Which was the "Golden Age" of gaming?

Nope they were pretty keen on the 2600, one of them really liked the "vintage" fauxwood finish of the console, though none of them knew about the Vectrex...

Now while we usually deal in generations the idea of how and when to place the golden age is not set in stone.

While there were highs and lows I think that the period between the end of the 8bit and the beginning of the "128bit" was the golden age: between 1988 and 2001 we saw every genre, idea and concept deployed in some way, from 3D to online gaming to MMOs and sandbox games.

 

16 bit just because of all the quirky titles.

 

If you think about it, we see some particular eras starting concepts, some eras perfecting concepts and some eras transitioning to a new concept. For example:

Arcade - The beginning
Atari/computer era - transition between arcades and home consoles
8bit/16bit - Mastery of era
32bit - Transition between 2D and 3D gaming
128bit/Current - Mastery of era
Future - Transition between digital controls and optical motion controls

Of course this is very streamlined and misses out many key aspects of gaming history, but you can get a sort of rough idea on what I mean. Are we entering a new golden era? Or are we in one right now? Personally I don't find this generation to be very golden, but maybe I'm getting too old to see it.

 

I wasn't alive for the 16 bit era, so I have no formal opinion on it

However, I do love the 128 bit era. I assume that means the 4th gen of consoles (GC DC PS2 XBOX)
Has some of the games I enjoy the most, even after playing a large library of older titles from all the eras. Sure, there are older games I think are absolutely incredible, but I still enjoy newer games.

Plus, that era (plus most before) had cool boot animations. Whatever happened to cool boot animations? Now they're either quick and nonchalant or non-existent.

 

Gotta be 16-bit right?

I got mad love for the NES but SNES and Genesis were just.... amazing as a kid.

 

Well for arcade many think the golden age was the early 80's when it took off. For myself though I think the true golden age was 88-89 to 93-94.

Console was a lot harder for me to pick and I really had to think about it. Having really started gaming at the beginning of the crash and growing up during the 8 to 32/64 bit era they all have a special place and memories for me. If I had to pick one though I have to go with 32/64 bit.

The nostalgic side of me really wanted to go 16 bit but as much as I hate to say it the 16 bit era was really just a graphical upgrade of the 8 bit era. The 32/64 bit era though brought so much more.
- Disc based media really came into its own
- Memory cards came into heavy use
- 3D created entirely new types of games and rejuvenated old ones.
- FMV was no longer just a cheap parlor trick.
- Multiplayer (For the 64) wasn't just an afterthought
- The first time console games caught up with arcade games and in many cases exceeded them.

All in all simply more innovation happened in that one era than before or really since. I have to give the golden age to the 32/64 era even if it makes me a traitor to my age bracket.

 

I'm w/ A. Snow. For me, I can't answer in "bits". Pretty much 1986 to 1995 was my golden area. Basically the 16-bit consoles were really memorable, but the arcade games in that era are what really did it for me.

There was a lot of good stuff on the 32-bit consoles, but they weren't quite as magical for me. The death of the DC is basically when I was less and less excited to be a gamer. The new stuff coming out was mostly shit. There were some sparse things to get me going but they were mainly the oddball shooters that were still coming out.

Now the thing I'm most excited about is Jet Set Radio which I played over 10 years ago.

 

This part is simply not true. Think about the fact that the N64 came out in 96, and then look at Scud Race, which came out in 96 as well. The Model 3 was miles ahead of any home system at the time, and there were other arcade systems that came close. Not even high-end consumer PCs could compete with the Model 3, in terms of graphics at least.

What you're talking about didn't really happen until about the time of the PS2, I'd say. From that point on, arcade systems were basically just home systems with more memory or other slightly upgraded specs, or in some cases, weaker hardware.

 

I think the last Retro Gamer had all the games chosen by the people who chose there best 5 games and the vast majority of these were pre 1984 games. although gaming does change, I do think that the pre 84 games tended to be the most playable. It was also the age when a single person could become well off with a couple of decent games. Most of you lot are too young (or to stupid) to really appreciate this age.

Although nothing to say that the 16 bit generation was the Diamond age...

 

For me personally I think the golden age really started in 1983 when arcade games were at their peak and arcade boards were producing high level 8 bit close to 16 bit looking games by 1986 (the Atari games of that time looked amazing). Then the 16 bit consoles of the late 80s early 90s. So 1983 to 1994 for me. Not exactly 16 bit or 8 bit but a mix of those two. I mean really isn't the nes era pure golden age?

 

16 bit days where the golden age because starting something new can't be the golden age 1983 and below then you had a boom with 8 bit system and then more attention of gaming golden age with 16 bit. we are now in the fall of gaming we are looking at consoles as more of a gateway to media devices. Name a console that just played games and that is it.. we are multitasking ourselves to death..

 

Spending most of my childhood in the 128 bit era, I will forever see that as my golden era of gaming. But the 16/64 bit era had in my opinion some of the best games.

 

I see the 32bit era 3d to be akin to the 8bit era 2d.
Games design was random as hell, base level things such as movement and what aspects of what is fair and was good control was still very up in the air, a few games get it right but most are very hard to come back to.

In the same way 16 bit and earlier 3d I see as merely proof of concept, as most of my spectrum games are merely proof of concept of 2D "this could be a game".

2D gameplay reached a good level in late mega drive/snes and mastered during the Saturn
3D gameplay I feel is maybe starting to reach that level of mastery now, there are a great many Dreamcast and PS2 games which going to back to can be a bit iffy.

 

Word

 

I think "golden age" is a term that's way overused. I'm not sure that there really is a "golden age" in relation to anything. All times have their good and bad points. It's a bit silly to compare them.

I voted for 16-bit mainly because that's what I grew up with, and that's what I have the fondest memories of.

 

16-bit.

The Saturn is my favorite system, but you could buy a random game and have a solid chance of enjoying it back in the 16-bit era. Not so at any other time IMO.

 

IMO it started with Super Mario Bros, ended with Super Mario 64. (Well, I guess I might push it to 1997 since Final Fantasy 7 was a game changer). Some people would put the end at Ocarina of Time, but since it was released practically at the Dreamcast's launch I think it's a little late.

 

Sorry but it's before 1983

Something like 100 packed arcade shop within walking distance back then. Always a crowd around Dragon's Lair even with the second TV on top, four player games with total strangers that were actually fun, and games only costs 25 cents a play that lasted a lot longer than 30 seconds.

Today there is only 1 arcade shop within 1 hour drive (none within walking), and they have far less arcade machine than I have Fairchild Channel F games. Those games costs a dollar or more, and most of them are one player only.

 

Oh, that continued well after 1983... you just had to leave America to experience it.

Anyway, if we're looking at a world-wide scale, things had simmered down greatly around 1983, and did so until basically the FC/NES came out. Space Invaders shot Japan into the stratosphere in the late 70s (and to a lesser extent the US), and nothing really filled it's place in arcades. Japan even coined the phrase "Invader Boom". This cannot be considered the Golden Age unless you cut it off at about 1981. Quite abruptly if the book I'm reading is right.

 

Like DefectX11, wasn't old enough for the 16bit. However 32(64) for me was the start of it all. I do wish I was around for the 16-bit though, it's a great generation.