Post by Chris Lionheart on Aug 9, 2007 8:39:45 GMT -5
Now I'm prolly one of the most adamant gamers amongst us but even I find myself getting bored every once in awhile with what I have or what's available. That said, I'd like to share with you some tips I've found that help me get back into games during my lulls...
1) "New" doesn't necessarily mean "best"...
One thing that's irritated me constantly throughout my gaming "career" is the fact that whenever someone asks for a game to play on a message board they'd always end up with a top 10 list of the most recent games released - "The best game ever" doesn't come out once a month so I seriously don't understand this trend. Either way, the better suggestions are usually a whisper amidst these posts...
That said, you can strike gold in the bargain-bin just as easily as you can with games priced at $50! Games generally get cheaper as they age with a few exception but as the price goes down the great quality of the games still remain! Take a look at the top 10 games of all time on GameRankings.com - Most of those could be found for $20 or less (hell, I even found Metroid Prime which holds the #3 slot for $7 recently)...
You shouldn't look at it as you're buying an old game - You should ask yourself why it really matters how old the game is because if it's your first time playing it then IT'S NEW TO YOU! I've played through more than a few really big-name titles years after they were released (such as Metriod Prime) and they wowed me now just as much as they would've if I would've bought 'em on release day...
Some of the best games on any given platform are what most gamers would consider "old". If you think the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube are "dead" you are very mistaken - They will not be getting many more releases, yes, but each one of them has a huge backlog of games many of which could go toe-to-toe with games that're being released now. With that, I'll go into my next lil' tip...
2) Consider other platforms and "old" consoles...
I've been a Sony-exclusive gamer through the entirety of its existence from day 1 camping out in front of Comp USA to get my hands on one 'til the next-gen consoles started getting released. Since then PS2 games have kept me entirely entertained. I recently bought a Wii and an Xbox and it has opened up an amazing new library of titles that weren't released on PS2 - If you've only been gaming on a single console/with a single company throughout "last-gen" I'd expect you'd feel the same. On top of that, the "last-gen" systems are now pretty damn cheap so it's not really a big hit in the wallet to procure one...
Now, if you consider the PS2, Xbox, or GameCube "old" you may be mistaken - I'd say that once the next-gen consoles each have libraries of games that can keep you entertained entirely then you can call them "old" but until then I actually think of them as still the "current gen" systems (I know I play my PS2, Xbox, and GameCube games a lot more than I play my Wii or my brothers' 360). The point is that if you consider those consoles "old" I think you should rethink that and consider buying one...
All-in-all each of those consoles have a huge backlog, as I mentioned, which includes their own exclusive killer-aps that're amazing even when compared with recently released titles. Like I mentioned "new" doesn't necessarily mean "best"...
3) "Cheap" or "unknown" doesn't necessarily mean "bad"...
You can strike gold just as easily in the bargain bin as you can if you pay $50 for a game - That said, I'd definitely prefer to pick up a bunch of games for $10 or less than take a chance with a single game that costs $50. I keep reverting back to my previous points and I gotta' do it again: As games get older generally they get cheaper but they still have the same amount of quality as the day they were released!
What's more is that some of the best games I've ever played are some of those that're least known. Ever played Guitar Hero? There's a good probability you have... Ever played Amplitude? I doubt it. The odd thing is that they're made by the same people and though many found Amplitude to be better than Guitar Hero it simply wasn't well-known enough to get the sales it needed to get a sequel - Guitar Hero is the spiritual sequel to Amplitude and hardly anyone knows that there were games like Guitar Hero that came before Guitar Hero...
The point? There's tons of games out there like this - Absolutely amazing examples of what games should strive to be that people simply overlook. Taking a chance on a game you've never heard of is exactly what it sounds like - It's possible the game you take a chance on could be garbage but then again you could strike gold and find a really great gaming experience where you least expected it. When we're talkin' like $5-$10 in the bargain bin a lot of times it's worth that chance and you'll prolly strike gold a lot more than you think - You can't say "Games that're less than $10 suck!" until you've actually bought a few and even then I'd call it bad luck because I've found some really good games for $10 or less...
Taking a chance with games you "missed" or you've never heard of but look interesting can backfire but it can also reward you far beyond what you expect - When rather small amount of money is the only price you have to pay then why not? When it backfires you're down $5 but when it pays off you may end up with a game you'll love for years...
4) Force yourself to play through games that you liked but just stopped playing...
If you're like me you may stop playing a game you're really enjoying for no particular reason and then just never go back to it. Well, I've actually "forced" myself to play through games like this and had a very good experience...
Some games have mundane parts or just require ya' to get away from them for a bit so they can feel fresh again - The point is you'll only really have to "force" yourself to play through so much then the game will become genuinely fun again. I've done this with quite a few games and I'm rarely disappointed...
With Kingdom Hearts I had to try three times before I got far enough that I could appreciate it - After I got a ways into it I found myself playing it because it was an awesome experience and it would've never landed in my #2 spot where it now resides if I had never "forced" myself to play through the somewhat mundane beginning portion...
This really sounds like a dumb idea but, like I said, it can wield good results. Games generally aren't fully realized until you finish them and take a step back to look at the big picture - If you've only gone through part of a game and liked it you owe it to yourself to at least try to finish it so you can appreciate that "big picture"...
5) Multiplayer - It's what's for dinner...
If nothing else, sharing an experience in a video game with someone else is always fun. Generally I find co-op play to be much more fun than competitive but either way it's nice to actually be able to interact in games on a level that games can't create (on a "human" level)...
Online play with the right game and good enough chat options can render an experience just about as good as playing with your friends in person - Sometimes it can be even better (and who says your friends can't meet you online?)!
If you don't play much multiplayer then you're missing out on more than you think. Whether you're storming a terrorist stronghold, battling monsters to gain levels, or just shooting other people up in a deathmatch it's always better for another actual person to be playin' as well and even if you don't have friends to play with online modes have plenty of people to accommodate your need for playing with something other than AI...
THE BOTTOM LINE:
If you see any of the above you haven't yet taken to heart and you're feelin' kinda' bored of games I'd suggest you give 'em a go - There isn't much chance they'll make you less happy with games but there's a good chance they'll make you more happy with 'em. Hope this helps at least a few people out there find some fun they didn't know was there in the gamin' world because that's why I took the time to write out this monstrous commentary...
Well, adios for now, and happy gaming...
1) "New" doesn't necessarily mean "best"...
One thing that's irritated me constantly throughout my gaming "career" is the fact that whenever someone asks for a game to play on a message board they'd always end up with a top 10 list of the most recent games released - "The best game ever" doesn't come out once a month so I seriously don't understand this trend. Either way, the better suggestions are usually a whisper amidst these posts...
That said, you can strike gold in the bargain-bin just as easily as you can with games priced at $50! Games generally get cheaper as they age with a few exception but as the price goes down the great quality of the games still remain! Take a look at the top 10 games of all time on GameRankings.com - Most of those could be found for $20 or less (hell, I even found Metroid Prime which holds the #3 slot for $7 recently)...
You shouldn't look at it as you're buying an old game - You should ask yourself why it really matters how old the game is because if it's your first time playing it then IT'S NEW TO YOU! I've played through more than a few really big-name titles years after they were released (such as Metriod Prime) and they wowed me now just as much as they would've if I would've bought 'em on release day...
Some of the best games on any given platform are what most gamers would consider "old". If you think the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube are "dead" you are very mistaken - They will not be getting many more releases, yes, but each one of them has a huge backlog of games many of which could go toe-to-toe with games that're being released now. With that, I'll go into my next lil' tip...
2) Consider other platforms and "old" consoles...
I've been a Sony-exclusive gamer through the entirety of its existence from day 1 camping out in front of Comp USA to get my hands on one 'til the next-gen consoles started getting released. Since then PS2 games have kept me entirely entertained. I recently bought a Wii and an Xbox and it has opened up an amazing new library of titles that weren't released on PS2 - If you've only been gaming on a single console/with a single company throughout "last-gen" I'd expect you'd feel the same. On top of that, the "last-gen" systems are now pretty damn cheap so it's not really a big hit in the wallet to procure one...
Now, if you consider the PS2, Xbox, or GameCube "old" you may be mistaken - I'd say that once the next-gen consoles each have libraries of games that can keep you entertained entirely then you can call them "old" but until then I actually think of them as still the "current gen" systems (I know I play my PS2, Xbox, and GameCube games a lot more than I play my Wii or my brothers' 360). The point is that if you consider those consoles "old" I think you should rethink that and consider buying one...
All-in-all each of those consoles have a huge backlog, as I mentioned, which includes their own exclusive killer-aps that're amazing even when compared with recently released titles. Like I mentioned "new" doesn't necessarily mean "best"...
3) "Cheap" or "unknown" doesn't necessarily mean "bad"...
You can strike gold just as easily in the bargain bin as you can if you pay $50 for a game - That said, I'd definitely prefer to pick up a bunch of games for $10 or less than take a chance with a single game that costs $50. I keep reverting back to my previous points and I gotta' do it again: As games get older generally they get cheaper but they still have the same amount of quality as the day they were released!
What's more is that some of the best games I've ever played are some of those that're least known. Ever played Guitar Hero? There's a good probability you have... Ever played Amplitude? I doubt it. The odd thing is that they're made by the same people and though many found Amplitude to be better than Guitar Hero it simply wasn't well-known enough to get the sales it needed to get a sequel - Guitar Hero is the spiritual sequel to Amplitude and hardly anyone knows that there were games like Guitar Hero that came before Guitar Hero...
The point? There's tons of games out there like this - Absolutely amazing examples of what games should strive to be that people simply overlook. Taking a chance on a game you've never heard of is exactly what it sounds like - It's possible the game you take a chance on could be garbage but then again you could strike gold and find a really great gaming experience where you least expected it. When we're talkin' like $5-$10 in the bargain bin a lot of times it's worth that chance and you'll prolly strike gold a lot more than you think - You can't say "Games that're less than $10 suck!" until you've actually bought a few and even then I'd call it bad luck because I've found some really good games for $10 or less...
Taking a chance with games you "missed" or you've never heard of but look interesting can backfire but it can also reward you far beyond what you expect - When rather small amount of money is the only price you have to pay then why not? When it backfires you're down $5 but when it pays off you may end up with a game you'll love for years...
4) Force yourself to play through games that you liked but just stopped playing...
If you're like me you may stop playing a game you're really enjoying for no particular reason and then just never go back to it. Well, I've actually "forced" myself to play through games like this and had a very good experience...
Some games have mundane parts or just require ya' to get away from them for a bit so they can feel fresh again - The point is you'll only really have to "force" yourself to play through so much then the game will become genuinely fun again. I've done this with quite a few games and I'm rarely disappointed...
With Kingdom Hearts I had to try three times before I got far enough that I could appreciate it - After I got a ways into it I found myself playing it because it was an awesome experience and it would've never landed in my #2 spot where it now resides if I had never "forced" myself to play through the somewhat mundane beginning portion...
This really sounds like a dumb idea but, like I said, it can wield good results. Games generally aren't fully realized until you finish them and take a step back to look at the big picture - If you've only gone through part of a game and liked it you owe it to yourself to at least try to finish it so you can appreciate that "big picture"...
5) Multiplayer - It's what's for dinner...
If nothing else, sharing an experience in a video game with someone else is always fun. Generally I find co-op play to be much more fun than competitive but either way it's nice to actually be able to interact in games on a level that games can't create (on a "human" level)...
Online play with the right game and good enough chat options can render an experience just about as good as playing with your friends in person - Sometimes it can be even better (and who says your friends can't meet you online?)!
If you don't play much multiplayer then you're missing out on more than you think. Whether you're storming a terrorist stronghold, battling monsters to gain levels, or just shooting other people up in a deathmatch it's always better for another actual person to be playin' as well and even if you don't have friends to play with online modes have plenty of people to accommodate your need for playing with something other than AI...
THE BOTTOM LINE:
If you see any of the above you haven't yet taken to heart and you're feelin' kinda' bored of games I'd suggest you give 'em a go - There isn't much chance they'll make you less happy with games but there's a good chance they'll make you more happy with 'em. Hope this helps at least a few people out there find some fun they didn't know was there in the gamin' world because that's why I took the time to write out this monstrous commentary...
Well, adios for now, and happy gaming...
I'll take your advice next time I'm looking at games. I usually pick up 20$ games if they look fun, but I'll pick up stuff like 40-50$ sometimes. I personally think 60 is crazy. Just a few days ago I saw Smackdown vs Raw 2007 for 7 bucks. lol.
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i want your collection 
