{"id":16247,"date":"2025-02-04T12:00:56","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T10:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/?p=16247"},"modified":"2025-01-21T11:50:27","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T09:50:27","slug":"playing-under-pressure-the-struggle-of-staying-current-with-new-game-releases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/playing-under-pressure-the-struggle-of-staying-current-with-new-game-releases\/","title":{"rendered":"Playing Under Pressure: The Struggle of Staying Current with New Game Releases"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the amount of entertainment content that\u2019s available to us today, it\u2019s becoming more common for many of us to feel overwhelmed with choice. Streaming services for films and television for example started out as a cheaper and convenient alternative for people who wanted on demand content. Nowadays there\u2019s dozens of services rivalling Netflix, and each provider seemingly has different shows that you\u2019re interested in. Suddenly you may find yourself paying for multiple services at once, some of which you might go months without using. And when you do feel like watching something, you\u2019re plagued with indecision.<\/p>\n

It feels like games have started to follow suit over the last few years. Whilst it\u2019s great that we have more exposure to games and that there\u2019s so many options available to cater to a variety of interests or preferences, it\u2019s not without its fair share of drawbacks. With so many new games being released it\u2019s hard to keep up with the zeitgeist. We\u2019re bombarded with new releases and updates coming out each week, and because of that, not only does it feel like everything’s moving too fast, but also, the culture and conversations within the space move at the same breakneck pace. As an example, for the last decade or so I\u2019ve gained the moniker in my friend group as the Dark Souls<\/em> guy thanks to my incessant praise of From Software\u2019s games. However, to this day I still haven\u2019t played Elden Ring<\/em>. It remains permanently on my \u201cI\u2019ll get to it eventually\u201d list. Meanwhile all my friends have already played it, and not a week goes by that I don\u2019t hear someone make a comment like \u201cI can\u2019t believe you haven\u2019t played Elden Ring<\/em> yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Attempting to catching up almost feels like you\u2019re perpetually stuck on side quests while everyone else around you move through the main story. It\u2019s arguably even harder to keep up with games compared to films and television shows, since the average length of a game is much longer than other media. But it didn\u2019t always feel like this, did it? What\u2019s changed in our culture to make this feeling of falling behind so common? To make us feel anxious over a hobby that we once found joy and escapism in. This is something I\u2019ve been thinking about a lot lately and I\u2019ve come to some ideas about how games culture has changed over the years to make us feel this way.<\/p>\n

Firstly, we have an increased exposure to games and games media. Growing up the most common method I had of finding out what games there are to play was from print media (any kids or games related magazines), word of mouth, or just going to my local games store and seeing what caught my eye on the shelves. The front cover of games would serve as the ultimate elevator pitch back then, as it tries to convince you to play it without even knowing what the game entails. As internet culture grew and games started to gain more attention and notoriety in mainstream media, gaming websites like GameSpot and IGN started to become more recognised as the source for gaming news and reviews. Fast forward to today, where not only do we still have these media juggernauts around, but they now must compete with influencers too, including a plethora of niche opinions and reviews from small YouTube channels. The amount of coverage is endless, which leads to an information overload that feels overwhelming.<\/p>\n

This is starkly different from what the norm was a decade or so ago. This shift can be seen with the cessation of E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), which had its last iteration in 2021. Once a pillar of gaming culture and the platform where we\u2019d expect to hear all upcoming gaming relates announcements every year, is now gone \u2014 in favour of publishers and developers doing their own self-directed announcements every other couple of months. This change alone is indicative of how the games media landscape has changed and how we, as players, consume games media content.<\/p>\n

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Secondly, there\u2019s more choices for games than ever before. Gone are the days where you\u2019re solely tied to the options on your game console. Now, you have your consoles of choice \u2014 your PC, your mobile, or really, just anything<\/em> with a screen, can probably play a game at this point. And there\u2019s not just AAA titles to keep track of too, with many indie-developed titles that are worth checking out now. Games have also followed in the same footsteps as film and television, with streaming services like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus adding to the seemingly endless backlog. With so many avenues at your disposal to interact with your favourite medium, it\u2019s easy to feel frozen with indecision of what to even to play. Ironic, considering this was supposed to be our sanctuary to escape from life\u2019s pressures.<\/p>\n

Lastly, games are competing more for our time, attention and money. With the increase in the sheer number of games available, comes an increase in competition. The rinse-and-repeat cycle of buying the newest game and finishing it in a few weeks isn\u2019t as common anymore. With the rise of games as a service, companies don\u2019t want you to stop playing their game after just a few weeks; they\u2019ll use monetisation strategies, like gacha systems and battle passes to incentivise you to keep playing. It feels common now for most players to have a handful of \u201cforever games\u201d that they return to on a frequent basis, which, once again, can lead to less time with the newest titles. But this can also be a catch twenty-two, because if you spend more time on newer games, then you can miss out on exclusives in your most played games. Either way, you decide to delegate your time based on the fear of missing out.<\/p>\n

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Sooner or later, you’re haunted by the ever-growing list of unplayed games on the notes app on your phone, with each game taking anywhere between ten to sixty hours to finish. The hobby that you once enjoyed and used as a form of entertainment and relaxation can feel like a second job. I\u2019ll admit that this article has been rather pessimistic, and I\u2019m very aware that having too many games to play is a very first world problem to have. But I do think that there are some downsides to this shift in culture that should be acknowledged and discussed more openly.<\/p>\n

While I\u2019m not an expert in this subject I can share with you some steps I\u2019ve taken myself to try and alleviate some of these anxieties. I think the most common practice for most people is to create a \u201cto do\u201d list or backlog of some kind, to keep track of the games they want to play. While this has good intentions, I think this can be more of a detriment as it makes the act of playing games feel more like a chore. A task that needs to be completed rather than you wanting to complete it. In reality, this feeling is difficult to overcome, and to do so effectively really needs a change in mindset. I\u2019ve tried to get into the habit of asking myself questions like \u201cdo I want<\/em> to play this game, or do I feel<\/em> like I have to play it?\u201d to make sure I\u2019m being honest with how I\u2019m feeling and what I want to spend my free time doing. After all, if you’re going to game, you should make sure it’s your game that you\u2019re playing and not everyone else\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Photos:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pictures by Markiewicz, K. (2024, March 8). Steam Spring Sale 2024 is around the corner. We know which games will receive discounts<\/em>. GG.Deals. https:\/\/gg.deals\/gaming-news\/steam-spring-sale-2024-is-around-the-corner-we-know-which-games-will-receive-discounts\/<\/p>\n

Promotional pictures from Elden Ring (From Software, Inc). https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/1245620\/ELDEN_RING\/<\/p>\n

Promotional pictures from Balatro (LocalThunk). https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2379780\/Balatro\/<\/p>\n

Promotional pictures from Marvel Rivals (NetEase Games). https:\/\/store.steampowered.com\/app\/2767030\/Marvel_Rivals\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the new year having just arrived there’s plenty of new games coming out soon to look forward to. But do all these new releases have you feeling more stressed than excited?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":244,"featured_media":16257,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[2144,518,1164],"class_list":["post-16247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-backlog","tag-game-culture","tag-mental-health","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/244"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16247"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16259,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16247\/revisions\/16259"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tuni.fi\/playlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}