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Is 2015 the Year Games Became Too Hard?

Is 2015 the Year Games Became Too Hard?

Is it the challenge that makes a game great, or is difficulty a real turn-off these days?

I think all gamers have that shared experience of sitting up late on the weekend, attempting to battle your way past that insanely difficult boss fight or puzzle that seemed damn near insurmountable. This is by no means a trait reserved for the modern era, as 8-bit classics such as Ninja Gaiden and even the original Super Mario Bros. have been known to prove notoriously challenging.

However, there are some higher-ups within our industry who feel we’ve created a world of gaming so focused on minutia, the learning curve is simply too strenuous for the average person. EA CEO Richard Hilleman recently gave his thoughts on the matter during an interview at the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas. “Our games are actually still too hard to learn. The average player probably spends two hours to learn how to play the most basic game. And asking for two hours of somebody’s time, most of our customers, between their normal family lives…to find two contiguous hours to concentrate on learning how to play a video game is a big ask.” Hilleman states.

“Every game is an RPG now. You wouldn’t make a game without progression and levels and XP. And I think every game is going to be a social game…good ideas propagate” Middle-Earth: Shadows of Mordor design director Michael de Plater interjected.

So are these gentlemen correct in their estimation? Have we allowed our drive to craft the ultimate gaming experiences blind us to the advantages of simplicity? While some may feel today’s complexities are what make our current landscape so much better than that of years past, the casual faction within our community simply can’t be ignored. In fact, it was the non-gamer that helped skyrocket the Wii to huge success back in 2006, making it one of the most iconic pieces of hardware ever sold. Nintendo’s little white box is proof positive there is a market for a “less is more” approach.

On the flip side, there are those out there who absolutely LOVE the wide array of endless options an MMO or RPG provides, as feeling like you’re boxed in and limited can quickly cause some to lose interest and eventually abandon their effort (thus moving on to something more appealing). Although EA hopes to one day bridge the gap between the “too hard” and the “too simple,” they’re likely to learn the hard way this is an impossible feat.

Is 2015 the Year Games Became Too Hard?

The fact of the matter is, such a venture is damn near impossible. By their nature, video games are meant to be varied and uneven in what they offer across the board. You’ll never hit upon the perfect “true north,” as what might appeal to one gamer’s sensibilities might feel too dumbed-down for another’s tastes. Those who love a release like Mario Kart or Monkey Ball may find World of Warcraft completely unsuitable to their palate. It gets down to different strokes for different folk.

In closing, I do acknowledge you’ve read the word “hard” quite a few times during the course of this article. I urge you to please resist the temptation of posting the obvious jokes in the comments section below. Or at least wait for me to join you.

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