Ever since I’ve been a little child, I loved playing PC games. Back then, I wasn’t able to get my hands on many, as they were so expensive. Worse, the really cheap PC games were – let me say it tactfully – horrible. So I used to hunt gaming stores for and look for discount video games, and usually didn’t have much luck.
But these days things are different. The internet is a wonderful thing for computer gamers. First, there are many websites that literally offer free games. Hundreds! on a wide variety of topics (i.e. some offer free online adventure games). And of high quality, too! When I was a kid this would have been unthinkable, but nowadays there are plenty of people who simply create games for their own enjoyment (or have ads interweaved into the game – another idea I wouldn’t have been able to grasp as a child). Moreover, there are so many sites that offer really cheap games, i.e. for $5 or less. Even as a kid with a very low budget I could have easily afforded those.
The funny thing is is that I believe this – in a sense – cheapens the games. Back in the 80s, every game was priceless. Even if you didn’t like it at first, you’d still explore it until you mastered it – because there were few games available. However, now that one can get very high quality games for a low price or for free, I can imagine today’s kids and teens simply giving a game one shot, if it doesn’t immediately grab their attention, toss it away. I probably would do this if I were a teenager nowadays.
Ironically, I’m quite certain that’s what our grandparents used to say about books (“back in our time it was hard to get books, but today’s kids don’t read book seriously and give them up too easily”). Funny how history repeats itself, no?