Video Games Then vs Now

My good Friend was nice enough to agree to this interview; I have been friends with him since kindergarten or first grade. He was always into video games and even played many games with his older brother. I got into the gaming scene a little while later and soon after that we started playing together. Having a type of connection with somebody for so long is so important in your life; video games have let us do that for so long. 

There is something about playing classic games from the PS2 and Xbox 360 era. These types of games hold a special place in his life and forever will, “I first played Call of Duty WaW when I was 5 years old and it still holds a precious place in my heart.” World At War is one of the first ever Call of Duty games ever created and when I asked him this question I was surprised to hear that. I could have never imagined how a game from so long ago can still be fun to play. Of course with the older generation consoles their specs and graphics are completely under par compared to now. 

I asked him how different are games now compared to when games like World At War came out. “The games back on the PS2 and Xbox 360 days were very basic and bland in terms of graphics compared to present day…These new games also have better graphics and level design that couldn’t be accomplished on older gen systems.” This answer could have been answered by anyone who has any type of technology in the modern day but the sense of playing video games and how much these new consoles can withstand is crazy. Every single year new games come out with better graphics and overall gameplay and these consoles have to be able to play these games with no problems. 

The biggest problem with modern times and video games is that the video game producers and developers make so much money that it does not matter how well the game is made, people will still buy the game. I have slowly drifted away from playing video games for this single reason. My friend has felt the same thing and finding something to play can become difficult, “The games come out with zero content and glitches that make the game more of a hassle than an enjoyment to play. Games used to come out and be as good as expected but now they are lackluster.” Playing the new Call of Duty game each year gets boring and having a variety of games is becoming harder and harder to find. Being forced to play underdeveloped games is not fun and going back to play the older games is becoming more and more popular. 

Video games have become such a big market and there are many big game producers and developers. It has become impossible to get away from them with how much publicity they get from a new game they have launched. When asked about what these big companies can do differently to be better for their community; my friend said, “Video game companies can use a better communication system for player-to-developer talk.” The player base of these games and their feedback is the number one thing to makes these games even better than they already are. If the players feel like they are heard it would only benefit the company in terms of sales of their games. 

One last part of this interview is the most important. Why do people play these games all the time, why does it not die out? I asked my friend a similar question; what makes video games fun to play? “What makes video games fun to me is simply just to play with my friends or random people and just have a good time.” Instead of going outside to play with your friends, video games have become a main factor in friends interacting with each other. He also said, “ Video games give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.” Feeling good about yourself is important for your mental health and your self-esteem. People play video games to get away from feeling down and the games help them get through their day. The most important thing I have learned through this process is that Video games are here to stay; there are way too many positives to let the negatives weigh down the process of playing video games. 

“Call of Duty : World at War : Special Edition” by Mahadewa is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.