Earlier tonight I was experiencing some Bionic Commando related frustration as I tried to make my way through the sixth stage. At one point, after countless drowning-related incidents I dropped my controller and said, (rather loudly), "you've got
to be f**king kidding me!" (Outbursts of this sort aren't entirely uncommon for me and generally don't mean I'm not enjoying myself or ready to stop playing). My wife, who was in the room with me, then said something that I have heard many times from my mother while growing up; "If that video game is getting you so worked up that you're cursing, you need to put it down." Then she mentioned how she hates how video games get make me and her brother, (my brother in law), curse so much.Maybe it's just me, but if I am already frustrated... not angry or pissed off mind you, just frustrated, the one thing that might push me over the edge is the feeling that I'm being patronized. Still, I kept my cool. Rather than yelling or getting upset, I simply pointed out how people act when watching a sports game on TV, or how she gets way too into watching Big Brother and I frequently hear her cursing when one of her favorite contestants makes a stupid decision. I reminded her how often both her and I and both our families spew streams of vitriolic profanity at other cars while driving.
Then I explained that I like it when games frustrate me, it means that I'm being challenged. As long as I'm not breaking things, cursing from time to time is sometimes a good sign. Games aren't fun when they're too easy and for me personally I enjoy them the most when I am being tested to my limit. If a section of a game is causing me a lot of frustration, then it just means it'll be that much more satisfying when I overcome it Of course there are times when a game truly can get so aggravating that the controller just needs to be put down, but that isn't specific to video games, just about everything in life is like that.
Lucky for me my wife is actually pretty open minded; she gets it. I just wish it was always that easy.
3 comments:
'If a section of a game is causing me a lot of frustration, then it just means it'll be that much more satisfying when I overcome it'
I completely agree. There's nothing more satisfying then overcoming something you've just spent days screaming at.
My Mum also used to say that I shouldn't play the game if it was causing me so much frustration. I also remember once crying (when I was young...or it may have been yesterday, I forget ;-)) because I couldn't find a save point one a game and my Mum was forcing me to go to bed. After four hours without saving the game it was incredibly annoying having to do it all again.
Mum's just don't understand!
It is a damn shame that people have negative preconceived notions about video games, yet they have never even played a game in their entire life.
I think there's a difference between a title that is just cheaply frustrating (because of poor design of cheap A.I.) or if it's just challenging. I prefer the latter by far.
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