New game excitement

[Ando85]

I remember as a kid whenever I would get a new game I simply couldn't wait to get it home and pop it in. Nowadays I have games I haven't even got around to playing yet. This was unthinkable as a kid. Sure, I do still get excited for games on occasion, but it just isn't the same.

Do you recall memories like this during your childhood?

 

[dimensional]

Well yeah I used to get really excited as a child about new games because others would have to buy them for me seeing as I had zero money myself so excluding my birthday and christmas I would not be getting any new games in the year.

Now that I have buying power its not quite the same but some games still get me really excited for them the soul calibur series always does this to me for some reason and the upcoming Persona 4 Arena does as well which is why I am annoyed at it being put back in Europe (although not surprised). Overall though I have other things to do now so im not as excited by every game as I was when I was a kid.

 

[smmnc3000]

I do agree. For many years I had the biggest obsession with The Sims 1/2. I had every expansion pack for each of them. I remember the day each was released I could not wait to run down to the shops to pick it up. I remember when pets came out, I sprinted down to Target after school, bought it and sprinted back before the bus arrived so that I could get home to play it. The cashiers probably didn't know what hit them. These days I can buy a game and not play it for a while, or play it for a bit and get bored and not finish it. There is no way this would have happened back when I was younger (not just for the Sims mind you).

 

[Smooth Operator]

I remember those days, but back then I got one maybe two games per year, and for those I seen no demos, no trailers, no gameplay, no spoilers in general... they were complete mystery boxes in a desolate wastelands that I have been roaming for months, obviously the excitement for each droplet of gaming was huge.

Now I got more games then I got time to play, plus I already heard half of what they will contain, and I know there will be a third of that I already played in other games, my enthusiasm just gets chopped up and sprinkled across the board.

 

[everythingbeeps]

Of course. When I was a kid, I couldn't just buy a new game whenever I wanted, so it had to count and it was all I'd get to play for a while.

Nowadays I can buy any new game I want, which obviously results in me having more games than I can even play. It has nothing to do with "excitement", because there are still games I get really stoked for.

 

[Lucyfer86]

Not really, it was quite the opposite for me, i was excited to get out with my friends, only played on rare ocasions anyway.
Nowadays with older age i'm cynical nerd that get super excited on games.

 

[Worgen]

I do miss the excitement that I used to get from it, its a bit harder now that I can get any game I want, although certain ones still give me it, like GW2.

 

[Guffe]

I am in the same boat as you.
The occasional games like Zelda, StarFox, MetroidPrime make me excited as hell but otherwise it just isn't the same as it used to, growing up sux

 

[Snotnarok]

Yeah as a kid I'd grab a game that just looked cool, lucky me they all turned out good for the most part. That and Sega Channel (the Xbox Live of 1994 for Sega Genesis) had a ton of games to play.

Er, right back on topic yeah now a days I don't buy games with any kind of excitement for the most part, I check at least 3 reviews and study the damn game before buying it.

Exceptions: Skyrim, Saints Row 2 & 3, Darksiders, Sonic Generations (Unleashed and Colors convinced me they were back on track), God of War series, Ratchet and Clank series

But yeah now its just nervousness game developers didn't just release an unfinished game while laughing their asses off vs me as a kid "Oh man Rocket Knight Adventures sweet! Flashback! It's the CD game on a cartridge!"

 

[Ando85]

I remember as a kid whenever I would get a new game I simply couldn't wait to get it home and pop it in. Nowadays I have games I haven't even got around to playing yet. This was unthinkable as a kid. Sure, I do still get excited for games on occasion, but it just isn't the same.

Do you recall memories like this during your childhood?

I loved opening a new game as a kid and smelling the fresh manual! Weird?! Perhaps, but I remember new games having a unique freshness to them.

Not as weird as you think unless we are both weird. I do the exact same thing. That distinct fresh paper aroma that wafts from the instruction manual just gives me a wonderful feeling.

 

[Girl With One Eye]

I remember getting FFVIII for my birthday, and I begged my mum to let me have it early so I could play it as soon as possible !

Now I don't even buy games new, I just rent them. I guess it depends on the game itself though, I had some excitement when Skyrim came out - but still not enough to part with so much money!

Maybe getting old has made me stingy.

 

[TrevHead]

Hurpaderp wrong thread!

 

[Fappy]

Like many have said already I still get excited for the occasional super hyped hit, but since games are so easy to get now (and cheap during Steams sales) I've worked up a huge backlog.

 

[Alternative]

I used to be excited about games, then i brought Brink.

Since the massive disappointment that was i've found it hard to become very excited about a game unless i'm actually playing it.

 

[ultrabiome]

I remember getting FFVIII for my birthday, and I begged my mum to let me have it early so I could play it as soon as possible !

Now I don't even buy games new, I just rent them. I guess it depends on the game itself though, I had some excitement when Skyrim came out - but still not enough to part with so much money!

Maybe getting old has made me stingy.

getting old did make me stingy as well, but i found a friend in two things: patience and ebay. patience to let prices drop and ebay to find stuff for way cheaper than current retail prices (or amazon). almost all of my PS3 games (new or used) were $20 or less. and by waiting i can decide whether a game is worth it or not based on reviews. its a win-win for me at least.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

I use to go to a local video rental store that was also full of video games. The rental period was until the next day before closing. So whenever I wanted to rent a game, I would get up early that day, wait for the video store to open and get first pick of a game. I would play that game for hours upon hours until I needed to return it later the next day.

Now a days, I would purchase a game and play it for a few hours and pick it back up when I find the time. I still get excited about new games, but I also focus on other things so my excitement is nowhere near where it was when I was a kid.

 

[TrevHead]

Imo anticipation is 50% of the enjoyment, something I tend to be lacking as I get increasingly sceptical with the BS game media hype train.

Be it niche fan forums or just the guys you play games with, been part of a community can help greatly if theres is a collective buzz about a upcoming game and quite infectious.

Me I have a problem with my backlogs, i'm usually wrapped up playing catch up that I miss out on the new game buzz. I'm sure those of us with backlogs have bought games that looked great at the time but we never got around to playing, Ive got one or two games that I bought 5+ years ago that are still unplayed and I might never get around to.

Discovering a gaming gem on steam or XBLA and been blown away by it thats nice

 

[FoolKiller]

Dammit... I can't open a Steam game. I love the smell of new DVD games for 360...