New EA CEO says video games are "boring"

[Lingyis]

vizunary said:

HappySqurriel said:

I actually think he meant "Harder to Play" as "Currently games have an unnecessary level of complication" rather than "Currently games are too challenging." Back in the day many arcade and NES games were remarkably challenging yet didn't require 2 joysticks, 6 buttons and a 4 hour tutorial mode.

Eliminating "Complexity" may not (dramatically) decrease the challenge of a game and may make it easier to deliver the quality of experience you want. Many developers would have included player controlled jumping in The Legend of Zelda but the added complexity wouldn't have added much to the game and would have (potentially) made the game far harder to control; the extra difficulty to control the game does not make it more 'challenging' as much as it makes the game more frustrating.

If he meant it in that manner, I'll give you that. The whole interview isn't there, so it is out of context.

Honestly though, I think that games have just gotten proportionately as difficult as everything else in our lives. Think about driving, you use to just have a shifter, wheel, gas, brake, and clutch. Now we've got an automatic, which is necessary, so that we can change the 5 CD changer, XM radio, Nav system, OnStar, do your make up, change the kids DVD, all while on that ever so important phone call to Little Johnny's teacher, explaining why he had his pecker hanging out in class today ;)

 

The example you gave is a bad one, since automatic replaces clutch.  Plus... it really does make life easier.  Just talk to the million of Americans who simply can't drive stick shift.

It's a strange statement to say, since it covers so much ground it's neither correct or wrong.  Yeah, many things have become more complex, but not necessarily more difficult.  The ease of use of the iPhone is a good example.  For games though, a lot of times it translates into cumbersome and unnecessary control, like the NHL series.  That is something we don't want, and certainly not something one needs to live with!