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This gen was a disappointment for me, because...

Japanese games as a whole this gen were disappointing, IMO.

There are a few standouts but a definite decline across the board (on consoles).
 
A portion of them are going to be a MMO/ social mobile game structure with console grade graphics and tech. Starting really late this gen, expect it to bloom early next gen. And I hope it will die.
 
Not enough "B-Tier" games. Too much focus on blockbuster, multi-million dollar budget, AAA games. On safe bets. Not that I don't enjoy those types of games, but I miss the days of medium budget games with quirky mechanics. Now if you want anything remotely unique or creative, you have too look toward low budget indie games, which have been taking up a lot of my attention, time, and money.

The big players just feel very stagnant and tame with a few rare exceptions. I'd like to see a larger variety of budgets and sales expectations going forward.

Not to mention no real strides in worthwhile storytelling or including women and minorities in any meaningful way, but that's part of a much larger issue. And that's disappointing.
 
Came here to post about there not being a console successor to DQ8, as well as Dark Cloud and Rogue Galaxy being MIA.

F2P, mobile, and shooters have ruined the chances of plenty of sequel-worthy games of yesteryear.
 
Let's re-evaluate ourselves as gamers through this cloudy generation seven and move forward. Maybe, just maybe we game less because we were bombarded with this new standards for games, whether the models have to have skin pores or whether they should be portable 10 minute game sessions on touch screens because we are too busy to play, or that we can play a recycled version of our pasts favourites, because that is what we always wanted, or hey how about this remote you can swing inaccurately and hope it responds to what you do! I want tactile feedback and a valid response!

Sorry to be blunt, but the Xbox created a trend with it's beautiful trend of the Golden Age of FPS thanks to the great controller. Sad to say, many developers saw shooters as the best way of winning sales and so we had the FPS Tunnel Syndrome, and I am sick of it.

I am with the OP, 7th gen is the least creative, least original, least ambitious and most gimmicked and overhyped gen yet. We as an audience, also need to clear our heads like the OP and have higher standards for games and stop admiring games for their movie feel, realistic skin, yearly sequels, over-hyped horizontal slice tech demos, far release dates, HD remakes for nostalgia, and replace these values with immersion, game feel, stimulus feedback, freedom of choice, engaging rules of play, wackiness, charm, depth of plot, and how it relates to gameplay, raw challenge, and most of all, fun and originality!!

Before I end this, Memorable games this gen...

Dark Souls, Super Mario Galaxy, Lost Odyssey, Starcraft 2, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Fear, Journey, Papa and Yo!, To the moon, Xenoblade, Witcher, and EVERYTHING INDIE!!

And for the OP,...
PATRIOTS ARE AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MGS 2
;)
 
I agree with the OP when it comes last gen's series going down the drain, with the exception of WipEout HD, although the franchise seems to be dead now when we're moving towards next gen. But I disagree with the whole gen being a disappointment, as it offered a plenty of fantastic new series, and stand-alone games, to compensate for the old series' downfall.
 
that Tekken went multi platform ... man so unoptimized... I liked when they squezzed everything out of the ps2 that time

now it felt like "we have to get it running on everything" ... meh those loading times are so dated

also that sony removed all the geek Features
- otheros
- firewire
- sd card Slots
 
A Sentient Keyboard said:
Franchises kinda always get worse over time, in my experience. That's why you look into new IPs and see what new and exciting stuff catches your interest. All my favorite games this gen (Portal, 999, Fez, Asura's Wrath, and so much more) are new IPs. I don't think sequels of particular series are a good measure of a gen's quality.

Also this generation was amazing, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

This. Pretty much all amazing games this gen have been new IPs.
 
EricDiesel said:
Not to mention no real strides in worthwhile storytelling or including women and minorities in any meaningful way, but that's part of a much larger issue. And that's disappointing.
Click to expand...

You really should play Gone Home. It's not about ghosts, and that's all I'll say :P

690564_20130814_640screen013.jpg
 
game2brain said:
that Tekken went multi platform ... man so unoptimized... I liked when they squezzed everything out of the ps2 that time

now it felt like "we have to get it running on everything" ... meh those loading times are so dated

also that sony removed all the geek Features
- otheros
- firewire
- sd card Slots
Click to expand...

Gotta fit all that character creation shit in the game! Beyond the loading times, 6 and Tag 2 are way, way better than their predecessors.
 
Damn that's crazy. OP is spot on. I agree fully. The newer versions of these titles are not good. I used to love RE and Silent Hill, and now I don't even bother.
 
This gen was worse than ps2 but it was still good in certain areas. and on average things like voice acting, graphics, presentation got better in most respects. My main problem is the lack of JRPGs and the overall lack of soul from alot of games.

last gen we had RPGs like FFX, FF12, Xenosaga 1,2,3, Dragon Quest 8, Valkyrie Profile 2, Persona 3 and 4, Hack series, Shadow Hearts Covenant, just all these great JRPGs and games like Silent Hill 2, God of War, RE4 that were so creative an innovative at the time. Alot of the ps3/360 era feels like watered down imitation of what ps2 did with less depth in many areas.

but I do appreciate the better technology of ps3 as well as higher budgets that allow for better voice actors, superior graphics and refined gameplay. Games like Mass Effect, Bioshock, Last of Us, Uncharted 2, Yakuza 3, infamous 2 are all amazing.
 
I love this gen, but I certainly get depressed when I think about the state of console JRPGs and how there have been 0 console SMTs while the PS2 had like 7, 0 good FFs, while the PS2 had 1(XII). No Wild Arms, Suikoden, Grandia and Lunar have been bad or missing since the PS1.

Don't love Xenoblade, didn't really enjoy Lost Odyssey, Mistwalker is pretty shit in general to me. This gen console JRPGs were trash from Gust and Compile Hearts, shovelware-tier JRPGs.

This gen opened my horizons though, was not much of a WRPG/CRPG guy pre-2005 but I've gotten into a lot of old WRPGs this gen, and now I am depressed that WRPGs share a similar fate to JRPGs this gen, though there are still plenty of good WRPGs, they are mostly niche or indie, while niche JRPGs outside of handhelds have been complete shit.

This gen brought Valkyria Chronicles, Yakuza 3+, Souls series (which I prefer to anything over last-gen to be honest), Witcher games, the return of fighting games in many major franchises, some great Tales games (the only JRPG franchise that continued into this gen with several entries while still never being terrible) and many more. I am not too bitter overall. Not to mention the EXPLOSION of indie games, many of which are awesome and far more innovative than AAA games.
 
Demons Souls, Dark Souls, and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance saved this generation for me.

The big notable things that hurt this gen, at least for me, were SquareEnix and Capcom turning into giant piles of fail.
 
JackAubrey said:
The most annoying thing for me in this generation was the lack of games of my favoured genres. The flight sim - and flight action game for that matter - is mostly dead. A sim-lite game like F-19 Stealth Fighter would be really great on a console - but it's just not going to happen now. The world has moved on - if you can't show people how to crouch and jump in the first level then the game isn't going to get made. So my problem isn't the games that exist, it's the ones that don't.

And while I did like shooters - games like the original Call of Duty, Project IGI, Ghost Recon, Rainbow 6 have gone too. I was on board when Call of Duty became how it is now, I get the point and enjoyed the mayhem at first, but I'm sad so many other games/franchises had to go this way. Sad that games I might have loved otherwise have aped this approach - most notably Bioshoc Infinite. I so wanted to play the whole game, see the story, but I gave up early on thanks to the combat.

There won't be another M1 Tank Platoon for me to master, to F19, no Midwinter, no Ghost Recon as it was. Thankfully racing games remain popular - otherwise I might as well give up on gaming.
Click to expand...

As an RPG fan who is bitter with how this gen turns out... I'll read posts like this and think - it could have been a lot worse. RPGs look positively thriving compared to aforementioned genres (squad-based shooters, flight sims), or other ones like extreme/arcade sports, arcade racing, 3d platforming, etc.
 
It seems more likely that the western rise (tho eastern Europe has contributed mightily) in game development was more prevalent this gen and because they make games you don't like this generation is a disappointment.
 
I think you forgot one, fellow GAFfer:

Def Jam Vendetta/Def Jam Fight for NY >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Def Jam ICON

Just WTH were they thinking :(

But I can't say this gen was a disappointment for me.
 
I'm a little bit burned out on games that try to go after a realistic (brown) look. Would have loved more wacky/colourful stuff outside of obscure indie games. It actually started quite nice with Kameo.
 
Slair said:
Wow, nice way to make me depressed.

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

Heck yeah. I just reinstalled Rallisport 1 for PC and got the widescreen to work. Best rally game ever. I wish the 2nd one made it to PC or was 360 compatible.
 
Final Fantasy XIII

Overall, I think this gen had a ton of good games but perhaps fewer really great games. I think it's a symptom of streamlining. Everything is made for everyone now. I don't see that changing, but the indie boom and the success of games like Demon's Souls is a bright spot.

Or maybe I'm just getting older. I wasn't disappointed in this gen overall.
 
Fancy Corndog said:
Final Fantasy XIII

Overall, I think this gen had a ton of good games but perhaps fewer really great games. I think it's a symptom of streamlining. Everything is made for everyone now. I don't see that changing, but the indie boom and the success of games like Demon's Souls is a bright spot.

Or maybe I'm just getting older. I wasn't disappointed in this gen overall.
Click to expand...

While part of it is that, you have to remember that the PS2 had a TON of stinkers. It's easier to remember the good rather than the bad, and it's hard to like this gen when some of your favorite games get crushed.

Regardless, the PS2 has six bad games for every single good one.
 
I mostly agree with the OP, especially about Burnout. I know some people loved Burnout Paradise, but I feel an open world racing game is only worthwhile if you have the time to invest to learn the whole map; which is not how I play racing games at all.

...some other parts of the OP confuse me. Like the hate for DQIX just because it wasn't on console or SCV for changing the roster. Ace Combat Infinity hasn't even come out yet, it could be excellent but it's disregarded just because it's free to play.
 
This gen went through a hard transition to HD. Game production costs exploded and you can all see the effect it had on the Japanese market (Wii U games anyone?).

So yeah, it didn't just naturally evolve from what the PS2 did, but those times are pretty much over now. Developers had 7 years to get toolsets and engines in order. I think next-gen will give us back the glory days of the PS2. #TeamCerny
 
DQ8 is awesome no doubt, but I prefer my DQ on handhelds.
And where the hell is the 7 remake? I'm guessing Nintendo will localize it after Bravely Default comes out.
 
Lots of games lost a sense of exploration. Both in level design and in mechanics.

In terms of map exploration you either had incredibly linear games where you were quiet literally funneled through the campaign. Or you had open-world or HUB style games with giant mini-maps that pretty much revealed every single thing of interest.

In terms of RPGs I really hate to use the term dumbed down, but I can't really think of anything else to call it. We went from having giants spread sheets with tons of options to have simple trees which amounted to basic archetypes.

Then of course we have the death of stealth games and slower more methodic shooter. Slower, turn-base RPGs being replaced with action ones. Been a really disappointing gen for me.

I don't know if they can be technically considered part of this discussion, but mmos in the last 8 years have been terrible as well except for maybe GW2.

There were some big bright spots though. Xcom, Demons/Dark Souls, Fallout: New Vegas and there is this wave of kickerstater RPGs that's coming out that's looking to be promising if Shadowrun Returns is anything to go by.


CaptainMoose said:
DQ8 is awesome no doubt, but I prefer my DQ on handhelds.
And where the hell is the 7 remake? I'm guessing Nintendo will localize it after Bravely Default comes out.
Click to expand...

I read it in one of the DQ topics around here. Someone mentioned it was a quest of "DQ7 or DF." We got our answer. :(
 
Too many times have I read people complaining how whatever generation they are currently in is like totally the worst, pining for the halcyon days of yore, when Gaming was REAL! Eventually now becomes then, and then becomes great as well.

That said, every generation has unfulfilled promises, missteps, and flat out fuck ups. For me the worst aspect of this gen is how badly DLC failed in what it could have been vs what it is.

The idea to offer additional content to your favorite games should have been awesome, and there are some great examples of this. But for the most part, it was the lazy selling out of content we used to get for free in previous years
 
Devilgunman said:
Not sure if joke. And if it is, it isn't a good one.
Click to expand...

Wasn't in all heavy seriousness, but no, not a joke. I was, however, genuinely confused by the Madden died post. The games quality had a pretty stale run this early this gen, but the last 2 or 3 years had some pretty good improvements. Not FIFA improvements, but improvement nonetheless. Had to google "Madden died" just so I'm not missing anything.

Tom Clancy on the other hand did pass away. Here's a pretty good article about his significance: http://kotaku.com/tom-clancys-strange-video-game-legacy-1440324638.
His significance truly did ripple through so many games we play and are popular today. And yes, his passing does suck.

---

Back on topic though, I feel like all my gamer friends moved from many other genres to FPS... specifically CoD. I couldn't relate to any of them in terms of single player experiences because they were too busy playing CoD or, to a lesser extent, other multiplayer games.

On the other hand, my friends who didn't make the move to multiplayer games pretty much quit games altogether. I'm pretty sure this has to do with various reasons such as simply having more responsibilities as we get older or just the natural "growing out of games" thing that many people go through, etc, etc. I kinda feel like it's the effect of the drop in quality and, to some extent, an abandonment of audiences (ie, Capcom games). I agree with many points that the op made.

I wonder if the old audience will come back if the quality, innovations and creative energies that we've seen in the ps2 gen come back.
 
This generation was a disappointment for me because mainstream gaming all but entirely lost its appeal to me and consumer rights were damaged irreparably in the name of maintaining that very same mainstream gaming that disinterests me so.
 
This gen wasn't a disappointment to me.

But Def Jam Icon broke my heart- ripped it to pieces. Kudo Tsunoda, never forget.

And that micro transactions, on disc locked content and terrible season passes became fully accepted.
 
From someone who has reduced his involvement in gaming during this past generation, an alternative take.

I wouldn't say games now are any better or worse than before. What I believe is people become more cynical as they get older. Instead of accepting and enjoying a game for what it is, people tend to tear apart and despise a game for what it isn't. Chances are if you let your mind be open and let get go of any ideas of what a game should be you'll likely enjoy games more. :)

It also helps to ignore whatever others who dis a game say about it and make your own judgement. When you step back from all the drama you'll be amazed at the difference in your prespective. Many qualms that once mattered simply don't.
 
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