Confessions of an Aging Gamer

[HaemishM]

In Shadowbane you could level character so damn fast - you could change your identity every week from griefer to good guy.  Makes it hard to trust anyone, get to know anyone or enact any concept of player justice.  

Speak for yourself.  I was pulling my hair out, while screaming, "THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A FUCKING PVP GAME!!!!! WHY THE FUCK DO I HAVE TO FUCKING CAMP THIS FUCKING SHIT JUST SO I CAN FUCKING LEVEL SO I CAN FUCKING PVP???? FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK IT!  I FUCKING QUIT!"

I made it to 52. But yeah, the PVE requirements sucked, especially in the beginning days when that was the only way you could pay for a city. Farmalot.

A time-intensive treadmill may help individual identity, but it isn't the only way to do it. I still think having every character on an account use the same last name would not only help with that, but add accountability as a whole to the game. Not perfect, but better than what we have now.

[Xilren's Twin]

Here's a cheery thought for you; as you keep aging your disposable income will increase as you watch your disposable time melt away like a snowball in hell.  Plenty of money to spend; no time to enjoy it.  Catch-22

I'll throw in my "damned kids" thoughts too.  No question the older you get the less time you have for any kind of entertainment, be it watching 3 movies a week or playing mmorpg's.  Since gaming is my choice #1 for personal entertainment, I try to squeeze in 1-2 hrs prob 4 nights a week just to keep my sanity.  I'm not alone in this habit, but in many ways I feel ignored.  I'm a great customer to have; pay regulary with a true CC (no game cards you have to save your allowance for) and consume low bandwidth a month.  So why aren't shops actively trying to market to me?  Only think I can figure is there don't know how to design a game that fits that market...  

Games that pretty much require a large amount of time invested are self limiting population wise. The market of people with that much disposable TIME is just not that huge and it's a more of less constant number.  People age out of it and are replaced by youngin's but I just dont' see the overall market expanding that much for games like EQ2/L2/WOW short of a new baby boom.

Which is why IMHO games that can capture the essence of the fun online multiplayer experience in short play sessions are the golden path to tread to large subscription numbers.  Make a game EASY to stay subscribed to.
Which is also why I am only playing CoH and MTGO at the moment.  You crazy whippersnapper kids.

Xilren

[Polysorbate80]

Unless you're married.  In that case, your wife will be more than happy to get rid of all that disposable income for you.  Typically by spending it on useless crap for other people, while complaining at you if you should foolishly go buy some useless crap for yourself :)

[Ardent]

Yes, being single is definitely a plus for casual gaming time.

But don't worry, all you married/kids folk. You'll be enjoying your elder years with all your loved ones while I die embittered and alone with nothing but memories of catassery to keep me warm as death swallows me forever.

[Sky]

I'm not alone in this habit, but in many ways I feel ignored. I'm a great customer to have; pay regulary with a true CC (no game cards you have to save your allowance for) and consume low bandwidth a month.

Heck, I've been saying that for years now. But game companies continue to pay heed to the morons who play the game endlessly, only taking a break to vent their personal gripes about how much the game they just played for 72 hours without a break completely sucks ass on a message board before sinking back into the game for another couple days.

Instead of sweating to push out enough content to keep the rabid upper minority appeased, they could relax and release content on a much easier schedule to people who won't devour it as if it were their lifeblood.

Game cards in particular are a sore spot with me, since one of my pet hopes is accountability in mmogs, game cards remove one very tangible source of accountability, the one with the money attached to it.

[Polysorbate80]

I have credit cards (and a wonderful credit rating) but I prefer paying via game-card when possible.  I find it's way too easy for me to just let monthly charges continue for games even when I've lost interest in playing them.  I think UO holds my personal record with over a year of unplayed paid time.  

This way, I have to consciously decide to give the company my money on a regular basis.  If a company wants my dollars, then their game should be interesting enough for me to actually be playing it.