What ONE change would you bring to GAF to get more Zoomers while keeping the Bommers happy?

Would you like more younger GAF users to join our community?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Undecided

Results are only viewable after voting.
Success

Success

Member
EviLore tasks you to bring in more young users to GAF, however he wants to keep the veteran GAF users also happy.

Back in the day, forums were dominated with us bommers in our teens. Now the average age of a GAF user is 30+.

Let's get the young gamers to see the same joy in video game forums as we had.

So, what ONE change would you bring to GAF to get more Zoomers while keeping the Bommers happy?
 
With the vast majority playing terrible mobile games, and their terrible skibidi memes. It might be a good thing they don't hang out here.

diffusionx said:
make a discord channel? Zoomers don't post on forums
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That's because forums are too slow. You need that immediate feedback and dopamine hit. Add to it the Tiktoc attention span.
 
SScorpio said:
With the vast majority playing terrible mobile games, and their terrible skibidi memes. It might be a good thing they don't hang out here.


That's because forums are too slow. You need that immediate feedback and dopamine hit. Add to it the Tiktoc attention span.
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There was/is a GAF Discord.

How would you make the Discord work for both Zommers and Bommers?
 
With our current community, for a multitude of reasons, this won't happen. However, I'll put a single reason for fun:

Embracement of the games that younger gamers are having fun with.

For example, people here actually trying out games like Peak, or Lethal Company, or other types of similar, new online experiences rather than shunning them.
 
ZehDon said:
I'm honestly a bit too old to know, but Topher Topher 's hip with the youth, I'm sure he'll have your answers.
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Angry Clint Eastwood GIF
 
Success said:
EviLore tasks you to bring in more young users to GAF, however he wants to keep the veteran GAF users also happy.

Back in the day, forums were dominated with us bommers in our teens. Now the average age of a GAF user is 30+.

Let's get the young gamers to see the same joy in video game forums as we had.

So, what ONE change would you bring to GAF to get more Zoomers while keeping the Bommers happy?
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Open an official NeoGAF TikTok account with videos featuring girls from the #BustMust thread.
 
March Climber said:
With our current community, for a multitude of reasons, this won't happen. However, I'll put a single reason for fun:

Embracement of the games that younger gamers are having fun with.

For example, people here actually trying out games like Peak, or Lethal Company, or other types of similar, new online experiences rather than shunning them.
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They love stuff like Peak and REPO but nothing will get them off discord and into a forum really.
 
Success said:
Are you able to list some of them?
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I don't, because someone else was banned a while back for doing so. Although the difference between myself and that poster is that I genuinely like this site and I have just accepted it's permanent rough edges.

I'll just say this: It can be very apparent on this site when someone is having a bad day, or at worse, currently going through a negative part of their life. Because those individuals will use this forum as an emotional outlet and post quite often, it can sometimes cause a 'misery loves company' spiraling effect that drags other users down into a similar experience.

Imagine you are a zoomer having innocent fun with video games (like my nieces and nephews), and in the rare chance you happen to discover this site and see the above, including tons of discussions where people are discussing how much better the past was. Realistically, what do you think they would do? How do you think they would view this site?
 
March Climber said:
Imagine you are a zoomer having innocent fun with video games (like my nieces and nephews), and in the rare chance you happen to discover this site and see the above, including tons of discussions where people are discussing how much better the past was. Realistically, what do you think they would do? How do you think they would view this site?
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Us on this site:
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March Climber said:
I don't, because someone else was banned a while back for doing so. Although the difference between myself and that poster is that I genuinely like this site and I have just accepted it's permanent rough edges.

I'll just say this: It can be very apparent on this site when someone is having a bad day, or at worse, currently going through a negative part of their life. Because those individuals will use this forum as an emotional outlet and post quite often, it can sometimes cause a 'misery loves company' spiraling effect that drags other users down into a similar experience.

Imagine you are a zoomer having innocent fun with video games (like my nieces and nephews), and in the rare chance you happen to discover this site and see the above, including tons of discussions where people are discussing how much better the past was. Realistically, what do you think they would do? How do you think they would view this site?
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Interesting, I did not consider the constant nostalgia threads on GAF. Back when I was a teen on a forum, I never liked it when old people talked about gaming eras I was not even born in or very young. Or when old gamers talk big about old games that looked old.

This has got me thinking that we would need something like Neo NeoGAF website/discord to have a place which just caters to the young gamers and eventually let Old Gaf die and eventually death while cultivating New Gaf.

In a weird way, we need another reinvention of GAF on Discord for the Zoomers.

Thank you for your insightful thoughts March Climber March Climber
 
Success said:
Interesting, I did not consider the constant nostalgia threads on GAF. Back when I was a teen on a forum, I never liked it when old people talked about gaming eras I was not even born in or very young. Or when old gamers talk big about old games that looked old.

This has got me thinking that we would need something like Neo NeoGAF website/discord to have a place which just caters to the young gamers and eventually let Old Gaf die and eventually death while cultivating New Gaf.

In a weird way, we need another reinvention of GAF on Discord for the Zoomers.
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I don't know about all of that man...the best thing I try to do here is share new games and encourage people to participate in certain threads (like the 52 games thread), game recommendation threads, and OTs, because usually those tend to be more full of helpful posters and people sharing their experiences playing games.

I also do my part by sharing upcoming games and trailers from time to time. My hope is simply that through all of the people putting down a game trailer, that maybe someone out there sees it and wishlists it. I really do enjoy gaming that much. It is what it is 🤷‍♂️

It took me a while but I think I understand why IbizaPocholo IbizaPocholo posts the things that he posts. Never more, never less.
 
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Zoomers aren't going to come to an obsolete platform like an Internet forum

Everyone here's an old timer whose time has long passed. All we can do make sure we raise our kids to appreciate real games instead of just phone games. That's our job now
 
March Climber said:
I don't know about all of that man...the best thing I try to do here is share new games and encourage people to participate in certain threads (like the 52 games thread), game recommendation threads, and OTs, because usually those tend to be more full of helpful posters and people sharing their experiences playing games.

I also do my part by sharing upcoming games and trailers from time to time. My hope is simply that through all of the people putting down a game trailer, that maybe someone out there sees it and wishlists it. I really do enjoy gaming that much. It is what it is 🤷‍♂️

It took me a while but I think I understand why IbizaPocholo IbizaPocholo posts the things that he posts. Never more, never less.
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At least you are doing your part.

Even seeing the poll is quite disheartening.

I naively thought that most members would be up for having younger gamers around here.

We really need a Discord GAF or somewhere else to start fresh with younger gamers. This place is too hostile for the new generation.
 
They don't play games like we do. I see it in my own kid. He's 13 and 95% of his time is Fortnite and Roblox. That's what the streamers and YouTubers of his age group are into, that's what his friends are into, so that's what he's into.

I got him his own PS5 that's in his room on a 50" TV, we have hundreds of games on our account that he could download, but he chooses to play fucking Roblox...

*sigh*
 
GAF as a forum has no chance, regretfully. Youngsters are not interested in forums and as you can see members are not interested in having a refresh. Most members it pains me to say have no capability of self reflection and won't let new ideas and approaches be a part of their hobby.

I think GAF should have a podcast and should do tiktoks somehow. I think there are a lot of insights that we can share for the new generation. There are youngsters out there that can discuss and bring fresh ideas, just as there were people that could create and participate in good discussions back when gaf was king and the crappy discussions were happening in game gamefaqs.

That can happen only if we accept gaming no longer belongs to us. I've been around for maybe 20 years or so and it pains me sometimes how the community dismisses new trends, often without trying them.

I'm planning to be here until the community dies but I'd love if we could leave something for the next generations other than futile resistance.
 
rm082e said:
They don't play games like we do. I see it in my own kid. He's 13 and 95% of his time is Fortnite and Roblox. That's what the streamers and YouTubers of his age group are into, that's what his friends are into, so that's what he's into.

I got him his own PS5 that's in his room on a 50" TV, we have hundreds of games on our account that he could download, but he chooses to play fucking Roblox...

*sigh*
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Same with my kids... until the eldest got hooked on demon souls. He is into fifa right now but I put some effort in exposing them to new things.
 
We would get several threads a day of bullshit like "How can i get my Xbox One to play PS4 games", or "How to get free credit in Roblox". I know this because my friends zoomer kids ask me these dumb questions.
 
El Muerto said:
We would get several threads a day of bullshit like "How can i get my Xbox One to play PS4 games", or "How to get free credit in Roblox". I know this because my friends zoomer kids ask me these dumb questions.
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They are not that stupid just the same as the kind of people that post here is not representative of the general population.
 
Forums are outdated but era skews younger. Moderation on here could be better on some of the locker room shit as the next generation is more egalitarian. That would drive away or ban some people here but it would bring more people in. I've seen two notable posters leave because guys are allowed to be so rough on the gaybros. And there are practically no women at all.

It wouldn't have to be "woke". Just more civilized. Acting like an adolescent of the 90's/2000's in middle age is part of the charm though. Have to admit.
 
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A.Romero said:
That can happen only if we accept gaming no longer belongs to us. I've been around for maybe 20 years or so and it pains me sometimes how the community dismisses new trends, often without trying them.

I'm planning to be here until the community dies but I'd love if we could leave something for the next generations other than futile resistance.
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Those are such good points. It is dawning on me just how much general GAF members resist new things and have no like for how younger gamers game.


Crayon said:
Forums are outdated but era skews younger. Moderation on here could be better on some of the locker room shit as the next generation is more egalitarian. That would drive away or ban some people here but it would bring more people in. I've seen two notable posters leave because guys are allowed to be so rough on the gaybros. And there are practically no women at all.

It wouldn't have to be "woke". Just more civilized. Acting like an adolescent of the 90's/2000's in middle age is part of the charm though. Have to admit.
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This is another thing I did not consider. GAF now is basically the old skool GFAQS forums, while it used to be more friendly to diversity before the split.
 
Your profile levels up as you gain experience posting and doing various actions on the website. Rewards for leveling could be customisable things for your profile and banner.

Think Steam point store. But instead of having to buy, you would need to post or maybe even when buying gold.
 
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Maybe OTs could have sub folders, with top games for different platforms pinned in same order as activity charts. If there's some way to track actual charts that way. Might make ots more findable / active for people.
 
March Climber said:
With our current community, for a multitude of reasons, this won't happen. However, I'll put a single reason for fun:

Embracement of the games that younger gamers are having fun with.

For example, people here actually trying out games like Peak, or Lethal Company, or other types of similar, new online experiences rather than shunning them.
Click to expand...
I tried Peak today for the first time. Solo offline mode, which is probably why I didn't find it appealing.
 
Forums should evolve to be more like Discord while still having the appearance of a forum.

So it looks like a chat box but allows for thread creation and those threads allow for 100 conversations per page.

I call it DicForum™️
 
Boomers? Do we even have any 70 year olds here...?
I thought we was mainly Millennials with a few Gen Xers being the oldest.
 
So, how do you bring happy gamers into a forum full of miserable people who apparently hate games, and still have everyone end up satisfied? Tough one. I'd say we start by solving easier problems first like world peace and ending hunger.
 
TGO said:
Boomers? Do we even have any 70 year olds here...?
I thought we was mainly Millennials with a few Gen Xers being the oldest.
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Anybody over 25 is basically a boomer.

23 to 26 is the beginning of boomer territory.

The kids changed the meanings compared to how the millenias used it.

As expected, it gets a lot of old people mad.
 
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