Why do we play bad games?

[LuxAeternus]

I finished playing 'The Simpsons' for the PS2 the other day and I spent most of my time swearing at the bad camera and clunky controls...I really didn't enjoy playing (except for the occasional funny moment). Friends kept telling me to quit (and stop shouting) but I had to keep playing, which made me wonder why we do this to ourselves.

Obviously it might be due to a stubborn drive to not let a bad game win, but the other day I borrowed a friend's copy of 'Angel of Darkness' despite knowing how terrible the controls were.

Are we all just masochistic, or do we all secretly think we know best and will do better than others at a bad game? I'd be interested to hear what other people think.

 

[mokes310]

I suppose if you'd already spent the money on renting it, hopefully not buying it, then you'd want to get all the jollies you could out of it, know what I mean?

 

[Amnestic]

I...don't? If I'm not having fun with a game within an hour or two I'll turn it off and won't play it again, at least for a few months/years at which point I might consider revisiting it again to have another go and see if I can enjoy it.

I did the very thing with Ocarina of Time and to this day I still can't make myself have fun with it.

 

[Baby Tea]

I...don't? If I'm not having fun with a game within an hour or two I'll turn it off and won't play it again, at least for a few months/years at which point I might consider revisiting it again to have another go and see if I can enjoy it.

Ditto. I tried Two Worlds on my 360 and stopped after 20 minutes. I hate it when people say 'Well, the first 30 minutes/hour/2 hours of the games are crappy...BUT!' 'But' nothing! Why sit through that much crap?

Games are made to have FUN!
Not to be suffered through.

 

[NeedAUserName]

I finished playing 'The Simpsons' for the PS2 the other day and I spent most of my time swearing at the bad camera and clunky controls...

Which Simpsons game? Because most were made quite a long time ago, I mean fair play, Road Rage was horrible, and that skateboarding one too, but Hit and Run was a good game for its time...

 

[fix-the-spade]

I don't, if a game sucks don't buy it.

 

[Limasol]

I think we play bad games because we like them. "Bad" is a subjective thing. Earth defense force is a bad game because its i could made it in 3D game studio, but its good fun and theres no actual frustrating factor, its just basic.

 

[LuxAeternus]

Which Simpsons game? Because most were made quite a long time ago, I mean fair play, Road Rage was horrible, and that skateboarding one too, but Hit and Run was a good game for its time...

It was 'The Simpsons Game' (quotes were in the wrong place before), the most recent...I think.

 

[GyroCaptain]

Games are made to have FUN!
Not to be suffered through.

Well gosh darn, I've sure been doing things wrong. Is my face ever red!

I've suffered through many an unpleasant mechanic in a game for the sake of finding the gold other people assured me was there, but the attraction of buying things like Big Rigs is lost on me; I guess I'm not far enough through my other profound timesinks to find that attractive yet. There are plenty of mediocre or seriously flawed games I've enjoyed through obstinacy, but as to actual reeking bad games I don't suffer them long. Force Commander actually helped me forsake it completely, as the headache it gave me was a perfect excuse to tell it off in perpetuity. (I didn't buy it, a friend did. One with undiscerning taste in games.)

 

[NeedAUserName]

Which Simpsons game? Because most were made quite a long time ago, I mean fair play, Road Rage was horrible, and that skateboarding one too, but Hit and Run was a good game for its time...

It was 'The Simpsons Game' (quotes were in the wrong place before), the most recent...I think.

Oh, I know how you feel, I completed it, purely through telling myself, "This will get better, look at it this way, they can't get worse". But I admit, the end boss was to easy, but the altered games, ie "Grand Theft Scratchy" and "Medal of Homer", they were really good.

 

[Neosage]

We don't play bad games. Well you might but if it is bad IMO, i stop playing it. If it sucks to everyone else has rubbish graphics horrible gameplay and terrible story *cough* Endless Online (Has anyone ever heard of it?) I still play it because well I enjoy it.

 

[fedpayne]

I don't really do it with bad games, but I do watch Two and a Half Men if it's on, and I don't... know... why..!

Also, if I start eating something gross, I'll carry on. Just to prove it to myself. Unless it's really bad. I do have my no-vomit streak to keep up (13 years)

 

[KreacherOfbloodandRank]

I think its the same reason that Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans watch bad movies.

sometimes its fun to poke fun and laugh at someones magnum opus.

 

[GyroCaptain]

I don't really do it with bad games, but I do watch Two and a Half Men if it's on, and I don't... know... why..!

Emphasized for clarity, or to reflect infection with a sinister Quiet Riot virus?

 

[Nimbus]

I...don't? If I'm not having fun with a game within an hour or two I'll turn it off and won't play it again, at least for a few months/years at which point I might consider revisiting it again to have another go and see if I can enjoy it.

Ditto. I tried Two Worlds on my 360 and stopped after 20 minutes. I hate it when people say 'Well, the first 30 minutes/hour/2 hours of the games are crappy...BUT!' 'But' nothing! Why sit through that much crap?

Games are made to have FUN!
Not to be suffered through.

It's kind of like a book. You slog through the character development to get to the climax.

 

[Galletea]

I don't play bad games, just the odd mediocre mindless one, like Eath Defense Force. If I'm not enjoying something I'll do something else and then go back to it, before I get rid of it.

 

[Baby Tea]

I...don't? If I'm not having fun with a game within an hour or two I'll turn it off and won't play it again, at least for a few months/years at which point I might consider revisiting it again to have another go and see if I can enjoy it.

Ditto. I tried Two Worlds on my 360 and stopped after 20 minutes. I hate it when people say 'Well, the first 30 minutes/hour/2 hours of the games are crappy...BUT!' 'But' nothing! Why sit through that much crap?

Games are made to have FUN!
Not to be suffered through.

It's kind of like a book. You slog through the character development to get to the climax.

Well doesn't that just encourage bad games/writing? Then developers/writers will just say: "Oh look, gamers/readers will put up with crappy game mechanic/character development as long as we have a neat little hook somewhere in there."

That's stupid! Forget that! I barely make enough money to have insurance on my car! I'm not wasting my small amount of spending money on a game that's going to piss me off for the first chunk before it 'picks up steam'. Especially when there are games that have steam right at the get-go!

 

[Archereus]

I finished playing 'The Simpsons' for the PS2 the other day and I spent most of my time swearing at the bad camera and clunky controls...I really didn't enjoy playing (except for the occasional funny moment). Friends kept telling me to quit (and stop shouting) but I had to keep playing, which made me wonder why we do this to ourselves.

Obviously it might be due to a stubborn drive to not let a bad game win, but the other day I borrowed a friend's copy of 'Angel of Darkness' despite knowing how terrible the controls were.

Are we all just masochistic, or do we all secretly think we know best and will do better than others at a bad game? I'd be interested to hear what other people think.

well you need to play a bad game to know why a game is as good as it is

 

[xxcloud417xx]

I...don't? If I'm not having fun with a game within an hour or two I'll turn it off and won't play it again, at least for a few months/years at which point I might consider revisiting it again to have another go and see if I can enjoy it.

Ditto. I tried Two Worlds on my 360 and stopped after 20 minutes. I hate it when people say 'Well, the first 30 minutes/hour/2 hours of the games are crappy...BUT!' 'But' nothing! Why sit through that much crap?

Games are made to have FUN!
Not to be suffered through.

It's kind of like a book. You slog through the character development to get to the climax.

Yeah but even then, a good writer will mix his character development with some actual interesting story driving action and even some intrigue... The best way is to develop the character throughout the book by not telling all there is to know about him/her at the beginning, which in turn creates intrigue and makes the reader WANT to know more.

A game should work the same way... hell EVERYTHING SHOULD WORK THE SAME WAY! why do people insist on starting things with useless pleasantries that no one cares about??

 

[curlycrouton]

If I spend money on a game, I'll squeeze everything out of it. Otherwise I feel like I've lost money.