170°

What Happens When Gaming Becomes A Chore?

Stephen Mitchell from Grab It writes:

"My 18-month old daughter had finally gone to sleep. As is my usual evening ritual, I trudged downstairs and plonked myself, bleary-eyed and exhausted from work, in front of the TV ready to game the remainder of the night away. For 10 minutes I stared blankly at the screen, unsure of what to play. My ever growing "pile of shame" beckoned to me with merciless taunts and jeers. The pressure to pick up a game - any game - merely to wipe off my backlog was immense. It was at that moment I had an epiphany: sadly, my wonderful hobby had become nothing more than a humourless chore."

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grabitmagazine.com
Chaos_Order2757d ago

When this happened to me I just took a break from gaming and did other stuff with my free time like reading, going for walks etc. Eventually I came back to gaming, and nowadays I mix up what I do with my free time.

MAULxx2757d ago

That moment when you know it's time for a break.
Well said Chaos.

Timesplitter142757d ago (Edited 2757d ago )

Well.... it becomes a chore I guess

DefenderOfDoom22757d ago

Key thing is, never force yourself to play a video game . Let the feeling come naturally .

Summons752757d ago

If it becomes a chore than take a month or two off. There is nothing wrong with taking breaks from gaming . Watch movies, read, go hiking, just something different. Games should be fun and if you don't feel the fun anymore then it's probably time for a break. I'm sure we've all had moments like this, I had one not too long ago where I barely played games and nothing really held my interest. Now I've been doing a lot of coop or having a friend watch me play and I've gotten my passion back just in time for Gears, Destiny, Pokemon etc.

s45gr322757d ago

Gaming should be about the user being engaged in the gameworld not about fun (too limited). When a game fails to engage the gamer into its gameworld, lore, or story then the game developer has failed. I do admit too many games have released unable to keep up.

Allsystemgamer2757d ago

I don't care how "engaging" it is. If I'm not having fun doing it what's the point.

NapalmSanctuary2757d ago (Edited 2757d ago )

What the hell did I just read. If a game can't engage with its mechanics, its not much of a game. Story is all well and good but is completely secondary to the mechanical aspects. The story only matters once and should be there specifically to support the mechanics. Game mechanics, on the other hand, are what make games dynamic and worth more than a single play through. Why someone would spend $60 on a title for a mere 15-20 hours of play with little replay value, I'll never know, but I'll gladly pay $60 for a game that has real mechanical depth and a meaty gameplay experience, even if it has a campaign with less than 10 hours playtime. Some of the best games ever made can be played through in 3-5 hours... less for speed runs. And if a game isn't fun its worth neither money or time. If all a developer has managed to do is make a movie with interactivity being secondary to the cinematic aspects, while packaging it as a game, It sure as hell is not worth my time.

s45gr322756d ago

Is not just one thing that makes a game great is the whole enchilada. A game that engages the player in is far better than a game that is fun. An engaging game can be dramatic, make you 😢, laugh or terrified. A fun game cannot. An engaging game can never turn in a shore or bore the user because the user is engaged in the gameworld. A game that can deliver great gameplay mechanics, story, sound/🎶 is far better than a game that only delivers one trait.

Timesplitter142757d ago (Edited 2757d ago )

"engaging" is a subset of fun

It's like when people say fun isn't the only thing that matters in games because there are great horror games out there. But like.... horror IS 'fun'. Story is 'fun', too. That's what they don't understand

Fun is basically the all-encompassing measure of how much you enjoy something, no matter the reason

NapalmSanctuary2757d ago

Exactly. How could it be engaging if it isn't fun?

jznrpg2756d ago

Depends on what the person wants , some ppl may want fun over your opinion.

sullynathan2756d ago

Lmao, you're the type of "gamer" that thinks metal gear is actually good.

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110°

The 7 Best Western RPGs: Immersive Adventures

RPGs are often huge, sprawling endeavours. With limited playtime, we have to choose wisely, so here's the best western RPGs available today.

SimpleSlave20d ago

"I started playing games yesterday" the List... Meh!

How about a few RPGs that deserve some love instead?
1 - Alpha Protocol - Now on GOG
2 - else Heart.Break()
3 - Shadowrun Trilogy
4 - Wasteland 2
5 - UnderRail
6 - Tyranny
7 - Torment: Tides of Numenera

And for a bonus game that flew under the radar:
8 - Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

DustMan20d ago

Loved Alpha Protocol in all it's glorious jank. Great game.

SimpleSlave20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

Not only glorious jank, but the idea that the story can completely change depending on what you do, or say, or side with, makes it one of the most forward thinking games ever. The amount of story permutation is the equivalent of a Hitman level but in Story Form. And it wasn't just that the story changed, no, it was that you met completely new characters, or missed them, depending on your choices. Made Mass Effect feel static in comparison.

Alpha Protocol was absolutely glorious, indeed. And it was, and still is, more Next Gen than most anything out there these days. In this regard at least.

Pity.

230°

All the Essential Video Games Everyone Needs To Play At Least Once

Given the medium's wild diversity, this primer of the essential video games everyone should try is a good place to start.

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wealthofgeeks.com
thorstein44d ago

.... from the 2000s (mostly).

shinoff218344d ago

I can't fk with this list. They missed on alot of games probably before the writers times. Also I know people loved some portal but I was never a fan.

Cacabunga44d ago

Tomb Raider 1
Driver 1
Abe’s Odyssey
FF6
King of Fighters 94
Mortal Kombat OG
LINK 2 the past
Street Fighter 2
Resident Evil 1

Inverno44d ago

Infinite but not the first two games? Witcher 3 but not the first two games?? GTA V but not literally any of the games before it??? Portal 2 but not the first? Also if you're going to play Shadow of The Colossus play the remaster and not the remake. Can't say I disagree with the list but my man it's all over the place.

Name Last Name44d ago

I mean some sequels are objectively better and you don’t need to play the whole series.

Inverno44d ago

But most of these games have a story to follow, sure you can catch up with a YouTube vid but where's the fun in that?

LucasRuinedChildhood44d ago (Edited 44d ago )

A list like this isn't telling you not to play the previous games if you want to. It's just giving you legendary games to play.

But tbh, you don't always have to force yourself to play every entry in a franchise to get to the better ones.

- The vast majority of Witcher 3 players never played the first 2 and had a great time. The first 2 games aren't in the same league.
- The GTA games are self-contained with the odd fun reference. You can easily jump into any of them.
- The Shadow Of The Colossus remake looks and controls better than the original (plus it has a 60fps option while the remaster is just 30fps). New players will enjoy it more.
- Portal 2 is a lot better than Portal 1 and takes the concept much further gameplay-wise. Storywise, Portal 1 is fairly light too. Not that you shouldn't play it but realistically ... you'd love Portal 2 whether you play it or not (at lot of Portal 2 players have never played 1).

Bioshock 1 is the only one I agree with you on simply because it's one the best games of all time and arguably better than Infinite. No other setting like Rapture.

Looking at the list, I'd recommend playing Uncharted 1 before 2 but no doubt, 2 is the legendary one you have to play.

Inverno43d ago

I get it, but that's just my opinion on his opinion. I just think that before you play a sequel you should still play what came before it. Maybe it's just me but i find it fascinating playing through the first game in a series and seeing how it has evolved through its sequels. Like I said I don't disagree with the list, other than SoTC which I strongly believe the remaster of the original should be played above the remake.

AuraAbjure43d ago

Awesome list! Hot take on Fear (and it's hard af expansion Persaus Mandate!) Bioshock Infinite is stellar, so is the Witcher 3 and you nailed it by having Ocarina of Time. So many fantastic games! Gotta play 'em all! Next one on my list is Prey after I beat Dead Space 2 and Splinter Cell Conviction.

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90°

Dark Souls: 10 Best Weapons In The Series

TheGamer writes, "Some weapons resist the test of time."

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thegamer.com
Father__Merrin63d ago

bastard sword and claymore do the job when grinded up