The Cult of The New—Game

Our culture relies on the desires of people to have the latest, greatest, next best thing—the cult of the new. We like to have the next thing available to share (and to show off) to our friends and family. It's an ego stroke helping us show we are achieving our goals, moving forward, and doing something with our lives.

These don't have to be big things.  And, as gamers we do this. We share a new board game, and role-playing game (RPG) source book, the new card we found to flesh out our deck, or even a new set of dice. We come together in the sharing of the new. We create competition for finding the new so we can be the first to show it off. We also do this in finding out information, "Have you heard about..."

Conventions are great places for finding the new. Here is a place that the developers, companies and independents, are sharing their latest and greatest releases. They are pumping up interest in the games they have. They are willing to teach games so you can take them home to your friends and family and share them further. There are also suppliers of supporting material like dice, boxes, and art. All of these creating a new experience at the convention. A new experience for you to bring new people with you the next time.

Having the new is a great drive for innovation. If no one went looking for the new, nothing new would be created. We would still be playing what? Mancala? Hounds and Jackals? But, they were even new at some point in the past. As gamers we push our developers to come up with new ideas, new twists, new stuff. Those of us who are developers of games, writing, art—to me these are all different art forms—respond with enthusiasm for coming up with something new and unique.

Every year there are so many new things being created there is no way for a single person to keep up with it. How many new games can we gather onto our shelves, then spread out on the table. I know I would like to spend a lot more time playing the games I want to play, and writing about what I would like to write about. However, I have my job, my family, and my other responsibilities. I can't take the time out to do all of that (yet). I also can't afford to buy all of those games. Then there is learning the new games.

I have a great gaming group that likes to play all types of games. We introduce new games to the table on a regular basis. Even then, there are games we have that have been purchased and not yet played. There is the time needed to learn the games. And, some games take a long time to play. Choices have to be made of what we are going to play and when because there are times when we know we can't break out the game that sounds most interesting for the session. We have even talked about setting aside a specified session just for playing new games.

Learning a new game requires a different level of attention. There are new rules to digest. They might be like something else, but they are new to this game, this setting, this strategy. If they weren't, it wasn't a new game and we might as well go back to the one we were playing before that we enjoy.

Which brings me to the flip side of the new, the old. Having a set of games you can go back to has a comforting level of enjoyment. Recently a couple of my gaming group and I got together for a short evening of entertainment. It was a Friday night after a long week for all of us. We were going to play a game, but we were really there in providing a level of social support and relaxation. We decided instead of jumping into a new game we would play something we were all familiar with.

Older games provide a level of familiarity that allows for more social interaction. After a long week devoted to the day jobs we wanted to slip into something comfortable. The game everyone is familiar with allows that comfort in not needing to think about if the rule is being applied right, or what does that emblem mean. It means everyone can help set up because everyone knows where everything goes to start. It means that a break in the game for socializing doesn't intrude (as much) into the game play because everyone knows what needs to happen next. Older games are comfortable.

Mix it up. Bring out the new game you are interested in, ones you know the rest of your group might like if they would try it. Or, break out something you have really no knowledge in and give it a go. Then at another time break out the familiar, where people have their desired strategies, shared knowledge of the rules (and house rules). Both can provide a level of intensity if you are looking for competition. Both provide for socializing and having fun.

The cult of the new runs deep. It's not going away and I'm glad of that. There are always new things to discover, learn, and share. There will be experiences to be had, even when experiencing something old anew.

Break out a game and invite over some friends.

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