Xbox 360 Gaming getting easier?

[bibbyboy]

I can't help notice that most games of this generation are entirely too easy unless you ramp the difficulty up to the higher settings. While playing on the lower difficulties of shooters like Gears of War or Call of Duty it's more like a sightseeing tour than a challenge meant to keep you excited and on your toes. When health regenerates when you stay behind cover for 5 seconds, it feels like all the challenge is lost. What do you guys think about the gradual downwards curve of video games, excluding obvious exceptions like Ninja Gaiden.

 

[CrispyEggos]

I think they're just trying to cater to a more broad range of ages and players. I've always wondered why some players focused on strictly campaign/single-player game modes when competitive multiplayer gameplay is available for some, if not most games.

But I feel that the age gap between gamers is definitely widening. I run into a lot more younger, and older, gamers. I feel if somebody younger is playing a campaign-style game and they can't beat it, the game will not hold their attention. Once somebody beats a game like that, it tends to just collect dust, or if they are just fed up with it.

Not sure about why else games would do this except to bring more people to play. Any specific examples of games that seem to be getting "easier"? Aside from the two you mentioned, which are very popular games and I think they're just trying to add variety and more players.

 

[BlackSolaris]

The market is saturated of casuals that just buy games for the experience. They don't want a challenge, they want to sit on their asses and "play like it's some Hollywood action blockbuster". If they die, they restart right before in a near checkpoint or the only decisions you have to do are binary questions that never contributes for anything in the game.

And i think that this is just gradually getting worse for each year that passes!

 

[zuluguy]

Indeed games are getting easier, peoples mentality these days is ridiculous. A lot of people don't want a puzzling game that is hard to play they just wanna be able to get through it easily, this is why I love older games like Morrowind where nothing was spoon fed, you just get a better sense of immersion within the game. I also always play on hardest difficulty or second to last just to make it even more difficult!

 

[PepperShepard]

I read a whole Cracked Article on this... or something. Fact is, video games aren't getting "easier" to play, just easier to complete. They make it so that you have an option to choose Insane mode or Easy mode. Not everyone likes a game for the challenge. Some people might enjoy a game simply for the storyline. I mean, I agree, they've been giving us more and more hints, keys, and directions as opposed to back then.

 

[BitesizeCrayons]

As a whole, most definitely. The average title on the standard difficulty today is a breeze compared to, say, an average NES game. However, I think what we're really seeing is games becoming more"specialized", for lack of a better word. You can still find some crazy-hard challenges, and even some games that are difficult on their standard modes. I like this; you can have a casual stroll through a game when you're wanting to play for story reasons, and you can up the ante when you want the game to challenge you.

 

[Khronic]

Depends on what you define difficulty as. These days "insane" mode is basically allowing the A.I. to cheat in various ways. Such as more health than the player, knowing where the player is at all times, more accurate and so on. I feel like these days that A.I.s simply aren't up to snuff as compared to what they could possibly be. The best A.I. that I have played against has to be FEAR I where the enemy would cover each other with cover fire, use cover to move up and it felt like I was actually playing against a real enemy rather than a computer designed to move up until either I was dead or it was dead. That was 2005 and A.I.s have gotten probably stupider. But since the focus is going away from singleplayer and more towards multiplayer it isn't surprising.

 

[Far_Mur_Jo]

Have you tried playing Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning? That game is so easy, that unless you're wearing trivial gear and playing on hard it's next to impossible to die, no matter how many enemies you face. While the game is really fun, it's also extremely easy. So easy in fact, it kills a lot of that epic feeling some of the battles are supposed to invoke.

 

[JessiFox]

I have to agree overall and it's pretty disappointing. I guess it's meant to appeal to not only a bigger age range but also skill set. Some people don't have any skill for games at all, but want to say they're "gamers" and feel awesome at it, and there seems to be a lot of catering to that subset.

 

[unreal83]

Most PC gamers point their fingers at console gamers. This is because games are streamlined and made easier to suit the joypad.

For example, many Diablo fans thought that the reduction in skills (to only 6 active ones) and streamlining of the skill tree was to cater it for a future console release. Viola! We just received news that Diablo 3 will be released on the PS3 and upcoming PS4.

 

[Oldman Jr]

really? I always found PC gaming way easier as you have alot more buttons to work with and hotkeys. it's alot easier hitting 1-0 then either cycling through all of your weapons or having to go into your inventory.

 

[blaze]

I have to agree that some games have been made more easier to play for the casual gamer, where you can finish them by just mashing buttons and killing enemies. But thanks to game developers, most games have the option to chance game difficulty, where you can make it more interesting.

 

[Madnesscore]

I agree on the fact there are more directions and clues on what to do in a game, I cant remember the last time I had to look up a walkthrough on the internet for a certain game. Maybe that is because I am getting older and smarter but I also feel like most games focus on the stories and graphics and not really on being a challenge. There are exceptions ofcourse.

 

[Claptrap]

Games are becoming easier, I guess, but sometimes they do the right thing and provide OPTIONS. Like, Deus Ex: Human Revolution. There's the highlights to help players out but if you don't want them you can disable them. Or Fallout: New Vegas, with it's Hard/Very Hard difficulties and Hardcore mode. There's also games that clearly take advantage of games becoming easier and go the opposite direction and try to let players figure everything out like Dark Souls.

I really think the best way to go about it is to provide options, really. Game too easy? Increase the difficulty. Game too hard? Lower the difficulty! Everybody's happy!

 

[dre5546]

Yea game developers are making games more easy and playable for the younger generation. Which I believe doesn't make since because we the older generation had to learn how to game but the younger generation is pretty much given the skills needed.

 

[LightX]

I agree with you on this one. Games do seem like we are getting easier. It may be that games are getting easier, but it also might be that we are just getting better. As we play more and more, obviously our skill goes up. There are always those games that will be easier than others..But there are always games that will challenge you more than the other, and would bring great challenges. You just have to find the right kind of game for your difficulty.

 

[TheViper]

I hate it when games get easier to play. It takes out the fun of learning to play the game. I remember playing nintendo and not knowing how to punch my opponent. Took me 10 tries to figure it out, but when I did. I was happily beating my friends into submission.

 

[xHysteria]

Obviously playing those shooter games in the lower difficulty will be a tour through the entire games. That's the entire reason why it's called "recruit" on CoD.

 

[Dubs420]

People tend to play games for the sheer fun of it, but it's always a nice addition if its challenging also. Most people are about the fun-factor and if a game is really challenging, this will probably add to the positive experiences overall from the game. Generally, I do feel that games are becoming less challenging though.

 

[ozadin]

I wouldn't say easier, I think we are just getting adapted to it.
The gameplay is very repetitive in most games, and there is no variety.
Companies need to think of a new genre.