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[TGO]

Zoomers are better at using technology... and understanding it than any millenial I've ever met. I know 13 year olds that can run circles around 50 year olds when it comes to technology.

From my experience Zoomers are just as bad as pensioners, the only difference is they know how to use their phone but just like an 80 year old they don't know how it actually works.
Most haven't even seen a film that not on Netflix because that's all they know.
Now not everyone is the same, but Millennials grew up during a time of rapid technological advancements and knew what it was like before and that's what sets them apart and they was there day one at an age to actually understand it, seen its many variations and watch it evolve.
Zoomers just know it's always been there and it just work's.
But like I said, not everyone is the same.
And through the useless Millennials & Zoomers some will rise.
Gen X & Boomers was the same.

 

[Loomy]

Zoomers are better at using technology... and understanding it than any millenial I've ever met. I know 13 year olds that can run circles around 50 year olds when it comes to technology.

They're leaning coding, hacking and troubleshooting, and are already experimenting with ai.

They're gonna be better at this than any generation before them; if they have their priorities straight.

Reminds me of that Bane quote. "Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, moulded by it". Replace darkness/dark with technology/tech.

Honestly can't wait to see what Z/Alpha does.

 

[kiphalfton]

Zoomers are better at using technology... and understanding it than any millenial I've ever met. I know 13 year olds that can run circles around 50 year olds when it comes to technology.

They're leaning coding, hacking and troubleshooting, and are already experimenting with ai.

They're gonna be better at this than any generation before them; if they have their priorities straight.

Doubt. As a millennial, I think zoomers aren't that intelligent, ambitious, etc.

But I think that's what every gen that proceeds another gen thinks of the subsequent gens that follow.

All in all I think millennials are probably the most well rounded; we aren't overly reliant on tech to get through the day (zoomers), but we've been around it long enough to not come across as utterly incapable of using it (boomers).

 

[AJUMP23]

Less bootstraps and more university barricades.

 

[Shake Your Rump]

The youngest Baby Boomers turn 60 this year!

There is suppose to be a Brain Drain going on as Baby Boomers leave the workforce.

What does this exit of a generation mean for videogames?

There is certainly brain drain. I wish I had the link to this excellent presentation that discusses this. The presentation is specifically about middleware such as unreal engine, and how people who truly understand how it works will no longer be around.

It also discusses how much effort is required to pass on knowledge. You can mentor a new programmer, document everything, but there will still be a significant amount of knowledge that slips through the cracks and will be lost.

When you are making an unreal engine game, and you have a bug, trace the bug down to the engine, but there is no one left at Epic who is familiar enough with the code to fix the bug, what can you do?

 

[Hoddi]

Zoomers are better at using technology... and understanding it than any millenial I've ever met. I know 13 year olds that can run circles around 50 year olds when it comes to technology.

They're leaning coding, hacking and troubleshooting, and are already experimenting with ai.

They're gonna be better at this than any generation before them; if they have their priorities straight.

Gen Z falls for online scams more than their boomer grandparents do

The generation that grew up with the internet isn’t invulnerable to becoming the victim of online hackers and scammers.

www.vox.com

 

[IAmRei]

Shigeru Miyamoto time is near, and I hope miyamoto successors are still be great enough for Nintendo.

 

[March Climber]

Most of the gaming industry today is made up of Gen X and millennials so...nothing?

I'm not a Director or Creative Lead but I can assure you those jobs aren't led by clueless millennials or zoomers

Part of the problem with this thread(and social media) is the general disbelief on this forum that entire generations below the collective age here will ever mature, grow, innovate, and create. They truly believe that the future of the entertainment industry will die out once the past is dead or retired.

People look up to the past and look down upon the future. If that sounds unsettlingly familiar, it should, because the baby boomers felt the same way about Gen X and Millennials. I thought people would learn from the mistakes of their elders, but the opposite seems to be happening here and elsewhere. It's repeated mistakes but designed to fit a different generation. It's a old memory being clung to as if that's always the best thing to do(instead of making new memories), because we must feed the one thing that has an insatiable appetite: nostalgia. So we're left with little trust, little faith, little hope, mostly spite. Again, if it all sounds familiar, it should.

Honestly it's gotten so bad that I wouldn't be surprised if people look back at GenX/Millennials as a lamer version of Boomers, who whine just the same about those younger than them, but they just have a much larger microphone to do it with(the internet).

 

[StereoVsn]

Not sure about video games, but boomers’ absence will really be felt in engineering specialties and in trades. A lot of engineers, from mechanical to materials to electrical to even chemical are getting ready to retire and not nearly enough folks are going for engineering (no software dev) degrees.

And for trades, you have a fairly significant percentage of very experienced folks about to retire there as well.

We are going to be losing a lot of experience and knowledge in the process.

For gaming I feel like most folks get burned out and go get normal software jobs so not sure how much impact there will be in this particular field.

 

[Shubh_C63]

Game directors today in lead were people who thought Adventures of Zelda Links Awakening was pretty cool.

Soon the game directors to lead in near future would be people who think Minecraft, Fortnite and Among Us were pretty cool.

 

[Shadowstar39]

The youngest Baby Boomers turn 60 this year!

There is suppose to be a Brain Drain going on as Baby Boomers leave the workforce.

What does this exit of a generation mean for videogames?

We are fucked. No matter if the zoomers and younger millennials here want to admit it or not. I watch older movies and listen to older music. It's leagues better than this shit that comes out today. No committee, no pc crap. It was pure expression.

Games are good when single player and from Japan or eastern Europe. I can't name one good modern western release done in the last few years, outside of the indie and pc space.

People who knew how to write script, make characters look like adults... Will soon be replaced with what is Saints row reboot era shit... No thanks.

 

[Embearded]

Zoomers are better at using technology... and understanding it than any millenial I've ever met. I know 13 year olds that can run circles around 50 year olds when it comes to technology.

They're leaning coding, hacking and troubleshooting, and are already experimenting with ai.

They're gonna be better at this than any generation before them; if they have their priorities straight.

That's only true for those who want to learn how stuff works and these people existed in every generation. It's the reason i am using my phone on the craoper right now!

Technology is also making people dumber, either through wasting their time by swiping up/down/left/right half the day or by providing tools that replace brain activity during their development years.

 

[semiconscious]

Bethesda will close

yep. once baby boomers leave, no one will remember that bethesda even exists...

 

[Killjoy-NL]

From my experience Zoomers are just as bad as pensioners, the only difference is they know how to use their phone but just like an 80 year old they don't know how it actually works.
Most haven't even seen a film that not on Netflix because that's all they know.
Now not everyone is the same, but Millennials grew up during a time of rapid technological advancements and knew what it was like before and that's what sets them apart and they was there day one at an age to actually understand it, seen its many variations and watch it evolve.
Zoomers just know it's always been there and it just work's.
But like I said, not everyone is the same.
And through the useless Millennials & Zoomers some will rise.
Gen X & Boomers was the same.

This is exactly why Zoomers will make a massive advancement in technology and in turn gaming.

Times changed and the groundwork has been laid, so it doesn't really matter if they didn't grow up witnessing the advancements.
They are going to take it over and progress the advancements in ways we might not even think about rn.

 

[nial]

I know 13 year olds that can run circles around 50 year olds when it comes to technology.

And kids born in 2011 and later are not even Gen Z anymore, but rather Gen Alpha.

 

[CGNoire]

Zoomers are better at using technology... and understanding it than any millenial I've ever met. I know 13 year olds that can run circles around 50 year olds when it comes to technology.

They're leaning coding, hacking and troubleshooting, and are already experimenting with ai.

They're gonna be better at this than any generation before them; if they have their priorities straight.

What you just described are craftsman not artists.

 

[MrMephistoX]

No more Myst sequels?

 

[Killjoy-NL]

That's only true for those who want to learn how stuff works and these people existed in every generation. It's the reason i am using my phone on the craoper right now!

Technology is also making people dumber, either through wasting their time by swiping up/down/left/right half the day or by providing tools that replace brain activity during their development years.

Yeah, about that.

It's through apps like X and TikTok that information is shared instantly, resulting in knowledge being spread at a much faster pace and on a global scale rather than being drip fed over years in a way your government approves, like in school.

Zoomers are way more informed than boomers and even a portion of the millenials.

And with the internet, all information is there at the push of a few buttons.

 

[Soodanim]

Zoomers are way more informed than boomers and even a portion of the millenials.

And with the internet, all information is there at the push of a few buttons.

I don't want to lump myself in with the rest of the thread's wholly negative crowd, but the world of information existing doesn't mean it's accessed and what's accessed isn't necessarily correct. In an ideal world you would be correct, but the reality is that kids are the same as they ever were and that means fun over learning and susceptibility to false information.

The only difference is that being exposed to that much so early means you're going to take in a lot more of it before you understand how to run it through a mental filter or consider perspectives and biases. Reddit for example is a hive mind of biases and misunderstandings and false truths to suit biases. Anything to do with history for example has shifted in that site's eyes for the worse.

 

[Clear]

Honestly I don't see how people can argue that the Boomer generation lasted til 1964. I mean the boom was the result of people returning after WW2 and starting families. By the 60's I feel like we're in Gen-X territory as the culture that's most synonymous with Gen X was created by people who were in their teens in the mid to late 70's.

 

[Embearded]

Yeah, about that.

It's through apps like X and TikTok that information is shared instantly, resulting in knowledge being spread at a much faster pace and on a global scale rather than being drip fed over years in a way your government approves, like in school.

Zoomers are way more informed than boomers and even a portion of the millenials.

And with the internet, all information is there at the push of a few buttons.

Information does not necessarily mean knowledge or growth of intelligence.
X and TikTok can inform me on many topics, how many of these actually make me smarter is a different topic.

The algorithm will feed us stuff that we are interested in. It's true, enginners have access to information easier than ever and universities have a higher output of engineers today than 40 years ago.
My personal experience tells me, a very small percentage of these people are actual enginners.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Information does not necessarily mean knowledge or growth of intelligence.
X and TikTok can inform me on many topics, how many of these actually make me smarter is a different topic.

The algorithm will feed us stuff that we are interested in. It's true, enginners have access to information easier than ever and universities have a higher output of engineers today than 40 years ago.
My personal experience tells me, a very small percentage of these people are actual enginners.

Sure, but I don't see how it would be any different for Zoomers than it was for Boomers.

The point was that it is much more convenient learning everything today than it was back in the day. Much more methods, and learning can be done much faster and more efficient.

Thinking somehow Zoomers will do worse than older gens is foolish at best.

I don't want to lump myself in with the rest of the thread's wholly negative crowd, but the world of information existing doesn't mean it's accessed and what's accessed isn't necessarily correct. In an ideal world you would be correct, but the reality is that kids are the same as they ever were and that means fun over learning and susceptibility to false information.

The only differences is that being exposed to that much so early means you're going to take in a lot more of it before you understand how to run it through a mental filter or consider perspectives and biases. Reddit for example is a hive mind of biases and misunderstandings or false truths to suit biases. Anything to do with history for example has shifted in that site's eyes for the worse.

Well yeah, Gaf is another great example of biases and hive minds like Reddit. Just look at people in here thinking that talent will take a nosedive.

 

[platina]

I think it’ll definitely be felt when Kojima (60) retires. DS2 might just be his last game which would be sad. I think Miyamoto may have successfully passed on his skills to the younger gens at Nintendo.

Slowly but surely I’m beginning to understand the simple fact: it all leads back to Nintendo. They have maintained their core values since forever ago. I would say the industry is doomed when Nintendo falters

 

[makaveli60]

We have been seeing the result already for years. Going downhill fast, that’s what happens.

 

[Toons]

Gen Z falls for online scams more than their boomer grandparents do

The generation that grew up with the internet isn’t invulnerable to becoming the victim of online hackers and scammers.

www.vox.com

The people running the scams are also gen z. Lmao.

 

[CuteFaceJay]

More dogshit games with more pandering.

 

[cireza]

Millennials and zoomers are steering the ship now.

This implies knowing how to steer though.

 

[Toons]

That's only true for those who want to learn how stuff works and these people existed in every generation. It's the reason i am using my phone on the craoper right now!

Technology is also making people dumber, either through wasting their time by swiping up/down/left/right half the day or by providing tools that replace brain activity during their development years.

But they've always said that lol.

Sure technology introduces comvenice. And convenience sometimes can encourage complacency. That is undeniable.

But maybe its not a zero sum game and the brain power not being spent on one thing can be spent on another thing.

These kids consume more information in a single week than some adults in the past would have in a year. I can, if I want to, go from knowing absolutely nothing about the French revolution to being able go read the word and perspectives of 20 professors who studied it for years in a matter of hours if I want too.

What are these kids doing on their phones? Watching, but also reading. Speculating, deliberating, arguing, and ultimately learning. Sometimes the hard way and sometimes the right way. We jsut have to make sure they are given balance; and surrounding my nuance and well rounded perspective so they don't become high on their own supply.

 

[RickSanchez]

We care about videogames and yes sometimes we fly off the handle

But i do think there is some fire behind all this smoke of "games are getting worse".

It is usually big-name AAA published games that get the most online discourse. And i do believe, based on observation, that the % of AAA games that turn out to be good is reducing, while the % of half-thought-out, unfinished crap is increasing. That might be causing general public perception to tend negative.

However, i also believe we are getting better and better AA and indie games every year. So it is not all doom and gloom. But independent/small players will have to carry the industry for a while till AAA get their shit together.

What do you think?

On a related note, i recently got a Steam Deck on which i exclusively play small indie games. It is my Indie Deck, and i love it. Disco Elysium ftw.

 

[LazyParrot]

I don't think there'll be much of an impact. Game development skews very young compared to other technical fields, and there are very, very few people that old still working in the industry to begin with. Unless they're doing work that straight up doesn't exist in other industries, most people don't stay in game development very long. The pay and working conditions are simply better elsewhere.

IIRC Tim Cain (creator of the original Fallout) did a video a while ago where he pretty much said that he doesn't know anyone who's been in the industry longer than him, and the guy is only in his late 50s.

 

[Embearded]

Sure, but I don't see how it would be any different for Zoomers than it was for Boomers.

The point was that it is much more convenient learning everything today than it was back in the day. Much more methods, and learning can be done much faster and more efficient.

Thinking somehow Zoomers will do worse than older gens is foolish at best.

Well yeah, Gaf is another great example of biases and hive minds like Reddit. Just look at people in here thinking that talent will take a nosedive.

I don't think they will do worse, but also not better. It will pretty much be the same.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Nothing.

 

[KungFucius]

The youngest Baby Boomers turn 60 this year!

There is suppose to be a Brain Drain going on as Baby Boomers leave the workforce.

What does this exit of a generation mean for videogames?

The brain drain, at least at large companies, is of people who either have niche roles and are one of the only or a few experts in specializations or people who have been there so long they have such a broad expertise /understanding that they can be consulted on many things and give suggestions.

My company produces a lot of products for defense. It is systems that include custom hardware and software. Gaming doesn't have such broad skills needed.

The only exit I want to see is that of Todd Howard. Dude has made Bethesda stagnant.

 

[midnightAI]

Who is a prolific baby boomer industry known that’s made an impact? I can’t think of any.

Does Miyamoto fall into this category? Howard? Kojima? Spencer?

Who can we attribute to this to age category in this industry?

Really? Pick one...

Top 100 Game Creators - IGN.com

IGN Counts down our top 100 game creators.

www.ign.com

Not sure if Cerny is a Boomer or Gen X, got to be close either way (he's 59, born in 1964), but that guy will definitely be missed by PlayStation when he finally hangs up his boots

Edit: actually, many in that list are younger than I thought, Romero for example, so maybe I was partially wrong (still many boomers on there but most seem gen-x)

 

[TGO]

Really? Pick one...

Top 100 Game Creators - IGN.com

IGN Counts down our top 100 game creators.

www.ign.com

Not sure if Cerny is a Boomer or Gen X, got to be close either way (he's 59, born in 1964), but that guy will definitely be missed by PlayStation when he finally hangs up his boots

Edit: actually, many in that list are younger than I thought, Romero for example, so maybe I was partially wrong (still many boomers on there but most seem gen-x)

I think people get confused with the ages
Gen X are 44/59 & Millennials are 28/43
they've been industry for while
Gen Z are more recently involved as we've evidently have seen but they don't get all the credit Young Mills are just as bad.

 

[Morrie’s wig shop]

I kinda of feel like the video game industry has already had that moment about 10 years ago and it will just be more of the same.

Everyone should be worried about more important things like the security of this planet, cause as a former drill sergeant…. Oh boy, that’s the saddest joke of them all

 

[Rudius]

It's only getting worse from now. I mostly play emulators these days. I have a PS5 and will probably get a PS6, but will play occasionally on it, the few new games that are worth my time

 

[FeralEcho]

It will just keep getting worse.

 

[Evil Calvin]

Who is a prolific baby boomer industry known that’s made an impact? I can’t think of any.

Does Miyamoto fall into this category? Howard? Kojima? Spencer?

Who can we attribute to this to age category in this industry?

The Baby Boomers created the videogame industry in the 70's

 

[Shadowstar39]

Yeah, about that.

It's through apps like X and TikTok that information is shared instantly, resulting in knowledge being spread at a much faster pace and on a global scale rather than being drip fed over years in a way your government approves, like in school.

Zoomers are way more informed than boomers and even a portion of the millenials.

And with the internet, all information is there at the push of a few buttons.

How much of that from places like tic tok and twitter is missing context. That shit started whole bs movements because it didn't have context and people lost their shit. You can't have context and background leadup in a 15-30 second clip. That is not information, it's talking points and propaganda. Technology has done wonderfully for giving people a place for real talk thought, but its not on those places, its on youtube, rumble, spotify etc... where shows like Rogan (and many many others) can last over 3 hours with one guest. Longform conversation is key, not tic tok, fortnite - zoom zoom on to the next one shit.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

How much of that from places like tic tok and twitter is missing context. That shit started whole bs movements because it didn't have context and people lost their shit. You can't have context and background leadup in a 15-30 second clip. That is not information, it's talking points and propaganda. Technology has done wonderfully for giving people a place for real talk thought, but its not on those places, its on youtube, rumble, spotify etc... where shows like Rogan (and many many others) can last over 3 hours with one guest. Longform conversation is key, not tic tok, fortnite - zoom zoom on to the next one shit.

It's good for quick updates, that people can look up afterwards for more information.

 

[Shadowstar39]

I kinda of feel like the video game industry has already had that moment about 10 years ago and it will just be more of the same.

Everyone should be worried about more important things like the security of this planet, cause as a former drill sergeant…. Oh boy, that’s the saddest joke of them all

What do you mean security of this planet? We getting invaded from outer space? If you said nation then sure, but every country has different armies and competency. Do you think the troops today are soft, I know they have a lot of weirdness in this admin, but i won't go there on this forum.

You are somewhat right, when talking about western studios. Not so for studios like capcom and eastern european devs. I am playing Dragons Dogma 2 right now and its freaking amazing. Been taking my time and I am loving it. Also Robocop (Polish studio) which was amazing as well. I am sure Stalker 2 will be awesome too. Stellar Blade from the East. Our biggest problem now is with localizers pushing ideology into dialog in translations, or DEI infecting the East like they did the west. Once the old guard is gone, who is to stop them? The zoomers have been brought up with that shit, and they believe it.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

We’ll go back to arcades because zoomers have no money for housing and day-one AAA games.

 

[ResilientBanana]

Who is a prolific baby boomer industry known that’s made an impact? I can’t think of any.

Does Miyamoto fall into this category? Howard? Kojima? Spencer?

Who can we attribute to this to age category in this industry?

Yes. Not to mention John Carmack and all the people that got gaming to this point through innovation, intelligence, and perseverance. To make games run as well as they did in the past, there was no extra horsepower under the hood. Yet, Quake ran on an Intel pentium processor @ 75 Mhz, 8MB of RAM and no GPU.

 

[Hudo]

Zoomers are better at using technology... and understanding it than any millenial I've ever met. I know 13 year olds that can run circles around 50 year olds when it comes to technology.

They're leaning coding, hacking and troubleshooting, and are already experimenting with ai.

They're gonna be better at this than any generation before them; if they have their priorities straight.

The problem with zoomers is that they're the opposite of boomers. They know how to use modern technology (most don't really know how it works, though). But are completely out of their depth once they either need to use something older or have to solve something without the internet. The concept of thinking on your own without immediately Googling the answer is foreign to them.

There should be a balance between being able to use (and understand on a basic level) modern tech but also not completely and utterly be at it's mercy.

 

[Arsic]

Myamoto and Kojima are baby boomers, yes. Todd Howard is gen X. Dunno who you mean by Spencer, I hope its not Phil Spencer lmao

Lots of early pc gaming people were boomers. Richard Garriott the goat



people born from 1946-1964. Or in other words, the post-WW2 generation.

Yes. Not to mention John Carmack and all the people that got gaming to this point through innovation, intelligence, and perseverance. To make games run as well as they did in the past, there was no extra horsepower under the hood. Yet, Quake ran on an Intel pentium processor @ 75 Mhz, 8MB of RAM and no GPU.

Yeah I thought most of the big names didn’t fall into boomer status.

Turns out some of the goats are.

 

[Zathalus]

Some mega old man yells at cloud energy in here.

 

[ResilientBanana]

Yeah I thought most of the big names didn’t fall into boomer status.

Turns out some of the goats are.

Honestly, it’s the Millenials and Zoomers that have ruined gaming and made it what it is today. Woke stories, monetized everything, GaaS, and bugs out the ass without any optimization making these things bloated power hungry terribleness. Personally, I’d rather see new games using the Source 2 engine, than an over the top bug fest.

Developers should strive to have a good looking lightweight game engine instead of stock Unreal or Unity games hogging resources for no reason.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

GenX and Millenials are still leading things in the west largely. Although many have been captured by the wacky mind virus.

In 20 yrs though, things will go fucking nuts in western gaming and only Japan, Korea, China and Eastern Europe will be around to save us.

 

[German Hops]

Game offices everywhere will start to smell better.