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posted by martyb on Monday January 07 2019, @07:43PM   Printer-friendly
from the Figured-it-out dept.

ArsTechnica:

Gaming was like breathing. It was the biggest part of my life as a teenager, one of my priorities as a college student, and eventually one of my most expensive “hobbies” as a young professional.

Then all of a sudden, after thousands of hours spent playing across genres and platforms, boredom hit me hard for the very first time in my early thirties. Some of my favorite games soon gave me the impression of being terribly long. I couldn’t help but notice all the repeating tropes and similarities in game design between franchises.

I figured it was just a matter of time before I found the right game to stimulate my interest again, but time continued to go by and nothing changed.

Is it that games have failed to innovate, or that real life is ultimately more engaging?


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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by JoeMerchant on Monday January 07 2019, @09:19PM (6 children)

    by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday January 07 2019, @09:19PM (#783379)

    Superpowers - especially in TV series - why does every (non-laughtrack driven) TV series have to have characters with superpowers?

    And/or high school girls.

    And/or ninja-violence.

    And/or the undead (usually with superpowers)?!?

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Freeman on Monday January 07 2019, @10:13PM (3 children)

    by Freeman (732) on Monday January 07 2019, @10:13PM (#783404) Journal

    There's nothing wrong with high school girls in a movie. Just don't watch teenie bopper flick 9000.

    Specific series of films / TV series thing that goes against all three of those is "Sherlock." The BBC series with Benedict Cumberbatch.

    There's also "The Good Cop," new series with the guy from "Who's the Boss?" That's a Netflix exclusive, I think.

    There's definitely others, but I'm not as into TV stuff.

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    • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday January 07 2019, @10:57PM (2 children)

      by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday January 07 2019, @10:57PM (#783430)

      "Sherlock." The BBC series with Benedict Cumberbatch.

      All too short, a regrettable side effect of not extending the Doyle books... and, for Doyle's time, Sherlock did have "deductive reasoning" superpowers.

      Haven't watched "The Good Cop" - I might lump it in with the laughtrack sitcoms if it's too sappy...

      If we want to play a game, I'll name 3 superpower series for every non-superpower non-sitcom series you can come up with.

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      • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday January 07 2019, @11:19PM (1 child)

        by Freeman (732) on Monday January 07 2019, @11:19PM (#783450) Journal

        The Sherlock series was "short", but the "episodes" were feature length films.

        How about Mystery Science Theater 3000? That one count?

        --
        Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
        • (Score: 3, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday January 08 2019, @02:43PM

          by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday January 08 2019, @02:43PM (#783665)

          Never got into MS3K, save that for the future I suppose.

          Will admit: BBC has some decent ones, such as Call the Midwife. Also into Death in Paradise now, even it it is the same old unrequited romantic tension murder mystery formula (ala Remmington Steele, early Bones, Lucifer...) the scenery is different (no gritty city strip clubs, though you do get the island bikini parties...) and the stories actually tie into the setting without total contrivance every time.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by jasassin on Tuesday January 08 2019, @02:28AM

    by jasassin (3566) <jasassin@gmail.com> on Tuesday January 08 2019, @02:28AM (#783527) Homepage Journal

    Superpowers - especially in TV series - why does every (non-laughtrack driven) TV series have to have characters with superpowers?

    You forgot about all the CSI/crime bullshit (Hawaii 50/Macguyver included). Half of broadcast TV is crime bullshit.

    I like The Orville, but to be fair it's just a Star Trek remake (done right IMO) with comedy elements.

    I've been watching old shows like the 1960s The Saint (with Roger Moore).

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  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday January 08 2019, @03:02PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday January 08 2019, @03:02PM (#783676) Journal

    Let's talk about TV series (but also movie) plots:

    You mentioned:
    * high school girls
    * ninja violence
    * undead
    * super powers

    I would add:
    * anything involving occult or supernatural powers
    * witches / warlocks
    * vampires
    * warewolves
    * dysfunctional families seems to be a hugely growing trend
    * super good guy cop (or some kind of law enforcement)
    * . . . often with an implausibly large number of super violent, super psychotic, ultra serial killer raper kidnappers amongst the general population
    * crime procedural good guy cops

    The worst: when occasionally a good TV series comes along, it doesn't have a major story arc or an actual ending. Like a good book that you might read multiple times and that might be enjoyed by generations of viewers even 10, 20 or more years later.

    As for Sci Fi especially space TV series, how about let's let Star Trek have an honored place in history and create a fresh new universe? Oh but that would require investment and commitment. (Just like having a real story arc would.)

    The real underlying problem I'm dancing around: all of these TV series are driven by a short term advertising profit motive. Very different than a good book.

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