I know, I used to enjoy putting in my quarter while someone was playing one of the many fighter games in the arcade, and kicking them off the machine. Yes, I was a jackass in my youth, but I was good at those games.

Then there's difficult for the sake of it. The kind put in games because the developers listened to the wrong signals, or pushed it there without understanding why.

I have spent enough years watching gamers to have a pretty clear picture of where real skill actually sits. From arcades to LANs to couch co-op, I've spent many hours watching gamers, and one thing that has been consistent over four decades is that gamers aren't as good as they like to claim. There are a few here and there, but in my own experience, we're talking maybe 1 to 3 percent that are as good as they say, and most of those let their wins speak for themselves.

We all seen the posts flooding forums, this game is too easy, make it harder. All the while its people not playing under normal conditions, using every advantage they can, then judging the game from that position.

Say it enough times and it starts to look like truth. Developers see it, respond to it, and push difficulty higher.

That is the loop. Inflated difficulty signaling feeding back into design, turning into difficulty creep. I wonder, is this coming from wanting to feel special and belong, or is it from the overabundance of cheating software these days?

At what point does challenge stop feeling earned and start feeling forced?