I may be just about done buying games. I'm in my 40s, and I bought, and still own and use, every major Nintendo and SEGA console to date (even the Virtual Boy). I've always been very interested in games... but I feel like games are increasingly UNinterested in me, for a number of reasons:
1. I'm a physical media guy. I buy movies on DVD or Blu-Ray, I buy music on vinyl or CD, I buy books, I buy game cartridges (and discs). I revisit old favorites months, years, and even decades down the road; I share them with friends and family; I'd like to eventually share them with my kids. I've always said that the day they stop publishing physical copies is the day I stop buying games. (I do still get a very occasional PC game, but only on GOG because they're DRM-free. I don't particularly enjoy playing on the computer, and I rarely get around to finishing games on my PC.)
2. This is totally a matter of personal preference, but AAA games increasingly aren't my thing. For the last decade or so, the vast majority of games I've enjoyed have been small indie titles—the kind that are less likely to get physical releases, and if they do, it's often through a shady, obnoxious company like LRG. The main exception has been Nintendo first-party titles, but 100+ hour open-world games aren't really something I want to dedicate myself to (the three exceptions I've ever made are Skyrim, Tears of the Kingdom, and Elden Ring). These huge, expensive titles just aren't what I'm looking for.
3. These prices. The economy is only getting worse—inflation, the cost of living (both in real numbers and as percentage of income), purchasing power, wealth inequality—and as much as I love and have always loved games, I have other priorities. I'm in my 40s and am getting ready to start a family. I'd like to keep playing, but as games start to approach triple-digit prices and consumer rights continue to erode, it just isn't worth it.
It may be nostalgia talking (I'm an elder millennial and grew up with the NES, SNES, and Genesis), but I really like the SN30 Pro controller for 2D games. I have the early ones that actually resemble the SNES & SFC controllers, and they've held up very well over the last 5 years. Playing 2D platformers with an analog stick just feels wrong.
I bought a lot of downloads on Wii and a fair number on Wii U and 3DS. The ability to carry Wii purchases over to Wii U was half-assed, but at least it worked.
I got burned hard by the transition to Switch, so now I make a point of only buying physical copies—of which I have a lot.
If the next system won't play Switch cartridges, I'm sticking with my Switch. I've got a pretty significant backlog anyway.
Comments 6
Re: Talking Point: With Prices Rising, Are Your Gaming Habits Changing?
I may be just about done buying games. I'm in my 40s, and I bought, and still own and use, every major Nintendo and SEGA console to date (even the Virtual Boy). I've always been very interested in games... but I feel like games are increasingly UNinterested in me, for a number of reasons:
1. I'm a physical media guy. I buy movies on DVD or Blu-Ray, I buy music on vinyl or CD, I buy books, I buy game cartridges (and discs). I revisit old favorites months, years, and even decades down the road; I share them with friends and family; I'd like to eventually share them with my kids. I've always said that the day they stop publishing physical copies is the day I stop buying games. (I do still get a very occasional PC game, but only on GOG because they're DRM-free. I don't particularly enjoy playing on the computer, and I rarely get around to finishing games on my PC.)
2. This is totally a matter of personal preference, but AAA games increasingly aren't my thing. For the last decade or so, the vast majority of games I've enjoyed have been small indie titles—the kind that are less likely to get physical releases, and if they do, it's often through a shady, obnoxious company like LRG. The main exception has been Nintendo first-party titles, but 100+ hour open-world games aren't really something I want to dedicate myself to (the three exceptions I've ever made are Skyrim, Tears of the Kingdom, and Elden Ring). These huge, expensive titles just aren't what I'm looking for.
3. These prices. The economy is only getting worse—inflation, the cost of living (both in real numbers and as percentage of income), purchasing power, wealth inequality—and as much as I love and have always loved games, I have other priorities. I'm in my 40s and am getting ready to start a family. I'd like to keep playing, but as games start to approach triple-digit prices and consumer rights continue to erode, it just isn't worth it.
Re: Nintendo Expands Switch Online's NES Library With Another Classic Next Week
Nintendo's Tetris for NES was such a huge disappointment after both the Game Boy and Tengen NES versions.
Re: Talking Point: What DS & 3DS Games Would You Still Like To See On Switch?
Elite Beat Agents would be my #1 choice... though it'd likely only be playable in handheld mode.
#2 would be the DS Castlevania titles.
Re: Poll: What's Your Switch Controller Of Choice For Super Mario Bros. Wonder?
It may be nostalgia talking (I'm an elder millennial and grew up with the NES, SNES, and Genesis), but I really like the SN30 Pro controller for 2D games. I have the early ones that actually resemble the SNES & SFC controllers, and they've held up very well over the last 5 years. Playing 2D platformers with an analog stick just feels wrong.
Re: Nintendo Accounts To "Help Ease" Next-Gen Transition, According To Doug Bowser
I bought a lot of downloads on Wii and a fair number on Wii U and 3DS. The ability to carry Wii purchases over to Wii U was half-assed, but at least it worked.
I got burned hard by the transition to Switch, so now I make a point of only buying physical copies—of which I have a lot.
If the next system won't play Switch cartridges, I'm sticking with my Switch. I've got a pretty significant backlog anyway.
Re: Deals: Amazon Prime Day Is Happening Now In The US, More Nintendo Switch Bargains On The Way?
Amazon workers are striking today to protest low wages and abusive working conditions. To shop at Amazon is to cross a picket line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojPTz4VAOMA