Yep.

Had all of those too, myself. (We ARE old...)

The first 3D PC game that hit me was Unreal. First level. Everybody who was there at the time remembers it. Looked amazing, back then (Glide API!!).

A second game which did a job on me back then - graphically - was Quake 2. Switching from software rendering (which we all knew too well back then) to OpenGL and BOOM! Starring at that 1024x768 CRT 50Hz VGA monitor every day for weeks. Radiation should have made me blind by now?

Bioware killed Bioware long before the Doctor's partnered up with EA. That's the very reason they DID partner with EA.

You can read all about it online, if anyone cares.

I understand, some people have money issues. I do not judge. Buying a game, selling it back to buy the next one, is a legit 'lifestyle'.

But I myself was brought up in another era. Games became a 'hobby' when I already was working.

I buy it, I 'own' it. (though, these days we don't 'own' games we buy. We just are allowed a licensed use).

To me 'selling my game' would be as if somebody would ask me, if I want to sell my used underwear to someone else (... outside of Japan). I'd say "no".

I have this love in my heart for DOTA2 for many, many years ... yet I NEVER played it(with others).

Aside from not having real world friends, with whom I could play this game together - preferably under the same roof(!) = face-to-face communication is key! - I could never make myself play this game with strangers online!

To play 'as a team', it takes either a vast amount of communication, to understand what the others are doing, want to do, intend to do vs. what you are doing, want to do, are expected to do?!

The 'single guy' attempt of playing strategy games online is to ... grind through it. Play. Play more. Lose. Lose more. Lose often. The idea would be, you will get better over time, eventually. But I have no time nor any desire to do that, with any game. Instead, I don't play. I keep watching and admiring mechanical skills and team gameplay from afar. I could never join 'pub' games. It would be a miserable experience for everyone.

There would be "Leeeeeroy" Jenkins moments every match.

I bought some games on PS3 only to see if the overall complains are true.

Bethesda games for PS3 were made by a 3rd party and everyone complained about them (including the developers). But, while Oblivion or Skyrim don't 'look' so well, they are quite functional and have all the game systems/features. I did not see framedrops on my last gen PS3 slim.

Equally, Bayonetta has a bad reputation for the PS3 port. I only started this game recently and am not beyond the first 2 chapters, but so far, I have no issues with the frames whatsoever.

Two other games though do come to mind:

Odin Sphere had legendary framerate issues. It was a 2D game but was pushing the PS2 at the end of it's life, beyond it's limits.

Also Shadow of the Colossus was known for bad framerates. Everyone complained about it. Mostly only during boss battles ... which - as you all know - is the point of this game.

I have no favorite. It would be like saying "I only like strawberry ice-cream".

I like each game for different reasons.

I love RDR for the ability to live out my Robert Mitchum (or now more like "Westworld"?) cowboy life. Love riding slowly my horse in the sunset. Love the hunting or catching wild horses.

I ran GTA IV on one of my computers like a screensaver. Not doing anything. Just letting life go on, occasionally looking at it. I would also drive for hours - stopping at traffic signs (yep, I am one of THOSE guys), watching a cop in the car next to me, bouncing to the sound of the car radio. Or driving by the Burger joint, where the employees would stand outside for a smoke.

If GTA IV would have had a "sit on a bench" button, that game would still be running in my home.

GTA V was technically even more impressive. I bought a PS3 for it, because, I could not wait for the PC release. The very fact that Rockstar made this game and their RAGE engine run on a PS3 in the technical fidelity it did (dynamic global illumination, Depth of Field effects, physics, sounds, etc, etc) was jaw-dropping.

Also, the amount of things you can do in it. There is no end to it. No wonder, this game is STILL the best-selling physical game in the UK (according to recent news) and is STILL outselling new titles digitally.

I also loved L.A. Noire - the most expensive Point & Click Adventure game ever made. Again, for different reasons. Mostly for the interactive story. More engaging than those Telltale games.

And GTA Vice City (Miami Vice, Michael Mann fan - I used to wear those white pastel Sonny Crockett sport jackets and no-socks italian shoes) and San Andreas live in an imaginary shrine on my virtual library shell. I don't do L.A. gyms in real life, but my CJ was beefy (and had an afro) - bold for a bold man, who hates exercise.

@henrythefifth: oh, yes. You reminded me of the spreadsheets full of endless colums of unit stats. Some people even know how to do the math in their head while playing & clicking. I miss those genes. And I had A's in math.

[Update]

I did not mention "MODS" - now it is nagging my Hinterbrains. The one that comes immedately to mind, is "The Great War" community mod for Company of Heroes! Unlike the majority of players, I could never grow warm with it. But, I can admit to being wrong. When a lot of people see something, there might be someting there.

It is available on Steam http://store.steampowered.com/app/314420/

Also, one could googlebing the database of ModDB for more modding world war one madness.

(I am typing this on a tablet - don't make me provide links to everything. The website crashes already enough with only 1GB SysRAM).

Have the strategy games really fallen off the Gamespot ad-clicks metrics?

Are no (PC) strategy gamers around these web-pages? Gamespot used to be a known harbor for strategy game fans in 'the good old days' of Greg Kasavin & Co.

Now, new releases, ignored, instead of Day-1 reviews (Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void! For weeks and months = nothing). Not to mention interesting games in "Early Access", which never make it to the "previews" - because BATTLEFIELD 1 and TITANFALL 2 suck up all the air?

This seems where intended game marketing messages meet the amplifying masses. If that is the case ... sad times.

Instead of a specific brand (I don't know your service provider - you can get better deals/may have to stick to certain models, depending on your carrier), I recommend to you, that you buy a phone with the LATEST ANDROID VERSION (7.0 'Nougat').

I myself am using an Android tablet (to be able to play games) and my spec recommendation to anyone is: 2 GB SysRAM!, Quadcore and latest OS version. 'Nougat' supports VULCAN API (which allows for lightning fast 3D acceleration - see DOOM).