Ever since Space Invaders then the ZX Spectrum (ah, Jet Set Willy) I have desperately tried to avoid gaming – mainly because I have an addictive-seeking personality and know that once I am hooked in then the rest of my everyday life will be ignored. I played Sudoku endlessly around the airports of Europe then disappeared up the arse of Candy Crush but apart from these two hiccups I have been clean for 38 years, 7 weeks and 4 days. My second reason is my complete lack of manual dexterity: nine year-old nephews walk away in disgust when I am enticed to play whatever football or car-racing game is on their screen – “Why are you so hopeless?” is the kindest comment I have received.
The recent threads on Gaming have, I am afraid, got me wavering. Despite doubling my attendance at the weekly meetings – “I am weak, I want to sin” – the attraction grows daily.
If perchance I allowed myself to be sucked in, two questions please.
1. Without going overboard, which is the best console platform (is that the correct terminology?) to buy?
2. Are there games to play that don’t require me to instantly remember which button is up, which is down, where’s that damn sword or should I grow an extra hand or two?
I await with fear and trepidation
mikethep says
Serious question: when and why did ‘playing computer games’ become ‘gaming”? ‘Gaming’ used to mean ‘gambling’, and sounds much more glam and grown-up; is that why?
Bingo Little says
Because “playing computer games” is a mouthful, and, in many cases, factually inaccurate. Consoles aren’t considered “computers”.
mikethep says
They’re just computers you can’t talk bollocks on, surely?
But what I was getting at was that removing the word ‘playing’ makes it all sound more grown up, somehow – no dear, I’m not playing, I’m gaming.
Bingo Little says
Yeah, they’re still computers. But there’s a historic fault line between “PC” and “console” gaming, so you’d never say you were “playing computer games” on, say, an N64z
I’d guess that “gaming” was adopted as a generic term in the mid 90s, about the time Sony made a big push for later teens and twenty somethings, so there’s possibly some truth in what you say. For what it’s worth, I don’t regard gambling as being particularly grown up or sophisticated – I used to have some minor dealings in that world and I’d say tawdry and tragic are more the words that spring to mind.
mikethep says
You’re taking me way too seriously Bingo…but there’s a bit of back story to this. In the early days, no matter what I was doing (eg downloading music at glacial speed on a dial-up modem) my wife would refer to it as ‘playing on the computer’.
Bingo Little says
Oops – didn’t mean to come across as that serious!
By way of rectification, here’s a link to Green Day’s “Basket Case”, sung in movie quotes…
http://youtu.be/akuQrq460NI
mikethep says
That’s brilliant!
Kaisfatdad says
It’s a good point Mike. And that grown-up terminology is used by the youth too. My 12 year old refers to himself as a gamer, and that’s a big part of his identity.
pencilsqueezer says
Addressing the questions.
1) If you want the market leader go for the PS4. The Xbox One is just as good a machine it’s just sold less. Both boast some exclusive games and apps. Try reading a few of the gaming blogs/sites such as IGN for more info.
2) You are bound to find many games that will easily devour vast quantities of your time. Many do not require the reflexes of Spider-Man but patience can be a virtue when learning the ropes.
A few of my favourites on the Xbox One.
Witcher 3.
Fallout 4
Grand Theft Auto 5.
Kid Dynamite says
This is a good answer. The only real difference between a PS4 and an Xbox One is the exclusives, but even these are getting rarer as development costs escalate and games need to reach as wide a market as possible to recoup. Outside of first party premium IP like Halo (an SF FPS exclusive to Xbox) the only one I can think of recently is the new Tomb Raider, which has a twelve month window on Xbox before it comes to PS4, for which I suspect Microsoft spent an absolute ton of money in order to get an alternative to the Playstation exclusive Uncharted (a similar climbing stuff and finding relics franchise). One thing that is becoming a lot bigger this generation is the indie game scene – games built by smaller teams without the polish of the AAA blockbusters but often with interesting or quirky ideas that wouldn’t survive the first encounter with EA’s sales projections. It’s rare to see these for sale as boxed games but digital distribution is robust enough now that they are widely reviewed and easy to get hold of.
Also worth noting that a lot of games these days have difficulty levels that you can adjust to taste, meaning that you can follow the narrative to the end without getting hung up on one particular battle or whatever.
Witcher 3 that Pencil mentions is superb. It was far and away my game of last year – a medieval epic fantasy that looks tremendous and has an involving story with no end of side quests to keep you playing. The characters are all well written and acted, the gameplay strikes the right balance between action and RPG stat crunching, Novigrad sets a new benchmark for cities in games…it’s excellent. My only moan is that I wish it wasn’t quite so keen to show me every female character’s tits, but it is far from the worst example of videogame sexism out there.
Kaisfatdad says
That was a really interesting comment, Kid. My son has dabbled with Steam (if you don’t know it, Hen, it’s a site where up and coming gamers, among others, get a chance to post their wares). There are some wonderfully imaginative ideas there.
As you comment, with such enormous sums of money involved in the blockbusters, it’s not surprising that an indie scene has emerged.
Bingo Little says
We need more info here. What sorts of games do you like?
The PS4 leads the market, as PS says. But if you’ve literally not played a game in 30 years and have no experience of being in a 3D game environment then that’s an almighty leap to make.
Are there any games/genres you like the look of?
Lodestone of Wrongness says
I want to kill things and have lots of sex and be as good as Messi or Hamilton and solve labyrinthine Puzzles and be Master of the Universe – OK, skip the puzzle solving/logic stuff just give me slaying and women in awe of my slaying (all, of course, using but one mighty finger).
Bingo Little says
Yes, yes, but what about the video games?
pencilsqueezer says
GTA 5. Or failing that One Mighty Finger 3.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Oh, right. Well obviously I want engrossing, thoughtful and mind-enhancing experiences all of which respect women, the environment and my Mum (with just a little bit of mindless violence on the side)
Lodestone of Wrongness says
I’ve just googled One Mighty Finger 3 – it looks awesome!
Kaisfatdad says
If you like that, try Grand Thumb Auto 2!
Wow!
If you want to get a taste of any game, just go on the Tube. Everything from trailers to hours of gameplay.
Just Cause 3 is a big favourite here. You get to destroy lots of stuff,
You’ve pinpointed one major problem for the novice, would-be gamer. A consul is going to set you back a lot of dosh, Then again, if you’re not that bothered about playing the very latest games (why should you be?) ´, you’re probably better buying a slightly older consul (e.g. Xbox 360, PS3) as it, and the games that go with it, will be an awful lot cheaper.
Many games shops sell second hand consuls and games.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Thanks KFD – good tip re You Tube: who knew?
Kaisfatdad says
The answer to that is: every ten year old boy with a game consul!
JQW says
One other option is to play games on your PC or Mac. The issue here is that some games, particularly the recent ones, require a somewhat beefy video adaptor for 3D rendering.
Once source of PC games is Steam – http://store.steampowered.com/
Steam have regular sales, and you can often pick up some older games for next to nothing. They also have regular free weekends allowing you to trial certain games for a couple of days. Then there’s the ‘Free-to-pay’ games which let anyone join in, but they expect you to pay for premium content.
moseleymoles says
Good comment on going for a PS3 – were only just getting to the point where PS4 only games are being made. Last of us for ex ample is on PS3, as is Uncharted and Fifa 16. Doesn’t sound as if online play is a big thing for you – that’s the chief reason to upgrade, to have the same console as yr friends. Xbox 360 or PS3 games will be cheap enough to stop if you are finding them not yr thing.
And find your local Cex – will get you a secondhand console, secondhand games and take them back for trade in when you are done – they are webuy online for some reason.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Cex looks very interesting (as Cex always does). Next question, do I go in at entry level 80gb or do I go straight to Big Boy 500gb?
My ignorance, as you will have noted, is limitless: The PS3 comes with the shooty-stick controlly thing – is that all I need, apart of course from the 400-inch flat screen, gaming chair with drinks cabinet and a scantily-clad handmaiden to wipe my fevered brow?
pencilsqueezer says
As is usual with all computery thingies go for as big a hard drive you can afford.
You’ll only need one controller unless you plan to muck about with another sentient being via the same console.
moseleymoles says
And PS3 plays blu-ray, does Netflix iplayer etc so a DVD controller will make it easier to do all that. You can use the gaming controller to do all that but it’s not as user-friendly if you want to use the media functions.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Thanks MM – I’ll pretend I understand all that!
Mr Squeezer – big, as ever, is beautiful…
I’m starting to see the scene emerging
“Hello, darling – what’s that you got there?”
“Nothing darling – just me messing about with the telly”
Six months later, that’s me on the corner of the street “Big Issue, Big Issue”
Bingo Little says
Personally, I’d go for a PS4.
It’s a bit of extra cash, but after so long out of gaming I think you’ll want to experience the best there is to offer, and it’s only a matter of time until you find yourself desperate to play something that’s a next-gen exclusive.
I also think there’s a big jump up in quality of experience from PS3 (a console I never particularly fell in love with) to PS4 in terms of ease of use – the user interface is a hell of a lot less fiddly and you spend way less times waiting for interminable updates to download; everything just happens cleanly in the background. In fact, if you’re going last-gen I’d suggest getting a 360 instead.
It sounds like what you’re after is basically sandbox games and maybe some footie. Just Cause 3 and GTA 5 are basically the state of the art. The latter is the better game (albeit not to my tastes), but the former is heavily optimised for goofing around and blowing shit up. Pick either of FIFA or Pro Evo for the footie, but if it’s to be the latter it needs to have been released in the last two years. You may also enjoy the recent Batman games, which do a good job of making you feel like a superhero, but are a bit more hand-holdy.
If you do go last-gen, make sure you play Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted (if you do go PlayStation), Crackdown (if you go 360) and both the Portal games.
Oh, and I’d suggest skipping the Call of Duty franchise. The single player mode is generally underwhelming and if you’ve not played games in a while there’s no way in hell you’re going to want to venture online in that particular community. Football games are a better place to start if you want to dabble in cyber-gaming and test your skills.
Finally, obligatory shout for Bloodborne. It’s massively unsuited to someone returning to games after a decades-long absence, but it is the greatest game ever made, bar none.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
“Massively unsuited” eh? That’s the one for me!
I’m thinking, cos of price, the PS3, especially second-hand, is the way to go but my most important challenge, if I dare to accept it, will first be getting it into the house…..
Bingo Little says
A few friends of mine have recently had to deal with that particular issue.
“I need it for work” and “I won it in a competition” have been popular, and in some cases even successful, lines.
mikethep says
Which brings up another question: all this gaming presumably takes up rather a lot of time. How do you get away with that if the domestic authorities, if any, think there are loads more ‘important’ things to do, eg mow the lawn or paint the bathroom?
Bingo Little says
Can only speak for myself, but…
(a) it was a hobby of mine before I ever met the missus. That gives it protected status, much like playing football;
(b) there’s an (admittedly slightly tenuous) argument that I need to keep up with what’s going on in gaming for my role at work; and
(c) I’m quite good at DIY and have done so much of it down the years (we keep buying fixer-uppers) that there is plentiful credit in the bank on that score.
With little kids about, I generally don’t get a chance to play games for more than an hour at a go these days, but if you just focus it all on one game then over the course of the year it adds up.
As with all things in marriage though, the golden rule is: don’t take the piss.
pencilsqueezer says
I can date my gaming habit right back to ‘Pong’. I became rabidly addicted to playing text adventures on a Commodore 64 and continued on through the various generations of PlayStation and Xbox.
Luckily my lass was also a keen gamer. Especially sandbox games. Red Dead Redemption being her all time favourite.
Since losing her I play less, paint even more. I ration the time I spend gaming otherwise it would eat up vast quantities of time that ultimately could be spent more productively.
Lodestone of Wrongness says
Going right back to the OP – that’s my problem. I just know Level 245 of Kill Aliens Kill will “just need another five minutes, dear, maybe ten”.
It’s not as though I have much spare time as it is what with my novel still stuck on Page 143, the latest AW listening recommendations still to wade through, that bloody garden, why don’t we do more proper walking, isn’t Transparent the best thing on tv ever etc etc etc
pencilsqueezer says
Two words Hen.
Time Management.
Bingo Little says
What PS sez.
Basically, anyone who has time to post on here has time to play video games.
JustB says
But not both.
Bingo Little says
I’m playng a videeo game as I typ this
Bingo Little says
What’s your all time favourite game, PS?
pencilsqueezer says
Ooo that’s a tough one. Going way back I loved Zork from Infocom. I whiled away many happy hours on Elite. Kicked many an arse on Tekken and stalked the corridors of Doom blasting into oblivion space scum.
I do adore GTA for it’s almost completely amoral attitude and being able to live out a very convincing virtual life as a gangsta.
Red Dead Redemption is of course magnificent especially for those with wild west leanings.
Of the more recent stuff I’m very fond of Witcher 3 and Fallout 4.
All time favourite though. I suppose on sheer amount of time spent the award would go to Elite.
Bingo Little says
Ah, Elite. Absolutely superb game – one of the first to show us all exactly how broad an experience games might be able to deliver in future. Excellent call.
Witcher 3 is very high on my to-play list, once I’m done with Bloodborne. I’ve heard nothing but good things.
pencilsqueezer says
Witcher 3 is fabulous Bingo. One of those rare things where you can believe the hype.
Kid Dynamite says
My wife and I just don’t watch television. That’s where my gaming time comes from, mostly in the evenings once the nipper is in bed.
moseleymoles says
I think that if you net off the price you’ll pay for a ps3 console now – around a £100 – over a 12 month period the ps4 console will probably drop another £50. And of course if someone does decide one morning to throw it in the bin you’ve invested less. So not much for a toe-dipper.
However, if you do have the cash then ps4 is just a quicker and easier interface – as said. Sony got stick for some aspects of the PS3 and have put a lot into making the 4 more user-friendly.
pencilsqueezer says
I wouldn’t write off the Xbox one.
Apart from being a very sleek gaming platform it’s a very acceptable media hub.
moseleymoles says
Agree there is (probably) little between them. Both have ditched the crappy peripherals – Move, that rubbish motion capture thing on the 360 – and focused on making a good caming console. Really it boils down to :
Networks =- what are your friends on? If you want to game with, vs them.
Exclusives. Last of Us/Uncharted vs Halo/Forza etc
The specs, reviews etc are broadly similar and though the 4 has sold a bit more, the 1 has sold enough (and will sell) to be a perfectly sound alternative.
oscar patterson says
If you like platforms, teasing your brain and a soundtrack so wonderful that I was listening to it out of choice on Spotify whilst cooking yesterday, then ‘Thomas Was Alone’ is your choice on iPhone, android etc….mind you, you’ll lose some of those precious hours…
Beezer says
I’ve only ever used PlayStation. 1, 2 and now a beloved and aged 3.
I like and enjoy but one game. Gran Turismo. I’ve played all its versions since the first in 199thing.
So. Playstation 3 (or 4 now) and Gran Turismo 6.
Dead easy.
deramdaze says
As a kid I spent the whole of my summer holidays, outside, playing cricket, football, riding bikes, climbing trees etc.
There were two exceptions to the rule.
The visit to watch a film at the cinema (always a hot afternoon – why?), and worse…..the rainy day when Subbuteo had lost its lustre and my mate’s video games, a real novelty at the time, came out (a.k.a. THE WORST HOUR OF THE SUMMER).
Cured me for life – a day doesn’t go by when I’m not truly thankful.
Bingo Little says
Sounds fascinating.
pencilsqueezer says
I’m fascinated. Ooo look a Deathclaw.