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[Rahxephon91]

this generation has been amazing I don't know how you can even entertain the taught that it was disappointing

Pretty easily.

And I don't even see anything that great about handhelds. Yes, I've enjoyed some of the Falcom games, but they aren't enough for me to justify the PSP. And I traded my DS in and I doubt I missed much outside of TWEY. I really don't get the "things are on handheld" thing.

 

[realalbedo]

Well, handheld is cool and everyting, but i like my japanese games looking not worse than on PS2 at least. How can i play something like Srange Journey in 8 years after Nocturne!

 

[MasterSheen]

I don't get how you put that the 6th gen had greatly improved graphics over 5th gen yet you say that 7th only had moderately improved graphics over 6th gen, even though this gen transitioned from SD to HD, sans the Wii.
As for your question, this gen was definitely an improvement over last. The introduction of online play and motion controls were indeed revolutionary.

 

[nincompoop]

The regression in framerate quality (at least for the vast majority of PS3 and 360 games) is the main reason why this gen was such a huge letdown for those systems. Who gives a shit about added graphical effects when low framerates resulted in games which looked worse in motion than last-gen's most impressive games?

 

[NBtoaster]

Of the past three gens, this is clearly the best.

 

[Tashi]

This generation was probably my favorite, besides my Wii. I do love my 360 though. Wish I was into my PS3 more but I really loved MGS4. GT5 was a letdown. PGR was my favorite racing series this gen. Soo good. Damn, this was a great generation. Halo 3, ODST and Reach <3<3 StarCraft 2 <3 Street Fighter IV <3. I had a lot of fun.

edit: Am I the only one who doesn't really give a fuck about graphics? So many gaming side threads discuss graphics so heavily. Jeez.

 

[Finaika]

The regression in framerate quality (at least for the vast majority of PS3 and 360 games) is the main reason why this gen was such a huge letdown for those systems. Who gives a shit about added graphical effects when low framerates resulted in games which looked worse in motion than last-gen's most impressive games?

This. What happened to 60fps games?

Also screen tearing.

 

[Mr_Appleby]

The regression in framerate quality (at least for the vast majority of PS3 and 360 games) is the main reason why this gen was such a huge letdown for those systems. Who gives a shit about added graphical effects when low framerates resulted in games which looked worse in motion than last-gen's most impressive games?

pfft, you clearly never played The Hobbit, which measured it's frame rate in minutes.

 

[NomadFH]

Previous generations: large collection of distinct games with cult followings, with a few blockbusters.

Current gen: Blockbusters, flops, and "it did really good considering its low budget".

 

[Data West]

This. What happened to 60fps games?

Also screen tearing.

Driver: San Fran, for one.

 

[Coxy]

great generation if you like JRPGs, bad generation if you think you like JRPGs but actually only like Square Enix console games.
PSO2 is going to utterly destroy me soon too.

I've really enjoyed the rebirth of fighting games too and other similar online competitive games like Gundam Extreme VS are amazing and could never have had the kind of communities that have sprung up this gen

 

[HigherLevel]

This generation was probably my favorite, besides my Wii. I do love my 360 though. Wish I was into my PS3 more but I really loved MGS4. GT5 was a letdown. PGR was my favorite racing series this gen. Soo good. Damn, this was a great generation. Halo 3, ODST and Reach <3<3 StarCraft 2 <3 Street Fighter IV <3. I had a lot of fun.

edit: Am I the only one who doesn't really give a fuck about graphics? So many gaming side threads discuss graphics so heavily. Jeez.

Gameplay over graphics all day. I like to enjoy my games rather than analyze the number of pixels with a magnifying glass.

 

[Mxrz]

I hate these threads. I'll never understand the nostalgia blinders some people carry. It seems like they always narrow it down to a specific list or mindset and ignore everything outside of that.

Games have never been cheaper, and there's never been as much variety out there. I can't think of any genre I haven't purchased/played this gen. Indie development really took off thanks to Steam/psn/live. Multiplayer on consoles finally worked right for more than just fps. And barely improved graphics? Good grief.

Overall, I've purchased more games this gen than any other, and generally been more satisfied with them.

 

[GoofsterStud]

I don't think there has been a new Space Harrier in 10 years, and unfortunately, I don't think there is a way to hook a 3DS up to a TV.

I think it was called Planet Harriers, I play it when I go to Dave and Busters with friends.

You guys have a valid point with Steam and GoG
Dungeon Defenders
Trine 2
Limbo
Bastion
Torchlight

Maybe it depresses me that I enjoy most of these indie games more then high budget titles. Without them this generation would of been a complete bust for me.

 

[JacksUsername]

The real leap in this generation has been less about tech and more about building platforms. Party chat, achievement/high score sharing, and applications have all evolved in ways that no one would have expected 7 years ago.

I do find the games themselves to be a little lackluster. Once we hit the three year mark or so, everyone started just borrowing the best practices of other games, and so many of them feel interchangeable now. For example, almost every FPS that comes out now is based off the Call of Duty model, which was a great model, but now it's just done to death.

It's more of a personal taste issue, but I used to love RPG's, and besides the Witcher, there have been very few that have grabbed me. I enjoyed Dragon's Age, but just as I'm sick of the same J-RPG tropes, I'm also tired of the same western fantasy RPG tropes. Mass Effect was a nice change of pace, but I really disliked the direction they took with the second one.

The real gems have been the platformers and indie games. Mirror's Edge, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Meat Boy are probably my favorite games of the past generation. I also got into fighting games for the first time, to the point that I bought a huge Hori fighting stick. So the resurgence of the genre was welcomed.

Overall, it's not a bad generation by any means, but I think it's an easily forgettable one at the same time. Since digital platforms will always be evolving, these generational leaps will feel like nothing in the next 6 years, and when we're left to just analyze the games themselves, and we look at those predictable spawning enemies in Call of Duty, the generic characters with no personality in Skyrim, and the repetitive environments of Skyward Sword, these game's successors with leave few remarkable memories to keep.

That is, of course, unless you're young and this is one of the first generations you really got into games. In that case, it will always stick with you.

 

[Arkam]

This generation was amazing! Online capabilities were finally realized in home consoles, in game visuals reached surreal levels. The only thing I was disappointed about was that loading times were not eliminated. I would much prefer less of a boost in game visuals if it meant ZERO load screens.

 

[GavinGT]

Best generation ever, in my opinion.

 

[Conciliator]

I think it was called Planet Harriers, I play it when I go to Dave and Busters with friends.

You guys have a valid point with Steam and GoG
Dungeon Defenders
Trine 2
Limbo
Bastion
Torchlight

Maybe it depresses me that I enjoy most of these indie games more then high budget titles. Without them this generation would of been a complete bust for me.

Hell, that just means gaming is now cheaper too. More reason to rejoice.

 

[cacildo]

Games these days dont respect the game over screen.

You die, you just respawn a few inches back. Where´s the challenge?

You may be the biggest moron in the world, but if you have enough time, you can finish any modern game.

Old games were hard as hell. And when you finally got to finish one of em, it was a single "Contragulaitons" screen.

This next gen better put some challenge to it. And also, make better ending sequences, and make those stupid trophies/achievements worth something, anything! So when you finish a game you can really remember and take something out of it!

 

[EatinOlives]

This. What happened to 60fps games?

Also screen tearing.

It went to PC.

Seriously, if you're concerned a lot about framerate (there's nothing wrong with that, I am ), it's a great idea to invest in a capable PC. Silky smooth framerates and native resolution displays are really underrated and downright neglected in the console side of things

 

[SykoTech]

Motion controls alone make this the most disappointing generation ever, going by consoles at least. So much failed potential.

Not sure if I'd say worst ever. But yeah, motion controls were a huge pain in the neck. So much waggle where it didn't need to be.

 

[GoofsterStud]

Hell, that just means gaming is now cheaper too. More reason to rejoice.

But it also means I'm playing games that really could of been done on the PS2 as well.

 

[AZ Greg]

This has probably been my favorite generation since the SNES days. I'm multiplayer first, so the maturation of online, the return of fighters, the quality racers ranging from arcade to simulation, and the high number of quality co-op games have been great. XBLA/PSN/Indie games have been awesome too. Lot to like from the DS/PSP as well.

I'll gladly give up cliched JRPGs and contrived story based single-player games that make soap opera writing look good if it means more of what we got this generation in terms of multiplayer gaming.

 

[GavinGT]

Motion controls alone make this the most disappointing generation ever, going by consoles at least. So much failed potential.

The concept of motion controls is awesome. It's just that the execution hasn't been great thus far.

 

[Anth0ny]

It went to PC.

Seriously, if you're concerned a lot about framerate (there's nothing wrong with that, I am ), it's a great idea to invest in a capable PC. Silky smooth framerates and native resolution displays are really underrated and downright neglected in the console side of things

Dark Souls ain't on PC =(

 

[Bjoern the Smexy]

I don't think that this generation is worse than the last on .
The amount of games I bought this generation alone is more than I bought in any of the previous generations.
There's been a huge amount of great games that I haven't seen since the SNES/Genesis era.
I don't judge a console generation by the improvements over the last one, but by the amount of good games that I buy.
There were also many new IPs this generation: Assassin's Creed, Bioshock, Xenoblade, Viva Pinata, Uncharted, Rock Band, BlazBlue, Gears of War, No More Heroes, Portal and so many others, almost all of which were really good. All of them probably wouldn't have survived the last generation where everything seemed to be about milking the cash cow franchises which still happened in this generation as well, but not at the same scale as the last one.

TL;DR: This generation was awesome due to high quality games.

 

[AdventureRacing]

I'm not sure yet. I will say that i have pretty much been pushed to PC gaming exclusively so that probably says something. There are certainly less 'great' games for me this generation.

In general i don't see that many games that i will be playing for years to come. I have still enjoyed this generation and at its best there have been some incredible games that wouldn't have been possible before this gen.

 

[Araxen]

It was a letdown for me. The hardware this generation has been so shoddy. The Wii is the only console this gen not to suffer from a ton of hardware failures. The 360/PS3 are a complete joke when it comes to hardware reliability. It is so sad that a lot of people have laughed this part off.

 

[SuperDowns]

Nostalgia.

.

 

[Data West]

But it also means I'm playing games that really could of been done on the PS2 as well.

Doubt it. Those small teams didn't have XNA back in the day, and good luck playing Dungeon Defenders on PS2 era PSN

 

[Tain]

+2D games starting to make a comeback at the end. (Rayman - Origins HD showed 2D is viable, Blaz Blue HD, Limbo, Bastion - Nariations HD) Still no real improvements to game-play or depth have been added.

lol, no way dude. No way.

 

[entremet]

Heck no. I got back into gaming because of all the great stuff this generation.

I found last gen Dreamcast/PS2/Xbox/GC to be my most disappointing.

 

[Conciliator]

But it also means I'm playing games that really could of been done on the PS2 as well.

Most of the 'AAA' games are the same really...they wouldn't look as good, but neither would a Trine 2, Bastion or Limbo.

I'm honestly ready for the indie gaming scene to become established enough that it can be the meat of my gaming, including PC niche gaming, like Paradox, SpiderWeb, etc.(it might be the majority already). I won't miss modern military shooters or generic medieval fantasy worlds a bit.

 

[EatinOlives]

Dark Souls ain't on PC =(

And that is what hurts the most :'(

 

[nincompoop]

It went to PC.

Seriously, if you're concerned a lot about framerate (there's nothing wrong with that, I am ), it's a great idea to invest in a capable PC. Silky smooth framerates and native resolution displays are really underrated and downright neglected in the console side of things

That's what I did, but I would have loved to play games like Uncharted, Infamous and Little Big Planet at 60 fps.

 

[Semblance]

This gen gave me Bayonetta and Fallout: New Vegas, so it's okay in my book.

The lows have been pretty low though. DLC, expensive console games, studios dropping left and right, etc.

 

[outunderthestars]

The best gen if you like shooters.

The worst gen if you like JRPGs.

Buy a psp.

 

[Ozzykamikaze]

Best generation so far, imo. I expect next generation to be even better. I don't think I've ever experienced a gen where it did not improve over the one before it. Been playing since Atari, I don't remember which one.

 

[Chemo]

This is my favorite generation ever. I've gotten more out of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls than I've ever gotten out of gaming before. (Just to note, I'm 30 years old, so I have participated in all of the generations extensively.)

 

[Rahxephon91]

Buy a psp.

And play what?

Falcom Games? Sure, pretty good.

Ports? Ok Yeah, classics are classics.

Square games? I guess Crisis Core is good, but not mainline FF game good.

What else? A bunch of middling c-grade rpgs? Nothing real close to the PS2 gen greats.

 

[kitzkozan]

If you're a japanese game fan I can see why this generation would blow.

But it's been a solid one. Game complexity went down a bit in the RPG category but the rest of the generation has been pretty good.

Also I have to question the moderately improved graphics part. Play Jak 2 (the original, not the HD remake) and then Uncharted 3.

I expect next generation to be absolutely dreadful though.

It seems the op is a japanese game fan mostly, so it's understandable he would be thinking about dropping out of gaming.

Since I am nowhere near as high as I was on japanese games back in the PS2 era, I have an objective look at this era and I find it great although flawed. More interesting from a multiplayer point of view and the return of classic PC series like: Starcraft, Diablo, Counter Strike. Cd Projekt is a really promising wrpg developer and there's ton of upcoming talent from the west. Japan is getting weaker, but it was bound to happen given:

- rising cost of development mean the niche and "weird" japanese game has to sell and it become a great financial risk
- japanese gamers losing interest in the HD consoles and opting for portable hardware
- japanese population is going to recede in the next couple of decades (the projection is from 128 million to 87 by 2060) , so there's going to be less fresh talent in the japanese gaming industry

 

[def sim]

This generation is fine, I enjoy it.

 

[Fracas]

This generation is fine, I enjoy it.

I agree, I see nothing wrong with this generation

Spoiler

except for Call of Duty

 

[mboojigga]

Even though I just love to play PC and videogames, I would say this has been the best time for me in the last few years. My kids are older and are allowed to play the games I play and my wife also enjoys playing Horde Mode, Reach, COD and Kinect. The fact that we can find something additional to do as a family has been great.

 

[NZA36]

Japan is definitely my biggest reason to be depressed with the state of gaming. I grew up on the 16-bit era. I can't help it. Things are actually amazing right now if you prefer western games. Though I love Battlefield 3 on PC, I really needed the Wii to be like a Dreamcast on steroids.

 

[GoofsterStud]

To be fair this next year has more titles I've wanted then the rest of this generation:
Guild Wars 2
Torch Light 2
Journey
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
The Last Guardian
The Last of Us - Assuming it truly is Survival Horror
Kingdom of Hearts 3
The 2D Mario game
Dragons Crown

That doesn't mean they won't be let downs.

 

[okenny]

Followed by:
PS3/Xbox360/Wii
+Moderately Improved Graphics (sometimes PS2 games emulated with higher internal resolutions and filter effects looks as good)
-Game length decreased (Old rpgs had more interesting stories and more hours)
-The end of multiple genres
+2D games starting to make a comeback at the end. (Rayman - Origins HD showed 2D is viable, Blaz Blue HD, Limbo, Bastion - Nariations HD) Still no real improvements to game-play or depth have been added.
+The age of gimmicky controllers, though a lot of times this ruined games.
-Game story/development seemed to lower for graphics
-No real revolutionary improvements in gameplay
-New technology didn't push new innovative games that couldn't of really been done before (with the exception of visuals)

What the hell is this bullshit? You are entitled to your own opinions and all but give people a little more credit. This list looks like it was put together by some who started from a conclusion and then tried to build an argument around it and ended up failing hard. I think there's an argument [read: accusation] you really want to make here that you're hoping some else will make sense of.

 

[Anth0ny]

This is my favorite generation ever. I've gotten more out of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls than I've ever gotten out of gaming before. (Just to note, I'm 30 years old, so I have participated in all of the generations extensively.)

Well, I'll give it Dark Souls.

Also, the Galaxy games, the Portals, Pokemon Black/White, Street Fighter IV, Marvel 3 and... Red Dead Redemption I guess. I'm probably forgetting a few.

There are definitely good games this gen, don't get me wrong. But damn near every franchise I loved from last gen or earlier has been shit on this gen. If not shit on, totally disappointing.

I also don't give a single fuck about any of these "AAA games", and I kinda wish I did, cause they just keep shitting them out every year!

 

[bounchfx]

not at all.

 

[def sim]

I agree, I see nothing wrong with this generation

Spoiler

except for Call of Duty

What's wrong with CoD? Though the series has lost me with their latest entry, I understand why it's capable of selling the numbers it generates and is largely harmless to my enjoyment of other games.