• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Gaming as I knew it is dying

There are also genres that are not being catered at all
Alright, I'm listening...
survival horror
Resident Evil 8 just released about a month ago. That followed remakes of RE2 and RE3 within the past couple of years. And that's just Resident Evil. Within the past several years you've also had big titles like Alien: Isolation, Until Dawn, two Evil Within titles, etc etc. [EDIT] And Jesus, how can I forget The Last of Us!? That surely counts as survival horror?

car combat
Was this that big of a genre to begin with? (To be honest I don't know much about it....)

arcade racing
Mario Kart 8 and the Sonic racing games are a thing. Also someone here on GAF recommended Horizon Chase Turbo to me; haven't played it yet, but looks fantastic.

inmersive sims,
Eh, don't know much about this genre.

character action games
Devil May Cry 5 released a couple of years ago.

and more, genres that were the cornerstone of gaming in past generations.
Platformers were a "cornerstone of gaming" in past generations, and there are more platformers these days than anyone can play in a whole lifetime.
Fighting games were a "cornerstone of gaming" in past generations, and you've got, uhhh, let's see: Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat 11, Guilty Gear Strive, KoF 14 (with KoF 15 in ongoing development), Samurai Shodown, Soul Calibur VI, Killer Instinct (Killer Instinct! Who the hell knew that series was going to make a comeback!?).
Beat 'em ups were a "cornerstone of gaming" in past generations, and you've got more Yakuza games than one can count (and they're almost all excellent), the Batman Arkham games, revival of classic series like Streets of Rage and Double Dragon, indies like Fight N' Gage and 99 Vidas, etc etc etc.
Etc etc...

Look OP, I sympathize with you as modern games are increasingly not to my tastes, and I'm one of the biggest retro-heads on this forum. But you're being slightly dramatic. One can easily argue that gaming has never been better.
 
Last edited:

Havoc2049

Member
I've been gaming since the 8-bit console and computer days OP and gaming is as good as it has ever been. Even in the genres you listed as dying, there are games that were just announced at E3 or recently released. Tons of single player and multi-player experiences out there. Get a new console or PC and get your game on!
 
Last edited:

Hugare

Member
I dont want to sound like a douche, but your post is really ignorant, OP

Most of your questions can be answered by having just a little knowledge about how the industry works nowadays

"Why indie studios always go for 8 bit aesthetics instead of trying to top Silent Hill and etc?"

Answer: 8 bit games are way cheaper and easier to make. A game like Silent Hill would demand way more budget, knowledge, crew and time to make. Even today.

"They have no change going against Retropie", lol, Hollow Knight and many other games kick tons of old games from 8 bit era in the ass. This is you being a fool due to nostalgia.

"But other than first party devs and a few select third parties, it seems that no one tries to create campaign based single player games anymore. There are also genres that are not being catered at all, survival horror, car combat, arcade racing, inmersive sims, character action games and more, genres that were the cornerstone of gaming in past generations."

Answer: These genres arent being catered because they sell like shit, and game making is expensive as fuck nowadays. They arent mainstream anymore, but I can assure you that there will be more games in these genres being released in the future.
 
giphy.gif
The truth.

Dude is getting older and the gaming industry as as healthy as ever but blame the game developers. I'm getting older and I don't game as much as I used to but that's not the fault of the game industry. Your priorities change as you get older. You become increasingly picky because you don't have untold hours to spend sitting in front of the tv to enjoy various games at your own free time as you would when you had no responsibilities and living under your parents roof.
You don't hear me moan about lack of creativity from this game industry. You either have the time to play or experiment with different types of games or you don't.

Christ, I swear NeoGAF is a bunch of drama queens 😂😂😂
 
Last edited:

Sleepwalker

Gold Member
I'm 29. Gaming is fine. Maybe you need a time away. I spent most of the early ps3/360 generation away from games and didn't really come back to it until the PS4/Xone gen and it did me a world of good.

I enjoy gaming in a different way now, not every game is for me and thats OK, I also don't like the fortnite aesthetic and style, I also don't really like battle royale modes but I still can find offerings worth my while no problem.
 

Astral Dog

Member
I feel like we are in a gaming golden age, no matter if you look at Sony, Xbox or Nintendo, there are plenty of high quality games to play, of many genres and artsyles.

Nintendo is back with Switch, Capcom is in top condition, Square Enix is slowly gaining confidence, Sony is doing great, Xbox is winning gamers over with GamePass.

Visuals have never looked as good or run as well on consoles. I see so much variety and quality everywhere that gamers mostly complain about cross gen on forums
 
I dont want to sound like a douche, but your post is really ignorant, OP

Most of your questions can be answered by having just a little knowledge about how the industry works nowadays

"Why indie studios always go for 8 bit aesthetics instead of trying to top Silent Hill and etc?"

Answer: 8 bit games are way cheaper and easier to make. A game like Silent Hill would demand way more budget, knowledge, crew and time to make. Even today.

"They have no change going against Retropie", lol, Hollow Knight and many other games kick tons of old games from 8 bit era in the ass. This is you being a fool due to nostalgia.

"But other than first party devs and a few select third parties, it seems that no one tries to create campaign based single player games anymore. There are also genres that are not being catered at all, survival horror, car combat, arcade racing, inmersive sims, character action games and more, genres that were the cornerstone of gaming in past generations."

Answer: These genres arent being catered because they sell like shit, and game making is expensive as fuck nowadays. They arent mainstream anymore, but I can assure you that there will be more games in these genres being released in the future.
Give OP a chance to collect his tampon and I'm sure he'll get back to your post.
 

DryvBy

Member
It's rough right now but I think most of that is c19 related and that F2P is king. This E3 almost nothing about it has been exciting. Cinematic trailers are back mixed in with games as services. Just a bunch of stuff no one will remember a month after release.
 
Sony event will save this awful E3.
When is that?

Anyone expecting blockbuster E3 is crazy. E3 has steadily gone down the shitter for years now but every year some people just can't help hyping themselves to high heaven for this show. Everyone should go in with low expectations.

Instead every year...
2e1f7e_cfbfe823ac154c4d9684c3b5c74be19d~mv2.gif
 

Rickyiez

Member
Where are the indie devs trying to top Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, Project Gotham Racing, Vagrant Story, Legacy of Kain, SF Alpha III, Twisted Metal, Slyphon Filter, Devil May Cry and many more?
Indie dev succeeded by filling the gap where AAA couldn't or didn't , they don't need to chew more than they can bite .

I'm looking forward the most to an Indie game in a genre that isn't saturated by AAA . It's Pathfinder : Wraith of the Righteous (Isometric crpg) , and outside out of this there are so many more excellent indie games where they are not pretending to be AAA .

Just like you OP , I'm also in my mid 30s and gaming is still as good as it ever was . You're judging a game based on a cinematic trailer , perhaps reserve your judgement until the gameplay reveal ? To me it looks excellent , cartoony graphics or not it could still be alot of fun . Stop overreacting , full-stop
 
Last edited:

lh032

I cry about Xbox and hate PlayStation.
When is that?

Anyone expecting blockbuster E3 is crazy. E3 has steadily gone down the shitter for years now but every year some people just can't help hyping themselves to high heaven for this show. Everyone should go in with low expectations.

Instead every year...
2e1f7e_cfbfe823ac154c4d9684c3b5c74be19d~mv2.gif
No idea but....it will come....it...will....

Emotion Reaction GIF
 

Nico_D

Member
Just my opinion but maybe because of your aging, your taste is changing but you are not ready to let go of what you are used to?

I'm half-way to 50 and I can find a lot to play. But most of it isn't AAA.
 

Lupingosei

Banned
I would have said the same thing. But since I completely dropped AAA gaming and play things like No Man's Sky or Genshin Impact, I am quite happy.

Ghost of Tsushima was good as well, brought back the vibe of old-school gaming. The games are still out there, just not from EA, Naughty Dog or companies that used to be good. I loved Kingdom Come Deliverance for example and I still hope, that CDPR will fix Cyberpunk enough that I will buy it.
 

Zeroing

Banned
Gaming's not dying, you're just getting old.
God, stop whining.
I assume when you reach his age both will feel the same as him … it’s normal.
also can’t we complain about things? Do we need to accept everything as is?

At least his complains seem valid! I’ve seen people whining about stupid and ridiculous things here… and nobody told them to stop complaining.
 

tommib

Member
Couple of background details: I have been gaming since 1993, been out of the hobby for some years in the 00's. Had a NES, SNES, PS1, PS2, Gaming PCs, Nintendo Wii so I have played (just like most of you) a ton of games through the years. I try to always be optimistic about the hobby, didn't say anything about last year gaming shows, but this... this is already a recurring theme and it has nothing to do with the pandemic.

Maybe the gaming industry is slowly pushing us folks in our 30s away from it? I am seeing game reveal after game reveal, and barring a few exceptions it seems like the games I am seeing do not target me at all. When I was a teenager I always expected this industry to progress, better graphics, more immersive worlds, better gameplay, better stories. But now I am seeing that we are going on the opposite direction.

I know that there are quite a few games to look forward to: Avowed, TES VI, Halo Infinite, Starfield, FH5, BoTW2, Prime 4, Bayo 3, Horizon 2, God of War Ragnarok, GT7, Elden Ring and more. But other than first party devs and a few select third parties, it seems that no one tries to create campaign based single player games anymore. There are also genres that are not being catered at all, survival horror, car combat, arcade racing, inmersive sims, character action games and more, genres that were the cornerstone of gaming in past generations.

Seeing how Arkane had to restort to co op trash because Prey and Dishonored 2 didn't set the world on fire is so dissapointing. Maybe their first game after MS acquisition will be a return to form. Also what's about games being so colourful and having that horrendous Fortnitey artstyle? The Pimkin/Animal Crossing Great Value editions? And don't get me started on the eternal hard on indie devs have for 8bit styled games. Also if a game looks like a proper modern 3D game, chances are its Co Op or MMO... Maybe the backlash against games of the sixth/seventh gen, the grey/brown era was too overblown.

Honestly if most indie devs keep resorting to 8bit or 16 bit throwback games, they have no chance competing against a Retropie or a chinese handheld with Retroarch on it.

Where are the indie devs trying to top Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, Project Gotham Racing, Vagrant Story, Legacy of Kain, SF Alpha III, Twisted Metal, Slyphon Filter, Devil May Cry and many more?

Sorry for the long rant but I had to get this off my chest. Maybe someone in their teens can weigh in to put some perspective? Are single player story based games not popular anymore unless they have best in class production values?
You need Returnal in your life.
 

Optimus Lime

(L3) + (R3) | Spartan rage activated
I assume when you reach his age both will feel the same as him … it’s normal.
also can’t we complain about things? Do we need to accept everything as is?

At least his complains seem valid! I’ve seen people whining about stupid and ridiculous things here… and nobody told them to stop complaining.
I'm old as fuck. I was gaming in the 1980's. So, nah. It's not that.

Gaming isn't 'as good as it's ever been', but it also isn't 'dying'.

It's okay. That's what gaming is right now. It's like everything else, at every other time in history. Some great stuff, some good stuff, and a while ocean of horseshit. That's movies, books, music, and video games. It's not a golden age, but it also isn't an age of shit.
 
Seeing how Arkane had to restort to co op trash because Prey and Dishonored 2 didn't set the world on fire is so dissapointing.

I was kind of tracking you until this. You telling me studios are not allowed to explore other genres? Co-op trash?wtf you taking about?
 

MacReady13

Member
Completely agree. I feel gaming peaked with the 1st few years of the 360 generation and then gaming completely lost the plot. I’m hoping Sony can show me something in the coming months and Nintendo save the day (please give us a 2D Metroid and a wave race) but I’m not holding my breath. I mean seriously, where the fuck is the contender for Silent Hill? I mean a deep, meaningful game like Silent Hill 2? Something that will be discussed for decades??? Why won’t anyone try it instead of the same crap year out?
I know I’m one of aces on here that keeps saying it, but the move towards subscriptions (why was it such a big deal that every fucking Xbox game HAD to have Game Pass day 1 shown to us) is really turning me off. Streaming games is another move to push me away from gaming for good. I loved my time gaming but if that is the future then I’m out. It was awesome while it lasted.
 

kungfuian

Member
The whole co-op live gaas cheap fortnight graphics thing is a little overrepresented in the industry and at these shows for sure, but that has more to do with what companies are trying to push. It is in no way reflective of the entire industry.

Way I see it it's simple. You/we are not the target demographic for these shows anymore. You are not who they are selling these games to. These shows are now clearly aimed at tweens and older teens. They sure as hell aren't for the 30 year olds, or 45 im my case (god I hope not).

Point is, there are plenty of amazing games op, more than there have ever been, but the discovery process is a bit of a bitch. If the bad nickelodeon game show hosts hocking games made for 10 year old's makes you feel like giving up gaming time to look elsewhere. I've always just considered suffering through these shows as part of the the cost of gaming. I know I'll have zero interest in 99% of what they show, and I hate the hosts and their stupid cringe inducing faces, but that 1% is worth it sometimes.
 

Zeroing

Banned
I'm old as fuck. I was gaming in the 1980's. So, nah. It's not that.

Gaming isn't 'as good as it's ever been', but it also isn't 'dying'.

It's okay. That's what gaming is right now. It's like everything else, at every other time in history. Some great stuff, some good stuff, and a while ocean of horseshit. That's movies, books, music, and video games. It's not a golden age, but it also isn't an age of shit.
I also don’t see them dying but changing into something but it’s important to discuss different views and opinions rather than the typical “my console is better than yours!”

that was I was talking about.
 

hemo memo

Gold Member
Well, it is similar to min but for me I moved back to my home country and boy is the digital future dark. If I stopped gaming it is because this forced digital future and unavailability of physical games will force me out.
 

Naked Lunch

Member
Gaming isnt dying and neither are single player games. Thats nonsense. There's pretty much something for everyone.

And if gaming "as you knew it" interested you - the retro scene is thriving these days. There are tons of way to play games of the past from upscalers to play on original hardware on modern HDTVs, to emulators, to things like Mister and Retropie. Theres no way you played all of gaming's previous 40 year history. Return to the era you liked and discover some old classics.

If all the multiplayer gaming got you down - make some friends online and play Battlefield or World of Tanks. Old farts pretty much run both of those series.
 

Optimus Lime

(L3) + (R3) | Spartan rage activated
I also don’t see them dying but changing into something but it’s important to discuss different views and opinions rather than the typical “my console is better than yours!”

that was I was talking about.
Sure. It's great to discuss different views and opinions. That's not what happens here, though. What happens here is that the console users bicker about which system is better using incrementally miniscule points of difference, then the PC users show up and start bellowing about how they are actually the best because they spent thousands of dollars to play console ports and WoW, then I call everyone a fucking retard and go do something else.

This doesn't change the fact that the OP's post makes him/her/it sound like a crybaby drama queen. Gaming isn't 'dying'. It is subject to the same pressures as every other media form that we consume. Sometimes, it's transformative and life affirming, but most of the time, it's something to do while you're waiting for dinner to finish cooking, or when you're too tired to think straight and you just want to watch things exploding.
 

TMLT

Member
Theres a lot of stuff about modern gaming I hate - the death of physical media, the GAAS approach, wokeness, endless remasters, much longer development times etc etc. But theres still a lot of good stuff too. I think last year and 2017 were two of the stronger years in gaming history.
 

Shmunter

Member
Yeah, things are quickly becoming blurred into one. Everything is looking samey and repetitive.

And with recent news on games like god of war and gt7 being current gen I’m quickly losing my enthusiasm. And that Battlefield trailer this morning- disgraceful.
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
One thing I considerer myself lucky is because of my taste most of the games I like are AA Japanese games, thanks to that I never lost interest in gaming and still love playing them.

Maybe If I only played AAA western games then maybe I would have felt same way.
 

Redneckerz

Those long posts don't cover that red neck boy
Every E3 someone will claim that gaming is dying, before proceeding to buy a kart in Mario Kart Tour, a ship in Star Citizen, a cosmetic item in Payday 2, or the latest Call of Duty.

Take a look at games like Takedown and Starbase. Games as a medium is not dying, its thriving.
 
Why don't you play in vr then? (Assuming that you don't).

"Everything is derivative and boring" whilst ignoring the game changing tech that completely refreshes every aspect of gaming.

Ps. I don't agree with you on the flat screen games either. Quality and choice are better than ever.
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
The last big 3rd party game I bought was Fallen Order, and before that I don't even remember. The Witcher 3 probably (edit: forgot about Dark Souls 3). Because of exactly this. I play almost exclusively story-driven single player adventures, that's just what I like. Sure, Rocket League is my most played game ever, but that's a brilliant exception.

Thank God for Sony and (to a lesser extent) Nintendo.
 
Last edited:

ZywyPL

Banned
It's not dying, it's evolving, just backwards. Seriously tho, I'm in a very similar spot, and the thing, if you close yourself only on the AAA market you'll get pretty graphics and not much more, it'll all be very safe, stale gameplay.
 
My only problem is that I don’t have time for all the games.

The OP is kind of weird, first mentions a gazillion single player games on the horizon, then whines about Arkane’s new game (which will probably be very good even played solo) and then finishes with how indies should be trying to best AAA games from the past (like silent hill, PGR e.t.c) with , I would assume, new shiny graphics. Nevermind that games like the new A plague’s tale and STALKER 2 look amazing.
 

UnNamed

Banned
Gaming in general is very different from what it used to be.

I agree there are some big games out there, and new big games coming. Also, thanks to the indie developers,there are some true gems we would never seen in the golden age when you needed to find a publisher and hope they find your game attractive.

At the same time, videogames nowadays look like a work. Less competition, less diversity, so in case I didn't like a game, there were ton of different genres within the same genre. I miss the arcade era when you could play a game for just one hour without stress and when you want because the high replayability.
 
I've been gaming since 1984 and gaming is utterly brilliant these days. I do miss the Arcades a huge amount mind and the lack of a SEGA console is a killer, but otherwise, gaming been utterly brilliant and a bit of a life saver during the lockdown.
 

Sethbacca

Member
I've been gaming since the mid 80s and there's very little that gives me that same feeling that new games used to give me as a kid. Used to be I could get excited reading E3 notes in EGM and Gamepro and that was a 2" by 2" picture of something that would be out in 2-3 years, MAYBE if we're lucky. Now I get 4k HDR footage streamed in real time from E3 and the best I can manage most of the time is a yawn. This getting old shit fucking sucks.
 

Daymos

Member
There's just too many games. Most of the popular ones suck and that's most of what you see. Brainless violent shooters, now with more politically correct characters.. it mimics American action movies.

For me I find alot of niche jrpgs, old school/indie wrpgs, and even some of Nintendo's stuff to still be great.
 
Couple of background details: I have been gaming since 1993, been out of the hobby for some years in the 00's. Had a NES, SNES, PS1, PS2, Gaming PCs, Nintendo Wii so I have played (just like most of you) a ton of games through the years. I try to always be optimistic about the hobby, didn't say anything about last year gaming shows, but this... this is already a recurring theme and it has nothing to do with the pandemic.

Maybe the gaming industry is slowly pushing us folks in our 30s away from it? I am seeing game reveal after game reveal, and barring a few exceptions it seems like the games I am seeing do not target me at all. When I was a teenager I always expected this industry to progress, better graphics, more immersive worlds, better gameplay, better stories. But now I am seeing that we are going on the opposite direction.

I know that there are quite a few games to look forward to: Avowed, TES VI, Halo Infinite, Starfield, FH5, BoTW2, Prime 4, Bayo 3, Horizon 2, God of War Ragnarok, GT7, Elden Ring and more. But other than first party devs and a few select third parties, it seems that no one tries to create campaign based single player games anymore. There are also genres that are not being catered at all, survival horror, car combat, arcade racing, inmersive sims, character action games and more, genres that were the cornerstone of gaming in past generations.

Seeing how Arkane had to restort to co op trash because Prey and Dishonored 2 didn't set the world on fire is so dissapointing. Maybe their first game after MS acquisition will be a return to form. Also what's about games being so colourful and having that horrendous Fortnitey artstyle? The Pimkin/Animal Crossing Great Value editions? And don't get me started on the eternal hard on indie devs have for 8bit styled games. Also if a game looks like a proper modern 3D game, chances are its Co Op or MMO... Maybe the backlash against games of the sixth/seventh gen, the grey/brown era was too overblown.

Honestly if most indie devs keep resorting to 8bit or 16 bit throwback games, they have no chance competing against a Retropie or a chinese handheld with Retroarch on it.

Where are the indie devs trying to top Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, Project Gotham Racing, Vagrant Story, Legacy of Kain, SF Alpha III, Twisted Metal, Slyphon Filter, Devil May Cry and many more?

Sorry for the long rant but I had to get this off my chest. Maybe someone in their teens can weigh in to put some perspective? Are single player story based games not popular anymore unless they have best in class production values?
We're just getting old, mate.

In reality we really aren't the target audience for a lot of the new stuff but that's OK. We just need to be more selective about what we buy and make sure we get the most out of our good stuff.

Online multiplayer and coop just gets a big "no" from me. Preachy "right on" content turns me right off also but may not be a deal breaker.

On PS5 I have Returnal, Demon's Souls and Ratchet & Clank and to be honest there is a whole lot of great single player content in there.

Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey are the gold standard for me in terms of modern single players. Fun, addictive, plenty of content, not overly concerned with showing off the newest in photorealistic violence technology.

Don't be trash talking Pikmin. Pikmin 3 is an absolutely sensational game. :)
 
As with movies, music, books and pretty much everything else, most people develop their taste in games in the time between their early teens and 20s. After that, it's largely set in stone.

Naturally, that's also the age range most "big" developers and publishers will try to target with their games. You're gonna age out of that bracket eventually, there's no avoiding it.

You can either accept it and switch to mostly playing older games and indies (which are much more likely to feature "forgotten" or "unfashionable" genres), or - if you absolutely have to play the newest, biggest and prettiest releases - you can force yourself to move out of your comfort zone and give those zoomer games a chance.
 
Last edited:

fart town usa

Gold Member
That's why I retro game for the most part. Modern gaming is great but most games don't interest me. There are so many games available, especially with how easy it is to softmod certain older systems. The supply is endless.

Same thing applies to movies. 99% of modern stuff doesn't interest me whatsoever but there's so many movies I've never seen from prior decades, I just explore old films and find things suited towards my tastes.

Now that I'm in my mid 30s, I generally know what I want to watch or play based on my interests, I just focus on that and enjoy it.
 

TheMan

Member
technology changes and so do tastes and trends. So do you as a person. Sometimes old hobbies just start to lose their appeal. You might also be burned out a bit? Have you thought about shifting gears into something else for a while and then coming back to gaming later?
 

Wonko_C

Member
Go VR. New ways to play and innovative gameplay concepts are constantly devised there simply because the control scheme changes from just a controller in your hand to 6 degrees of freedom head movement and independent hands, so instead of having a single input device you have three intuitive ones.

Virtual Reality Vr GIF

Virtual Reality Vr GIF

Virtual Reality Vr GIF
 
Last edited:

balt1kr1s

Member
Younger audience is a main target like we were back in day when we were young, that have not changed much.

We are getting older, have our own tastes, so we don’t have to stick with most popular stuff or try as much as possible, so you actually should be happy because you know what you want.

You definitely have some big fuck ups by publishers but there is still a lot left to enjoy.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom