Stealth games are getting easier, is that a bad thing?

If you asked me to name my favorite stealth games from this generation I would answer Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and Batman.  Both of those games have one thing in common, they are really, really easy.  In both games you have simple but awesome looking combat based around counters and Batman you make up for your lack of gun by being more mobile then your enemies.   In assassin's creed you take advantage of your extra mobility because its more fun to play that way.
 
I have yet to play splinter cell but I'm told that the stealth in that game is easy to accomplish and looks quite cool.  And now Hitman and metal gear seem to be doing something similar, what do you guys think about the way stealth is going?

Stealths not getting easier. It's just disappearing 

Assassin's Creed and Batman definitely have stealth elements but they aren't just stealth games.  Genres are beginning to merge with each other and that's where you start to see the change.  Assassin's Creed and Batman are action adventure games with stealth elements mixed in along with other things.

I was never really into stealth games that much, (though stealth mechanics in some RPG games were cool). 
My favorite stealth franchise is Hitman, but then again it's not exactly a standard stealth game. I gave Splinter Cell a try but i didn't really like it, so for me the future of stealth games will be seen in Hitman: Absolution. And (almost) all games are getting easier not just stealth.

Brotherhood? A stealth game? 
 
I think, stealth games should be difficult. If one's going to bother playing a game labeled as a "stealth game", one needs to understand that he'll need to play the game patiently and methodically. But I'm not sure that the two games you gave as examples are necessarily "stealth" games.

Assassin's Creed is definitely not a stealth game.

Well they're definitely not as good as the old stealth games, like the Thief games for example.
 
Too much action, not enough actual stealth.

What's not getting easier or streamlined? The flagship stealth series Hitman now has explosions and x-ray vision <--- all is lost!

The original Splinter Cell takes the cake for me. That game was tough as nails, super stealthy, and the mechanics worked really well. I remember that fucking CIA infiltration level... yikes.  If I remember correctly, there was a point where you had to allow a guard to unlock a door using a keypad, run up, knock him out, switch to thermal view, and look at the keypad to discern which buttons he pressed and in which order (based upon different colored heat signatures). And you couldn't kill anybody or it resulted in a mission failure. Tough as nails.
 
Edit: I mean, the game encouraged you to use pop cans, glass bottles, and your whistle as effective diversions. How cool is that?! I need to go replay it.

The original Splinter Cell takes the cake for me. That game was tough as nails, super stealthy, and the mechanics worked really well. I remember that fucking CIA infiltration level... yikes.  If I remember correctly, there was a point where you had to allow a guard to unlock a door using a keypad, run up, knock him out, switch to thermal view, and look at the keypad to discern which buttons he pressed and in which order (based upon different colored heat signatures). And you couldn't kill anybody or it resulted in a mission failure. Tough as nails.  Edit: I mean, the game encouraged you to use pop cans, glass bottles, and your whistle as effective diversions. How cool is that?! I need to go replay it.

They need to make stealth games harder. The next time they make a stealth game that is. And what ever happened to tenchu?

Make another Thief

@Pie said:

Stealths not getting easier. It's just disappearing

Word.

Make another Thief

All games are getting easier, and it's really fucking disgusting how the industry doesn't see the problem. 
 
Have you read any of the info on Hitman Absolution?  
They're dumbing that game down worse than SC Conviction, even though they specifically stated that wasn't the case when it was first shown. 

@DillonWerner said:

Make another Thief

They are. It's Thi4f.

@ViciousReiven said:

All games are getting easier, and it's really fucking disgusting how the industry doesn't see the problem.

Thats why we have to buy Dark Souls.

I didn't really like the instakills in Splinter Cell Conviction. "Press a button to perform a mini-genocide inside this room!" All with absolutely no consequences, and no way to play without being forced to kill enemies.

I wouldn't call Assassin's Creed a true stealth game.  The Hitman series (so far) has actually been moderately difficult in my opinion, but only if you decide to try for Silent Assassin ranks on the missions.  Even then, if you know what to do it's no big deal.  It just takes patience.  Same thing with the early Splinter Cells.  The Thief games are interesting stealth games since they aren't super focused on combat as well..... But I think we may be forgetting something in this thread:  STEALTH IS OP!!!!!
Some stealth games are a joke, but the fact that the core of the game is centered on your enemies not being able to see you is bound to make the game at least somewhat easy.  As long as a stealth game has good stealth mechanics, I can appreciate it, hard or not.

The original Splinter Cell takes the cake for me. That game was tough as nails, super stealthy, and the mechanics worked really well. I remember that fucking CIA infiltration level... yikes.  If I remember correctly, there was a point where you had to allow a guard to unlock a door using a keypad, run up, knock him out, switch to thermal view, and look at the keypad to discern which buttons he pressed and in which order (based upon different colored heat signatures). And you couldn't kill anybody or it resulted in a mission failure. Tough as nails.  Edit: I mean, the game encouraged you to use pop cans, glass bottles, and your whistle as effective diversions. How cool is that?! I need to go replay it.

Assassin's Creed is definitely not a stealth game.

@ViciousReiven said:

All games are getting easier, and it's really fucking disgusting how the industry doesn't see the problem.

Thats why we have to buy Dark Souls.

stealth games died because the consoles don't have the F5 and F9 key.

@kashif1: Not really, as extreme as people would want or bitch it to be. yeah it can be a pain in the ass when you get killed and have to start all over but that is some of the fun of the game, if you are kinda tired of the holding the hand kinda games, then Demon's souls is perfect it dose not tell you anything but the basic mechanics.

The first time you get killed by a boss or something stronger then you, you can see the game is making the trollface and sayin problem? Ok I'm in love with Demon's souls and soon Dark souls.

The thing is Chaos Theory came out and perfected the stealth genre, there was nowhere left to go

I think stealth is getting decent, leaving the era of frustrating too difficult crap, entering sensible stuff, I have a pair of shoes with extremely silent travel and lemme tell you, a lot of people only know what they see. Walking behind a guard in a game, dodging out of view? That's not bad AI. That's realism.

I am the jerk that stalks in the night. I don't even need to hide my presence.

AC, Batman etc. aren't TRUE stealth games, the latest SC also wasn't a "true" stealth game, it was more of a action w/ stealth elements, i don't think they are getting easier at all.

And even if they were i am ok with that because i am not good nor have patience for the hard ones because i suck at them, it's why i prefer and love MGS4 and dislike MGS1-3. I will give the MGS games another change once the HD collection comes out i just could never get into them, i did somewhat enjoy MGS2 for the 20-30 minutes or so i played and dug MGS:PW i just HATED the psp controls.

I'm interested in what Eidos Montreal does with the new Thief.

Appealing to a broader audience is great, but Thief 1 is probably my favorite game of all time. And by that standard both third-person view and radar are cheats for baby-men.

If you're talking about ACII and ACB then yes but AC1,no.Sure in AC you can just go up to your target and stab them but in Hitman you can just walk up to your target and shoot them in the face and yet no one ever complain about that.I love both games and the fact that they give you the freedom to play the game how you like but if you want the game to be more challenging then you have to try to take out your target without being seen and vanish without a trace.

Remember the last punishing stealth game?

I wish I didn't.