy, even on realistic. my first play through was realistic, and i beat it faster than probably any game in recent memory.

 

[MinishArcticFox]

I agree they seem to be too either that or I'm getting better which I doubt.

 

[Wicky_42]

Halo 1 is harder than halo 3. Shields regenerate slower, health doesn't, elites have plasma rifle hacks and the flood can hit you from 10 meters away if they begin swinging and you leg it.

Games are being made more accessible in order to get more sales and a larger market share. Some of the changes, such as the regenerating health, is a means to make gameplay more flexible and faster flowing. Sure, in goldeneye it was tense when you were on critical health, one kill away from winning, trying to get the drop on your opponent, but for the masses being able to duck into cover and come out guns blazing makes for more fluid gameplay.

Things change, changes become the norm, then that in turn evolves. For better or for worse. We'll just have to see where the industry ends up in another 20 years

 

[Hileo20]

Games of the past were made with many flaws, few lives, fewer save spots, and a lot less dodge room. So as a game itself, they are technically easier(less brain power), but they were harder due to their limitations and love for "Game over! Back to the start!)

 

[Kwoodchuck]

i highly doubt that video games are getting easier. they might be,but video games now have a story!!!!!!! if players cant finish the story, things....just suck. but still, theyre fun.

 

[likalaruku]

I look back to the games I played on various consoles of the early & late 90s, & I say to you "no."

 

[Joey245]

Are games getting easier, or are we getting more awesome?

 

[Mr.logic]

*Plays Mainstream Title #245*

I believe they are getting easier...

*Plays Demon's Souls*

Games are hard man, really hard.

name 5 other titles besides demon souls, that have come out in the last 3 months that are hard.

I can't. I was trying to make a point that some hard games do come out, while the majority are very easy.

Oh well my misunderstanding of your point(or joke)then.

 

[esperandote]

no, there are easy games and hard games, just like before

 

[Snarky Username]

The medium setting is much easier than older video games. The hardest difficulty usually makes up for that however.

 

[Swifteye]

you make it sound like easier is a bad thing. I believe there is a difference between easier and challanging. dynasty warriors is easier on easy but when turned to hard mode the AI becomes hard and near impossible to not get killed by. Old games made up for a lack of. Well anything else by having nail biting difficultly. Games have more to deal with now. There's stories. There's different elements. Not to mention that there are tools and abilities made to make gameplay easier for the gamer (quick time events). I like a game that is challanging myself. Something really cool or entertaining happens while I'm on the ride that is the playthrough. A really difficult circumstance make things challanging and put up tenseness and excitement at the thought that maybe you will lose. Or maybe you will win most epically.

This can happen in very simple games where all entertainment is based on random outcomes (like star wars battlefront or dynasty warriors). But say in Rpgs or most first person shooters everything is pretty much set in stone and there's no frills and everything is easy to prepare for. You get a nice ride but it didn't have enough twist and turns to make it enjoyable.

Are games getting easier? Well that depends. A lot of games where artifically made harder in america for rental and buying purposes. In theory many games aren't all that hard. Kinda like how in dynasty warriors. The difficulty comes more from AI being good at hitting you down in a couple of swats.

Personally. I think it doesn't matter. If your having fun with a game it's difficultly can become null and void and besides. Who wants to buy a game and then quit because it's too difficult(probably the reason developers stopped making games like that)?

 

[V8 Ninja]

Aren't games getting easier because we're getting better at them? It makes logical sense.

 

[Estocavio]

In some ways yes, but at the same time, go play any game youve ever considered hard.
It wont be as hard this time, i guarantee.

 

[Thisshouldsay2K]

I think videogames are getting easier, and my favorite example is the Halo series. Try out the Legendary difficulty for each one, and see if you agree with me on this. Halo: CE was difficult for me and took me a tom of tries to complete. Halo 2 was a little bit easier but still a challenge for me. Halo 3 was not very hard to finish on solo Legendary, and to finish it up we have ODST. ODST's Legendary difficulty was a joke.

And overall it seems that I have an easier time with most games. Maybe it's because I'm not a little kid anymore and have better hand-eye coordination, but I'm leaning towards games beaing much, much easier than when I started out.

 

[XainBushido]

They are getting easier, no doubts there. What happened to save points not healing you or being placed everywhere you go. Or in some cases just press start and save right then. It also seems with some games not all that you get dlc kind of early that sort of lets you jump ahead of the difficulty curve. Ala Cross Edge's dlc for example. Even if that game is hard based for the grind fest it puts you through.

Where I read about regenerating life, I agree it was usually a life bar, or in some cases you just went down depending on the weapon. *Kicks Golden Gun* Ahem that aside, the difficulty has seem to come more so from controls. I will pick on the already released UFC Game.

A games difficulty shouldn't include me getting carpal tunnel from holding down both trickers, using the side of my thumb to hit the Right bumper, while using my right hand thumb to quarter stick forward to transitions etc. I mean having all these buttons are nice, but controls should never add to difficulty in a game. Thats my opinion purely though.

 

[Nazulu]

In a way, Yes. The really old games are extremely hard, not all but some would require a lot of practise. If there was as many hard games then here now then people would think developers are nuts!

However, if you say from 12 years ago then no, not at all.

 

[nothingdeletemeplease]

yes MOST games are getting easier but there are still a few hard ones out there. I find I have to play on hard mode to even get a challenge but I still have fun on Normal mode.

 

[PuffyMuffin92]

I believe the "normal" setting in games today is easier. To find that old school challenge in today's games, just ramp up the difficulty. For example, take Halo 3. Turn that baby to legendary and you'll find all the challenge you expect in a game.

 

[_Cake_]

Well older games would make it basically impossible to beat to artificially lengthen them. Now games are much bigger and players can usually just change the difficulty of the game to whatever they find fun. I think this is a change for the better.