Corpsealot; Harbinger of games put up a video on his You-tube channel expressing his opinion on “the generation gap”.
He believes there is a distinction between the first generation of gamers and the teenagers of today, picking up the hobby for the first time. He sees a trend toward hand-holding of the consumer seen in most games today. The following is what I started to write in the comment section in response to the video. After realizing that this might be a better article on my own thoughts then just a comment lost in a sea of You-Tube comments I selected all and copied it into a Word document.Writer Tip: If you find that something sticks a cord with you that you find yourself writing a response that is more than a few hundred words and aren't mashing the keyboard for hours on end in self indulged rage, you might have something.I'm kind of in the middle of the gap. I grew up in the 80's and 90's. When I was around six or seven the NES came out. I remember actually beating a game to be somewhat of a feet. From watching You-Tube videos of people playing games from this era like the Video Game Nerd as well as talking to friends we do recall video games to be frustrating. Though that was because the gaming industry was taking its frame of reference from arcades that had to make things a little out of reach so you would (the consumer) feed it more quarters.
I cannot comment on how computer games of the past differed from today, seeing that I only discovered them a few years ago.Looking at older games I missed, mostly in the RPG category. I am floored by the complex systems one can engage; Never Winter Nights 2 and Ever Quest as examples.
As for the younger generation being hand feed experience, they will grow out of a 'milk' stage and want more 'meat' if they stick with playing games. Games gated toward kids today are a tailored experience. It's easier to know what to do and how to advance. My generation would try and retry a certain jump over and over till we got it. Sometimes this dedication would pay off. Telling people you beat a certain game at school gave you a certain cool cred among your friends and peers. I don't think beating a game has the same kind of value unless it’s something like Dark Souls, which is known to be punishing.
From over hearing younger friends and their kids I get the impression that leader board placement and ranks have the challenge and attainment they seek, e-sports anyone? League of Legions, Hearth Stone, and Dota 2, are massively popular. The challenge of the game designer is not about creating a puzzle for the player to solve. Instead it’s about creating balance and creating opportunities for players to outwit each other.
Gamers growing up in 2014 have games like Mind craft and to a smaller extent Little big planet. These sandbox games give people tools to make their own challenges for their friends to overcome. Instead of trying to beat the final boss they are creating that final boss and learning about game design in the process.
Corpsealot is right there are a lot more hand holding for this new generation though that is because the designers of games today where the players of those older generations. We didn't know as much as we know today in how much a player will tolerate before giving up or what is fun then just punishing. Players still want challenge and new ways to interact with the game involvement.
When I was creating the above illustration of a person enjoying games I was thinking, this generation has something that mine didn't growing up, there parents probably know what video games are and experienced the fun they bring. Some of them have parents that Game.
My parents know that myself and my brother enjoy them though to them games are just another toy.G.I. Joe figures where some of my brother's and I favorite toy when we where growing up in the late 80's so was video games. We both still play video games and the G.I. Joes are in a bag in the attic.
There is a place where games can get parents and children talking. Maybe through communication the gap can be closed or at lest build a bridge between both sides?
