There is nothing remarkable about Gen 8 gaming

Someone could literally skip it and miss nothing.

Not many new IPs and a bunch of remasters and less risk taking in games.

Japan's low game output.

Sony taking forever to release their own exclusives.

Nintendo pretty much being irrelevant all gen, the Wii U had maybe 1 or 2 ALRIGHT years at best (still drought filled)

MS not sure what to do with the Xbox, make it a cheap steam machine esque PC or make it a console, they dunno but let's give all our games to the PC!

Rockstar has only released one game all gen, a GTA V port.

Annualized sequels are the norm in a heavily shooter/open world market.

No arcade racers like Burnout or Midnight Club

Just a bunch of games from last gen with shinier graphics that pretty much play the same.

Gen 7.5 indeed

Only thing that might be remarkable is how consoles are now PCs, install your games and have zero exclusives (with a budget) to call their own outside of 1-3 games a year.

With all the focus on graphics are you really surprised?

There has been new IPs. The problem is most of them have been mediocre. No Man's Sky, Destiny, Watch Dogs, The Division, Quantum Break, The Order, Evolve, Battleborn, Titanfall, Ryse, Knack, Driveclub.

It hasn't helped that even sequels to established franchises like Fallout 4, Star Wars Battlefront and Batman Arkham Knight were complete shit too. Even Metal Gear Solid V was half shit because it had no story.

@NathanDrakeSwag: Another reason could be that gamers on the net bitch about everything, myself not excluded.

Yeah, true.

A lot of new IPs have flopped hard this gen.

Yeah, this gen has been stagnant and unimpressive for the most part, but I have plenty of good shit to play so it doesn't bother me.

Not really and with the push to 4K which it"ll probably only get worse since the already long/high dev time/cost will increase exponentially.

HD ports to fill up the yearly library is what pisses me the most. Instead of creating a new series or even a sequel to a great series, an hd port that we've played less than 5y ago is what we're getting. Thanks...

@brah4ever: Remasters for 4K incoming.

@silversix_:

Remastering already HD games from a gen ago is a pure cash grab.

99% of the time they are just playing the already released PC versions of these games but on high instead of medium-high settings.

All for $60 :)

@Pedro: Yeah, and should be fun. Quotes like, "same assets in 4k", which one company actually boasted about.

@Pedro:

Get ready for the Remastered Remastered edition/collectiom for 4K games.

*shrugs and keeps playing FF14*

I was hoping Nintendo would save us, but if rumors persist it looks like a shot show of some sort

You just wait until they start "remastering" current gen games into the Neo/Scorpio and charge $40 for what's worth $10 at that point. I mean, why not re-release RE4 for the 12409328580234134012734590237th time? Dunno. So lets release it again.

Eh I would have agreed until this year, now I think it's pretty good. It hasn't been as great as gen 7, but gen 8 can still hold its own. The remasters really aren't a problem since you don't have to buy them. I agree a lot of sequels to great games have been less than impressive. Batman:AK, Fallout 4, etc. I also agree that a lot of new IPs have also been disappointing. But a lot of new IPs, and sequels have been great too, when you have games like: Ori and the Blind Forest, Titanfall, Forza Horizon 2, Forza Motorsport 6, (2 of my favorite games this gen), Halo 5, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Killer Instinct, Dead Rising 3, D4, Outlast, Rocket League, Sunset Overdrive, Rare Replay, Doom, Child of Light, Inside, Mortal Kombat X, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Super Time Force, Tales from the Borderlands, etc. A lot of upcoming games looks awesome too. I've loved the shit out of my X1. It hasn't been a bad gen guys.

Agreed, though I have plenty to play and many games that I love.

The longer dev time is what has hurt me. So far into the gen and, you're right, we still haven't seen much from Square Enix, Rockstar, or some other devs. It's garbage.

Last time I was infatuated with a console was with the PS2. After the 7th gen of consoles came out I started to lose interest rapidly. I had no interest in most games that were exclusive and that eventually led me to concider exclusives as an arbitrary limitation. I now play mostly on PC. I got a PS2 for playing all the games I liked that were exclusive to that console(and some others that I wanted, but never played), a PS3 that to this day I regret buying as new, but still got some games I wanted to play on it, and a gameboy advance sp that its basically in a league of its own along with the 3ds(which I want to buy sometime. oh and screw phones). 8th gen is nothing, just a couple of closed arcitecture PCs.

I had a weak moment when I was primarily a PC gamer last gen but the PS4 has put my faith back in gaming. Long live Sony.

Hmmm... I don't really agree personally. There's been a ton of good games this gen, but then again I don't only play exclusives or JRPGs.....so there's that.

That is one nice thing going for PC is that the entire library of games is always compatible or can easily be made so. Recently played a very old but good FMV game called The Dame Was Loaded. If that was on console, no one would have remastered it nor would it be playable without having the old hardware.

I sometimes wonder why console only gamers bother. Multiplatform is the way to go but probably better to hold out on a console until it has a good library...if it ever has one.

Best thing about this gen was return of missing genres. As long as people will continue to masturbate over flashy stuff, things will become worse in AAA market. Thank God for return of Mid-tier market on PC.

Several of the games in your list are not mediocre.

Man after my own heart.

Agree with other points as well, so I've been going back and playing games I missed out on from the past 2 gens or even further back in some cases.

It's had some gems. It's also had a plethora of shit... Wading through it isn't fun.

To be honest I'd agree. It's been solidly good imo, without much outstanding.

Plenty of great games out there right now. If you can't find fun in any of them then that's your problem.

This is another one of those "I am attempting to look like I have superior taste by making a bold claim about the current state of gaming" kind of a thread. Nobody cares and your not better than anybody just because you're trying to act smug about it.

I've seen this exact same thread since coming to this forum in 2003 back in the 6th gen. You're not original.

@Wasdie: This is the first gen I remember with QUITE so many ports, remakes and cross gen games in lieu of new, next gen games though. Plus titans of devs like Bioware, Bethesda, Rockstar, Valve, even Nintendo making little or nothing of note years into the gen.

It's true there's always someone to complain, but I think there's a bit more evidence to it now.

The only thing that I feel is missing is a cod as fun as mw2, other than that, this gen is great.

Certainly the least interesting gen. Every previous gen has been exciting.

@Wasdie: 2003 was an okay or underwhelming year. Please don't bring up that year in gaming. Then 2004 made up for it and more.

What??? We pretending 3DS doesnt exist again? No company has produced more high quailty games than Nintendo and yet you dare throw shat at them? What a disgrace.

This gen isn't nothing to brag about, it's just average at best. I been impress what I play so far and that's about it.

if you haven't noticed the kind of behavior developers and publishers displayed in the 7th gen put many out of business before the 8th gen even began, and if you've been around a while you know that gaming has never been like the 7th gen though I can see newbie gamers coming into the generation thinking things were always that way, they weren't, just shows how naive you are

yes, the market isn't displaying the unprecedented growth of the previous gen but it's still got quality titles releasing at such a pace I can't even keep up with them

Okey doke. Find a new hobby. I'm enjoying playing video games.

This gen's been mostly carried by independent and middle market stuff. The triple A has had its moments here and there, but it's few and far in between. To be fair I think the industry was turning a pretty low point triple A wise late last gen, and that carried over to early this gen, but I think things are slowly but surely cleaning up. For starters a shit load of triple A games this gen have bitchin mechanics. Last gen had a tendency to **** that up too frequently.

I agree it's creatively dull, but eh to me shit could still be way worse. Now if the indie space sucked, and we never had the return of the middle market on PC, yeah okay, then this gen sucks, but it doesn't. People like The Witcher 3 a whole lot, Doom got a lot of love this year, Uncharted 4 people are digging, I've had a blast with stuff like Metal Gear, Rainbow Six Siege, and what Japanese games we do get, like Bayonetta 2, Bloodborne, Guilty Gear has been top notch as well.

The thing is that's more or less with it's like to be a film enthusiast in this era. The more high concept blockbuster stuff is usually kind of trash, with some exceptions here and there (Casino Royale, Mad Max: Fury Road), and a lot of the better stuff is the more modest budget flicks. Which at least works for film, since you know it's people. Games as much as I love the return of proper 2d gaming, it's not like the indie space can do their thing but in 3d, and that is a bit disappointing that we don't have as many creative 3d games.

Well said. If a gamer cannot find any games that he/she likes maybe they need a new hobby. I have plenty to play and I'm entertained. I let go of this idea that gaming must reach this self created plateau in order to be good. All that does is limit what I can enjoy in life.

Well use google and search SW threads from 2008-09. A few of us were calling the remaster thing out when PS3 dropped BC and sold GoW collection. We knew this was the beginning of a trend. If I could charge 25 cents for every time all of you replied to one of my posts, I would do it. Remasters are easy money and gamers said "yes, please" from the get go. Not publishers or devs fault.

Doom 2016 basically. OP should play it Now. its remarkable

This gen is pathetic.

List of pathetic AAA games:

• No Many's Sky
• Quantum Break
• Uncharted 4
• Rise of the Tomb Raider
• Ryse
• Destiny
• Evolve
• Watch Dogs

• Shadow of Mordor

Bullet sponge enemies, simplistic game mechanics and puzzles, etc.

Game devs are afraid to challenge the players. They play it safe more than ever.

For PC, it's been absolutely fine.

Consoles, however, are a different matter.

For Microsoft and XBOX One, they tried to sell a more expensive, less powerful, and had awful software policies. It had a stupid name too. Microsoft cannot rely on its small stable of exclusives unless it is the superior multi-plat system. They should be amazed anyone bought the system at all.

For Sony, they spent so long supporting the PS3 to the end of it's life (instead of relying on multiplatform games) that the PS4 doesn't have anywhere near a big enough library of worthwhile exclusives.

Only Nintendo can save this gen with NX and releasing all upcoming games on one platform. They're a bit late, but that's because they don't like to rush things...

Back in the old days, before many of you were born young people got 2-3 games to do them the year.

Now kids are sitting with a steam library of 500-600 games and still somehow find time to complain.

Such entitlement.

Trust me, you dont want too many games that challenge the player, youll end up like Nintendo and everyone reviewing your game low saying its too hard.

@uninspiredcup: Too be fair, were not kids no more, we buy our own games. And kids did get crazy amount of games back then, i know cause i use to borrow them all the time. My parents never informed us of games. I rember my friend made fun of me cause i made fun of him for wanting a Playstation for Christmas. The whole time i thought he was talking about this,

I use to know this one dude who would talk about Zelda all the time for awhile. Hed talk about turning from boy to adult, using flute, and messing with fairies. It never sounded appealing and i never played with him cause i thought he was weird.

Another guy in our neighborhood had an N64, but nobody ever wanted to play it cause we never knew what it was. And the game he showed us one time was one player and looked like a toddlers game. Its was called Mario 64. I remeber vividly of him saying one of his favorite things to do what play with Marios face at the title screen. It sounded like the most pointless thing at the time.

I don't have a problem with remasters. As they're made by developers who wouldn't be working on anything big otherwise. Or a fairly small team at a studio. Who may not necessary have a job without remasters. As layoffs are common after game releases. Remasters like the HD collections before them, have almost no impact on the creation of new IP's.

I would like to have a greater selection of hit games to play from. But this happens all the time. Were a few years into the current gen. And the comparisons to a complete last gen library of 5+ years. Are compared to what's offered now. Rockstar may not have released a game yet. But many of their hit games didn't start coming out till 2010 (Red Dead Redemption, GTA 5, LA Noire). 4+ years after the release of the Xbox 360. GTA5 is also getting tremendous support. So if you need a Rockstar fix; look no further.

And if you want something other than sequels. Then stop buying sequels completely. As your just contributing to your problem with the lack of new IP's. As established IP's do eat up significant chunks of market space. And dominate the holidays where sales are the highest.

Wii U has been awesome. Its jam packed full of fun times and exclusives you can't get on the twins. For me without Wii U, this gen will probably be a bust.

@jak42: Dont forget GTAIV, Chinatown Wars, Max Payne 3, Midnight Club, The Bully, and all the expansions. Rockstar was kicking arse last gen. Plus they were working on more platforms. PSP, Wii, DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Mobile, and Mac.

@iandizion713: I'm sure they're preparing some really good stuff this gen too. Although I don't count on a handheld game like Chinatown Wars being made. As it didn't sell well on the DS. And PS Vita is on life support.

Probably will see some mobile games though. As the market is huge.

I think its remarkable how few studios have had to shut their doors when compared to last gen.

Gen 8 was never going to be the most lavish or glamorous. Much like the console driving this industry right now, it seems that it is being defined by very painful lessons learned last-gen and the gauntlet that became the transition to HD graphics.

The size of game downloads and the patches for them is ... although not in a good way. Skyrim was only what, like 4 gigs? But on these new consoles so many games have enormous file sizes that don't seem like they should. Downloaded a free wrestling game for X1 the other day and even it was nearly 50 gigs.

It's a good console if you got a PC!

If you think the Wii U has been awesome, I think it may be possible that your mind will explode when they reveal the NX, with its amazing "play anywhere" hardware and unprecedented line-up of must-have launch exclusives!

You should prepare yourself.