Tom's Hardware has a good article up about the phenomenon of games
getting progressively easier. Personally, I don't think we're getting better as players, I think publishers and
developers are catering to a mainstream audience.
Back in the day, games were downright frustrating, and I don't think a lot of people wanted to play—certainly not for
extended periods of time. But that frustration (the difficulty) was part of the soul of video games. I'd like to see
more developers making games that get your pulse racing when you enter a boss battle, and when you die, again and
again, stir the urge to smash your controller into the ground. I think we still see this from time to time—Ninja Gaiden
(Xbox) comes to mind—but not nearly enough. I'm concerned that developers are letting online play dictate a game's
challenge, while crafting single-player modes to cater to the sort of gamer that likes to drift through a (so-called)
adventure without a hiccup.
[Thanks, Brian]
Engadget
TUAW