I'm not a game fanatic anymore.
Truth be told, I haven't been one for years now. Don't get me wrong, I'm still an enthusiast. But the maniacal drive I used to have is long gone. I maintain an interest in what's coming down the pike, but it's more that of an informed consumer than a rabid devotee. It's been years since I've tracked what games I play. I don't keep a database of my collection. I read the Boardgame News RSS feed and scan BoardGameGeek a few times a week, but I don't trawl the forums daily looking for morsels to pick over and discuss. I've jumped from the leading to the trailing edge.
I don't need to have the newest, greatest thing Right Now. There was a time when every gaming session would see a new game unwrapped, but the number of titles I've picked up in the past year could be counted on two hands-- perhaps even one. The joy of exploring something new has been replaced by the joy of savoring something old. Just as I don't write much about games anymore because I feel like I've said everything I have to say, it feels like new games are mostly more of the same. There are seldom real surprises anymore, few genuine delights. In contrast, the satisfaction of revisiting familiar games repeatedly and the camaraderie of doing so with a familiar group of people has increased. Over the past year I've played quite a lot of Tichu, Big Boss, Puerto Rico, Mü, and Password (and Lost Cities online). These days, they're the gaming equivalent of comfort food-- games to which I'll never say no. The experience of these games for me is so much more than the game itself. It's the in-jokes that have arisen from repeated play, the shorthand banter bred by familiarity, the relaxed socialization that becomes possible when everyone not only knows the rules, but how to play.
I'd like to think this is a sign of maturity. Though considering my gray hairs-- and all my missing ones-- I'm not sure I need any more signs. I've come to view my gaming time as too valuable a commodity to squander on games that aren't up to snuff. Let other people snap up every new release hot off the boat. Let other people race the wind. I'll just be here in my rocking chair, sipping lemonade on the porch, waiting for the Wells Fargo wagon to deliver the handful of must-haves. And liking it.
Posted by Peter at March 31, 2006 3:32 PMThanks, I no longer have a need to write this exact same article myself.
Posted by: Greg Aleknevicus on April 1, 2006 3:00 AMHappy April 1?
Posted by: Anonymous on April 1, 2006 7:28 AMI don't think this is an April Fool's joke. For one thing, it's... uh... not actually funny. And for another, it feels too true.
Of course, I *want* to think that, since I reached this exact same point myself about a year or two ago. Happy to have more company.
-Dave, on the Cutting Trailing Edge
Amen Brother Peter! The last 4 games I bought were all gifts. I don't even remember the last thing I bought for myself.
Posted by: Jeff on April 1, 2006 8:18 AMOld man Pete sez:
"it feels like new games are mostly more of the same"
I find this to be true more often than I'd like. It's a huge obstacle in my quest as a game designer. Most times when I honestly evaluate one of my own prototypes, I have to admit that I've seen it before. Frankly, I'm not interested in putting out more of the same.
And then when I see the new batches of games that are being published, I realize that most of them are ideas I would have tossed in a drawer had I designed them myself. Because they're just not that new or exciting.
Posted by: Stephen Glenn on April 2, 2006 1:41 PMMaybe it's age. Or maybe it's like any other subject - you go through it, cover it pretty well (no subject can *really* be exhausted), and move on to something newer. Amusing that I started reading Greg's "Gaming Dumpster" (thank you Greg!), which connected me to Board Game Geek, which in turn linked me here.
What I find interesting is that I disdained game-console games precisely because I thought they were all just variants on the same limited set - after all, they only have a handfull of buttons! how complex could the thought patterns be - yet was still exploring the variety of board and card games. Of course, they have the advantage of being social activities.
And non-gamer friends and SOs have a much easier time playing "that favorite game" than figuring out why we should try a new one every time . . .
Posted by: harlan on April 2, 2006 2:04 PMI think this is sort of an inevitable cycle. Even I am not as into board games as I was even a year ago, and I'd often rather play something familiar and comfortable than buy and try the latest things. Of course, since Emily's birth, I've missed more Friday game nights than I care to admit. I think Wednesday night's low attendance is also somewhat of a victim of my waning interest.
On the flip side, I have found that my interests tend to move in cycles over the years from RPGs to computer/console games, to board games. I think right now, my interest is my in the electronic area and I'm starting to get that itch to work on my RPG designs again. I suspect it won't be too long before the board game bug catches me again.
Posted by: Rich Rowan on April 9, 2006 3:44 PM