It's easier being a gamer now?
As a kid nobody really talked about gaming, at least not where I grew up. I didn't know who actually played games and who didn't. It wasn't considered as cool to be a gamer and it would often get you the status of nerd or loser if you were considered as someone that played video games. So you can imagine that not everyone was that talkative about that hobby. Of course you eventually learn when people are gamers but people wouldn't be as open about it as now.
It was difficult to be a gamer in the past?
Well I can't say that I ever had any difficulties with it. I wasn't ashamed of being a gamer but I can't say that I was proud of it either. It was just a hobby I liked to do and that made me happy, but I didn't always share that with everyone. But that wasn't really the difficulty I'm talking about. These days you can look up videos, guides and pretty much get an in game help or support system that can greatly help you get certain achievements/trophies, beat bosses or difficult levels and get full walkthroughs to make it through the game without too much trouble. In the early days of gaming that didn't exist. Not that you needed that for every game but some games could offer some challenges. I know my first Zelda game was a bit tricky, in the the legend of Zelda: the ocarina of time I called the Nintendo support line for some guidance through some difficult levels. Even more in the legend of Zelda: Majora's mask. But now we're talking about the late 90's and that was already in the early stages of the internet offering you guides. If you needed help in a Mario game or other game that gave you trouble in the 80's or early 90's you either needed someone that could help you or just get better yourself. I know that I had issues at first with gaming, I wasn't good at it and I practiced just as long until I could beat even the most annoying and hardest of games. You know the type of game where your character dies if you get hit only once and the entire screen is full of crap that can kill you. It probably didn't surprise you that I already raged in those days, dying for the 50th time because of a boss or a difficult moment in a level. It made me mad but it also made me more determined than ever to make it. I hate losing and to accept loss would be something I couldn't accept and so I kept trying until I made it. Which sometimes resulted in me shouting at the screen but eventually I would make it and then the joy of making it made me so happy that I didn't even remember the rage. Games back then could easily frustrate you, some games were almost designed the annoy the crap out of you, but they made you stronger. You learned to keep pushing and not give up, at least if you wanted to win. You couldn't really brag about it, I mean not if you wanted everyone in your class to know you're a gamer and who knows what kind of risk that would be! You played games for yourself and every victory was mostly a personal victory. That made gaming pretty personal and intense.
Gaming is easier now?
Gaming is pretty popular right now, I think most people would consider you a loser for not playing games or at least know about certain games. How many kids have not grown up with games these days? I got my first console when I was ten, something that is almost unthinkable these days when there are kids that can barely talk or walk that already have a controller in their hands. If you're stuck in a game then you just go online for help. So many people make videos online and there is so much information you can find on the internet. If that's not enough there are even entire guides you buy in a game shop or just click in certain games for a hint or check out a (big) tutorial. Not something I would expect in one of the games from my early days of gaming. But has gaming become easier? Well not really, because eventhough there is more help there are also more challenges. Games haven't always become easier and some will challenge you a lot. Of course there are guides that can help you but reading or seeing how you need to do something doesn't always mean that you can do it yourself. Some games will require you to respond quickly, for example with quick time events (QTE), and that's not for everyone. But the good thing about games is that there are many different games. If one type doesn't work for you then there are a lot of other types you can play. So the offer has definitely increased and gaming can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be. So certain things are easier or should I say better? I know some veteran gamers want to talk shit about games and gamers these days but it's not like everything was better in the early days of gaming. I guess we all have our own favourite games and our own memories with gaming. Some things you like and others you would hate, it's the trick to find the things that you like without bumping into the things you hate when you want to buy a game or play a game. Does it really matter if games have become easier or not? The most important thing is that you enjoy playing a game because that's the main reason you probably play games, because it's something you like to do! We don't all have to be amazing at it and I'm not ashamed to just stick to easy or normal difficulty in certain games. As if you're less of a gamer when you do that. Have fun playing games and don't worry to much what others might say or think, the most important part is that you're having fun playing a game!
It was difficult to be a gamer in the past?
Well I can't say that I ever had any difficulties with it. I wasn't ashamed of being a gamer but I can't say that I was proud of it either. It was just a hobby I liked to do and that made me happy, but I didn't always share that with everyone. But that wasn't really the difficulty I'm talking about. These days you can look up videos, guides and pretty much get an in game help or support system that can greatly help you get certain achievements/trophies, beat bosses or difficult levels and get full walkthroughs to make it through the game without too much trouble. In the early days of gaming that didn't exist. Not that you needed that for every game but some games could offer some challenges. I know my first Zelda game was a bit tricky, in the the legend of Zelda: the ocarina of time I called the Nintendo support line for some guidance through some difficult levels. Even more in the legend of Zelda: Majora's mask. But now we're talking about the late 90's and that was already in the early stages of the internet offering you guides. If you needed help in a Mario game or other game that gave you trouble in the 80's or early 90's you either needed someone that could help you or just get better yourself. I know that I had issues at first with gaming, I wasn't good at it and I practiced just as long until I could beat even the most annoying and hardest of games. You know the type of game where your character dies if you get hit only once and the entire screen is full of crap that can kill you. It probably didn't surprise you that I already raged in those days, dying for the 50th time because of a boss or a difficult moment in a level. It made me mad but it also made me more determined than ever to make it. I hate losing and to accept loss would be something I couldn't accept and so I kept trying until I made it. Which sometimes resulted in me shouting at the screen but eventually I would make it and then the joy of making it made me so happy that I didn't even remember the rage. Games back then could easily frustrate you, some games were almost designed the annoy the crap out of you, but they made you stronger. You learned to keep pushing and not give up, at least if you wanted to win. You couldn't really brag about it, I mean not if you wanted everyone in your class to know you're a gamer and who knows what kind of risk that would be! You played games for yourself and every victory was mostly a personal victory. That made gaming pretty personal and intense.
Gaming is easier now?
Gaming is pretty popular right now, I think most people would consider you a loser for not playing games or at least know about certain games. How many kids have not grown up with games these days? I got my first console when I was ten, something that is almost unthinkable these days when there are kids that can barely talk or walk that already have a controller in their hands. If you're stuck in a game then you just go online for help. So many people make videos online and there is so much information you can find on the internet. If that's not enough there are even entire guides you buy in a game shop or just click in certain games for a hint or check out a (big) tutorial. Not something I would expect in one of the games from my early days of gaming. But has gaming become easier? Well not really, because eventhough there is more help there are also more challenges. Games haven't always become easier and some will challenge you a lot. Of course there are guides that can help you but reading or seeing how you need to do something doesn't always mean that you can do it yourself. Some games will require you to respond quickly, for example with quick time events (QTE), and that's not for everyone. But the good thing about games is that there are many different games. If one type doesn't work for you then there are a lot of other types you can play. So the offer has definitely increased and gaming can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be. So certain things are easier or should I say better? I know some veteran gamers want to talk shit about games and gamers these days but it's not like everything was better in the early days of gaming. I guess we all have our own favourite games and our own memories with gaming. Some things you like and others you would hate, it's the trick to find the things that you like without bumping into the things you hate when you want to buy a game or play a game. Does it really matter if games have become easier or not? The most important thing is that you enjoy playing a game because that's the main reason you probably play games, because it's something you like to do! We don't all have to be amazing at it and I'm not ashamed to just stick to easy or normal difficulty in certain games. As if you're less of a gamer when you do that. Have fun playing games and don't worry to much what others might say or think, the most important part is that you're having fun playing a game!
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