I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

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Jameson Rook
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I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Jameson Rook »

Well, not exactly a "problem" per se, but I can't seem to hold my attention on playing, let alone beating a single game. To get things out of the way, I don't have ADD or any type of disorder, but I tend to play games in super short burst (15-20 minutes tops) so if it's a retro game, I'd probably beat a single level or maybe a single online round of a modern shooter. I can't seem to get myself to play for hours on end and I envy when I see Youtube streamers playing for 4-5 hours on a single stream!

Not that I don't play games for an extended period of time mind you, I did played the Resident Evil 2 remake for 3 hours per session and have beaten that multiple times but it seems like an exception. I do chase after Platinum trophies in games but that was years ago before work gotten a little bit too hectic. I tend to favor games that I've already beaten due to familiarity rather than trying out brand new experience. I think most of this might be due to work, where I have a lot on my plate thus I feel I shouldn't play a "new" game half heartedly.

I finally decided things must change and I wanted to at least beat a few games from the NES/SNES classic before moving my way up to current gen games. I grew up in the 80's, but due to poverty never had any game consoles so I haven't played most of them. I did tried EarthBound and it seems compelling but I didn't got past an hour of it.

Any recommendations or comments? Have you had a similar experience where you would just jump between games? What games on the NES/SNES Classic would you recommend me beat that you think might get me back into the groove?
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__SKYe
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by __SKYe »

I seldom play games for hours on end, much less a single game, with the exception of the occasional RPG where I can usually play for a couple hours at a stretch.
My usual approach is to play a few credits on a couple games at a time (mostly applies to arcade-style ones) instead of playing the same game over and over. This has the disadvantage that clears/1CCs don't come nearly as fast as with the other approach, but I can't usually play action games for too long in one sitting, so this way I get neither bored nor angry. I have broken this rule at times (with Ninja Gaiden being a good example), though. :)
I have cleared a fair number of old-school action games in this manner, so you won't have any difficuty doing it either.

As for recommendations, it depends of what genre you prefer -- for action titles in general, I'll always recommend the classics Contra and/or Super C for the Famicom. They are both mild in difficulty yet still a fair challenge for those not used to them.
There are several lists at the bottom of this post if you want to dig a bit, otherwise just post what type of game your looking for and you'll certainly get a good recommendation then. :)
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WelshMegalodon
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by WelshMegalodon »

Not going to lie, I saw the title of this thread and expected the opposite of what you're describing here.

This sounds like a non-issue to me. Either a game draws you in or it doesn't. If this lack of attention carried over to more important commitments, you might have a problem, but as it is, I think it's safe to say there are plenty of people that do the exact same thing.

That's the nice thing about video games (at least, the kind I enjoy playing) - you have complete freedom over how much time you want to put into them.

As for recommendations, I think Kirby's Adventure and Kirby Super Star would be a good fit for you. Neither of them are terribly difficult, and both are divided up into lots of very short segments.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Immryr »

the internet destroys attention span. stop using it and your attention span will slowly return to normal levels.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Xyga »

Immryr wrote:destroy the internet and everyone's lives will slowly return to normal.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

Xyga wrote:
Immryr wrote:destroy the internet and everyone's lives will slowly return to normal.
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SuperDeadite
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by SuperDeadite »

Sounds like you are just getting older. Lol. When I was a kid, I could play anything over and over. I loved Where's Waldo on NES. Now as an adult, I know what I truly enjoy. If I get bored in 15 mins, it's not a game for me. Move on and don't care.
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Post by Steamflogger Boss »

SuperDeadite wrote:Sounds like you are just getting older. Lol. When I was a kid, I could play anything over and over. I loved Where's Waldo on NES. Now as an adult, I know what I truly enjoy. If I get bored in 15 mins, it's not a game for me. Move on and don't care.
Real talk right here. Games either grab me or they don't. I'm giving a game an hour max, usually less. I've got too many games to wait for something to potentially get good. Not that I really buy that as a big possibility anyway, a game should be entertaining from the jump.
Jameson Rook
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Jameson Rook »

Thanks for the reply fellas!

@__SKYe I'm too broke to afford consoles at the moment so I'm relying on the NES/SNES Classic for my retro needs. For now at least.

@WelshMegalodon Nope, I'm grateful that it doesn't carry over, I think gaming got the short end of the stick of my attention, I'll try out those games you mentioned!

@Immryr I have a tremendous span but I think.. hold on I got 3 new Instagram followers, whohoo!

@SuperDeadite That's a great way to look at it. What games are you into nowadays?

@Steamflogger Boss How could you tell if it might get good later?
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Austin »

Jameson Rook wrote:I can't seem to get myself to play for hours on end and I envy when I see Youtube streamers playing for 4-5 hours on a single stream!
Something to keep in mind here is that streamers have other focuses as well, like interacting with live chat and having conversations. As someone who streams regularly, that keeps me playing a lot longer than I otherwise normally would. If the chat and conversation dies, so does my interest to keep going, depending.

As far as your motivation to stick with games for more than a few minutes, it's possible you're simply just not all that into it at the moment. I don't know what other hobbies you have, but consider focusing on those instead. Forcing yourself to play games without feeling good about it doesn't seem particularly productive.

Then again, to play devil's advocate--consider forcing yourself to play longer than you normally would. Take on challenges to test yourself. How many of the difficult games on the SNES/NES Classics have you beaten? Castlevania? Ninja Gaiden? Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts? Make it a goal to actually finish them (and do it without save states, the old fashioned way) and you might find yourself becoming more engrossed with some of these games.
SuperDeadite
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by SuperDeadite »

My tastes in games are quite random. I will play anything that grabs me. Its a lot like dating, I dont care what other people say, I bone what I like. Good example is a game like Chrono Trigger. 99% of people love it. Me? I just dont give a crap about its characters, world, or story. Nothing wrong with the game, but my dick says no thankyou.

Yet, I have adored numerous other RPGs. I really enjoyed Words Worth. Hillarious comedy with cool puzzles. Yet the internet will tell you that playing that game means Im a rapist. LOL.

I have counter-stopped Haunted Castle. I never intended to, I just kept having fun and kept playing.

For modern games, Evil Within 1 (fuck 2) is the my pick. I put over 300 hours in, got every achievement, and I still do a run through once a month or so. If you like RE2, give it a look.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

Jameson Rook wrote: @Steamflogger Boss How could you tell if it might get good later?
I've had that line thrown at me before, like I need to play a game longer to give it a fair shake. I don't think that really happens for me. If I'm not feeling a game quickly it is unlikely to change.

We all have some gaming doldrums here and there. I actually haven't really sat down and played anything in awhile myself.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Marc »

Steamflogger Boss wrote:
SuperDeadite wrote:Sounds like you are just getting older. Lol. When I was a kid, I could play anything over and over. I loved Where's Waldo on NES. Now as an adult, I know what I truly enjoy. If I get bored in 15 mins, it's not a game for me. Move on and don't care.
Real talk right here. Games either grab me or they don't. I'm giving a game an hour max, usually less. I've got too many games to wait for something to potentially get good. Not that I really buy that as a big possibility anyway, a game should be entertaining from the jump.
Yeah this is where I'm at. Even when I originally bounced of Dark Souls, it was because the difficulty and expected time requirement terrified me, the game still had its clutches in from the outset, which is why I ended up trying again.

Lost Odyssey is another example, I hadn't completed a JRPG in years, but spent a huge amount of time on this last year. Case in point, that led me to thinking JRPG's might be my bag again, so I picked up a cheap copy of FFXIII-2. I've given it the requisite hour, and I can honestly say - fuck that game.
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Post by Steamflogger Boss »

I am definitely willing to try games again later as well, especially when it's been years. Tastes change and whatnot. I recently did this with a bunch of games. The majority I still did not care for but I did end up finishing a few like Tales of the Abyss.

I usually don't play the same genre back to back but I try to especially avoid it with JRPGs now. I think my initial run of Tales of the Abyss didn't work out because I tried it after another long JRPG.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by SuperDeadite »

RE: Tales, I can play Destiny 2 (ps2) over and over again. The characters are complete morons and the plot is terrible, but so much fun to play. None of the games in that series ever came close. Destiny Remake bored me to tears.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Vanguard »

Jameson Rook wrote:@Steamflogger Boss How could you tell if it might get good later?
It would be faster to ask people who like it what the appeal is. See if it was something you haven't grasped yet, or if it's something that just doesn't appeal to you.

Are there any particular games you feel like you should have enjoyed, but didn't?
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by DJ Incompetent »

Use a hakchi2 on SNES Classic to add WarioWare. I guess also Chrono Trigger if you've never done it. Even that RPG didn't age super well. There's not many worthy videogame titles left when you lose patience for filler content. Go get old? Pay your mortgage? Install a multiroom audio system? Read books? Punch the guy who made NES Waldo the wrong colors and you had to memorize his hiding poses instead?
SuperDeadite wrote:Sounds like you are just getting older. Lol. When I was a kid, I could play anything over and over. I loved Where's Waldo on NES. Now as an adult, I know what I truly enjoy. If I get bored in 15 mins, it's not a game for me. Move on and don't care.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by MX7 »

Read books. Seriously.

Also try different genres of videogames. Your tastes have probably changed. SNES games might not float your boat anymore. RPGs, action games, whatever provide a standardised experience, and even off kilter stuff like Mother 2 is basically Dragon Quest with a few pomo touches.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Mischief Maker »

Man, I WISH I had your problem!

The "solution" for you is to play games meant for short bursts.

Heat Signature, Into the Breach, and Devil Daggers are three obvious starting games, to my mind.
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__SKYe
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by __SKYe »

Jameson Rook wrote:@__SKYe I'm too broke to afford consoles at the moment so I'm relying on the NES/SNES Classic for my retro needs. For now at least.
We have a communication issue here, you don't have to buy any new console(s). :)
What I meant was playing a game until you lose all your lives (the equivalent to inserting a credit into an arcade machine) a couple times, on multiple games on any given day (eg. playing 2/3 credits on Ninja Gaiden, Contra and Makaimura per day/gaming session, instead of just playing a single game constantly in that same period of time). This works best on arcade-style games -- those that have the concept of lives & continues -- and they are not confined to actual arcade games at all.

I find dividing my attention among 2/3 games at a time to be a good balance. On one hand, I don't get angry/tired of playing the same game for too long, and on the other I'm not just jumping from game to game, in which case I wouldn't get anywhere on any of them.
Last edited by __SKYe on Thu Jun 20, 2019 10:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

MX7 wrote:Read books. Seriously.
Maybe not the right thread but I'm always down for recommendations. Some authors I have enjoyed: GRRM, Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie etc...
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by WelshMegalodon »

Jameson Rook wrote:I'm too broke to afford consoles at the moment so I'm relying on the NES/SNES Classic for my retro needs. For now at least.
Any particular reason you're not just emulating? You can get a decent USB pad for under $30.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Ruldra »

As others have mentioned, sound like the games you're playing aren't really grabbing you. Try different genres and see how you react.

I've been trying some strategy games lately but they don't really hold my interest much, after about 10-15 minutes I don't feel like playing anymore. And now I've recently started AM2R (Metroid 2 remake) and I can't put the game down. It's a whole different feeling when you find a game you truly enjoy.
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Steamflogger Boss wrote:
MX7 wrote:Read books. Seriously.
Maybe not the right thread but I'm always down for recommendations. Some authors I have enjoyed: GRRM, Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie etc...
Read Dune

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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Illyrian »

Totally relate to this. I've gone from being able to play anything for hours and hours to having very specific tastes.

I basically only play:

PUBG
Ashes Cricket
World of Warcraft
The old Impressions city builder games (Caesar 3 etc)

But any other games get boring within an hour or two. Even games I used to spend hundreds of hours playing (Civilization 5, Dota 2, Dark Souls 3). I play some Mario Kart with my friends now and then but not at home. This is just, as other people said, getting older and your tastes changing.

I also greatly parrot what MX7 said about reading. Getting entirely away from games for days is a great way to prevent the spread of ennui.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by szycag »

I say stop worrying about it. There are lots of games for people that play like that, such as Spelunky and Downwell. I play a ton of Tetris and Pinball, where you can never really beat it but you can continue to set goals, even playing by yourself. If you find you just want to put something down the second it gets hard, just make a gameplan on what it would probably take to proceed (a strategy for a certain enemy etc.) and make a game out of testing your theories. Use practice modes and modes that divide up the action if they're provided (this helped me a lot in games like Border Down, Ketsui etc.) If a game is really getting through to you, you will stick in there.
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Post by Steamflogger Boss »

I get into Tetris and pinball grooves where it's all I will play. Did it with Outrun for a solid three weeks or so. There are some others as well like puyo.
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Xyga
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Post by Xyga »

Anyway, give it some more years and you'll end up playing Microsoft Solitaire, alone, in silence. This is the fate of old men.

(honestly we can't play video games hours every day until we die, they're not that good)
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by system11 »

Jumping from game to game was totally normal in the old days, when nearly everything was better.
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Re: I Have a Gaming Problem, Opinions Needed!

Post by Lord British »

In the past couple years I've simply been overwhelmed with too much too quick. Last year was the year of the everdrive for me, and before that was the Japanese P23 PSN store, and before that was MAME. What do I do with so many games all of a sudden? Adult life just gets in the way and I don't have the time nor the ability to focus like I did when I was a kid. It's sad that I was so excited for Red Dead Redemption 2 yet I've barely touched it.

Anywho, I'm really starting to narrow that down that list of games that I want to go further in now that I've spent more time with them, so maybe you should too. Just find what you like. I started a thread on the Shmups chat forum for recommendations on good ones to try to beat first and that has helped.
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