Who's run out of time to play the 'long' videogames??

[Max P.]

Really hope this doesn't sound too 'Victor Meldrew' but looking at boxes and boxes of retro games and not having found time to play a single game properly for maybe a year I can't imagine ever being able to play through all those classics as I did back in the 90's - used to play through SMW at least once a year.

Guess it comes to us all at a certain age but with business, kids and all the rest of it there's a thought that life's too short to waste it sitting in front of a telly and I might never again play right through Zelda, Secret of Mana, SOS, Goemon, Mario, Yoshi's Island, MGS, Resident Evil, Goldeneye, Super Hang On, Tokyo Bus Guide etc...get to plug in the MVS now and again but that's about it...

Blimey I'm an old git!

[sj33]

To be honest, it's not the old games that are the problem for me, quite the contrary. Whilst I am one who does feel that gaming has advanced with every generation, I certainly don't have the time these days to sit down and dedicate a significant amount of hours to a game - at best, I might be able to manage 2 hours or so a night. With that in mind, I appreciate a game where you can sit down and play for as long as you feel like, arcade titles for example. Most of the games you cite can quite easily be played in smaller chunks.

[Atomizer]

I agree with this. What with work taking 70% of the week, and sleep taking 15%, that leaves 15% of the week to do whatever else needs doing, leaving only a tiny amount of time for gaming. Games that cant be saved when you want to save them tend to hardly get touched anymore because there just isnt enough time to play em. Thats whats so great about the ds and the psp. Sleep mode ftw! Oh and they're portable, so lunch breaks at work are usually occupied by handhelds.

[speedlolita]

I just see them as a huge waste of time now. lol

[dragonfly10]

Yeah I got a similar problem, but that applies mostly only to newer games where there is much focus on story and the like which I don't have the time/patience to follow properly. Some games should be played with steadiness to get the best experience out of them. If you don't have the time or whatever to sit down every day or maybe every second day to play those games you will be out of "sync" pretty soon. In those cases I feel the need to restart from scratch which sometimes leads to an endless loop trying to get a playthrough done on those titles (mostly RPGs) that need a 30hrs+ investment.

At the moment I prefer PSP or DS games where you can save often and play in small chunks. Another thing is that those games don't take as much time for a playthrough than most games on modern consoles. Retro games often fit the description of today's portable games since alot of them are more arcade style in nature. As for the portable games I played through more of those in 2010 up to now than home console games in the last few years I think.

As you mentioned already the MVS is a really good way to play games if you don't have that much time on hand. Another genre aside from the arcade style games that I can recommend are pinball games.

Many people and also reviewers tend to see a relatively short playthrough time of maybe 10-12hours as a bad thing. To be honest I prefer a shorter (maybe even easier) game where I manage to get a playthrough done than epic games where I get lost somewhere on the road.

[tokyochojin]

I felt the same for around three years or so, then I picked up Fallout 3 and it dragged me right back into gaming.

[losersclub]

I go through stages, sometimes i only want to (and only have time for) pick up and play arcade games where i can just play a credit here and there

Other times i really get the urge to get stuck into something story based when i have more time available, either old or new

[Soundwave]

This is me 100%

I pretty much only play Fifa or PS2/360 Shooters & Fighters these days.

I just simply don't have the time to plough hundreds of hours into massive story driven games these days.
The last game I played like that was Transformers: WFC & I'm still ploughing through it after buying it on launch.

I honestly cant see me getting into big games anymore, I still buy them in the hope of one day finding the time (I've got Alan Wake, Heavy Rain, God 3, Mario Galaxy 2 all sat on my shelf waiting to get started) & reckon I'll continue to do so in the vain hope that I'll find the time.

I like old school pick up & put down games ones I can play for 30 minutes & put down again easily not one that takes 30 minutes to get into & then I have to play for another 2 hrs before I can save or turn it off because I've advanced the story enough.

It's a shame as there are a lot on the horizon I really want to play (Dead Space 2, Fallout: Vegas, Epic Mickey, Gears 3 etc.) but I don't think I'll ever get round to them.

Life unfortunately has taken over & I miss the good old days of being able to lose myself in a game.

[Colin]

but that's why you're going to buy a cab, right?

Totally agree with the sentiments above. Before I sold my PS3, all I played on it were quick fix sports games. If I stuck a game on that had a 20 minute tutorial, it was launched out the window. My gaming wish list is all old school 'quick blast' stuff. I'm very stuck in my ways.

[Roddie]

I felt the same for around three years or so, then I picked up Fallout 3 and it dragged me right back into gaming.

This is one game I don't think I will ever have enough time to play through.

[Soundwave]

but that's why you're going to buy a cab, right?

Totally agree with the sentiments above. Before I sold my PS3, all I played on it were quick fix sports games. If I stuck a game on that had a 20 minute tutorial, it was launched out the window. My gaming wish list is all old school 'quick blast' stuff. I'm very stuck in my ways.

Exactly

If I can get a tri-sync then the 360 gets hooked up & I might go the "naughty" route & pick up one of those multi PCB's like Neil 2K is selling & I'll be sorted for a LONG time
Although I reckon if I sell the PS2 to fund it then at some point I'll have to be buying one back with a J-Pac so that I can use it for titles like Street Fighter 3, Guilty Gear, Hokuto No Ken, Espa & Mushi as no way I'm trying to emulate & the cost of PCB's will cripple me, so I may have to keep it all & just try & save instead lol

I am quite tempted to pick up the new Batman Brave & Bold title for the Wii though as that look like proper old school platforming fun (the SNES Adventures is still my best platformer of all time & hoping this is just an update )

Neil

[garrz32]

This is me 100%

I pretty much only play Fifa or PS2/360 Shooters & Fighters these days.

I just simply don't have the time to plough hundreds of hours into massive story driven games these days.
The last game I played like that was Transformers: WFC & I'm still ploughing through it after buying it on launch.

I honestly cant see me getting into big games anymore, I still buy them in the hope of one day finding the time (I've got Alan Wake, Heavy Rain, God 3, Mario Galaxy 2 all sat on my shelf waiting to get started) & reckon I'll continue to do so in the vain hope that I'll find the time.

I like old school pick up & put down games ones I can play for 30 minutes & put down again easily not one that takes 30 minutes to get into & then I have to play for another 2 hrs before I can save or turn it off because I've advanced the story enough.

It's a shame as there are a lot on the horizon I really want to play (Dead Space 2, Fallout: Vegas, Epic Mickey, Gears 3 etc.) but I don't think I'll ever get round to them.

Life unfortunately has taken over & I miss the good old days of being able to lose myself in a game.

This is spot on for me,in fact I don't think I could have written it better

I've got a cab and it's perfect for me,I grew up among arcade/snooker halls that were ripe with classic games.The last console game I played right thro was Uncharted 2..

Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with long games,there just not for me..I just have better things to do with my life than sitting thro hours of gameplay(esp Achievements,100% complete)Aaaargh awful

[Max P.]

Glad I'm not the only one. However, it was a lot easier way back in the day - had one console (SFC) and used to rent games from Megaware so played one game flat out for a week and the next week a new one. Then over the last 15 years gradually got a N64/MD/PCE/PS/Saturn/DC/MVS... blah,blah, blah. If I was ever brave enough I'd out the lot and keep the SFC and a core of 15 games or so. But I'd regret it for the rest of my life.

[Colin]

Have to say, speedlolitas cab is a pretty tempting little bugger. Considered it myself as a 2nd vert cab!!!!!

Uncharted 2, funnily enough was the last 'long' game I played to completion too. All these games like fallout 3, demon's souls etc, I got the hump with in under an hour. And if a game won't let me skip all the boring cut scenes, well god help it.............

[Baseley09]

Couldnt agree more, hence why i moved into the world of jab gaming, stupid games that last a few minutes like Deer Hunter HD or a blast on Madden will do me just fine, I recently bought Bayonetta and its been on twice, I hope to give it a good crack over time - hopefully its quite short, the levels seem quite compact so far.

I have no yearning to buy any games in the foreseeable future other than off PSN or itunes, the task of tutorials and story etc seems too daunting.