Is this the worst generation ever for games?

[saif]

I have enjoyed some games, but no "new" experiences. I am not much of a "modern" gamer to be honest as I am not a fan of the first person games. My highlights of the last few years run to LittleBig Planet, Everybody's Golf, No More Heroes and Metal Gear Solid 4. The one common thing with these games, and I notice this now, is that they are games that are internally aware that they are games - they have internal logic and internal consistency even if they do not necessarily mesh with "realism". They are games (whatever people say about the MG series, they tell their stories in ways that you would not see films doing it - it is a gaming narrative)
The bright spark of the generation, for me, are the low budget, low target market games that have ended up on the download services. The fact that a market can be found for Noby Noby Boy (although it is more a curio than a game) is heartening, as can other games that are more mainstream. I'll be honest, I am shocked at what is popular these days - I just cannot believe that all these guitar games are ripping it up when the genre was birthed in the PS1 era and did not shift except in Japan. Then there are the high budget FPS or 3PS (that feel like FPS) and I do not feel there is much in between.
But then again, the industry is growing, more people are playing and more people enjoy it... Things have flipped on their heads when I am the only person *not* grabbing controllers at parties.

[Escape-To-88]

It depends what you mean by 'worst'. Are you referring to innovation, sales figues, big titles etc.?
In any case I think it's the most diverse generation, and the Wii is arguably the epitome of that - removing the standard control system.
I think it's by far and away my favourite generation, so much so I've now sold ALL of my retro gear. Partly becuase everything can be downloaded on V.C or Live! or, at a push, the PSN network.
I think when you look at games like LBP, Bioshock, Mario Galaxy, Lost Winds etc. etc. ETC.! There is something truly unique and it seems to me that having a three-way console 'war' is better than the traditonal two way ones of the past as it allows for a more diverse 'battlfield' if you will.

I also think 'saif's' point above is valid; all are self-aware and have 'internal logic', which is arguably an example of the post-modern (or maybe post-post-moden) nature of where videogames have travelled to today, as they reflect, or in some cases, take control of the changing nature of their demographic and marketplace. Furthermore, and adding to my post-post-modern argument, I think 'retro' gaming now seems intertwined with current gaming. I mean Beat.Trip.Beat, it's essentially Pong, but it's a current-gen game that's immensely popular, therefore is it retro, is it current? Is it a pastiche of Pong and the like? Who knows! It seems to be all-encompassing and all the better for it.

Owning all three current generation consoles I am personally really impressed with the scope of what's out their.

[Pilotwings]

Thing that really boosted it for me this gen was my new 40" LCD, games just look to good now! even average games are good now lol

Also I like the Wii way more than I liked the cube and the 360 beats the old Xbox hands down. No way is this the worst generation for games.

[gossi the dog]

This generation hasn't really done much for me. I think it's me as opposed to the quality of the games. I don't like FPS's and there are a lot of them doing the rounds at the moment. When I have time, I do like to play a good RPG and this generation has so far been poor compared to the last in this respect. Calling it worse than the last generation may be taking things a bit too far, but so far it really hasn't been very exciting.

[Dazzyman]

Havent we had one of these not so long ago?

For me its best generation. Even though I used to buy consoles since snes/GB days I never got into the gaming as much as my Amiga and the PC. Once I got 360 then PS3 that all changed and now use them loads. Yer their might not be the lovely platformers of old but their was also a heck of alot of crud in Snes and Megadrive days and for me PS1 and even PS2 I wasnt a huge fan of em apart from shmups and odd RPG. Now I get stuff every week pretty much and twice Up to this gen I used to buy alot of games as well what ended up being really bad now their at worst their just say average at worst like BIonic Commando. Also FPS I never felt where dont perfect till this gen either compared to PC now we get loads of em.

[ShadowDancer]

Go retro Dan, mix it up a bit. Now I share a Wii I don't have all the retro stuff I bought. I just bought a FC Twin (Nes/Snes) I have been playing Ninja Gaiden for the last two days and I am getting 100 times more enjoyment out of it compared to TR Underworld, which was the last current Gen title I played.

No way am I writing this Gen off though, I've played some scorching games. Modern Warfare was great as was 5 and 2 where it all started when 360 was released.

As someone else said, you will get good and bad games through every gen. Mixing it up with retro works with me though.

[Dezm0nd]

We saw the birth of Peggle. That alone makes it not the worst generation. No generation is boring to me, there's always something to keep me playing which is of high quality, especially in this gen.

But I would also be bored with just a PS3, sure games are coming... but the PS3 barely gets a look in at my place.

[merf]

plus the bit I think we've all missed out on is that there is no such thing as surprise package anymore, the rise of the internet, forums, 1y plus of hype, the demo, in depth preview and trailer footage. I'm sick of most games before I play them, the one's I get the most out of are the ones I've either avoided the hype for or that come out of nowhere.

look at this site, most games manage more posts in the preview thread than the first play thread - we had pages discussing that retarded looking monster the other day, endless posts about a countdown trailer for that Kojimas blokes next non-interactive cgi film, we all collectively kill the actual play experience for most titles in our thirst for the next big hit

i look at all my faves from the last few months and they all share the fact I came to them relatively unprepared, the stuff i get stoked about and read up endlessly on always feels a tad anti climatic - but in the old days of SNES, Amiga etc I never had the option to do that, it was a preview in the mag then a few months later the game came out.

[Spatial]

Short answer is to stay away from it then.

It might take a bit of willpower but I stopped going on a media binge on games I was interested in a long time ago. Games like Bioshock, SotC, CoD4 and Gears (1 & 2) all benefited massively from me not seeing everything put out there. Each of those games surprised me in various ways with stuff that was likely covered by media splurges by the developers / publishers.

If you're ruining the experience for yourself then there's only one person to blame.

[ShadowDancer]

I have started to avoid preview threads a bit. I check the headlines to see what is happening, but too many videos and reading...it does definitely kill it..well, to some extent. Good point Merf.

For E.g. I still haven't played Madworld, but I know loads of the commentary, whats going on e.t.c. I have, well, ruined the surprise element. I think you lose some of it with experience of gaming too...I mean, alot of us here are at a mature age, it gets harder to find that excitement as a kid. It can be reached though, Viewtiful Joe gave it to me, Aria of Sorrow did it to me...Think I'm jibbering now

[spagmasterswift]

Hey Merf, I completely agree. I heard practically nothing about Valkyria Chronicles and its the best game this Gen. Well HeXic was pretty amazing too (**** Peggle and its horrible addictiveness).

[gossi the dog]

But then again, the industry is growing, more people are playing and more people enjoy it... Things have flipped on their heads when I am the only person *not* grabbing controllers at parties.

It's weird, but I'd have to agree with the above. Go back a few years and if I was at a party and games were being played I'd have been all over it. Now I just can't be bothered.

[Number45]

Short answer is to stay away from it then.

It might take a bit of willpower but I stopped going on a media binge on games I was interested in a long time ago. Games like Bioshock, SotC, CoD4 and Gears (1 & 2) all benefited massively from me not seeing everything put out there. Each of those games surprised me in various ways with stuff that was likely covered by media splurges by the developers / publishers.

If you're ruining the experience for yourself then there's only one person to blame.

Winner. I do this for pretty much everything now and I'm enjoying this generation as much as I had any other at this point I think - there's nothing like knowing too much about a game to kill your enthusiasm.

Only exception for this at the moment is Sacred 2, which seems to be so complex that it'll ruin the experience if I DON'T know everything about it.

[monel]

I posted earlier in the this thread about how hardly any game appeals to me these days. Well, after being unimpressed by the demo, I borrowed Resident Evil 5 from a friend, and I am loving it. I know people moan about the control scheme etc etc but it's the most fun I've had on my 360.

I also went back to Street Fighter 4 after initially thinking it was overhyped and am now actually enjoying it.

On the negative side however, there's not that many games in the future that I'm looking forwards to on the 360. Right now it's KOF, Tekken and maybe Blazblue. All the shootemups seem to be Japanese exclusives. Also, I think I would be happier in general gaming wise if the Japanese developers were still producing classic after classic like in the good old days. I'm not a fan of first person shooters and the only racing game I like is Ridge Racer (from the current gen). I like Ninja Gaiden but the difficulty puts me off, I'm just not as good at games as I used to be, and especially 3d games-I find them harder than 2d gaming.

Been playing Rez on the 360 as well.

To sum it all up, I think it can't be me that's the problem, Resi 5 proved to me that if a game appeals I will still enjoy it. I still love my retro games but I want something new now. Might go back to Jet Set Radio on the DC and Future as well as I hardly played that.

[Salsa Party Animal]

The problem with game industry it being a lot more globalization. Which mean catering for the world and mass market rather than hard core gamers.

Another Problem is much fewer Japanese games. Look at Sega for example. What did they do in last few years. (Apart from Sumo developed games there is nothing much)

Maybe we all need to cut down in buying games due to not playing them properly.

Apart from FPS, Action adventure, Racing, music and Sports games there is not much outside this range.