I think I'm done with modern video gaming.

[ToyfareMark]

I never thought I'd feel this way, but this modern era of gaming just hasn't felt right to me since I got my PS4 in 2014. I'm letdown by most of the games I've played. I'm tired of getting a new game, and spending an evening downloading patches, and updates. Microtransactions, and questionable DLC just don't sit well with me. Mid gen console revisions make me feel like I wasted my time getting a new console. Online multiplayer dominating everything when I prefer single player, or just old fashioned 2 player. And the biggest gripe of all, most of the games that come out now just aren't that appealing to me.

I'm 40 years old, so maybe some of it is that I'm getting older, and things are passing me by. But I think the reality of it is just the current games I've played just don't feel fun to me, plus all the gripes I listed don't help.

I think I'm gonna go retro now, back to the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube era, I just need to find a Gamecube.

Sorry if all this sounds stupid, its just been something thats been on my mind lately, and I just felt the need to express it. I'm happy for everyone enjoying modern gaming, maybe something will come out to pull me back in. Thanks for letting me vent guys.

[wildojinx]

I'm pretty much in the same boat. I do still own a PS3 (the backwards compatible one to boot!), but it's just too much work to keep up with new games and systems). I'll just stick to picking up older PS2 and PS3 games if I find them, as well as going more retro (I've had a lot of fun with my NES classic lately, I might even try to pick up similar plug-and-play retro systems).

[EyeofTyr]

Between any old consoles you own, PCs, phones, and handhelds there is such a wealth of games that one person can play at any given time that I never fault anybody for sticking to classics or combing through old libraries of past to unearth something that works for them. If modern gaming isn't your bag, don't let it get you down, that's okay, there's always something new to discover somewhere and in time I'm sure there will be something that comes out that interests you and then you can venture back into modern gaming if you so choose. I have many friends of all ages that stick to retro gaming for any number of reasons.

That's not even scratching the surface of the catacombs that is the mod community. There are so many mods and fan made games that make old games a brand new experience that's worth while.

[Deleted]

Why does it have to be an all or nothing thing? You can still play modern games, but just be pickier about what games you play.

[Deleted]

I find myself overwhelmed by these massive open world games to the point I don't even bother them. Initially when I got my Xbone I only used it as a Blu-Ray player or to play some 2K. A lot of the big titles just do not interest me. Then I tried Game Pass, and I would try these indie games and found a lot of gems. So suddenly I was playing more games than I ever did. So I can only suggest seeking out those hidden gems and maybe they can rekindle your interest.

[The 1Watcher Experience]

Totally understandable. I had a Nintendo when I was a kid and it’s still the most fun I ever had playing video games. Now you need to learn a whole bunch of stuff just to be able to play them. There are so many with systems set up that hustle you where you have to actually pay money to get further in them. The most work I ever had to do was draw up a tiny map to get through a game. That was kind of fun at the time because it was different but I really enjoyed just putting a cartridge in and going through the basics. Games are supposed to be fun. Plenty of people enjoy the more modern games and that’s cool but I feel like they’re not for me. I used to enjoy the WWE more than I do these days. Things change. Not always the way you’d like them to but they do. Wrestling comparison because wrestling board.

[Nickybojelais]

That is almost word for word why I got out of modern gaming a few years ago. I've been having so much fun going back and revisiting my ZX Spectrum, NES, SNES, Master System, Mega Drive and PSX games.

Elements of the modern video gaming industry are just too under-hand and shady for my liking and I want no part of it!

[ToyfareMark]

Feb 20, 2019 23:36:49 GMT -5 @therealoblivion said:

Why does it have to be an all or nothing thing? You can still play modern games, but just be pickier about what games you play.

Maybe it's not as black and white as that. But the new issue of Gameinformer came in the mail the other day, and it had big section talking about all the hottest games of 2019, and none of them piqued my interest very much. Like I said maybe something will come along to pull me back in.

[Limity (BLM)]

I've actually found myself leaning in a similar direction. Besides Mankind Divided and Red Dead, I haven't finished any games for my Xbox 1 I bought last year. Gears 4, Arkham Knight, and Assassins Creed Syndicate sit unplayed.

This past weekend, I even went back to Black Flag on my 360. I just seem to lack the interest in these new games.

[HMARK Center]

There's a lot of factors involved in something like that happening, I think; the big one for me, like you say, is that I'm now in my 30s, I work a lot, and when I get home my down time is important to me, and it's hard to set aside the hours needed to play a lot of modern games.

I've kind of mitigated some of that by keeping myself to one home console a generation: I'm a Nintendo guy who needs his regular Zelda fix, so that's what I stick with. I remember buying tons of GameCube games back in high school and college, and started carrying that habit over to Wii, but ever since I've begun restricting how many games I buy since, really, I know I won't get around to most of them. Then I'll pick one game at a time to sink my efforts into: I played Breath of the Wild through the summer when it first came out, and lately I've been focusing on the single player campaign in Smash Bros (which is nice since you can play for just a few minutes or a couple hours with no issues), and I'll grab a few other goodies here and there, but otherwise I'm just not that compelled to go crazy buying too many new ones.

All that, plus I have a ton of issues with the "gamer culture" that's sprung up in recent years: gaming is a hobby, not an identity. The ones pushing the "identity" are usually the giant companies who are trying to convince people to part with every last cent the publishers can milk out of them, and instead of rebelling against that (though in fairness some have, e.g. the loot crate controversies) too many of the loudest, most obnoxious voices decide instead to take part in gatekeeping, toxic anger, elitism, and rage at anyone deemed an "outsider", typically because they dare to approach gaming with the same type of critical eye or analysis that people use on literally every other storytelling medium on planet Earth. There just comes a point where I don't want anything to do with that.

[Joker]

This is one reason I like fighting games, you can pick up and play for a short while. Not some movie length story to resolve that spans an area the size of Canada.

Nothing wrong with Retro gaming, my snes classic lives next to my PS4, got to beat those Capcom Disney games

Also Mario Maker 2 is coming, the original I obsessed over for quite a while at the time.

[Bo Rida]

I'm with you on the frustrations of modern gaming. Yet on the flip side Tetris Effect has instantly become one of my GOAT games and if Spelunky 2 can outdo the original it'll be top of my list. I think I'd love vr if I had room too.

So hate many trends and the general direction it seems to be heading but still plenty of good left for now, don't feel much need for next gen though.

[Allie Kitsune]

Feb 21, 2019 7:32:44 GMT -5 Joker said:

Nothing wrong with Retro gaming.

Until you start wanting to buy original carts/discs of any 2D shoot-em-up, or any North American Saturn Release at all.

Retro gaming (if you're not emulating) has a major problem with certain games being status symbols, and with prominent YouTubers labelling things as "Hidden Gems" (I hate that phrase), causing prices to spike through the stratosphere.

[Tenshigure]

I think for me personally, I've become annoyed at what 'gamer culture' has become. Like many here, I don't necessarily have all the time in the world to play games anymore, but if I don't play games on the latest and greatest hardware or on the hardest 'til my eyes bleed' difficulty with all the handicaps enabled, I'm not a 'true gamer'. Thankfully you can just ignore those minions and still enjoy yourself, but even the industry tries to sabotage itself to make these e-peen measuring contests thrown behind paywalls rather than actual work.

Truth be told, most of my gaming is now done in a mobile fashion, whether it be on my mobile phone or the Nintendo Switch. People like to bitch about how mobile phone games all rely on microtransactions and gatcha mechanics to screw the player over, but you know what? I'm still able to find games on the Android Play store that entertain me long enough before I have to get back to real life work, squeezing in matches/games when I can. Same goes for the Switch, where most of the games I play on it don't really bog down with nonsensical crap and just gets straight to the good stuff fairly quick.

Even in a 'retro gaming' fix situation, you don't necessarily need to swear off on modern gaming. Modern classics like Stardew Valley, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Into the Breach, Messenger, Dead Cells, etc. all tap into the retro FEEL of a game, while still utilizing mechanics and engines that benefit the newest technologies on the market. The fact that the most popular games in the world today are Free-to-Play based (Fortnite, Apex Legends, League of Legends, Arena of Valor, etc.) adds to the accessibility people have now to enjoy their hobby.

Yes, you can always go back to the classic consoles (which I do frequently, my addiction the last few years Link to the Past Randomizer), but the gaming industry is so fast-paced and vast that you can always find good independent games that will give you the fix you need without bogging you down with the terrible trends things have become.

[Deleted]

I haven’t been into games for ages now. This will probably sound weird but the newer games just have way too much going on. I prefer the old style games where you had one objective and you either accomplished it or not, you didn’t have 8000 side missions at every level.

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2019 0:48:40 GMT -5 ToyfareMark said:

Feb 20, 2019 23:36:49 GMT -5 @therealoblivion said:

Why does it have to be an all or nothing thing? You can still play modern games, but just be pickier about what games you play.

Maybe it's not as black and white as that. But the new issue of Gameinformer came in the mail the other day, and it had big section talking about all the hottest games of 2019, and none of them piqued my interest very much. Like I said maybe something will come along to pull me back in.

Hey, I feel you.

The only modern game I'm playing right now is WWE 2K19. I have no interest really in anything else that's out or anything coming up. That doesn't mean something cool won't come along though.

I feel the same way about modern comic books. I've been reading comics since the 80's, and nowadays I hardly like anything new that comes out except maybe a couple Indy books I like. That's not gonna keep make me swear off the whole industry though.

You have the right idea about focusing on older stuff you like for a while though, just don't close your mind to anything new that comes along.

[WoodStoner1]

Hi been waiting for you these past 19 years or so...

[Dub H]

Feb 21, 2019 0:48:40 GMT -5 ToyfareMark said:

Feb 20, 2019 23:36:49 GMT -5 @therealoblivion said:

Why does it have to be an all or nothing thing? You can still play modern games, but just be pickier about what games you play.

Maybe it's not as black and white as that. But the new issue of Gameinformer came in the mail the other day, and it had big section talking about all the hottest games of 2019, and none of them piqued my interest very much. Like I said maybe something will come along to pull me back in.

Because Gaming MEdia ir garbage you have to ignore the main stream. Go Indie,go see what nintendo is doing(Mario ODyssey for example is a complete package,no bullshit in that game).

Most fun games for me are not covered by whats hot.

[darbus alan]

First party games from Nintendo and Sony especially seem to be the last bastion of games released with minimal bullshit. Like, take a look at Sony's Spider-Man and God of War games for the PS4. No predatory lootboxes. No "live services." No areas of the game where it feels like you're being completely hampered by pay-to-win microtransactions. Just straightforward, fun single player games with only some regular ol' DLC that also isn't necessary to play an otherwise fully-made, well-rounded game.

It's also why I've been playing a lot of PC games lately. It's a wide-open market for PC games which range from the mainstream to the independent to the retro to the retro-inspired.

[EyeofTyr]

Feb 21, 2019 14:13:08 GMT -5 darbus alan said:

First party games from Nintendo and Sony especially seem to be the last bastion of games released with minimal bullshit. Like, take a look at Sony's Spider-Man and God of War games for the PS4. No predatory lootboxes. No "live services." No areas of the game where it feels like you're being completely hampered by pay-to-win microtransactions. Just straightforward, fun single player games with only some regular ol' DLC that also isn't necessary to play an otherwise fully-made, well-rounded game.

It's also why I've been playing a lot of PC games lately. It's a wide-open market for PC games which range from the mainstream to the independent to the retro to the retro-inspired.

Yeah, I know different strokes for different folks and there will always be those that cry "IT'S NOT AS GRAPHICALLY STATE OF THE ART THOUGH", but as the generations have gone on and all of those questionable business practices have started to become the norm in the gaming industry, it has made me appreciate Nintendo and their first party games even more than I already did. They've got the Nintendo polish, their complete games, they always look nice and the gameplay feels nice and a lot of times if they do have DLC or updates they're minimal and if charged for you usually get a steal for what they're asking.