What gets more playtime; old favourites or new experiences?

[dotoko]

Recently i've been spending far too much time on the Wii with Dead Rising, 007, Castlevania Judgement and that new Sonic game comes out tomorrow so even more Wii time.

Wow, you're either a masochist or have an innate ability to endure poor-to-mediocre games

[Yakumo]

Nah, Dead Rising on the Wii is very good. It's obviously not as good as the 360 in terms of graphics but in the playability area it's very nice. 007 isn't that great but I'm a 007 fan so...... and as for Castlevania, you have to play it to find out why it can be good. THink of it as a Power Stone clone rather than a 3D fighter.

Yakumo

[elektronhjarnan]

New experiences all the way for me. Either "new old games" or "new new games", it doesn't matter - though in practice it's mostly "new old games", which is not so much a conscious choice as something that... just happens.

In fact, I almost never replay ANY games. There are so many of them that I want to play and haven't tried yet that I have close to zero interest in replaying a game that I've already completed (or "played thoroughly", whatever that means, in the case of games that don't really have any endings). Sometimes I make exceptions, but these are very rare occurences. I do enjoy playing "new" - new to me, that is - versions of games I'm familiar with, though, eg. taking on the MSX version of Gradius even though I'd already completed both the arcade and NES versions.

[nakamura]

Im very much a last gen man. Nothing on the PS3/360 offer anything interesting for me bar SF4.

I love my Jrpgs for one. Player Persona 4 right now. Just done FF12 for the second time and will play it again as its the best game around for me. My list is filled with stuff, Zelda Ocarina, Baten Kaitos, Shadow Hearts, Digital Devil Saga to name some.

Away from RPGs is Resident Evil 4, Genji, Way of the Samurai, Legend of Kay, Jak and Daxter, R-Type Final and Doom 3 are all titles i have picked up to play for no more then 3 pounds each.

The last gen offers amazing value gaming. Some games look amazing still and give you just as great if not a better experience than HD stuff.

On PSP im going through lots of PS1 stuff. FF8 is the latest, on disc 3 so far. Also crack out the SNES too for the best 16 bit action.

Though despite all that, its gonna take me a long time as free time is rare!! An RPG takes me a minimum of a month!!

So both equally for me. Mix of old and new experiences but i all games i play are older!

[nakamura]

Pms replied thank you.

[Leon Retro]

When it comes to gaming. You could destroy everything that has been made this decade - and I'd only shed a tear for a handful of games.

I don't play as many games these days. I download the demos; realise they are dull; and play an old favourite instead. I get much more pleasure from F-Zero[SNES], Mario Kart[SNES], SuperOffRoad[SNES], than I do with most modern racers. I only ever played PGR2-4, because online was fun for a bit. Offline, the series( plus all modern racers ) make me yawn.

Actions games are the same story. Gears of War, Halo 1-3 etc... send me to sleep(online and offline). Playing ContraIII, Hardcorps, SmashTV etc... gives me much more of a thrill. I don't care if they are old games - quality and fun are paramount to me.

I'm not a junky for new games anymore. I used to be; much to my detriment. I spent too much money on unfulfilling games. Oneday( about 2-years ago) .. I realised that modern games were mostly dull in all areas. I rarely feel any excitement from playing modern games. The gaming industry lost a lot of its magic.

Of course, many gamers still want to buy new games, so.. they make themselves believe that even the dullest games are fun. I think it's natural to have an aversion to old stuff; even if it is really better. Just look at any modern media( Music, Magazines, Films ) ... the quality has gone downhill - but.. the creators can rely on the fact that most people will still embrace the poor or mediocre, because it's "New"

I can honestly say that I'd be happy with only a SNES & Mega Drive. I really don't need anything else. Until Virtual Reality appears - nothing new is going to generate the excitement that the 16-bit generation had in abundance.

I laugh at the Wii, 360, PS3, because they really don't deliver anyway near the fun that they should. Gimmicks, fancy visuals, don't fool me these days. I want quality entertainment. 16-bit is where you find it.

[Skull Commander]

I'm having great fun with my 360 at the moment. There really is something for everyone on it now, and in my opinion it's turned into a great machine, up there with the Snes and PS2 for variety and great games.

As I said earlier I will always play old and new machine with new and old gaming experiences. Right now is a good time to be a gamer.

[Leon Retro]

I'm having great fun with my 360 at the moment. There really is something for everyone on it now, and in my opinion it's turned into a great machine, up there with the Snes and PS2 for variety and great games.

As I said earlier I will always play old and new machine with new and old gaming experiences. Right now is a good time to be a gamer.

The 360 is a good machine - with enough nice games to make it worth owning. I would still choose the SNES, Mega Drive, Amiga, over it though. Even the best 360 games( Geometry Wars, COD4, Fable2 ) ... don't make me happy, to the same degree that the best 16-bit games still do.

I've always embraced the latest tech. I'm far from one of those people who say " I love my C64 - and will never touch a modern machine " ... I am true to myself, though , in the way that I talk about gaming from the heart. I don't care what people say about any game or machine; it's what I feel about them that counts to me. No one can convince me that Gears Of War is a better game than ContraIII etc... or that better tech.. means better games. SmashTV & Robotron are much more exciting and impressive to me than Geometry Wars. GM is reasonable, but.. far from the brilliant game it's made out to be.

I was playing Super Off Road yesterday - and I was having more fun with it.. than I could ever hope to have by playing GRID. Super Off Road should be a relic; a game that is nothing in today's world. I find it to offer an attractive, compelling experience. The best 16-bit games are timeless - even if they are very much products of their time.

[Skull Commander]

I agree with a lot you say. As much as I love my 360 the Snes still rules the roost for games. For me there is nothing on the current gen to compare to the Snes versions of Mario Kart, Mario World, Area 88 Contra 3, Super Castlevania and Super Ghouls 'N' Ghosts. Not that new games are rubbish, just different. Snes was the pinnicle of 2D and is unfair to compare to a multi million movie like expierience of a game.

Thanks to the trading forum, ebay and car boot sales I can often pick up snes games I'v never played, giving me fresh experiences (like Undercover Cops, Rushing Beat 2 and 3), and I know there are more games out there that maybe didn't reach a western audience at the time.

It's good just to embrace all generations, that way you have the best of everything.

[Leon Retro]

I agree with a lot you say. As much as I love my 360 the Snes still rules the roost for games. For me there is nothing on the current gen to touch the Snes versions of Mario Kart, Mario World, Area 88 Contra 3, Super Castlevania and Super Ghouls 'N' Ghosts.

Thanks to the trading forum, ebay and car boot sales I can often pick up snes games I'v never played, giving me fresh experiences (like Undercover Cops, Rushing Beat 2 and 3), and I know there are more games out there that maybe didn't reach a western audience at the time.

It's good just to embrace all generations, that way you have the best of everything.

I play quite a bit of this generation stuff. I'm not against modern gaming; it's just a sad fact that I find a lot of games to be dull these days.

As much as I go on about the SNES here, I also play Mega Drive, Arcade, PC-Engine, Neo Geo, NES, Master System, Amiga games etc... The best games from that era of gaming are still the most fun for me. With all the games available from that time, I would never get bored. I definitely don't need a 360, PS3, Wii. I own them because I'm a serious gamer, who does enjoy the odd modern game. MotorStorm2 is currently a game I really rate. As much as MS2 is technically brilliant etc... I still play snes F-Zero and enjoy it immensely.

I read a lot of interviews with game creators who say stuff about old games being rubbish. They go on about how poor visuals used to be; how bad the sound was; how limited the gameplay was etc... These kinds of people are usually creating some flashy fps, or story driven extravaganza that would send me to sleep. I know they are talking bull**** - but it still pisses me off. I think a lot of people are fixated on the 'new' .. I used to be like that.. until I noticed that the amount of 'good' new games was getting less and less. It seems hard to find a game that feels fresh and truely exciting these days. They arrive if you are patient; very patient.

[elektronhjarnan]

I think there are still lots of interesting games coming out, but they are usually ignored by most people.

Some of the best gaming experiences I've had in the last few years have come from new games ("new" meaning "produced this decade" to me). Admittedly I've played an even larger number of great old games - "new old games", that is, but still.

Frequency/Amplitude for the PS2 and Jet Set Radio Future and Amped for the Xbox are good examples, and they have something in common - they are really quite old-school at heart, even though they are tricked out with modern graphics and sound (well, modern for the early '00s). All these are games that require or at least reward repeated, concentrated play, and they require dedication and effort in order to be fun. In short, they are hard and challenging and offer very pure gameplay experiences.

So it can still be done, there's no question about that. The problem as I see it is that too many developers and publishers are going the cheap and easy route and putting out tons and tons of ****ty shovelware that really isn't interesting to anyone in the long run. Games don't require ultra-high production values to be great, but they do require good design, and that seems to be lacking overall at the moment. I don't know, I think the current Wii/DS situation could potentially lead to another 1983-style video game crash, but we'll see. Perhaps people really are stupid enough to keep buying pure drivel, but I'm not betting on it.

[Leon Retro]

I think there are still lots of interesting games coming out, but they are usually ignored by most people.

Some of the best gaming experiences I've had in the last few years have come from new games ("new" meaning "produced this decade" to me). Admittedly I've played an even larger number of great old games - "new old games", that is, but still.

Frequency/Amplitude for the PS2 and Jet Set Radio Future and Amped for the Xbox are good examples, and they have something in common - they are really quite old-school at heart, even though they are tricked out with modern graphics and sound (well, modern for the early '00s). All these are games that require or at least reward repeated, concentrated play, and they require dedication and effort in order to be fun. In short, they are hard and challenging and offer very pure gameplay experiences.

So it can still be done, there's no question about that. The problem as I see it is that too many developers and publishers are going the cheap and easy route and putting out tons and tons of ****ty shovelware that really isn't interesting to anyone in the long run. Games don't require ultra-high production values to be great, but they do require good design, and that seems to be lacking overall at the moment. I don't know, I think the current Wii/DS situation could potentially lead to another 1983-style video game crash, but we'll see. Perhaps people really are stupid enough to keep buying pure drivel, but I'm not betting on it.

There has always been an unhealthy amount of lame games. Many of them have sold well, many have been buried in landfill.

I don't think a lot of the dull games are shovelware. Even games that get 4/10 in EDGE - have high production values. People have put a lot of effort and money in to the production of the games, but.. gameplay is something that is neglected these days.

Why? ... Too many people go on about "The Hollywood Experience" ... "Story Driven Games" ... "Open Worlds" ... etc... The terms that send me to sleep. I get more excited when a game sounds quirky, or simply different. There is more chance of something like that being good - than a Gears Of War or GTA rip-off.

There are plenty of game devs who have completely the opposite outlook on gaming as me. I want pick-up-and-play fun games. They don't even have to be that original; fun is the X-Factor that is needed. It's a shame that so many devs are wrapped-up in the modern bull**** that says "Bigger is better" .. "Story is what makes a game" .... It usually always leads to overblown, headache inducing experiences.

I don't think even the most simple modern game are as good as old-school equivalents. Braid gets a lot of respect, but.. is it really better than MarioWorld, Sonic, Castle of Illusion? ... I don't think it comes close; it's just an example of something feeling quirky compared to the big brash Space Marine shooters around.

You are right about good design. The best 16-bit games had to have good design. There was no room for distractions( fmv, tons of options etc.. ) ... The game experience had to be instantly compelling and addictive. When I play the best 16-bit games - they give me an instant dose of excitment. Hardly any modern games have the same affect; and if they do.. the fun factor pales in comparison to what their forefathers still offer.

[kyo_244]

Of course, many gamers still want to buy new games, so.. they make themselves believe that even the dullest games are fun. I think it's natural to have an aversion to old stuff; even if it is really better. Just look at any modern media( Music, Magazines, Films ) ... the quality has gone downhill - but.. the creators can rely on the fact that most people will still embrace the poor or mediocre, because it's "New"

I think that statement is a bit harsh. To you certain games may be dull but others will obviously have different tastes/opinions and disagree. I dunno it just feels like you're saying that your opinion is more like fact, rather than just an opinion. At the same time this is like saying people who have inferior opinions/tastes to yourself. People play what they want, and enjoy what they want.

I mean there are some games that I hate like COD4 for example but see all my friends playing and having a blast. I'm not gonna say, they are making themselves believe its fun, or forcing themselves to enjoy it, rather just 'not for me' I can still see that it is much loved game and appreciate it for that.

This is coming from someone who voted for old games btw I'm in love with the 16-bit/arcade age (32-bit comes a close 2nd for the first immersive step into 3d!)

I just didn't agree with your above point.

[samanosuke]

Am I alone in playing retro consoles exclusively? To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of 3D gaming so aside from a Jpn Saturn I have rarely touched lately, I play only 16-bit consoles and older. The PSX and N64 are too 'new' for me, never mind the 360 and PS3. I've tried playing a few 360 and PS3 games but they really do nothing for me. Nothing gets me more excited than a 'new' SFC cart I've never played before or aqcuiring some obscure J-RPG for the Mega CD.

As I've said before, I do have a newer console - an Xbox - but this is purely for emulation and XBMC.

[nakamura]

Leon touches on some good stuff.
Super off Road is great fun and still love it. Much more intersting than most modern racers. Also F-Zero on the Snes is amazing to play on the hardest settings, hard to beat the rival racers so its not just like racing against drones therefore proving older titles are still amazing.

Another thing is the open ended nature of so many games. I hate all this sandbox crap. My life is a sandbox but when i want to play a game i want a point, and objective.

The high end production values are making great ideas thin on the ground. I finally have plenty of cash to buy a PS3 or 360 but quite frankly they offer nothing the last gen could bar more effects and HD. Xbox had a great Live service with great games like Halo and the PS2 had a large amount of quirky and also top games.

Im not quite retro so to speak but I am very last gen.