Changes in gaming preference.

[jomni]

As I grow older, it seems that I prefer games that are quick. Simulators (DCS, X-Plane, SABOW) are out, no matter how much I want to fly them. Campaign gaming like EU and Total War are seldom played despite their presence in my Steam Library.  These days, I just play quick bouts of War Thunder and Field of Glory II multiplayer.  Anyone feel the same?  Or notice some changes?

[Grim.Reaper]

not really any changes in what i like, just an overall change in the amount of time i play games....i still buy a lot, but tend to play very little for some reason....love the anticipation of new games coming out but the excitement wears off way too fast....

[jomni]

It’s the (limited) time we have for playing I guess.

[Yskonyn]

Definately! Games like EU4 keep my interest, but every time I try to sit down with such a game I realise that it's going to take a fair bit of time to learn how to play. I am not much of a 'let's fiddle about and see where it ends' kind of player anymore.
When I was younger I somehow didn't mind ploughing through a game making only little progress each sessions, but as free (even less game) time is at a premium I prefer games with which I can use that time as efficiently as possible.
So that means I play games I am proficient in (regardless of difficulty) or simpler, quicker games indeed.

It's hard to have to acknowledge that I just won't be able to play every single game that holds my interest and this results in me still buying into various games I end up playing very little.
Each time I say to myself that I need to work through my backlog before buying something new, but resistance is futile. 

[bbmike]

No changes in game preference but I do have game paralysis now. I'll sit down to play a computer game and end up staring at my near infinite game list and can't decide what I want to play.

[Jarhead0331]

Yup. The golden age of gaming for me was high school and college. No game was too complex or too involved. It was all downhill after that. While my tastes havent changed, per se, my attention span certainly has and my ability to take the time to really get engrossed in a deep game has waned.

I just mentioned this about Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s a fantastically deep game, but it requires too much of a time commitment to play and as such, I figure I’ll never be able to get too into it. This is a real drawback to a game and it’s not a critique that I ever see any of the other commercial reviewers mentioning. They are all gushing over the game...it’s getting 9s and 10s almost across the board...but just how deep is too deep, and if a game requires such a time investment that it must necessarily become a second job, is this a good thing? Isn’t this a failure in some regard to strike a balance between game and real life or hobby and profession?  RDR2 really drives this dilemma home for me like no other game, for some reason, but it’s not the first to make me feel this way.

[Tuna]

I think I went in the opposite direction. When my boys were younger, I loved FPS's Battlefield, Call of Duty. Now I'm more into strategy games.. Total War/Civ type stuff, attention span is less for deep learning curves as well.

[Grim.Reaper]

Yup. The golden age of gaming for me was high school and college. No game was too complex or too involved. It was all downhill after that. While my tastes havent changed, per se, my attention span certainly has and my ability to take the time to really get engrossed in a deep game has waned.

I just mentioned this about Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s a fantastically deep game, but it requires too much of a time commitment to play and as such, I figure I’ll never be able to get too into it. This is a real drawback to a game and it’s not a critique that I ever see any of the other commercial reviewers mentioning. They are all gushing over the game...it’s getting 9s and 10s almost across the board...but just how deep is too deep, and if a game requires such a time investment that it must necessarily become a second job, is this a good thing? Isn’t this a failure in some regard to strike a balance between game and real life or hobby and profession?  RDR2 really drives this dilemma home for me like no other game, for some reason, but it’s not the first to make me feel this way.

i think i am the opposite...so far really enjoying it and the depth.  but i am looking at it from a long term investment, not something i knew i would complete in a short time.  i do understand though that some people would prefer being able to finish in a shorter time but i hope this is something i enjoy fir months.  there are a few things i don’t care fir yet such as how the controls seem like too many and complex and at times feels like being an actor in a movie versus game player.  we will see...even liking it the chances i will ever finish is slim but isn’t because of the game, it’s because i have never finished any game besides the sniper series)

[Jarhead0331]

It’s not that I won’t devote substantial time to a game. We know that is not the case, I put 20 hours into Assassins Creed Odyssey over an approximately 2 week period or so. Same thing with Ghost Recon Wildlands...dozens of hours. I think the problem with RDR2 for me is that it just takes a lot longer to accomplish anything noteworthy in a single sitting. There are just too many distractions along the way. Too many people to talk to. Too many things in the environment to see and interact with and too much time to move from point A to point B. I find it draining for some reason...

[jamus34]

I kinda see both of these.

Agreed that my time commitments typically don’t let me get into the deep games so I’ll play a lot of “fast food” like Heroes of the Storm.

That said if there’s a game that really captures me I’ll put the time in to learn the systems. Endless legend, endless space 2, monster hunter world come to mind.

Then there’s just really good games. Spider-Man right has its webs deep into me. Horizon Zero Dawn is also really good but I need to give it the time it deserves

[Huw the Poo]

Horizon Zero Dawn is also really good but I need to give it the time it deserves

As incredible a game as Horizon Zero Dawn is, it made me yearn for shorter games.  I've done shitloads in that game and enjoyed every minute, but from what I can gather I'm nowhere close to the end.  But I feel like I should be, and I want to be rewarded for my investment.

To address the topic at hand, it's definitely because gaming time lessens as you get older, especially if you have kids.  By the time I'm done with everything for the day, and the kids are in bed, I'm too exhausted to play anything deep.  I'd rather just fire up something fun for half an hour and leave it at that.  I end up playing things like GemCraft and Carrier Deck when I'd rather be playing Endless Space 2 and GalCiv 3.

I'm hoping the situation will improve as the kids grow up and stop giving a shit about me!

[rwenstrup]

I thought it was just me ... I have stared at the list of games many times and just haven't been able to get in to it ... tend to play the old favorites ... but playing less overall. What are the games that seem to work for those who share this issue?

[Yskonyn]

I thought it was just me ... I have stared at the list of games many times and just haven't been able to get in to it ... tend to play the old favorites ... but playing less overall. What are the games that seem to work for those who share this issue?

Well I can tell you which genre definately does NOT work; MMO's!
For example: I am really into the world and lore of Final Fantasy XIV. The combat is a bit meh, but despite that I am having fun each time I log in. However, because of the time constraints mentioned above I am always behind the curve of 90% of the playerbase.
I don't have routine doing Dungeons, I don't have the time to go Raiding and I often end up feeling behind more and more not being able to catch up to where most people are having the (end game) fun.

FFXIV is just an example; almost any MMO I have played made me feel like this in the end. MMO's really are a hobby it seems even though certain titles claim to cater to the casual player as well. I don't think that's true, or perhaps I just don't want to be the casual player.

Anyway, games that do well generally (for me at least) are turn based games. You always end up having accomplished something at the end of a session.
RPGs vary, but I must admit that my interest in computer RPGs has waned over the years. I much rather play PnP RPG's.
Which brings me to boardgaming; that's the best bang for the buck in time vs social fun I've come to realise.

Console wise I find Destiny 2 is absolutely great for short sessions, preferably with friends. It has bite sized events you can play and a variety of game activities to keep things fresh. But the lure to become a powerplayer and join the grind is definately there. Which would certainly cause burnout for me given the above.
Monster Hunter games are a great fit for me as well. While a quest can easily take an hour, its always rewarding to complete and on top of that the game also allows you to just free roam and gather materials if you have less time.

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate recently released for the Switch; so combine TV console with handheld option definately gives you lots of oppertunities to cater your gaming session to your needs!
Just too bad Nintendo now activated to payware multiplayer service, cause MH is most fun with others.

[Geezer]

I've always enjoyed The Gamers games.  Recently I tried to get back into the OCS (Operational Combat Series) games but after reading the rules and setting up a game of Smolensk: Barbarossa Derailed it just sat there unplayed.  Tried playing it but I spent more time fumbling through the rules than actually playing.  Tried switching to the BCS (Battalion Combat Series) but my eyes glazed over before even finishing my first pass through those rules.  So I went back to their SCS (Standard Combat Series) games.  Only 7 pages for the series rules and about that many pages in the Autumn for Barbarossa game specific rules.  The Germans took Vitebsk and Mogilev on turn 1 and I'm having a blast.   

So yes, somewhat sadly, my love of great detailed "simulations" has given way to the reality that I just don't have what it takes to play them anymore.  Thankfully there are alternatives. 

[Steelgrave]

I will play a game I enjoy for hundreds of hours....but my tolerance for learning a new game is much, much shorter than it used to be. Like Jarhead, game complexity was never a barrier for me when I was younger, but nowadays if I can't jump into a game and have some idea of what I'm doing fairly quickly, odds are I will drop it and move onto something I'm comfortable with. I'm the same way with shoes    Now, I might hit YouTube for playtips and I don't have a problem with restarting a game I've bungled, but my days of slogging through ASL-depth rulebooks are long over. And to echo Huw, if I only have an hour or less to play, I'm going with what I know.