gaming Whats the worst gaming era/generation in your views

[Concerned Bystander 2,901]

 

 

And I'm pretty games have cost about the same price as they did 6 years ago. $60 new releases have always been a thing. There are notable exceptions, but that's just what they are, exceptions.

 

I think you'd have struggled to find a $60 game six years ago,  but my memory may be skewed by the fact that I can remember new releases costing £10 then being re-released a year later on a budget label for about £4.  Granted that was quite a long time ago, that was when games came on tapes.

[Sir Hugsalot 8,619]

What we look at today is what I consider the worst gaming generation. 

 

What became a bane of modern gaming:

-day one DLCs (in few cases even on actual CD with game)

-half baked, glitchy games for a full price (and not just indie games while at it)

-season passes that cost almost as much as a new game

-generally little content and some of it ends up literally cut and sold as DLC 

-generally easier games with no way to increase difficulty to a satisfying level. Try playing Heroes of might and magic III and then V for example. Difference in campaign is enormous. 3rd one required far more strategy and planning in order to win. 

 

I don't like, what's happening to computer games. I really wish it changes soon, but since people keep buying new games with increasing prices and lower quality, change is unlikely to happen. If anyone here doesn't like current state of gaming - vote with wallets. EA Games (example) does not care about Your acid words on internet forums. It doesn't care about outmatching Bank of America in golden poo award. But it does care about its charts. When sales begin to significantly drop they will have to find new way to attract customers. And it is the only way to make a change. 

OF COURSE it might not work out at all, but better try than just sit and complain, waiting for a miracle to happen, hm?

DLC isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Sure, there are some shitty rip-offs out there, but lots of games have okay DLC. And I'm pretty games have cost about the same price as they did 6 years ago. $60 new releases have always been a thing. There are notable exceptions, but that's just what they are, exceptions.

 

Early Access games can be great. You just have to pick the right ones. If you're worried about the game getting dropped, check out the developers. See how many updates it's been given in the past year. If it's new to Early Access, give it some time and see how it works. I've picked up some really good Early Access titles in the past, and I still enjoy them today.

Maybe they did abroad, but in Poland brand new games barely ever costed more than 40$. For Polish standards 60 dollars is enormous price. Especially when many times You get unfinished, glitchy game like No Man's Sky for that price. 

 

DLC as a concept isn't bad, but the way most companies execute it is bad. Honestly, very few DLCs I got to play had a fair price for content they offered. The ones for Witcher 3 were particulary good, but sadly barely ever I get to witness this kind of thing. 

[Magic Note 2,734]

I'd have to say this one by far. I've found it more difficult to enjoy games this generation, and I'm not sure where exactly to pinpoint the exact issues. The day-one DLCs are a problem, and season passes costing as much as games seems a bit too much, as the last poster mentioned.

[\/ 650]

many times You get unfinished, glitchy game like No Man's Sky for that price

No Man's Sky was one massive exception. It was an overhyped, falsely advertised, unfinished game. Most games in that state are actually kind enough to tell you they're Early Access. Even then, it's not like most Early Access titles, which are usually mostly finished. Even in EA, Starbound was a really playable game with plenty of stuff to do, even in the early days. You might also reference the game Unturned, which is actually free, and still manages to be a really fun Early Access game.

Edited January 10, 2017 by \/

[Sir Hugsalot 8,619]

No Man's Sky was one massive exception. It was an overhyped, falsely advertised, unfinished game. Most games in that state are actually kind enough to tell you they're Early Access. Even then, it's not like most Early Access titles, which are usually mostly finished. Even in EA, Starbound was a really playable game with plenty of stuff to do, even in the early days. You might also reference the game Unturned, which is actually free, and still manages to be a really fun Early Access game.

There are other titles that suffered from same thing as No Man's Sky - being released as horribly glitchy games. Most got fixed in time, but still they were charged full price when being released. There is legendary Assassin's Creed 4 - Unity, pretty much every Gothic game was bugged with 3rd one being nearly unplayable before it was patched (and due to amount of things that went wrong it was a horribly long process). Heroes V and VI were glitchy upon release. Non of those titles were released as early access or were being sold at lower price due to being unfinished. And those are just examples. Releasing half finished products isn't a trend yet, but slowly it is becoming one as players have proven to be naive enough to pay full price for overhyped products, before they even got released. 

 

No Man's Sky is an extreme example without doubt, I've chosen it, because it's simply the most recent one that probably everyone heard about. 

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

Speaking solely of Nintendo (I happily own a PS2, PS3, and PS4 so this isn't so much bias speaking lol) I think that the Wii era was the worst by far, and for two reasons:

 

1. Nintendo went too far into gimmickry. What makes today's consoles (including the Wii U, yes) an improvement is that they force the gimmickry on you less. Many Wii games did not allow for options in controlling them, and the Wii Remote was required to get past the main menu. On the Wii, games that didn't benefit from motion control at all, like Animal Crossing City Folk (a bad AC game, but we'll talk about that later) required it, even to their detriment (trying to make patterns in CF with the Wii Remote is the worst thing ever). And up until Skyward Sword, I never found the motion controls to add anything to games ever. Even in the loved by almost everyone Super Mario Galaxy games, it was only gimmickry to me. As I mentioned above, it is gimmickry that goes beyond gimmickry, it is annoying, and at times it made the Wii very hard to even play for me (at one point the censor's very weak power cord broke, making it impossible for me to play even GCN games that don't even need the Wii Remote until I got a new one)

 

2. The games. After the high-quality games of the N64 and GCN era I had very high expectations. Perhaps when that happens and they're bound to fail, but no, some of these games were slopped together, while otherwise Nintendo changed them to something different. City Folk is the worst offender. I loved Animal Crossing GCN so much. I accepted Wild World but thought Nintendo could do better. I was hoping that CF was when they would do better. They didn't. CF is a worse game than Wild World... Because it is pretty much a watered-down port of Wild World to the Wii. It's watered down because the developers didn't care about the game, either that or they were rushed. I don't know. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was a disappointment. Not one I can really point at and say is bad like City Folk, but too much work was put in some places as opposed to others, and it really shows. And yes, I'll even say it: The Super Mario Galaxy games are a disappointment, too. Sure they have pretty graphics and music, but I found the sheer linearity of the levels to be a disappointment compared to Sunshine and 64... And since then that's all we've gotten.

1. Have you played many Wii games? Because while there were a lot of games that used gimmicky waggle for gimmicky waggle sake, There's also games like No More Heroes and Red Steel 2 which use it in much smarter, more tasteful ways that can really add to the game. Shooters, conceptually at least, were superior with the Wii Remote due to it's IR pointer. So it's unfair to write the motion controls off as a gimmick based on the effortless shovelware, when there were games that did try.

 

2. While Brawl, Skyward Sword, and Metroid Ohter M were disappointing for some, they were more the exception than the rule. Personaly, the Wii had some of Nintendo's most varried output yet. From 2D platformers (NSMBW, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Wario Land Shake It) to RPGs (Last Story, Xenoblade) to old school revivals (Punch-Out!!, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor) and even stuff that wasn't even expected (Endless Ocean, Rhythm Heaven, Wii Sports, etc.) Sure, this is all subjective, but I'd take the Wii's first party games, over the Wii U's any day.

[Envy 5,992]

1. Have you played many Wii games? Because while there were a lot of games that used gimmicky waggle for gimmicky waggle sake, There's also games like No More Heroes and Red Steel 2 which use it in much smarter, more tasteful ways that can really add to the game. Shooters, conceptually at least, were superior with the Wii Remote due to it's IR pointer. So it's unfair to write the motion controls off as a gimmick based on the effortless shovelware, when there were games that did try.

I have not played those two games, because I do not like playing violent games. By the way, I wouldn't call Nintendo's first party titles "effortless shovelware". The example I gave - Super Mario Galaxy - is, in fact (in disagreement with me), considered the best Wii game. Yet it is one of the best examples I can think of how the Wii Remote was nothing more than gimmickry.

 

2. While Brawl, Skyward Sword, and Metroid Ohter M were disappointing for some, they were more the exception than the rule. Personaly, the Wii had some of Nintendo's most varried output yet. From 2D platformers (NSMBW, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Wario Land Shake It) to RPGs (Last Story, Xenoblade) to old school revivals (Punch-Out!!, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor) and even stuff that wasn't even expected (Endless Ocean, Rhythm Heaven, Wii Sports, etc.) Sure, this is all subjective, but I'd take the Wii's first party games, over the Wii U's any day.

My primary enjoyment of the GCN, which kept me playing it for years, hinged on titles like Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros. Melee (for non-competitive reasons). So for Animal Crossing City Folk and Brawl to be as disappointing as they are killed the system for me. Super Mario Galaxy was also disappointing aside from its music score. Paper Mario merely had a spinoff and has been completely ruined since. Don't even get me started on New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I rented that game and couldn't motivate myself to keep playing it at all. NSMB is the very definition of stagnation. The very definition of every single game is the same. This is a theme common with nearly all Mario franchises from the Wii on.

 

Pretty much every title I loved on the GCN was messed up on the Wii. And it's not a mere blip (aside from Animal Crossing), the direction of many series (again, aside from Animal Crossing) has changed for the worst, and it all started with the Wii.

 

I don't even include Skyward Sword, I was disappointed with many aspects of it, but I can see it as a respectable Zelda title. Not as good as Twilight Princess, but it did enough to surprise me that I enjoyed it. Zelda seems to be the only series carrying Nintendo consoles forward anymore.

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

I have not played those two games, because I do not like playing violent games. By the way, I wouldn't call Nintendo's first party titles "effortless shovelware". The example I gave - Super Mario Galaxy - is, in fact (in disagreement with me), considered the best Wii game. Yet it is one of the best examples I can think of how the Wii Remote was nothing more than gimmickry.

 

My primary enjoyment of the GCN, which kept me playing it for years, hinged on titles like Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros. Melee (for non-competitive reasons). So for Animal Crossing City Folk and Brawl to be as disappointing as they are killed the system for me. Super Mario Galaxy was also disappointing aside from its music score. Paper Mario merely had a spinoff and has been completely ruined since. Don't even get me started on New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I rented that game and couldn't motivate myself to keep playing it at all. NSMB is the very definition of stagnation. The very definition of every single game is the same. This is a theme common with nearly all Mario franchises from the Wii on.

 

Pretty much every title I loved on the GCN was messed up on the Wii. And it's not a mere blip (aside from Animal Crossing), the direction of many series (again, aside from Animal Crossing) has changed for the worst, and it all started with the Wii.

 

I don't even include Skyward Sword, I was disappointed with many aspects of it, but I can see it as a respectable Zelda title. Not as good as Twilight Princess, but it did enough to surprise me that I enjoyed it. Zelda seems to be the only series carrying Nintendo consoles forward anymore.

The NSMB stagnation didn't start until The Wii U/3DS with NSMB 2 and U, both of which mind you, came out 3 months apart from each other, and added nothing substantial to their DS and Wii counterparts. At least NSMBWii was released a good 3 years after the DS game. Also, what about the other games I listed? Punch-Out!!, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, Endless Ocean, Rhythm Heaven Fever, Xenoblade? I understand if you felt series like Smash or Paper Mario changed for the worst (Super Paper Mario was a fine game in it's own right, but not what many fans wanted. Sticker Star and Color Splash on the other hand...), But keep in mind, many fans felt the same way towards the Gamecube. Mario was wearing a Water powered jet pack now, and Zelda turned into a Cartoon, when fans really just wanted Mario 64 and OOT 2.0.

 

As for the Wii Remote, while sensless waggle for waggle's sake is annoying, to say the Wii Remote is pure gimmickry I'd argue isn't very accurate. With your Mario Galaxy example, while the spin attack could be mapped to a button, I say mapping it to the Wii Remote makes it far more satisfying than it would've been otherwise. And it works in Galaxy because.

 

A. It's not something that requires the split-second precision of a button press.

 

B. It required no exaggerated or broad motions, a simple flick was more than enough to make it work.

 

Galaxy also had you do other things with the Wii-mote, such as using the pointer to collect Star Bits, tilting it to move a ball or Sting-Ray, and guiding Mario across different sections of a level with the pointer. It's very intelligent use of the controller because it uses it in novel ways, without abusing it.

[Envy 5,992]

The NSMB stagnation didn't start until The Wii U/3DS with NSMB 2 and U

I would disagree. I enjoyed the DS version. However, when I got to the Wii version, I could not motivate myself past the first world.

 

But keep in mind, many fans felt the same way towards the Gamecube. Mario was wearing a Water powered jet pack now, and Zelda turned into a Cartoon, when fans really just wanted Mario 64 and OOT 2.0.

A lot of the haters of The Wind Waker's style actually turned around and liked it. At least, that's from my understanding. Super Mario Sunshine? Well, I'd say Super Mario Sunshine is actually the closest we've gotten to Super Mario 64 since. So it had a new setting and a new mechanic... That's it. Otherwise, it was very much like SM64. The 3D Mario titles since, however, have changed quite a bit.

 

As for the Wii Remote, while sensless waggle for waggle's sake is annoying, to say the Wii Remote is pure gimmickry I'd argue isn't very accurate. With your Mario Galaxy example, while the spin attack could be mapped to a button, I say mapping it to the Wii Remote makes it far more satisfying than it would've been otherwise. And it works in Galaxy because.

 

A. It's not something that requires the split-second precision of a button press.

 

B. It required no exaggerated or broad motions, a simple flick was more than enough to make it work.

 

Galaxy also had you do other things with the Wii-mote, such as using the pointer to collect Star Bits, tilting it to move a ball or Sting-Ray, and guiding Mario across different sections of a level with the pointer. It's very intelligent use of the controller because it uses it in novel ways, without abusing it.

I disagree. Nothing about the use of the Wii Remote in Super Mario Galaxy felt worth it at all. It's the very definition of innovation to be innovation. Something that has plagued Nintendo for many years now.

[AlbaTross 1,581]

It's all subjective really, but I'm going to have to go with the first two gens for obvious reasons, even if that sounds like a cop-out, and maybe parts of the 3rd gen. I grew up with 16-bit systems, and even 8-bit systems to an extent, though some NES titles just feel too archaic for my tastes and I'll credit the 3rd gen for being the very first where we had what resembled legit game consoles and not just a dumping ground for arcade ports (not that that wasn't still a thing in the 3rd gen). It's the first point in time when games had a point.

 

I think the 4th gen further refined the foundation that the 3rd gen laid down, and the 5th and 6th gens provided even more great games and might actually be my two favourite gens for a couple reasons. One is that most of my childhood and teen years took place during those gens, and the other is that they were a lot more simple yet still gave us games that look great and play well. I remember only needing a PS2 in the 6th gen, and I was cool with that as it was home to so many great games including plenty of exclusives. Plus, all of this DLC and trophy/achievement nonsense, as well as the need to patch and update games or even install them just wasn't a thing for console games back then.

 

I will applaud the 7th and 8th gens for ushering in a new era of gaming that's both accessible and affordable, and has cool network features such as online multiplayer. For every con there's a pro. Aside from graphics and other obvious technical improvements though, it's hard to say if gaming is better now, and that's assuming that "better" is an objective term. Maybe the term I should use is different as different doesn't imply the changes to the gaming landscape are either good or bad. In this case I'd say it's a mix of both, and modern games really do look and play great and have more features, and sprawling open worlds, and other things that wouldn't have been possible before, though that's inevitable as technology progresses.

 

To be honest though, the only gens I can truly throw under the bus are the first two, and even then the 2nd gen holds a special place in the hearts of some people, albeit people who are older than I am. I don't think anyone can truly defend the 1st gen though unless imagining that two rectangles and a circle represents a game of tennis is your thing. It certainly kicked off my favourite hobby, so I guess I respect it for that, but I'm more into 16-bit and beyond, and the occasional 8-bit title.

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

I would disagree. I enjoyed the DS version. However, when I got to the Wii version, I could not motivate myself past the first world.

 

A lot of the haters of The Wind Waker's style actually turned around and liked it. At least, that's from my understanding. Super Mario Sunshine? Well, I'd say Super Mario Sunshine is actually the closest we've gotten to Super Mario 64 since. So it had a new setting and a new mechanic... That's it. Otherwise, it was very much like SM64. The 3D Mario titles since, however, have changed quite a bit.

 

I disagree. Nothing about the use of the Wii Remote in Super Mario Galaxy felt worth it at all. It's the very definition of innovation to be innovation. Something that has plagued Nintendo for many years now.

The use of the Wii Remote in Galaxy was integral to many aspects of the game. Pointing at the screen to collect out of reach Star bits, or guide Mario with pull stars makes much more sense than fumbling with a second analog stick. Sure, it's not outlandish use like Skyward Sword or Red Steel 2, but it didn't have to be. Galaxy takes advantage of the Wii Remote, without abusing it.

[Flutter's lover <3 8,204]

I honestly think it's the current generation of games.I mean, you've got games that get released that are half baked and full of bugs, so99% of the time there's a mandatory "Day one  Patch" which seems to of become the norm as of late. The cost of DLC is getting ludicrous. What we see at places like E3 and such show a preview of the game, and when it's released? It's something else entirely...either not as detailed of a world or less world space or cut down features or other things, from what was previously seen and promised.

 

Then there's people getting massively hyped up about this incredible game only for the game to be a total bust. No Man's Sky and The Division come to mind...although both games have recently got huge updates...but still doesn't change from the let down they were at release...both games had potential.

 

Oh yea, Micro-transactions have become a common staple in today's games....I'm completely fine with them being in a game, so long as it doesn't affect my experience. Skins/weapon camos/other decorative stuff? I'm totally fine with that. Buying in game money that can be earned through just normal gameplay? again, totally fine...but as soon as you offer something that can't be obtained in game through normal gameplay and it gives someone else an unfair advantage because of that? then it's a problem.

 

 

I miss grinding for the "unlockable" hidden/secret stuff in games...

Edited January 12, 2017 by Flutter Baby <3

[Nerdy Luigi 2,064]

Gen 2 ('82 area) was probably the worst, as then it was just awful. I don't even feel the need to explain it, honestly.

 

Though for Nintendo, I would be more inclined to say Gen 7 for them was the worst. The Wii is a filthy piece of trash and I hope people realize that... The library is crud (well a few exceptions...), the gimmicks of it felt like they didn't belong on a video game console whatsoever, and I feel like it brought Nintendo to it's current position, honestly. It sold well, but Nintendo tried to copy it's inexplicable success and failed (well I personally think the Wii U was actually a BETTER console honestly...)

Edited January 15, 2017 by TwillyFSniper

[Nara 84]

I always viewed the early 2000s as the worst. Sure there were some gems but overall it was meh to me. Tho some of my fav games from that time hold up even today so at least that's good!

[\/ 650]

To actually weigh in on the topic, the current gaming generation is the worst. All the FPS communities have become toxic beyond all hell, and games are becoming a little too repetitive. 

[TBD 17,226]

Looking back the timeline and the game development. from retro to gameboy, to playstation, to gamecube, to xbox, to wii, to DS..ect. I been through all these phases and always impress how much gaming has changed and improve in a short period time.  I would say the worst era is PS4, new xbox and steam. PS4 and new xbox has only 1% differences from the previous one (big whoop) and steam, they don't allow shared account. So you would have to pay twice if someone want to join in to play the game. 

Edited January 18, 2017 by Satrox

[Anneal 2,194]

To actually weigh in on the topic, the current gaming generation is the worst. All the FPS communities have become toxic beyond all hell, and games are becoming a little too repetitive. 

 

I don't feel that way. The CoD and Battlefield community can be pretty toxic but the ARMA, TF2, and CS GO community aren't that bad. Overwatch community is pretty meh. I'm not too sure about the Tom Clancy community, though. 

 

The current generation has its own problems and a frequent complaint by most people is how DLCs are often removed content from a complete game just to add it on later or how games are often incomplete and sold at a price equivalent to a complete game. I don't really anything wrong with DLCs, it's just DLCs that don't add any real content outside of the main game and lazily released the same day or only a few days after the main game is released. The Fallout series has consistently good DLCs that doesn't take anything from the game, for example (though people might complain a bit about Fallout 4). Stellaris is also a pretty good game and its DLCs are reasonably priced for its content. 

 

Meanwhile you have the CoD series which basically require you to fork almost double the money to gain access to certain features that should have been there in the first place. CoD games after Infinite Warfare are notorious for this; at least Black Ops II had DLC content that didn't remove features from the game, overpriced as it is. 

 

I don't have any issue with Early Access games, considering most of the ones you see on Steam do turn out pretty good. 

[\/ 650]

 

 

the ARMA, TF2, and CS GO community aren't that bad

How lucky have you been to find communities on CS: GO that aren't cesspools? 

[Lil Pip 775]

The brown box. Pixels can't be so entertaining lol. Granted it helped set games into the future which is worth something.

[Anneal 2,194]

How lucky have you been to find communities on CS: GO that aren't cesspools? 

 

Reddit is a pretty good place to meet up with CS GO players that are actually mature and cooperative. I go to most video game subreddits, most have pretty decent people there. 

[Choros Isorropai 409]

i have been playing games for a long time.

i started on the atari, with space invaders among many others...

i have played almost all consoles, main stream that is.

i will try to list one game per console that i have played;

with atari out of the way i guess i will start with nes...

nentendo entertainment system, super mario brothers.

super nentendo entertainment system, super mario world/all stars

nentendo 64, 007 series

sega, sonic

sega saturn, enimey zero

sega dreamcast, unreal tournament 3

playstation, parasite eve

playstation 2, killzone

xbox, halo

xbox 360, dark souls

and of corse on PC, diablo 2 lord of distruction.

 

i have also played hand held games as well, such as game boy original, gbc, ds, ds lite, psp, and other "crappy" hand helds that you could remember from being a kid (simple movement, one background)

 

i do consider myself a "true gamer" as i can also list many non electronic games that i have played too.

 

to answer the question presented in this topic, each era of gaming has is good and its bad.

but the part that bothers me is how people tend to think that gamers are waisting life, and gain no advantage from playing games... but "games" in general, are the prefered way of learning, for any bioligical being... and if you dont like that answer, then...

i dont like how the game developers are effectivly ignoreing the "priceless works of art" that are the classic games (such as castlevainia sotn/ playstation, or even legends of mana/nes)

these games are great, and many old games have more substance than newer ones...

yes i know they have better graphics and more to do... but if you played final fantacy 6 (or as i played for the first time, ff3 on snes) and you have played "destiny", then you may come to the same conclusion.

(ff6 each character is richly designed and brought to life, given substance. but in destiny... almost no story, and all shooting, no solveing. btw i did play destiny a lot, so i know i can make this comparison)

[\/ 650]

Reddit is a pretty good place to meet up with CS GO players that are actually mature and cooperative. I go to most video game subreddits, most have pretty decent people there. 

I'll have to go check the subreddit for ARK.

[EpicEnergy 22,054]

It will always be the current generation, not because the games suck or gamers these days are tryhards, but because the gaming industry in general has become corrupted by the desperate want for money.

[Tom Gallagher 33,521]

The current generation by a mile. I’d love to go back to the eighties when playing arcade games was just fun competition and not toxic.

[Megas 27,038]

My heart says 7th, 8th, or 9th gen, because they really started doubling down on the industry's worst business such as microtransactions, season passes and DLC, DRM and greedy monetizations. But objectively, the 2nd gen almost killed the entire industry in the US with the Video Game Crash of 83 for fuck's sake

Edited June 7, 2021 by Megas