There’s a divide. A clear yet subtle disparity between young and old gamer’s. There’s certainly an indication that expectations are sharply distinctive between generations. The difference between gamer’s is the same as the difference between the movies “Alien” and “Aliens”; marginal, yet distinct. What’s also telling is the number of people who will comprehend that reference and those that won’t understand the significance of the plural. There’s invariably the same enthusiasm, similar passions, just a variable interpretation of what constitutes as reasonable doubt and deceitful. Youth tolerate certain grievances that someone like me would never condone. It’s a very broad generalised sentiment that may not accurately reflect your own personal experience, but it’s hard to deny that some established practices are deemed acceptable and even normal.

Games released unfinished, teething with crippling bugs, inflated pre-order incentives, premium currency, and everyone’s favourite legalised thievery, Loot Box’s. Of course these are also the kind of practices that have occurred incrementally over many years, simmering gradually to condition us to odious stench of corruption without it seeming alarming. It defies belief that such practices are tolerated in an industry that once flourished because of innovation not despite it. Commerce over craft is the encouraged method for game development. Hell, many supposed AAA games aren’t even released fully functional! If a game I purchased didn’t work I’d demand my money back, not passively defend the ignorant exercise as a necessary part of game development. The worst part, the thing that really rile’s me is the blatant lies emitted by devs/publishers, most notably the fallacious assertion that not only do we not play single player games anymore, but also don’t trade games.

The systemic dissolve of the second-hand market instigated by publishers that want more control over their revenue is not something I’d consider a positive step for the industry, let alone consumers. The aggressive defamation of single player experiences simply because publishers can’t monetise them infuriates me! They use their significant influence to flat-out lie about how people don’t want single player games to justify the inclusion of their sloppy, content starved multiplayer games. What I hate most is that people accept it. Just watch idly, complicit in their deceptive labour and casually say that it will get sorted “later”. As if that’s an acceptable alternative. So how does this translate into some perceived hostility towards older gamer’s? Well, we tend to be more casual, and casual players don’t tend to spend as much.

We have jobs, bills, domestic responsibilities, things to moan at, awkward joints, and quite honestly we require more sleep. There’s a necessitating incentive from brief, easily accomplished objectives in games that at my age and social standing is not only appealing but required. Life simply doesn’t permit the time to engage in an extended play-through that can’t be paused and potentially left absent for a period of time. Companies that can’t exploit you regularly and aggressively aren’t much interested in you. And ironically enough I’m not all that interested in them.