Ever felt like losing your gaming "essence" or "need" ?

I wouldn't call basic 3D graphics an amazing experience. The 32/64bit era had enough quality and technology to start new types of games, such as proper 3D racing games, 3D fighters (many of them) as well as the 3D platforming genre etc. You talk about things being tested in the 16bit era, but testing isnt always a good gaming experience, it's just a crippled version of what is to come. Hence, it has a lot of space for improvement. You might argue there was Star Fox on the SNES, but it was done better and bigger on the N64. Same goes for F-zero X, Mariokart 64 etc. Games like Banjo Kazooie are still not topped by your average platformer, and they still hold the same gaming value they held back in the day thanks to the quality of the gameplay and the well-thought structure.

Additionally, the shooters got a treatment with the Saturn for example, a type of treatment they hadn't seen in any previous generation. The playstation made breakthroughs as well, far beyond what was possible on previous consoles. Its mass market appeal also elevated gaming in the eyes of the public which in my view has been made game-aware ever more since then.

the 16bit ages , for me, are marked by about 100 good games and the rest are just soul-less games with a high price tag and mostly shallow gameplay, and no battery backup ffs. Far from golden mate.

 

The internet killed the video gamer...

Back on-topic: I managed to dodge losing my gaming urges. Maybe it's because I still play Megadrive and NES games most of the time =P

 

I've had my phases where I sort of get out of the hobby. A couple times, I sold off a ton of stuff when that happened, but I've since learned my lesson as I've always come back to gaming and then thus regretted the sales.

 

Yeah but the problem is that the industry has grown so big that its becoming slow and unstable. Just like movies and music, games execs are trying to keep on safe grounds instead of fomenting innovation.

The wii for example should be the norm, and not the first new thing we get in a while.

That happens with any industry: the moment you become big is the moment you cant take any unnecessary risks becos the fall will kill you.

Dude I dont see that many good games in the other gens either, but on the other hand you'll always feel better with new tech since its always more user-friendly that the one it replaced.

Like, would you stop using your PC for a Commodore-64?

 

Pardon me, but how does your first quoting's reply address the subject of quality in 16bit games? I think your "industry" answer is quite generalized and dodges the matter.

 

Wait wait, quality? you mention gaming experience, not quality.

In any case I agree with you that playing with untested tech wasnt always fun, but you cant deny there was a lot of innovation back in the day, one that wasnt there in the 8bit, and isnt here today.

Anyway, my point was that the industry cant take risks anymore, basically becos today you no longer lose a couple of millions, you lose billions...

 

quality of entertainment.

 

Quality of entertainment will always depends on if you like the game or not.

Me, I'll rather have a match with my friends in Worms2 at my place, rather than yet another session of CoD4 online with a bunch of people I barely know.

Now if you mean quality as in the production of said entertainment, well obviously today's games are far superior to what we had more than a decade ago, but I'm sure some purists will say games today are far more unstable code-wise that they were in the past, and therefore that quality, for them, is lower.

 

no, purists will not say that, really.

 

What do you understand by purists?

Dunno, but for example according to Apple purists the 512k Mac was enough for everything, and there was no need for new computers to replace it.

Mind that that computer was released in fall 1984.

 

well, I am a purist, as in I like the original work and its worthy derivatives. However, for example, although I appreciate StarFox, it's not as enjoyable (due to hardware limitations) as Star Fox 64.

 

I agree on that: I didnt play the original Starfox back in 1993 becos the framerate was just too painful.

Yet I got hooked on Starfox64 during most of 1997:nod:

But those are hardware limitations, like Shenmue which just couldn't be made on Saturn, and I think even the DC version wasn't as big as it could've been.

 

I'm going through this right now.

 

I've noticed that (while not losing the desire to play games) that as i have gotten older.. (now 30).. a few things have changed:

Taste in games have changed - While at one point i tried to play every RPG i could get my hands on.. and rarley if ever touched a sports game.. i've noticed that now its almost the exact opposite...

Less Time to spend with games - I find this the most when I play an online game like Halo 3.. I don't have the time to play TONS of games to level up my rank etc. Kinda stinks when all your friends (who still play) have super high ranks because they have played 2000 games.. and your way at the bottom of the heap dragging the team down cause you no longer have the time to invest..

More Money to spend on games - Buying more games then I could possibly ever have the time to complete.. (guess this also ties in with time available)... thus most games don't get completed.. and some are never even opened..

Friends Who used to be "all into Games" for multiplayer etc have kinda given up the hobby - This lack of people to talk with about games.. much less play them with..

Who knows.. just some thoughts...

 

I think thats one reason I like old school WRPGs as apposed to newer ones and JRPGs. Among other reasons.

Going off topic here, but I think Oblivion could be a good engine for a "True" D&D game with some work.

 

I've the EXACT same problem here: pretty much all my peers from the 16/32bits days are done with gaming, and only 2 play something (and by that I mean stuff like solitaire and sudoku).:-(

 

lately, I've been thinking a lot about this question.

In the last months I've playes less that three hours per week, spending most of my free time roaming the internet. Boards, youtube and Instant Messaging...
The last time I managed to play like a twelve-year kid was three years ago, during easter week in an small countryside village (no internet, computer or even cellphone coberture).

The results: Three days playing 10-11 hours each one, with Xenogears, until Opiomorph beat the crap out of me.

Since then I've only been able to play non-stop when I'm there, far away from the civilization. Each holidays I grab a Mega Drive, 5-10 games and play like hell.

The rest of the year is harder to regain the "gaming essence". The main problem I face is trying to find two consecutive free hours without being disturbed.

 

i've found that they way i think about gaming has changed from when i started to become a gamer on the PS1 because back then i was only playing on playstation 99% of the time and would only play n64 for goldeneye multiplayer with my friends and i completley missed the saturn all together.

This meant i experienced a ton of good and bad playstation games but these day i tend to respect each console so i end up splitting my game purchases between consoles and not sticking to a single console so miss out on a lot of games.


I also feel like the way i game is diffrent becuase when i started playing ps1 i would play for fun even if i was trying to complete a game and me and my friend would sit in his house or mine and just pick a game and we wouldn't get too serious but now i will sit down and just play to complete.

 

well, losing my virginity was a pretty happy day, this is the exact opposite. I blame GaijinPunch, for reasons I cannot justify in any way.

(damn i think this post counts as spam )

Yeap, friends "grow up" and play pro evolution etc all the time, which bores me. Gone are the people who ll give the ole' mariokart a go , only a few left and they dont own consoles any more, so I have to "host" them, and ..well the competition isnt really there, since i m way better than most of them at my own games , since I own them.