Avery K. Tingle, The Gamer Author

Video games are now the biggest entertainment medium in the world. The global games market made over 180 billion dollars in 2021. That’s more than Hollywood and the music industry combined.

I remember the days of Atari, when openly pronouncing your love for video games pretty much relegated you to the bottom of the barrel in the school social hierarchy. How things have changed.

Don’t get me wrong. I still love gaming. I married a gamer. Playing something on a regular basis is part of my mental health routine. But it’s not the same. It’s not like it used to be, and I miss that.

I know that things have to change, evolve, and keep up with the times. I did not grow up in a connected world. If we wanted multiplayer, we lined up on a four-player arcade machine and went at it. Most games have to have some sort of multiplayer connectivity in order to succeed. I understand that I’m no longer in the target audience. Most modern games are not made for me. I really am okay with this; time marches on, and everyone should be given a chance to enjoy a pastime that has meant so much to people like me.

But pre-ordering has become a hit-or-miss nightmare. I miss the excitement of ordering a title, knowing I was going to get it on day one and be able to experience it fully. The last time I did this was Mass Effect 3. I pre-ordered Jedi: Survivor and that pretty much ensured that I’ll never pre-order any title ever again. Pre-ordered titles, especially on PC, are typically about eighty percent done and require several cycles of updates before they’re playable. The idea of forcing out an incomplete title to make a deadline in the name of some impossible bottom line makes no sense to me. When did we accept this as normal behavior?

When did it become normal to pay anywhere from sixty to five hundred dollars for a game, depending on bonuses, only to have to pay fifty or sixty more dollars for additional content? Street Fighter 6, latest incarnation of my most beloved franchise, I am looking at you. By the end of Street Fighters lifecycle, people will have shelled out hundreds of dollars on this title. Just for Capcom to turn around and do it again.

And for the love of Zod, do not get me started on microtransactions, forced always-online and exclusivity. Madden hasn’t been good in years. You know what forced Madden to continuously innovate? Threats like NFL Gameday and Blitz.

I’m grateful to be a fan of older titles, where I don’t need a monster PC to play my favorites like Ninja Gaiden, Mass Effect, and the older Assassin’s Creed titles. My wallet is grateful that I no longer have to watch out for very many new games. And I really love being able to disconnect from the internet in order to lose myself in another world, which is a large part of why I love gaming.

I understand things need to change, but that change isn’t always for the better. I just miss being at the zenith of my favorite hobby.

Thanks for reaidng.