Why Modern "Consoles?"

[carlsson]

Yeah, that kind of makes sense that retro is something looking back in retrospective upon an older era. Also we have the word vintage which obviously origins from the wine maker's world, not used to denote a particularly old wine but a particularly good wine, a successful crop. As far as I understand, a vintage wine might become so as soon as it is bottled and tested, while wines from a bad year won't turn vintage even if you store them for 20 years until they have turned into vinegar.

 

Thus in translated form to video games, a vintage game/computer would be one that stood out as spectacular from the start and has aged with decency, not necessarily every odd old format that nobody cared about even back then.

 

Regarding the Dreamcast, I think it has a special position in most gamers' eyes. The fact that it was the first machine of a new generation at the very end of the 20th century may be arbitrary depending on which calendar you're using - I mean for a Hebrew or Muslim gamer the year 1998 AD has no numerology magic over it. However the fact it was the last nail in the Sega coffin - at least in terms of major new systems - kind of made it a classic system as soon as it was discontinued. I remember the first retro gaming expos I was part of arranging back in 2006-08. Already by then the Dreamcast was considered a classic, while everyone would rather consider the Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube to be current systems. If Sega had found success and blossomed up enough to become one of the Big Four, and kept releasing new machines through the 21th century, I'm not sure that the Dreamcast would be looked upon any differently from its contemporary competitors.

[Video]

That's technically right. Retro being a modern version of old school tech. I say technically because that's the definition, but despite being a living language, the definition won't be updated for years, or possibly decades, ( if ever) despite the average Joe's current overall usage of it.

[NeonSpaceBeagle]

Dated (old, no one wants or cares)

Retro (new, modern reflection on the past)

Vintage (old, sought after but not necessarily popular then or now)

Classic (old, popular then)

Edited February 25, 2021 by NeonSpaceBeagle