Are people less nostalgic for the PS1?

[Lord Mushroom]

Someone said in another thread that the Playstation Classic failed because people aren´t as nostalgic for the PS1 as the SNES and NES. I don´t think it is that simple. I think there were several reasons why it failed:

 

- Mediocre game selection

- Many games were PAL-versions (in places where they shouldn´t be)

- Poor emulation

- Controllers without analog sticks

- High price

- Few enhancements

- Potential buyers of the Playstation Classic are not as rich as the potential buyers of the others (because they are younger).

 

But I am open to the idea that people being less nostalgic/interested for/in PS1 was a major contributing factor. So, are people less nostalgic for the PS1 than the SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive and NES? If so, how much less?

 

I will go first. I think so, and here is why:

 

- The PS1 is newer. It is harder to be nostalgic for something which isn´t very old.

- SNES etc. have some of the best games "they don´t make anymore" (sprites). Whereas PS1 has some of the worst of modern games (polygons).

[Pixelboy]

I agree with pretty much all of the above. Also, many of the best games of the PS1 era ended up being remade or having sequels on more recent consoles, and those games are usually more interesting to play than the PS1 originals (Resident Evil and Tomb Raider are good examples).

 

The PS1 does have many gems (Mega Man Legends, Castlevania SOTN, and many more) but there are several ways to play those games on other systems (even on handhelds) and PS1 emulation is getting pretty good too.

 

Finally, unlike carts which are generally sturdy (can't say the same about cart labels, but anyway) game discs tend to get scratched easily, which makes tracking down PS1 games in good condition a bit of a chore. Same can be said for GameCube games too, of course, but collecting complete-in-box PS1 games is like collecting music CDs: When you store them on shelves, all you see are slim plastic casings with barely enough space to print the game's name on the side, and that doesn't exactly enhance nostalgia. At least in my personal opinion.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that more so than other consoles, people are not so much nostalgic about the PS1 itself (although it's admittedly a good machine) as they are about specific PS1 games that can't be played on more modern machines. This is in part because during those days, Sony wasn't too much into "first-party titles" like Nintendo was.

Edited September 12, 2021 by Pixelboy

[+save2600]

People seem to be all sorts of nostalgic for the PS1 Mini. Especially after they've modded it to play tons of classic games. 

[Leeroy ST]

The PlayStation classic failed because too many favorites were missing and the unveiled packed controller was the original d-pad only pad.

 

No Spyro, No Crash, No Mortal Kombat, No Jet Moto, No Diablo, No Tony Hawk, No Need for Speed games, No Parappa, No Gex, No Gran Turismo, No Driver, No Tomb Raider, etc.

 

Also Ridge Racer 4 with a dpad? Yuck.

 

No 60fps out the box either iirc.

 

I mean if they had the games the other issues may have gotten a pass but they didn't. They handled the classic only slightly better than the PlayStation Phone. I guess they though it could coast on brand name alone 

[TheGameCollector]

My nostalgia for the PS1 has certainly not gone away. I'd consider it my #1 favorite system and I didn't even have one till I was 12. Mainly because of all the great RPGs and platformers.

 

MJR and many others pointed out the flaws of the PS Classic Mini. The main complaint was how terrible the built in emulation was. It wasn't until the thing was hacked that it could run PS1 games well.

[derSammler]

IMO, there simply was no real demand for a PS1 Mini/Classic. Unlike with the NES and SNES, PS1 stuff is still dirt-cheap. Let alone a few rare titles, which were also not included with the Classic anyway.

 

Why spend 100 bucks for a mediocre emualtion device if you can get a real system with some games for the same amount of money?

[Mikebloke]

Unfortunately unlike older consoles + Nintendo with their enforced license deals, newer console players like Sony and Microsoft essentially have to beg developers to allow their games to be on these kinds of systems. 

 

It was amusing that some of the library are on alternative consoles like the Saturn, and actually many of the games people complained wasn't on there were originally developed for the Saturn and ported over or were ported to the Saturn at a later date (though some only in Japan). 

 

I think if we compare them to early 2600 / intellivision / mega drive etc plug and play systems, it probably is about equal in terms of cheapness of the product, library of games, etc it's just a bit meh. If they wanted to do a good job of it now by trying again, they'd really need to push the angle of a good library of games. Perhaps even cross generation, including ps2 or even ps3 games as well.

 

The flop of the ps1 classic made me wonder if there was a case for developer classics. Take square (Enix) for example, say if the ps1 classic was instead a compilation of FF1, 2,4,5,6,7,8,9, chrono trigger, chrono cross, add in random stuff like chocobo side games that came out on ps1, a few more of their rpgs of the time - that's easily a decent £80+ range of games available for what is virtually nothing in terms of hard drive space these days. Add some special features, the usual music player, interview videos, concept art etc.... There is a system right there that many of us would be very happy to have and plug in and play. If we're buying these devices we're probably quite serious about gaming, why not start filling them with serious games that is both nostalgic and still widely played and speed run online? 

[NeonSpaceBeagle]

I bought three PS1 classics when they were dropped down to 20 bux each.. Gave two away as gifts and kept one and use those True Blue Mini sticks and some other retroarch thingie..  I kinda like it, it's cute if you mod it for it's shell.  I see a ton of nostalgia for playstation out in public though.

[CatPix]

My two cents from hanging with retrogamers : the PS1 has alot of nostalgia... As the first system of many people, or the first step in 3D. But has litle to no appeal for many people to replay it. (I don't get it tho... Most people say "wow it's ugly"... for me most of the time I found graphics to look better than in my memories XD).

Stiff or imprecise controls (sometime both) dated, garbled visuals, many games are either hand guiding you to the point of insult, or are borderline unplayable without a manual.

Save for racing games and similar games, they require you to invest 6, 8, 10 or more hours to complete a game (does the PS1 Mini have savestates?).

So I can see why, along with the stupid decision by Sony for the PS1 mini, why there isn't a strong nostalgia toward the PS1 or games from that era in general (Saturn fans tend to stick to 2D games, and on the N64 you'll mostly hear about Nintendo games being played).

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by CatPix

[Cynicaster]

I don't have any data, but my impression from hanging around the retro gaming community for 10+ years is that there is plenty of nostalgia for the PS1 in general.  So if the mini failed then my guess is that it's not due to lack of PS1 fandom, but due to the selection of games it had and a few other design issues that have been mentioned.

 

For me, I played tons of PS1 in university and I fire it up in emulation semi-regularly.  There are definitely some fun games but - and I know this is cliched to say - they're tough to look at.  The PS1 is a transitional platform when the industry was in the midst of pivoting from predominantly 2D to predominantly 3D, so it's the console equivalent of that awkward 14 year-old boy who has grown 8 inches in the last year, has braces and zits, greasy hair, a thin pube mustache, and whose voice just cracked.  Does anybody actually like seeing pictures of themselves in this phase of life?  I sure as hell don't - makes me cringe like mad.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tanooki]

On 9/12/2021 at 5:16 PM, Lord Mushroom said:

Someone said in another thread that the Playstation Classic failed because people aren´t as nostalgic for the PS1 as the SNES and NES. I don´t think it is that simple. I think there were several reasons why it failed:

 

- Mediocre game selection

- Many games were PAL-versions (in places where they shouldn´t be)

- Poor emulation

- Controllers without analog sticks

- High price

- Few enhancements

- Potential buyers of the Playstation Classic are not as rich as the potential buyers of the others (because they are younger).

 

But I am open to the idea that people being less nostalgic/interested for/in PS1 was a major contributing factor. So, are people less nostalgic for the PS1 than the SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive and NES? If so, how much less?

 

I will go first. I think so, and here is why:

 

- The PS1 is newer. It is harder to be nostalgic for something which isn´t very old.

- SNES etc. have some of the best games "they don´t make anymore" (sprites). Whereas PS1 has some of the worst of modern games (polygons).

Whoever claimed the PS Classic failed was lack of nostalgia is a very very confused person, or a hater, and I had *no* love for that system when it was in its day (got one in 2001.)  Even my annoyance with Sony in the 90s, I wasn't dumb enough to think it didn't have a lot of good unique games to the system, a few did come to PC and N64, less to Saturn.  It just as you said, wasn't that simple.

 

It bombed because they put a truly rotten selection of games on there.  For the more technical minded beyond that, you hit that too...badly setup emulator and worse using PAL games on a few gems it did have.  The controls had nothing to do with it, as the games on it didn't require that, and the price wasn't bad given what others cost around then, before, and after too.  The other 'minis' didn't enhance much either, so why is that an issue?  And the PS1 buyer base would be people who were teens or twenties in the 90s.  We're 20 years after this now (25 at launch) so the target would be in the roughly 30-50 age group, so yeah if they don't have disposable income, they need to re-evaluate their job and life.

 

Nostalgia had nothing to do with it, and EVERYTHING to do with it too.  Nostalgia wasn't a problem for the system, it was a HUGE problem for the games they chose to put on the system largely.  Even I think they knew it given how they revealed the game list in stages to spread the good and mostly disappointing stuff out.

 

Blame lies with a big fat unknown.  Did Sony play the arrogant card in crafting this and either felt developers should come to them, or got jerky about profits on games supplied offering too little?  Or did third parties just have no confidence in them and ignored it?  There is some serious developer overlap between the 2 Nintendo consoles and the 1 Sony.  Capcom, Konami, Tecmo, and others treated Nintendo so much better with their game choices...why?  Love to know that, because I think THAT is what doomed the system.  Not running the best for the most pickiest means nothing, look how long atgames peddled those crappy Genesis firecore emulator based handhelds and tv game systems with the broken audio, no saves, and oddities on top...over like 15 years so it had to have made good on its return.

[Razzie.P]

Funny (to me at least) that this popped up – I currently have Xbox Series X, PS5, and pretty high end PC.  But the game I’m working on right now with all my free time is “Wild Arms” on the Playstation Classic.

 

I remember when it was announced, lots of people were super excited and instantly saying “I gotta have that” based off name and nostalgia alone.  Then they announced the games, and that excitement went to “eh… I dunno.”   So that was the big “initial” killer.   And all the post release negative info (Pal versions, geez) went beyond DOA and caused it to drop to $20.

 

Meh… deleting a couple of paragraphs here that got all negative about that console gen. 

 

Gonna get back to Wild Arms, now. 
 

[Razzie.P]

7 hours ago, CatPix said:

Save for racing games and similar games, they require you to invest 6, 8, 10 or more hours to complete a game (does the PS1 Mini have savestates?).

 

 

Yep, it emulates the memory cards for multiple "traditional" game saves, where you'd save the games in the same manner as playing on the original hardware.   And each game is allowed 1 "quick save" state as well, that can be used by pressing the reset button.

[Lord Mushroom]

14 hours ago, Mikebloke said:

I think if we compare them to early 2600 / intellivision / mega drive etc plug and play systems, it probably is about equal in terms of cheapness of the product, library of games, etc it's just a bit meh.

I don´t know about the early Intellivision plug and play, but the early AT Games 2600 and Mega Drive were of really low technical quality (horrible sound, for example). It is amazing they sold as well as they did, even though they were cheap. 

 

But the latest 2600 models are of higher quality and have lots of games, as is the case with the Mega Drive mini. Both were sold at launch for considerably less than $100 (I think), so I am not surprised that they did well. 

 

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

Blame lies with a big fat unknown.  Did Sony play the arrogant card in crafting this and either felt developers should come to them, or got jerky about profits on games supplied offering too little?  Or did third parties just have no confidence in them and ignored it?

I think games of that generation are more expensive to license than 16-bit games, which in turn are more expensive to license than 8-bit games. So Sony probably figured charging more than $100 would be too expensive, and tried to get as good games as they could within that limitation. 

[electricmastro]

Original list:

 

Action-Adventure:
Grand Theft Auto
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil: Director's Cut

 

Platformer:
Jumping Flash!
Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee
Rayman

 

Puzzle:
Intelligent Qube
Mr. Driller
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

 

Role-Playing:
Final Fantasy VII
Persona
Wild Arms

 

Fighting:
Battle Arena Toshinden
Tekken 3

 

Shooter:
Syphon Filter
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six

 

Vehicular Combat:
Destruction Derby
Twisted Metal

 

Racing:
R4: Ridge Racer Type 4

 

Sports:
Cool Boarders 2

 

Revamped list:

 

Action-Adventure:
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil 2
Silent Hill
Tomb Raider II

 

Platformer:
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage!
Mega Man X4

 

Role-Playing:
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Suikoden II
Final Fantasy VII

 

Fighting:
Tekken 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3

 

Shooter:
Medal of Honor Underground
R-Type Delta

 

Simulation:
Harvest Moon: Back To Nature
Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere

 

Puzzle:
Bust-A-Move 4

 

Racing:
Gran Turismo 2

 

Strategy:
Front Mission 3

 

Vehicular Combat:
Twisted Metal 2

[Lostdragon]

I have an awful lot of nostalgia, in terms of very happy memories of buying a Playstation day one and it being the system that introduced me to Import gaming.. 

 

NTSC Silent Hill

Xenogears 

Einhander 

Parasite Eve

 

For a start. 

 

It had the most atmospheric Aliens game of it's era on console, Alien Resurrection, for myself the best console version of Doom due to the soundtrack. 

 

 

Hours of my life were sunk into F.F.7, Xcom, the Command And Conquer series, Colony Wars 1 and 2,Resident Evil 1+2, Soul Reaver, Wipeout 2097, Overboard, many more. 

 

 

I will always have those memories, but if I went back to play them now, it'd be a huge mistake. 

 

Tank controls, static cameras, dated 3D,poor pathfinding A. I... 

 

 

I've become spoilt now and found myself hating the modern remake of Resident Evil II, so I haven't bothered with the likes of the Mediievil and F. F. 7 remakes. 

 

 

I never thought the Playstation Mini anything more than a bandwagon jumping device, over priced, awful selection of games. 

 

I was never a fan of many of the perceived Sony system classics. 

 

Hated Tomb Raider from the start, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, SOTN, Gran Turismo, GTA 1+2 (series never had much appeal until GTA III and V. C). 

 

 

 

[turboxray]

The whole "younger not as rich" premise is inaccurate. The majority of the people that played the PS1 when it was out, are in their 30's and 40's. They might not be rich, but you should have at least some more flexible spending money in your life by then (excluding exceptions of course). A mini isn't going to break the bank. Nostalgia IS the driving point, regardless of how wealthy you are (this I've seen first hand). Even if we saw better games on it, I don't think it has the same allure as other retro related items.

 

 I have nostalgia for systems that came before the PS1, and systems that came after, but not really for the PS1 itself. And I owned and played a lot of PS1 games BITD too.

Edited September 14, 2021 by turboxray
typo

[roots.genoa]

I'm pretty sure the PlayStation Classic got a lot of buzz when it was announced; I don't remember the specifics though, for instance if my articles about it performed better than the one about the Genesis Mini. The fact that it was unanimously panned by reviewers clearly killed that buzz. If Sony had pushed it a lot more in terms of marketing, I guess they could have compensated for the bad press, but apparently they didn't care that much.

Edited September 14, 2021 by roots.genoa

[NeonSpaceBeagle]

I have second hand nostalgia for this system.  I stopped playing video games a year or so before the PS1 came out.  But when I play it now, it seems to have more sentimental nostalgia for me than the actual systems I grew up playing.  Everyone says the graphics didn't age well, but that's a completely puerile way of describing computer graphics so I can't follow the logic when people actually say that.  I think the PS1 looks AMAZING on a nicely tuned CRT with S Video.  Who cares if peoples faces and asses are blockey and angular.

[Tanooki]

It got heaped with buzz up until the game library trickled out then it got dumped on for so many glaring omissions. Most key games from the era people quote as reasons to own a ps1 are mostly missing. 
 

Compounding it with hardware reviews of the frame skipping and other oddities that got flushed out tanked it. 
 

I don’t buy that Sony was going to get with high fees for games. As popular as they are Nintendo is even more so and the franchise overlap they could have done better, far better. What capcom, square Enix, and Konami alone settled on vs could have been done was a slap in the face. THAT is why I didn’t even buy it when they went to the $20 online dumpster bin. 

[BydoEmpire]

I think a lot of it is that for a lot of people that early 3d tech hasn't aged well. Low frame rate is tough to "go back to" after decades of 30-60fps.  2d games still look and play perfectly fine, they are what they are.  As someone mentioned, a lot of the best games (or styles of games) were done much better in later generations.  I'm not sure it's really a nostalgic thing.

[digdugnate]

I had a PS1 in college that my roommate and I played many hours of different games (Any of the FF series at the time, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Diablo, etc).   I guess I'm in the 'sort of' nostalgic group, but there's lots of games on other consoles and computer platforms that I would rather spend time on.

[youxia]

I'm not nostalgic, I simply appreciate it as one of the milestones in gaming's history. And love countless of its games, they are still as amazingly playable as ever.

 

I also disagree with the popular "PS1's 3D gfx has aged badly" opinion. I'm a retro-gamer, so for me the wonky, pixelated polygons still hold a lot of charm, and I appreciate the skill in cobbling it all together on such limited hardware.

 

[CatPix]

6 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

I'm pretty sure the PlayStation Classic got a lot of buzz when it was announced; I don't remember the specifics though, for instance if my articles about it performed better than the one about the Genesis Mini. The fact that it was unanimously panned by reviewers clearly killed that buzz. If Sony had pushed it a lot more in terms of marketing, I guess they could have compensated for the bad press, but apparently they didn't care that much.

They don't care at all.

I remember reading that amongt the events for the PS5 launch, there were initiatives and demands to make a retrospective of successful franchises that started on the PS1. And the answer was "No, it's not interesting, those games looks old and ugly".

Also, the lack of retrocompatibility on the PS5 (save for the PS4) might be a detail, but Microsoft went up and down and tested to provide backward compatibility with games of all theirconsoles, down to the original Xbox. It's not perfect of course, but they did.

Clearly the PS1 Mini was a lazy cashgrab scheme from Sony.

[jhd]

On 9/13/2021 at 6:56 AM, NeonSpaceBeagle said:

I bought three PS1 classics when they were dropped down to 20 bux each.. 

 

That was my plan, but at local retail they went from $50 to out-of-stock very quickly -- they were never clearance priced. I cannot imagine that the store sold all of the units it had in stock; presumably they went back to the distributor.