Anyone else not feeling this new hardware generation much yet?

I've been playing video games for the better part of 30 years. My friends have played since the home console industry was born (closer to 40+ years.) Both they and I have never encountered a console generation before that our response to was this tepid.

Part of it is definitely age, having been exposed to so much in terms of game design, graphics, and mechanics that it takes a lot to really stimulate our imaginations anymore. Another part of it is just the dearth of exclusives on any of the 8th gen platforms that really call to us. And the multiplats that we care about, for the most part at least, are all playable either 1) on last gen systems, or 2) on our aging PCs. (I was amazed how well Witcher 3 ran on my PC given its recommended specs, and have some hope if I downgrade to 720p Fallour 4 will be similarly surprising.) And the rest of what we find compelling consists largely of indie games that our PCs also easily handle.

We do own Wii Us, as we appreciate the focus on bright, colorful, "gamey," mechanics-driven games, and the nostalgia factor. The system has a lot of shortcomings in terms of industry standard features that are absent, and Nintendo's typical idiosyncrasy. (While admittedly that's part of their charm, it can also be frustrating.) And some of their exclusives (Xenoblade Chronicles X, Mario Kart 8, Mario Maker, etc.) are either incredibly fun or things we're hotly anticipating.

However, on the whole, this hardware generation just hasn't yet done anything to make us sit up and say, "Wow! I need to experience that!" as in gens past. Anything that really grabbed us, we were already able to play on hardware we owned. Of the games we were or are eagerly anticipating (MGS V, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Witcher 3, Transformers Devastation, Zelda U - unless it really does get moved to their next platform with no Wii U release at all - No Man's Sky, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and Shenmue 3,) only two (perhaps 3 depending upon Shenmue's specs) will likely require us to get new hardware. And even then we might opt (or be forced by finances to opt) for a low cost PC upgrade to scratch those itches.

The other big name releases just no longer end up being compelling propositions for me, or for most of my friends. We're severely burned out on first person shooters. We don't do competitive online multiplayer anymore (been there, done that - and we lack the time to commit to ranking up anymore even if we wanted to.) We've never enjoyed Naughty Dog's offerings (yes, that includes The Last Of Us,) and we're burned out on Halo. Somehow Mario manages to remain fun for us, but Super Mario 3D World was still underwhelming in comparison to Galaxy or its predecessors. (We actually liked NSMBU more - hearkened back to that classic platforming that's been lacking lately in our opinions.)

Bioware's recent RPGs (including all of the Mass Effect titles,) while once a bastion of gaming escapism for us in years past, haven't been as fulfilling. None of us are into sports. GT6 and Forza 6 both had microtransaction offerings we found - while yes, optional technically - outright offensive ($100+ for a single car in some instances. Yes. Real money.) And having played every entry in both since their inception, we just don't see enough that's new or overhauled to make us want to dip back into them anyway.

Bethesda still produces games we love generally. We're excited for Fallout 4. But as stated, we expect our aging PCs to be capable of running it at a reduced resolution on medium settings. (We're not graphics-critical gamers, in case that wasn't clear.) JRPGs remain one of the few areas of gaming niche that seem to require new platforms. We have Wii U for Xenoblade Chronicles X already, but we might end up needing a new platform for the next Star Ocean game. Though, we're certainly not buying hardware for a single game. No way. And we don't do MMOs. That, too, is a craze we've already experienced and been burned out on. (They always seem to boil down to end-game meta-gaming, with no roleplaying - and more critically, no in-game incentive to roleplay - even on roleplay servers.)

Perhaps the biggest issue for us is... we just don't see the new hardware as being particularly transformative, or facilitating of new mechanical experiences as in gens past. Graphics look a little bit better (we've already long since reached the point where iterative visual improvements don't wow us anymore, though. Art direction matters a lot more to us now than fideiity.) Game worlds continue to get larger. But the last real innovations in mechanical game design we saw were Minecraft and certain touch-based games. If we play one more cover-based shooter, FPS, bullet hell shmup, visual novel, CRPG, MMO, RTS, racer (though a new F-Zero like game is an itch long neglected, we all seem to agree,) sim, TBS (without any new revolutions in depth at least,) fighter, open world city-based shooter, or third person super-linear adventure/action hybrid shooter Uncharted style game, our eyes might bleed.

There is some novelty to be found in the indie scene of course. Some recent horror games have been refreshing. Some topical, social commentary driven games have been both endearing and fun. And there are even some new mechanics on display. But most of those games simply don't provide the longevity or replayability old hands like us desire.

And mobile... yeah, mobile is not going to do it for us, either. (Though we recognize it as a valid form of gaming and are not elitist about it, as some seem to be. It's just not for us.)

Lastly, there's the general state of the gaming community at large. While by no means universal, one reason we gravitate primarily toward single player games today is because of the rampant bigotry, various "isms," and vitriol we encounter online (especially directed toward women and the LGBT community.) We heard just enough of that to realize while perhaps not constituting a majority, there was no avoiding it, and that speaking out against it just gets you called a "white knight" or "social justice warrior," so we finally concluded: screw it, we didn't need online socialization to enjoy gaming in past decades... we don't need it now, either.

Whenever I bring this litany of criticisms up to anyone outside my circle of friends, there seems to be a near-universal knee jerk backlash suggesting we're "just old and outgrowing games." While there is most definitely an element of truth to that - as stated at the beginning of this post - we still enjoy the games we do play so much and on such a high level, that I don't think that's the entirety of the reality behind these sentiments. For instance, Transformers Devastation is coming to my mailbox today, and I couldn't be happier.

Hence my asking: does anyone else feel this way at all? Does anyone else look at this latest gen and just feel, "Well, it's cool... I guess... but, eh... I'm just not feeling it yet" ?

Peace.

I got a ps4 recently and was on ps3 for a while before that, and I have to say I kinda disagree. I had gta v on ps3 and bought the ps4 so I could play it in first person, and honestly it was an excellent decision. The very subtle improvements in gta v make it a much richer experience and brings the game to life IMO.

I currently only have a few ps4 games vs the many ps3 games I've got, but despite that I'm yet to even plug the ps3 in since upgrading. Honestly I think the games that will be coming on out in the future are gonna be insane, if the little jump from gta v last gen to current gen is any indication.

Agree about the FPS thing though, far too many clones out there...

I grew up on pong. So, is all amazing to me.

a reply to: AceWombat04

Dude have you not seen whats coming? VR set like the rift and check out the new microsoft hololense demonstration.
Star citizen is coming and with the rift.
It's going to be awesome.
Yeah I feel the same way at the mo but the next year is going to be wow! Ever wonder why facebook bought the rift for 2 billion bucks? This is the future of media movies games.

Now we're talking man xD a reply to: boymonkey74

originally posted by: SKurtle
I got a ps4 recently and was on ps3 for a while before that, and I have to say I kinda disagree. I had gta v on ps3 and bought the ps4 so I could play it in first person, and honestly it was an excellent decision. The very subtle improvements in gta v make it a much richer experience and brings the game to life IMO.

I had the opportunity to try the next gen version, and it really didn't add anything to the experience for me. First person was a novel touch for a game of that sort, but having already played the game both offline and online to death, it isn't enough to warrant replaying personally.

originally posted by: misskat1
I grew up on pong. So, is all amazing to me.

Haha. My friends grew up on Pong as well. I grew up on Mario. Same difference. I agree it's all amazing on a technical level, but I've just sort of seen it all and it takes something fairly different or stand-out to suck me in these days. There are exceptions of course.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: AceWombat04

Dude have you not seen whats coming? VR set like the rift and check out the new microsoft hololense demonstration.
Star citizen is coming and with the rift.
It's going to be awesome.
Yeah I feel the same way at the mo but the next year is going to be wow! Ever wonder why facebook bought the rift for 2 billion bucks? This is the future of media movies games.

Yes, I actively monitor the industry.

Unfortunately, having had the opportunity to try RIFT in person, I have some strong reservations about the forthcoming VR boom.

1) It gave me motion sickness. Something a lot of users report. This can be mitigated somewhat in the final product, but not entirely in all likelihood.

2) It will not work with any game. Games have to be developed proprietarily for it. We will not be able to simply hook it up to a platform and play any game we want on it.

3) Star Citizen looks great, and the fact that the single player campaign will end up having a full 50 missions is wonderful. But...

4) Price. I'm not someone who goes in for expensive peripherals. If this thing is $100 or more (which it will be - probably closer to $300,) it's not something I'll ever be purchasing, even if the motion sickness issue is totally ameliorated somehow. The same goes for Project Morpheus, Steam VR, and others.

I think a more accessible application for these sorts of VR experiences would be to resurrect arcades. Buy a ticket for ten dollars, go into a dark booth, put on some noise cancelling headphones and the headset, and become immersed for an hour or two in a proprietary VR gaming experience.

I'll probably end up playing Star Citizen someday (I forgot to mention in my initial post that space combat and trade sims are a LONG neglected genre I'm so happy to see coming back,) but it won't be on a VR platform personally.

Peace.

a reply to: AceWombat04

You're not alone, dude, my wife and I feel the exact same way. I used to work in a retail environment where I had to sell PS4/XBO/WiiU's, and the hardest part of it was trying to make them sound good. Granted, I know many people love their systems, but I just can't find anything I like about them.

Half of the games out(and coming out) are just HD versions of last gen games. It's like many developers don't need to try that hard, and the worst part is people keep buying them. One of my friends is a die-hard Assassin's Creed fan, plays online all of the time. He had them all on his PS3, but the moment he could re-buy them on PS4, he did. My brother bought Final Fantasy X/X-II HD on his PS3, then 4 months later when he got a PS4, he bought the PS4 version. So many people buying the exact same games with little graphical changes, it's disgusting.

When it comes to the new games, most of them look like garbage, or if they look fun they end up being a huge cash-grab, like the new Lego Universe game. I do enjoy the Lego games, but that one will require too much money to get the full enjoyment out of it, not worth it. There are other games that look interesting, but from my experience in the mainstream console world, most games that look nice tend to be full of quick-time events, and motion-capture story segments, and the game-play usually suffers for it. Horizon Zero Dawn comes to mind on that one.

When it comes to mobile games, my cheap phone only has enough room for one game, and I have Summoners War on it. It's simple, yet addictive. So if you haven't tried that one, give it a try. lol If you like it and need a friend, my in-game name is the same as my ats name. XD

Now I know most won't agree with anything I said, and to be fair, I am a PC gamer. Consoles have just not been that good for me over the past few years, and lately all the really good console games have been making it to PC, like many of my favorite fighting games, so the future seems to be telling me that I'll be perfectly fine with just a gaming PC.

The future of consoles seems to be expensively short games, combined with all sorts of HD rehashes. No thanks. XD

I grew up with a Texas Instruments home computer and upgraded to a Commodore 64.... I'm getting old.
I did keep up with gaming some through the 90's but I don't use the pc for games anymore.
My xbox 360 is about as advanced as I need. I just can't get into the games that suck up so much time to play.
I'm not into virtual reality as much as actual reality.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
I grew up with a Texas Instruments home computer and upgraded to a Commodore 64.... I'm getting old.
I did keep up with gaming some through the 90's but I don't use the pc for games anymore.
My xbox 360 is about as advanced as I need. I just can't get into the games that suck up so much time to play.
I'm not into virtual reality as much as actual reality.

My first computer was a Commodore 64 that my dad owned. He had a hacked version of the Giana Sisters that was altered to look like the Super Mario Bros. That game was a lot more fun than the original SMB, and it made me very happy that the Giana Sisters had remakes on NDS and PC.

It's not just age. They have priced even the most hardcore gamer into thinking twice. When games were $39 we bought them even if we weren't sure we wanted them. We would just add them to our library. At $69 we think twice and entertain ourselves with other electronics.

We are still spending the same on entertainment but now it's more likely everyone you're playing with won't have the same games as you. Remember when you had games you didn't even like because you liked playing with your friends?

a reply to: Necrobile


I looked up my old computer, it was a ti-99/4a. You could get cartridge games or load them with a cassette tape using a tape recorder.. No floppy discs.
Today's games are insane compared to that old system but I bet we still had just as much fun playing them.

a reply to: AceWombat04

As gamers in our 30's, we've essentially experienced all there is to offer with current available technology. I'll use Microsoft as an example. From the Xbox, Xbox360, and Xbox One there really hasn't been a significant advancement in technology. Same with NES, SNES, N64 (Major game changer), Gamecube, Wii, Wii U... there just hasn't been that great of a change in technology. Same story with Playstation. There just isn't anything new they can show us. Until the leap is made into Virtual and Augmented reality devices, we won't see anything new. I believe after hitting this point, we start looking past all the bland copy and paste junk for that special game that sucks you into the story line so much that you get lost in it. And let's face it, that type of game is RARE. I'm sure that also means that our tastes grow up along with us as well.

Mass Effect drew me in with an amazing story and game play. The obvious Oblivion and Skyrim has gotten several hundred hours of my time. Ace Combat 4, 5, & 6 I absolutely loved. Ace Combat 6 had just a great story. Call me nuts, but I wasn't that big of a Fall Out fan, but Fallout 4 will definitely get some of my time. Tom Clancy's The Division is an upcoming game I'm looking forward to. Rainbow Six Siege looks like it might a new dynamic to FPS games. Other than that, all I see is junk. Minecraft was an innovative game and brought something refreshing to the table. The mods just further expanded on that and it's still one of those rainy day go-to games. No Man's Sky looks to be another innovative game. Star Trek Online has been getting most of my attention as of late. I'm a late comer to it, so it still has that new feel to me.

I scan through the articles and Steam looking for something, anything, that is capable of holding my attention. You mentioned one of my favorite series of all time, Zelda. I own them all. But even it has grown stale I never finished Twilight Princess, and never played Skyward Sword at all. I will buy Zelda-U regardless of whatever comes of it. But even Zelda is starting to get that cookie cutter feel. OoT and Majora's Mask are the two titles in the series that I believe have been the pinnacle of Zelda. Nothing has reached that level since. I stare at my steam library, and it's just blah. One game I can somewhat suggest is Salt. It's all about sailing and exploring islands. Gathering things to craft newer ships, tools, and food.

All in all, the gaming industry seems like it's abandoned what makes a good game good for making a quick buck. Aside from Bethesda... they're in a league of their own. Hopefully, we'll be in store for some incredible things when gaming moves successfully into the world of VR.

I was a teenager when the Xbox came out. I was just talking to my Dad about this last evening. We had every single game even the same game for both the PC and the Xbox.

To do this now would just be stupid. Even having PS to not pay for live fees went out the door with ps4. My house hasn't upgraded. My kids can go visit my Dad if they want that.

Even downloadable content stopped being fun. Most of the people don't have the ones that cost money.

I honestly think they will sort out the motion sickness but you are unlucky being in the 20% of folk who do suffer from motion sickness.
I have looked up the cost of the pc to run it and I think $1000 can do it.
Saving up I need a new PC.
Here are the specs btw.

www.wired.com...
Oh and Elite Dangerous is supposed to be good already with DK2


I just hope they make a D&D VR multiplayer adventure game .

a reply to: boymonkey74

Those aren't that bad of specs really. I'm still running an i7 920 and I have a GTX 760.

Upgrading to a GTX 970, I prefer EVGA, is around $330. When I do go to upgrade my PC, I'm going to move to the i7 5820K at around $400 with an EVGA motherboard at around $300. Of course with discounts, I'm sure these things can be had for a lot less. But you're right that a budget of around a $1000 will allow for a pretty decent PC upgrade.

a reply to: EternalSolace

Must admit though I will wait till all the VR sets are out in 6 months or so and by then I bet the price has shot down.

Oh and imagine this

www.video-stitch.com...

With this.



Oh and this.

I've went back in time to play the games on old systems I always wanted to play as a kid and find it very satisfying. There was so many games for the snes and genesis I missed out on either because my parents wouldn't allow it or I couldn't get it or a rental game I got from blockbuster I never got to finish. I have yet to buy a new Gen console ad I am still satisfied with my 360 and ps3

a reply to: boymonkey74

My sentiments as well. They're going to discover that the higher than average specs and potential higher cost of upgrading the PC, will initially price people out of immediately buying it. I just worry that if things aren't marketed and priced right, a lack of sales might be interpreted as a lack of interest and once again stall out the evolution of gaming.

a reply to: EternalSolace

With 2 billion bucks invested it will be given the time for us all to get used to it.

I share your disappointment, i have gone back to PC gaming, battlefront being 720p on xbox 1 was the end for me, although i am stoked for halo 5 and fallout 4 i will be getting fallout 4 on pc hopefully, previous generations the consoles had more identity, 8th generation are just low/mid gaming pc's except you are charged to play online and games are £60 on average, you also know it's a lackluster console generation when gaming sites start talking about 9th gen consoles only after a year of the release of Xbox 1 and ps3.5.