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Gaming changes: A Personal Entry
Posted by Blazeknyt,
25 June 2012
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331 views
casual casual gaming mindset hardcore Mario personal
Casual gaming is generally defined by very simplistic gameplay, short bursts of playtime, and the ease of play. Basically you can just pick up a game and without difficulty, manage to play and progress. This is basically what the mobile and social game market follows, and where there is lots of growth for new developers or large companies. This was also the model of arcade games, and it seems that the console gaming market has even gone so far as to facilitate this kind of mindset as well.
While the short answer is that life has more responsibilities now, what’s scary is that sometimes I feel that even games that required hardcore dedication, like Mario, have become casual games in mindset. Yes, it takes dedication to do everything in a Mario title, but at this point, I’ve become so good at it that beating a stage takes a few minutes. Beating about 3 stages in Mario can be enough for me, since the game is not story focused. Many games nowadays have checkpoints after a major encounter, or can even allow you to save anywhere you want.
I find myself saving more often when playing RPGs. Action games and adventure games automatically save after every stage. I just don’t really see myself ever really wondering, “when was the last time I saved?” anymore. No more chasing after a save point, because I don’t know when one will even pop up. Playing for about an hour and a half is enough for me now. Yes, I enjoy playing that much more, but sometimes I just want those days where I can sit there for 3 hours and be engrossed, instead of worrying about the clock.
Does anyone else feel the same way? Do you manage to pull nearly day long sessions, just for the hell of it, or do you actually get practically addicted for a short while?
While the short answer is that life has more responsibilities now, what’s scary is that sometimes I feel that even games that required hardcore dedication, like Mario, have become casual games in mindset. Yes, it takes dedication to do everything in a Mario title, but at this point, I’ve become so good at it that beating a stage takes a few minutes. Beating about 3 stages in Mario can be enough for me, since the game is not story focused. Many games nowadays have checkpoints after a major encounter, or can even allow you to save anywhere you want.
Less time with the guy, but time well spent.
I find myself saving more often when playing RPGs. Action games and adventure games automatically save after every stage. I just don’t really see myself ever really wondering, “when was the last time I saved?” anymore. No more chasing after a save point, because I don’t know when one will even pop up. Playing for about an hour and a half is enough for me now. Yes, I enjoy playing that much more, but sometimes I just want those days where I can sit there for 3 hours and be engrossed, instead of worrying about the clock.
Does anyone else feel the same way? Do you manage to pull nearly day long sessions, just for the hell of it, or do you actually get practically addicted for a short while?
