What do I mean by metagaming? Perhaps you're more familiar with the term tan you may think. Metagaming is defined as playing a game in a manner that transcends the game's established set of rules, such as using knowledge outside of the game to affect how one plays. It can be as simple as writing down answers for a memorization puzzle or using the internet to find a hard-to-find item. A good - if unintentional - example I've discovered is a video from internet content creator Egoraptor's series Sequelitis whereupon he talks about games and their sequels. The sequel in question is Super Castlevania 4, where he talks about how the series' staple of subweapons didn't change to reflect the design of the newer games (please note that his pronunciation of meta sucks).
An example of this can be seen in the original NES Zelda, where it's possible to get to the final dungeon of the game without ever needing to use the sword. Some games reward the player for getting through the game quickly or accomplishing difficult challenges. The PS2 brawler God Hand puts a "kick me" sign on the player character in an early cutscene that gets blown away if the player uses either of a pair of power-ups. If the player gets through the game without losing the kick me sign, then they unlock bonus content depending on the difficulty level.
Some games don't reward challenge. Classic games like Super Mario Bros. and Quake - one of the games that spawned the concept of speedrunning (which is exactly what it sounds like) where no reward was involved - have no incentive to play through the game quickly. In this case, it mostly revolves around a player showing off how knowledgeable or skilled they are with a particular game.
I won't say that recent games have been easier recently. However, making one's own rules to play the game with can amplify the challenge and possibly enhance the enjoyment of a game, depending on how into said game a person is. Speedruns in particular have been embraced, with several sites raising money for charities while doing speedruns of games. Others do it of their own free will out of determination or love for games. Often the two coincide.
Some of the ways that these guys exploit the game is nuts. |
Image Source
http://speeddemosarchive.com/
Further Reading
Wikipedia article on Speedrunning
Wikipedia article on Quake done quick
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