video games

If you’ve played practically any modern video game (with the possible exception of Super Meat Boy and the Dark Souls series), then you know that video games aren’t what they used to be. Many of us grew up in the 1980s and 1990s when games were impossibly hard. Remember Tetris? That certainly got your brain working. What about Arkanoid? You had to be some kind of robot to have the reaction times to do well in that one (which is probably why Google’s AI unit trained its software to play it).

But even some of the less archaic games were stupendously difficult. Progression in the first Gran Turismo game on the original PlayStation was notoriously tricky. And on many of these games, it just wasn’t possible to adjust the difficulty to make it easier.

Today, it’s a different story. Gamers get to choose how difficult the game is, and this is part of what is undermining gaming as a discipline. When you complete a task on a modern video game, you don’t get the same sense of satisfaction that you got in the past. Sure the graphics are a million times better, but you don’t feel as if you’ve achieved anything: you just get the sense that you’ve wasted an afternoon.

Giving players the ability to adjust difficulties downward is an error. People need to feel a sense of challenge when they play a video game: there’s no satisfaction unless it’s hard.

Are We Going Back To Classic Video Games?

If you take a look at the number of classic arcade games for sale, it soon becomes clear that the market is changing. Not only are people returning to the old games, but they’re also looking for developers who understand what they want from games.

Sure, they might say that they want games to be tolerably challenging. But how do you explain a phenomenon like Dark Souls? Dark Souls is an insanely difficult IP, with players dying in their droves on the first enemy every time.

Namco, the people behind the Dark Souls series, understand something: they know that the way that you get people to come back to a game time and time again is to make it stupidly hard. People want to be forced to use their brains – almost against their will – to get a sense that they’ve achieved something.

Nobody finishes a game like Dark Souls confused about what they got out of the experience. The game is a rare example of something that challenges you profoundly.

Developers Know That People Want Difficulty

Developers are finally getting the message that people want games to be hard. The problem is that in the past, gaming didn’t have any mainstream appeal: it was something geeky gamers did in their bedrooms on BBC computers and old IBMs. Those days are long gone, and the people who make games need to appeal to a broader audience. In doing so, however, they’ve lost something – the magic of completing a video game. We need them to bring that back.

Forget about how much time you’re spending on video games – many of us are also guilty of spending too much money on video games. As the price of games continues to increase and the amount of DLC increases, gaming is progressively becoming a more expensive hobby. However, there are ways to spend less on games. Here are just a few tips for lowering your gaming expenses.

Resist the urge to buy games as soon as they’re released

When it comes to new releases, many gamers want to be able to play the game the day it comes out so that they can be a part of the initial buzz. This often means pre-ordering the game and buying it at its most expensive. If you have the patience to wait out the hype, you could see the price drop and save money on these new releases. Besides, waiting it out can have its advantages – you’ll be able to read reviews and justify whether it’s really worth the money, plus initial bugs will have been ironed out.

Don’t buy brand new

Used games are always significantly cheaper than brand new ones. Whilst you can always head down to your local second-hand games store, you may be able to find cheaper rates online on sites like Glyde. Always make sure that you’re given information on the condition so that you know what you’re getting – games that are scratched or don’t contain the manual are likely to be cheapest.

Hit the sales

You could wait until a sale period to buy new games – Black Friday and the January Sales are popular times for slashing prices on games. There may also be bundles available during these sale periods that allow you to buy multiple games for a cheap price.

Be wary of DLC, in-game purchases and other extras

A lot of people end up frittering away their money on small extras. This is particularly the case with mobile games, many of which are free to download but contain lots of in-game extras to purchase. Try to resist constantly buying these extras and avoid purely aesthetic content such as character clothing (it may look cool, but it’s just digital clothing at the end of the day!). When it comes to PC-based MMORPGs you may be able to shop around for these purchases such as OSRS gold for Runescape. Always buy content from trusted sellers to avoid being ripped off.

Swap and share games with friends

You may not even have to buy games. Swapping and sharing games with friends is a great way to enjoy gaming on a budget. It’s also a great way to test out games and decide if you really want to own them yourself. How many of us have ever bought a game that we played for three weeks and never picked up again? Borrowing from friends can stop you from wasting your money on games that you don’t enjoy by giving you a free taster first.