On the topic of the gamer's preference

Sometimes I don't talk about video games and horror movies, sometimes I don't review them, sometimes I wax philosophically about video gamers in general. Here's the situation:

A guy came in a few days ago and wanted "a game like Assassin's Creed or Splinter Cell, with like a slow plotting, killing methodology to the game". So I explained to him that games such as Saboteur, Velvet Assassin, Dead Space, Fallout 3 and Oblivion have the same feeling. It's that slow, tactics heavy killing game that's not quite an RTS or an RPG, but you basically have to approach it as such if you want to survive. So he tried Velvet Assassin (that review is currently in progress).

He hated it. Ok that figures. He thinks he wants a game like Thief or Hitman, or even the old System Shocks, problem is, most people don't have the patience for that today. So his next trial was Fallout 3, which he absolutely hated. (My all time favorite game, once I gain 100%, a daunting task, I'll review it)

I asked him a more thoughtful question when he returned with Fallout. "How slowly do you play?" to which he replied "well, I like to get through a game in 8-10 hours".

Oh no. no no no. That simply won't do. See, here's the problem, he's not a action/adventure gamer, he wants a shooter, but doesn't want a shooter, if that makes sense.

So I asked him the next logical question, "have you played COD or Halo or Borderlands or L4D?" He said he loved L4D but hasn't played any of the others. Aha, here it is. He wants a shooter, but doesn't know it. So I sold him a used copy of COD:MW1 and told him to give it a whirl. He came back at the end of the 7 day trial and said he loved it. He also came back and sold both Assassin's Creeds, Splinter Cell, Bioshock and Oblivion.

Some gamers just aren't slow shooter gamers. I have 250 hours put into Oblivion, and about 5 put into COD. That's just how some gamers are. If you figure out what types you like and what types you don't like you'll see how quickly you get through games. An easy trick for 360 owners, look at what games you have more achievements for. Of course some games are easy to get achievements, but whatever genre you have the most in, chances are that's your favorite genre.

I can't play RTS's, I'll admit it. I don't have the patience for it, and I don't care to manage my resources. At the same time I don't obsess over FPSs. My idea of a perfect game? Something like Oblivion, or Assassin's Creed, or Zelda. Haha, something that rewards the obsessive-compuslive nature, and yet has fast action. If it's a handheld game, that's simply perfect for an RPG, something I can take with me and obsess over. Final Fantasy Tactics and FFTactics A2 combined I have somewhere in the realm of 400hours dedicated into it, but FFX? I went through it once.

If all you play is a shooter, that's fine. If you believe Zork and FF are the only true video games, that's fine too. Not every game is made for you to enjoy. Most people hate Saboteur and Fallout, which is fine because the people that like them, love them.

However, you'll save yourself a ton of trouble if you simply admit to yourself what you do and don't like, and play accordingly.

Have fun!