I am often stunned when, reading the various fora I peruse, I hit on variations of the following: "I have decided to sell off most of my RPGs. I have realized that I never play more than a handful, and the rest are wasted. From now on I am only going to stick to a few|single game(s) that have|has served me well over the years. I can do anything I ever care to do with this|these game(s), so I am no longer interested in anything new."
This is just so completely against everything I hold dear that it is a painful blow, and even more when it is someone who I like and admire posting, as it all too often ends up being. What can be happening? I don't comprehend it - it is not within the range of my understanding. That someone would turn their back on learning new things is just too bizarre to be bourne.
I can comprehend someone who never had much interest in new things. Some people like learning new stuff and some don't, and because I am in the former group doesn't mean I think the less of the latter. The bit that I find sticking in my craw is how someone who once loved finding new ways of doing things could just stop that love. Isn't it born into one? Isn't it a part and parcel of who one is?
I suppose it is not, and probably for every person saying "I no longer am interested in new things and new ways" there is another saying "I have been doing the same old thing for years and never thought about looking at something new, and perhaps better, but now I have changed my mind and find my self greedily devouring new games to see if there is something cooler inside than I had ever thought of."
What I am scared of, really, is the possibility that someday down the road, I will say "I am no longer interested in new ways and ideas." At that point, I fear what is me will be dead.
-clash
Is it necessarily that someone isn't interested in new things? I've contemplated the same with my video games, but it isn't because I'm not interested in the new games, it is because of the crass commercialism, of constantly being required to buy the sequel or the next shiny item, etc. As a businessperson, I understand a company’s desire to make enough money to stay in business, however, after awhile, the constant ‘buy, buy, buy’ can become burdensome.
ReplyDeleteAS to your point about never wanting to not learn something new (or to relearn something you have forgotten), I agree completely.
Hi John!
ReplyDeleteAs I said, I have great trouble understanding it at all, so bear with me. This may indeed be the case with some, but I have seen others who feel the same way about free games. No commercialization there, so at least a portion of those people do not fit under that umbrella.
-clash
Also, I should clarify that I am not talking about gamer ADD here. I don't buy a lot of new games and supplements - maybe a half dozen a year. But I am interested in new games, and do my best to check them out if they seem to offer something different. Sometimes I buy them. I am almost never dissatisfied with games I have bought. I either have learned something new, or have a game I want to play, or both. :D
ReplyDelete-clash