Anyone at the Age Where Games are Now Too Big and Varied?

[redshoepaul]

I am a 32 year old man with zero kids but a demanding job and a wife. I used to find it easier to complete a game and move onto the next but recently with Destiny 2, AC Origins, Shadow of War amongst my last 3 games I have not completed any even though my game time is still very high. Its almost too much and too daunting and lost the urge to keep trucking on with the story due to it being diluted by game time?

What about others that are around my age, do you have this problem?

Via:Norwegian_Imposterthrough theAdopt-a-userprogram.

 

[RexNovis]

Honestly I think it's more to do with these GAAS games all being designed to keep you playing as long as possible. It's just no longer feasible to finish these style of games with a busy life.

 

[Snormy]

I learn to pick which games to play and which to avoid. I have mostly stopped sinking hours into endless games such as Destiny and many other multiplayer games.

I also learn to enjoy my games no matter what % of completion I get out of it. I find worrying and worrying about it ultimately makes me want to play less. I take joy from buying games and playing what I can if I enjoy it. Ultimately though I just game less.

Edit. Mobiles games though... I'm drowning in a well and can't get out.

 

[Hippopuncher12]

I'm 35 and I get this sometimes. At this point I try to finish games as fast as possible and usually skip most of the side stuff and filler. Some games are just too large or take far too long for me to get into. (BoTW, Persona 5, etc). While I don't think my age has anything to do with it, having a 2nd child for sure helped stall my play time.

 

[nbnt]

Destiny 2, AC Origins, Shadow of War

Click to shrink...

I'm not a busy man but well, there's your problem. Just focus on one game, take your time (no matter how long), and finish it before buying the next one. It's ok if you don't buy/play games day 1, they're not going anywhere.

 

[Danielsan]

I'm 29, I don't have kids but I do have a full time job and a girlfriend whom I live together with. I try to keep up with things to a certain extent, but the sheer volume of great games, as well the a large portion of these games taking 20 - 80 hours to complete has made it impossible to keep up for me. It doesn't help that my game time has been significantly cut short by being in a relationship.

 

[nosferato]

For long games yea I only play them in short periods as long as they have elements that would entertain me otherwise I switch to lots of games sometimes I get back to a game after a month. These days I prefer short term entertainment like a quick match in multiplayer or an Indie game sometimes old school games it depends.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

I tend to not focus on multiple open world/GaaS titles at one time, so no, this really isn't an issue for me.

I'm 35, btw.

 

[Strangelove_77]

I don't think that's an age thing. "Finishing" those 3 games would be extremely daunting for anyone.

 

[BraXzy]

I try to keep these big expansive open world games few and far between. Play something more concise / multiplayer to mix things up.

 

[Chocobo Blade]

No I'm Not At Such An Age, I Still Have Enough Free Time.

 

[bionic77]

Take a break or get a Switch (makes playing games so much easier with its hybrid nature and instant suspend/on).

It happened to me as I hit my 30s and I got married and got really involved in work. It was just easier to watch tv with the wife. Then we had kids and even that stopped.

 

[electricblue]

I have time to play games I just can't devote 6 straight hours of my life to a raid, that period of my life is over and I have no desire to go back to it
Games that last <15 minutes (Rocket League) or ones that I can suspend and come back to quickly tend to fit my life better and I play them more often

 

[gigaslash]

Even though I'm 26 (with zero kids and zero wife), I sort of feel the same. It's just that these days with job, social life, travel, doing some scholarly stuff on the side, sports. etc I don't feel that games are a good time investment. I'm okay with shorter games, or a bigger game which I play for 2-3 months, but anything open world, GAAS or multiplayer is an instant nope. I don't have neither the time nor the interest for these.

 

[fourfourfun]

Honestly I think it's more to do with these GAAS games all being designed to keep you playing as long as possible.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, this stops me playing any GaaS game pretty much. I drew a line under any game that had no completion state.

 

[TC McQueen]

Even though I'm 26 (with zero kids and zero wife), I sort of feel the same. It's just that these days with job, social life, travel, doing some scholarly stuff on the side, sports. etc I don't feel that games are a good time investment. I'm okay with shorter games, or a bigger game which I play for 2-3 months, but anything open world, GAAS or multiplayer is an instant nope. I don't have neither the time nor the interest for these.

Click to shrink...

Same here. Open world stuff is just not appealing to me, especially when things are set up to make roaming the world a slow, tedious process. It doesn't help that most of these games are also designed to gate content behind dumb leveling and/or resource requirements.

That said, sometimes it's super easy to spot the really worthless stuff (Mass Effect: Andromeda's additional tasks) and avoid it. But honestly, if I had to play an open world game, I'd just get the PC version and mod the fuck out of it to mitigate all the time sinks that developers put in there.

 

[P A Z]

Most games are too big, even the best ones, they're just bigger for the sake of a back of the box bulletpoint or to stop you selling the game on.

I get it though, I do have the time most of the time, but I've just decided that I only keep playing games that I'm enjoying.

I know that sounds weird but I mean if an open world forces me to do stuff in that open world that I don't like to get to the stuff that I do like then the game is getting abandoned.

It's partly why I've switched to MP games like Rocket League, I can play RL for 10 mins or 100 mins and have a blast.

Find what works for you and support the games that do what you want.

 

[FroMonk]

Yeah, I absolutely get this. My go-to time killer for the past several months has been Ghost Recon Wildlands, and while I want to get Origins, I have no idea when I'm gonna play it. I'm in Destiny 2 land right now, and I'm pretty sure that the only reason I made time for it is because my RL friends are playing it too. Otherwise I pick up and put down like a few dozen games a year and don't beat any of them. I have over 500 games in my steam library and I've probably beaten like ten percent of them.

 

[Bold One]

Wholeass one game, don't halfass three

 

[Sir Guts]

I'm not a busy man but well, there's your problem. Just focus on one game, take your time (no matter how long), and finish it before buying the next one. It's ok if you don't buy/play games day 1, they're not going anywhere.

Click to shrink...

This + I'm 26 going to be 27 soon and getting married. So maybe i'll experience this in a year or so

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

I'm not a busy man but well, there's your problem. Just focus on one game, take your time (no matter how long), and finish it before buying the next one. It's ok if you don't buy/play games day 1, they're not going anywhere.

Click to shrink...

The issue is in the case of shadow of war its very same same to play on its own :P

 

[Slacker247]

Just play what and as much as you enjoy. No need to explore and finish every nook and cranny if the desire is no longer there and there are other games you want to play. Better to make peace and realise you can't play them all. Be selective. Time is precious.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

I also seem to lean more to gaming in bursts now I am PC gamer mainly. before when I was console I was more sneak half hour where I could type of gamer.

 

[Funny Valentine]

No? You should just choose games that better fit your lifestyle vs. expecting all games to conform to your special circumstances.

 

[Iztok]

I still try to 100% my racing games. That's at least feasible, albeit with ~100 hours (for some of the Forza games).

The rest I'm just content with "beating" them, whatever that means at a particular moment in time, before the inevitable DLCs.

 

[Echo]

I'm not 100% convinced age has much to do with this. In general games have gotten much bigger this gen, open-world games in specific are pretty much the norm now. I don't like it one bit. Compared to the beginning of the gen when Open-World was still kinda fresh, nowadays I find myself dreading all the different checklist tasks and menial content meant to pad our experiences along. Everybody is raving about Horizon: Zero Dawn as an example but for me it was like just another open world slog... Shit it even had it's own take on the much bemoaned tower mechanics of AssCreed.

Just ugh. Thankfully JRPG's (my favorite genere) for the most part have stuck to the traditional format. So I've gotten in the habit of just spacing out the western titles because it makes them a bit more bearable compared to playing them back-to-back.

 

[labx]

Yes OP and Norwegian_Imposter . This happened with AC: Origins, The Witcher 3, etc., wonderful games... But I see the map on these games and I start to feeling an existential dredge.

Where is my pong?

 

[nampad]

Have the same problem and it's the main reason why I moved to handheld gaming. Vita and Switch eleviate the issue.

 

[Carn]

Yes, and no. A game like Witcher 3 sucked me in. I'm still playing Horizon. Other 'open world' games like AC arent usually able to catch my attiontion (havent checked out Origins yet but looks promising). But a game like GTA5 always has me fumbling around with the controls for an hour or so when I pick it up again. I never finished it, and I own three versions of that game.

But still, I'm a big fan of the triple-A single player games because I know that I can usually finish those in 10 to 20 hours and truly be 'done' with it (trophies/unlockable stuff nonwithstanding).

 

[El Mariachi]

Most games just got too big. It has little to do with age.

I just realized this as I started to replay older games. Games like Onimusha, Soul Reaver 2, Eternal Darkness and loads of other games from the PS2 era you could easily finish within a few days, even with a full time job.

On contrast starting most new games these days always feels like you are getting yourself into a week/month long commitment. I find this to be really exhausting sometimes.

Bottom line... The older I get, the more I miss the PS2/Gamecube days. Real shame that such games aren't sustainable any more these days.

 

[Sanctuary]

If you're simply asking if the average AAA game is full of bloat, then the answer is yes. It's a trend that started a decade ago though, and unfortunately became the norm. I don't know who came up with the bright idea to take MMORPG mechanics and puke them all over single-player experiences, but gaming in general has been much worse off for it.

 

[Deleted member 19813]

33. Male. Married. 1 Kid. Educator.

When do I get to finish games?

LOL!

 

[Graciaus]

The current trend of open world games I can't stand. I never finish any of them.

 

[Deleted member 135]

It even feels overwhelming to just finish Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds. Two kids, a wife, and a job. I get maybe an hour, hour and a half to play a day.

I love Horizon but it feels more rewarding to play something like CODWW2 in that limited time.


Since my kids were born I've started Horizon, CODWW2, Far Cry 4, Wolfenstein TNO, Just Cause 3, Skyrim, Assassin'sCreed II, Brotherhood, Revelations, and the Crash Trilogy and I've only finished Horizon (and platinumed it), CODWW2, and Assassin's Creed II. Crash I played through the first two zones of each game but didn't finish, and didn't play more than an hour of everything else.

 

[WolverinesFather]

Wife and 2 kids leaves little time for gaming. I am slowly working my way through BotW, and I expect that to last me another year. Otherwise I just play some older games. I like to keep up with gaming news, but I know that I will never get more than one system and keep my purchases at a minimum because I will never get to them all.

 

[IsThatHP]

yeah I'm at the point where I'm begging for a game to just be a tight, 8-10 hour experience. RE7 has been my favorite game of the year so far thanks to that.

I still appreciate what games like BoTW, Horizon (Forza and Zero Dawn), and even something like Steep do, but I simply don't have the constitution to 'make my own story' out of this stuff. I need some more guidance. Forza Horizon 3 is breathtaking and one of my favorite games of the gen, but I groaned pretty hard when it started expecting me to just straight up make my own racetracks. I'm not a video game developer.

I opt to just stick with my preferred GaaS title these days, typically Overwatch or even League of Legends on the off night.

 

[alr1ght]

Just don't play the super bloated, microtransaction ridden AAA games and you'll be fine. I don't, but I still don't have time.

 

[Deleted member 9486]

You just have to prioritize. I turn 39 next week and long since just had to learn to buy fewer games, and especially really limit the long games or endless GaaS.

I'll still play a few things like Destiny, but I accept I won't do everything in the game. For instance I haven't done a nightfall or raid in D2 yet. I just played a lot a couple of weeks going through the story and adventures and playing some crucible. Since then I just play 2 or 3 hours a week doing the easy milestones and a bit more when there were special events like faction rallies or Iron Banner going on.

I generally prefer variety and try to mostly play 10-30 hour games that I can finish in a month or less and not buy a new game until I'm done with my last purchase. For instance this fall has been Destiny 2 and Mario Odyssey so far, with the Horizon DLC up next. I may get to some of the games I missed after, I may never if other things interest me more. No skin off my nose either way.

 

[Chackan]

Two kid, wife, demanding job. I'm lucky if I get 1 hour per day of game time even.

Usually I do most of my gaming at weekends, Friday and Saturday and mostly after everyone is gone to bed.

Unfortunately I'm not 20 anymore, so it doesn't take too long in the night for me to start falling asleep on the sofa :S

 

[MrConbon210]

I'm only 19 and I get like this. After finishing a game session I want to feel like I've made some sizable progress, not just leveled my guardian up 4 points or got a new pair of boots that's marginally better than what I already had.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

Yes OP and Norwegian_Imposter . This happened with AC: Origins, The Witcher 3, etc., wonderful games... But I see the map on these games and I start to feeling an existential dredge.

Where is my pong?

Click to shrink...

Glad its not just me :D

 

[the7samurai]

Full time job with wife and 4 kids (twin toddlers make it difficult to do anything really). Luckily I finished my masters and got a promotion the month before the Switch came out. The hybrid nature of the system has been insanely useful to me and I'm actually somehow playing games more than I have since I was 18. (30 now) BOTW made me feel things when gaming that I haven't in a while and Mario Odyssey is continuing that trend.

 

[HistoricalAnomaly]

Mario Odyssey was the first game I've beaten in a few years, I've been going slow and switching through games when I feel bored lately, Switch is making me come back to gaming in a big way. Still need to finish Breath of the Wild, I'm about 25% the way through what I intend to complete after three weeks.

 

[Zippedpinhead]

I blame GAAS, single player experiences with constant progression until a known endpoint can be as varied or linear as you want it to be (take BOTW, some people play for 10-20 hours, others 100+)

Neither experience is "wrong" or inferior, I enjoyed my brisk adventure through Hyrule and I know there is more there if I ever go back. Persona 5 is another but different animal. It's a long game, but it's a constant game, nothing new is ever asked of you after the game fully opens. It's just move the story along and get better. And then it ends.

GAAS are designed to have you log in each day and spend about the same amount of time on it daily. Mobile games run this through quickly. If I wanted I could go through all those in about an hour of daily play, but it adds up. Takes away from other games/activities. And too much can start to impact your life.

I completely understand where you are coming from.

 

[Mugen X]

28 with two kids and I smiled when I read the thread title. This sounds exactly like me, I work all week and over the wkend when I'm off I'm doing stuff with my kids, the only time I have to game is after 9 when they're both asleep. Strangely I get through some long games such as Horizon and Persona 5, depends on how bad I wanted to play the game honestly. But I definitely prefer shorter experiences so I can move on to the next thing. The Switch is a god send for me, when I lay my daughter down for a nap I usually play Odyssey or Zelda in portable mode and I love it. But ya, longer games normally take me months to play cause they turn me off sometimes with how long they are.

 

[MrSpiffing]

Unfortunately I'm not 20 anymore, so it doesn't take too long in the night for me to start falling asleep on the sofa :S

Click to shrink...

I used to stay up on my nights off from work until 3-4 am to get my gaming time in. Then we had a child. Now on my nights off I can barely stay awake past 12. Maybe being 33 contributes to it too.

 

[TC McQueen]

I used to stay up on my nights off from work until 3-4 am to get my gaming time in. Then we had a child. Now on my nights off I can barely stay awake past 12. Maybe being 33 contributes to it too.

Click to shrink...

I'm 26 and I can barely stay up to 1:30AM anymore. I could handle staying up till 3AM a few years back. Aging sucks.

 

[Duxxy3]

I tend to stick to games that I can finish in a few days. If it's a long game that could take me up to a month to finish, I don't even buy it.

 

[energon]

I am a 32 year old man with zero kids but a demanding job and a wife. I used to find it easier to complete a game and move onto the next but recently with Destiny 2, AC Origins, Shadow of War amongst my last 3 games I have not completed any even though my game time is still very high. Its almost too much and too daunting and lost the urge to keep trucking on with the story due to it being diluted by game time?

What about others that are around my age, do you have this problem?

Via:Norwegian_Imposterthrough theAdopt-a-userprogram.

Click to shrink...

I don't think it's necessarily an age thing. I'm only 15 and I feel like there's just too many games coming out now to play and beat all of them, even all the ones I buy.

 

[TripleBee]

I feel like there are more games then ever that are on the shorter side. Which works well for me.
And confused why you would complain about games being varied ?