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Games nowadays come bundled with one-or-two little unlockable "extras" you can gain access to after completing the game once through, under certain circumstances. And it's the little extras like these that give each game a little bit of extra 'replay-value', to keep to going on with, or coming-back to it that little extra bit longer. It may involve you having to complete a certain mission of a James Bond game within a certain time for you to achieve the Gold and Platinum Medals; or it could just be that you want to prove to the world around you that you can complete even the shortest of games faster than anyone else on the planet. But as long as there's a timer there, clocking your progress, you'll be racing to beat-the-clock for at least one reason.
And it looks to me as if every new game that's shipped-out from Japan, America, or wherever it may come from, has some sort of clock that comes with it, counting-up the minutes, and then hours, of how long it takes you to complete your adventure, and all those set-objectives. Usually, I would only expect to find this sort of thing in a standard first-person shooter, for example - just like Halo, or the latest 007 game. But with my Nintendo GameCube sat under my TV, I've already been surprised to see this kind of thing appear in both Starfox Adventures, and even potential `Game of the Year 2003` Metroid Prime. And I can even think of a few games that had this on the N64 - including Conker's Bad Fur Day; along with a number of different first-person shooters I've played during the past 5-years-or-so.
Others, who are 'exceptionally' good at games, who can adjust to any kind of setting or system and work through it with ease, may enjoy having a clock in-place that tells you how long you've been playing for, untill you finally complete the game, full-stop. But for the, perhaps, "average" gamer, like myself, this can only cause us problems - especially if we take much long than everyone else to complete games some people finished only a fortnight after its release...
You see, whenever a new RPG adventure, platformer, or whatever game it may be; as soon as its release date dawns-near, one of the first things the average gamer is wanting to know is just how long this game is likely to take to complete - especially with the latest Nintendo GameCube games, after the dissapointing lack of "length" within the likes of Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin, and even Super Mario SunShine, so early-on into the console's existence. Starfox Adventure was a game that was originally looking to be something of a "classic" well into its fourth-and-final year in development. But we we only came to be dissapointed when it finally came around to us, lacking in so many areas, with the average gamer finding this game barely even took-up 20 hours of their life, before it was done with...
But even though the large majority of us who have played this "big let-down" from Rare, and finished it before-or-around the 20-hour-mark, there are still a number of others out there who have gotten themselves stuck in certain situations - and even found themselves closer to 30 hours for a completed time, at the very-end of it!
Just think how they must feel... And if you're one of them - with the whole world around you having done the same thing so-much-quicker - you can't help but feel "smaller" than other gamers, like perhaps you really aren't as good as you should be -- like they are. Gaming has become a big-part of every youngsters life, today, and the latest game-releases, and news stories are often found to be big talking points amongst teenagers and young-adults, alike. Just as long as they play games. Gamers tend to take things game-related very seriously, and it can lead to forms of insults and even bullying, if just one person 'under-achieves'.
Now, I know this from experience. I've been teased and laughed-at for several different games-related issues during the last few years as we've all grown-up, just because I don't perhaps play games as well as my friends. They play one game, complete it; I play the same game, take a little longer to finish it; and it's time to point and laugh at me - just because I did things differently. In this situation, you could try and make up any excuse you want, but no teenager is likely to even consider believing the slightest word you say. And that's just the way it goes sometimes!
And because of some forms of... "abuse", like this (or whatever you want to call it), there are a number of games I still - even today - have not got around to finishing, because of the effects and opinions from my friends. Nope, not even on the Easy setting! The 2 Rare first-person shooters on the N64 are prime examples here. Both were considered as being "cool" and games that buy an N64 for, back in their time (and there are many who still believe that, today). I may've just got around to finishing GoldenEye (...by cheating), but I still haven't finished Perfect Dark, and feel I cannot give it another chance, just because of certain past experiences with my friends who have laughed and joked about me, just because they completed it - fully - within weeks! And then there's the excellent Conker's Bad Fur Day... I got stuck in one point, couldn't do it; my friends found out; laughed at me; and so I never got around to try and tackle that problem, just because I was taking so much longer to do things, than them.
Even today, with my GameCube, I still hear the odd joke here-and-there of people asking me: "Completed Luigi's Mansion yet??", even though that game was done within a week, and they know it. But just because they know of my mis-achievements in the past, they'll still go on about it, just because they take gaming that seriously, and like to feel they are better at something the love, than other people.
And I just know that if I fail to complete a "master-piece", like Metorid Prime, soon-enough, then I may shall have to prepare myself for more of the same that has been putting me off great-games for several years now...
So then, is it really such a good idea to to include a clock in today's games that tick-and-tocks as you work your way through the adventure and storyline?
I believe it's okay if it's in a game where more can be achieved by completing certain areas within a certain time-limit, but that just doesn't happen in a game like Metroid, or even Starfox Adventures... Yet they're still there.
Have you ever been in a similar kind of situation?
Should these 'timers' be optional??
The way I see it, they're only gonna make things worth for the "below-average" gamers -like myself- of the future. And an unhappy gamer is unlikely to play with something that effects his feelings... Just how many people do you know who've avoided, or just given-up, on the Resident Evil series, just because they're so scary?!?
And it looks to me as if every new game that's shipped-out from Japan, America, or wherever it may come from, has some sort of clock that comes with it, counting-up the minutes, and then hours, of how long it takes you to complete your adventure, and all those set-objectives. Usually, I would only expect to find this sort of thing in a standard first-person shooter, for example - just like Halo, or the latest 007 game. But with my Nintendo GameCube sat under my TV, I've already been surprised to see this kind of thing appear in both Starfox Adventures, and even potential `Game of the Year 2003` Metroid Prime. And I can even think of a few games that had this on the N64 - including Conker's Bad Fur Day; along with a number of different first-person shooters I've played during the past 5-years-or-so.
Others, who are 'exceptionally' good at games, who can adjust to any kind of setting or system and work through it with ease, may enjoy having a clock in-place that tells you how long you've been playing for, untill you finally complete the game, full-stop. But for the, perhaps, "average" gamer, like myself, this can only cause us problems - especially if we take much long than everyone else to complete games some people finished only a fortnight after its release...
You see, whenever a new RPG adventure, platformer, or whatever game it may be; as soon as its release date dawns-near, one of the first things the average gamer is wanting to know is just how long this game is likely to take to complete - especially with the latest Nintendo GameCube games, after the dissapointing lack of "length" within the likes of Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin, and even Super Mario SunShine, so early-on into the console's existence. Starfox Adventure was a game that was originally looking to be something of a "classic" well into its fourth-and-final year in development. But we we only came to be dissapointed when it finally came around to us, lacking in so many areas, with the average gamer finding this game barely even took-up 20 hours of their life, before it was done with...
But even though the large majority of us who have played this "big let-down" from Rare, and finished it before-or-around the 20-hour-mark, there are still a number of others out there who have gotten themselves stuck in certain situations - and even found themselves closer to 30 hours for a completed time, at the very-end of it!
Just think how they must feel... And if you're one of them - with the whole world around you having done the same thing so-much-quicker - you can't help but feel "smaller" than other gamers, like perhaps you really aren't as good as you should be -- like they are. Gaming has become a big-part of every youngsters life, today, and the latest game-releases, and news stories are often found to be big talking points amongst teenagers and young-adults, alike. Just as long as they play games. Gamers tend to take things game-related very seriously, and it can lead to forms of insults and even bullying, if just one person 'under-achieves'.
Now, I know this from experience. I've been teased and laughed-at for several different games-related issues during the last few years as we've all grown-up, just because I don't perhaps play games as well as my friends. They play one game, complete it; I play the same game, take a little longer to finish it; and it's time to point and laugh at me - just because I did things differently. In this situation, you could try and make up any excuse you want, but no teenager is likely to even consider believing the slightest word you say. And that's just the way it goes sometimes!
And because of some forms of... "abuse", like this (or whatever you want to call it), there are a number of games I still - even today - have not got around to finishing, because of the effects and opinions from my friends. Nope, not even on the Easy setting! The 2 Rare first-person shooters on the N64 are prime examples here. Both were considered as being "cool" and games that buy an N64 for, back in their time (and there are many who still believe that, today). I may've just got around to finishing GoldenEye (...by cheating), but I still haven't finished Perfect Dark, and feel I cannot give it another chance, just because of certain past experiences with my friends who have laughed and joked about me, just because they completed it - fully - within weeks! And then there's the excellent Conker's Bad Fur Day... I got stuck in one point, couldn't do it; my friends found out; laughed at me; and so I never got around to try and tackle that problem, just because I was taking so much longer to do things, than them.
Even today, with my GameCube, I still hear the odd joke here-and-there of people asking me: "Completed Luigi's Mansion yet??
And I just know that if I fail to complete a "master-piece", like Metorid Prime, soon-enough, then I may shall have to prepare myself for more of the same that has been putting me off great-games for several years now...
So then, is it really such a good idea to to include a clock in today's games that tick-and-tocks as you work your way through the adventure and storyline?
I believe it's okay if it's in a game where more can be achieved by completing certain areas within a certain time-limit, but that just doesn't happen in a game like Metroid, or even Starfox Adventures... Yet they're still there.
Have you ever been in a similar kind of situation?
Should these 'timers' be optional??
The way I see it, they're only gonna make things worth for the "below-average" gamers -like myself- of the future. And an unhappy gamer is unlikely to play with something that effects his feelings... Just how many people do you know who've avoided, or just given-up, on the Resident Evil series, just because they're so scary?!?
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Games nowadays come bundled with one-or-two little unlockable "extras" you can gain access to after completing the game once through, under certain circumstances. And it's the little extras like these that give each game a little bit of extra 'replay-value', to keep to going on with, or coming-back to it that little extra bit longer. It may involve you having to complete a certain mission of a James Bond game within a certain time for you to achieve the Gold and Platinum Medals; or it could just be that you want to prove to the world around you that you can complete even the shortest of games faster than anyone else on the planet. But as long as there's a timer there, clocking your progress, you'll be racing to beat-the-clock for at least one reason.
And it looks to me as if every new game that's shipped-out from Japan, America, or wherever it may come from, has some sort of clock that comes with it, counting-up the minutes, and then hours, of how long it takes you to complete your adventure, and all those set-objectives. Usually, I would only expect to find this sort of thing in a standard first-person shooter, for example - just like Halo, or the latest 007 game. But with my Nintendo GameCube sat under my TV, I've already been surprised to see this kind of thing appear in both Starfox Adventures, and even potential `Game of the Year 2003` Metroid Prime. And I can even think of a few games that had this on the N64 - including Conker's Bad Fur Day; along with a number of different first-person shooters I've played during the past 5-years-or-so.
Others, who are 'exceptionally' good at games, who can adjust to any kind of setting or system and work through it with ease, may enjoy having a clock in-place that tells you how long you've been playing for, untill you finally complete the game, full-stop. But for the, perhaps, "average" gamer, like myself, this can only cause us problems - especially if we take much long than everyone else to complete games some people finished only a fortnight after its release...
You see, whenever a new RPG adventure, platformer, or whatever game it may be; as soon as its release date dawns-near, one of the first things the average gamer is wanting to know is just how long this game is likely to take to complete - especially with the latest Nintendo GameCube games, after the dissapointing lack of "length" within the likes of Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin, and even Super Mario SunShine, so early-on into the console's existence. Starfox Adventure was a game that was originally looking to be something of a "classic" well into its fourth-and-final year in development. But we we only came to be dissapointed when it finally came around to us, lacking in so many areas, with the average gamer finding this game barely even took-up 20 hours of their life, before it was done with...
But even though the large majority of us who have played this "big let-down" from Rare, and finished it before-or-around the 20-hour-mark, there are still a number of others out there who have gotten themselves stuck in certain situations - and even found themselves closer to 30 hours for a completed time, at the very-end of it!
Just think how they must feel... And if you're one of them - with the whole world around you having done the same thing so-much-quicker - you can't help but feel "smaller" than other gamers, like perhaps you really aren't as good as you should be -- like they are. Gaming has become a big-part of every youngsters life, today, and the latest game-releases, and news stories are often found to be big talking points amongst teenagers and young-adults, alike. Just as long as they play games. Gamers tend to take things game-related very seriously, and it can lead to forms of insults and even bullying, if just one person 'under-achieves'.
Now, I know this from experience. I've been teased and laughed-at for several different games-related issues during the last few years as we've all grown-up, just because I don't perhaps play games as well as my friends. They play one game, complete it; I play the same game, take a little longer to finish it; and it's time to point and laugh at me - just because I did things differently. In this situation, you could try and make up any excuse you want, but no teenager is likely to even consider believing the slightest word you say. And that's just the way it goes sometimes!
And because of some forms of... "abuse", like this (or whatever you want to call it), there are a number of games I still - even today - have not got around to finishing, because of the effects and opinions from my friends. Nope, not even on the Easy setting! The 2 Rare first-person shooters on the N64 are prime examples here. Both were considered as being "cool" and games that buy an N64 for, back in their time (and there are many who still believe that, today). I may've just got around to finishing GoldenEye (...by cheating), but I still haven't finished Perfect Dark, and feel I cannot give it another chance, just because of certain past experiences with my friends who have laughed and joked about me, just because they completed it - fully - within weeks! And then there's the excellent Conker's Bad Fur Day... I got stuck in one point, couldn't do it; my friends found out; laughed at me; and so I never got around to try and tackle that problem, just because I was taking so much longer to do things, than them.
Even today, with my GameCube, I still hear the odd joke here-and-there of people asking me: "Completed Luigi's Mansion yet??", even though that game was done within a week, and they know it. But just because they know of my mis-achievements in the past, they'll still go on about it, just because they take gaming that seriously, and like to feel they are better at something the love, than other people.
And I just know that if I fail to complete a "master-piece", like Metorid Prime, soon-enough, then I may shall have to prepare myself for more of the same that has been putting me off great-games for several years now...
So then, is it really such a good idea to to include a clock in today's games that tick-and-tocks as you work your way through the adventure and storyline?
I believe it's okay if it's in a game where more can be achieved by completing certain areas within a certain time-limit, but that just doesn't happen in a game like Metroid, or even Starfox Adventures... Yet they're still there.
Have you ever been in a similar kind of situation?
Should these 'timers' be optional??
The way I see it, they're only gonna make things worth for the "below-average" gamers -like myself- of the future. And an unhappy gamer is unlikely to play with something that effects his feelings... Just how many people do you know who've avoided, or just given-up, on the Resident Evil series, just because they're so scary?!?
And it looks to me as if every new game that's shipped-out from Japan, America, or wherever it may come from, has some sort of clock that comes with it, counting-up the minutes, and then hours, of how long it takes you to complete your adventure, and all those set-objectives. Usually, I would only expect to find this sort of thing in a standard first-person shooter, for example - just like Halo, or the latest 007 game. But with my Nintendo GameCube sat under my TV, I've already been surprised to see this kind of thing appear in both Starfox Adventures, and even potential `Game of the Year 2003` Metroid Prime. And I can even think of a few games that had this on the N64 - including Conker's Bad Fur Day; along with a number of different first-person shooters I've played during the past 5-years-or-so.
Others, who are 'exceptionally' good at games, who can adjust to any kind of setting or system and work through it with ease, may enjoy having a clock in-place that tells you how long you've been playing for, untill you finally complete the game, full-stop. But for the, perhaps, "average" gamer, like myself, this can only cause us problems - especially if we take much long than everyone else to complete games some people finished only a fortnight after its release...
You see, whenever a new RPG adventure, platformer, or whatever game it may be; as soon as its release date dawns-near, one of the first things the average gamer is wanting to know is just how long this game is likely to take to complete - especially with the latest Nintendo GameCube games, after the dissapointing lack of "length" within the likes of Luigi's Mansion, Pikmin, and even Super Mario SunShine, so early-on into the console's existence. Starfox Adventure was a game that was originally looking to be something of a "classic" well into its fourth-and-final year in development. But we we only came to be dissapointed when it finally came around to us, lacking in so many areas, with the average gamer finding this game barely even took-up 20 hours of their life, before it was done with...
But even though the large majority of us who have played this "big let-down" from Rare, and finished it before-or-around the 20-hour-mark, there are still a number of others out there who have gotten themselves stuck in certain situations - and even found themselves closer to 30 hours for a completed time, at the very-end of it!
Just think how they must feel... And if you're one of them - with the whole world around you having done the same thing so-much-quicker - you can't help but feel "smaller" than other gamers, like perhaps you really aren't as good as you should be -- like they are. Gaming has become a big-part of every youngsters life, today, and the latest game-releases, and news stories are often found to be big talking points amongst teenagers and young-adults, alike. Just as long as they play games. Gamers tend to take things game-related very seriously, and it can lead to forms of insults and even bullying, if just one person 'under-achieves'.
Now, I know this from experience. I've been teased and laughed-at for several different games-related issues during the last few years as we've all grown-up, just because I don't perhaps play games as well as my friends. They play one game, complete it; I play the same game, take a little longer to finish it; and it's time to point and laugh at me - just because I did things differently. In this situation, you could try and make up any excuse you want, but no teenager is likely to even consider believing the slightest word you say. And that's just the way it goes sometimes!
And because of some forms of... "abuse", like this (or whatever you want to call it), there are a number of games I still - even today - have not got around to finishing, because of the effects and opinions from my friends. Nope, not even on the Easy setting! The 2 Rare first-person shooters on the N64 are prime examples here. Both were considered as being "cool" and games that buy an N64 for, back in their time (and there are many who still believe that, today). I may've just got around to finishing GoldenEye (...by cheating), but I still haven't finished Perfect Dark, and feel I cannot give it another chance, just because of certain past experiences with my friends who have laughed and joked about me, just because they completed it - fully - within weeks! And then there's the excellent Conker's Bad Fur Day... I got stuck in one point, couldn't do it; my friends found out; laughed at me; and so I never got around to try and tackle that problem, just because I was taking so much longer to do things, than them.
Even today, with my GameCube, I still hear the odd joke here-and-there of people asking me: "Completed Luigi's Mansion yet??
And I just know that if I fail to complete a "master-piece", like Metorid Prime, soon-enough, then I may shall have to prepare myself for more of the same that has been putting me off great-games for several years now...
So then, is it really such a good idea to to include a clock in today's games that tick-and-tocks as you work your way through the adventure and storyline?
I believe it's okay if it's in a game where more can be achieved by completing certain areas within a certain time-limit, but that just doesn't happen in a game like Metroid, or even Starfox Adventures... Yet they're still there.
Have you ever been in a similar kind of situation?
Should these 'timers' be optional??
The way I see it, they're only gonna make things worth for the "below-average" gamers -like myself- of the future. And an unhappy gamer is unlikely to play with something that effects his feelings... Just how many people do you know who've avoided, or just given-up, on the Resident Evil series, just because they're so scary?!?