Why Do Games Lose Our Interest?
Over at
Blow In The Game Slot Colette asks why games are unable to hold interest like they used to. It's not that the games aren't as good or the software companies are doing something wrong. What I believe the problem to be is that when I used to sit for hours playing an RPG it was about leveling up. The story was what kept me interested, but for the most part the old school RPG's weren't based around how many hour of playtime there was. It was about completing objectives, raising your stats, and taking on more powerful enemies. This is the reason that people will abandon titles they've looked forward to for months, yet still spend 20+ hours a week on an MMO. Somewhere along the way being able to say that your game had 40+ hours of gaming was a selling point, for me it's a turn off. I don't want to be forced to play a game for a period of time to complete it, if I'm good enough let me finish faster.
The other reason I think I often find myself abandoning games after I've played them for hours is my personal schedule. When I was a little kid I didn't have any responsibilities. I could come home from school or wake up during the summer and spend hours killing slimes of different colors in Dragon Warrior. Nothing took my attention away from the game unless I wanted it to. Now if I begin playing some RPG I need to schedule it. A lot of them don't even let you get to actually playing the game for two hours or so. Considering that I have bills to pay, a wife to argue with, an infant son to change and feed, and cigarettes to smoke there isn't a lot of time for me to get sucked in like I used to. If I do happen to get a day where I game get deep into the story, without a doubt there will be some event the next day that prevents me from even turning the game on.
In short I think it's a simple formula for me. Games have gotten longer and I have less time to play them.
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But you have a kid.... hmmm. I'm sort of in the same situation as you, but when I lose interest in a game, it's usually cause my brain wants to play something different and less mind consuming, like an FPS or a fighter.
Don't lose hope!
I usauallyu don't play a game till there is an Unlocked 100% Game Save. Then I go through & Experience the flavor they're trying to bring to said gamer's console of choice!
The reason for this is to get my friends lined up for a arcady feel, to that gaming/drinking night! More fun than trying to beat the game is to enjoy it fully complete!
I do the above to all games except FPS' & Mature Rated TPS'... Then I like the challenge & like the Experience more...
Exceptions would be to 100% right away. RPGs, you should then be left to your own devices. ( Lvl.'ing Up Wise & Development Wise! )
Oh, yeah, do what Rockvillin said. Just put a towel under teh bathroom door or something.
Games nowdays are getting too complicated for their own good. Take FF XII for example. Gone are the dungeons that have a save half way through, or the easy save on the map feature, replace by "save crystals" sparingly situated around the world. I'm not ragging on FFXII in any way here, I'm trying to say that it's not as easy to pick up and play for a random period of time like it used to be.
Now you really have to set a time slot to play games, with the exeption of most FPS's, which have the "save anywhere" option.