I've been playing through Wild Arms 5 lately and while I think it is one of the better games since the series shifted to the PS2 I have to be honest - I'm not really enjoying myself as much as I was 30 hours ago. Hell knows if I'll finish it, I want to so I can say I've played all the games since 1997 and been there for 10 years.

Still, deep down I don't believe it's the game itself; I think the problem lies with me. Before playing WA5 I had a hell of a time getting through Legend of Mana (a game use to enjoy quite a bit) due to lack of willpower and I started playing SO2 after that, which I got about three hours into it and gave up the ghost (however, for some reason I was able to plow through WA2 a month ago and still feel the magic.)

When I go into a game store I always catch myself asking “what am I doing in here? I'm just a poser if anything.” The same goes for when I see a friend playing a game, nothing really strikes me as cool or worth checking out.

Anyway, I guess the point is I really feel "gaming" is no longer a part of my identity and I don't want to lose that part of myself but I think it’s hopeless to put up a fight. I've been selling of some of my games as of late as well, some I haven't touched some in years which only serves as a reminder of this empty void that I feel is looming over me at this moment. It's not the fact I don't have the games anymore but rather what questions my lack of interest pose.

Interests in games may not be an important aspect of life but I think understanding oneself is, and I really don't feel like I know myself at this moment. All I know is things are changing and I'm basically along for the ride regardless. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m somewhat afraid of change and/or leaving that part of me in the past for some reason.

I'm also a little confused as to why I my interest in game music isn't fading with games themselves; gameplay experiences seem secondary to music anymore.

Anyway, sry for babbling on. Has anyone ever felt the same way?

Yes, this past year, I took a good long look at all the long, drawn-out games piling up on me and decided I had enough. I wasn't playing any of it, I wasn't enjoying it, I didn't have the time or motivation for it. For the most part, this whole year has been nothing but arcade-style games (Taito Legends 2 FTW!), puzzle games (read: Tetris DS and Puzzle League on wifi) and my older console games (NES, SNES) and of course, Guitar Hero...Which I couldn't have gotten into at a better time: 1) It's literally all gameplay and fun, addictive and skill-based gameplay at that. 2) It's an arcade game at heart, so no time commitment required...Just plug in and play something 3) The music's good and complements a slight change in that area of taste as well. Very nice of it to introduce me to Wolfmother (their self-titled album is amazing), Danzig and to get me to give Megadeth a second chance. 4) It's popular (meaning it won't die off like 2D fighters did, due to lack of attention...I can't wait for III) and competitive, so it's actually rewarding to get better at.

I've gotten rid of some games too...Star Ocean 3 was a game I waited on for years, bought it on day one, put 10 hours on it over three years before deciding it was too disappointing to continue, then ended up selling it for $12. I have confidence Growlanser V will be the first RPG since Suikoden V (a year and a half ago) to hook me and I plan on playing some stuff later on (namely the Ace Combats, which are fun as anything, but I don't have the stamina for a full campaign right now) but really, I'm too busy trying to learn to play on expert in GH (screw you, Heart!), schooling Tetris newbs, and messing around with my retro comps and the NES emulator on my DS (which is about as good as it gets)

And also: I wouldn't judge gaming based on Wild Arms 5 and Legend of Mana...The former sounds as standard an RPG experience as it can get and the latter, I couldn't stay awake for more than 20 minutes playing...I'd sooner just put in Final Fight, which is basically the same thing, but actually fun.

Do you only play RPGs, Ashley?

I think the last RPG I was truly impressed with was Suikoden V. Everything I've played since has been a major disappointment (Wild Arms V included). Much like GoldfishX, I find myself playing more arcade/puzzle games and the classics from the NES and SNES era. PC games are always an entertaining diversion. With my new DS, I've found myself playing Phoenix Wright hours a day, more an interactive novel than a game but I always was a sucker for a good book.

Basically, I'm enjoying games that don't require a gigantic time investment. I don't have as much as that as I used to.

Yeah, I know what you're talking about. There are a few reasons why I don't play much anymore. First, I simply have other interests and don't have enough time!  It's also important to note that what was once new, simply is old hat these days. I still remember the first time playing the original Super Mario... DAMN, that was amazing! Still a great game of course, very classic, but even with great sequels, and other great platformers, you've seen it before (for the most part). Same is true of RPGs, FPSs, etc... Also, there are a TON more games now then ever before! This is a good thing overall, but it also means that you tend to get saturated with games, so there's really no super anticipation anymore for a particular game, because you have 500 others to play in the meantime! There are of course some games that truly capture your imagination (and time) and don't let you go, but for all of the above reasons, this happens less and less. Still, I do enjoy playing now and then, and now and then you hit upon a gem (the last one for me would be Etrian Odyssey).

cheers,

-avatar!

ps Game music is a bit different than video games. You can appreciate one without the other, but I find that if I loved the game, the music is SO much more meaningful!

Yeap, been saying for some time now that I just don't have time anymore to play as many games as I'd like. I have a bunch of RPGs that I have yet to open but chances get slimmer by the day that I'll actually do so. Lately my time's been taken up by retro and casual games.

This thread needs more music-rhythm gaming love.

And shmups.  Plenty more shmups.

I suck at music-rhythm games and shmups (except for the platform ones like MM, does that count?)

I'm still an extremely avid gamer after, oh, 25 years of gaming or something? It's still my number one pastime (when not studying) and I still enjoy it tremendously, ESPECIALLY RPGs, Platformers and Adventures. Never was a great fan of arcade style games.
And there's a veritable treasure trove of games coming up that I'm dying to play, so I'm perfectly happy

Yes. I do feel very "gamed out". But, at the same time I am excited to play games again.

About being "gamed out". It takes a lot for me to dig into a new game nowadays, but when I play something I like, I can't stop until it's finished. I think that's because I feel so starved because of my personal gaming preferences and the type of games that are released, and where technology is going. I don't care too much about a high level of realism in my games; I care about fun. Dammit, I don't give a f--- about normal mapping and "realistic" light sources; I want to enjoy the hell out of the game that I'm playing, regardless of what it looks like. It's like dating an empty-brained girl that looks great in a strapless dress, but can't carry on a conversation with your friends because she's a dumb twat. You go for the cute girl that has a personality and a good sense of humor. I digress. I feel that developers spend too much time with the visuals and not enough on the actual GAME part. I guess they have to, because the industry and the times are pushing them to do that constantly and games get slammed for not being graphically at the top of the class. What that means for me, besides that fact that I think critics need to STFU about low-res textures or jaggies or whatever, is that a lot of the stuff that comes out doesn't even hit my radar because I've been burnt enough in the past to know that I will end up selling about 95% of the games I buy because of my tastes. I'm not going to dump hours into a game that I'm not enjoying.

That being said, I can see a steady decline over the years both in the quality and number of games being released as well as the amount of time, dedication and devotion I would pour into a single title. Does anyone remember the days when you would buy one single game and play the hell out of it for a long time? I remember when I bought my PSX and Final Fantasy VII, that is all I played. That game was my life for months. I played that through to completion three consecutive times through. Then when VIII came out, I did the same. Also, fill in: Metal Gear Solid, SOTN, Silent Hill, etc. Don't even get me started on the entire year I spent playing FFIII(VI) and Donkey Kong Country when I was in middle school.

Things have changed, both in the industry and within myself. Now, back to the condradictory statement I said about being excited to play again. I have a relatively humble stack of game titles that are timeless to me, that I can easily play over and over again, just like the old days. For instance, all I really did this weekend was play Ratchet and Clank. I put in 10 hours over two days, and once the credits rolled that marked my seventh time through the game. Before that, I beat Beyond Good and Evil in two days (third time through). Before that was my obsessive two-day 14-hour MP3 run, before that was Eternal Darkness (three consecutive times over), before that was my fourth time through Viewtiful Joe. My point is, I have grown to the point where I know what I do and do not like and instead of wasting my time with games that I am not going to enjoy (most of what has been and will be coming out), I am taking the time to actually enjoy games again. I've started to settle down and really spend time with games that I love instead of looking for new thrills that will, with 99% certainty, let me down.

I know what I like, and instead of trying to keep up with the steadily rising level of crap or games that I don't enjoy, I'm happily playing games that are classic and very replayable to me. I think I'm going to fire up Jak and Daxter again when I get home tonight...

Time has become somewhat of an issue these last couples years, what with finishing college and a new baby.  For me, gaming is something I have to work on (scheduling time), but luckily I have a wife who is somewhat of a gamer herself, which is why she supports me in this.  Once the baby goes down (if all the homework and housecleaning is done) it's game time!!

SHMUP love, eh?  I'm just hoping that Treasure's Sin & Punishment is brought to the VC.  I played through Mushihimesama (thank you swap magic 3!) and loved it!  Just finished FFXII and am now playing Metroid Prime 3, amidst Jeanne D'Arc and Zelda: Link's Awakening (thank you masterboy on the psp!)

Thanks for all your replies.

Your not alone here, I actually bought the PS2 for this game. I liked the game the first time through but as time went on and I reflected back on my experience it wasn't nearly as grand I originally thought. I got more out of FFX, a game that was 2-3 years older at that point.

There are a lot of other factors involved outside the games I've been playing lately that have made me come to question my overall interest in games... so please be assured I'm thinking this through thoroughly.

No, my gaming experiences aren't as one dimensional I made it seem. I like side scrollers (Mega Man, Mega Man X, Metroid) 3D action (Tomb Raider, Brave Fencer Musashi, Mega Man Legends) and even a little sports (Tony Hawk 2). There are more but those are a few examples.

Still, you have a point about RPGs in general - I think I've overplayed that genre in the last 10 years (FFVII being my first.) It's very hard for me to put 30+ hours into a game - not because I can't but because I don't want to. There are a few older staples that seem exempt but while I used to see a long gameplay factor as a virtue that is no longer the case - I want things short (not too short) and sweet anymore.

I think one of the reasons I like VGM is that it allows me to enjoy my favorite games in a manner where I’m not tied to a controller, I can do other thing while listening which I can't when playing.

However, I'm glad you brought this up though. I've been collecting purchasing VGM since the tail end of 05' and for the most part I have obtained most of the soundtracks from the games I grew up with and want to have access to. At this point, running out of "nostalgia based purchases" am simply going to have to have more open ears in the future as I can’t reference back past experiences.

However, I don't think you need to play the game to have an emotion attachment to music. I'm not denying it helps cause it does, but there are a few soundtracks I own that I'll never and will never get to play the games but I simply don't need to - I can enjoy and appreciate the underlying emotions the music brings to the table.

Realism is overrated. The example I always use is how my one friend prefers "realistic" (well, more realistic) skateboard games like Thrasher and the upcoming Skate by EA to the Tony Hawk series. I don't care if you can't pull off those huge grinds in real life, all I care about whether or not it's fun! Want realism? Go skate yourself. I did, and it’s not as fun or easy as you’d think.

It really is a shame a thing like graphics, a rather superficial element in a game to a certain degree and overall scheme of things, has be come the bees knees (omg, saying that makes me sound so old.) Of course with more and more powerful hardware I doubt that is going to change... of course the idea behind the Wii (an affordable but not super powered system) does give you hope.

Oh my, yes. I remember doing the very same thing. My friends and I would have competitions to see who could have the strongest characters at certain points in the game, who could get their limit breaks fastest or plow through the game the fastest. It was totally stupid looking back on it - it was more a less a competition of who had the most time to blow - but I can look back at that with a laugh and smile.

I think you pretty much summed up what I was trying to say all long. I'm just planning to keep the few titles that I'm still fond of and liquidate the rest - I don't need things I don't play hanging around and I don't need to judge my interest based on games that don't interest me.

This entire thread rings very true with me.

I stopped playing games with the same fervor I once did right around when college started. I told myself I just didn't have as much free time, even though I was never a workaholic student.

But after college, and even during that depressing stretch of time between graduation and employment, I just couldn't stick with it. I'll pick up a game, but I always put it down half-eaten. I'll put it down for a day, which becomes three days, then months.

I think part of it is because games have become such grandiose productions, with overly elaborate stories and overly complicated mechanics. That's why, like other posters here, I've become drawn to pick-up-and-play (and put-down-and-play-later) games such as Picross.

Games from my childhood are the exception--I'll gladly pick up and play any old game from my heyday, often blazing through it and loving every minute of it.

The same can't be said of a modern game, even if it's a throwback to classic SNES platforming (DS Castlevanias being the main exception).I'd approach this loss of interest as a good thing, since it'd mean more free time, less money wasted, and a part of "growing up."

But two problems persist--one, the "gotta catch 'em all" instinct still lies in me, resulting in a large library of games I meant to play, one day, but never have, and seemingly never will. I always wait for games to hit the $20 mark, but even so, the money I've sunk into a largely untouched library is ridiculous. But even if I haven't played the games, there's something about a shelf full of games that still appeals to me. Go figure.

Most of all, though, I'm reluctant to give up the ghost because gaming has been a huge part of my life, and not just as a means of entertainment or musical taste. Games have inspired a lot of artistic creativity in my early years, and I can trace a lot of influences in my work to the first sparks of imagination that Mario and Megaman inspired.

To lose interest in gaming feels like losing a big part of who I am, but in reality there is no loss, for the effects and influences of games past are deeply ingrained. Even realizing this, it's not a truth easily accepted.

Yeah, that hits a nerve right there...Coming out of college without much to go off of, gaming didn't feel "right" for awhile. Like, that was the first time I ever felt like I "should" be doing something else (and I was already in full-jobhunt mode, but I was thinking "I should be reformatting my resume or something instead of this"). Having a job eases that feeling, but I think that damaged my psyche towards wanting to play games...There's still that feeling I should be doing something else and it doesn't really help if the gameplay isn't all that good or interesting.

Exactly...This is where I start to have issues with so-called "innovation", as compared to fun and something I keep wanting to come back to. Classic games are always "A to jump, B to fire" or something like that (as they should be). I don't want to pick up something that uses everything right down to L3/R3 buttons (probably why both GH and the Wii are seeing so much success...They're radically different, but are easy to pick up on...At least to get started) or wastes an hour of my time explaining the game's mechanics and pushes some cliche-ridden plot about characters I couldn't care less about in my face before I can have any fun.

Hah, when I was updating my resumé I kept thinking, "I should be playing games right now".

Hell, I'd love to just have time to play games period.  That being said, it's inevitable people grow out of RPGs, the cycle of plugging in 50 hours per for such a redundant exercise is just matter of waking up to reality.  RPGs are for little kids with no money, plenty of time, and big imaginations, that's how I started.  Anyone over 16 still playing them with any frequency is probably is a loser, has no job, or both.  That being said, if Growlanser V doesn't suck, I might try to somehow make time for it. 

I still like the general pacing of a lot of older RPG's though...You know, where you're actually challenged to get through a certain dungeon with X potions and a certain amount of MP as opposed to staying awake through an hour of talking to townspeople and dealing with a straightforward dungeon of about 3 scenes and an easy boss. I just liked Growlanser 2 (and 3) because they told great, compact stories and backed it up with solid, strategical gameplay (much like Chrono Trigger...all are about 20 hours, but they pack a lot in there!) taking most of the time, so I'm really hoping for good things from the 5th installment of the series. Even Phantasy Star IV...In 3 hours, that game covered so much ground, it made a lot of more recent RPG's I'd played feel very old. On the flipside, Nippon Ichi SRPG's (which are practically all gameplay) I've been trying to avoid because of how much time they suck out of me. ~_^

What I found a couple years ago is that I while I thought I was losing interest in gaming, what I was really losing was an interest in certain types of games.  I used to love RPGs, but real life doesn't allow time to spend six hours doing nothing but level grinding.  I now look for shorter experiences where I can accomplish something in each play session.  The DS is a godsend for the time starved gamer with so many really fun games that can be played in short bursts.  The last 60+ hour game I finished was Okami, but it took me six months to do it (probably would have finished it in three months if Zelda hadn't come out before I was done with it).  For something that good, I don't mind too much, but I'd rather play six ten hour games than one 60 hour game just to have some variety, you know?

This is exactly where I am right now, except I'm in between jobs rather than between school and a job.  It's not like I'm not doing everything I can trying to find a new job, but I still have a lot of free time.  IT just doesn't feel right using any of that free time for playing games.  I've done a bit, but mostly a little bit of Wii Sports here or there.

Hopefully that was a joke.  Otherwise I hope you spend no time on TV, films, or novels.  I don't know why it's impossible for people to see games as just another entertainment option - and is everything fun wrong for anyone with a life and a job? If it's just long RPGs, then why not just, you know, play in small bits over a long period of time?  Save money that way anyway...

I'm not totally gamed out yet but I've been extremely picky on what games I buy now a days.  The newest game I bought was Bioshock and before that the last game I got was Gears of War last year.  Gaming isn't a big part in my life anymore.  Sometimes I wish it were because I've had many fond memories playing video games.  I mean honestly, thats all they are anymore, only memories.  The drive to play a new game once in a while is still there for me but they're usually the must haves....and nothing more.  But I see that all fading more quickly than I realize.

But on the other hand music plays a huge part in my daily existence.  It's pretty much the first thing I do when I get home from work.  Throw on some tunage and enjoy it until pretty much I go to sleep.  Music is something that will live on well into my life for a very very long time.  While gaming will most likely get more distant until it's all but a faraway memory.

I only ever probably felt gamed out at the end of the SNES era when there was absolutely nothing worth a shit to play.  I looked at my collection, I already beat the snot out of everything I owned, and there were no games on the immediate horizon that captured my interest in any way.  That point, for me, was the closest I ever felt to being "gamed out" - like, I didn't want to play at all.  That hasn't happened again.  And I doubt it ever will.  As there are too many games coming out on a regular basis that, nowadays, I only have time to play only a few.  As a result, my backlog is ridiculous - filled with games I really don't have time to play as soon as they come out due to certain things that get in the way like LIFE, SLEEP, and another game.  I'm making progress though.  And hopefully, I'll be all caught up by October.  So, instead of being gamed out, my issue is usually "shit, when am I gonna have to time the play all these damn games!?"

I've been playing games since I've been in diapers.  And I truly believe that I'll be playing games when I'm old and grey.  I really don't see myself losing my passion for gaming at all in life.  What would have to happen is a massive dip in quality from development studios everywhere and another videogame crash akin to the 80's.  As long as the industry can guarantee quality software, I'll be there to enjoy it.

I'm not saying completely drop RPGs altogether as most of us will always have a few of them we will want to play (I'll always have a soft spot for the Tales of series for instance), I'm talking about the person that plays through more than like 2-3 a year and keeps going from one to the next. 

Definitely, there are a bunch of 16-bit RPGs I still love to death (ironically RPGs pretty died when this era did IMO) that I can always enjoy without using up all my vacation time.

This is how it is for me, since I pretty mucn no longer have time to play games listening to VGM at least gives me some of that experience in manageable doses.

It's no wonder you have a completely incorrect and rather insulting view of people who still play RPGs if you're judging them all by the Tales series.

Nemo's point seems a bit clouded by the typical public stance that games aren't really social acceptible. But he does have a point. Videogames, television and novels are all forms of entertainment. But (video)games were originally meant to bring people together and lately more and more individuals are gaming alone and get lost in their addiction. RPG's can drain a lot of time and instead of willingly choosing to spend leisure time with your rpg it becomes an (wrong) habit. It's about choices ofcourse, but moreso about awareness of how you are spending your time. I think it's far more preferable than watching (most of the time brainless) television; games are interactive atleast. Reading novels invokes thinking, enhances vocabulary and enriches imagination. I don't think there are many games that can do this (yet). This is how I would describe these three media.

I have made my choices; I don't watch television shows, but I love to watch movies or a good documentary; I read practically no novels; I do play games, but more multiplayer than singleplayer. If I had more time I guess I would read more novels, but right now this is my entertainment portfolio;). I do try to remain aware of what forms into a habit. To each his own I think, as long as you pay attention to your social environment. And ofcourse don't sacrifce physical and mental health:)

Back to the discussion, It happened about 4 times in my life that I really felt like I was done with games. Not in a negative sense, but more as in okay there are other things now. I've been gaming more frequently again since a few months and I don't think I will ever totally 'abandon' games, but I'm sure there will be plenty more times when I don't play at all.
I see a lot of audiovisual potential in this new generation (doesn't apply to the Wii). In that sense they made a bigger step up from last generation, than before with the jump from N64/PS to GC/PS2. But potential doesn't equal greatness, for example if games like Gears of War get a 9.5+ I become doubtful. It borrowed a lot from RE4 but without the amazing atmosphere. To follow Zane's analogy, I think RE4 was a natural beauty internally and externally, whereas Gears just wears a lot of makeup. I still have to give some credit, because I found it a very enjoyable coop action game and I really hope we'll see more of that in the future. My rankings; RE4: 9.8, GoW: 7.8.

~yvk

Neo Contra, Gradius V, Shadow of the Colossus (still), TRAPT (not the band, get off me), Lumines, Okami (just finished it), God of War 2, Disgaea 2, Devil May Cry 3, Street Fighter (always) and Felghana FTW!!!1threezies

I had a bit of a lull... thought my gaming genes were borken. Realized it was because I was obligating myself to play backlogged games that deserved to be backlogged. Eff that noise, now. I play for fun and fun only. I'm even blowing through FF12 and I never thought I'd touch an RPG again. I might catch up on the Ratchet & Clank series eventually (the first one was awesome).

But I'm also constantly having my time used up by other things, so games are becoming a pleasant distraction again.

To be fair the Tales battle systems (at least the newer 2D ones, most of their 3D applications fail) are among the most polished real time battle systems out there, making them more comparable to fighters than what usually in JRPGs.

Haven't played any of the more recent 2D Tales games, but I wasn't so much referring to their battle systems as I was to their tendency to involve childish plots/characters/voice acting/humor etc.

The Ratchet & Clank series has fully restored my faith in platformers.  I got the first one for 10 bucks used, and from then on bought every one new.  If I had a PS3, I would definitely be getting the one coming out in a month or two.

I apologize for the long post, but this is, by far, one of the better topics I've read and I do have alot on my mind about the subject.

This thread strikes a chord with me for so many reasons.  It seems that gaming has become a part of every single one of us, a part that we'll never let go completely.  Fighting the different distractions in our lives takes away gaming time little by little, be it family, work, school, or whatever.  No longer do we have a good 3 - 4 hours a day to dedicate solely to gaming, and if we do, we have to work at it.  Hard. 

A bit part of it has to do with growing up, unfortunately.  No longer do we mindlessly chug through games that we've received for our birthdays, or our parents bought us.  Instead, we've taken on roles more similar to connoisseurs, being able to pick out the quality releases from the mediocre ones.  Not to say that we don't have a soft spot for a particular developer, or publisher.  I, myself, will make sure to grab up all the Katamari games.  They have that magical "pick up and play" formula without ever taking themselves too seriously.  (kudos to Namco for saying they'll release the next one on the PS3).  Also, JRPG's still hold a special place in my heart.  Regardless of how the media views them, they were my big draw into gaming and game music.  I'll be playing them as I grow old.

Backlog has become more of an issue now because most games take a minimum of 20 hours to complete.  What people don't realize is that sometimes time is substituted for substance and what we get is alot of filler that brings down the game.  Look at the original Super Mario Bros.  Most of us can get through that in an hour or two tops.  Does it hold tons of replay value?  Absolutely.  As it stands now, I have about 50+ games backlogged.  (Curse you swap magic!!)  That being said, if there's a game that I must have, of course I'll go out and buy it. 

There is something magical about having that shelf full of games just waiting to be played, or have already been played.  Just to have that selection gives me a sense of satisfaction and security that even if things went sour (job-wise, or whatever) I'd still have a hobby to occupy my time.  Having people over to root through your video game collection is somewhat a badge of honour.  "Ooo!!  You have Odin Sphere?!  How is that?"  or  "Shadow of the Colossus?  Never heard of it?"  These questions are excellent segue ways into wonderful conversations with friends or even family.  To open someone's eyes to a new game that they truly enjoy is an experience like none other.  Just recently, I had my mom and stepfather over for Sunday dinner.  My wife and I showed them Wii Sports, which they picked up quickly.  My stepfather is an avid tennis player and he played Wii Tennis like a pro.  It was actually quite humorous to see him get used to the controls:  he actually tried to throw a ball into the air like he was serving it.  I then explained that all he had to do was raise the remote like he was going to hit the ball, and the rest would be taken care of.  They both had a great time, and come to think of it, my mom struck out my stepfather a couple of times! 

I know that they're going to remember that for a while, and even when they come back they might want to pick it up again.  My mom actually said "This is incredible."  If anything, they can go away with the idea that gaming doesn't necessarily mean 20+ hours on WOW a week, or mindlessly playing any game that comes out: which is where most of us are.  We'll get the releases we want to regardless, but we do have experience enough to pass judgment onto games that we deem worthy of our time and money.

Whoever said that game music gives you that little bit of gaming on the go, you're absolutely right.  I'll play some FFXII in the car and it takes me back to the Phon Coast.  I'll play some of the music from Shadow of the Colossus and it's like I'm there.  This just goes to show how much of a lifestyle gaming has become for us.

Apparently that statement has already been revoked.

At least, for the time being...

I know, I'm so disappointed!

I just beat UYA last night, and I have to say that this trilogy is amazing, despite its frustrating shortcomings. The first game is pretty tame (but amazingly fun), and GC gets really difficult and overwhelming about 2/3rds of the way through, but UYA fixed my gripes with GC (space battles, being overwhelmed enemies as opposed to being challenged) and ends the trilogy on a ridiculously high note. As long as you have the cajones (and patience) to get your ass beat on occasion and still go back for another try, the Ratchet series is one of the PS2's highest benchmarks.

R&C is the only thing that's tempting me to get a PS3 down the road right now...

Am I the only one who found the first R&C to be much harder and much more frustrating than the second one?

Yes. Yes you are.

I'm curious, man - what parts did you get hung up on?

the way i see it, my personal waning of interest in games is due to the fact that as i get older i am not as much emotionally drawn into a game and its characters as i was when i was in my teens and early 20s. Right now im about 7 hours into FF3 DS (ive never played the original so i dont know the story),, and its becoming very tedious to stay with it. Im just not finding myself getting into the story at all.

luckily for me the only time i have to play it is on my lunch break at work, so the only other choices i have during that hour is read the newspaper or play DS. so ill probably finish it eventually...

Well, my memory is kinda hazy, but the last couple of levels, and especially the final boss got me REALLY mad.
But R&C2 was one rollicking ride of fun, which I just breezed through. Great game that was.