Patience.. a virtue found less and less common in today’s, mainly Middle and Upper class, youth. This is something I find more and more disturbing when I interact with my peers. Though, I suppose I can’t consider myself a “youth” anymore, as I’ve already hit the big 2-0. I digress. When it comes to anything of reward, be it a new game, a treasured activity, or or the expectation of something good, today’s youth certainly want it NOW.
What ever happened to extended gratification? Isn’t waiting part of the fun? Sure it’d be great to get whatever you want now but that’d lessen the pleasure of receiving it at a later date.. The build up of expectation and excitement for say, that brand new videogame, is what makes that first play the most exciting.
For that matter, why the hell are developers blowing the hell out of plotlines and content way before a games release? My favorite game experiences are those where I get a game from some store, without knowing anything else other than whats on the box, and then just opening it up and going for it when I get back home. Everything is a surprise, everything is new and amazing and shiny.. One game I was very excited about was GTA4 (Yeah, that released didn’t it..?) and I enjoyed it.. but not nearly as much as GTA:SA, which was a totally unknown experience to me.
I blame the fact that the GTA Hype Wheel start spinning months before the game released, spilling plot points, characters, and generally everything that could have been remarked upon in an initial run through.. I feel like that may be the case with many upcoming games. Fortunately, I’ve found a way to keep that excitement alive.
I have stopped watching videos, reading articles, and listening to podcasts with information about my most expected videogames. That way, I can actually be thoroughly surprised when they actually do release and happen to be an excellent piece of software.
//Clearly this has gone from a Patience topic to a topic on other things.. It as more of a free-write for myself.. No true point.
It may not have a “True Point”, but it makes a good read! What you said about patience being found less and less in the world’s youth is true. I almost didn’t bother reading your entry because of the length. I’m glad I did, since you make a good point about the Hype. The less you know, the more surprised you can be when you actually get a game. I don’t like just grabbing games at random off of shelves, but once I know enough about a game to be excited, I really don’t need to know more. Anyway, I’m rambling now… a very insightful and interesting Blog post!