Why Modern Games Feel Hollow | The Lowest Common Denominator

At some point, the gaming industry decided that you should never lose.

No friction. No real setbacks. Constant checkpoints. Regenerating health. Quest markers telling you exactly where to go. The goal shifted from challenge to accessibility at all costs.

In this video, I break down why difficulty wasn’t a flaw — it was the point. From Contra to Mega Man to Ninja Gaiden, games used to demand improvement. Failure created meaning. Struggle created memory.

I also explain the psychology behind it — why earning something makes it stick — and why modern design trends often remove the very thing that made gaming powerful in the first place.

Difficulty wasn’t the problem. Trying to please everyone was.