Do we need "easy mode" any more?

[skywolfblue]

...but is it really required?

YES.

Yes it is.

I suppose it's good for first-time gamers who are new to the medium and need things to go at a more manageable pace to help people get used to things and feel like they're achieving something which will push them to maybe try out the harder modes later on when they feel comfortable.

Bingo.

Maybe it's also good if you just want a quick, un-frustrating game to pass the time and just want to relax while you're waiting for something, but the challenge is part of the fun and a lot of gamers would have a lot more fun when the game isn't too easy, so why not just go for what you're used to and play on "normal" or "hard" instead?

Different people enjoy different challenges. Just because some people like jogging doesn't mean they should be forced to run at the same pace as an olympic runner. Sometimes people are there to relax and enjoy a stress free jog, not a grueling sprint.

Surely if you're new to gaming then a fair difficulty curve alongside a decent demonstration of core mechanics (see: EgoRaptor's "Megaman X VS Classic Megaman Sequalitis" for how this can be accomplished) would mean that we don't need the "easy" mode even for people new to gaming.

But then a lot of people complain about normal mode being too easy. It's a lot better to just provide a separate difficulty and make everyone happy.

 

[Fraught]

Stupid question is stupid.

People who are bad at video games need that option so they can at least enjoy themselves.

This was my first thought that I even had on this topic when I first saw it.

They just make the games appealing to a larger audience. More choice is never bad, because no one forces you to choose easy.

 

[burningdragoon]

Yes, because everyone has varying levels of skill and experience and not everyone is looking for the same type of experience when playing a game. The level of arrogance in your post is almost impressive.

Now, there are more ways to balance a game than just having set difficulty modes, but if you are choosing to make a game with them, easy should be included.

 

[lemby117]

I will admit I am shit at video games I love them, but I am shit at them. I play them for the game play and the story not because I enjoy memorising every god damned encounter so I can perfect them. I will play games like that, for example rainbow six, and even do moderately at them but I don't want to have to get myself into a different mindset for each game. Especially if it means I have to take cover (the most boring mechanic of all time)

 

[hoboman29]

Easy mode isn't completely obsolete yet. I use it to farm achievements that I wouldn't think of doing on normal or hard. (the ones that make you go out of your way for.) Also it is fun to just blow everything in sight away with no challenge sometimes.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

You do realise that new people are born. And these people exist for a time as things called 'children' that have to acquire new skills, because they don't have any to start off. Some people even acquire new skills once they've metamorphosed into something called an adult.
Due to this phenomenon there is a constant influx of people who aren't very good at things you can do.
I hope this has been educational.

 

[GundamSentinel]

Easy mode = necessary. Not every game has to cater to every caliber of gamer (we need our Demon's Souls's as well (is that grammatically correct?)), but in general games need to be accessible to people of different skill levels (so both easy and hard).

As for me: mostly I play on normal, but there are some game types I enjoy but suck at (strategy games, hack 'n' slash), so a lower difficulty is very welcome. Or sometimes I just want to breeze through a game and enjoy the story or gameplay without having to strain myself.

There are very few games I play for the challenge (also often because I just don't have the time to spend weeks with the same game), so if I get stuck, I won't hesitate to turn the difficulty down a notch.

 

[Doneeee]

I like to have an easy mode that can be switched on an off at any time. If I accidently stumble upon a deathclaw nest at level 15 in NV and I haven't saved in an hour it is useful.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I mostly play on normal (except for my current run on ME3...on Insanity), but I see the purpose of an easy mode. There are a lot of gamers out there, like my twelve-year-old brother, who don't have the patience to die, reload, make it past the enemy that killed them, and repeat twelve times by the end of the level.

 

[zidine100]

*sniped to large image didnt think it was so big my bad *
i kid i kid,

easy mode has its place, its good if you want to burn through a game quickly, if you have trouble with the game itself, or if you just want to relax.

 

[2733]

my sister plays everything on easy. Why? because she is way more interested in the experience and the characters then any sense of challenge. So she needs this option or she wouldn't be able to finish most games at all.

 

[WanderingFool]

Have you ever seen someone attempt to play a fast paced video game for the very first time?

I'm going to assume no, because if you had you would know why easy mode continues to exist.

QFT.

When ever I try a new game that controls differently from anything Ive played before, I Always switch to easy mode, just so I can get use to it.

 

[orangeban]

I almost always play easy, I get to enjoy the story and do play interestingly instead of purely efficiently, I don't particularly like tough challenges in games, I usually just find it frustrating.

 

[orangeban]

(we need our Demon's Souls's as well (is that grammatically correct?))

I think it's "Demons' Souls" as in, the souls of demons.

It's not grammar nazism if you asked for it!

 

[scorptatious]

When I was younger I would usually play anything on easy if it gave me the opportunity. Mainly because I just wanted to experience the levels, story, characters, and gameplay without having too much trouble.

Now-a-days, I do play everything on the default difficulty setting so I can play the game the way it was intended.

As for whether or not we should get rid of easy mode? I think we shouldn't. As other people have stated, it gives newer gamers to get into a game. I'll admit, I probably wouldn't have gotten into the MGS series if I didn't play MGS3 Subsistence (my first MGS game) on Easy first.

 

[WaysideMaze]

I feel like you've answered your own question OP.

As a point, I tend to play on normal, but when I get stuck I turn the difficulty down to easy. I don't play games to be frustrated, and it's nice to be able to tweak the difficulty if there's a challenge I just can't overcome.

 

[Saregon]

I always go for easy mode on new games, because I want to see the game. If it's a really good game, it will still challenge me on occasion, but I won't get stuck or be hindered much in my progress, because I have a very finite amount of time for gaming beside my studies, part time job and girlfriend. If it's VERY good, I will go back and play the hardest difficulty, but that is rare. So a definite yes to easy mode for me.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

Easy mode is there for the people that need it or are new to the game. Also, lets not forget that there are some people who are just plain terrible at video games that still like to play them. My sister is awful at video games but still loves to play them.

I actually like it when a game gives me a description of what I can expect the difficulty to be like, like in Halo, Deus Ex:HR, or Spec Ops: the Line. Normally with shooters, I'll crank it up to Hard before going further, but some games I leave on normal depending on how much attention/how quickly I feel like getting through the game.

Edit: I do sometimes feel insulted if the game asks if I'd like to turn down the difficulty. >_> Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Genrations is notorious for this. No, I do NOT want to switch it to easy! Sasuke is a cheap little *****, but my pride will not allow me to turn down the difficulty!

And there were times in Halo Reach where I'd have a bad death streak and the game would pull up the Armor Ability selection menu without asking. >___> "We see you are sucking with Jetpack. Perhaps you'd like to try Armor Lock?" *flies into a rage*

 

[thiosk]

I don't know. I havn't played "easy" in years. On the other token, my wife wanted to give left for dead a try a few years back. Completely incapable of piloting the character. Ran up against the walls and couldn't operate in a 3D environment while shooting. Gave her a go at portal instead, and after some time, she was able to navigate.

If the developers want to include an easy mode, thats their decision.

What I'd really like to see, is an exhibition mode.

You tell your friends how awesome the game is, they come to see, but you're like in the middle of some weird part that doesn't really show off the game, mechanic, or anything.