First generation where you no longer have a home console

[kenjennings]

I pretty much skipped the NES and Super NES completely when they were current. At the time I was busy programming on my Atari and Amiga.

 

I've had every Nintendo since the N64. I'm not much for blood-splatters-per-second gaming, so much of the PS and XBOX libraries are unappealing.

 

I have a kid now, so the Wii U is getting more mileage than usual.

 

Much of my gaming is on a PC with Steam doing cooperative, online, multi-player and sandbox-type games with my office friends.

[atarilovesyou]

At the risk of sounding like an old bastard, there is literally nothing to differentiate the consoles other than a small group of proprietary games. But since I'm not the demographic, I don't expect there to be products made for me.

 

But I will say this...if it's gameplay we want, then why isn't someone out there willing to develop games for us who grew up during the mid 80s to, say, late 16 Bit era? Lots of companies are cranking out complete shit that 'looks' like an NES platformer, but doesn't have any of the real things that made those games great. You get a few every so years as a throwback (I'm thinking Castlevania and Megaman reboots, for the most part), but why don't some smart people come up with a great system that plays games within the confines of 16 Bit gaming? If the games are fun and marketed properly, then there's a market. No, nobody's going to get stinking rich but I'm sure that there's money to be made.

 

Certainly it can't be all about the first-person shooter ad nauseum that you see today that makes money. Have video games become that dull? I also don't want to play these games on a phone or a PC. I want a compact, cartridge based system with a couple good controllers and some fun games. Certainly there's a market for that.

 

Anyway.

[Keatah]

At the risk of sounding like an old bastard, there is literally nothing to differentiate the consoles other than a small group of proprietary games. But since I'm not the demographic, I don't expect there to be products made for me.

 

But I will say this...if it's gameplay we want, then why isn't someone out there willing to develop games for us who grew up during the mid 80s to, say, late 16 Bit era? Lots of companies are cranking out complete shit that 'looks' like an NES platformer, but doesn't have any of the real things that made those games great.

 

That's right. The demographic is too small for any studio or programmer to get down and dirty and program something with art and mechanics like the old-school material you so desire. Not that they could if they tried..

 

This cranking out shit business, that's exactly what it is, business. Today money and size of audience is thought of first. Back when videogames were new they were a new art form. The canvas was a board filled with electronics interfaced to you and a television set. Packaged up into nice paintings titled VCS, or Intellivision, or Colecovision. Creativity and technical innovation came first.

 

 

I want a compact, cartridge based system with a couple good controllers and some fun games. Certainly there's a market for that.

 

There is, but it is very tiny compared to the premier gaming platform out there right now. The new RetroVGS looks like it might fill that tiny void.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Keatah

[bretthorror]

If it wasn't for Nintendo, I doubt I'd bother with the next gen. I don't trust Microsoft at all, but love Gears of War. Playstation is more reliable, but lacks an exclusive I really give a shit about. I don't really play my PS4 or Xbox One anymore because games are all the same. They're so serious and nerdy now. When I got back into gaming in the PS2, then with the Wii/360, everything was so much fun. There was a great combination of style, badassery, violence and just being over the top that was exciting. I have yet to feel that way about any current game. Everything I thought was cool about video games has been replaced with 100 hour storyline with 50 endings that 1% of the audience will ever finish. As much as the corporate video game world sucks, the review world sucks too because a decent, fun game needs to be 100 hours long with an insane amount of dumb shit just to get a decent review score. I play games for fun, not to pretend I'm a wizard.

 

To use a game like Destiny as an example, when I was playing the shit out of that (before constant nerfs/buffs just negated any positives about the game), the trophy for completing a raid was like 10 or 20%. That means the meat and potatoes end game content that costs all the money was accessed by fucking NOBODY who bought the game aside from the hardcore of hardcores. The rest of the world just beat the game. I'm not against this type of game, it's just I didn't mind playing Quantum of Solace on 360 and getting some headshots and having a blast for 10 hours and that was that. You can't just have fun with games these days, you've got to be the king of the nerds to play this shit. If the reviews aren't good, it kills your game completely and it leads to a bunch of games that feel the same for that very reason. I'll take a unique game that isn't as polished any day. I even said fuck this with GTA IV because I got so fucking sick of driving to missions, accidentally crash just trying to get to a point where I can play the fuckin' geame and then get arrested. Open world or not, that isn't fun.

[+Random Terrain]

Certainly it can't be all about the first-person shooter ad nauseum that you see today that makes money. Have video games become that dull?

 

I'm going to buy ScreamRide pretty soon and have fun making my own roller coasters. It's also fun trying to knock down buildings by flinging humans at them:

 

youtube.com/watch?v=Z3cZOlbR1o0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3cZOlbR1o0

 

I have Civilization Revolution, Tropico 3, and Tropico 5. I still need to get Tropico 4. I tried the demo for Tropico 4 and it will probably end up being my favorite. Tropico 5 doesn't zoom in close enough.

 

I still play Miner Dig Deep once in a while. Terraria would be more fun if it wasn't full of demonic creatures. I play Peggle 2 and The Pinball Arcade when I'm in the mood.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

After pondering it a bit more, I think the big reason that I skipped getting a home console for the first time this generation is that the hardware companies and game developers just didn't bring anything new to the table this generation; or at least nothing new that I would find personally appealing. Last generation Nintendo introduced the Wii, giving players a whole new way to control their games that was not only unique but actually worked really well. The Wii remote was more than just a gimmick, and it actually translated into new and interesting styles of gameplay that no one had experienced before.

 

Sony and Microsoft may not have been quite as innovative on the hardware front (in spite of their half-hearted attempts to capitalize on the Wii's success with Kinnect and Move) but they still did their own thing introducing the world to some really beautifully rendered and cinematic games with realisim like no one had ever seen before. The countless hours I spent exploring the world of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on my Xbox 360 are still some of my all time fondest gaming memories.

 

Those were all really exciting things when they first happened, but this most recent console generation just kinda felt like the developers all got together and said "That worked last time, lets do it again." It was a practical idea from a business standpoint, but the problem is that doing the same thing all over again just wasn't particularly exciting from the perspective of a consumer who has already been playing video games for a couple decades and contemplating dropping hundreds of dollars on new hardware. The problem was exacerbated by Nintendo's questionable decision to make the controller for their latest console a giant hulking tablet thingy with half a million buttons (a far cry from the simple and approachable Wii remote) and Sony & Microsoft's attempts to up the ante on the cinematic games they have been peddling by making their new releases so long and complicated that anyone who wanted to enjoy them would almost have to take a semester long course in the game to figure out how to play it.

 

Complex games can be fun and engaging, but there is such a thing as "too much of a good thing" and I think the developers for the majority of the AAA titles on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One just didn't know when to stop trying to cram more stuff into their games. When sitting down to play a video game starts feeling less like play and more like work then it's time to dial back the complexity a little.

 

 

I think that pretty well sums up my feelings about the current generation, but I am still optimistic about the future of video games. I'm really excited for the unveiling of Nintendo's NX later this year, and I'm definitely interested in seeing what the Coleco Chameleon brings to the table too.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Jin

[Bill Loguidice]

At the risk of sounding like an old bastard, there is literally nothing to differentiate the consoles other than a small group of proprietary games. But since I'm not the demographic, I don't expect there to be products made for me.

 

But I will say this...if it's gameplay we want, then why isn't someone out there willing to develop games for us who grew up during the mid 80s to, say, late 16 Bit era? Lots of companies are cranking out complete shit that 'looks' like an NES platformer, but doesn't have any of the real things that made those games great. You get a few every so years as a throwback (I'm thinking Castlevania and Megaman reboots, for the most part), but why don't some smart people come up with a great system that plays games within the confines of 16 Bit gaming? If the games are fun and marketed properly, then there's a market. No, nobody's going to get stinking rich but I'm sure that there's money to be made.

 

Certainly it can't be all about the first-person shooter ad nauseum that you see today that makes money. Have video games become that dull? I also don't want to play these games on a phone or a PC. I want a compact, cartridge based system with a couple good controllers and some fun games. Certainly there's a market for that.

 

Anyway.

 

To each their own and all of that, but I just don't know what you guys are looking at if you think it's "all about the first-person shooter ad nauseum that you see today that makes money". That's simply not true. Sure, those games are often hits and certainly can be amongst the highest profile games (as with any media, a lot of attention will be focused on a very small percentage of expensive blockbusters with big advertising budgets), but there's plenty of diversity in terms of hit, popular games (take a look at the news reports surrounding "The Witness" for just one of many examples).

 

Also, there are tons of NES and SNES-like games being made and readily available. A lot of them fix some of the negatives with those older games, as well. If you don't like them, it's hard to see what you would like.

 

As for a system that does what you want, there's always the RetroN 5 or, in particular, the Retro Freak. You can satiate yourself with a virtually unlimited choice of post-Crash 8- and 16-bit games. That seems like it would most cater to your strong preferences for games expressly in that exact style.

[+FujiSkunk]

Rock Band 4 was the only reason I bought an XBone. When it's finally released, The Pinball Arcade will be the reason I buy a Wii U. So it isn't quite this generation where I pull out of the rat race complete.

[MotoRacer]

I think a lot of what many of you are feeling is probably related to age/getting older, which is probably related to the same phenomena to not "getting" today's music and other current forms of pop culture. I'm fortunate in that I still find tremendous joy in not only the classics, but also all of the new stuff. I hope that never changes.

 

Not really. I still played consoles religiously through the last generation, and still have no trouble trying new hardware, regardless of the maker ,and having fun.

 

It's just that the new gen sucks. I'm sorry, it just does. All the big hyped games have been let downs, the hardware isn't a noticeable bump in power, and the constant patches and updates... more so than even a PC user gets on Steam... just dampens the already lackluster experience, it just makes me not want to re-power the PS4/XB1 on anymore. And I didn't after a while, and sold them both. Couple that with having to pay 50 dollars plus a year to be online, a fee PC users do NOT have to pay to have the same privileges, and it just feels like highway robbery for what is given to you.

 

That's not nostalgia, that's just me recognizing the PC is finally more convenient than the console... which is sad.. as that has always been the console's upper hand.

[zylon]

I'm ending my gaming career at the 360, as far as new stuff goes. I wouldn't rule out a PS3, but not looking for one and I gave up on Nintendo after the GC. My PC can do anything an Xbox One can do so I'll stick with that if something interests me.

[Flojomojo]

I thought this generation would be the one that I sat out, but nope, I'm in with all three, again. I'm definitely putting less time into console gaming, but when I do, it's awesome and any thought of quitting goes out of my mind. The problem is finding uninterrupted couch time to let the immersion take over.

[BydoEmpire]

Same here, no time and no interest in modern games. Just not where my life is at right now, I spend my precious little free time elsewhere. I had a Wii and 360 last gen. I made it through the entire 360 lifespan without buying a single full-priced game as well - I bought one or two used games, but mostly it was discounted games 6 months old or older. My 360 died for the second time 4-5 years ago and I never bothered to replace it. I did get a lot of use out of the Wii, but it's not currently plugged in.

 

Even if someone gave me a modern console I probably wouldn't ever turn it on. I barely turn on my classic consoles - maybe once or twice a month for an AA high score club round. These days I spend a lot more time browsing Atari Age than I do actually playing games.

 

If I spend money on video games these days it'd be an 8-bit homebrew or perhaps filling some holes in my collections via flea markets or yard sales, or perhaps on gog.com. I did pick up some of the D&D gold box games last year and really enjoyed what I've played so far (I need to get back in there and finish Curse of the Azure Bonds one of these days...).

Edited February 8, 2016 by BydoEmpire

[jfitzenr]

I would've said the current Gen, until I got a Wii-U as a gift and I'm enjoying some Mario Maker, Kart, etc. on it. I'd *sorta* like a PS4 but the cost/benefit seems horrible to me. I'd like to log some hours on Black Ops 3, I'd be obsessed with Gran Turismo 7 when it comes out, I'd like to give SF5 a shot, I'm sure there'll eventually be another Elder Scrolls and GTA game, and I'd enjoy being able to play a Madden game that isn't a few years out of date, but none of that is enough of a big deal to justify the expense for me. I simply can't imagine the next generation does anything groundbreaking enough to really draw me in.

 

I MAY pick up something from the next gen, or pick up a PS4 in a few years, if only to catch up on the handful of things I've missed in the interim but I'm not really sure. I also, as everybody, hate the modern paradigm with all the updates and freezes and blerg. I own Madden 15 on PS3 but mostly play older versions because during franchise mode the game crashes after games, but before I can save, about 25% of the time.

[jfitzenr]

I also think like...

 

SNES era to PS1 era - OH MY GOD THREE DIMENSIONS

PS1 era to PS2 era - HOLY CRAP THAT LOOKS INSANE I CAN ACTUALLY TELL WHAT THOSE POLYGONS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE

PS2 era to PS3 era - WOW THAT LITERALLY LOOKS LIKE REAL LIFE

PS3 era to PS4 era - damn, that patch of grass is really blowing in the wind in a realistic manner

[atarilovesyou]

 

To each their own and all of that, but I just don't know what you guys are looking at if you think it's "all about the first-person shooter ad nauseum that you see today that makes money". That's simply not true. Sure, those games are often hits and certainly can be amongst the highest profile games (as with any media, a lot of attention will be focused on a very small percentage of expensive blockbusters with big advertising budgets), but there's plenty of diversity in terms of hit, popular games (take a look at the news reports surrounding "The Witness" for just one of many examples).

 

Also, there are tons of NES and SNES-like games being made and readily available. A lot of them fix some of the negatives with those older games, as well. If you don't like them, it's hard to see what you would like.

 

As for a system that does what you want, there's always the RetroN 5 or, in particular, the Retro Freak. You can satiate yourself with a virtually unlimited choice of post-Crash 8- and 16-bit games. That seems like it would most cater to your strong preferences for games expressly in that exact style.

 

There's probably something to be said about the sleeper games out there that exist, I simply don't know what they are nor which are any good. What I'm saying is that compelling games can still be programmed for those 16 bit systems...or 8 Bit, it's just that they aren't (due to obvious market reasons). The last time I played a game that was retro on a new system was that Megaman Redux or whatever it was called about six or maybe more years ago. I believe Contra also did something along those lines. They were 'good' but they still missed that flavour...you know, the kind of care that goes behind a flagship game. Even though it's to a lower fidelity, a lot of fun can still be had.

 

I think of the many versions of the original Famicom Final Fantasies: yes, they were pretty much the same engine, but different enough games to make me interested. We didn't see any of them stateside, of course. That's what I'd like to support, games along those lines. You see there's a rabid following for the newer iterations of NES Tecmo Bowl, using modern rosters. The games are just fun, I have to admit, not being a huge sports fan.

 

It seems whenever anybody puts out a 'new' retro game, it's either ridiculously simple (check out the retro Iron Maiden game they released for free online play) and doesn't have the payoff of older games, or it's something that plays retro but looks and feels too slick. I'd like to find some titles that might scratch my itch, but what I would give for a group of five to ten hobbyists who would get together and crank out a title that you truly could imagine could have been released in the heydey of the NES. Now that's fantasy!

[HoshiChiri]

 

 

It seems whenever anybody puts out a 'new' retro game, it's either ridiculously simple (check out the retro Iron Maiden game they released for free online play) and doesn't have the payoff of older games, or it's something that plays retro but looks and feels too slick. I'd like to find some titles that might scratch my itch, but what I would give for a group of five to ten hobbyists who would get together and crank out a title that you truly could imagine could have been released in the heydey of the NES. Now that's fantasy!

 

Just because I'm genuinely curious now- what's your opinion on Shovel Knight? It seems like it'd be just what you're after, but I'm guessing there's something not doing it for ya.

 

My general rule of thumb for owning a system, new or old- is 3 games. There need to be 3 exclusives (or containing notable exclusive content) that I want, one of which must be a personal 'killer app'. The kind of game where someone says "what do you like on system X?" will be the first thing out of my mouth. Digital-only titles count for 1/2 a game... I don't care for the lack of physical media, so I need more options to seem worthwhile to me. I definitely have my PS4 too soon based on that- I was waiting to see if Last Guardian would hold up after all these years of development hell- but I didn't buy that myself. Also, while they don't count as exclusives, I'm having a lot of fun with Little Big Planet 3 and Tearaway.

 

I generally don't care about what anyone else is getting out of a console/console generation... I care that there's something I'm getting out of it. My pre-crash systems provide me with faux-nostalgia, historic value, and some darn good space shooters. 8 and 16-bit gives me real nostalgia and fun platforming. My PS1 and 2 collections are laden with JRPGs. Last Gen is kind of my odd man out, the games are pretty mixed- but I spent a lot more time playing with other people than I ever have before. This gen seems poised to be the era of the Art Game for me. Stuff like Unravel and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.

 

There's stuff to be had out there- you just have to dig for under a heavy layer of FPS hype.

[Games Retrospect]

I know I'm probably in the minority here, but I used to wait a few years after the release of a new generation of consoles. Then when the consoles and the games got a significant price cut, I'd start buying all those games that i missed from back in the day. Of course, I understand that this isn't convenient for most people because you'll be missing a lot of popular games and you'll be stuck with older games for a while.

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I take back my previous statement. After watching last year's E3 trailer for The Last Guardian I now know that I will have to buy a PS4 at some point. Between that, Alien: Isolation, Tomb Raider, Doom, Resogun, and Resident Evil Revelations 2 there are now enough games on the system that I really want to play to justify the purchase. I probably could have lived my gaming life happily without much in the way of regret if I never got to play most of those games, but The Last Guardian definitely looks like one of those rare "My life will not be complete unless I play this game" titles for me. I wasn't even considering getting a PS4 before watching the trailer for The Last Guardian, but that game alone just sold me on the system.

 

That said, the handful of games I want to play on it still can't justify the $400 system price tag to me. Once the PS4 has been out long enough and is old enough that I can buy a used one for $150 to $200 though I'll gladly pick one up along with the small assortment of games I want it for. Until then I've got plenty of other systems and games to play, so I'm in no rush, but I now know that there will be a PS4 in my future at some distant point.

Edited February 18, 2016 by Jin

[+Gemintronic]

That would be the current gen (Xbone/PS4). Fallout 4 tempted me but more of the same game (and glitches) can be had just playing New Vegas again.

[famicommander]

If/when consoles go digital only, I'm out.

 

I only buy two types of games:

1. physical copies

2. completely DRM-free digital copies ala GOG, Humble Bundle, etc.

 

So if all my purchases have to be tied to something like Steam or PSN, I'll pass. I have enough games and consoles to last the rest of my life anyway.

 

From this generation I have a Wii U, Vita, and 3DS.

[ubersaurus]

I've got home consoles from every generation. This current one has some aspects I don't like, but the games are definitely still there for me.

[AlexKIDD]

I have an Xbox 360 that I use mainly for Geometry Wars, Netflix and other apps.

 

I have a Wii that I mainly use for Mario Kart Wii.

 

I have a GameCube that I was pretty into when it was newer but now it collects dust.

 

The newest system that I actually care about and would actively play and collect multiple games for is the SNES. Or the GBA if you're counting handhelds. I'm into all of the 8 and 16 bit consoles from 2600 to SNES but with a short list of exceptions 3d games do nothing for me.

[Gabriel]

I sat out the NES generation because I was more interested in computers at the time.

There's very little of merit this generation from my POV. The Xbone is actively offensive to me. Despite one or two titles I'm interested in, the WiiU is a piece of shit. I will probably eventually get a PS4, but I feel no urgency to do so.

In terms of gaming, I have a huge library, so there is no urgency to chase new games like I have in the past. My purchasing habits have changed from buying new release games at full price every week to occasionally checking what is on sale or is cheap because the title is past its newness date. Instead of constantly checking out which games I can pre-order for launch, I find myself browsing GoG's on sale games.

I find I'd rather spend my money on my other hobbies than support modern gaming nowadays.

Recently, I considered buying a PS4. Instead I bought an Arcadia Macross VF-0A figure and a Bandai Chogokin DX YF-29B Perceval figure. I can't say I have any regrets about my decision, and that's even after the leg of the VF-0A fell off and needed repair.

[Lendorien]

Interesting question.

 

Cost is holding me back on the current gen, but like others, I've seen little on this Gen that interests me. I suppose that if Persona 5 is new gen exclusive, I may buy one. But that's really the only game that has my attention.

 

Oddly enough, I had a couple years where I played consoles exclusively. Lately, I've slid back to PC. I feel like with steam and other platforms, PC gaming has been undergoing a revival... especially with all those wonderful indy developers.

Edited February 21, 2016 by Lendorien

[+Random Terrain]

The one thing I like about downloading games to a modern console is that I can play them without putting a disc in to prove that I own it. Quick and easy. The sad thing is that once the console is abandoned, the games will probably stop working.