Old Games vs. New Games

[Sandi1987]

What do you think? New games sucks compare to old games?

 

[GoldenX]

No, american AAA games suck compared to old ones. Meanwhile on the other side we have Nintendo, CD Project Red, Atlus and others still making great games.

 

[jboydgolfer]

it depends on your tastes. I dont care for the Bf1/starwars BF, i dont like Call of duty, or those games. I also dont like super japanese type games either, i dont Like what zelda has turned into its a joke IMO, also basically any RPG or card based game are all terrible. I think that games havent changed too much, but the ease of which they can be made has, and the ease at which they can be accquired has too, so people are more likely to get a game, try it, and give up on it if it doesnt pique their interests ( remember hating battletoads as a highschool/college kid, but i had to keep playing it, as there was no WWW, and i just bought it, so i played it, and played it, and i began to enjoy it). i think there is a transition phase right now, and gaming and its "society" are in a sort of "pre pubescent" stage, where its changing , but as of right now its not right in either direction. I have a GREAT deal of difficulty finding anything that suites my tastes these days, but Im also older, and short on time for silly things like playing games, although i do like to.

 

[Rehmanpa]

How new we talking? I mean I still think bf4 is a fairly new game and I love it but I don't like bf1 or bf hardline and thosw arw even newer

 

[FordGT90Concept]

I think 1995-2005 was the golden age of games. That said, games today are doing things that were technically not feasible in that era (like streaming engines). While AAA is obsessed with technology, indies are mostly focused on gameplay and narratives. There's something for everyone today.

 

[StrayKAT]

No, american AAA games suck compared to old ones. Meanwhile on the other side we have Nintendo, CD Project Red, Atlus and others still making great games.

I think I'll agree with that.

Although Atlus itself is more of a publisher.. but I get what you mean.

 

[Space Lynx]

I like some AAA games still, I enjoyed AC Origins recently. Hated ME Andromeda, in old days I enjoyed Unreal Tournament, but hated Quake... I mean I am not sure measuring things based on time is the way to do, its whatever you enjoy in the moment. meh

 

[rtwjunkie]

What do you think? New games sucks compare to old games?

You really cannot make wild generalizations like this. Old has good and bad and New has good and bad.

Additionally, this is a highly subjective description as to whether a game sucks. Each person likes what they like.

 

[JC316]

I've been gaming for a LONG time. NES era for consoles and Doom era for PC. A lot of people forget that there were plenty of turds back in the day and a bunch of instant classics. Same thing today. Sure, the EA and UBIsoft games are craptastic, but there have been some seriously good games lately. The Batman Arkham games, Dishonored, Mordor games, Trine, Portal, Ori and the Blind Forest, Skyrim, Fallout 4, Injustice games, Mortal Kombat games, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, etc.

On the console front, you have Uncharted, which is one of the best game series that I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Then you have Halo and Gears of War, which were great.

The biggest disappointment today is the shooters. I loved the old fashioned, Doom, Duke Nukem, Return to Castle Wolfenstien style games, and they just don't make them any more. Duke Nukem Forever was close, but they tried a hybrid system that left me wanting the old style. Shadow Warrior was also a close one.

 

[silentbogo]

No, american AAA games suck compared to old ones. Meanwhile on the other side we have Nintendo, CD Project Red, Atlus and others still making great games.

I wouldn't say that. Some American companies had great "comeback" games in the past 5 years or so.
Like Irrational with "Bioshock: Infinite", or iD with DOOM (and maybe QC, if they make it work at some point this year).

New games sucks compare to old games?

Definitely not. Nowadays you simply have more games overall, which means you get more good games and more bad games at the same time.
Human nature simply makes us remember bad stuff over good, so we have something to complain about on forums
I think the past few years were really good for gaming. I even went as far as giving up on my oath of "not buying any games until I get 100% achievements in my pre-2013 collection".
Bought at least a dozen good games last year alone.

 

[IceScreamer]

I'd say it's simply people getting older mostly. Tho, with EA games and Ubisoft it's definitely a cash grab.

 

[kruk]

Here is what i think has been happening through the years:

It seems that a lot of people don't like navigating through level mazes, so we have goal markers, 3D maps, waypoints, etc. A lot of people don't like hard puzzles so the solutions are obvious or made in a such way you can succeed just by trying. A loot of people like picking up or unlocking stuff, so you have lootboxes, shiny items you can easily find, XP, etc. People like having something to brag about in the game, so you have skin packs, hats, DLCs, etc. I could go on ...

When you mix all these aspects in a game you will cover a lot of ground and this usually means a lot of money for the publisher. If the game is successful, you then produce sequels on the same principle until the cash flows in. Oldschool gamers (or gamers that wan't a challenge) won't be happy, but they are a tiny minority. Their complaints will on the forums will be overshadowed by the majority that liked the game.

Reviewers really don't have a choice: to stay relevant and read/watched, you will have to give good ratings to games you think will be popular. Also you don't wan't to anger the big publishers or they won't give you pre-release copies.

And thus: if the released games are rated good by the public and the press, they must be great -> other developers follow the same principles.

It's pretty sad really, but there is nothing that can be done about it.


TL;DR: Just play the oldies (but goldies) and enjoy. It works for me

 

[silentbogo]

Oldschool gamers (or gamers that wan't a challenge) won't be happy, but they are a tiny minority.

Also don't forget about the bias and personal preference.
I personally hated some newer games that were generally considered an unprecedented success.
Take "Life is Strange", for example. The game is as boring as a yet another youtube unpacking video, or mid-day grandma's soap opera. You basically get a gameplay from last decade, last-gen graphics and a truly shitty and lazy story in the worst imaginable setting, but it seems that 96% approval rating on steam and tons of awards disagree with me on every level.
That's the power of mainstream culture and marketing over hard work and creativity.

It's pretty sad really, but there is nothing that can be done about it.

Definitely.

 

[Disparia]

I just let new games become old games; they're cheaper, the less stellar games are weeded out, and hidden gems become known.

For the broader question, it's a little bit of everything. Nostalgia googles, your younger self always has more free time, and in my case I'm usually playing them months or years after release. The result is that my experience with older games is overly positive.

This probably applies to only a few of us, but older collector editions used to be better IMO. I still have my Diablo II and Fallout 3/NV digital and IRL items. Liked it back then, but it's extremely rare for a game to catch my attention before it's released these days.

 

[TheMailMan78]

People who say old games were better never played Festers Quest or E.T.

 

[jboydgolfer]

You really cannot make wild generalizations like this. Old has good and bad and New has good and bad.

Additionally, this is a highly subjective description as to whether a game sucks. Each person likes what they like.

Not to mention even the most awful game from 1985 has a secret weapon when being compared against a decent modern game ..... nostalgia. If you were too young to have played some of the infuriatingly awful games from the 80s or 70s ,and have only played them on emulators or in retrospect ,it's kind of a "cult retro cool hip " thing ,because it lacks the reality of "this is your game you better like it".

games like ET on the atari, or games themed after movies like ghostbusters, or back to the future where often Terrible, but you didnt have the option to order a new game online, or choose from thousands of different titles.

 

[psyko12]

Tho, with EA games and Ubisoft it's definitely a cash grab.

Don't forget Acti/Bungie.

Some new games are good and some not. I personally don't like games with too much hand holding, go here and there with markers or easy to spot clues. It looses the exploration/discovery part of the game.

 

[StrayKAT]

I'd say it's simply people getting older mostly. Tho, with EA games and Ubisoft it's definitely a cash grab.

Nah, I really don't see it. Even the average Nintendo game was harder than stuff I see today. I know it isn't me or that I got smarter and more clever since childhood (I know more, but I don't think our underlying intelligence changes). Many new games are rote actions, with a few patterns to work out. It used to be frustrating (but fun)... like wanting to throw the controller at the TV type of frustrating. It's rare to see that now.

edit: You can almost see this dumbing down trend even in minor handheld stuff. Tetris could be legitimately stimulating and challenging (at least as you climbed levels), Fast forward 10 years and Bejeweled can be somewhat challenging but it was easier.. and now look at the new popular phone game Candy Crush. I tried it out and was surprised how stupid it was. I could click virtually with my eyes closed and kept on winning and getting big flashy "level up" screens. You barely have to actually "play" anything. And this is indicative of what I see in some AAA action games too. Very few are like a Dark Souls or Ninja Gaiden (these stand out amongst modern beat em ups).

 

[enxo218]

new games are heavily oriented towards combat, corridor combat at that and very little adventure, exploration or puzzles.There are too many cutscenes and forced segments....I'm an rpg kind of person and bitterly disappointed in the devolution of that genre

 

[JC316]

People who say old games were better never played Festers Quest or E.T.

Pretty much, and any LJN game was right there with them. Jaws, Terminator 2, Monster Party, and Hydlide were some of the first games that my dad bought on NES. All sucked, but I played Monster Party the most.

 

[Vayra86]

There are terrible games every year, adn there are memorable ones every year. Nothing's really changed in that sense IMO.

What's changed is that today there so much on offer, that its easier to look at the best thing there is in any given category and despise everything else. Back in the day, that didn't work, there WAS no backlog, there WAS no Steam Sale, only the budget bin where you could find the older titles for a smaller price, which would then push you into getting that after all because you completed everything else.

new games are heavily oriented towards combat, corridor combat at that and very little adventure, exploration or puzzles.There are too many cutscenes and forced segments....I'm an rpg kind of person and bitterly disappointed in the devolution of that genre

Nah. You gotta look around more then. Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny, Torment: Tides of Numblabla; Divinity OS2... there's a lot to be had these days. RPG is stronger than ever tbh. And if you like the numbers game in your RPG, there are half a dozen very strong Diablo clones out; or super creative stuff such as Darkest Dungeon.

The true puzzling though, yes you're probably right about that. Puzzle games have really also carved out a segment of their own; Talos Principle, The Witness, etc. And they have married with the RPG too, in the form of things like this: http://www.grimrock.net/

 

[rtwjunkie]

new games are heavily oriented towards combat, corridor combat at that and very little adventure, exploration or puzzles.There are too many cutscenes and forced segments....I'm an rpg kind of person and bitterly disappointed in the devolution of that genre

Hmmm, I don't know, tons of newer adventure and puzzle to be had. Try The Talos Principle, or Obduction, or maybe even Hellblade.

 

[StrayKAT]

When I think of puzzles, I don't mean puzzle games personally. I mean puzzles embedded in every aspect of gameplay. Or pattern recognition, rather. Even an old platformer was rife with puzzles -- measuring when to time jumps in Metroid or Donkey Kong, for example. And rife in many old boss battles -- when to time your dodges and recognition when a Boss was broadcasting his next big attack. When you can simply attack with barely do any reading of an enemy, that's when I say it lacks puzzles. A lot of new gamers simply dole out rewards for simply playing... rather than playing right.

 

[Vayra86]

When I think of puzzles, I don't mean puzzle games personally. I mean puzzles embedded in every aspect of gameplay. Or pattern recognition, rather. Even an old platformer was rife with puzzles -- measuring when to time jumps in Metroid or Donkey Kong, for example. And rife in many old boss battles -- when to time your dodges and recognition when a Boss was broadcasting his next big attack. When you can simply attack with barely do any reading of an enemy, that's when I say it lacks puzzles.

What you're describing now though, that is a staple of the classic platformer and side scroller, or action fighting game. And of the latter, we still have things like Bayonetta and the like, that still heavily use this. Recent platform/side scrollers still do this too.

To be fair most of the sentiment about 'new games' being too simplified is because people haven't delved into the massive pile of less known games on the market. Avoid the big publisher games and look around, and everything's still there. In abundance!

 

[StrayKAT]

What you're describing now though, that is a staple of the classic platformer and side scroller, or action fighting game. And of the latter, we still have things like Bayonetta and the like, that still heavily use this. Recent platform/side scrollers still do this too.

To be fair most of the sentiment about 'new games' being too simplified is because people haven't delved into the massive pile of less known games on the market. Avoid the big publisher games and look around, and everything's still there. In abundance!

Yes, Bayonetta is one. It's Platinum/former Capcom guys. I don't expect anything less. Or rarely have gripes about Japan in general. It's western stuff that dropped in quality.