DarkZero Staff Discussion #2 - Are games getting easier?

Are Games Getting Easier?

FEF

This is something I feel strongly about, and I think that games are getting easier. Mostly as games in older days were extremely hard (some such as Aladdin took 20+ hours to complete, and even then some people didn’t manage to complete it).

However, I do think gamers are getting better. Together with games getting easier, people are moaning more about the length of games getting shorter, when infact some parts are easier than normal, and we’re getting more skilled at games.

I think a major proof of this would be UT2k3 - Quake. How good were people on deathmatch in Quake I? Not very. Not only was it hard to see what was going on, but there was quite a lot of slowdown. Whereas nowadays with our 3Ghz computers and 10mb connections we can frag someone from the otherside of a level with ease, and with no slowdown. And that’s another point; as computers get more realistic and faster, people will be more used to games, and will therefore be better at them.

With the combination of these three elements, gamers will always be moaning as games will always be getting easier. Even if it’s through experience, you’re bound to be better at UT2k3 than you were when you were playing Quake, purely as you’ve had a longer time to get used to the games, and now how they play. Realism is a great part of games as we will be able to fit in with them, and believe we may well be ‘in’ the game, but in the end it boils down to gamers moaning. You could even say that technology is pulling games’ progression backwards, if you think about it!

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Johelian

I don’t think so. I think the introduction of the “save” feature has been a godsend - trying to get through Sonic or New Zealand Story in one sitting again like the old days is a nightmare - but has also made games seem a lot easier. After all, if you get killed by a boss, you can just reload and do that same bit again. The only game that’s really come close to that arcadey style as of recent times is Viewtiful Joe - which everyone now says is too hard. Ditto Sonic Mega Collection, which a number of people seem truly horrified with for the fact you cant save mid-game. This is the only reason I feel people are breezing through games now as compared to “the olden days” - Prince of Persia: Sands of Time would have been rock hard if you couldn’t use continues every five minutes.

But having said that, who these days has the same amount of time to play games as they did when they were younger? To reflect the changes in peoples lifestyles, more save points have to be introduced so that people can play in short bursts when they have time, and puzzles cant take a ridiculously long amount of time to complete. Therefore, I think games are as hard as they ever were; just now for added convenience we can save it and pick it up anytime.

Of course, don’t forget that there simply just ARE many more games on the market now - you’ll find a number of games where the difficulty is pitched just right, and then a number where it has been completely abused. Along the same lines, there just ARE many more grades of players using consoles now - hence the reason why selectable difficulty levels are a welcome addition. I don’t find gaming any easier now - just more convenient.

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Donkeythong

I agree with Jo, it’s the advent of the memory card that has made games seem easier. Instead of working to the end of a level to make a save, in a lot of games these days you can save and continue right where you are standing when you save it or near as damn it.
No more trying continues, extra lives e.t.c, just save it, and when you have saved it all your energy is replenished (Metroid Prime being a prime (no pun intended) example).

I am also swayed towards the idea that when games were first developed on a grand scale they were all new and a challenge to everyone, but we have all played RPG’s, FPS’, third person puzzle adventures e.t.c to death now and they (Mostly) all follow the same formula, we all know this, we know how we did it in the last game we played we know what’s required to be done and this aids us in the game. Its like a built in memory bank of Gaming solutions, that has been built up over the last 20 years in a lot of cases. So for these reasons I believe games are not getting easier if you are a new comer to the gaming world, but are if you are a regular player due to your built up knowledge of gaming.

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FEF

It’s True, the ability to save whenever has made games easier. But games such as FFX are still rock hard cause of not implementing that, but still… They do the same as Metroid Prime - ever “Save Sphere” you touch gives you all your health back! Which means, if you find a point with a save sphere next to you, you can train up far too easily and get to an extremely high level early on, which sort of defies the point of the difficulty level.

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PowerSlave

I don’t think games are getting easier, were just getting better, for instance i remember playing A Link To The Past on the SNES as a kid, one of the things that stood out to me was how difficult i was.

I like many others purchased The Wind Waker and was disappointed at how easy it was, then i bought the GBA version of Link to the Past and it was amazingly easy. The same happened with Metroid Prime and Super Metroid, Mario Sunshine and Mario World, Mario Kart DD and Super Mario Kart, at the time they seemed difficult but after playing for 8 more years they are easier.

Another question is how will Game designers advance the difficultly level with out making the game a frustrating waste of time?, I am looking at Mario 128 to answer that question….

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Lint

Well, as i play a lot of RPG’s mainly, i have to say that in my opinion games are not getting easier. Games like skies of arcadia are packed with entertainment which will keep you playing for hours. Games that i hope will live up to expectations are Baiten Kaitos and Tales of Symphonia, and i have faith that these will not be a rollover.

Having said that, i also think that franchise games such as games based on films, that new gamers are more likely to buy are easier to complete. I think this is due to a ‘purchase pleasement act’ as if a person cannot complete the game, he/she/it may feel cheated out of however much he paid. It is also true that games are becoming too casual in some cases and I think this needs to be sorted out.

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FEF

That’s a valid point Lint - RPGs definitely aren’t getting harder, except for FFX. FFX was made far too easy by having the replenishing health at save spheres… I just thought it was far too easy, even with all the new innovations since other games like the save sphere. Can’t wait to see what they’ve done with FFX-2 about it… Not replenishing health at save points makes games more of a challenge. FFVII is harder than FFX, but purely because of the save point exploit in FFX, otherwise I’d say it’s the other way round.

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Ian1969uk

Games have had to become a little easier as they become more common mainstream entertainment. Like it or not, a rock hard game is going to sell only to the hardcore gaming enthusiasts and not the mass market (Ikaruga anyone?).

Games companies are in this to make money and, therefore, they want the games to sell to the widest possible audience.

There is certainly room for variable difficulty levels and this seems to be in most of the games nowadays. This idea of “choose your own level” appeals to me. Those with many gaming hours can choose the hardest levels and play them for hours before getting through. Those, like me, who work and don’t have a lot of time to play can play at a level that suits them for those quick blasts.

One gripe, though. I don’t like games that make you choose the difficulty level at the start and then that’s it. It’s much better for games to have a slider that can be adjusted at any time in the game. Then, if you hit a tough spot, you can slide it down a notch until you get past it.

In general then, they do seem a little easier, but maybe I have just played a lot and have gotten better than I was in ‘the good old days’.

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Surrealist

I don’t think games are getting easier. Sure, games have to appeal to the mainstream market, but you just have difficulty levels now. Also, this allows for longer game time as you can play through all of the difficulty levels (and then become a master at the game and go challenge other legends online!)

Also, I disagree with Ian. A slider in-game? If you choose a difficulty level, then you should stick with it or (like some games) you start on a difficulty level and if you keep getting game over, it’ll give you the option of moving down the level.

Johelian has a point about the saving mid-game. It is true that it would be impossible nowadays on some games to get through without saving mid-game. But then it all seems easy. Well a way to remedy this is to use the way Jak 2 (as an example) has done it. If you die, you start that particular mission again. It all seems terribly simple to me. You don’t start from miles back or from just before the hard bit. It’s a useful mid-point.

Powerslave also has a valid point. The fact that we get older and more experienced at games in general makes games seem easier. But then we might not notice that games are getting HARDER. And this might put off more casual gamers. And this might make game developers make games EASIER. And this would be annoying. But then I remember difficulty levels and I breathe a sigh of relief…..

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BlackFox

Well as I’m relatively new to games compared to many people on DarkZero, i would say that games aren’t getting easier.

My first console was a PS1 and I can remember played on Metal Gear Solid for absolutely ages! Although the game wasn’t extremely hard, it was a task to try to complete the game. Metal Gear is one of the hardest bosses i have defeated on a game. I had to try for about 15 goes (!) to defeat him.

Now with my Cube, the games on there aren’t any easier compared to my humble PS1. Metroid Prime, one of my favorite games, is very long. And in places it does stump you! I’m on about 20 hours plus now and I still haven’t finished the game! The bosses in the game are of good standard. Omega Pirate is a very hard boss I think.

Eternal Darkness and The Wind Waker, I personally think, are fairly hard too. I still haven’t completed Wind Waker (mainly due to the fact I cant get through Ganon’s tower). Eternal Darkness in some places is very hard and some of the gameplay is very hard too. The only criticism to this is that the bosses were easier!

In conclusion, i think games are still as hard (and fun) as they used to be.

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Tarantino

I personally believe that it is not the games that are getting easier but the player are getting better. Anyone that has played games for 10+ years has to have gotten better at what they do, their reaction time and hand eye coordination would have went slight up. A good example of this fact would be a Capcom’s latest game “Viewtiful Joe”

I found this game very difficult the first time I played though I actually resorted to throwing the controller a few time it was so bloody hard but a mate of mine didn’t have such a hard time as me, he flew though the “adult mode” and only got into bother on the “V-Rated mode”. The only reason that comes to mind on why I found it so hard and he didn’t was the fact I only played game like streets of rage and double dragon a few time back in 1996 but my mate was addicted to them and played them to death. So when it came for him to play “Viewtiful Joe” he knew what he was doing and found it easier.

Having said all that though some game are getting easier, Wind Waker was noticeably easier than Ocarina Of time, but the fun factor was still there which is the important thing

In conclusion I believe some games are getting a bit easier but what some people fail to notice is it might be themselves that are getting better!

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Dark_Link

Firstly I would like to say that I think, that in general, games are getting easier. That is not to say that games like Viewtiful Joe, or Ikaruga are not difficult games. What I am saying, is that in the last decade, gaming has become increasingly popular, and increasingly mainstream. Therefore developers have had a larger market to appeal to. Now put yourself in the shoes of a developer. Do you make a challenging game that requires a large amount of skill to play, that will only appeal to a small percent of the gaming public, i.e. ‘hardcore’ gamers, or do you make a game with a gentle learning curve, that will appeal to the ‘casual’ gamer. If you decide to do the later, then the chances of getting a publisher, and then making money on the product are much higher than if option 1 is taken. The reason I came to this conclusion, was because I recently played Alex Kidd in Miracle World, on the Sega Master System II.

I remember playing this game when i was six or so, and being able to at least get past the first level. Well, this time I didn’t even make it halfway. This is because I have become used to the easier difficulty levels that are in current games. In other words, I have lost some of my skill. It could also be that the way games are played has changed. It used to be that you played a level over and over again, until you knew exactly where that enemy was going to jump from, and exactly how to beat that boss. I remember some of the bosses in older games took me forever to beat, whereas the final boss of Metroid Prime - which I consider to be one of the more difficult games on the GameCube - took me only four attempts.

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Scorpio

I wouldn’t say there is a general trend of games getting easier or harder. The problem is, if you look at the software charts, the industry is bombarded by games by companies such as EA. I try to stay away from their games as I find them uneventful and lacking gameplay. The last game I bought from them was Nightfire - I won’t be buying Everything or Nothing that’s for sure. Looking at Nightfire you would have to say that is an easy game to complete.

The problem is we have many developers that seem to me to be concentrating on graphics rather than gameplay. While graphics are nice to look at they lose their impression after a while if you truly get into the game. If you’ve completed a game and the best thing you find, when looking back is the graphics - something’s wrong. We see a lot of games in the market based on films. They never work (Goldeneye the exception to the rule) and usually have lots of style but no substance. Take Enter the Matrix as an example. The point I’m making is if companies like EA make games based on licenses (FIFA football series etc) or films, they know they will sell well. I believe this leads to a game will lots of graphical power but no substance - making the game easier to complete and the experience a less enjoyable one.

I said that I don’t think games are getting easier on the whole. I say this because if you look beyond these games mentioned you will find many games on the market that don’t have mass appeal but still require skill, determination and perseverance to complete as well as being fun to play. Viewtiful Joe has been mentioned but also Metroid Prime should be thrown into the equation. Although it was one of the GC’s biggest games it didn’t sell millions - it hardly made an impression on the multi-format charts in the UK. These games as well as many others challenge gamers while still offering the desired graphics and fun factor.