More of the same

I found this link on a forum that I frequent. It's definitely an interesting article.

I'd be willing to say that a lot of people are afraid to let go of their previous memories and fantasies that they experienced when playing those games (just like their childhood). They're "comfortable" accepting those past realities that they never stopped to question as they grew older - and a slightly grander, "more epic", version of something which really hasn't grown on the inside is just the panacea to stop their new reality from creeping up to the surface. It's like the counter to that feeling you get when trying to force-ably relive an old memory, and it just doesn't feel quite the same as it did then when it was full of wonder and awe - so you add a coat of gloss on top and say "see, it's just as good and the formula hasn't changed (or forced me to change)".

The forum post is here.

I said the exact same thing there - but it was an interesting topic and it ties in with a lot of points that I feel strongly about (some relating to the direction that games are taking as a medium, and others relating more to people... people I know, and people in society in general).

EDIT: I think that I should add that this provided an interesting moment of reflection for myself. It's easy to fall into the trap of dreaming about and trying to recreate positive moments from that past - particularly when you don't want to face a particular challenge or hardship in the present. I don't think that thinking about the past is bad - as a matter of fact, it can help to ground us and remind us of who we are - but it is the context that matters more than the experience itself. As said above, those memories that stick with us were often full of wonder, awe; and also, we were often pushing new boundaries. I think that is one of the most important things to remember - at it is what is missed when we try to recreate a perfect image of the past. Recreating a memory in the present puts it out of context because often what really mattered was the fact that we were growing and pushing the boundaries that we were familiar with - be it with a narrative theme, an accomplishment, an experience with another person or persons, or whatever else left a lasting impression.