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[Robb]

 

[twilo99]

So, you are a millennial?

.. unfortunately

 

[Sojiro]

I am 41, so I just missed gen X by less than a year, and I currently play a good mix of MP and SP games, although due to my chaotic schedule of kid's activities it makes me favor SP more. I have always loved playing competitive MP stuff once I got access to a PC, started with Worms 2 ladder leagues, moved to Halo PC and then UT2K4 playing on TCLN (a clan league), and then to competitive TF2 in a 6v6 CEVO league, with a lot of other MP games that I played more casually. Back then I definitely played way more MP with only a few SP game there and there.

Having a family made it difficult to commit to scrims and matches so I went back to mostly SP stuff with Splatoon 3 currently being my main MP game, and a handful of other titles I dabble in here and there. I have played some GaaS games, enjoyed a few of them, but don't much care for it in general, especially with the large collection of games I have to play. I also never bought into MTX and loot boxes much at all, as I would rather apply that money toward buying other games.

Being from the gen I am it's been interesting to see how gaming has evolved since I got into it. I started SP/local co-op with the NES, saw the birth of online gaming, got to be a part of small leagues playing online games competitively, saw consoles enter the online world, watch the rise of mobile, to how things are now. But I do see the divide in tastes between myself and my youngest son (12 y/o), who is all about Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox. I can get him to play some local co-op games, and try to expose him to more single player stuff, but all his school friends play those three games and that is where his interest mostly is ATM. He might grow out of it, my oldest did who also was really into Fortnite and Minecraft in middle school, and now plays a good mix of SP and MP across his switch and PC, but I guess we'll see.

 

[Laptop1991]

I'm neither being older than both unfortunately, but i think like music your influenced by what's popular at the time, Gen Z are more use to MTX and monetization and there are less AAA singleplayer games than the generation before, but there was also MP games in the past as well so it's not one or the other, but if you look at what makes the most money now it's mobile gaming and online microtransaction's and not just the game itself like it was in my time, to me that's not normal to Gen Z it is, although my kids played my games growing up and some of the new modern ones that i won't touch, but even they are not fans of a lot of modern predatory games as well, you get used to what's new at the time.

 

[Hoppa]

Minecraft and Roblox Minecraft and Roblox Minecraft and Roblox and Fortnite and Minecraft and Apex and Minecraft and Fortnite and Apex

 

[10v12]

Maybe I shouldn't admit this here lol but I'm Gen Z (missed the Millennial cutoff by just a couple of years). I also do tutoring, so I happen to know a lot of younger Gen Z people and even a few Gen Alpha's.

As others have stated, Gen Z seems primarily occupied with (competitive) multiplayer games. But what I've also noticed is that NONE of the 30 or so Gen Z's I tutor are interested in getting a console, even though most of them have below a 2070 speced machine (a Gen Alpha kid once said that I was 'weird for playing on a controller because nobody does that'????). My guess is this is probably because streamers/YouTubers are almost always playing on PC (compared to, say, the late 2000's/early 2010's when almost all popular COD players were on the 360).

I honestly think this is going to be a sizable problem for console makers as this demographic starts obtaining purchasing power. To exacerbate things, I've also noticed that of the few students who dabble in single player games, what might be considered 'hardcore' games are always at the forefront of their preferences - like FromSoft games, Monster Hunter etc. They bear no interest in cinematic story-driven experiences that are largely Sony's bread and butter these days.

GTA6 will probably throw a wrench in this pattern (at least until it comes to PC), but yeah, it'll be interesting to see where PC vs Console gaming stands in 10-15 years.

 

[DryvBy]

Back in your days, maps were focussed around movement and nothing else. Decorative elements were few and design level design wasn't miles away from what games have today. Character models were so low in poly that even a kid had an easy job to create them. I know because I did both as kid, model maps and character models just for fun.

Sure, today's tools also offer a lot. But games are closed platforms, modding was replaced by cheat protection and multiplayer games are dominated by mobile devices and consoles. Gaming has become a multi billion mass medium.Logically, such a market attracts new commercialization methods.

Regarding the input: more natural interaction options such as "touch" have logically changed the nature of the medium. Some people just like to live in their past gaming is evolving since the first game and will continue to adapt. My children can use everything, keyboard and mouse, controller, touch. Why? Because they are tools and interaction methods that can be learned, I leave it up to them how they prefer to play. Some people forgot that there was a hugely successful console called Wii, which became a blockbuster through more natural interaction with the medium.

Let's get over the fact that the "grown gamers" are just a loud minority who live with the illusion of having the sovereignty of interpretation over what "real gaming" is.

You wrote too much, sonny.

 

[SNG32]

Maybe I shouldn't admit this here lol but I'm Gen Z (missed the Millennial cutoff by just a couple of years). I also do tutoring, so I happen to know a lot of younger Gen Z people and even a few Gen Alpha's.

As others have stated, Gen Z seems primarily occupied with (competitive) multiplayer games. But what I've also noticed is that NONE of the 30 or so Gen Z's I tutor are interested in getting a console, even though most of them have below a 2070 speced machine (a Gen Alpha kid once said that I was 'weird for playing on a controller because nobody does that'????). My guess is this is probably because streamers/YouTubers are almost always playing on PC (compared to, say, the late 2000's/early 2010's when almost all popular COD players were on the 360).

I honestly think this is going to be a sizable problem for console makers as this demographic starts obtaining purchasing power. To exacerbate things, I've also noticed that of the few students who dabble in single player games, what might be considered 'hardcore' games are always at the forefront of their preferences - like FromSoft games, Monster Hunter etc. They bear no interest in cinematic story-driven experiences that are largely Sony's bread and butter these days.

GTA6 will probably throw a wrench in this pattern (at least until it comes to PC), but yeah, it'll be interesting to see where PC vs Console gaming stands in 10-15 years.

Gen Z are the silent killers of console gaming right now. That’s why Sony and Microsoft are releasing more games to pc and mobile.

 

[Lumyst]

In the warehouse I work in I’ve trained some Gen Z people during peak season and gotten to know some who stuck around too year round, and at least their taste in games is just as you all report in this thread, multiplayer and f2p like Destiny 2, Call of Duty, Fortnite, one kid was into Warframe (and he sounded shocked whenI gave him a rundown of what micro transaction tactics actually mean and how “whales/addicts” fund the game haha). They love PC gaming too. Honestly I’ve come to terms recently that a lot of the sudden change in sensibilities in entertainment were attempts to cater to Gen Z, though many haven’t paid off commercially.

The one thing left I need to verify and if someone on this forum can confirm through their own experience…that Gen Z truly does not see lewdness or revealing character designs or even curvy contours of character designs as amusing or a fun expression of heterosexual attraction, but as demeaning and oppressive to women and would be ashamed of themself for indulging in enjoying it, and see the creators of such designs as wicked and the companies producing it as wicked.

As for what the console manufacturers are doing, Microsoft and Sony have ported games to PC, and Nintendo is putting their IP and characters out into the real world to hopefully be a Trojan horse for kids and families to follow the characters to their game consoles, we’ll see what happens, very fascinating how the alarm bells about mobile gaming and devaluation of full priced gaming actually did turn out valid a generation later from the end of the Xbox 360 PS3 Gen, I still remember the trepidation during the transition to the PS4 Gen but then suddenly there was a lot of success that seemed to indicate those alarm bells were perhaps unfounded, but here we are now.

 

[Spitfire098]

The younger generation are more accepting of playing on mobile.

 

[Lumyst]

I had a coworker whose young child plays Genshin Impact on the iPad, so there actually is a good enough point for graphics too, where enjoyment of the content is more important and even free to play games can satisfy the need for adventure versus having to play a console single player game (speaking of that child playing Genshin Impact with no desire for a console) and we see too from the failed projects of this and last year how focusing on hyper realism and being “next gen” is not a surefire way to commercial success

 

[playsaves3]

Do you think these generations are highly different in tastes?

I noticed gen Z like to play more online games than single player such as Fortnite, GTA Online, Roblox etc. I find that you will probably have more hardcore gamers with Millennials that will play Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Armored Core basically more single player games.

this isnt true im earlier gen z and i primarily play platformers, rpgs, and fighting games

 

[CGNoire]

Gen Z understands what fun is better than millenials.

Millenials grew up in an era of one type of game. Gen Z grew up in an era of competition therefore they understand the medium better. Unfortunately, many old people have hearts that have become hardened against creativity, fun, and innovation.

Thank God for Gen Z in gaming.

Whats your favorite GASS title and what about it brings you the most enjoyment that makes you feel this way?

 

[Hudo]

Do you think these generations are highly different in tastes?

i think the biggest difference I've noticed is that younger people tend to only play one game, which is usually a live-service one. Like MMOs or Minecraft or Fortnite, etc. Back in "my day", we played more games and not just one. Although, I have to say, I also had my WoW-phase, which lasted till the end of WotLK.

 

[Gandih42]

My friends are all late millennials and almost exclusively play online competitive games laden with subscriptions and microtransactions. Either that and/or FIFA. Some even indulge in the speculative skin markets (Counter-Strike weapon skins etc.). As a whole, doesn't yearly FIFA and CoD sales somewhat prove that across generations, multiplayer is and has for a while been the biggest draw for most gamers? It is social, competitive, emergent, and often caters to the lowest common denominator. Everyone can engage with it. I have very little interest in these games, but the value and appeal is obvious even if you didn't grow up with only single player games. This is of course exacerbated by online streaming culture and the always-online life of younger people.

I think the only really 'troubling' part of how the younger generations view and engage with games is how they might be conditioned to be accepting of 'predatory' practises. But this really just applies to anyone getting into gaming late and are not aware of how things might be different (eg. the classic boomer playing Candy Crush example).

 

[YuLY]

Since I dont engage with gen z or alpha that much I didnt realize how bad it was, that they dont even know how to use a controller.

The latest news on twitter regarding all these layoffs in the industry and lack of growth in console market made me investigate a bit and yea, it is pretty dire and as the years go by, it will only get worse as Gen X and Millennials get off the gaming train.

I think we might have about 1 more decade of traditional games, as in single player core games, after that they will be super niche. They wont disappear for good, nothing ever does, but yea, at least on AAA scale, we got 1 more decade at best tbh. Heres hoping we get one more Deus Ex and some new IP like Mass Effect before shit hits the fan, so I can be content with the library I've gathered before not much else will be coming out.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

I did Gen Z gaming once, didn’t shit right for a week afterwards.

 

[jm89]

Good thing is we still have decades worth of gaming that we can fall back on when the next generation burn it all down.

The other thing that is driving their diarrhea infested taste in video games, is YouTube.

They get heavily influenced by whatever these YouTubers are playing. And alot of the times it's stuff like GTA online.

 

[Power Pro]

I'm not sure about tastes. I think it's easy to blame gen z on being susceptible to predatory monetary systems in games, but gen z is poor and millennials actually have money to spend in order to eat shit.

What I do know is that younger kids are growing up not knowing how to use a controller.

JFC, future of gaming is so fucked...I feel like I should be saving the backlog now for when gaming as I know is dead.

 

[zokie]

regardless of old fans or new fans from Gen Z , i will stay away once there are signs of disrespect
i once walked away from a conversation that " Character/Monster designs by Aikra Toriyama are always the same "

 

[Dane]

Honestly I don't think I ever interacted with one, from what i've noticed is that they are all into GaaS games because they're free or dirt cheap to buy and keep getting updated, back in our days you had to release a sequel, and then another IP would replace it, like we went from Quake and Unreal up to Tournament 2004 to Halo, Battlefield and Counter Strike, then Call of Duty was added to the mix but today only the latter two are still religiously played.

Then there's the side that is completely dumbfounded with PC and consoles, for them its alien technology. They never had to use in their lives.

 

[Audiophile]

Gen Z: "Look, colours! Ding Ding!"

 

[Last Hearth]

My neice counts as Gen Z. When she was in her early teens she played stuff on the PC like The Sims. Now that she's in college she plays mostly on the Switch.

 

[lh032]

Tbf, kids are getting dumber these days

 

[rabbity-thing]

Lotta gatekeeping up in this biz.

Y'all game however you please. I don't care.

 

[TNT Sheep]

Depending on the cutoff year I am either a late millennial or early gen Zer, but I can attest to my younger siblings and cousins being more into multiplayer games (CoD, Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite).

One of them, aged 13, has been playing Roblox religiously for the past 5 years or so. I did overhear him possibly wanting a ps4/ps5, but based on his other dust-collecting hand-me-down consoles I doubt he will be playing for long.

 

[Kataploom]

That's obvious for any person interacting with gen Z, but the same thing apply to many late millennials, many play casually or dedicatedly specific online games like League of legends or World of Warcraft and goddamn if you try to take them away from it. Hell, back in the day those were the same that wouldn't play anything but FIFA and counter strike.

Thing is: They play those games because that's what their circles play and they just want to get in the loop.

 

[FunkMiller]

Games by generation:

Gen X: Dark Souls.

Millennials: Something with lots of difficulty levels that don't make them cry.

Gen Z: I don't know. Making digital soy fucking lattes and having a nervous breakdown, probably.

 

[Braag]

I think a lot of gen z players will play different stuff as they grow older.
I used to love WoW and only played that for years and years when I was in my teens and 20s. Now in my 30s I can't stand MMOs, neither do I have the time for them.

 

[TNT Sheep]

That's obvious for any person interacting with gen Z, but the same thing apply to many late millennials, many play casually or dedicatedly specific online games like League of legends or World of Warcraft and goddamn if you try to take them away from it.

I guess it also boils down to whether or not you have been exposed to online gaming from an early age. I didn't have my own pc/internet connection till around 12, so I have had plenty of time to get attached to single player games.

 

[Pejo]

I am 100% convinced that current day publishers are just trying to not go bankrupt and bide their time while they wait for 2nd half Zoomers to become the primary gaming demographic. They've been taught their whole lives so far to not complain about anything, just CONSOOM. They don't mind lootboxes, GaaS, and unfinished games patched later. They're fine with and encouraging of shoehorned diversity and various levels of lifestyle and identity degeneracy while also being 100% fine with the new standard of "safe horny" like FFVII:Rebirth Tifa's swimsuit that made all the soyboys and teens go

Essentially publishers and gaming companies have been grooming Zoomers to be the perfect customer for the past 10 years and I don't see anything stopping that train after they enter the workforce and have disposable income.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Gen X survivor of the console crash and a veteran of the 16-bit wars.

You’re all the same to me.

 

[Bert Big Balls]

I'm a millennial and have always preferred single player games personally. Two of my friends who are slightly older just play online stuff together and don't really touch single player stuff. They do it more for the social aspect, and aren't fussed particularly about what the game is. Which I do find a bit mad really, but to each their own.

Every time I try to get into a multiplayer game with friends I lose interest pretty quickly. I prefer to just play what I want to play at my own pace, and not just play something because that's what they're playing at the time.

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

OP definition of "hardcore" is off. Spending 2k hours in Fortnite and punching your dad while screaming racial slurs at him for cutting your WiFi is a lot more hardcore than me leaving the arcade pissed off after wasting my three quarters.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

I thought this was gonna be an informed post with some institute survey data showing some surprising results.

Instead, the OP just wants to have a chinwag about personal anecdotes. Sorry, I'm out.

 

[RickSanchez]

First of all gen z are sort of pussies. They come along and suddenly all men are wearing leggings. I'm sure yoga pants for men are next. I feel like Pete Wentz started it.

Also, suddenly men are supposed to have feelings and it's more than OK to cry. Meanwhile women are wondering why guys aren't hitting on them anymore.

Anywho they wouldn't know good gaming if it smacked them in the face.

Gen Z understands what fun is better than millenials.

Millenials grew up in an era of one type of game. Gen Z grew up in an era of competition therefore they understand the medium better. Unfortunately, many old people have hearts that have become hardened against creativity, fun, and innovation.

Thank God for Gen Z in gaming.

 

[RickSanchez]

I'm a milennial (late 30s). I exclusively play single player. No multiplayer (co-op, pvp, pve, etc) for me, at all, whatsoever.

I have absolutely no idea what kids play nowadays, but if i had to guess, i have a feeling it is a microtransaction-ridden, free-to-play, pay-to-win, live-service, mmo hellscape. Or atleast, it would be a hellscape for me.

 

[Party McHardy]

Xillenial here. I don’t have the time or the attention span for anything except get-in get-out experiences. My backlog is testament to this.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

I'll always buy one and done games. I like to pay only once for each game. That's why single player games will always be my main thing. Millenial, 35 years old of course.

I still remember one time i played i think it was Need For Speed or Burnout game...maybe on PS3? Early PS4 gen? Not sure...anyway...it was a PS Plus game. I was running around on that huge map and i was hit by an invisible wall saying i had to pay for that part of the map. It was so idiotic to me that i started to actually laugh out loud. Uninstalled the game and never went back to it.

My opinion on these practises hasn't changed and never will.Never spent a single euro on Fortnite as well.

 

[mdkirby]

Do you think these generations are highly different in tastes?

I noticed gen Z like to play more online games than single player such as Fortnite, GTA Online, Roblox etc. I find that you will probably have more hardcore gamers with Millennials that will play Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Armored Core basically more single player games.

Honestly I think it’s mostly an age thing. When your young and you and your friends don’t have many responsibilities it’s much easier to play games with your friends. As you get older, wives, kids, work etc not just for you, but all your friends, mean organising to play together as a group is next to impossible. Those games require a lot of intense attention, but you’re knackered. Your wife is also sat on the sofa. Online games demand huge amount of time investment too. It just then becomes both much easier, and much more acceptable to put on a 30 hour single player game, play through it in your own time. Much more acceptable for a partner too, as you take over the tele, to have a story like the last of us play out than have you replay the same shooty shooty over and over and over again, probably with a headset on chatting to friends that aren’t there and ignoring your partner. As people get older their tastes also mature, they often striving for a more meaningful story than just “dumb shooty shooty silly fun”.

So whilst I expect the tolerance for microtransactions in GenZ is prob lower and they may be more accepting of GAAS, I don’t think it will have an overly meaningful impact on typical demographic age trends/tastes.

 

[gaming_again]

OP definition of "hardcore" is off. Spending 2k hours in Fortnite and punching your dad while screaming racial slurs at him for cutting your WiFi is a lot more hardcore than me leaving the arcade pissed off after wasting my three quarters.

This gives me hope for the next generation.

 

[Ozzie666]

Wait a second, is the bottom left guy Colt Eastwood? I can’t Unsee it now.

 

[Krappadizzle]

I think the prevalence in online gaming with Gen-Z correlates to to ubiquitous nature of social media being ingrained into the fabric of Gen-Z. It's fun for them when all there friends that are online get to see something cool they've done in something online and can easily share that via Twitter/Youtube/Twitch/etc. Being conditioned from a younger age for MT's also helps them feed that "look at me" perspective most have without having to put in as much hard work or time.

I'm a Millennial and I tend to shy away from strictly VS. mp games as I just don't care about the sweaty competition with strangers. I'll play them with buddies and what not if they want, but I wouldn't choose those types of games of my own volition. Co-op and single-player are my bread and butter.

 

[sigmaZ]

I would say that there's a lot more quirky, spastic and comfort, a e s t h e t i c stuff.

 

[SportsFan581]

Interesting which I think this aspect is making gaming less enticing for the older generations like Millennials, Generation X and some boomers.

That's a narrative I think many companies have decided to try and sell hard. It gives cover for bad press about the direction of releases (it's just the old gamers that don't like it).

If that narrative were completely true, so many of these live service games wouldn't be tanking. The hard truth so far is that the overwhelming majority of these live service efforts can't find an audience and aren't valued by gamers in the slightest.

 

[RickSanchez]

I'll always buy one and done games. I like to pay only once for each game. That's why single player games will always be my main thing. Millenial, 35 years old of course.

Are you me ? LoL i can relate to this so much. Our generation grew up discovering games by browsing the big boxes at the local store. Then you brought home the CD, installed it and that was it. There was no internet connection needed, no updates, patches, hotfixes. You paid once then you played till the CD wore away.

I couldn't fathom spending money inside a game back then, i can barely fathom it now.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Beats me, I'm gen x.

 

[Madflavor]

.. unfortunately

What? Millennials had the best childhoods. Mid 80s to Early 2000s was an incredible time to grow up.

 

[Mr Wonderstuff]

Nah Gen X - we created your hobby.

 

[BossLackey]

Not to be another old man yelling at cloud, but I'm finding that younger generations have pretty trash test.

Certainly there are exceptions, but damn. Some of the shit I see teenagers playing is alarmingly bad.