Was this generation a let down?

OP forgot a pretty major thing this generation has done: Brought online multiplayer to pretty much everyone. Yes, we've been playing PC games online for years, but this generation finally gave that experience to anyone with an internet connection and a wireless router, which at this point is pretty much everyone.

Also, in answer to his question - no. Definitely not. XBLA alone has given me more enjoyment in the last seven or so years than the last generation managed. There are absolutely LOADS of top quality games, downloadable and at retail. Sure, the Japanese developers have struggled a little this gen, but they've still managed to come up with Dark Souls and DEAD RISING, so I'm happy. As for JRPGs - has there really been a decline in quality or is it just because Final Fantasy hasn't lived up to expectations this time around?

As for motion controls - good or bad - they haven't bothered me because my Wii sits in the corner collecting dust for the most part. Listing them as a negative (although in Skyward Sword, Mario Galaxy, etc., they were fine) is basically going out of your way to find a problem that isn't really there. I play everything on my PS3/360 with a joypad, just like I always did. *shrugs*

And let's not forget nostalgia. At this point last gen, these same people were probably saying it wasn't as good as the 32/64 bit era before it. Give it another 10 years and this generation will be another sacred cow, shit on by whatever Sony/Microsoft are cooking up next.
 
For me it's not better or worse, just different. In addition to 360/Wii/PS3 (and PC of course) I still have old consoles hooked up to my TV. I'm probably in the minority here but I still actively buy old (second hand) games that I'm interested in, whether it's PS2, SNES, NES or handheld.

I've seen the lack of splitscreen games mentioned here and I agree that this generation seems to have lost focus of local multiplayer. But I'm not pretending like my GameCube collection doesn't exist anymore so I'll just play TimeSplitters 2. What I like about the current generation is CoD (yes I'm serious), and motion-controls (yes I'm serious again), because those are the reasons I occasionally pick a current-gen game over a previous-gen one. No nostalgia here, I just love games so much that I don't care about which generation a game belongs to.
 
Stumpokapow said:
It's true that you can play something like Wanted: Weapons of Fate or Need for Speed: The Run, and those never happened last generation, but most of it has to do with genre shift; I don't think that Enslaved is noticably shorter than, I don't know, Rygar PS2 or whatever. GTA4's campaign takes about as long as the GTA3 games. Resident Evil 5 felt longer to me than RE4 and certainly longer than RE1. Meanwhile, Assassin's Creed II is both a) significantly longer than most action-adventure games, and b) wouldn't have been remotely possible last gen, technologically.
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Even though I really don't like the game, I strongly disagree with the criticism of its game length. It's a racing game, yes, it is unusual in that it's one with a structure akin to a regular game, but it's still a racing game. Therefore, despite the fact that the game lasts maybe two hours, in those two hours you aren't seeing the same content twice. That's a heck of a lot of content, more than most racing games have these days. Games like Forza will stretch that same amount of content to many dozens of hours. And given the focus on the included Autolog system, it's not exactly the intention for you to only be playing it once. It should also be noted that those two hours are pure racing time, by the time I'd racked up two hours of racing time in DiRT3 the game had been running for six.
 
This thread makes me wonder what trends we'll see next gen in terms of genres. I personally think FPS will diminish a bit, Dance games will fall off a cliff like peripheral music games this gen.

And to stay on topic, yes, some if not many things have been let downs this gen, from underutilized motion controls to the death (well, near death) of split screen multiplayer, only a few good survival horror games etc. etc.
 
Antioch said:
This thread makes me wonder what trends we'll see next gen in terms of genres. I personally think FPS will diminish a bit, Dance games will fall off a cliff like peripheral music games this gen.

And to stay on topic, yes, some if not many things have been let downs this gen, from underutilized motion controls to the death (well, near death) of split screen multiplayer, only a few good survival horror games etc. etc.
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I get the feeling it already has in terms of number of releases, may not be actually supported by facts, but I feel like more and more third person shooters are the focus. Wouldn't surprise me though if companies are avoiding direct competition with Call of Duty.
 
This generation has definitely been a let down, it's hard to make a case that there's been much innovation this gen because there really hasn't been outside of hardware, which doesn't matter, innovation is in software. Nobody is taking the risks that were being taken by folks like Sega on Dreamcast or Clover on PS2 last gen anymore due to these increased dev costs. Also, in the past seven years I've become a pretty big Sega guy and I really do feel the Dreamcast kind of set the tone for the last generation with the core online functionality and Jet Grind Radio's graphical style and then nobody set the tone for this one outside of motion controller with Wii.

Basically the only stuff I care about this generation -- the increased focus on online gaming -- is leftover stuff from the Dreamcast, furthermore it's being done incorrectly. Online multi shouldn't be developed instead of splitscreen multi, I want both, not one or the other. We've literally walked backwards in this regard and are offering gamers less options. I actually prefer split screen gaming, but it isn't always feasible so I want online gaming too. Nah this generation has been about nickel and diming, poor QA, planned obsolescence, monopolies via digital distribution networks that harm consumer rights, all the consoles are crap quality and manufactured by foxconn whom makes unreliable trash going by hardware build quality this generation. Not a fan of the lack of Japanese games on home consoles, or the advent of digital distribution on consoles since I used to be a collector.

Switched to PC and 3DS will be my last dedicated gaming system, and I only got it because I made the assumption Nintendo wouldn't add DLC capabilities due to their ineptitude in regards to online networks. The irony is all the crap I hate about consoles now largely came from the PC aspect of the industry first, but it's all done worse on consoles now, so I may as well be on PC where the shit I hate is happening in a form that makes me hate it less.

On a bright note, the indie scene has gotten way better this generation and is producing some of the best content in the entire industry, arguably the best.
 
Why is it people are so annoyed by FPS games this gen but not last gen? Is it because they are getting more exposure this gen? Last gen, if I remember correctly, had much more FPS games released but they didn't get as much press it seemed, so what is it about this gen that drives people insane over the amount of FPS this gen?

I can't help but feel like it's mostly because their favorite genre isn't getting as much exposure as FPS genre, but hasn't it almost always kind of been like two genres of each gen typically get more exposure than the rest?

Edit: I mean shooters in general really, but maybe I'm wrong
 
TaroYamada said:
Also, in the past seven years I've become a pretty big Sega guy and I really do feel the Dreamcast kind of set the tone for the last generation with the core online functionality and Jet Grind Radio's graphical style and then nobody set the tone for this one outside of motion controller with Wii.
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Eh? Can you please explain how "core online functionality" and Jet Set Radio's graphical style set the tone for the last generation? I can think of a handful of games with online functionality last gen. Same for cel-shaded graphics...
 
Brilliant gen, this one.

The average quality of the games being pumped out now would have been unthinkable before. There are still duds of course, but comparably very few in comparison to previous generations. Standing above those are the games that define this gen, like Mass Effect, Mirror's Edge, Bioshock or Fallout 3. With nostalgia glasses firmly off, I can safely say these are some of the best experiences I've had in gaming. Perhaps not my favorite, but certainly the most refined.

Then you've got innovative game-changers like XBLA (the single best thing about this gen IMO) which will no doubt shape the next gen too.

Ok so, JRPGs have taken a dive. This is an issue for me, as a JRPG fan. Then again, the fix is readily available on handhelds and the genre shines as much on there as on anything, in my opinion at least.
 
Not to me. This generation broke me out of a very strict and disillusioned "retro only" mindset that I had, to fully embrace the new. Playing Bioshock in HD for the first time was, for me, like rediscovering videogames entirely.
 
TerryWogan said:
Eh? Can you please explain how "core online functionality" and Jet Set Radio's graphical style set the tone for the last generation? I can think of a handful of games with online functionality last gen. Same for cel-shaded graphics...
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There were a crap-ton of online games last gen on consoles; PSO, Socom, Forza, Halo 2, Quake 3 Arena, Unreal Tournament, Alien Front Online, Crimson Skies, etc. If you want a complete list head over to online consoles.

In terms of graphical style, cel-shading was used in a lot of the games regarded as the most beautiful of that generation. Okami and Wind Waker are brought up in every thread on this forum to this day when artistic direction is discussed, every single one of em. The graphical style was used in many of my favorite games that generation like Okami, WW, Viewtiful Joe 1/2, Rogue Galaxy and Dragon Quest 8. It was also used in Bomberman Online, Fire Emblem on GC, Tales of Symphonia, the Naruto games, XIII, Killer7, Auto Modellista, etc. etc.

The only game I can think of that wasn't cel-shaded that is brought up as often as WW or Okami from that same generation, in terms of art direction, is SOTC. Metroid Prime is also often brought up, but from what I've seen not as much as those three.
 
I believe it was a disappointing generation due to the many points that have been mentioned in this thread. Cheap DLC:s, DRM, online passes, death of JRPGs (and the majority of Japanese games) etc.
 
TaroYamada said:
There were a crap-ton of online games last gen on consoles; PSO, Socom, Forza, Halo 2, Quake 3 Arena, Unreal Tournament, Alien Front Online, Crimson Skies, etc. If you want a complete list head over to online consoles.

In terms of graphical style, cel-shading was used in a lot of the games regarded as the most beautiful of that generation. Okami and Wind Waker are brought up in every thread on this forum to this day when artistic direction is discussed, every single one of em. The graphical style was used in many of my favorite games that generation like Okami, WW, Viewtiful Joe 1/2, Rogue Galaxy and Dragon Quest 8. It was also used in Bomberman Online, Fire Emblem on GC, Tales of Symphonia, the Naruto games, XIII, Killer7, Auto Modellista, etc. etc.

The only game I can think of that wasn't cel-shaded that is brought up as often as WW or Okami from that same generation, in terms of art direction, is SOTC. Metroid Prime is also often brought up, but from what I've seen not as much as those three.
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A relative drop in the ocean on both fronts. "Core online functionality" is a feature of this generation, not the last. And I'd say the Xbox 360 set that tone, contrary to your belief that nobody set the tone for this generation. Also, XBLA/PSN Store? Is that not "setting a tone"?
 
The consoles this generation have done ok, but really not more than that.

The best part has been the introduction of PSN/XBLA games.

But other than that, from my very personal viewpoint, I haven´t been overwhelmed.

*I don´t think there has been any FPS that really pushed the genre forward, like Half Life 2 och Crysis (gameplay-wise) did before. It´s the same linear corridors with the same kind of scripted events.
*The racing genre feels very stale.
*The strategy genre is still pretty nonexistent on consoles, apart from a few turnbased japanese games.
*It´s a shame that not any console exclusive developers have tried to make real open world RPG´s.
*There hasn´t been any enhancements in the controllers for core games. Things like the Kinect is really only good for gimmick games and toys.
*A couple of developers I have liked before has taken several steps backwards, like Bioware and Lionhead. Or gone in a direction where they still make good games, but games I don´t personally enjoy - Naughty Dog.


Sure, the games for the consoles are solid, but I think that there has been few suprises and real advancements, and that there really isn´t that big difference from the previous generation.

But again, that´s just my own experience with them, and I´m sure many feels differently.
 
TerryWogan said:
A relative drop in the ocean on both fronts. "Core online functionality" is a feature of this generation, not the last. And I'd say the Xbox 360 set that tone, contrary to your belief that nobody set the tone for this generation. Also, XBLA/PSN Store? Is that not "setting a tone"?
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"Core online functionality" to me means that it's a focal point of a game, in that regard it is unarguably something that started last gen; Pretty hard to argue that online wasn't a heavy focus of games like Quake 3 Arena, Unreal Tournament, Halo 2 and Socom among others. Also you should reread my post, I did specify Wii's controller set the tone for this generation in my opinion. I don't really like the advent of digital distribution on consoles, but those stores are definitely an addition, just not something I care about in the least. I consider the advent of DD and DLC a pathway to a walled garden, and historically monopolies aren't a positive thing for consumers.

Relative drop in the ocean only if you look at numbers of titles released, but not impact ;) And I care about impact and influence. XBL, Sega.net, those were the pioneers of online console gaming in its current form. XBLA existed on XBL albeit in a limited form, and Dreamcast had the Dream Library much like Wii's Virtual Console. These are the seeds of the current infrastructure. Same can be said for JGR, Wind Waker and Okami, all very important games in terms of art direction. Argue their irrelevance if you wish.
 
Although I agree with the OP's overall disappointment. There have been a few games that really made me believe in gaming once again (namely Demon's Souls).

Also, there have been loads of great 2D games this gen that showed 2D is "viable":

A Boy and His Blob
BlazBlue
Castle Crashers
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Ghost Trick
Hard Corps: Uprising
King of Fighters XII/XII
Limbo
Mega Man 9/10
Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Rayman Origins
Rocket Knight
Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Shadow Complex
Shank
Sonic 4
Super Meat Boy
Super Paper Mario
The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension
 
To me, this has been an amazing generation.

Maybe because I was never much of a PC Gamer, the whole online experience this generation brought has been fantastic.

Playing online, Online Stores, DLC, Playing with friends (though I wish they also supported couch co-op more) has truly changed the way I game and I relate with videogames.

Not to mention how they are now more than just videogames and also entertainment centers. Video, Music, Netflix, Browser, etc.

I really cant imagine what they will come up with for the next generation.
 
That list has some pretty great titles and some pretty terrible ones. Hmm... the west needs to stick with 3D.

Calling Ghost Trick 2D is pretty odd I think.
 
TaroYamada said:
"Core online functionality" to me means that it's a focal point of a game, in that regard it is unarguably something that started last gen; Pretty hard to argue that online wasn't a heavy focus of games like Quake 3 Arena, Unreal Tournament, Halo 2 and Socom among others.

Relative drop in the ocean only if you look at numbers of titles released, but not impact ;) And I care about impact and influence. XBL, Sega.net, those were the pioneers of online console gaming in its current form. XBLA existed on XBL albeit in a limited form, and Dreamcast had the Dream Library much like Wii's Virtual Console. These are the seeds of the current infrastructure, but argue their irrelevance, if you wish. Same can be said for JGR, Wind Waker and Okami, all very important games in terms of art direction.
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But "started last gen" isn't "setting the tone". Setting the tone implies that it fundamentally changes every game that comes out in that generation. Which it simply didn't.

Your argument was about setting the tone. Now you've changed it to "planted the seed".

So basically, you preferred last generation because it had some sporadically implemented ideas over this generation where those ideas were firmly integrated into every single game that came out?
 
I want to say yes, but then I remember that there are too many games this generation competing against each other and that helps drive the prices of them down way faster than normal which has led to me buying more games at cheaper prices than last generation.

So that makes me want to say no, but then I remember the online pass bullshit and the general oatmealing of difficulty and imagination of the 'AAA' titles (does AAA even mean anything or deserve respect anymore?).

So I guess I'd have to say that this generation is... malleable. Still got some years left, at any rate.
 
I loved reading this thread. It's rare to see nearly everyone completely disagree with an OP that's critical of something. Usually if someone criticizes something in the OP you'll see people agree because it's cool to criticize but not in this case. Damn right it was an awesome generation!
 
I think this generation has been absolutely fantastic, probably my favorite, and by the OP, I would say that I'm probably just a few years older than him (started with the NES).

I will say, however, that my interest and excitement for new releases started to wane after fall 2009, as most everything AAA afterwards was a part 2 or 3 of the same series.

While acknowledging that the quality is better, I just couldn't get into the next Uncharted, Infamous, Bioshock, Ratchet and Clank Future, Fallout, and Elder Scrolls entries nearly as much as their initial release this generation. The novelty had worn off and it was just too soon and too similar an experience for me.
 
Heavy said:
I loved reading this thread. It's rare to see nearly everyone completely disagree with an OP that's critical of something. Usually if someone criticizes something in the OP you'll see people agree because it's cool to criticize but not in this case. Damn right it was an awesome generation!
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Then you're not reading this thread properly ;)
 
Nothing wrong with the games this generation, you just have to look a bit harder to find the innovative titles (not in retail).

I do think the direction the industry has taken is disappointing to say the least. Talking, of course, about DLC codes to fuck customers over, focus on multiplayer, shallow shooters being the most popular games ever instead of brilliantly designed platformers or rpg's (having to do with the unfortunate mainstreaming of gaming), etc. The bigger an industry becomes, the more restrictions are enforced (the bad kind) and I really don't see why this has to happen except for making more "precious" monies. If I was to make a game I'd want it to be timeless, something that will hold up in 20 years' time, not something contemporary. But alas, I suppose that's not how the bigwigs think.
 
TerryWogan said:
But "started last gen" isn't "setting the tone". Setting the tone implies that it fundamentally changes every game that comes out in that generation. Which it simply didn't.

Your argument was about setting the tone. Now you've changed it to "planted the seed".

So basically, you preferred last generation because it had some sporadically implemented ideas over this generation where those ideas were firmly integrated into every single game that came out?
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You're arguing semantics, I never changed my argument or my stance. You decided I did. Dreamcast planted the seed in that a core focus of the console was online gaming, this held over to the OG Xbox as well, I believe those services and the advent of online gaming that generation was the tone. I personally spent a helluva a lot of time online with Halo 2, and I am 100% certain I wasn't the only one. I also often see people on these forums look back fondly on hundreds of hours they spent with Phantasy Star Online, and I know Socom was hugely popular on PS2 too.

I'm afraid you and I will never come to an agreement however, because I don't agree with your definition of what 'setting the tone for a generation' means (I don't think setting the tone means every game does that). For example I consider one of the tones for the 16 bit generation mascot platformers, but there were lots of games that were not mascot platformers.

Regardless I won't really bother arguing this too much further, because now that I understand our disagreeance is largely based on your definition vs. mine, and mine fits within the definition of the phrase provided by Farlex's Freedictionary, and your "every single game" theory arguably does as well, there really is nowhere to take this.
 
Did this generation suck? In some ways it did for me with the shooter craze, and the Wii being imo a disgrace to previous Nintendo consoles. But I can't say it entirely sucked, there have been many great games and interesting innovation this gen.

It however doesn't compare to last gen, not by a long shot.
 
if you were condemned to playing only the games from a single generation for the rest of your life and you didn't pick this one I'd say you're full of shit or that nostalgia's got a death grip on you
 
This gen was the best one, no doubt about it. So many great titles, its incredible. Plus, online gaming, XBLA and even motion controls for people who dig that kind of stuff.

This gen ain't over yet, but when its finished it will be the best one. We still have "biggest" GTA in front of us. We have Max Payne 3, new ND title, AC3, Bioshock, ME3, Tomb Raider etc. All promising AAA titles and goty contenders. So many great games I won't be able play them all.

Only thing this gen needs is Half Life 3. Than its a wrap.
 
Yeah, this gen did have have a lot of great games. And still has a lot coming for that matter. I just wish the Wii wasn't so disappointing. Last gen, I used my PS2 and GC pretty equally. It was a blast. While the PS3 isn't on the level of the PS2, it still gives me a ton of great options. But the Wii has just been far too lackluster, Mario aside.

Honestly though, I wouldn't call this generation a let down if the Wii was more worthwhile. So it wasn't that bad, all things considered.
 
Row said:
if you were condemned to playing only the games from a single generation for the rest of your life and you didn't pick this one I'd say you're full of shit or that nostalgia's got a death grip on you
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my choice would be gamecube :)
 
This generation is awesome for WRPGs and action-adventure. Every other genre is a let down. I especially lament the death of survival horror on consoles; sad state of affairs when Amy is the best effort.
 
PS1/N64 was the best period in gaming. Last gen was awful and made me stop playing games outside of the occasional Melee party with friends. This gen is much better but games aren't as fun as they were when I was kid.
 
Yes, I'm dying for next generation. I haven't touch a game in about 5 months. I'm just not interested in the stuff that's out there.
 
Kabouter said:
Even though I really don't like the game, I strongly disagree with the criticism of its game length. It's a racing game, yes, it is unusual in that it's one with a structure akin to a regular game, but it's still a racing game. Therefore, despite the fact that the game lasts maybe two hours, in those two hours you aren't seeing the same content twice. That's a heck of a lot of content, more than most racing games have these days. Games like Forza will stretch that same amount of content to many dozens of hours. And given the focus on the included Autolog system, it's not exactly the intention for you to only be playing it once. It should also be noted that those two hours are pure racing time, by the time I'd racked up two hours of racing time in DiRT3 the game had been running for six.
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Well, I mean, I had an N64 racing game that took about 30 minutes to play straight through because it only had however many tracks, but it also didn't have a single player campaign, it just had races. I wasn't really intended to pick on NFS The Run (haven't played it, probably won't, I'm at racing game saturation as-is and I haven't played a single current gen NFS) so much as indicating that I don't think any campaign modes before this generation were that short. If anything, The Run's mistake in terms of reception was to have a campaign at all ;)
 
1080p/120fps. Never forget.

@ the topic: To me, yes. DLC, online passes and typical Sony bullshit right from the start.
 
No, not a let down at all, at least for me personally. I've never played this much in a generation before (well, maybe i played more or equally back in the NES/earlier PC days). This generation is also where online play (for consoles) really took off, and that is one factor that have increased my enjoyment of playing games.


GoofsterStud said:
-Game story/development seemed to lower for graphics
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I wouldnt say that. In some cases maybe, but there were games with boring stories before as well.


GoofsterStud said:
-No real revolutionary improvements in gameplay
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Just wondering, what did you expect to see of new things in gameplay? Come to think of it, have there been much revolutionary stuff in the gameplay since the PS1 regarding the gameplay? I mean, of course there are improvements since the PS1 days, but what is defined as being revolutionary?


GoofsterStud said:
-New technology didn't push new innovative games that couldn't of really been done before (with the exception of visuals)
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I also wonder about this, do you have any examples of what could have been done?


rvy said:
1080p/120fps. Never forget.

@ the topic: To me, yes. DLC, online passes and typical Sony bullshit right from the start.
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What is "typical Sony bullshit"?
 
Stumpokapow said:
Well, I mean, I had an N64 racing game that took about 30 minutes to play straight through because it only had however many tracks, but it also didn't have a single player campaign, it just had races. I wasn't really intended to pick on NFS The Run (haven't played it, probably won't, I'm at racing game saturation as-is and I haven't played a single current gen NFS) so much as indicating that I don't think any campaign modes before this generation were that short. If anything, The Run's mistake in terms of reception was to have a campaign at all ;)
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Absolutely, but I still think it's the most original premise for a racing game this gen. Shame about the execution though.
 
I think early/mid this gen left a bit to be desired, but it's really picked up near the end. Lot of games we'll be talking about for years to come.
 
Some pretty terrible practices seem to have come out/become more prominent during this generation.

But then, I look at the quantity (and quality) of the software from this generation and I have to forgive that.
 
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