How do we define what is "Retro"?

I would say retro is the first system you owned as a kid.

Over here in the UK we have a mag called RetroGamer, and there's always a debating going on in the Letters section about what is classed as retro and what isnt, and the mag should start to cover the PSX, Saturn, & N64 era of games.

To me now, i would say that probably the PS2/XBOX/GC are entering the Retro Console bracket, they are not produced anymore and are over 2 generations old. To some people who read RetroGamer this is blasphemy and they even think that the PS1 isnt classed as retro, to me this is just wrong...heck there are people who are classed as adults now (18 years of age here in the UK) and the PS2 WAS there first console so that has to be a retro console to them right???

 

In my country to the car clubs a car is a classic when it has 25 year or more and antique to a 30 years and up. So the magnavox odyssey and atari 2600 is antique gaming, LOL and everything from the 80s and mid 90s classic gaming. After that is just gaming LOL. Retro is just something that is not actual, many people keep telling me that I'm a retro guy just because I dress like the 80s, but again the 80s are coming back so they are not retro anymore.

Anyway just taking nonsense maybe is the cannabis because I'm a retro guy. LOL

 

fixed

 

I personally consider retro as anything that is no longer in production and/or is available for sale from the original company as they sold it.

Things like the N64, Gamecube, PS2 and original Xbox I would say are retro.

Things like the Wii, PS3 and xbox360 are not retro because they are still being sold brand new.

 

Many people on twitter I've spoken do have said just because it's out of production doesn't mean it's retro.

 

^^ there it is! :concern:
taking the net too seriously will lead to a brainfart and/or coronary of some kind! (everybody has opinion, all are entitled to them regardless...)
...
we get it, folks are different!
adds to the spice of life...in a way...:cocksure:

 

Twitter is a good place to guage a general consensus.

 

For me, retro would be the generation before the last one. But I see next gen as the new generation until we're 2-3 years into it. So retro would be PS1/SS/N64, last gen would be DC/PS2/Xbox/GC, current would this 360/PS3/Wii, next would be Wii U/X1/PS4. When we're at 2015/16 then the Wii U/X1/PS4 will be current, 360/PS3/Wii will be last, and DC/PS2/Xbox/GC will be retro to me.

 

Surely you can't class something as 'Next Generation' if it has already been released?
Next assumes it would be to follow when infact it's already here which is now (current).

Current Gen - PS4/Xbox One/ Wii U
Last Gen - PS3/XBox 360/Wii
Anything older, for me, could be classed as Retro; so PS2/XBox/Gamecube and backwards

Don't get some hung up over it though, it is only a phrase at the end of the day and you can classify anything however you see fit... it doesn't mean everyone else has to agree.

 

Where did this "next gen" usage come from? It's really annoying that current gen consoles are still being called the next gen....what they gonna call the next consoles "next next gen"? Fuck sake! :/

 

Next Gen is next gen until they are the common standard. There are Tons of PS3 games coming out, Some 360 games and both of those platforms still have First party games coming out in the fall. When releases on those systems start to dry up and become less and less common then Current gen becomes last gen and Next Gen becomes current gen.

 

Next gen is a bit of an oxymoron anyway considering they often use current gen, or even in some cases last gen PC components.

 

Its always relative, I was too young to be there when the 8bit gen happened so for me thats retro.

For a lot of kids these days the 16bit and 32bit are retro because most weren't even born at the time.

I honestly don't care, for me there were ages, 16bit being the Golden Age because much like in hollywood's golden age it was a time were there were the biggest number of companies in the console space competing to see who would dominate.

Now we have 2.5 consoles at best, same with hollywood which when you get down to it its all 3 or 4 studios releasing the same crap every year, with a few indies scrapping by on the side.

 

Didn't we already have the "next gen/current gen" discussion? I think I started a thread a month or so ago.

EXCUSE YOU

Every now and then I remember that the Atari 2600 is almost antique now. Blows my freaking mind.

Of course, when civilizations/aliens look at our stuff in 5000 years, it'll look completely ancient.

 

5000 years from now Capcom will still be upgrading 2862's Street Fighter 9

 

STREET FIGHTER 9 ULTRA TURBO SUPER CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION DX PLUS PLUS ' ' ' ' ULTRA MEGA HD MATCHING SERVICE REMIX ULTRA SUPER COMBO ULTRA EDITION!!!!!!!!

Now with 1 more character than the last version.

Maybe a new stage.

And I will not stop making that joke. Not until it stops happening.

 

I actually predicted Ultra the day SFIV was annouced I wonder if I still have the graphic I made that day. Also that joke will never get old. How to count Capcom style. 1.2.2.2.2,2,3,3,3,2,2,4,4,4,4.....

 

What I've been thinking all along. I find it very distasteful, especially as one who was gaming since the 80s, and played REAL 8/16-bit games.

This is Seattle. I know because I live here.

 

Seattle is a booming city for classic gameing from what I hear.