Are the best days of gaming over?

In the last few years the gaming industry has become more greedy then ever. On top of that there's not many risk in the AAA market and the games all feel samey nothing really stands out as unique or exciting and less SP games then ever before. All these trash GaaS games and worthless 4V4 gimmick games that are only design to drain your wallet with microtransactions. I know gaming is a business obviously but it's just absurd and comical how these publishers milk everything they can. I still think there will be good games to come out of course it's not all doom and gloom but it's a far cry from what it use to be.

PS: I don't care about indy games just saying.

If you don’t care about Indie gaming, that very well may be the case.

You have to find quality, not just chase the latest console trends. AAA are overrated most of the time.

Let's see. You're tired of big studios not taking risks and releasing samey games but at the same time you don't care about indies. Might as well quit gaming.

Pretty much.

There are some fun "AAA" titles once in a while, but truth be told I'd say about 80% of my time is spent on game made by independent or small developers.

Why, out of curiosity?

Independent development is where it's at; not just with games, but with film and music as well.

Are the best days of gaming over?

No. While not inherently better, I enjoy a lot of new games. And that's not just from the indie scene.

It has always been about the willingness to broaden ones horizons and check outside ones comfort-zone. Plus helps to not buy junk that you know is bad then assume all other games are like it.

I tend to avoid a lot of advertising-bait that ship bad products for the easily exploitable. On Game Spot they love to advertise Ubisoft, EA and Activision games I have noticed. This site was hot for advertising Avengers and Anthem too, imagine being that person who paid for either? oh and let us not forget Fall Out 76.

As always it's about learning from poor purchase decisions, gaming has a lot to offer. For variety and quality. Helps to sniff out the duds.

Because of gameplay mostly I'm just not a fan of platformers I use to be ages ago in the 90's but it just doesn't appeal to me anymore. There's one indy game I liked and that was Super Hot because of the gunplay it was interesting and satisfying. But the majority of indies games for me aren't my style graphically or gameplay wise.

No, I don’t think so. While I definitely have nostalgia and a soft spot for previous gens, most notably the SNES, the amount of quality games that I find enjoyable these days is quite frankly staggering.

For me, personally? Probably. Gen 6 has been the best one for me and has never been topped. Doubt it ever will be.

We had everything back then. Sony, MS, Nintendo, SEGA - all of them had many amazing games and great consoles. We had graphics, innovative games, traditional games, the finest additions to several beloved series, an amazing handheld, good prices.

It's the personal pinnacle of gaming to me.

Games just aren't as exciting anymore. Especially AAA games. It's very rare that we see something new, and we just get the next game in a series. FarCry 6. Battlefield 12. CoD 25. When we see somehing "new", it usually feels old as it copies a bunch of popular stuff from other games to ensure profit.

Even Elden Ring, which I was hyped about, just looks like Dark Souls 4 and left me dissapointed. It just felt safe and boring to see.

I think the same happens with games now, as what happened to music and movies for me. There's too much of everything, so everything just gets washed out. I find most new music extremely boring, same with movies. Seen and heard everything before. You know when you watch a movie for 10 minutes, and then accurately depict the rest of the movie? That's what I do with basically every movie I see, every song I hear, every game I play. Makes me really have to do research before finding something I like. That's a problem I didn't have in the past.

We're very lucky there's indie developers. Ignoring them is doing gaming wrong.

No, not for me. Though I will say that I only look forward to whatever Nintendo or Square Enix put out in terms of games at least.

If I’m honest, I don’t really have an opinion on the gaming industry. If I like a game, that’s that. A console too for that matter. Sure, maybe times were better when I was growing up but maybe that’s me reminiscing on nostalgia.

6th gen was also my favorite gen as well so many new and exciting games that innovated the industry and less greed. I'm the same way with music and movies now too feels like I've seen it all and it gets boring fast I just roll my eyes at it like same shit again ughh. Then I'm wondering if I'm going through a anhedonia stage maybe to some degree. But gaming IMO has gotten to big and it's more about churning out games with microtransactions then putting quality into it. Basically mobile games with a AAA budget is what it's turning into.

If you don't care about indies than it's you choosing to have it worst.

No

Yeah most of the AAA budgets 'back in the day' would be A or AA today anyway. Big, bloated budget games have always sucked for the most part regardless of era. Once you put enough money in you are a slave to marketing and performance metrics. The gaming industry is a MUCH different place than it was 20 (even 10) years ago.

Yes.

I already did the whole 2-D thing in the 90's been there done that no desire to go back sorry it's cool that you like indies I guess but it's not for me. The gaming industry can do better but alot of the AAA companies are ruining it out of greed.

@warmblur: You place weird, arbitrary limitations on your own enjoyment. To each their own, tho. If you enjoy your games then you're doing it right 👍

@warmblur: you’re equating AAA gaming with greatness. These are huge companies and what makes you think they cater to your interests??

Also you keep putting down 2D. You do know there are other genres besides platformers?? Right?? Help us help you. Personally I’ve resorted to old pc games and it seems to be working for me.

AAA use to be great when these companies took chances they don't really anymore they're amazing AAA games from the past everything from Half Life to Silent Hill etc... as for 2D games they just don't immerse me into a game like the way a 3D game does.

Guess it depends on what you're after. When it comes to AAA games, where in something like 1998 be snatching them up left and right, very, very rarely bother now.

On the flip side, this gen (or last depending on how you view it) got me back into fighting games after like, 20 odd years.

So yea, mixed bag for me. Generally the "AAA" stuff, shite.

What were the best days of gaming? Depends on when you were born, doesn’t it?

Judging from the responses you've gotten, think I understand where you're coming from better than most.

The point is there was a time when the industry was finding it's footing, and companies had to take risks to figure out what worked. While this eventually led to missteps such as mascot-mania, it also led to some of the greatest games of all time....games that actually moved the industry forward, such as your example in Half Life.

There are countless other examples, but again, the point is companies are no longer taking the huge risks that they used to. I think it's great for Indies to try new things, but they don't have the money and backing that it takes to truly move the industry forward. Since companies have spent so much time at this, they tend to stick with what they know will sell, rather than trying to push the boundaries of what is possible.

I've already gone on for far too long. That said, I doubt we'll ever get that feeling of playing Mario 64 for the first time, sadly.

Mainstream AAA games are mostly overrated.

This E3 we saw

STALKER 2 which looks like could be best thing ever, Atmoic Heart looks incredibly unique, Shadow warrior 3 looks Excellent, Starfield is year off and could be masterpiece too since the universe and setting is very interesting, Pioneer looks like another STALKERish Indie title.

apart form it, Chernoboylite looks pretty good but its not AAA or mainstream so it doesnot count by OP. Deathloop feel like most innovative game released in last few years.

on other hand. mainstream AAA games we saw battlfield, far cry and other crap. same same. similar. if thats only game that matters than yes. gaming is dead. but if not. then we still see masterpieces too.

@warmblur: I understand what you’re saying because I was right there in my youth when 2D SNES was giving way to 3D on the N64, and PC and the PS1 to a degree.

There was then the Dreamcast and even the PS2 (later on).

But the sad fact is that was then. Lots of time has passed and I know your nostalgic to HL and silent hill. That’s why I’m saying what I’m saying. Have you even tried some Half-Life 1 mods?? Google “top 20 HL1 mods of all time” and try to play like an average of 5 of them. I have. And let me tell you something. They’re great.

That being said, I’ve ventured to other PC games on GoodOldGames and they haven’t disappointed me for the most part. They even have Silent hill 4 that’s a great game.

The fact is….you cannot recreate the past. That was a cultural effect we were in high school back then and we had one of the top ranked presidents of all time. Yes we had little technology but life was great.

Not everything with indie games is 2d. There are plenty of 3D independent games. I personally avoid the 2D/Platformer games myself.

Yes

Remakes & remasters. Yeah, I'd say the best days are long gone.

Creativity is non-existent at this moment.

Yes. DLCs, gambling, microtransactions and add-ons have ruined gaming. The video game companies have gotten greedier and it's going to get worse.

Exclusives are no longer a thing too. At least Nintendo is around and continues what they do best (Big up Ninty). Wish I travelled back to the good old PS1 and PS2 days.

"If you don't care about indie games, then that might be the case".

OK, and what are quality indie games? Because the only games from them that would remotely appeal to me are probably 3D puzzle solvers (like Talos Principle, I doubt that its an indie, but maybe) or some rare sparkles as "A Plague Tale". So, there's really not much to choose from.

Absolutely this.

The most unique experiences I've had in recent years have been in the Indie scene. OP needs to support these small-medium devs, because this is where the creativity is (and if they are successful, that will hopefully filter through to the AAA segment).

It would of happened by now to be honest also these indie games aren't that unique they are not much different from AAA games in terms of repeating the same thing over and over again. Most of them are just throwback games from the 8- bit and 16- bit era of gaming. Also I don't have to support them this isn't a charity.

That's fine... but don't complain about a lack of creativity in the gaming space then, because that is where the bulk of the creativity is and where devs are willing to take risks and try new things.

To each his own I'll agree that they can take more risk because of the lower budget but even with that said to me the majority of indies games are just retro games with a new coat of paint on them but if you dig that type of thing great. I can absolutely complain about the AAA market because I know how great it can be when it's not filled with soulless live service games.

Not in my opinion. I've been gaming since the 80's and I enjoy game more now than ever.

Everything is going to shit(s). Get used to it.

No it's not ,You're just not looking hard enough ... Then again I don't really stay up to date with games these days on the regular either

It's all a matter of personal feeling, I think. For me the best days of gaming where the 90s during the 8bits/16bits era. Doesn't mean that I couldn't appreciate the next generations. It's just different. You can still find awesome games to play with even today. Hence why you should actualy look into the Indie scene. Trust me you're missing a lot and many of the best titles comes from it.

Well it looks like I'm right it might not be in your favorite game series now but it very well could be in the future.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tv-style-commercials-coming-console-233000037.html

Welcome to the dystopia era of gaming.

@warmblur:

this was brought up on tik tok...so it wasn't a joke after all

I think the best days are behind us..

I don't like it though. nobody does.

Now we celebrate a game releases complete & without micro Transactions or cosmetic this/that.

I think YongYea pointed it out that we shouldn't celebrate a game having no micro ugliness. it should be expected & the norm. Applies to all life as we shouldnt be rewarded for doing the right thing yaddayadda....

We are seeinng sooo many IP's being ignored & shelved cause they cant monitize it.

Like DeadSpace,,TwistedMetal,,RedFaction,Medal o Honor etc.(yeah i read about DeadSpace comeback)...EA & Activision alone own sooo many Popular IP's that arent being used.

Even a decent profit isn't enough. There's no shortage of Talent/staff & investors. it's simply why focus on this slice of bread when we could focus on a loaf of bread..

MetalGearSolid & Crisis & F.E.A.R. are super popular IP's not being used for awhile..

MGS V PhantomPain is probably the best game This Gen-X lifetime gamer has ever played.

and all they/Konami do with it after the super success is make some cheesy slot machine Pachenko and MetalGearSurvive which was lame & bad to 99% if gamers who played it.. i was so happy to return to MGS maps that i gace it way more chance then most. Yeah didnt work out or even come close... Konami is focused on the mobile market and not doing anything with the IP and SilentHills too.... When i heard the rumor that Xbox might be trying to lease or buy the IP's i got pretty stoked..

With or without Kojima im excited.(yeah Death Stranding was my 1st negative w/ Hideo. a very big neg btw as it felt unfinished bigtime. There's no way Hideo would design combat mechanics & enemy AI that cheese. it was incomplete for sure.. whatevs...

So yeah i think the Xbox360/PS3 era was THE GOLDEN AGE/THE GOLDEN ERA..

Hopefully the micro Transactions get labled as gambling(lol) and thus 18+ older is required and probably 1/2 the world wouldn't allow it sold at all..Hopefully this is the change that gaming desperatly needs for us to return to the golden era....

Sorry bout the wall o text. i got totally caught up thinking about it & MGS again...

*I think it was Destiny that got my full attention with 'Cosmetic micro DLC' And the point with how much effort Bungie was putting into the Eververse store and cosmetics at the expense of the game & gameplay itself..

So imo gaming peaked (in console terms timeline= The Xbox360/PS3 era.

~I was probably 70/30 console to PC then and before that & recently i was/am 90/10 PC over console because of the options & variety PC offers..

Whatevs,im not a joiner & i own every console(except PS5) and always have since ps2/ogXbox era.

Great post!!! you hit the nail on the head glad I'm not the only one that can see through the BS. Alot of gamers aka the fanboys are the worst and will find ways to defend these companies it's one of the reasons why these publishers get away with so much shit. The gaming industry sadly is tainted by greed I'm not joking when I say I hope the gaming industry crashes I know it will probably never happen again but IMO it needs to.

I always say the future of gaming lies within the indie world. Large developers, AAA studios, etc have stagnated. Innovation is gone and much of it is being dictated by the bean counters. Spend the least amount possible in a genre you know will sell (based on the games other people are making) and just follow the trend. It's sad really but AAA studios have been in steady decline since the early 2000s.

That's not to say there isn't a good game that comes out on occasion since, but nowhere near the hit after hit after hit from nearly all of them we were getting in the late 90s to early 2000s era. But that era largely existed because they innovated. They had to, since there was no set way of doing anything, and no established common denominators yet.

So in that sense, yes, the best days are behind for the foreseeable future because although you will get some great and innovative new stuff from indies, the AAA guys are going to do everything that can to goal keep, and prevent any indies from getting too big. You see this for example in Sony having a massive fee associated with getting a game published on their store. And while Game Pass is great for indie developers to get recognition if they are on that store, I am not sure what the requirements to be in it actually are.

I will also note that gaming related media outlets do a great job at perpetuating this. How many of them advertised Resident Evil 8 as the greatest thing since sliced bread? Why? Because they played it? No, because it was an AAA game from a major developer and a popular series which means it's more likely to generate clicks and views for their site if they cover it more. Meaning covering AAA stuff = more money. And since it's about all most of them cover, it's about all most people will be aware is out there, effectively goal keeping the position AAA developers hold. Not because the games they make are actually good.

IMO, I'd welcome another gaming crash to throw a wrench into the endless cycle of rot that has become modern gaming.

I'd completely disagree about the Xbox/PS3 era being the golden era. In fact, the decline was well in swing by then and in fact, neither console really had a lot of big games I'd care to play. That era is what finally pushed me over the edge, and I haven't bought an AAA title since then. That era nearly killed gaming for me completely.

That's kind of like saying "meh, I don't really like music". Indie games are not a category, they just happen to be the type of company that made a game. Indie games run a very wide gamut of categories and game types. Some of the complaints you have about AAA stuff are perfectly valid, but you're also cutting yourself off from a lot of the best stuff out there if you automatically invalidate games based on the idea that they didn't have multi-million dollar budgets.

Exactly. according to him only AAA games exist. if they bad then everything bad.

Its been for decades that AAA mainstream games not as good as AA and mid-budget counterparts.

talking about mid 00s. STALKER was far and away better than Bioshock and Crysis former use less budget while later games were AAA mainstreams is an example.

Solider of fortune 1 and 2 were 10 times better than EA publish MOH allied assault OP mention as example.

and I can go on and on.

for year 2021 Deathloop, Shadow warrior 3 and Atomic heart looks more exciting than likes of Battlefield, Far cry and Halo.

not to mention Hitman trilogy is among the best trilogy in modern times but OP never try it because its not AAA mainstream.

@ghosts4ever: Seems you enjoy a good single player shooter, I respect that.

If you have not already tried, would recommend Dusk and WRATH: Aeon of Ruin.

Says the person that only plays FPS 95 percent of the time. And also lol you don't even realize you are playing AAA games. Hitman is AAA, DOOM is AAA, Metro is AAA, Stalker 2 is now AAA with MS behind them the list goes on and on.

@warmblur: Stalker 2 has nothing to do with microsoft. Its self publish game that rewuired budget less than most AAA games. Metro has always been nichie series. Same goes to Hitman. It has nichie audience compare to something like Assassisns creed.

Doom is AAA series but its not in a league in your typical sony games or COD/BF when it comes to popularity.