# Why don't video games have an "old fart" mode? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 6, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947 "2010-01-06T19:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/41 "2010-01-07T19:20:43Z")
My point is a one button car isnt feasible the same way demanding slow down options in all games isnt particularly practical or a feature needed by most people. If the game is too hard then look into cheating options or focus on games with liberal cheat features. The cheats on [Torchlight are pretty liberal](http://www.cheatscodesguides.com/pc-cheats/torchlight/) and the PC platform has a lot more cheats than the locked-down console world. If anything the root issue is that consoles are so locked down, you cant screw around with them like you can PCs. Like I wrote earlier, the PC platform allows for these things better than the console world, generally. > [@](#): > > if you want to play with the big boys and prove what a bad-ass you are, then by all means join a tournament and prove yourself against the world’s best. Put the proof on YouTube. Most gamers don’t aspire to be world-class competitors, and games wouldn’t sell very well if you had to be that good to get through it. If the game is too hard in easy mode and with cheats then thats not the game for you. > [@](#): > > I can’t speak for others, but I’m not asking for a button that will play the game for me. Easy mode and cheats (which is what slowing down games is) IS practically a one button solution. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/42 "2010-01-07T19:25:37Z")
Oh, Im using Torchlight and King’s Bounty as examples because I am currently playing them and in KB am using what the OP calls “old fart” mode. That is to say I use cheats when I dont or cant finish the zone/boss/whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/43 "2010-01-07T19:58:10Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Resident Evil 4 had “normal” and “hard.” I played both. Where’s the easy mode? You expect me to go out and buy a cheat system? Why can’t I play the game on “easier” when I’m fucking 80 years old? Sounds like you’re about 1 step away from saying “video games aren’t for losers, loser! Don’t play if you can’t hang!” > > Nice. Yes and no, but next time, please choose tastier worse to shove in my mouth. My girlfriend’s brother played Left 4 Dead on my 360. He has played video games his whole life, but never a controller with two thumbsticks. It took a little bit of practice, but then he got it. It’s all about familiarity and proficiency. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/44 "2010-01-07T20:13:27Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > Yes and no, but next time, please choose tastier worse to shove in my mouth. My girlfriend’s brother played Left 4 Dead on my 360. He has played video games his whole life, but never a controller with two thumbsticks. It took a little bit of practice, but then he got it. > > It’s all about familiarity and proficiency. You’re the one who said “There’s already an “Easy” mode. There should also be a “Hit a button and win a game” mode?” Who asked for that? And you still haven’t told me where the “easy” button is in RE4. There are “normal” and “hard” buttons so obviously the technology to build in different difficulty levels isn’t rocket surgery. In RE4, I seem to recall there was a feature built into it that tried to gauge how hard of a time you were having during the first level, and quietly and invisibly altered the game-play a bit for you. Cheating!!! I don’t see it that way. Look, you can make a game hard for little kids because if you wait six months, they’re going to tearing up that game. But an aging population of gamers is going to reach a point where no amount of practice or experience is going to enable them to physically mash five separate buttons and perform an advanced series of moves all in .5 seconds in order to beat the boss. So give us a whole second. Or two seconds in order to pull off that advanced move required to beat the boss. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/45 "2010-01-07T20:25:17Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > Did you actually read the post you were responding to? Yes. Point still stands, though. My roomates have a PS3 and I suck at all those games, but I don’t expect EA to re-develop all their games for me. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/46 "2010-01-07T20:26:20Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > It’s all about familiarity and proficiency. But the OP isn’t about people who are unfamiliar with video games. The OP is about people who have played video games all their lives, but, with age, their reflexes get slower, and they’ll want something they can still play with their diminished reaction time or vision or manual dexterity. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/47 "2010-01-07T20:53:10Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > You can. It’s not the publisher’s fault if you suck at it, for whatever reason. Right, and Hollywood shouldn’t waste time on subtitles and captioning, because if you can’t hear, you suck. Not their fault. That’s a wonderful business plan! ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/48 "2010-01-07T21:04:22Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > You’re the one who said “There’s already an “Easy” mode. There should also be a “Hit a button and win a game” mode?” > > Who asked for that? And you still haven’t told me where the “easy” button is in RE4. There are “normal” and “hard” buttons so obviously the technology to build in different difficulty levels isn’t rocket surgery. In RE4, I seem to recall there was a feature built into it that tried to gauge how hard of a time you were having during the first level, and quietly and invisibly altered the game-play a bit for you. Cheating!!! > > I don’t see it that way. Look, you can make a game hard for little kids because if you wait six months, they’re going to tearing up that game. But an aging population of gamers is going to reach a point where no amount of practice or experience is going to enable them to physically mash five separate buttons and perform an advanced series of moves all in .5 seconds in order to beat the boss. So give us a whole second. Or two seconds in order to pull off that advanced move required to beat the boss. But the desire for that product is such a small niche, correct? On one hand, people shouldn’t be written off. If they want to use your product, you should get it into their hands. Would it create more work than it’s worth to give you what you want? I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/49 "2010-01-07T21:30:25Z")
Off topic but a guy I play Condition Zero with calls himself Ol’ Fart. And, yes, he is. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/50 "2010-01-07T21:43:26Z")
As long as a game has the “reverse y axis” option, this old fart can own it. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/51 "2010-01-07T23:24:01Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > As long as a game has the “reverse y axis” option, this old fart can own it. I’ve been stuck with always having to invert the Y-axis since Goldeneye. Tis a hard habit to break… ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/52 "2010-01-08T00:21:06Z")
I think the biggest stumbling block to us old-ish farts is the time vs. learning curve problem. I’ve been a pretty avid gamer since oh… Atari 2600 days, and have had several computers and several consoles. What I’ve noticed is that most games’ easy mode isn’t that bad, but now that I’m 37, I don’t have the spare time that I did at 16, so I tend to be mediocre at best when playing multiplayer against geeky 14 year olds who play 16 hours straight per day. While I’m better than I was, I’m still not that great in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/53 "2010-01-08T00:30:28Z")
> [@bump](#): > > What I’ve noticed is that most games’ easy mode isn’t that bad, but now that I’m 37, I don’t have the spare time that I did at 16, so I tend to be mediocre at best when playing multiplayer against geeky 14 year olds who play 16 hours straight per day. While I’m better than I was, I’m still not that great in comparison. Yeah, talk about a niche market: unemployed teenagers and college kids. That sounds like the ultimate moneymaker. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/54 "2010-01-08T16:34:42Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Yeah, talk about a niche market: unemployed teenagers and college kids. That sounds like the ultimate moneymaker. Who said anything about markets? All I said was that older players tend not to have the spare time that it takes to be successful in multiplayer, due to the learning curves involved, and the time it takes to overcome them. I mean, I beat Fallout 3, but it took me a few weeks after the release datee, because I played an hour or two a night max. There were people (prob. teenagers and college kids) who played more or less nonstop and had completed it several times by the time I did. I just didn’t have the time. I realize the real market of the games is more people my age… but then again, for single-player, most games’ “regular” level is just fine. Easy’s usually appropriately difficult for my 8 year old nephew, and “hard” is good for my 15 year old cousin. “Regular” is just fine for a guy like me. Maybe the fact that I’ve been a gamer forever is clouding my perception- the Xbox 360 controller is the what… 10th controller type I’ve used? (atari 2600, Nintendo, joystick/keyboard (multiple computers), mouse & keyboard (multiple computers), Super nintendo, Sega Genesis, Sony Playstation, Playstation 2, Xbox 360, Sega Dreamcast, Wii, etc…) I didn’t find it all that hard to pick up (maybe took me a week until I was passable)- and that was coming off of about 10 years of only mouse/keyboard PC games. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/55 "2010-01-08T16:49:41Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Who said anything about markets? You didn’t. I was riffing off your post in response to the assertion up-thread that an aging GAMING generation was an insignificant niche market. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/56 "2010-01-08T19:26:11Z")
Being on a 360 and Wii, I really miss the hacks and mods that let you either tailor difficulty, copy someone else’s savegame, or “god mode” and “noclip” past a difficult spot. I’m an old fart, but can still play through most anything on medium/hard levels. But… _Metroid Prime Corruption_ on the Wii is one of my all time favorites. I would hug it, squeeze it, and call it George if I could. However, not even halfway through the game, there is one boss (Mogenar on Bryyo) that I can simply not get past. I’ve read every damn walkthrough and watched every Youtube playthrough there is, and it still kicks my ass. The simultaneous combination of needing to aim/dodge/charge/run/jump at the right moments is just too much for my poor brain-to-finger interface. If I could find a neighborhood kid to pay $50 to just play past it and give me a new savegame I would. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/57 "2010-01-08T19:28:14Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Right, and Hollywood shouldn’t waste time on subtitles and captioning, because if you can’t hear, you suck. Not their fault. Transcription is far easier than re-coding a video game, and benefits far more users. > [@](#): > > That’s a wonderful business plan! Are you saying there’s something wrong with the videogame industry’s business plan? Because they’re doing quite well enough without your or my money. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/58 "2010-01-08T19:34:39Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > Being on a 360 and Wii, I really miss the hacks and mods that let you either tailor difficulty, copy someone else’s savegame, or “god mode” and “noclip” past a difficult spot. > > I’m an old fart, but can still play through most anything on medium/hard levels. But… > > _Metroid Prime Corruption_ on the Wii is one of my all time favorites. I would hug it, squeeze it, and call it George if I could. However, not even halfway through the game, there is one boss (Mogenar on Bryyo) that I can simply not get past. I’ve read every damn walkthrough and watched every Youtube playthrough there is, and it still kicks my ass. The simultaneous combination of needing to aim/dodge/charge/run/jump at the right moments is just too much for my poor brain-to-finger interface. > > If I could find a neighborhood kid to pay $50 to just play past it and give me a new savegame I would. Don’t feel bad, Morgennar is friggin EVIL, even for this 20 year old (18 or so at the time I played it I think). Tedious beyond belief on top of bordering on unfair at certain points. TV Tropes That One Boss page seems to imply that many, many other people feel the same way. He still can’t top Thardus from the original though, it took me who knows how many attempts to beat him and then after that ordeal I realized that in my rage I **forgot to freaking scan him**. QQ ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/59 "2010-01-08T19:37:46Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > Transcription is far easier than re-coding a video game, and benefits far more users. > Are you saying there’s something wrong with the videogame industry’s business plan? Because they’re doing quite well enough without your or my money. See, when I craft my business plans, I always make sure to be snobby and arrogant to certain groups who want my product. Because they just aren’t good enough for it. That rakes in the big bucks! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/60 "2010-01-08T19:58:47Z")
> [@GargoyleWB](#): > > I’m an old fart, but can still play through most anything on medium/hard levels. But… > > _Metroid Prime Corruption_ on the Wii is one of my all time favorites. I would hug it, squeeze it, and call it George if I could. However, not even halfway through the game, there is one boss (Mogenar on Bryyo) that I can simply not get past. I’ve read every damn walkthrough and watched every Youtube playthrough there is, and it still kicks my ass. The simultaneous combination of needing to aim/dodge/charge/run/jump at the right moments is just too much for my poor brain-to-finger interface. > > If I could find a neighborhood kid to pay $50 to just play past it and give me a new savegame I would. I hear you, brother. I completely love Metroid Prime, and Echoes almost as much. Well, 98% of the games, anyway. A couple of the bosses were pretty frustrating, but I got through it. Not the end bosses though. Just couldn’t spend the time to develop the reflexes I’d need. I have MP3: Corruption, but now I’m really not looking forward to the boss you mentioned. Yikes! Anyhoo, IMO the thing with Metroid is just that they don’t scale the difficulty so you’re actually ready for the final boss. To me, it seemed like a sudden jump to 10X the difficulty of the preceding levels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947.md?page=4)