Are Games Becoming More Annoying to Play?

[Rob Williams]

I have to admit that at times, I just can't help but whine about something. This is especially true if it happens to be something that truly "grinds my gears". Where gaming is concerned, those gripes tend to be traced back to something ridiculous like digital rights management (DRM). But today, I have a rant of a different sort, though still gaming-related.

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You can read the rest of our news post here.

 

[Tharic-Nar]

I have indeed noticed the trend of GFW logins and such. Permission to make a list.... tough, already have....

- Compulsory Gamespy and other multiplayer 'enhancements'.
- EULA enforced usage statistics for third-parties and advertisers with no opt-out.
- Consent to EULA simply by opening the case.
- Premium rate technical support helplines.
- 50 Varieties and multiple levels of DRM, some of which interfere with each other, not to mention with legitimate applications.
- Additional third party accounts for DLC.
- Diabolically unstable game releases with multi gig patches.
- Quick-Time-Events (press 3, Z, Y and M at the same time as the strobe light or you'll die and have your save game deleted).

I'm sure there are more, but hey, at least we get it out in the open.

 

[2Tired2Tango]

And people wonder why I'm not a gamer.

If I had to put up with some of the crap my gaming friends do, I'd be setting a world record for the most computers tossed out windows.

 

[madstork91]

You forgot my favorite,

taking a time honored game type, and turning it into a massive factory job like game of repetition where you do the same thing 100 times for a cookie, that doesnt taste that great, and makes you think about suicide.

 

[Kougar]

Microsoft's "Games for Windows Live" is probably the most inane system I've ever had the displeasure of using. I made the mistake of buying one game that requires it to function, and now the only thing Games for Windows has done is ensure I will never buy another game that uses it ever again.

Dealing with matchmaking programs like Gamespy is mildly annoying, since to use it you must wade through mountains of ads or buy a subscription. But Games for Windows Live is just the thinnest veil for console game ports that I have ever seen. Not only is it not user friendly, but it isn't even keyboard friendly... the game doesn't even use a mouse cursor to navigate deep menu trees.

A matchmaking service isn't that hard to add into a game, and if they don't want to bother or have the slight cost then why not use a service like Steam. It's just so much better....

 

[2Tired2Tango]

and makes you think about suicide.

Ummmm... if gaming affects you to that level....

 

[madstork91]

You should go play another?

"It was a yoke son, a yoke."

 

[crowTrobot]

It's really annoying how you basically need to be online to play these games now just for DRM verification.