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[Plinko]

.....everything became an FPS.

Came here to post this but with less "everything." Way, way too many to count, sadly.

As for the OP, I disagree about NFS. The newest Hot Pursuit was great.

 

[Slair]

Wow, nice way to make me depressed.

Also, not quite in keeping with the op but Rallisport Challenge 2 >>>>>>>> Every rally game this gen.

 

[Router]

PS3 didn't get a single Syphon Filter title. Fail.

 

[Skilletor]

SC5 > SC2

Sorry you lost your favorite characters, but the gameplay in SC5 was much better than 2.

 

[Radec]

You have a point OP,

but then this gen gave us these:

So it wasn't really that bad.

 

[cacildo]

In before the "You have to SEARCH for good indie games on your PC" crowd.

Oh yeah, now i have to SEARCH for good games on a plataform that i dont like.

 

[Nibel]

I had a bunch of great experiences this generation, but the amount of killed franchises is pretty crazy

 

[FStop7]

I wasn't disappointed by the generation as a whole, but Syndicate was a huge disappointment.

Microsoft and Sony getting fixated on motion control was also a disappointment.

 

[casablanca]

What about the Wii Silent Hill that is widely acclaimed?

What about Resident Evil Revelations which is pretty dang awesome and felt more like older REs with some of the nicer new elements?

Come on you can't compare SH2 with shatterd memories or RE4 with RE:R.
Different leagues.

 

[Snakeyes]

No surprise that most of the franchises in the OP are from Japanese devs. They all truly struggled this gen and it is not.looking good going into this upcoming gen.

Yeah, I haven't seen any evidence of the trend starting to reverse itself.

 

[IncandescentPrecept]

You only play sequels?

This. For every sequel that disappointed, a new one take rose to fill the gap.

 

[Bedlam]

Makes me laugh because it's true. Those games seriously made the whole gen worth it. But aside from that, I kind of agree with the OP, just going by the examples he posted, he's right. Can't argue with those.

At the end of the next generation we will probably lament what has become Dark Souls. It's a cycle.

 

[MikeE21286]

I think this gen is a disappointment to me because of the demise of Japanese gaming.

Team ICO
Square (notably with the Final Fantasy series)
and the lack of a Persona game


All these stick out in my mind as major disappointments.

 

[rouken]

...microtransactions.

I'm really disappointed about Plants vs Zombies 2, it's a really solid game and I would have given it money like what I always do with a newly released game, but the micro transactions really ruins it for me.

It really ruins everything this gen.

 

[nkarafo]

Portal and Dark Souls are the only games that will stick in my brain about this gen. Maybe GTA5 too, if i ever play it.

 

[Soulscribe]

Your bias against the HD generation stems from the fact that the handful of game series you liked actually peaked during the PS2 era.

Those games were great at that time, but this gen we've had new IP staples that will have the same impact and relevance that those older games had.

The new IPs this generation have been amazing, and I'm sure by the end of this next generation we're going to be complaining about how Assassin's Creeds 5-7 will never hold a candle to the first three.

We grow attached to certain games and series because the context at the time permits it, but we shouldn't use that attachment to decide that everything afterwards was objectively worse.

Soul Calibur 2 is probably my favorite game of all time, and I can tell you that regardless of how objectively great any future Soul Calibur game will be (even if it systematically exceeds Soul Calibur 2's greatness in every way), I will ALWAYS say that SC2 was the peak for me. It's a personal bias that appeals to my sensibilities but it's not a great outlook.

So I guess relish in the nostalgia of those old games, but don't let that make you bitter and insulated from games that come out in the future. Games are evolving, and so should you.

 

[ZeroMaverick]

Because they shut down MGO way too soon. Close thread.

 

[nynt9]

While I agree that some sequels have been somewhat mediocre this gen, the new games we got were awesome!


New:
Borderlands 1 & 2,
Bioshock & Infinite,
L4D & 2,
Portal 1 & 2,
Castle Crashers,
Minecraft,
Uncharted,
Crackdown

Sequels that were excellent:
Skyrim,
GTA:V,
Diablo 3(on console)

Out of those, I only thought Portal 1, Minecraft and maybe GTAV (too early to call) brilliant. The rest have been disappointments and/or "streamlined" versions of previous experiences for me.

 

[NewGame]

OP I love you.

Everything in the OP was correct. Every single thing.

Come, let us weep together.

 

[Off-Kilter]

While, yes, I agree that many franchises experienced a regression from the last generation, this generation also had a fair share of improvements.

Cases in point:
Forza 4
Grand Theft Auto V
Red Dead Redemption
Super Mario Galaxy
Deus Ex: Human Revolution

It also had great new IPs in BioShock, Mass Effect, Dark/Demons Souls, Dishonored, shit Platinum Games does, Assassin's Creed (yeah the series is kinda stale and has its bad moments, but ACII is damn good), and more I can't think of at the moment

 

[Anteater]

It's a terrible gen for med-tier titles

 

[vio]

Everything is a letdown after PS2 era. Simple as that.

 

[Nyx]

Agreed on Burnout at least, BO2 forever baby!

 

[ASIS]

Really? On one hand people complain about too many sequels, but if you stopped and looked at all the new IPs this gen you'd realize there were fantastic new games in each and every genre you listed.

This is not the 6th gen, just because the sequels failed to make the jump doesn't mean it didn't have anything else to offer.

 

[jiggles]

Yes, OP, franchises tend to lose quality when they dump out sequel after sequel.

 

[YoungOne]

Gonna have to disagree with you there on Soul Calibur, SC5 is better as it has the best gameplay in the series. Otherwise while I may have fonder times with the older gen there were some really great games this gen like Dragon's Dogma, Type 0, MGO2, and Folklore.

 

[RoninChaos]

On one hand I can agree. On the other hand, the ps2 generation was arguably the greatest ever.

With this generation being such a stumbling block for developers, I'm hoping that next gen will be more like the PS2 era.

This era did have some great titles but I'm not sure if its a fair comparison for a few reasons. The biggest being was that the ps2 DOMINATED that gen and every developer threw their support behind it. This generation didn't have that. It was split between the Xbox and ps3 and that split really changed the flow of this gen.

Also, as good as dark souls is, it doesn't negate what the OP said. Come on.

 

[jordan0386]

...community managers promoted way too much.

Feedback didnt really translate to change.

NDAs are corny. If you're making a shitty game let us help you prevent that.

 

[TheSpoiler]

SC5 > SC2

Sorry you lost your favorite characters, but the gameplay in SC5 was much better than 2.

High five. It's a bad argument. The game didn't have as much content as the others, but for fighting games, balance is key, and Namco didn't give them much time. Ended up being the best in the series.

Anyway, sure, many of our favorite games didn't make it to this gen, or didn't make it in the right format, but there are still plenty of great games and successors.

Bayonetta is arguably deeper than the previous DMC, and it's an amazing spiritual continuation. Vanquish subverts the the whole cower-behind-walls trope. Virtua Fighter 5 got a sequel too, better balanced than before!

Hell, even though it took an iteration or two, SF4 was improved as well. So was KOF13. Damnit this gen was fun as hell too.

Oh, and 3D Dot Heroes. So good.

 

[BruiserBear]

I disagree with many of the OP's assessments. Specifically for Need for Speed and Burnout.

 

[danmaku]

Came here to post this but with less "everything." Way, way too many to count, sadly.

As for the OP, I disagree about NFS. The newest Hot Pursuit was great.

It's not even open world. You never see the open world unless you select free roaming from the menu, and it doesn't feel like an open world, either. More like a patchwork of linear races.

 

[sixteen-bit]

No F-Zero this gen either.

 

[bigol]

Final Fantasy,PES,Silent Hill all suffered the transition to hd era and i really miss them
like someone said i really hope the ps4 will be the Renaissance of Japanese gaming

Please Sony make it happen

 

[AkuMifune]

OP I love you.

Everything in the OP was correct. Every single thing.

Come, let us weep together.

Yup. OP shamed me into submission of truth. Some great examples of stuff we lost.

But Fallout 3. XCOM. GTAIV and V. RDR. Portal 1, Portal 2. Batman. Early AC games, Demons/Dark Souls...we had stuff I wouldn't have imagined. Expect the same from next gen!

 

[LogicStep]

At the end of the next generation we will probably lament what has become Dark Souls. It's a cycle.

I hope with every once of my being that you are wrong. You probably feel the same lol

You have a point OP,

but then this gen gave us these:


So it wasn't really that bad.

Yup, this gen sucked for some franchises, but it gave us amazing experiences too so it wasn't all bad.

 

[Chû Totoro]

This gen wasn't targeted to the same people that were the PS2 target audience in the first place. At least they tried to reach a wider audience...

Nintendo tried the same with Wii, NDS, 3DS and now Wii U but they tried it in a different way. They tried to make video games more accessible while Sony is making entertainment systems since PS3 and Microsoft is making an all-in-one entertainment system with the Xbox One...

Nintendo : toys (means video games only)
Sony / Microsoft : all in on boxes (means all you can add so you get more clients and push more contents at the same time... of your others products / media of course).

 

[daviyoung]

Series burnout here

FIFA Street this gen >>>>>>> all previous FIFA Streets

I don't agree with NFS because Criterion Pursuit is one of the best arcade racers ever, and the Shift games are great too

Japanese series' really dropped a ball but the stuff coming out of Sony's Japan Studio this gen far surpasses Sony's efforts last year

I agree on PES though, shame the Wii one didn't take off because there were solid control foundations there

 

[terrisus]

Way, way too many FPSs.

Far too much focus on graphics (sure, there always has been in previous generations, but it just took away far too much from far too many games)

 

[UncleSporky]

Come on you can't compare SH2 with shatterd memories or RE4 with RE:R.
Different leagues.

Leagues how? What does it matter if you have the same amount of fun playing them? They're awesome games on par with the greatness of the past and that's all that matters.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Japan delivered for me. Two brilliant Galaxy games, Bayonetta, Vanquish, Dead Rising, Revengeance, Demon's Souls, Dark Souls. Oh yes.

Then again, I loved this gen as a whole, not in the least thanks to the indie boom. So much creativity and diversity.

Haters gonna hate, but I feel my hobby is in many ways better than ever, especially if you don't limit yourself to one system.

 

[Snakeyes]

Really? On one hand people complain about too many sequels, but if you stopped and looked at all the new IPs this gen you'd realize there were fantastic new games in each and every genre you listed.

This is not the 6th gen, just because the sequels failed to make the jump doesn't mean it didn't have anything else to offer.

Really. Sure, new IPs did emerge, but they're not a replacement for entire genres that failed to make the jump.

 

[neoemonk]

Your post is too reasonable and has too many concessions. It will be promptly ignored by the other posters. Try to be more inflammatory next time!

I'm doing it wrong again aren't I? Damn it.

 

[CHC]

Homogenization - same features creeping into every game, everything feels identical. If we're not careful next gen will only be differentiated by a choice of first or third person games. Genre will be gone.... Haha

 

[Grief.exe]

At the end of the next generation we will probably lament what has become Dark Souls. It's a cycle.

Oh god no

The direction they have taken Dark Souls II seems very solid. They have made some changes that will make the game slightly harder, but encourage more social interaction.

 

[Shauni]

I can agree with some of the OP. A lot of big franchises didn't make the transition to this gen all that well. Comes with the changing of mainstream tastes, I guess.

 

[HigherLevel]

This gen had plenty of great moments/games but way too many series I loved either died, declined, or disappeared completely.

Halo

Started great with Halo 3. Was solid with ODST and Reach, and then Halo 4 came out and killed so many aspects of what made the series great. Halo's future is a big question mark right now.

Final Fantasy

Going from one of my favorite games in the series(XII) to XIII was a huge disappointment. Then there is the whole XIII trilogy stuff, no localization of Type-0, and the awful original version of FFXIV. Fortunately the series looks to be going back in the right direction with XV.

Splinter Cell

One of the best trilogies on the Xbox became I don't even know what. Double Agent was average, Conviction was a horrible SC game but fun action game, and Blacklist was a weird mix of Conviction and old school games with too many glitches.

Ninja Gaiden

I beat Ninja Gaiden Black on Master Ninja. My hype for NG2 was insane, but it wasn't as well designed and the framerate was awful at launch. NG3 is not even worth discussing.

Resident Evil

I wasn't the biggest fan of the old RE games. I enjoyed them, but RE4 was a classic. I was dying to play RE5 and while it wasn't RE4, it was still fun and I replayed it multiple times in co-op. I hated the demo for RE6 so much I never even played the full game.

Ratchet and Clank

The series started off great this gen with Tools of Destruction and a Crack in Time, but All 4 One and Full Frontal Assault were not good Ratchet games at all. It looks like Into the Nexus is a step back in the right direction though, even if it is a small step.

Metroid Prime

Other M. Enough said.

Gears of War

This series has almost died in one generation. Gears 1 was a classic, 2 was very good despite tons of issues with online MP, and 3 was a masterpiece. Judgment did enough damage to potentially ruin the series forever. MS needs to sit on this series a few years and bring it back with a focus on what made the original the classic it is.

Unreal Tournament

UT3 was a decent game, but strayed too far away from what made the original UT so fun. This type of game is pretty much nonexistent now so who knows if we'll ever see it again.

Jak and Daxter

This series just disappeared this gen. I know Naughty Dog took it up a notch with Uncharted and the Last of Us, but there's no reason Sony couldn't have had another developer work on a Jak game. I loved all three of the first games despite their differences and changes. Hopefully Jak returns on the PS4.

 

[TatteredHat]

The only thing I dislike about this gen was that cool new IPs like Valkyria Chronicles and Dead Space started popping up, only to slowly be killed off again within a couple of years.

 

[TheSpoiler]

Oh god no

The direction they have taken Dark Souls II seems very solid. They have made some changes that will make the game slightly harder, but encourage more social interaction.

If anything, there's a lack of reliance on that in regards to how DS was, where some covenants are useless unless you play online (read: more than half). IIRC, this one allows you to be useful both online and offline.

 

[GetemMa]

I think this gen was great.

There was a time when I was worried about variety but if a person has a moderately capable PC there are so many good indie games and it looks like the PS4 and WiiU are very indie friendly.

 

[Haunted]

I think Burnout Paradise is the best Burnout game and Most Wanted holds that honour for NFS, so I disagree there. We've seen an abundance of great racing games this generation, so the genre really wasn't lacking (except for rally sims, I suppose - RIP Colin McRae).

I've also noticed that pretty much all of your examples are about game series from Japanese developers, and boy, haven't we all noticed their decline this generation. Really, when all is said and done after this, we might have to consider the "downfall of Japan" as one of the biggest legacies of the PSWii60 console generation.

No surprise that most of the franchises in the OP are from Japanese devs. They all truly struggled this gen and it is not.looking good going into this upcoming gen.