Are video games still fun for you?

[DrumUltimA]

video games are still very much fun for me-- bout the only thing i do to "relax" nowadays

[sephfire]

Every so often, I will sit down and watch an episode of the Angry Video Game Nerd, and every time I remember two important things:

1). The Video Game Nerd isn't all that funny.

2). There were just as many god-awful games in the old days as there are now.

[Guy In Rubber Suit]

I've never lost my love of video games. Sure I've spent less time playing some because I've been busy and/or didn't have money to play but I was always there for them and always drooling over some game to come out. In fact I'd say that my love of video games grew since I got to college and I just become more excited about the. It could be the fact that I actually want to design them or be involved in the creation process some how that makes me excited for them.

I'm personally into old school and new school games. I track down older games that look interesting and want to try, even if they are generally mediocre they tend to offer something new. Not a whole lot of innovation on the mainstream console front but the DS, PSP and independent PC gaming scene seem to be picking up on that slack somewhat. I dunno about you guys but it is pretty exciting to be a gamer now with so many options available to us.

[JCvgluvr]

18 years ago, when I was still in diapers, my mom says I used to watch her play the original Super Mario Bros. on NES all the time. I would cry whenever she died, and force her to keep playing until she beat the game. I guess you could say that's how I got started.

But, to be more on topic, yes, they are still fun for 19 year old me. Rock Band is fantastic with a bunch of friends. Portal was one of the best 2 hours of videogames I've ever played. I just completed Mass Effect yesterday. I plan on getting Assassin's Creed for 360 using my gamefly subscription by monday.

Even my Wii still gets a regular workout. I'm greatly enjoying my first play of Resident Evil 4. Also, I just completed Super Mario Galaxy less than a month ago. It was a wonderful, just plain fun game.

Lets not forget amazing things like Bioshock, Halo 3, Metroid Prime 3, and Contra 4. So much greatness, and it was just last year!!!

I don't know how anyone can say videogames aren't fun when we've got so much to enjoy. Its not just FPS's, or music games that did great. Every type of game has had a recent gem! It just boggles my mind! I saw another thread like this on GameFAQS, and I just couldn't believe my eyes. I guess "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is the phrase of the week?

EDIT:

1). The Video Game Nerd isn't all that funny.

SMITE THE BLASPHEMER!!!

J/K................(sorta)..........

[XZero]

I want to comment on the first post from page 1. You and I are in basically the same situation, with one difference: I work in a game retail store, and have for almost 5 years. Now imagine how I feel on Christmas day, just after having sold games all of the holiday season, when I receive video games. This year, I got a number of games (many DS titles), and the only one I really got into was the uber-old school Contra 4.

As I've gone through college and approach Law School, my interests have changed. I still enjoy going back to play some of the old games, but newer ones tend not to hold my interest. Take for example Super Mario Galaxy. Ten years ago, I would have been so excited for that game. I would have lost sleep in anticipation of its release. Now, I actually forgot what day it was coming out, and only remembered because one of my co-workers called me to tell me the shipment was in. And yeah, it was a great game, and I completely finished it twice, but I still prefer going back to Super Mario 64.

I think what the issue simply boils down to is an idealized notion of games. When we were young, NES and SNES were great, and N64 and PS1 were revolutionary (I imagine you, like I, would have been in roughly 5th or 6th grade at the time). We remember the best times, and since games today are not the same as we played in the past, our ideal notion of gaming is a return to retro games of old that we remember fondly. That doesn't mean that we can't enjoy the current games, but as great as Mario Galaxy and Zelda Twilight Princess are, I will still always like Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time more, even if Galaxy and Twilight Princess are indeed superior titles from an objective standpoint. This very fact is the ultimate value of the Wii. Beyond the numerous compilation games from the GC (Mega Man & Mega Man X, Sonic, etc.), you can download the old games you remember playing 'back in the day.'

In short, yes, games are still fun for me, but I won't be playing 90-95% of the releases this year. I'm most looking forward to Apollo Justice, SSB:Brawl, and Mario Kart, and honestly don't see myself buying too many beyond those (maybe DQ9 if it comes out this year). The older you get, your interests change, and nothing coming out now or into the future will ever live up to the ideal gaming experiences you had in the past (even Brawl). Accept that, and enjoy them for as long as you can.

[I-n-j-i-n]

I actually am more impressed by a larger fraction and genres of games than ever. Especially since I'm more busy and independent, it comes across as more of a rewarding experience for me.

[BlueMage]

Are video games still fun for me? Hells yes. I still get out Sonic 3 & Knuckles from time to time. And Crysis has definitely put the spark back into it for me. Nothing quite like killing Koreans on 1680*1050 at Very High graphical settings, on Delta.

Fuck yeah, I rock.

[Avatar of Justice]

I'm on my last semester of college, and I've found it nearly impossible to beat any game of significant length (JRPG's) except during summer and winter break. Because of that, I've been playing shorter games, not because I enjoy them more, but because I actually have time to complete them. I expect to actually have time to play games again once I graduate and get a job. No more being home and having to do garbage for school. I had thought about graduate school seriously for a while, but I just felt like college was preventing me from enjoying things due to worry over tests and such. I can't count how many times there was a concert or a game being released and instead of being able to get hyped up over it, I had to think how I had a test the next day or something. Plus, I've found it hard to pursue personal interests of mine (writing) as long as I have to be concerned about school.

[Gafgarion]

I've never lost my love of video games. Sure I've spent less time playing some because I've been busy and/or didn't have money to play but I was always there for them and always drooling over some game to come out. In fact I'd say that my love of video games grew since I got to college and I just become more excited about the.

The.... what?

I was destined to be a gamer since I sat in my stroller playing Mario when I was 2 years old. Video games will always be in my life.

[Guy In Rubber Suit]

The.... what?

I was destined to be a gamer since I sat in my stroller playing Mario when I was 2 years old. Video games will always be in my life.

I probably meant them, referring to video games. My bad.

[Zechs]

Video games play a large role. Calming, keeping you atuned to something, entertainment, education... I grew up with old school stuff, like the Atari, then the NES, and so on. I have been around them all my life, I cannot see myself refusing their presence. I will always enjoy video games.

[Dyne]

Games are my escape from this life. They let me become a character in a situation that I can resolve, or even for the fun of it go out and smash face and not have to worry about law enforcement. Games are the way I can express myself and my feelings, without having to risk injuring anyone. It lets me blow off steam when I'm upset. It helps me rock out when I want to rebel. It takes me places that I've never dreamed of.

That's what makes games fun for me. And they always will be fun for me.

[Gafgarion]

Video games are also a big influence on some of the things I do. They create happiness...

[The Pezman]

Lately video games (well, Warcraft III Frozen Throne, which I'm just playing now) have been like a drug. I play them in order to stave off depression or stress and I spend far too long on a mission. I don't feel better afterwards.

[the_muteKi]

Super Mario Galaxy is absolutely brilliant. Reminds me of a time when games were hard, and hell, lives actually counted for something.

SMG is pretty damn hard, and also amusingly enough, reminds me of what a truly good Sonic game could be like (it borrows many elements from Sonic Adventure and Sonic Heroes, like the 100 purple coin challenge, gravity flipping, and platforming design -- here the "few platforms over the empty abyss" archetype in the 3D Sonic games actually WORKS).

Maybe it's easier than I think though. I think I spend too much attention on the incredible music. I'm not generally a big fan of trying to create epic orchestral scores in games because I feel that they come off as too pretentious, but damn if this hasn't actually replaced SMW and Sonic 3D Blast (CD version) as having some of the most awesome music ever. (Wouldn't have minded a teeny-tiny bit more thematic unity, but you can't have everything and it's mostly cohesive anyway.)

[Gafgarion]

I really want to play SMG.