The age effect

[nonny]

I don't think it's the age effect but definitely the time effect. Since becoming a dad I've feck all time to spend playing a range of titles so find myself being more selective. Yes my tastes have changed but that's only half the equation.

[replicashooter]

Errr what!

PSX actually brought loads of innovation, there were loads of unusual, quirky and imaginative games released.

Incredible crisis, parappa, vib ribbon, bust a groove, mr domino, suzuki bakuhatsu, martial beat, ore no ryouri, DDR, pop n music.

To say PSX had no imaginative games is laughable.

I never said that, reread my post as the titles you mentioned (and more) are among "the good stuff". To express my sentiment more clearly:

The PSX bought gaming to a much wider audience and this in turn lead to larger corporate interests which placed modern gamers in the wack zone where you buy what you're given and most of it is shiny, boring and repetitive whilst most definitely missing the magic that made is special in the first place.

For example, you could sit here and real off a panoply of Playstation titles that tickled your fancy for time and a half but could you do so with ease for the latest incarnation of this console?

[Shozuki]

I never said that, reread my post as the titles you mentioned (and more) are among "the good stuff". To express my sentiment more clearly:

The PSX bought gaming to a much wider audience and this in turn lead to larger corporate interests which placed modern gamers in the wack zone where you buy what you're given and most of it is shiny, boring and repetitive whilst most definitely missing the magic that made is special in the first place.

For example, you could sit here and real off a panoply of Playstation titles that tickled your fancy for time and a half but could you do so with ease for the latest incarnation of this console?

I'm sorry mate, but that is real nonsense. PSX was absolutely nothing like that nor was the PS2. They might have made games more popular and had loads of shovelware created for them, but the modern games your talking about didn't happen like that until the 7th gen.

Blame the PS3 if you want but saying it stems from the PSX is simply nonsense.

[replicashooter]

I'm sorry mate, but that is real nonsense. PSX was absolutely nothing like that nor was the PS2. They might have made games more popular and had loads of shovelware created for them, but the modern games your talking about didn't happen like that until the 7th gen.

Blame the PS3 if you want but saying it stems from the PSX is simply nonsense.

Ask yourself a simple question.

Which console, out of any of them in the history of boys sitting in their bedrooms playing with themselves, bought gaming out of the demograph it had been birth, raised and nurtured in and dragged its kicking and screaming pocket money calf (soon to be cash cow) into the mainstream?

[Shozuki]

Ask yourself a simple question.

Which console, out of any of them in the history of boys sitting in their bedrooms playing with themselves, bought gaming out of the demograph it had been birth, raised and nurtured in and dragged its kicking and screaming pocket money calf (soon to be cash cow) into the mainstream?

I honestly can't see how any of that relates to PSX being the reason we have little originality in this gen. I'll continually argue that Playstation made games popular, but it is the rising cost of development causing developers to play it safe.

Sony achieved the breakout with games like Wipeout - even that I can't say is a modern, safe game.

[replicashooter]

I honestly can't see how any of that relates to PSX being the reason we have little originality in this gen. I'll continually argue that Playstation made games popular, but it is the rising cost of development causing developers to play it safe.

Sony achieved the breakout with games like Wipeout - even that I can't say is a modern, safe game.

From little acorns doth mighty oaks grow.

I've always had an axe to grind with the PSX though so that probably makes a bit biased and makes me come off like a jaded old gamer who sees the world through a 16 bit render but I can't help but wonder how this field would have progressed had it not been for mass market dilution due to escalating costs and the crucifixion of quirky individuality whose absence isn't mooted but instead sprinkled liberally with pre rendered cut scenes and cookie cutter sequels.

Frankly I rarely play modern games as I said before as they are the same old same - already played em once, so why again?

[nakamura]

Well the NES did 65 million units so the PS1 wasn't the first mega seller.

[Shozuki]

From little acorns doth mighty oaks grow.

I've always had an axe to grind with the PSX though so that probably makes a bit biased and makes me come off like a jaded old gamer who sees the world through a 16 bit render but I can't help but wonder how this field would have progressed had it not been for mass market dilution due to escalating costs and the crucifixion of quirky individuality whose absence isn't mooted but instead sprinkled liberally with pre rendered cut scenes and cookie cutter sequels.

Frankly I rarely play modern games as I said before as they are the same old same - already played em once, so why again?

Don't get wrong mate, I'm more of a retro gamer myself too. But by that rational you could go back to the first ever gaming system. Modern cookie cutter sequels really only started in the 7th gen. Based on that you could argue that Microsoft showed the smallest amount of innovation that gen and started the casual gamer wave, they we're also the more popular system of the two core focussed systems.

I think of the PS1 and PS2 like the Wii in the sense that it's popularity gave us constant shovelware, but I don't see that as the catalyst for the AAA yearly recycle...

[replicashooter]

Well the NES did 65 million units so the PS1 wasn't the first mega seller.

And the psychiatrist said "Lets go back in your memories to a time when young replicashooter wasn't quite so ill at ease with the Playstation brand and all the crappyness is bought to gaming in degrees. As I say these words you'll fall deeper asleep and the part of you that knows the answer will say and then we can speak".

replicashooter, reclined comfortably on the couch, starts to grimace and twitch as he recalls days from the past when the fanboy in him was rabid and issued vitriol at any chance, a deep river of angst that a recent thread on bordersdown had touched upon like the hallowed ground that Dou Niu did his happy dance when an image swam up in his mind, something unseen for quite some time:



"I see" says the psychiatrist, stroking his prosthetic beard, "A clear case of abandonment issues and subsequent projected rage. Here, take this PS4 and be on your way. I'm sure you'll agree it makes a splendid paperweight and by the way I must say, that's quite a splendid GBA",

[nakamura]

It's midnight. I couldn't be bothered to read all of that.

[replicashooter]

Don't get wrong mate, I'm more of a retro gamer myself too. But by that rational you could go back to the first ever gaming system. Modern cookie cutter sequels really only started in the 7th gen. Based on that you could argue that Microsoft showed the smallest amount of innovation that gen and started the casual gamer wave, they we're also the more popular system of the two core focussed systems.

I think of the PS1 and PS2 like the Wii in the sense that it's popularity gave us constant shovelware, but I don't see that as the catalyst for the AAA yearly recycle...

I agree with you my man, was just being uber cantankerous for no particular reason. But they really have shagged gaming - it used to be so much fun and not just coz of the rose tinted specs and stuff but the innovation and breaking new ground.

Now everyone plays it safe and there is no fun left around. I think the risk taking died out with the Dreamcast and left Sega as a cautionary tale of what you shouldn't do in a developers eyes even though those of us who loved it are still craving what it provided - gaming for gamers and not laming for lamers.

It's midnight. I couldn't be bothered to read all of that.

Good lad.

[nakamura]

Sony only provided the platform. Various publishers jumped on. Investors got involved realising they can make money and eventually streamlined the industry to best suit them.

Would have happened regardless.

[Colin]

While not my favourite gaming period, I'd probably argue the the Saturn/Playstation era possibly shows more innovation than any other.

[speedlolita]

Even as far as last gen there was plenty of risk taking.

Only in recent years have things taken a turn for the worst quite honestly. And it isn't like there was never bad games, it is the reason for the American video game crash, and a huge percentage of NES games were awful too. I really don't get why people pinpoint the PlayStation as the beginning of the end.

[Shozuki]

I think the risk taking died out with the Dreamcast and left Sega as a cautionary tale of what you shouldn't do in a developers eyes even though those of us who loved it are still craving what it provided - gaming for gamers and not laming for lamers.

I loved the Dreamcast, but I honestly think Sony have been innovating with their in-house devs just as much as Sega ever did. Dreamcast pretty much failed due to the abrupt end of the Sega Saturn, they just couldn't recover the brand loyalty from developer, publisher or consumer.

In the end, Sony just made the best system of the 32/64bit era and that allowed them to take off. Nintendo made mistakes with the N64 and the less said about the Saturn's development the better. I miss Sega I really do, but between them and Nintendo - they simply just dropped the ball.