Boomer Mode Sounds Funny? To Me, It’s Discriminatory
What on earth is a “Boomer Mode”?
In this post, I want to explain why terms like “Boomer Mode” hide real barriers – and why, because of such ways of thinking, many games remain inaccessible to a lot of people.
Based on the following article on ingame.de: “https://www.ingame.de/news/alte-fans-haben-keine-freude-mehr-daran-braucht-battlefield-einen-boomer-mode-93879857.htmlOlder fans have ‘no joy in it anymore’ – Does Battlefield 6 need a Boomer Mode?”
This morning my husband pointed me to Battlefield 6 and the discussion around it. Younger players are embracing the new game with enthusiasm, while many older fans are leaving the series in frustration, because they lack the reaction speed it demands.
This impression was reinforced for me by an opinion piece on mein-mmo.de:
“I’m Gen Z and I say: the movement of Battlefield 6 is fantastic and should stay the same, but I can recommend a slower shooter for you Boomers.”
Articles and opinions like this irritate me – not only because I find the label “Boomer Mode” discriminatory. In this blog post, I want to tell you why.
First of all: I know that Battlefield is an MMO, and that different rules apply to MMOs than to single-player games. What I have to say about MMOs specifically will come in a later section of this post. If that’s all you’re interested in, feel free to scroll down to that headline. 😊
Games Only for the Chosen Few?
I’ve heard and read a lot about Elden Ring: great story, stunning landscapes, GOTY 2022. What I also heard: a very difficult combat system that many fail at.
That alone kept me from buying a game I would otherwise have been very interested in.
The justification from the developers (I only know this second-hand, so correct me if I’m wrong) was that they wanted the game to be a “challenge.”
But here’s something to consider: “challenge” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. For one person, it’s running up the stairs of a ten-story building in under ten minutes; for another, it’s crossing a street safely.
And isn’t it a shame for a game to lose a large part of its potential audience just because the developers refuse to include an easier mode?
Accessibility in Games, Too
What interests me most in an RPG is the story. I want to immerse myself in it like in a good book, a movie, or a series. Luckily, no one dictates to me at what speed I must read a book or what font size I have to use. There are also audiobooks (though not for every book), which allow people with visual impairments or dyslexia to enjoy these stories.
Why shouldn’t the same apply to games? Games are works of art that should be enjoyed by everyone – not just a select group of people who are young and healthy.
For me, it’s like a gallery or museum insisting on having no elevator or ramp, because there are “enough” young and healthy visitors who don’t need those. And a line from the ingame.de article stuck with me: “If you don’t feel like stress, here’s a list of 15 cozy games – titles where you can just relax.”
To me, that sounds like: “If you can’t enter the Museum of Ancient Art – don’t worry, the Design Museum down the street has an elevator.”
Story Modes Open Doors
In most games, I start out in the easiest mode available, because the story interests me the most. Later, I often try higher difficulties. In Baldur’s Gate 3, I even ended up beating the highest difficulty, where the game is considered lost as soon as you die once.
Why was that possible? On the one hand, because I love the game: I didn’t mind playing it for the tenth time just to explore every angle and dialogue option. On the other hand, there was my growing ambition to unlock every achievement.
Combat systems can be learned. You can build routines and tactics that work in different situations. This is easier to achieve in turn-based combat than in real-time battles, which is why I prefer turn-based systems.
MMOs: When the Community Decides
My reaction speed has never been great. That’s why, even 30 years ago, I preferred supportive classes like bard, druid, or cleric in MMOs. Even then, many bosses were tough for me – fights where you had to move quickly or dodge special attacks.
But that too was a learning process – I had to memorize the mechanics of fights, and with every run, I got better.
Some guilds had patience with me, others didn’t. There was even one case where a guild leader approached my husband and said he could stay in the guild, but his wife would have to leave.
Of course, my husband didn’t accept that. We left together and found a new guild. In some games, he even founded and led guilds himself; and often we had a close circle of friends who would practice boss fights with me again and again.
Fun and Performance
There are players who begrudge others an easy mode. Recently, there was some discontent because the developers of Expedition 33 simplified Story Mode even further. For me – and certainly for others – that was a relief. And I can’t understand why someone playing on hard mode should care how easy Story Mode is.
I like to compare this with sports: there is competitive sport and recreational sport. But no one forbids me from swimming – no matter how slowly, or with only one stroke – just because there are world championships.
There are also many kinds of texts and videos about games. Some offer walkthroughs, showing hidden treasures, solving puzzles, explaining combat tactics, or guiding you through labyrinths. Others showcase exceptional feats – like someone beating the hardest boss in the game with just one character (instead of a party), who only had 1 HP, relying solely on parries.
I enjoy both types of content – one because it helps me, the other because I admire the skill.
But why should one of these groups be excluded?
Conclusion: Games Are for Everyone
Whether it’s Story Mode in a solo RPG or patience in an MMO guild – in the end, it’s always about the same thing: inclusion. Games are for everyone, not just a small elite. Those who seek peak performance should have it. But no one should be excluded just because they cannot keep up at that level.
Game worlds are works of art. They deserve to be experienced by everyone – whether with fast reflexes, tactical patience, or simply a love of the story. That’s not a “Boomer Mode” – it should be common sense.
Games need elevators or friendly hands, so that everyone can enjoy the view.
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