Support NeoGAF

[KiteGr]

I just prefer the older stuff. Some people are more patient when it comes to waiting for huge installs or patches, or more understanding of DLC and microtransactions. They prefer unfocused, open-world sandboxes to play in. They want to play online, with friends, in co-op or in competitive mode.

When it comes to waiting, don't forget the early CD era and their loading screens. Back then, beginning each stage or changing a room meant a loading screen saying "Now Loading", that in the best cases lasted 7-10 seconds, and at worst a couple of minutes (today we assume the game has crashed at this much time).

Also, as far as Sandbox goes, some of the best retro 3D games where essentially sandbox. Think of any collectathon game on the N64. To give credit where credit is due, there are some kick-ass single player sandbox games out there. Think Horizon: Zero Dawn, or if you want a more "Linear" sandbox, play the recent God of War.
As far as online goes, I also hate how games today force online modes when they are not needed, but you can have a brilliant online game without directly playing online. I'm thinking of course of asynchronous online like Nier Automata, Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma.
In Nier and Dragon's Dogma, the online mode enhances brilliantly the game, by putting order in an otherwise random element, and enhancing the story, without adding multiplayer directly. While in DS, it brings an unofficial optional hint system, that you would otherwise look up in the forums for.

Retro is good, but don't forget the ones who do good today.

 

[Stefan.North]

Same here.
It's similar in movies. Let me use horror movie genre for making an analogy.
Today horrors focus on cheap jump scares to justify them beeing "horrors". I still watch and like old horrors like The Brood, Videodrome, Re-Animator, The Thing... that gives viewers deeper sences of dread, creep and disbelief.

Old games had more charm, weren't that focused on being PC, but on being cool. You were drawn into game and action at once, not draged through forced "artistery".

 

[faraany3k]

Gaming has not changed one bit in like 20 years. All we gamers care about are pixels, hdr, 3D and how many light reflect off of surfaces.

No one cares about new genres, compelling storylines, innovative adaptive AI, physics and everything worthwhile.

 

[Freeman454]

For me the Switch is the sweet spot. It has a lot of old games, made somewhat fresher with the portable/docked option. For its new titles, Nintendo's first party stuff often runs very well, as in 60FPS, with a focus on performance and fun factor rather than cinematic effect and high poly counts.

The Switch's combo of indie titles, ports of old games and quality first party output, paired with a PC for everything else, has kept gaming from going stale for me.

Your complaints sound like someone bored with the PS/XB pattern. I hardly use either anymore.

This gen saw some 3rd person cinematic half-movie games, with not much mp. Play/watch once or twice thats it.

Skip those and hope for a better gen.

 

[cypherq]

Enjoy older games but getting rid of all my retro consoles! The new machines have similar concepts but are improved - Eg: Defender = ResoGun. Just a case about being selective. Also going to use the PC to emulate old arcade machines.

Older game designs are generally quick to quick but intense hits of gameplay. Tend to enjoy this more than trying to attempt some epic 30+ hour game. Also plenty of indie games about that fit the quick play scenario too. Recently being enjoying Dangerous Driving for example... feels like a great focused, old school arcade racer with fresh visuals. Great fun...

 

[johntown]

One problem with some newer games is the immense cost to make them. Developers can no longer cater to one particular group. They have to make their games with mass appeal which usually means dumbing them down and removing features that not everyone would like to make them more appealing to the masses. That does not mean these games are bad. They are just not like older games in many ways.

I still like old and new but I find less and less newer games hold any appeal for me.

 

[cypherq]

One problem with some newer games is the immense cost to make them. Developers can no longer cater to one particular group. They have to make their games with mass appeal which usually means dumbing them down and removing features that not everyone would like to make them more appealing to the masses. That does not mean these games are bad. They are just not like older games in many ways.

I still like old and new but I find less and less newer games hold any appeal for me.

Indeed. This is the issue. Its similar in a way to the film industry. High stakes for the AAA releases so less risky and the concepts pretty generic. Which is fine.

TBH there has never been such a breadth of choice in gaming these days. Indies can get lots of access to tools that allow them to make great games quicker and get their ideas turned into games for us more quickly.

Plenty of choice out there TBH without having to resort to old games on old systems, Just have a look around and avoid the AAA games - it will re-invigorate interest in modern gaming because its not just about AAA games. Plenty of new games with new twists on older ideas.

Game Pass on the Xbox is a great way to try out some of them too...

 

[cypherq]

(not sure why I can't edit my posts so apologies in advance for any typos etc!!!)

 

[anthraticus]

One problem with some newer games is the immense cost to make them. Developers can no longer cater to one particular group. They have to make their games with mass appeal which usually means dumbing them down and removing features that not everyone would like to make them more appealing to the masses. That does not mean these games are bad. They are just not like older games in many ways.

I still like old and new but I find less and less newer games hold any appeal for me.

Exactly. They (or at least the vast majority of AAA games) lost their focus. Games feel the need to be so many things at once now, with nothing being particularity deep or complex either. You can't just be a pure FPS, you need unlockable RPG content. You can't have turn-based strategy or RPG anymore, needs more action and Quick Time Events. You can't have a single player action game without spending 5 months half-assing an online multiplayer mode that will die out in less than half a year. Not every game needs to be 10,000 things all at once. Games that would focus on their core ideas and refine the hell out of them, that was a good thing.

 

[Dragon Lord]

I just wish that console manufacturers and devs would pay more attention to the love of nostalgia and provide some real support for playing our old games.

 

[cypherq]

I just wish that console manufacturers and devs would pay more attention to the love of nostalgia and provide some real support for playing our old games.

Agree. But in the end allowing you to play your old games is time away from buying new games! So from a manufacturers point of view they want you to buy the new stuff because that is what makes them the profit (on subsidised consoles). I can see the logic.

Personally I've thought about this and if I bought a new console I'd want to play new content on it. I have always craved backwards compatibility but I've not often used it. My gaming time is limited so I'd rather spend that limited time playing a new game. Or just keep the current console and not bother with a new one if I found I was still playing the older games more anyway.

At the moment not sure I'm buying into any of the new consoles at launch because there is simply no need. I have so much content to play on the existing hardware. It also seems to take ever longer for a compelling reason for me to move over.