Gaming irks

[Asura]

The ability to save whenever I like is the biggest advantage a game can have for me. All the GBA/DS/PSP/Vita SRW games let you temp save so you can jump back in almost straightaway. The suspend function that the DS and PSP brought us meant that we didn't have to let real life pass by, and we can get gaming into a few minutes here and there.

I see this as an absolute necessity for handheld games. I've actually ditched games early in the past for omitting this (Disgaea for DS didn't let you save mid-battle. OK on the DS, due to its long suspend life, but useless on the 3DS).

[nakamura]

My gaming irk right now is me and my reduced time and patience for gaming. I have pretty much given up on ZombiU because I found the lack of progress too fustrating (though I may just drop to an easy difficulty of that's possible). So last night I played Metroid Prime instead. Was a little lost wandering around Chozo and was cursing the lack of in-game pointers.

And then it hit me. I have so often felt the exact opposite - that games spend far too much time holding our hands and walking us through the obvious. Games like Metroid Prime with so much exploration and discovery should be exactly as they are. They shouldn't change.

What has changed is me and my time. I have so little time for gaming that to play for half an hour and feel like I made no progress is frustrating. So I need that quick movement forward. I need not to get stuck. Getting stuck means my game time trickling away. And so what is wrong with ZombiU and other games is not the game, it's me and my lack of time.

Yup. Nothing wrong with Metroid Prime etc, it gives you just enough. I always have an FAQ handy for these moments. I want the challenge but not got the time to spend forever in a game.

[Wools]

What has changed is me and my time. I have so little time for gaming that to play for half an hour and feel like I made no progress is frustrating. So I need that quick movement forward. I need not to get stuck. Getting stuck means my game time trickling away. And so what is wrong with ZombiU and other games is not the game, it's me and my lack of time.

I'm in the same boat as you. I'm married with a full time job and own my own house with all the duties that come along with that, not to mention other hobbies like running, home improvement and the gym.

What works for me is focus. I only have 1 game on the go at any time and once it's complete, I move on. I've been playing The Last of Us for nearly 2 months now but I'm only half way through! Still, I take my time even if I only get 1 hour a night and that's more than enough for me. Previously I would buy almost every game that got good reviews and currently The Witcher 3 and Batman Arkham Knight are on my to buy list, but what's the point? I have Project Cars and The Last of Us that's taking up all my gaming time. If I brought them, I would never complete TLOU or PCARS and still only get a few hours a week.

If you hold off till you've got your moneys worth, Witcher & Batman will be ?20 new and you'll have the time to dedicate to them.

I had more time for gaming as a kid, but I spent a lot of that time just re-playing old games. Now I get more new experiences and I'm more selective as a I don't have a lot of free time. See, getting older does have its benefits!

[kryss]

Planetside 2 launched for PS4 this week. A year's subscription is $120? Sorry, I wouldn't even pay that for Monster Hunter.

[Dogg Thang]

Wools, you're right. One at a time is probably better. I knew some of you guys would relate to that. But hey, imagine how much game time we'll have when we retire!

Actually that might end up being a huge games market...

[kryss]

Speak for yourself, I plan to have crippling arthritis by then from the weeks of my life spent on handheld gaming.

[noobish hat]

Wools, you're right. One at a time is probably better. I knew some of you guys would relate to that. But hey, imagine how much game time we'll have when we retire!

Actually that might end up being a huge games market...

That's assuming that anyone of our generation will ever be allowed to retire. That particular goalpost seems to be getting farther away, not nearer.

[Dogg Thang]

That's true. And depressing.

[eastyy]

Wife has been playing through tomb raider games on the ps3 and after having played a bit of them all i think they are some of the most buggiest games i have ever played in every game i have come across a game breaking bug.

[fishbowlhead]

Collectors editions. Just an absolute load of tat.

[QualityChimp]

I was going to suggest a co-op session on Resistance 2, but they've turned the servers off!

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-shuts-down-resistance-series-online-features-for-good-april-8/1100-6418790/

[nakamura]

Iirc the Co op is poor in that anyway.

[eastyy]

When i put in hyrule warriors and it said i needed to download a update before i could play and in my mind i was going nooooo nintendo not you to

[speedlolita]

Nintendo didn't make that.

[Brad]

Iirc the Co op is poor in that anyway.

You recall incorrectly! The co-op is the best thing about resistance 2 and is, or was, really good fun.