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The Last Games You'd Play?
Rigor Morty asks: "I am an older man (44), an avid fan of video games, and I am faced with a problem; my hands are becoming arthritic as I get older. I fear I will soon have to completely give up the console games I have loved over the years. To that end, let me ask the Slashdot Nation — if you were going to give it up, what games would you insist on playing before you had to quit? I'm willing to make some effort to do this, and spend some cash; I will buy the new consoles if I need to, or try to find obscure titles."
Final Fantasy XII.
Its' 110+ hours. If I'm not sick of gaming after that, I'll never get sick of games
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Learn how to play chess. :)
just about the saddest goddamned thing I've ever read on slashdot. The thought of becoming an arthritis-ridden man who can't play video games is just... shocking. *sigh* I am so jumping into an active volcano when I start to get frail...
I always say that occarina of time and majora's mask were really two parts of the same game, play both right through. Best games ever. I personally think that Majora's mask is a little better out of the two... still they are both fantastic.
I've got happy memories which will last me a life time from these games, I feel happy recomending them.
*''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
Duh. You can pick up a good machine for under a grand. It is _THE_ game.
-Charlie
P.S. You can probably play it with arthritic hands too, just modify the screw on joystick head and play it with your palm.
If you're truly going to be losing the use of your fingers, I'd recommend that you finger your wife as your "last game". Massage her clitoris with your thumb, while your index finger gently rubs her G-spot.
You should give her at least one shocker. Two in the pink, one in the stink. I'll let you figure that one out on your own.
But really, video games should be the least of your concerns. Fingering your wife is what really matters in life.
i know arthritis can be quite painful. is it such that you would be unable to grasp the Wiimote? if you can, well, you might have several more years of gaming in Nintendo's brave new world.
my pet machine
Maybe you could try to find something you can play without stressing your fingers too much? Eye-Toy is the first thing that comes to my mind.
Some like quest games, others like to blow things up. I like hand-eye coordination games like pinball (may I recommend 3D Ultra Pinball Thrillride) and arcade games like Centipede and Arkanoid. If you want more from us, you have to narrow your question.
[And if you don't want arthritis, (1) give up meat and (2) improve your elimination -- I take senna leaves daily.]
I come here for the love
If my hands were soon going to be unable to grab things, I wouldn't be wasting my time with video games.
In 20 years stem cell technology will have progressed so that you can grow a brand new Wii controller right in the palm of your hand anyway.
The poster sounds like the kind of guy that would respond to news of terminal cancer by starting a 40-a-day smoking habit. Personally I'm not a fan of the "it's better to burn out than to fade away" philosophy. As long as you can drag your arthritic claws over a mouse or trackball, you can play turn-based strategy games, so you should never have to quit as such, just change what you play. Plus a few years down the line, you'll probably be able to get a neural interface and be back in business ;).
Oh no... it's the future.
I am an older man (44)
44 is "old"? Oh shit!
Table-ized A.I.
Typing wear and tear? Take glucosamine, chondroitin (they often come together) and cod liver oil. They're food supplements. Your body uses them to build and maintain joint tissues.
Deleted
Playing the first game you played last at least seems poetic. Nostalgia may help for a pleasant send-off.
For me, though it I'd want to play the original Super Mario Bros for the NES. First game and first console I owned.
Based on upvotes, Ageism is the only "-ism" Slashdotters care about and think isn't SJW
Splurge and pay for memberships to all of the adult sites that you have ever wanted to.
Do a LOT of masturbating now, before the arthritis takes away the ability.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
I'd go with Duke Nukem Forever. By then they'll have cured your arthritis.
Well, it'd help to know what kind of arthritis it is. For example, if the arthritis is only in your hands, then you should be largely uncompromised on the Wii, which is largely about the shoulder and elbow. If that's not good enough, it depends a lot on the kinds of games you like. For example, if you prefer fighting games, you're pretty much out of luck. However, if you play strategy games, maybe shift away from realtime (like starcraft) and towards turn-based (like civilization.) That way you can move at a pace that's more in keeping with your hands, and you can consider alternate input devices - keyboards, tiltpads, even voice recognition software if it's bad.
Generally, if neither hand controllers like traditional joysticks nor shoulder-and-elbow controllers like the Wii suit you, then persistant speed-driven games and twitch games are pretty much out. No more tetris, no more street fighter, no more heli attack. On the other hand, timing based games like You Don't Know Jack and Jeopardy are largely unaffected, if you can type. Most turn based games - not just civilization, but traditional games like chess and poker, untimed puzzle games like bejewelled and bookworm, puzzles like sudoku and crosswords, et cetera.
It's more productive to ask which games are removed, and then to just look at a game catalog or a game site, than it is to ask which games are left. All of the console manufacturers have lists of games on their websites. The internet game sale sites have lists, too, unsurprisingly. Look for games which work with input devices you can still use - mice, keyboards, the microphone, et cetera. If you can use the joystick in some situations but not others, figure out what those situations are. Sure you can't play Tekken anymore, but is that because these two specific fingers are hurting, or all of them? What about your wrists? Can you play Wii Sports? There's only one button press anywhere in Wii Sports, namely letting go of the bowling ball.
The disease you have is terrible, but it's also very different for different people. There are a lot of games that are probably still open to you, but until we know what you can and cannot do, as well as what you do and do not enjoy, we can't give you good advice.
I feel for you, man. It's awful. I'm starting to feel it; I'll be where you are in five, maybe ten years if I'm lucky. There are a lot of games left for you, but you get any five people in the room and you're lucky to find two games in common. We need more data.
StoneCypher is Full of BS
My brother is 51 and has been getting accupuncture for his arthritis. He swears by it. If you have tried everything else it couldn't hurt.
Try Dance Dance Revolution. You don't play with your hands, AND you'll get a workout!
Never underestimate the stupidity inherent in all human beings.
But, well, the Wii seems like it might be decent for the arthritic gamer. ExciteTruck just needs pushing one button, and a lot of leaning back and forth.
1) Thief: Deadly Shadows (actually any of the Thief series but you specified console)
2) Oblivion.
Trolling is a art,
If my hands were soon going to be unable to grab things, I wouldn't be wasting my time with video games.
I was assuming he already had the masturbation angle covered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
I'd play Secret of Mana, straight through.
I swear, it is the most beautiful game in the world.
There's starting to be a number of replacements for traditional controls. There's eye tracking products, software solutions, and a variety of hardware replacements like a Wacom tablet.
I'm an X-plane user, I can build, fly, go on-line. It uses my brain and teaches me something new. I have to look at many real-world (tm) things like geography weather etc. I can play hard flying through canyons or relax with a long flight across the pacific. Re-enact historic flights on-line with other flyers, dog fight, whatever. Move into building your own scenery, model aircraft etc.
There was an unknown error in the submission.
Tempest is one of the best games ever. Invest in a working arcade version and enjoy.
When you become to arthritic to play it though, you have to give it to me.
In no particular order (except for maybe the first one):
Katamari Damacy (PS2)
Lego Star Wars (Various)
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1)
Final Fantasy 7 (Various)
If you're partial to older consoles (and in particular, RPGs):
Secret of Mana (SNES)
Chrono Trigger (SNES)
Final Fantasy 6 (SNES)
Contra (NES) [Not an RPG]
You seemed to specify console gaming. If you somehow haven't yet had the opportunity to play first person shooters on a computer, that is also something I would suggest you do. I'd personally suggest Half-Life. Starcraft and Diablo are also notable computer games (not first person shooters, though). "Must play computer games" is really a whole nother can of worms, though.
What games you should play depends on what you like. Simple. I'm suprised you didn't mention the sort of games you like to play.
Additionally, you haven't described the limitations of your medical issue.
Firstly if you like playing games, why stop? Is it only the button mashing games that you like? There are so many games that you don't need to stop playing. Just find something you enjoy that doesn't aggravate your condition.
Second, forget consoles. They are more likely to cause CTS or other issues than support a medical issue. Go PC. Just PC. Unlike consoles, PCs have hundreds of interfaces designed for everything from people with disabilities through to being ergonomic to support sufferers of similar ailments. Even without knowing what your issue is, if you can move a part of your body, you can buy something for a PC that lets you emulate mouse and keyboard.
PCs cost more, and you'll need to aim high for a games box, but the disadvantage of consoles is that they are designed with a difficulty level around the controller for normal people. This is something you clearly are not (by your own admission). So if you already have problems, then why waste it playing games on a controller designed for hands without medical issues.
Also, use the benefits of age. If you don't want to mash buttons, play more adventure games, where reaction time isn't critical. And when you play action games, choose games where you can play in a way that suits you.
As an example - consider BF2 for the PC. Even if you were nearly crippled, you could still play commander online, without any difficulty at all... Just with a voice interface alone. No keyboard or mouse. Of course, you'd probably want a Push To Talk button set up for your headset, although you could just use VOX. And if you want to get into the action, play sniper... Just sit, wait and take your time on each shot.
Additionally, for flight sims, you can use full size controllers... Joysticks. No rapid movement needed there. If you can still drive a car, you can use a wheel interface. Again, nothing complex there. (And Wheel interfaces are available on most consoles.)
But as I mentioned, console games tend (though not always) be designed around the console controller and controller limitations to provide an element of difficulty. PC games are designed around a keyboard that no two people seem to have the same one of, mouses that vary from house to house and the odd USB connected device that someone bought on special. The only thing left for PC game designers to challenge is your mind.
Avoid games that require precise timing and button mashing. They cause issues for those older players amongst us that don't have arthritis too!.
Finally, don't take the attitude of playing games quickly while you still can. That's pessimistic and you're setting your own limitation. Work to enjoy games for as long as you live and while you still enjoy them. For most of us, that's as long as we live.
Anyway an opinion. I'm not that far of where you say your are. I am starting to feel something in my fingers that I suspect is the onset of age. But unless I end up so crippled I can't live a normal life anymore, I don't ever think I'll stop playing games, and often I remind myself they are one of the few things I can still enjoy even if I do.
GrpA.
Enjoy science fiction? "Turing Evolved" - AI, Mecha, Androids and rail-gun battles. What more could you want?
Would be my choice. I've been playing video games for years, but when I played that game (nearly 10 years ago now?) It moved things to a whole new level. When I first got out onto open spaces of Hyrule field and heard the cool music and saw the sun setting it was pretty good as far as video games go. Little touches like the music when the sun rises etc. I haven't had a go on Twilight Princess yet (Wii comes out here in about a week).
That said there are plenty of other games other than video games. You can't beat a game of cards with friends.
If you haven't travelled, get your buzz from seeing other cultures before little things get too difficult.
That'd be my choice anyway.
If you can't use your hands, why not do something that doesn't require your fingers much? Dance Dance Revolution is fun and gives you a good workout, some of the Nintendo Wii games don't require fine motor control, etc. Just because you can't hit the buttons like a madman anymore doesn't mean you have to stop gaming.
Crack - Free with every butt and set of boobs
Forget the consoles, go old school on a new PC and play Descent. It absolutely rocked. You can still find new-in-box copies on Ebay http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=ht tp%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&fkr=1&from=R8&sati tle=video+game+descent&category0=&submitSearch=Sea rch
And FWIW, it rocks on newer hardware and CPUs.
A 44 year old that plays video games? In 20 years, you'll be the best granddad of them all...
Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
The trick is, you never give up. You let the pain or minor disability piss you off enough to fight beyond letting it hold you back.
I won't bore you with all the injuries I've suffered in my life from sports to Vietnam to the fire service or tell you about my arthritis or skin cancer and other minor problems. I will tell you that I am a month and a few days shy of 62, I run 6 miles every other day, surf whenever I can get to an ocean and I can sport a nice rod just thinking about shanking my neighbor's girlfriend; I'd never do that because he is a brother firefighter....on the other hand......
Sorry to get off on a tangent. My point is, you can not let pain or the disability that comes with older age rule your life. It can be overcome with spirit and determination.
No, he's not! He was in his prime when he was 43, and he'll be in his prime again in 3 years.
Play a really bad game. Either one with bad gameplay, or which crashes every five minutes, or which makes you lose a life without any reason, etc.
That way, you won't regret it at all when you quit.
- RG>
Hey pal, this isn't a pleasantforest, so don't waste my time with pleasantries!
Yes, really.
That way you can be dealing more directly with the arthritis, which may allow you to game for much longer.
Eat everything as fresh as possible. Start with more calcium (dodge meat, the calcium & acid ratios suck). Sulfur-containing foods are helpful (asparagus, eggs, garlic, & onions) as they help calcium assimilation as well as repair in general, as is fresh pineapple for the bromelain in it. Stick to green, leafy vegetables, oatmeal, whole grains (especially for the Vitmain K). Add potatoes, lots of veggie juice, bananas, food with histidine (wheat, rye, rice), & some vitamins (B-12 & C, at least).
Avoid milk, fatty foods, salt, caffeine, anything really hot, tobacco, sugar & of course avoid meat as much as possible, since they all do nasty things to arthritic suffering. It helps to view arthritis as a class of diseases instead of just one way of suffering; what you’re trying to do here is axe the whole class.
If you can do that, a lot more than the games will benefit, but they’ll be amongst the first.
Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
On a more serious note, the Wii controller is very nice for a variety of games because it takes the focus off the hands, but I'm actually wondering if using a controller might actually have some therapeutic value for you. The drawback of most controllers is that the range of motion is, by design, made as small as possible, but with arthritis, what you actually want is fuller range of motion to articulate the joints as fully as possible.
Personally, I think moving to a Wii will be nice for you--and hey, what about games like Dance, Dance, Revolution, which is really great for fitness and does not require your hands at all? Also, I'd say get yourself into some kind of physical activity that uses your hands through a full range of motion. Keeping your hands active is the best way to fight off the effects of arthritis although, yes, it is painful. The alternative is a rapid decent into limited range of motion and a large amount of pain.
In combination with those measures, we're probably not that far from further control innovations like retinal tracking for targetting (Wii is already tracking your controller; it won't be long before we're watching head movement or even hand waving with a wristband). Wii is really paving the way for the entrance of these advancements in controllers, so the future is brighter than you may think! I think you will be able to happily play games for your entire life, if you take some preventative care steps now and ride the wave of technology innovations that are on the way.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure.
... and then they built the supercollider.
Eyetoy-based gaming. They almost never require finger movement. *plug* Like Eyetoy:Antigrav *plug*
DDR. No fingers required.
Light-gun games. Use one hand to aim and the other to pull the trigger.
RPG's. Most menu-based games play fine with feet controllers, or without fine motor movements.
Point-n-click adventure games like The Longest Journey.
Singstar.
As for last games suggestions it would really depend upon what kinds of things you enjoy playing. I'd go Ikaruga on the GC (not Dreamcast), and Radiant Silvergun on the Saturn. I'd plug Guitar Hero, but it's usually enough to induce arthritis in most people. Katamari Damacy (PS2). Ore no Ryouri (PS1). Bionic Commando (NES). I'd get some interested friends together and throw some Saturn Bomberman parties.
Really, what you should do is grab your gaming friends, have them bring over their NES / Atari / whatever old systems they have around, and just play as many different things as possible one night a week every week. By the time your hands go, you'll have played through a slice of history, and you'll have some very close friends.
The ______ Agenda
Well, it's not exactly arthritis, but I've had RSI (repetitive strain injury) from computing for years. It's very light though, I can still pretty much do anything and everything I want, I just have to stop sooner than my friends. One thing I have noticed though, is that when playing consoles, within minutes everything hurts. This is while I can play games on the PC just about indefinitly without aching at all. That should spell out the difference. Yes, I do use special ergonomical mouses and keyboard though, but those are like $100 together and in all probability, your health care plan will actually pay for it (mine did). Is this all relevant to you? I don't know, it could be. Good luck.
I'm 40 and have had consoles since the Odyssey, probably before you were born.
Unlike yours, my reply had some reason to it: the submitter is 44 and mentioned arthritis. The games I suggested are quite involved, give a lot of game play for the $ and don't require extensive hammering of the controller thus saving his hands. You could probably suggest some fighting games for him but his hands would be crippled in a few weeks.
Trolling is a art,
My mother is in her 60's and loves to play PC games. Particularly Guild Wars is her current favorite to date. Before PC games, and more importantly before her arthritis, she was the Mario goddess to us kids with a Nintendo.
By switching to PC games she freed herself from having to hold the controller. Now she simply rests her hands on the mouse and keyboard to play.
The type of game also seems to matter as to how often she can play as does the weather. First Person Shooters (twitch games) aren't her thing. And that's perfectly understandable. Casual games with some automation to the gameplay seems to spark her interest the best.
It may not be that you need to give up gaming entirely. Perhaps just the platform may be the key.
__________________________________
Free your mind - Flush your toilet
My grandmother has rheumatoid arthritis in her hands. I gave her my old gameboy and she loved to play Tetris. She said that playing it regularly made her fingers hurt less. Maybe you should keep playing enough to keep your fingers in shape.
DeusEx (PC)
First person shooter where you actually have to think, well researched an politically revelant and deep plot. It's also trying to make a point, it's not just gaming for the sake of gaming. The only computer game I've played that approaches good literature.
Rez (Dreamcast/PS2)
On the rails shooter, perhaps one of the most beautiful games ever and also conveys something beyond it's simple mechanic.
Shenmue 1 and 2 (Dreamcast)
Perhaps not as deep as DeusEx or Shenmue but a nice story and well executed. And hay, most expensive video game ever made. At least it was at the time.
Ico (PS2)
Beautiful, really beautiful.
Really it totally depends who you are and what you like, if I could only play one of these games again before I died it would probably be DeusEx.
I just quickly glanced at the summary so these may have already been mentioned by the author....
1) Deus Ex. The original (NOT Deus Ex 2) For PC, probably the best game I ever played and although it's six years old I still play it once a year. It's been superseded in graphics, but not in depth of the story.
2) Oblivion, Xbox 360. Since I got this two months ago I haven't played anything else. It allows you to pause during fights so you can pick spells, change weapon,etc., so you dont have to be Quick draw McGraw on the controls.
3) Half Life 2.
4) Tron 2.0. Probably the most colorful game you will ever play. And it's fun too!
Seconded. The toughest work the fingers have to do is not to drop the piece half way through a move.
"I didn't play Qc5 so you could take it. J'Adoube, I adjust. I was *trying* to play Qc8 mate."
Problem is, Despite Silvio Danailov's antics, all these classic board games apparently aren't flashy enough to compete with the subject of all the other posts here.
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine