The Easy Way Out

          In my opinion, gaming has quickly become less about fun and testing yourself, and more about leader boards and easy kills. From developers to players, we have created a gaming culture in which the easiest path is obvious and encouraged. This sentiment is seen in almost no other sport, however. You didn't see Barry Bonds get away with corking his bat, and you won't see steroids legitimized for pro football players. You do, however, see quick scoping work its way back into Call of Duty, and the ability to buy all Battlefield 3 vehicle upgrades from the live marketplace. Is it just me, or is the industry handing out god mode passes to anyone interested? Players have apparently lost touch with the good old philosophies of earning your keep, and taking the road less traveled.

          RTSs have always been a passion of mine. There is nothing quite like winning a game with pure tactics and battlefield creativity. It is strange to me that a simple board game such as chess has survived through the ages, while the RTS genre, its gaming equivalent, appears to be running on empty almost from the start. I enjoy getting multi kills in Halo as much as the next guy, but after a few hours of exerting my dominant reaction time, my mind craves a challenge as well.

          Let me be clear about this from the start; I’m not saying that FPSs don’t challenge you or require a certain set of skills to become proficient in. The fundamental difference between many modern FPSs and most other video game genres is the degree to which a person lacking experience or real skill can overcome their handicap by simply picking better gear. How else do you explain the rampant use of guns like Modern Warfare 3’s ACR and FMG9s? These guns are no frill, death machines, tailored to maximize kills, and minimize effort in doing so. To me, that's what it seems to be all about these days, minimizing effort. The ACR is pinpoint accurate, shoots fast,, has a large clip, and does decent damage. With this gun in your hand, good aim or the ability to control for recoil are not necessary to have an extremely successful game. Similarly, the FMG9 akimbo shoots incredibly fast (doubly so with akimbo), has a tiny hipfire reticle, and has a huge magazine. The FMG9 akimbo as a secondary is better than many of the primary weapons on smaller maps. Now I understand that certain players find themselves outmatched by more experienced players, and use these guns to gain an edge. This playstyle is fine to me. Where the problem arises is after the match ends and these same people talk trash about how much they pwned you. To talk trash with an ACR in your hand, is much like bringing a gun to a knife fight and bragging that you won. Oh, and one more thing: modded controllers…..enough said.

Full editorial written for TalkingAboutGames. See the rest at http://talkingaboutgames.com/?p=24486