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If the purpose of videogames is just having fun... why do we sometimes force ourselves to finish videogames we are not enjoying?
- Thread starter lunanto
- Start date
Because I keep believing it will get better once I get to the end of it... it might be the case or it might be not. How would one find out if not by playing it?
On the other hand, there are games that one does enjoy a lot and ends up not finishing them up because of whatever reason
On the other hand, there are games that one does enjoy a lot and ends up not finishing them up because of whatever reason
If I'm not enjoying it, I trade it in whilst the trade in is still fairly high and get something else. I get about an hour a night to play, not wasting it on something I'm not enjoying.
Games are long, this means they can change as you play them, just because 1 section you are at isn't fun doesn't mean the next section won't be
a lot of games I almost quit then I was glad I didn't later on
a lot of games I almost quit then I was glad I didn't later on
"If the purpose of videogames is just having fun"
I don't really agree with this statement at all.
I don't really agree with this statement at all.
Ad soon as I stop enjoying a game I stop playing it, I might come back to it later but usually I end up just dropping it again.
I personally don't think I've forced myself to finish a game I'm not having fun with.
However, there are games I had fun with that I stopped playing for whatever reason. Forcing myself to finish one of those games to me isn't "not having fun", but more so just spending time on entertainment that I would rather spend on other entertainment.
And the reason for forcing myself would be for personal fulfillment reasons (be it experiencing what the game has to offer, or even justifying my purchase), which in itself is a good feeling that's worthwhile to pursue.
However, there are games I had fun with that I stopped playing for whatever reason. Forcing myself to finish one of those games to me isn't "not having fun", but more so just spending time on entertainment that I would rather spend on other entertainment.
And the reason for forcing myself would be for personal fulfillment reasons (be it experiencing what the game has to offer, or even justifying my purchase), which in itself is a good feeling that's worthwhile to pursue.
Probably because of the mindset you aren't allowed to complain about the game if you didn't finish it. 🤔
I don't continue playing games, if I am not enjoying it.
I don't continue playing games, if I am not enjoying it.
I'm surprised so many people can relate to this. I'm glad I don't do this, and I really can't think of an answer to the question. If you're not enjoying something that's meant to entertain you it's pretty clear you should stop playing it.
I can kind of get trudging through a backlog so you don't feel like you've wasted money, but again, the clear answer is don't accumulate a backlog. I got my first job in high school and from that point to a few years after graduating with my Masters (with some breaks here and there when I was too busy to play games or briefly didn't have a job) I bought pretty much every game that interested me. After I got married and started working I have way, way less time to play games. After I bought a game near launch only to see it on sale for half or less of what I paid for it before I even got around to playing it I started only buying games I intend to play immediately. Works well for me.
There's times I enjoy games that I guess you could say I'm not having "fun" depending on how you define it. Some people may not consider being scared "fun" but still enjoy horror games for the thrill. There's times harder games are more frustrating than fun, but I'll continue playing for the satisfaction of finally nailing it.
But if not getting anything at all out of a game and you're just playing it for the sake of playing it, it sure seems like your time would be better spent doing literally anything else.
I can kind of get trudging through a backlog so you don't feel like you've wasted money, but again, the clear answer is don't accumulate a backlog. I got my first job in high school and from that point to a few years after graduating with my Masters (with some breaks here and there when I was too busy to play games or briefly didn't have a job) I bought pretty much every game that interested me. After I got married and started working I have way, way less time to play games. After I bought a game near launch only to see it on sale for half or less of what I paid for it before I even got around to playing it I started only buying games I intend to play immediately. Works well for me.
There's times I enjoy games that I guess you could say I'm not having "fun" depending on how you define it. Some people may not consider being scared "fun" but still enjoy horror games for the thrill. There's times harder games are more frustrating than fun, but I'll continue playing for the satisfaction of finally nailing it.
But if not getting anything at all out of a game and you're just playing it for the sake of playing it, it sure seems like your time would be better spent doing literally anything else.
The purpose of video games as a medium is not solely to have fun, and I'm not sure why the idea that it is is so popular.
I recently played through the first Witcher. Didn't really enjoy it, but I'm glad I had the experience as it made my continued play through of the series more interesting. I got value from the experience, if not necessarily fun.
I recently played through the first Witcher. Didn't really enjoy it, but I'm glad I had the experience as it made my continued play through of the series more interesting. I got value from the experience, if not necessarily fun.
As the sunken cost aspect has been mentioned many times, I want to go back to what a few people have mentioned regarding fun.
The purpose of games is NOT "to have fun".
Are some games specifically based around fun factor? Sure.
However interactive entertainment is capable of engaging you on several levels, whether its to build you up and challenge you, engross you in a story, or even to share strange mechanics that can lead to gratification or understanding.
Now, that isnt to say you should force yourself to finish something if youre having a bad time. If you hit a wall or just aren't connecting with a game then its up to you to evaluate if its worth your time to move on or if you need to "finish" it to satisfy your own pre-disposition.
The purpose of games is NOT "to have fun".
Are some games specifically based around fun factor? Sure.
However interactive entertainment is capable of engaging you on several levels, whether its to build you up and challenge you, engross you in a story, or even to share strange mechanics that can lead to gratification or understanding.
Now, that isnt to say you should force yourself to finish something if youre having a bad time. If you hit a wall or just aren't connecting with a game then its up to you to evaluate if its worth your time to move on or if you need to "finish" it to satisfy your own pre-disposition.
I always drop games that I'm not having fun with.
but I sometimes will power through games to get to the end once I'm tired of going through their gameplay loops and really getting the most out of them. I don't really see that as pushing myself to finish when I'm not having fun, though--I usually had a legitimately good time with the game.
In rare cases, I'll need to restart games a couple times before they click. That's usually a matter of adapting to the controls or to the expectations the game has of the player, rather than the game not being innately fun for me. I did this with Dark Souls, since I never really felt like I was gaining momentum the first few times I tried it.
but I sometimes will power through games to get to the end once I'm tired of going through their gameplay loops and really getting the most out of them. I don't really see that as pushing myself to finish when I'm not having fun, though--I usually had a legitimately good time with the game.
In rare cases, I'll need to restart games a couple times before they click. That's usually a matter of adapting to the controls or to the expectations the game has of the player, rather than the game not being innately fun for me. I did this with Dark Souls, since I never really felt like I was gaining momentum the first few times I tried it.
Was it really worth playing a 30+ hour game just to make playing two other games marginally more interesting? If you have the free time go for it, but if you truly didn't like playing the game why not just watch a recap of the story? That seems borderline masochistic, like you've convinced yourself you need to trudge through boredom to "earn" a few tidbits of lore that will mentioned in passing in another game.
Were these examples meant to sound unfun?
If life isnt always fun, then why live?
I like to finish the games because i like to be rewarded for my effort. If i enjoyed the game, then sometimes i push it to completion. If i do not see potential im the game, then i will stop playing it. I am a very gameplay oriented type of person.
I like to finish the games because i like to be rewarded for my effort. If i enjoyed the game, then sometimes i push it to completion. If i do not see potential im the game, then i will stop playing it. I am a very gameplay oriented type of person.
I've gotten much pickier about the games I buy now, and in general don't game anywhere near as much as years ago, so I tend to tackle one game at a time now and have more or less beaten everything I started over the last few years.
OCD/Being too invested to quit when you're close to finishing.
Could also be that the game is needed to understand the plot of a sequel that's actually good, though in that case it's far easier to just watch/read a summary or Let's Play.
Could also be that the game is needed to understand the plot of a sequel that's actually good, though in that case it's far easier to just watch/read a summary or Let's Play.
Probably because I paid for it, and I've already sunk in xx amount of hours, I'll just power through and then never have to worry about touching it again.
Perfect example was me and Persona 5. I got to the 80 hours point and I finally reached my mental limit. I was no longer having fun. But I thought "80 hours! Surely there isn't much left!!"
So I powered through.................for ANOTHER FORTY FUCKING HOURS. I finally beat that game at 120 hours.
Not sure what the point of my story is honestly.
You're probably right OP.
On the other hand, I think leaving that game 3/4 finished would have bothered me more.
Perfect example was me and Persona 5. I got to the 80 hours point and I finally reached my mental limit. I was no longer having fun. But I thought "80 hours! Surely there isn't much left!!"
So I powered through.................for ANOTHER FORTY FUCKING HOURS. I finally beat that game at 120 hours.
Not sure what the point of my story is honestly.
You're probably right OP.
On the other hand, I think leaving that game 3/4 finished would have bothered me more.
OP
OP
Well, I think many people don´t understand me totally or are assigning a pretty specific meaning to the word "fun".
I have played games that are not specially fun, but that have an interesting story or that you have to finish because it is an all time classic. In the end, I think you play a videogame because they give you something in exchange for the money, time and "effort" you put into them. However, I do recognise that for me fun is the most important thing when playing a videogame.
If any mod wants to reword the title, please feel free to do it.
I have played games that are not specially fun, but that have an interesting story or that you have to finish because it is an all time classic. In the end, I think you play a videogame because they give you something in exchange for the money, time and "effort" you put into them. However, I do recognise that for me fun is the most important thing when playing a videogame.
If any mod wants to reword the title, please feel free to do it.
As others have already said - sunk cost fallacy.
For the longest time, I felt that if I put enough time into a game and didn't beat it, that time felt wasted, because I didn't have the accomplishment of finishing something. This led to me finishing games I kind of hated, like Alpha Protocol and Sonic 4 Episode 1 (probably the worst decision I've ever made).
These days, I care way less about this sort of thing. If I don't finish a game, then whatever - if I'm no longer having fun, then that's it. I don't regret the 60 hours I put into Persona 5, but I can almost guarantee I would've regretted putting in another 40 to finish it.
For the longest time, I felt that if I put enough time into a game and didn't beat it, that time felt wasted, because I didn't have the accomplishment of finishing something. This led to me finishing games I kind of hated, like Alpha Protocol and Sonic 4 Episode 1 (probably the worst decision I've ever made).
These days, I care way less about this sort of thing. If I don't finish a game, then whatever - if I'm no longer having fun, then that's it. I don't regret the 60 hours I put into Persona 5, but I can almost guarantee I would've regretted putting in another 40 to finish it.
because delayed gratification is a powerful thing
(sunk cost lol, is all your entertainment an investment?)
(sunk cost lol, is all your entertainment an investment?)
My rule as I've gotten older is to stop playing games when I stop having fun.
Really if I'm 20 hours into a 40 hour game and I lose interest I still got 20 hours of fun out of it. That's pretty good.
Usually I give things a bit of time, a couple more play sessions to see if it improves but if not I'm comfortable with bailing even in RPGs.
It's allowed me to enjoy more games and be happier with what I play, and it makes starting something long less daunting as I don't need to commit to playing all of it upfront. I can just try and if it clicks, great, if not, that's fine. If I really want to I can always come back to it later or start over in a few years.
Really if I'm 20 hours into a 40 hour game and I lose interest I still got 20 hours of fun out of it. That's pretty good.
Usually I give things a bit of time, a couple more play sessions to see if it improves but if not I'm comfortable with bailing even in RPGs.
It's allowed me to enjoy more games and be happier with what I play, and it makes starting something long less daunting as I don't need to commit to playing all of it upfront. I can just try and if it clicks, great, if not, that's fine. If I really want to I can always come back to it later or start over in a few years.
I got better at this over the years, in the earlier half of the last decade I might've stuck it out more often under a sense of "money's worth" or not feeling able to fully judge something I didn't finish. But now I do tend to drop games once they cease being fun for various reasons.
Though just the other day I forced myself through the final run of bomb chicken stages and it's not like I gained much from doing so, except for having a shiny new example for obnoxious stage designs if ever asked
"Friend, did you ever hear about the turret hell that is level 27 of bomb chicken?"
But then again, it's a 3 hour long game
"I refuse to stop on a loss, I may have lost five times in a row and am now a humanoid shaker of salt, but I got a GOOD feeling about match 6!"
Though just the other day I forced myself through the final run of bomb chicken stages and it's not like I gained much from doing so, except for having a shiny new example for obnoxious stage designs if ever asked
"Friend, did you ever hear about the turret hell that is level 27 of bomb chicken?"
But then again, it's a 3 hour long game
This on the other hand can still get me with online games, well more of a gamblers fallacy
"I refuse to stop on a loss, I may have lost five times in a row and am now a humanoid shaker of salt, but I got a GOOD feeling about match 6!"
Some of it is based on my mood, too, when depression or anxiety hit. Sometimes I'll be gaming to try and enjoy something and it just won't click, but I'll feel the need to continue because I know it's my mood that is causing my displeasure, not necessarily the game.
Sometimes it's out of a misplaced sense of loyalty (I love this franchise/series -- I kind of owe it to myself and to the creators to see if this gets better)
Or time-investment (I already put X hours into this)
Or a hint that it may get better later on after the early slog (I hear the shit you unlock later makes this much better)
Unfortunately, I applied these principles to FFXIII and FFXV and was let down on all fronts. If XVI doesn't make itself 'fun' to me in its first few hours, I'm out.
Or time-investment (I already put X hours into this)
Or a hint that it may get better later on after the early slog (I hear the shit you unlock later makes this much better)
Unfortunately, I applied these principles to FFXIII and FFXV and was let down on all fronts. If XVI doesn't make itself 'fun' to me in its first few hours, I'm out.
There are two problems with the question you're asking.
1. The assumption that the purpose of video games is fun.
2. The assumption that everyone has the same universal idea of fun.
Consider an athlete or a performer. Somebody who competes in regional figure skating championships is likely not doing so for fun. Somebody who plays the cello in an orchestra is probably not doing so for fun. Getting good at figure skating or becoming a talented cellist is immensely satisfying and rewarding, but completing these tasks is probably not "fun" for them.
Consider other types of media, as well. Not all music is fun. Not all movies are fun. People's reasons for listening to albums or watching movies are incredibly varied, and the feelings people have when consuming this media are varied equally. The purpose of entertainment and activity is to elicit a desirable response in the participating subject: sadness, fear, pride, accomplishment, tension, relief, excitement, relaxation, etc. Sometimes these sensations overlap with having fun, but often they do not.
Video games are entertainment. They offer a variety of experiences and emotions to the player when consuming them. I would say just as many players enjoy video games as relaxation or to overcome a challenge as they do "fun." Unless I specifically set out to play a game to have fun playing it, whether or not it's fun to play is irrelevant.
I would much rather finish a game and feel like I overcame a challenge ("beat the game") than quit partway through. That isn't satisfying or rewarding to me. That doesn't feel productive or meaningful to me. Satisfied and rewarded or productive and meaningful are all feelings I look for when I choose a video game. It's not always "just for fun."
So, how does this relate to you? Is it possible you're getting something else from your experience other than fun?
Edit: Just corrected a typo over a year later because I'm extremely neurotic.
1. The assumption that the purpose of video games is fun.
2. The assumption that everyone has the same universal idea of fun.
Consider an athlete or a performer. Somebody who competes in regional figure skating championships is likely not doing so for fun. Somebody who plays the cello in an orchestra is probably not doing so for fun. Getting good at figure skating or becoming a talented cellist is immensely satisfying and rewarding, but completing these tasks is probably not "fun" for them.
Consider other types of media, as well. Not all music is fun. Not all movies are fun. People's reasons for listening to albums or watching movies are incredibly varied, and the feelings people have when consuming this media are varied equally. The purpose of entertainment and activity is to elicit a desirable response in the participating subject: sadness, fear, pride, accomplishment, tension, relief, excitement, relaxation, etc. Sometimes these sensations overlap with having fun, but often they do not.
Video games are entertainment. They offer a variety of experiences and emotions to the player when consuming them. I would say just as many players enjoy video games as relaxation or to overcome a challenge as they do "fun." Unless I specifically set out to play a game to have fun playing it, whether or not it's fun to play is irrelevant.
I would much rather finish a game and feel like I overcame a challenge ("beat the game") than quit partway through. That isn't satisfying or rewarding to me. That doesn't feel productive or meaningful to me. Satisfied and rewarded or productive and meaningful are all feelings I look for when I choose a video game. It's not always "just for fun."
So, how does this relate to you? Is it possible you're getting something else from your experience other than fun?
Edit: Just corrected a typo over a year later because I'm extremely neurotic.
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My reasoN:
I paid money for the game and I'm going to play it damnit.
Although nowadays I'll play something and if I get sick of it I just drop it and move on. My backlog is epic proportions going back to SNES days and what I should do is never buy a single game again - I would still never finish my backlog if I did that đź‘€
I paid money for the game and I'm going to play it damnit.
Although nowadays I'll play something and if I get sick of it I just drop it and move on. My backlog is epic proportions going back to SNES days and what I should do is never buy a single game again - I would still never finish my backlog if I did that đź‘€
It's easy: Money worth.
I used to fall victim to this back when every single penny I saved allowed me to buy a single video game for a whole six months. But now that I can afford many, I simply don't care anymore. Case in point: I recently bought Snake Pass while it was on special, and it turned out to be the most infuriating game I played in a long while, and just dropped it during the second world. I will never touch it again. What a piece of shit.
I used to fall victim to this back when every single penny I saved allowed me to buy a single video game for a whole six months. But now that I can afford many, I simply don't care anymore. Case in point: I recently bought Snake Pass while it was on special, and it turned out to be the most infuriating game I played in a long while, and just dropped it during the second world. I will never touch it again. What a piece of shit.
I was so close to finishing Gravity Rush 2 but I reached a part after the fake ending where there's a maze like segment where you're flipping gravity up and down (but can't use your own powers) and I got so aggravated that I just deleted the game. I had comed close to deleting the same game before but I powered through hoping I wouldn't encounter anymore bullshit but... I just couldn't. Skyward Sword is another one that I gave up on when I was pretty close to finishing it.
Because I want to finish what I have started. The game might surprise you midway through it, or the ending might be spectacular. I usually know what type of games I want to play, so it rarely happens that I play a game that I don't enjoy.
I don't do it. I have the opposite problem. It's more ADD than OCD. So many good games I still need to get back to...but time is a premium.
Personally I value variety of art. I have made a conscious effort to give a game I purchase more time before giving up on it. Sometimes it doesn't click right away. After 5 hours if it's still not clicking, usually time to move on.
Personally I value variety of art. I have made a conscious effort to give a game I purchase more time before giving up on it. Sometimes it doesn't click right away. After 5 hours if it's still not clicking, usually time to move on.
Pedantically, I don't believe a game has to strive to be fun. Especially horror, or other types of games that may aim to have some form of statement.
Regarding the OP, I almost always finish my games. I think it's ODC, but I gain a lot of satisfaction from finishing games and will fight through banal stuff to reach a conclusion.
Regarding the OP, I almost always finish my games. I think it's ODC, but I gain a lot of satisfaction from finishing games and will fight through banal stuff to reach a conclusion.