Support NeoGAF

[Sgt. Pinback]

That image just caused all the testosterone in my body to spray out of my eyes. I'm now a woman. Thanks for nothing.

 

[Julius Ibidus]

Games are better than ever, actually older games look more like garbage nowadays.

i'm still not sure i get it, can you be more specific?

 

[Bo_Hazem]

i'm still not sure i get it, can you be more specific?

 

[Julius Ibidus]

i think i'm getting the picture here, but not sure....

 

[ACESHIGH]

You really don't understand why a new studio of at most 20 people, usually even less, can't make the next Silent HIll?

A small studio in Italy made Daymare 1998 and now they are working on a sequel. Of course its not Silent HIll but its something. I wish more devs took this route instead of developing yet another metroidvania or roguelike.

 

[RoboFu]

I get what you are saying and I always think “ maybe it’s me? Maybe I am getting old” then Nintendo puts out a game and I realize it’s not me. it’s just the games have been boiled down to a formula for mass success and not many third parties go for pure gameplay greatness anymore.
Nintendo and very few others still can make awesome games with modern gameplay and make it fresh and exciting.

 

[WizeVibez]

You don't follow gaming closely enough. There's more of every type of game every day.

 

[Amiga]

what are you talking about OP? gaming is so big now that there is something for everybody. independent developers can make a AA game and succeed. there are tons of MP/Co-OP/SP games of many types.

maybe you feel this way because the gaming community has become grew too large then became segmented and not everybody get's hyped for the same thing at the same time.

get gamepass/PSNow and experiment with games you may not have given a chance. I'm sure you will find plenty of surprises.

 

[OneMoreDay]

So if I'm understanding you correctly, OP, you simply want more 3D single-player action games. I'm sure we'll see more of that once tools for creating models, particularly realistic human models, reach a certain point. Making and animating models that are up to today's standards are simply too time-consuming for smaller companies. Dontnod needed a team of 40 to create Life Is Strange back in 2014/2015, and that game is less than 15 hours long, reuses a ton of assets and still got a lot of criticism for stuff like poor lip-syncing and motionless faces.

 

[Yselacrey00]

If you seriously need to ask that, then its probably best that you dont make threads. And you should be thankful that you only had threads locked, some of your recent posts have been console war bullshit, including that Phil Spencer thread.

Console war? I didn't mention any other consoles in those threads so I don't know what you're talking about.

 

[ANDS]

I wish I had the time in the day to play every game I want to play. I do not wish I had the OP's problem.

 

[Captain Toad]

I've been gaming since 1981 and games are better than ever.

Same. Except I was 2 in 81, so I probably wasn't gaming for another 2 years on Atari 2600 znd Intellivision.

Gaming is better than ever. The Internet just brings negativity and people latch onto it.

 

[Brofist]

Gaming is just expanding and branching out in different directions, and unfortunately for you, you don't like those new branches. That and probably getting a little bored and jaded as well.

 

[Dave_at_Home]

Mid 30s here. Getting older and don't have as much free time as before. We've developed our gaming tastes on what we prefer. We've seen alot so we're not always as wowed from reveals compared to when we were younger. But that's ok. There's always great stuff coming out and there's always that unexpected Indie darling that pops up every now and then.

Fellow 35 year old here and I agree. Unlike some hardcore gamers, I actually don't find myself becoming more cynical as time goes on as it relates to gaming. I've played and seen so much that most things don't surprise me and even when something is really good I still may not care enough to play it. Basically, been there and done that.

For example, I've lost all interest in competitive shooters. I don't hope for one to come around and make me jump in again. I've simply let that aspect of gaming for myself go. My taste, like many, has been focused with laser like precision. I don't have the time to take chances on stuff that doesn't check off every single box for me. A game needs to bring an immediate sense of joy, mystery, or let me shut my brain off and have fun with this loop.

Despite what this guy thinks, gaming keeps getting better. New hardware. New possibilities. Once this gen finally gets going, we're gonna be knee deep in some pretty cool stuff.

 

[ManaByte]

Same. Except I was 2 in 81, so I probably wasn't gaming for another 2 years on Atari 2600 znd Intellivision.

Gaming is better than ever. The Internet just brings negativity and people latch onto it.

I got 2600 E.T. for Christmas in 82.

 

[Darklor01]

Gaming's not dying, you're just getting old.

I’m 44+ yrs old. I feel nothing like this. Getting old isn’t this person’s issue. They are feeling how they feel. It’s just not in sync with most people at all.

There are tons of indie games with tons of varying style, some great AAA products… etc.

What I see in the new gen as far as consoles go are more broken games at release than I remember. It’s been almost worth it to wait for months after a release to get patches and at the same time, get a lower price on games.

I’m excited to see some of these games coming out on all platforms. I’m sorry especially happy for all the cross play.

 

[Tschumi]

I've been gaming since 1981 and games are better than ever.

i do tend to think games these days are crazy good, in a "the industry has adopted a trend of learning from past mistakes and locking on to features that have a proven trackrecord with fans" kinda way, but that ain't a bad thing.

 

[CrustyBritches]

So you aren't impressed with modern games with world-scale and cutting-edge visuals like FS2020, but you also don't like 8-bit/16-bit/32-bit styled retro games. Then what do you like?

 

[Represent.]

Agreed. Im so sick of the stuff you described in your post OP.

Every goddamn game announced at MS show today was either some Left 4 Dead zombie shit with unfunny and overly charasmatic characters. Or a shooter with MP as the focus. The fortnite artstyle in every game.

Holy FUCK I actually miss the grey/brown era of the PS360 gen.

Where are the Ninja Gaidens, the Bioshocks, the Uncharteds? The Twisted Metals, the SSX, the non open world arcade racers? Burnout?

Why the fuck is every single Japanese action style game some over the top anime ass DMC wanna be with HORRIBLE graphics straight out of 2009?
Why was Ghosts of Tsushima the first legit Samurai game with a serious tone and good budget?

Why is no one but Naughty Dog even attempting to push the medium forward in terms of story telling?

Why cant this medium grow up? It has so much potential to be the ultimate form of entertainment but we are stuck with the same shit every year.

I appreciate a game like TLOU 2 the more it ages.

 

[Sgt. Pinback]

So you aren't impressed with modern games with world-scale and cutting-edge visuals like FS2020, but you also don't like 8-bit/16-bit/32-bit styled retro games. Then what do you like?

 

[Fare thee well]

You're not alone lol. I'm amazed by how many game announcements just make my eyes glaze over with boredom. We're old geezers now and not the demographic anymore

 

[Saucy Papi]

OP, I think a big part of the problem is that shows like this just aren't relevant anymore. It takes SO much work to create playable builds for these presentations, that it's really not worth it anymore, especially when we're so connected and can view cool reveal trailers at the drop of a hat. I still think there are great experiences in the pipeline for us but I just don't think these trade shows are necessarily the best place for us to see them anymore.

 

[nush]

I got 2600 E.T. for Christmas in 82.

Thoughts and prayers.

 

[SuperBabyMethod]

I think there’s some semblance of truth to what you are saying; obviously the gaming industry chases trends and it doesn’t vibe with me at all. That being said, there are still fantastic games being released. I’m playing through Ratchet and Clank PS5 right now, gonna play FF7 Inter grade for PS5 (which is a good, healthy, albeit somewhat subpar remake of the original) and about a month ago I finished playing what I think can only be one of the greatest games I’ve ever played, Crosscode.

 

[digital_ghost]

Sony and Nintendo will save us fuko-san.

If your too far gone and can't see the light. Take up a new hobby. I hear pornhub is very enjoyable.

 

[Humdinger]

As I've gotten older (59 now, been gaming 20+ years), I've grown increasingly bored with gaming. However, I think it's just as much about me as about the games. I'll list the factors separately.

Factors related to me:

1. I'm retired now. You'd think that would mean I'd have more interest in playing games, but actually I have less. I think gaming functioned as a stress release while I was working -- an escape, maybe. Now that I don't have the stress, I don't have the need to release it.

2. I've developed a lot of other activities, many of which seem more interesting to me than playing a game.

3. Because there is so much potential information and entertainment out there, I have gotten less patient with all forms of media over the past decade or so. If it doesn't grab my attention relatively quickly -- like within 30 minutes for a game, 10 minutes for a movie, 30 seconds for a Youtube video -- I'm out.

4. I've played a lot of games, and so I get a "been there, done that" feeling quite often. Better graphics can't make up for the fact that I've experienced the same sort of gameplay (in slightly altered form) a hundred times already. The bloom is off the rose.

5. My tastes have narrowed. I was always fairly picky, but in the past, I was open to experimenting with different game genres. I'm not that way anymore. At this point, I've played enough games to know what I like and what I don't. But that means I longer have any interest in maybe 80% of the game genres out there.


Factors related to gaming:

1. There are substantially fewer big-budget games being released now than there were 10 or 15 years ago (per NPD). Yes, there are more indie titles, but I don't think they make up for it. If you're looking for a big-scale game, you have less to choose from than you did a decade ago.

2. Game budgets have exploded, and along with that, so have the risks associated with development. If you are a developer with bazillions of dollars on the line, naturally you're going to be more cautious and conservative, less experimental and adventurous. As a result, many big-budget games today have a very mainstream, homogenized flavor.


Having said that, there are still games that I enjoy.

 

[MiguelItUp]

The way I see it, the older you get, the more particular you get. Nothing wrong with that. There are still going to be titles that make you happy and are appealing, they'll just be few and far between. Some people say right now is the best time for gaming, and I'm happy for them. It is, however, completely subjective.

There are a number of games I'm looking forward to, but I haven't been blown away by any new surprises like I was hoping I would be. I mean, it's E3, and surprises are tight. Not a big deal though, it just is what it is, haha. I never really go in expecting too much so I don't leave disappointed.

 

[intbal]

Maybe the gaming industry is slowly pushing us folks in our 30s away from it?

I'm 46.
You'll come back around.

 

[ANDS]

Exactly. I mean I enjoyed gaming as a kid, but there is no way I would exchange gaming now for gaming "back then. . ." Yes some of the practices are annoying but the breadth of gaming that exists right now easily tops what we were playing decades ago on average.

It is like movies. Yes NORTH BY NORTHWEST is a great fucking movie (even if you haven't seen it you've almost certainly seen a parody of one of its iconic scenes) but no way would I want to only be able to watch movies developed in the same style or craftsmanship.

 

[GHG]

Games are better than ever, actually older games look more like garbage nowadays.

I always had my suspicions but this confirms it.

Bo_Hazem is Jim Ryan.

 

[Neil Young]

Every goddamn game announced at MS show today was either some Left 4 Dead zombie shit with unfunny and overly charasmatic characters. Or a shooter with MP as the focus. The fortnite artstyle in every game.

You must have missed flight simulator, psychonaughts, Forza 5, Sea of Thieves, Grounded , 12 Minutes....off the top of my head.

And to the topic, if you can't find good games to play out of Nintendo, Sony, and MS in EVERY category... you may be bored of gaming. Every single genre has multiple great games to play...besides sports which has ONE decent game to play for each sport. The PS 4 / Xbox one / Switch gen has been the best gen ever.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I finished Resident Evil Village 4 times on each difficulty. Now it’s like I have amnesia when it comes to new games. It’s weird how we are happy until we beat the game, but short time later we want more. I like beating games and that comes at a price. It comes with a little less contentment than other people might have. As a kid I played a box of around 20 SNES games and I rented games a lot. That box was a solid 9/10 collection of classic games. That’s not even close to what I tend to buy in a year now a days. I think I have a much better time now than I did as a kid because I’ve learned more and gaming just got better over time. It use to be a lot of dreaming, dreaming about what gaming could be. Then once gaming got there, people wanted nostalgia because they realized what got them there in the first place was either being copied or it was a better feeling than what was coming out. You have stories being told that aren’t as compelling as what you played before. I think this argument is too complicated to discuss in just a couple sentences.

Even if we don’t get the equivalent to Chrono Trigger or a well known classic game. There are always some sort of substitution out there. Be that another genre, a new unannounced AAA game, or the game you bought last month. I own 3 games this month and I’m happier with those than some of the newly announced games. I think we have all been there. If you were to work at a game store during the Wii/PS3/360/DS/PSP years. You would have seen a ton of stuff come out on all the platforms that wasn’t interesting at all. You paid attention when Golden Sun, Zelda, Castlevania, and Metroid came out. I think the very same thing could be said about modern day games. You are going to see Metroid Prime 4, Zelda, Mario, and a host of other games down the road. If anything, that’s a much better outlook than holding onto memories of games you’ve already beaten or you remember like the back of your hand.

As far as the target audience comment. Honestly, I see your point. It outright sucks to see the Fortnite cheerleader characters with their dress me up Barbie microtransactions. Those battle royal games feel like they’re for the teens and the young 20 year olds. I think back to the days when I saw video game designer commercials for Full Sail, Digipen, and whatever trade school had the program. I remember watching Icons on G4 about video game consoles and developers. I think to myself, “would a 50 year old game designer play this stuff in their free time?”. It feels like video games are almost too accessible. That the tweens are pushing all these obnoxious tropes and gimmicks. How would someone in their 30’s-50’s make games without feeling soulless. Like they work for Matel or Hasbro. Not the legendary video game company that makes video games with dignity?

In all honestly, it can either suck or it can be good. It’s all how you interpret it. If watching press conferences trigger some sorta ageism or decreases the value of video games in your mind; then stop watching them or giving them your time. You find games that you want to play. The marketing and the fads will fade with time. I think we have a lot of good games out there right now and a bunch of new releases on their way. I think gaming has gotten so big to where you could make an argument for or against the entire industry. It really is a balancing act because there’s so much of both sides everywhere you look.

 

[Korranator]

Honestly if most indie devs keep resorting to 8bit or 16 bit throwback games, they have no chance competing against a Retropie or a chinese handheld with Retroarch on it.

Where are the indie devs trying to top Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, Project Gotham Racing, Vagrant Story, Legacy of Kain, SF Alpha III, Twisted Metal, Slyphon Filter, Devil May Cry and many more?

Sorry for the long rant but I had to get this off my chest. Maybe someone in their teens can weigh in to put some perspective? Are single player story based games not popular anymore unless they have best in class production values?

Stop paying attention to AAA crap, and stereotype 8/16bit inde. Games like Fortnight made shit tons of money, so lot's of devs are trying to cash in on that craze. Plus the whole "woke"/covid19 vocal minority crowd really fucked up and sent mixed messages to gaming developers.

Try:

Subnautica below zero
Solasta
Wasteland 3
Valheim
Mutant Road Zero
Mount and Blade 2
Atelier Ryza

Upcoming:

Baldur's Gate 3
Orcs Must Die 3
STALKER2

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[oagboghi2]

Been playing since the 80's as well and games are so much better now imo. Pretty much every genre of game that came out during the 8/16/32 bit era has been eclipsed so many times by modern games.

There are better platformers now, better racing games, sports games, action games, everything really is better now.

If anyone thinks NES or some shit was the best era of games then it's purely nostalgia or you just don't ever play new games.

Excuse me, where the hell did I say the NES years were the best?

Putting words in my mouth to win an imaginary argument isn’t a good look.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

Certainly a valid point about the narrowing of genres, at least in the high-end of production. There are still plenty of great genre games down in the mid-tier of development, but very little variety at the big studios.

 

[ClosBSAS]

If you seriously need to ask that, then its probably best that you dont make threads. And you should be thankful that you only had threads locked, some of your recent posts have been console war bullshit, including that Phil Spencer thread.

Lol wrong quote but exactly what i think.

 

[ClosBSAS]

Can someone explain why some opinion topics are allowed and others aren't? My two threads about Halo and Phill Sñencer got locked inmediately. Is there a rule I don't know about?

U bashed halo and phil. Theres nothin to bash about them. Phil doesnt have his days counted. You may hate him, but i think hes done wonders for pc and xbox. Urs was a hate thread based on nothing but jealousy.

And on topic...did u really think ms just buying bethesda was miraculously going to have 10 games to show? Bethesda was working on them way before the acquisition.

You have to be realistic, bethesda has fucked up plenty of times, released broken ass games, so no they dont always deliver. Ms is trying to fix the huge laat gen fuck up and its going to take time.

 

[tsumake]

A thought: it’s been said that there is no longer room for AA games. It’s either a giant tentpole game or it’s a tiny indie. Games in the middle are pretty much nonexistent.

 

[Danjin44]

 

[Fbh]

There's definitely some dying genres, and a large part of the industry is moving towards multiplayer.

At the same time though I think modern gaming still offers a ton of variety. I don't really have the time to play 10 games a month, so as long as theere's like 3-4 big games and few smaller ones that interest me in a year I'm fine.
This E3 has been disappointing though there have still been plenty of games that have showed up that do interest me:
Stalker 2, A Plague Tale Requiem, Forza Horizon 5, Atomic Heart, Replaced, Eiyuden Chronicle, The Ascent, Elden Ring, Tales of Arise, Metal Slug tactics, Trek to Yomi, Shadow Warrior 3.

And hopefully Nintendo, Capcom and Bandai Namco have some fun things to show. And Sony, whenever they make a new event.

 

[drotahorror]

Excuse me, where the hell did I say the NES years were the best?

Putting words in my mouth to win an imaginary argument isn’t a good look.

I said NES or "some shit".

Spoiler

Sperg

 

[GHG]

I'm just upset that Arkane look to be moving away from immersive sims. We have no immersive sims to look forward to anywhere at the moment, even graven has been a disappointment.

There are enough games I'm looking forward to still coming in the next couple of years but I feel similar to the OP. I anticipate dipping in to my backlog more than ever this gen.

 

[justiceiro]

Where are the indie devs trying to top Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, Project Gotham Racing, Vagrant Story, Legacy of Kain, SF Alpha III, Twisted Metal, Slyphon Filter, Devil May Cry and many more?

They are everywhere. I get announcements like these games every week.

It's bizarre how much you are bothered by all this when you already looking forward for around 15+ games. Are you that bothered that not every game is targeting you?

 

[Ten_Fold]

Outside of Nintendo and afew indie titles I agree gaming isn’t that amazing due to lack of creativity. They are going for the please everyone vibe. Anyways we got Eldin ring, BOTW2, new Pokémon next year looks good, an those games to me are pretty big titles.

 

[Yselacrey00]

U bashed halo and phil. Theres nothin to bash about them. Phil doesnt have his days counted. You may hate him, but i think hes done wonders for pc and xbox. Urs was a hate thread based on nothing but jealousy.

And on topic...did u really think ms just buying bethesda was miraculously going to have 10 games to show? Bethesda was working on them way before the acquisition.

You have to be realistic, bethesda has fucked up plenty of times, released broken ass games, so no they dont always deliver. Ms is trying to fix the huge laat gen fuck up and its going to take time.

So it's against the rules to critize Microsoft?

 

[Animagic]

Outside of Nintendo and afew indie titles I agree gaming isn’t that amazing due to lack of creativity. They are going for the please everyone vibe. Anyways we got Eldin ring, BOTW2, new Pokémon next year looks good, an those games to me are pretty big titles.

Yeah I have plenty to play and look forward to.

 

[FritzJ92]

OP should look into GamePass to expand his catalog of games

 

[RavageX]

Well I definitely agree that games are NOT better than ever. Yeah graphics are better these days, but that does not make a good game. Many are shallow, microtransaction focused and want to fit with whatever social trend is going on currently.

 

[tsumake]

Well I definitely agree that games are NOT better than ever. Yeah graphics are better these days, but that does not make a good game. Many are shallow, microtransaction focused and want to fit with whatever social trend is going on currently.

The irony is in twenty years indie devs will make games in the style of a GaaS.

If there are any left…