Coffee Talk #426: Games You’ve Lost Interest In

Are there any game genres, videogame series, or gaming platforms you used to love, but have lost interest in? Perhaps you used to be a Final Fantasy mark, but haven’t enjoyed the last few releases. Maybe you used to be into sports sims…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Cafecito Organico’s Guatemala El Carmen Estate, if the Rajon Rondo trade rumors will motivate him or crush his psyche, or Bryan Danielson getting a big push in 2012, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Are there any game genres, videogame series, or gaming platforms you used to love, but have lost interest in? Perhaps you used to be a Final Fantasy mark, but haven’t enjoyed the last few releases. Maybe you used to be into sports simulations, but have found that the never-ending march towards supreme realism has killed some of the fun. Whatever the case may be, I want to hear your story!

As for me, my interest in portable game consoles is definitely waning. Part of it is that the PSP is nearing the end of its lifespan. Part of it is that the Nintendo 3DS has one of the most underwhelming launches I can remember. The really big part of it is that my iPad 2 is just a brilliant entertainment device that gives me great gaming and so much more. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still play my portables for Japanese RPGs and first-party games from Nintendo, but I won’t carry them with me everywhere I go. That used to be the case. The iPad 2 has changed that.

Now it’s your turn! Please let me know what games, series, and consoles you’ve lost interest in.

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

41 thoughts on “Coffee Talk #426: Games You’ve Lost Interest In”

  2. Final Fantasy is one franchise I have lost interest in. As far as console I hadn't played with the wii until smg2 this past summer. Playing Zelda SS after playing 360 or a PS3 the graphics sometimes hurts my eyes by the blurriness.

  3. Anything made by Bethesda these days. I'll wait for Skyrim to hit $10 on a Steam sale. I can't really just punch Bethesda though. I should include all single player sandbox games without strong narratives. After playing multiole MMOs for so long, the offline versions seem so too hollow.

    I'm pretty much over my consoles. I was ready for new ones about 2 years ago so that feeling has only intensified. Flame away about value if you must. New machines would be for an early adopter like me.

    Mario Kart….why is this so popular? Smash Bros? I don't get either of those titles.

    Final Fantasy. I'm hoping Vs is good.

    1. There is a school of thought that argues that sandbox games can’t (by definition) have a tight, focused story simply because the world that is created is not conducive to a singular narrative.
      If someone creates an open world, it's meant to explore. Exploration involves time and being carefree with it. A story, in contrast is a series of connected events that lead to a climax and a conclusion. The problem with stories in open world games is that the time between the events can be prolonged (often indefinitely) which waters down the sense of urgency that ultimately leads to the climax.
      Take Spider-man 2 and Shattered Dimensions. In S2, there was a fun, free-roam city to swing around. You could ignore the story and just swing around town all day. Think of what a horrible book that would make. By contrast, SD, ditched the open world for linear play and we got a much more focused story. I'm not saying one is better than the other, I'm just saying that if my story involves going to a park and confronting the villain there; going to run seven other errands before doing so would make for a bad story… if I ever get around to getting to the park, anyway.
      -M

      1. GTA4 had a very good narrative though. Mass Effect 2 a very good story. One is more sandbox than the other. In the case of a Bethesda title, the openness is the main feature while story is tacked on around the concept.I think there are good examples of open world that maintains a strong narrative that are single player. If the game, a Bethesda title for instance, lacks strong narrative then I feel it needs a multiplayer component to make it compelling. There is no way to show off the fruits of your grinding! My opinion of course. I realize I'm biased due to leaning towards what an mmo offers in comparison.Sent from my iPhone 4

      2. This conversation has a very interesting point. Is it possible a Sandbox game force the gamer to be engaged in a multi-tiered story with side quests to boot? Or, by definition, will they loose that free creation element that is the allure for most of their patrons?

        The closest I've played was L.A. Noire. You can't even draw your gun unless you are in an action/shooting sequence. You are a cop. so side missions come in the form of dispatch calls over the scanner (which is kinda realistic). If you don't want to drive even, you don't have to. Only in the chase sequences do you have to drive. Other than that, you just step out of the car, hold the Y or Triangle button instead of tapping it, and your partner will drive (and skip) to wherever the waypoint is set at.

        Another good example could be Brutal Legend. Other than those, I have no idea what a happy middle would be. For me, I've always been a gameplay guy. If I want a story, I know where the library is. As good as writing has gotten in recent years, (sorry Ray) not one game I've ever played was written like Shakespeare, Orwell, or even Stephen King. I always said that about the FF games and the sitting and watching involved in the MGS drove me crazy. God forbid you get a phone call during one of those scenes, you'll miss a very important element of the game.

        Which brings me to the ideas that everything you read before this part was a long winded setup for… a choose your own adventure game. There have been people who tried, and Mass Effect might be the closest thing, but I'm talking even more basic. What if it's like a Judy Blume book where your an average kid learning life lessons? What if you got more adult with it, and you're a serial killer and the way you leave, stalk, and handle your prey effects the environment? You could get busted, or live a long happy life depending on how sinister you are.

        Another one… is romance games. We all know that females don't buy games like males do. We got males that are looking for the stories they like. It's also no secret that women use romance novels for the same reasons we have some sort of internet in our bedrooms. Why doesn't somebody take a chance and try it?

      3. I've always considered the Legacy of Kain series to have the best writing in a game.Portal is a very close 2nd.This is an interesting topic though. I'll stoke the fire some. WoW offers amazing story if you are interested but it isn't essential. You can level without questing if you want and can do your own thing really. I think that is a good template to go by.Sent from my iPhone 4

      4. The WoW example still negates the point. I'm aiming for a narrative diven game that basically allows you to mold the narrative. The last 2 WWE games have a create a story function, but it's still not what I mean. I haven't played the Dragon Age games, but they might be close to what I mean too.

        What I'm trying to envision is literary devices and genres that gaming has yet to tap. I've played a few games that resemble a Dean Koontz book, several that resemble comic books, and the fantasy and sci-fi genres are off the charts. What about non-fiction gaming? What about DIY instruction manuals where you can do it virtually before you do it for real? Think of things you see in a book or book store that you've never seen in a game. Why hasn't that been tapped?

      5. Non fiction..the only thing that comes to mind is the first Shenmue.Perhaps in 2-3 years augmented reality will be baked into hardware and the DIY stuff will be more feasible. Current tech only the Kinect could make that possible.So you want what the user does to manipulate and create the story? Interesting if so but isn't that adverse to how stories are written?(I'd steer clear of the Shakespeare game)Sent from my iPhone 4

      6. Depends on the delivery of the story.

        With a book or a movie, the physics of a book or movie generally demands a point A to point B linear narrative, a ghost story a camp counselor is telling at a campfire is subject to change depending on how he feels, the environment, and the effect it has on the subject. Games are not confined to same physics as books or movies.

        Stone Cold Steve Austin was written as a heel, but the crowd didn't react to him that way, thus the Attitude era was born. In a wrestling game, I can turn anyone heel or face with a press of a button.

        I'm thinking branching story arcs. You make this choice, and now the narrative is headed a different direction. Fallout New Vegas is the closest I've seen to that, but there are really only 3 paths. You basically get 3 stories for the price of one. I'm curious as to how Skyrim approaches it.

      8. Well, yeah… but how do you mean that?

        I was sitting here trying to think of games that don't feel like you're recounting something that already happened. Games that make you feel like your in it and it's happening now.

        MMO's, sports games, and online shooters is all I can come up with. Maybe puzzle games to degree, but either way, notice that the first 3 are the most popular genres of games.

      9. You would need some kind of AI to determine the next step. MMO the random world creation or lore can't happen unless it is lore related. Sports are sports games. Online shooters need big set pieces to set themselves apart. More so if they have a narrative like CoD.Randomly generated worlds works in something like Diablo. The random factors have no impact on the narrative.Need more coffeeSent from my iPhone 4

      10. Personally, Bioshock is the best narrative I've ever experienced in a game. I would also throw FF IV and Portal 1 in there for the hell of it (but that would be more of my bias than anything). I have not played Legacy of Kain or Portal 2 (yet- it's sitting unopened on my shelf). Also, I have not played WoW, but I know enough about it to classify it as a persistent, open-world game.

        From assumption, I would hazard that you go to places, kill things, loot things, then repeat. Again, you are not forced to do these things or go to these places, so you may never experience the story part of WoW and just socialize or do PvP all day long (or something else). Maybe one of WoW's quests would make a good story, but for it to be a good story, you'd have to eliminate your freedom of exploration and limit your time. Just imagine reading a book about someone in the WoW just grinding endlessly to get to a certain level.

        -M

      11. Yes and no. There are many quest chains inside of the different zones that relate to the lore. The dungeons themselves are full of it. Vanilla WoW incorporated the lore in more of a stand offish way than the expansions have. In Burning Crusade Lore was big. It was at its best in Lich King.

        The big thing here is that you can choose to ignore the lore entirely and simply go about doing the quests, or listen/read the lore in the quests, books, and speaking areas of dungeons.

        My WoW example was mainly for contrast how an open world game should be built. Strong narrative but unnecessary since there is a tremendous multiplayer element and achievements can be obtained and shown off. Bethesda (my whipping boy I suppose) only has strong exploration. They have never put out a good story. For a single player experience a story is imperative for me in an rpg.

        I'm not willing to call Skyrim a bad game, just lacking a necessary element for me. Lots of reviews give it 10/10 and I just disagree.

      12. I think you're right… WoW has spoiled you. The closest thing that I can relate to in that sense is Ultima. I always wondered why it didn't get as big or as widespread as WoW.

        -M

      14. There's actually a ton of lore in the Elder Scrolls games. All the books you find everywhere all filled with it if you're willing to take the time to read them.

      15. Yeah it's been like that since DaggerFall. It's a formula that hasn't changed for the better given the budgets and tech. Then again their games aren't known for story. They are just so adverse to what I look for in a single player rpg.Something like Witcher 2 is what I see as the ultimate offline rpg. Western anyway.To each their own I suppose.Sent from my iPhone 4

      16. You may think that GTA 4 had a good narrative, but there were big, gaping holes in the plot. Specifically; the part where you had one date with that chick and then she dies in your arms towards the end of the game.

        If you choose to continue to date her, then her death has meaning, but if you ignore her for the whole game, you don't get attached to her which is integral for the climax. Also, how many hookers and skanks have you had sex with during the game? That also detracts from that one chick's importance since you don’t really care about her.

        Again, GTA4 wants to tell a concentrated story, but it fails since you can basically do whatever you want and maybe get around to the story at your own leisure (if you feel like it). This totally takes away from a focused narrative because you're not forced to progress the story or progress the story at an effective pace.

        -M

  4. Mario & Sonic. I've officially outgrown Plumbers & Hedgehogs. I hate to say it, because I used to love these games. But they don't keep me entertained like they used to.

    1. Dude… I think you gave me bronchitis over XBL when I challenged you to WWE 12… well played.

      (@ Big Blak… you can learn a thing or 2 from this guy.)

      1. Dude, I'm STILL coughing up a storm. I've been sick for like 3 weeks now. I'm on anti-biotics, and they also game me promethazine w/ codeine. That stuff messes me up.

        Also, in order to challenge me online in WWE, the servers must first work. It's been more than a week since the game released and I've yet to get online at all.

      2. I hope you get better soon, because that sounds extra shitty.But the strategy worked. You're gonna have to challenge me now and I won't lie… I'm scared now. This sucks. No championship is worth this.Bare in mind, I haven't been sick like this in over a year (maybe more) and I know there's no possible way it's your fault. It's just funny to assume it is.

      3. My buddy who I do our site's podcast with has bronchitis and a sinus infection, and he's been sick longer than I have. He lives in central PA, and I still blame him for getting me sick.

    2. I completely agree. Sonic has been "dead" for a while now, and Mario is showing signs. For the first time since the 5th generation, one of Mario's platforming games (Super Mario Galaxy 2) can be considered a sequel, or (God forbid) an "expansion pack". Ugh. And the new Mario Kart is simply Mario Kart 7? Yeah, Nintendo's officially milking the series.

      1. You have to keep in mind that new gamers are being born everyday. They couldn't milk a series unless there was demand (that may indeed be invisible to us).

        I say this because I am the proud father of a 9 year old boy who regards Sonic as his favorite fictional character (let alone videogame character). For Christmas, the thing he wants the most is Sonic Generations.

        Like E3 2010… it's not for us.

      3. You should have gotten him a Sonic costume for Halloween. Just be careful not to indulge him too much because he's liable to tuck and roll down the side of a hill hoping to rescue some forest critters and score some gold rings.

        -M

      4. Actually… he wanted to be Scorpion from Mortal Kombat at first, but the changed his mind and ended up being zombie John Marsden from Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare.

        Three words:

        That's my boy.

      5. Thanks for reminding me: I need to put Red Dead Redemption (GOTY) on my wishlist. I think it's like $30 and it includes all of the DLC. It seems like a great value and everyone was raving about Grand Theft Horse, so I might as well give it a shot.

        -M

      6. I'll jump back in it to play with you if it lets me. Sometimes the GOTY versions are considered a different game than the originals (I have 2 sets of achievements for Batman AA as an example).

        But, I'll try. I'll show you how to level up quick and you can steal my fast horse until you get your own.

  8. All mobile games. Tablet games & cell phone games are by far the worst to me these days. They are all the same game over and over.

    I am way done with Assassins Creed & Grand Theft Auto games.

    games I used to play but just forgot about: Ace Combat, Armored Core, Resident Evil, Lego (anything)

  9. Mario and Sonic, as stated above. Guitar Hero is a big one, since we've got a full suite of instruments at my house to use. Spyro is also an old favorite that has similarly died over the years. However, the biggest (and best) example for me is Pokemon. You could consider me a Retro gamer towards the Pokemon franchise in general; I love/loved Kanto and Johto regions, but the series lost me after that.

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