Games aren't getting harder (?) - am I getting worse?

[Pookie Bear]

I got myself a copy of Godfather and Ghost Recon AW yesterday and...well, I realised that even on normal levels I'm finding them a real challenge (ok, so I'm getting my arse whooped). Bear in mind, I'm not playing Godfather like it's GTA and I'm not playing GRAW like it's Quake 4 - I'm trying to settle down and think about what I'm doing.....maybe I should be playing the other way around.

I mean, I've been finishing games off more regularly now than I was years ago (Prey, Q4, Dawn of War, and others) but are games getting harder, or am I just getting old and slow?

Mind you, I don't think I'd fancy a Q2 1v1 against myself from 1998.....it would be a firghtful slaughter

 

[Psymonkee]

I'd wager the old and slow theory

I'm only young (23) but 10 years ago I had no problem blasting my through most of the Sonic games in 1 sitting.

Now I can't get past the first level

 

[Pookie Bear]

it would be a firghtful slaughter

Learn to spell!

Well, I've got nearly ten years on you, so imagine how I feel! Saying that, there are something I couldn't do a few years back (like some of the special moves in various PS2 beat'em ups which I can pull off no problem now) - maybe I was TOO fast back then......as if. Even brainy games like Rise of Legends are too much for me

I'm too scared to get Company of Heroes

Determined to get in tonight and try both the Godfather and GRAW again but with a serious face on

 

[HangTime]

I think part of it is down to having less time to dedicate to perfecting techniques in games. I mean if you are talking about playing games as a teen, back then you probably sat down to play a game hour-after-hour, day-after-day and got pretty good at it. Whereas now we tend to break up our gameplaying, and are able to play a much wider range of games due to having the finanical clout to purchase them.

That said, back when I was still playing competitively online I was never quite able to put my finger on why my aim seemed to have dropped off slightly after the age of around 20-21. I was still playing regularly until January of this year but to be honest while I was tactically a better player, the last 4-5 years of my career were tainted by frustration at not being quite so devastating in combat.

 

[Indie]

I'd wager the old and slow theory

I'm only young (23) but 10 years ago I had no problem blasting my through most of the Sonic games in 1 sitting.

Now I can't get past the first level

omg sosososooooooo true!!

there was another game on sega alos.. streets of rage.. that was amazingly fun! the gameplay was brilliant! it was like a street fighter RPG kinda thing if nobody knows! but anyway, i played that again a few weeks ago with my little cousin! (he had my old sega) and i find it impossible to get passed the 4th level

 

[Pookie Bear]

haha.....I tried playing GRAW again last night - spent about two hours in two sessions playing and realised, at the end, that I was still stuck in exactly the same part (although I'd gone back a few saves in order to change weapons).

I'm so pants.

 

[Smit]

I think HangTime has got it spot on, it's the amount of time that is dedicated to playing games in general I think.

Some games I can still do really easily but there are others that I used to think were easy but have suddenly become quite challenging. (Old 2D beat'em ups especially). However driving games have become easier as I've got older

 

[Grandmaster Fap!]

In my teens/early 20's i knew all the moves to mortal kombat, killer instinct, SF2 ect with no problem and could pwn the majority of players in 1v1, now i cant remember any of it and i would get owned by some 12 year old.

I just dont have that 'drive' anymore and as you get older life gets in the way