Why does nobody talk about how PS2 loading screens actually made games better

I popped in an old PS2 racing game last weekend after years of playing modern racers with instant load times and realized those 15 second waits made me actually appreciate the tracks more because I'd think about the next turn instead of zoning out, but then again my nephew sat through it and said it felt like a loading screen that was 15 seconds too long so which side is right about that old school pacing.

3 comments

3 Comments

caseythompson11d ago

Man, Ive been through this exact thing! My trick is to keep a small notebook or my phone handy during loading screens and jot down one thing I want to try differently in the next race, like a better line through a turn or a gear shift timing tweak. It turns that wait into a quick strategy session instead of just staring at a logo. For your nephew, maybe suggest he picks a tiny car handling goal before the race starts, it makes the loading screen feel like a countdown instead of a delay.

mianelson11d ago

The real trick was that loading screen music and that spinning logo actually got you hyped before a race, especially in games like Burnout or Need for Speed. Kids today with their instant play dont realize those few seconds were like a mental prep zone where you locked in. Not to mention it gave you time to set up a quick snack or grab a drink before the next round without pausing. Maybe the loading screen was the real hidden loading screen for our attention spans, you know?

sagecooper11d ago

Right? That spinning Need for Speed logo with the heavy bass drop was basically my pre-game ritual. I'd be chugging a soda and trying to wipe the Cheeto dust off my controller before the race even started. Now it's just a loading screen for a loading screen and kids are yelling at me for not skipping the tutorial. Guess we didn't realize we were training for patience while they're training for instant gratification.