[twodave]

>modern videogames are way better designed and more compelling than those 20 years ago.

I may be in the minority, but as a 36-year-old I think the opposite is true. As a teenager I was very loyal to just a handful (3-5) video games, with one in particular (Subspace, later known as Continuum) taking up most of my playtime. In those days it was actually the community that made games sticky. I would feel as if I were letting real people down by not logging in.

Today's games just feel like another job. For me, this started with games like WoW but the feeling has matured since. There's just nothing satisfying to me about a grind. I still like the odd casual game and even the occasional complex game, as long as it doesn't feel too much like work.

Of course, that was also 20 years ago, so I've also changed a lot in that time.

[MattRix]

Ha I’m also 36! To be clear I don’t mean modern games are “better” games, that’s obviously subjective. I mean that the design techniques are more advanced. Games have evolved as designers learn which mechanics and systems are more compelling. There are less rough edges, less places to get stuck… more enticing rewards, more carefully designed progression paths, etc.

This is especially true in most modern “service based” games. Fortnite is an obvious example where there are certain rewards and upgrades that can only be earned by playing every day, and playing at least X hours per season, etc.

[twodave]

For sure--it's kind of sad they don't even have to hide it.