I'm just collecting opinions here, but was wondering. Is chess losing out to other games? 2 things make me ask this. First, several times in the past 10 years I would see crowds of 50-100 people line up outside electronic game shops to purchase the latest version of the most popular game. Second, last week, I went in to one of these shops, as an older guy I felt slightly out of place among the teens and 20 something's there. I asked the clerk is he had any chess games, he looked at me strangely, and said "no dude, we don't got chess". So...Are electronic games crowding out chess? Any thoughts?
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Originally posted by bill718Has chess ever really been popular?
I'm just collecting opinions here, but was wondering. Is chess losing out to other games? 2 things make me ask this. First, several times in the past 10 years I would see crowds of 50-100 people line up outside electronic game shops to purchase the latest version of the most popular game. Second, last week, I went in to one of these shops, as an older guy I ...[text shortened]... said "no dude, we don't got chess". So...Are electronic games crowding out chess? Any thoughts?
Video games are becoming more and more popular. They dumb them down every year to make them more accessible. The skill gap is reduced and everyone gets a gold star just for playing.
Chess doesn't appeal to the lowest common denominator like video games do nowadays, so it will never surpass them in terms of popularity.
I see new players at chess club all the time, 90% don't stay for too long because they don't get good right away.
Of course chess would lose to videogames. Videogames change, improve and evolve, while chess remains the same. Also, you can make videogames about chess.
Chess is fun, but ultimately, repetitive. Openings are pretty much the same, and chess tactics are usually nothing much different from what most people have seen before in other chess games. That's why the top chess players memorize opening lines and endgame strategies. However, I think people would enjoy it more if 960 was more popular.
Originally posted by vivifyYou've got this totally bass ackwards. Video games are repetitive. They just make a bunch of First-Person shooters and once you're good at one of them, you're good at all of them (at least the targeting part. Admittedly, knowing the maps is an advantage.)
Of course chess would lose to videogames. Videogames change, improve and evolve, while chess remains the same. Also, you can make videogames about chess.
Chess is fun, but ultimately, repetitive. Openings are pretty much the same, and chess tactics are usually nothing much different from what most people have seen before in other chess games. Tha ...[text shortened]... es and endgame strategies. However, I think people would enjoy it more if 960 was more popular.
Whereas chess is so complicated that it STILL has not been solved by thousands of human minds working together over centuries.
Originally posted by SwissGambitThe fact that chess is complex doesn't change the fact that most chess games are repetitive. If we search RHP's database, how many moves have started with 1.e4? How many of those games were answered with e5? Followed by 2.Nf3?
You've got this totally bass ackwards. Video games are repetitive. They just make a bunch of First-Person shooters and once you're good at one of them, you're good at all of them (at least the targeting part. Admittedly, knowing the maps is an advantage.)
Whereas chess is so complicated that it STILL has not been solved by thousands of human minds working together over centuries.
What about the last world champ match, between Carlsen and Anand? Was anyone really blown away by those matches?
I do agree that there are a lot of repetitive videogames. However, there's no shortage of great, innovative games like Portal 2, Limbo, and the new Mario game on the Wii U. In fact, even mobile games are starting to become pretty innovative
Technology will always move forward, bringing forth more possibilities for innovative games. Chess will always be what it is now, but that's not to say this is a weakness. It has been around for centuries, and will no doubt be around for centuries more.
I don't think chess is "losing out" against any game at all, I mean it's the oldest game in existence that's still played today, right?
It may be possible that in, say hundreds of years time, the technology that encompasses video games may become optimised to the extent that their popularity enters decline, and as a consequence the video gaming industry will dry up.
At that time, chess will still be played, and will most likely still be unsolv'd
Originally posted by 64squaresofpainProbably the best possible answer for this topic.
I don't think chess is "losing out" against any game at all, I mean it's the oldest game in existence that's still played today, right?
It may be possible that in, say hundreds of years time, the technology that encompasses video games may become optimised to the extent that their popularity enters decline, and as a consequence the video gaming in ...[text shortened]... will dry up.
At that time, chess will still be played, and will most likely still be unsolv'd
Chess doesn't suit the "generation facebook", as I like to call them (and I'm more or less part of it). The younger people nowadays prefer quick activities and fast games, with some instant success if possible. If you offer them to sit behind a wooden board for an hour or two or even more, you'll get strange looks. Of course you can argue that there is blitz chess, but at my hobby level these turn out as random blunder festivals, not really satisfying (at least to me). There are hardly any chess fellows in my age and younger, the next club is miles away. That's why I registered here in the first place, to get some games at all.
I see this trend as well in online strategical football managers that I play. The user count is going down, the format with one game per week and long-term strategies is just not attractive anymore to the young lads.
However I believe that sometimes this will change and chess or other "slow games" will be "cool" again.