Multiplatform Growing inter-generational consensus video games are worsening

[PBAC]

Been seeing an uptick in these sorts of content from Gen Z and Gen Y


There seems to be a general sense of malaise toward the newer gen of games. Some complaints coming around are that it is just repetitive content and videos games are focusing more on grandeur and scope rather than solid game play/settings. This has always been a common complaint even through the Megaman/sonic series of games but now it's happening with constant remakes, in game purchasing and an over saturation of similar genres (Souls) and not to mention free games. We've always had a plethora of FPS games but I don't think we've ever seen so many at the same time fighting for the same space in the same genre.

 

[method115]

Been seeing an uptick in these sorts of content from Gen Z and Gen Y


There seems to be a general sense of malaise toward the newer gen of games. Some complaints coming around are that it is just repetitive content and videos games are focusing more on grandeur and scope rather than solid game play/settings. This has always been a common complaint even through the Megaman/sonic series of games but now it's happening with constant remakes, in game purchasing and an over saturation of similar genres (Souls) and not to mention free games. We've always had a plethora of FPS games but I don't think we've ever seen so many at the same time fighting for the same space in the same genre.

I haven't heard this and in fact people just keep talking about how amazing this year has been for games. I'm sure if you search youtube you can find videos of people complaining but they are the minority.

 

[BEER]

Every console generation had people who complained about the overall state of games. It's just people getting older and having rose colored glasses on when they think about their childhood favorites. It's no different than every generation complaining about modern music as they age. If people want to play simple platformers instead of open world games, they still exist and probably better than ever before.

(The "incomplete game to milk DLC purchases" complaint is a wholely different and very valid complaint in some cases)

 

[avenue94]

As with any complaint about entertainment, truth is probably somewhere in between. I'd argue that industry concentration and lack of competition are starting to affect some kinds of games, shooters being a primary example.

 

[HereticBD]

While I do think that outside of small handful of studios, creativity has stagnated to the point where we haven't seen much innovation in game design, it'd be a stretch to say that they are "bad" or "worse" than what came before. For the most part, they're just the same as what came before, with better graphics.

That said, I do think the "multiplayer/IOS" blueprint, whether it be shooters, MMO's, etc, has made a lot of games worse than they might've otherwise been, if they didn't try to shoehorn those long term money generating elements into their games. I think that's been the biggest change, that has led to the creative bankruptcy. Studio priorities shifted.

 

[Tatra]

My impression of new games is that they lack atmosphere. I think that with the older games (on PS1 & PS2) it was impossible to create lifelike graphics so it forced you to use your imagination and it was more like a fantasy world. New games have such clean cut, high quality graphics that there's no need for the player to fill in the blanks with his own imagination. So in other words, PS1 and PS2 were gaming at its peak and everything is downhill from there, with some exceptions.

 

[PBAC]

one thing I forgot is that I've become so used to getting paid to play games I feel like something is lacking when I'm playing one I don't earn anything to play. I'm developing a warped dopamine response in which may old enjoyment for playing games is being replaced with spinning a wheel and making crypto. I'm left wondering why I'd pay good money to unlock things in a high end game when a minimiall addiction game will pay me just for playing.

 

[Monte Moku]

In 2023 alone:
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Pikmin 4
Pizza Tower
Baldur's Gate 3
Street Fighter 6
System Shock Remake
Blasphemous 2
Lies of P
Sea of Stars
Remant II
Amnesia: The Bunker
Hi-Fi Rush
Starfield
You Only Move Is Hustle
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Spider-Man 2
Diablo IV
Octopath Traveller II
Dead Space Remake
Hollow Knight: Silksong (maybe)

State of gaming looks ok to me

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

I think that gaming has become too cinematic, too large, and that strain is leading to games taking years to develop and being released as incomplete, and costing a lot of money. I do see gaming imploding somewhat in the future because of this.

I also believe that it's becoming harder to be excited about gaming, simply because, back in the good old days, technological advances were just so much more glaring. I also believe that the internet has made us a lot more cynical in general.

To be honest, what I can get on my Xbox Series S absolutely trumps what I could get as a kid. I'd be excited about my Dreamcast, as gaming was still fresh and exciting to me, due to my "income" basically coming from my mother and birthdays, so new games were rare. Games would be hyped by me reading the Official Dreamcast Magazines and Gamesmasters, and playing demo disks from those magazines or on consoles in shop. As soon as I started earning my own money? Oversaturation of gaming and value for money suddenly became a thing. And there is time. I'm 37, not 17. I see death, wasted time, adult responsibilities and my woefully underticked bucket list.

Xbox alone has a back catalogue of thousands of games and a lot more being launched than what was in the past. We are just a lot more demanding nowadays, and the things we are actually excited for are taking a damn decade to be released.

 

[PBAC]

I think that gaming has become too cinematic, too large, and that strain is leading to games taking years to develop and being released as incomplete, and costing a lot of money. I do see gaming imploding somewhat in the future because of this.

I also believe that it's becoming harder to be excited about gaming, simply because, back in the good old days, technological advances were just so much more glaring. I also believe that the internet has made us a lot more cynical in general.

To be honest, what I can get on my Xbox Series S absolutely trumps what I could get as a kid. I'd be excited about my Dreamcast, as gaming was still fresh and exciting to me, due to my "income" basically coming from my mother and birthdays, so new games were rare. Games would be hyped by me reading the Official Dreamcast Magazines and Gamesmasters, and playing demo disks from those magazines or on consoles in shop. As soon as I started earning my own money? Oversaturation of gaming and value for money suddenly became a thing. And there is time. I'm 37, not 17. I see death, wasted time, adult responsibilities and my woefully underticked bucket list.

Xbox alone has a back catalogue of thousands of games and a lot more being launched than what was in the past. We are just a lot more demanding nowadays, and the things we are actually excited for are taking a damn decade to be released.

I think the problem started appearing with the Phantom Pain. Long standing close quarter stealth game goes completely open world, maintaining some elements but we're eventually seeing everything gradually turn into Monster Hunter. FF12 was also an early indicator. Gradually after MGS3 game devs started becoming allergic to familiar enviroments and went into open roaming worlds and changing set pieces.

Best game I played in years was Katana zero. That game was direct to the point with what it wanted to do.

 

[nicapica]

It has fallen off. Haven’t had one boxing game or decent fighting sim in almost a decade or even a decent skateboard sim. Those would sell huge. Games are mostly disposable junk nowadays.

 

[PBAC]

In 2023 alone:
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Pikmin 4
Pizza Tower
Baldur's Gate 3
Street Fighter 6
System Shock Remake
Blasphemous 2
Lies of P
Sea of Stars
Remant II
Amnesia: The Bunker
Hi-Fi Rush
Starfield
You Only Move Is Hustle
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Spider-Man 2
Diablo IV
Octopath Traveller II
Dead Space Remake
Hollow Knight: Silksong (maybe)

State of gaming looks ok to me

spot the trend

Octopath is a good new IP so I left that out

 

[PBAC]

and although I really like the game FF7Rs plot/writing/structure is a strong sign that something is lacking. the writing is not good and it misses some strong key points. It's very in your face and wants to jam the more subtle plot points down your throat. there are added sigmants you can just tell were tacked in by someone who didn't understand the original plot.

 

[TuBB]

Overall I don't buy it. I think people that have played video games since the 80's are just jaded now. The graphics upgrade is incremental and you can only do so much when genres never really change. We also live in a ADD culture where you want to try everything instead of finishing something you already started.

 

[Monte Moku]

spot the trend

Octopath is a good new IP so I left that out

We live in a capitalist world - successful games will tend to spawn (hopefully) successful sequels. Why does it matter if a game is the latest in a series? I like new IPs as much as anyone else, but a good game is a good game. Doesn't matter if it's the 10th game in a series or a standalone title.

 

[Sycho Sid]

This is just nonsense.

 

[Natural Order]

Oversaturation. It's a problem everywhere, in many forms.

 

[Madmick]

I see no concrete evidence of any such consensus, or that one is on the rise.

 

[Zazen]

Nostalgia makes people idiots. There were always great games, just okay games, and awful games in every generation. I remember having Sega Channel as a kid and it blew my mind but there were also some duds each month. Now that I think about it. How crazy was it that we had a gaming subscription service in the 90s? Talk about being ahead of time. Anyway, this gen has been great for me so far m. The people in these videos only bring up controversial games but leave out the good ones. Very bias

 

[method115]

The people in these videos only bring up controversial games but leave out the good ones. Very bias

I noticed that to but I was skipping through the videos so I wasn't sure if maybe I skipped over them talking about the good games.