Gaming isn't quite as good as it used to be...

After over 20 hours minutes of gameplay, I'm still at the very beginning of disk 2 of 4 for Final Fantasy VIII. And it has made me think, why aren't games long like this anymore? I mean even Mass Effect, which is a great game and everything, can be completed in about 20 hours, depending on the difficulty. And that's just length, it seems that a lot of these older games are a lot more fun than many of the newer one play charlies. Even genres like FPS games, which one would imagine would only get better, have only been dumbed down. Now all FPS games are about pseudo-realism, even then, if you want realism play some of the early Rainbow Six games or SWAT 3, they're far more realistic than Call of Duty or Bad Company 2. I also could help but notice that there seems to be hardly any innovation anymore. I guess these are just a few of the many negative side affects to gaming going mainstream and being dumbed down for the masses. Does anyone else feel this way?

After over 20 hours minutes of gameplay, I'm still at the very beginning of disk 2 of 4 for Final Fantasy VIII. And it has made me think, why aren't games long like this anymore? I mean even Mass Effect, which is a great game and everything, can be completed in about 20 hours, depending on the difficulty. And that's just length, it seems that a lot of these older games are a lot more fun than many of the newer one play charlies. Even genres like FPS games, which one would imagine would only get better, have only been dumbed down. Now all FPS games are about pseudo-realism, even then, if you want realism play some of the early Rainbow Six games or SWAT 3, they're far more realistic than Call of Duty or Bad Company 2. I also could help but notice that there seems to be hardly any innovation anymore. I guess these are just a few of the many negative side affects to gaming going mainstream and being dumbed down for the masses. Does anyone else feel this way?

MotokoKusanagi7

IMO, it's just the workings of the commercial market that makes games look bad these days.
There is a massive amount of unknown but superb games out there, if we look at the PS 3 RPG releases FF13 is one of the worst and the best known rpgs of the ps3. These days every genre has some hidden gems, it's up to you to find them.

It depends on where you look. I see you mention realism, and it is unfortunate that a series like Rainbow Six got dumbed down, but you can't forget about a title such as Arma 2, which basically delivers the most realistic combat I've ever seen in a game.

In the end it's just the mainstream that's stagnating. People always point to the blandness of CoD when they want to criticise this generation of gaming, ignoring the fact that there are tons of games out there that are more creative, progressive and overall enjoyable than ever. Maybe people need to dig a little deeper these days, but it's still there.

Does anyone else feel this way?

MotokoKusanagi7

Nope, I vary the games I play, and I look at different genres.

Try another hobby for a while, like collecting movies or music.:)

There's ton's of innovation out there. There are too many innovative games on xbla and psn to count. Then there's the indie scene on consoles and especially steam.

No I don't have this feeling, probably because I buy games only few know. I do agree on the mainstream thing, but if you do some research, you can find tons of fantastic games that can easely hold up what we were used to have in passed gens

I agree with this for several reasons. While I have to disagree with the fact that games have generally gotten shorter over the years (try playing Dragon Age Origins or Oblivion and you'll see what I mean) I do think there are more mediocre and vacuous games coming out. I feel like the creativity and originality that many games had just last gen is a rarity these days. Games like Portal are a breath of fresh air in an overly saturated market of military FPSs and rehashed sports games. It just seems like games in general don't have the same charm they used to.

We average one of these ponderous, poorly supported topics about twice a month and they always essentially make the same stale arguments, none of which are supported by the evidence. Here is my predictably droll counter-statement that I'm going to paste and click from now on when such topics arise.

Blathering ad nauseam claim # 1: Games are easier than before.

Logical Rebuttal: Games feature far more customizable features that can directly affect the overall difficulty of a game. Most games are set to a default level to accommodate the casual player but a few moments of tweaking and many of these so called "easy" games would offer a more substantial challenge. Also, there are plenty of difficult games, ranging from downloadable titles like Braid and Bionic Commando to something as awe-inspiring as Demon Souls. The reality is that games are not easier but rather there are a larger variety of games that offer varying levels of challenge. To those who want a tougher experience, there is plenty of software to accommodate you.

Blathering ad nauseam claim # 2: Videogames have been intellectually diluted for the masses in order to streamline and popularize the medium.

Logical Rebuttal: Videogames have always been a popular medium and there has always been a massive casual market that looks to play games for a much smaller amount of time than the typical gamer that frequents a message board or game-enthusiast website. The typical myopic viewpoint from these gamers is that the casual market is forcing developers to infantilize the medium when evidence would actually suggest most of the mainstream offerings in gaming still require a high degree of manual and mental dexterity to successfully play.

Blathering ad nauseam claim # 3: Older videogames were more fun than contemporary offerings.

Logical Rebuttal: Such a claim is subjective and impossible to prove. Fun is not something that can be effectively quantified outside of some sort of statistical, numbers-driven study and even then such a study could be affected by any number of variables and flaws. Games are – by design – created for the purpose of recreation so I would propose that people are having just as much fun with games today as they were ten, twenty and even thirty years ago. Actually, considering the proliferation of the medium, I would assert you could make a viable argument that people are actually having more fun because more people than ever are indulging in the medium.

Blathering ad nauseam claim # 4: Games today are not as innovative as games of yesteryear and variety is lacking.

Logical Rebuttal: This is easily the most provably false statement since the medium has exploded and the amount of innovation is staggering. When taking into account the genres and subgenres along with digital distribution and indie games, the amount of new and divergent experiences cannot be easily catalogued. Just a few weeks ago we saw the release of LA Noir, one of the most unique and innovative games I have ever played and other titles, such as Little Big Planet, demonstrate that not only is innovation thriving but even large publishers are making divergent software.

I agree with this for several reasons. While I have to disagree with the fact that games have generally gotten shorter over the years (try playing Dragon Age Origins or Oblivion and you'll see what I mean) I do think there are more mediocre and vacuous games coming out. I feel like the creativity and originality that many games had just last gen is a rarity these days. Games like Portal are a breath of fresh air in an overly saturated market of military FPSs and rehashed sports games. It just seems like games in general don't have the same charm they used to.

Shenmue_Jehuty

When you consider previous generations, the quality-to-crap ratio is actually much better this generation than any other that I've experienced. There are literally too many quality games to play where by contrast, even during the apex of the last generation, you could conceivably go weeks or months without a fantastic game coming out.

By contrast, with so many companies making games this generation, we've seen a much more generous release schedule and certain periods of the fiscal year that used to be proverbial dead zones now enjoy the release of AA and AAA titles. Compound that with digital distribution services like steam, XBLA, and PSN, and you have plenty of choice and an overwhelming torrent of quality offerings.

The glut of militaristic shooters is annoying but no more so than the hundreds of Street Fighter clones that clogged the industry in the 1990's or the GTA clones that were mostly uninspired sludge in the early 2000's. While I've had my fill of the FPS genre as a whole, the quality many of these shooters posses, redundant as they may be, eclipses the quick cash grabs of the past.

And to be fair, there are plenty of options for those of us tired of the FPS/military shooter paradigm.

Mass Effect 2 takes more than 20 hours to do everything >.>mrmusicman247

i like old rpgs as much as the next guy, but i have to say, i enjoy how much tighter the modern gaming experience is. mass effect 2 is all action and plot and character development. those old rpgs are lots of fun, but many of them are 2/3 dungeon crawling, even though the crawling is unlikely to lead to any interesting weapons or armor, which is what makes endless slogging interesting to begin with.

grammaton said it best, as he has for years.

Gaming is the same as ever. You're just playing too much mainstream games like COD and Halo. There is a ton of original and innovative games in the market, you just need to look for them. If you think games today are too "easy then just crank up the difficulty.

I think games are better than ever now, and there certainly isn't a higher percentage of crap now than there was at any other point in the past 30 years. (Although it's harder for most people to remember bad games from the past than bad games from the present, for obvious reasons.)

Edit: Looks like Grammation already said it, and he said it pretty well.

After over 20 hours minutes of gameplay, I'm still at the very beginning of disk 2 of 4 for Final Fantasy VIII. And it has made me think, why aren't games long like this anymore?

MotokoKusanagi7

Demographic has changed. Average gamer is now an adult and can't spend 40 hours a week on video games. That's why short, adrenaline pumping games (like CoD) are selling so good.

The length of a game doesn't effect how good of a rating it gets from me. It's the actual gameplay and story that effect it.