Top 5 things in gaming history that pissed you off.

[EnemyZero]

Ok I know like myself, you can all name much more than 5...but im gonna keep it simple...so heres my list.

1) SONY PLAYSTATION = SEGA DEATH yeah thats right sony, wanna see my boom stick???

2)The fabulous art of CANCELLING \ EXTENDING RELEASE DATES of cool games

3)Making Shinning Force 1 and 2 amazing, causing me to buy 3 for saturn THEN NOT RELEASING THE OTHER 2 PARTS!!! WHY???? HONOSTLY NOW!!!

4)NINTENDO BEING BASTARDS AND MAKING EVERYTHING THERE WAY = GAME COMPANYS FEELING VIOLATED AND NOT WANT TO MAKE GAMES FOR THEM

5)NEO GEO BEING SO DAMN EXPENSIVE AT LAUNCH THAT PEOPLE WOULDNT BUY IT !!!!! :angry: :angry: :angry:

OK im done....no more complaining....untill tomorrow :D

[omnedon]

The NA failure of the SEGA Master System.

The utter undescribable suckage of the SMS Control Stick.

ummm...

I need more time.... :embarrassed:

[josekortez]

I can't give you five, but I can give you one...

The death of the Dreamcast in North America.

[Raedon]

BEHOLD!!!



5) Duke Nukem Forever, Forever!

4) 2600 Pac Man - I remember that there was something wrong, even at a young age, when he didn't face up or down...

3) Virtua Boy - The beginning of the end. How Nintendo got investors to forget it I will never know.

2) Mario Party 1 + N64 = Controller Death

1) Blink Blink Blink Blink Blink Blink @_@

[stargate]

I would have to say.............

1.) CHEAT CODES. No longer is it an accomplishment to get to the next level. You just need to plug in a stupid code.

2.) 3D GAMING. I mean, I wouldn't mind it if EVERY SINGLE DAMN GAME wasn't in 3D. We need more 2D games like Ikaruga. Why is 3D better anyway??

[TNTPLUST]

Death of the Neo Geo Pocket in North America :angry:

The failure the Atari 7800 & Jaguar thus pushing America out of the home console until the arrival of the XBOX :2gunfire:

The Amiga CD32 - what were they thinking? :devilish:

The Sega 32x (musta been smoking the same weed as the amiga people) :help:

The video crash of 1983 (sucked to be 15 then ) :oops:

[sisko]

1) Sega's Death in the console market
2) Poor construction of early PS2 models
3) Excellent games never getting released in America
4) Constantly getting the shaft on LE style games and consoles.
5) The Phantom/NGage/ApeXtreme/.....

[hezeuschrist]

I can't name 5, but I can name one.

N64 being cart based, and so expensive.

[Red Warrior]

1) The launch of the Sony Playstation... which ended what I consider the golden age of gaming (1980 - 1995). I don't care how many good games that system had... they all looked horrible and made me miss sprites... save for a few winners like Symphony of the Night and the Mega Man games.

2) N64 control paks - cheapest piece of trash memory cards ever made. My games were always erasing. :angry:

3) GCN memory cards - McFly! Hello! McFly!! We need more space, Nintendo!! I don't wanna have to buy a new freakin' card EVERYtime I buy a new game! :angry: :angry: :angry:

4) Early death of the Dreamcast. Stupid consumers refusing to buy one of the greatest consoles ever just cuz Sony's PS2 was supposedly gonna be better. PS2 games failed to compare to Sega's best until well into its second year on the market. For all those who waited on Sony instead of enjoying the fruits of Sega's Dreamcast, I hope it was worth it. (P.S. - No offense to Sony lovers. I'm just being dramatic. ;) )

5) Intellivision II's lockout technology. What??? You mean I can't play Donkey Kong, Carnival, or Mouse Trap anymore?!? :(

[Dahne]

The XBox. This damn thing represent everything that is wrong with modern gaming, and PEOPLE BUY IT. Then companies take games that should be made for real systems and put them on it instead! It's really annoying when a system has nowhere near enough good games to buy it, just enough to deprive the other consoles a little. I want Orta dammit.
:angry:

On the same note, there's the people who bought it because - get this - it's more powerful. Helllloooo! A paperweight with 10,000 gigs of RAM is still a damn paperweight!

[evilmess]

5] The Atari Jaguar. On paper this thing looks awesome but the games never really did it for me.
4] The 32X. I bought one when it came out! What a FOOL I was for buying into that crap!
3] The 3DO System. I ALMOST bought this but went with the the Play Station instead, dodged the bullet on that one!
2] The near death of Sega. Glad their still with us.
1] That video gaming is still for children and teenagers!

[Half Japanese]

I hate the attitude people have towards the Xbox. "Oh they have to buy all their exclusives!" "Oh they're not a REAL gaming machine." "They're in it for the money, unlike Nintendo!" Shut the fuck up. Shut. The fuck. Up. That's not directed wholly toward Dahne, it's a common cry of many " gamers." Many of you seem to forget that Nintendo signed the RE series and Sony has exclusive rights to PoP in Europe. How about Atari, huh? That was American, I don't see you whining about that? And they're ALL in it for the money. Most impressive hardware this generation: Xbox. Some of the finest games and the biggest leap in online console gaming: Xbox. I'm not being a fanboy, I'm telling the truth. I love my Gamecube dearly and still play plenty of the Nintendo franchises, but I'm sick and damn tired of "oh Xbox sucks." I know, I used to say it too. You want Orta? Buy an Xbox, where you can also play Otogi, Gunvalkyrie, JSRF and a host of other fabulous Sega games.

[Dire 51]

I've got several that were already mentioned, but the one that's burned me the most so far was Konami's refusal to bring any Gradius games out in the US between 1992 and 2000. We missed Gradius Gaiden because of that, dammit!

There's also the near extinction of the shmup, the beat-em-up, sidescrolling platformer and overhead run-n-gun in the US. Don't even get me started on that subject.

[Griking]

In no particular order

The death of the Dreamcast -

3D gaming - I'd gladly give up all of the 3D games that were done well if doing so would prevent other great gaming ideas from being ruined by being forced into a inappropriate 3D engine.

Electronic Arts's first sports title - It for me ruined what used to be an innovative computer game company.

Activision's purchasing of Infocom. I really miss the Zork universe and all of Infocom's other wonderful titles. Once Activision bought the company they made a few cheap games and then disolved the company.

Gamestop and EBworld - Life was so much friendlier when there were more individually owned computer game stores

The cancer that is called "Pre-orders"

Strategy guides - The more popular strategy guides became the shittier the game manuals that shipped with games became.

[RCM]

Just about everything listed was good. The top disappointment has to be the failure of SEGA but that has already been addressed. One good thing about SEGA being a third party is the fact that they can always work on whatever the most powerful hardware is. Another good thing for SEGA fans like myself is the fact that we don't have to worry as much about hardware anymore. What I mean by that is I don't have to lose sleep over how many Saturn units have sold against the PS and so on. 5 things that weren't listed that piss me off about videogame history, in no particular order:

1) The Death of Gamefan. The best gaming magazine ever? It was to me. The last couple years of Gamefan have to be the greatest examples of gaming journalism ever. Could it be eclipsed? It's always possible but Gamefan with ECM at the helm is tops for me.

2) The rise of EA. Casual gamers rule the day, they always have. EA is the personification of this. While their sports line up is said to be good if you're into that shite, I find one major problem that nobody seems to address in the press. There isn't a significant difference between the 1st Madden for PS2 and the latest. If Mario, Sonic, Zelda, etc. was released and was as similiar as each incaranation of Madden nobody would buy them after awhile and i'm sure there would be more then a few complaints. But people buy up that shit like crack.

3) The rise of crappy Videogame magazines. I'm sure there are a few writers on here that surf the boards at digital press. I'm not saying all of them are bad but somebody at magazines like Official Xbox magazine, EGM, Game Informer, Gamepro, Official PS magazine, etc. really fucking suck. Pardon my english. I understand they have to sell magazines but at what expense? Why do these magazines seem fit to alienate the people that truly care about the artform that is Videogames? Will we ever see a real magazine step in and represent hardcore gamers? I don't know but I have much doubt. Right now i will have to deal with PLAY magazine, the only ok mag out there in my opinion.

4) The domination by the PS2 in all markets. It killed the DC. It spanked the Gamecube. It laughed in Bill Gates face. people went out and bought the PS2 like a Crackhead buys crack. It was disgusting the way the PS2 sold out in all markets. The masses barely gave the other systems a chance. It is disgusting and a gloomy sign of things to come. Don't get me wrong, I own one and have some great titles for it. I just suspect that most people didn't put the same thought and reasoning into their PS2 purchase like I did.

5) Ok I said I would only touch on things that werent mentioned yet, here's one that was sorta. THE DEATH OF 2D GAMING. I love 3D titlles. I think 3D has added certain depth to certain genres that 2D could never have. I really was surprised how the gaming industry jumped on the 3D train so fast. I'm even more surprised how fast the masses picked up on it. It seems that it was a harbinger for the film industry. Some of the top films have been full CG pieces like Finding Nemo. CG is huge. Handdrawn animation is dying. Dreamworks doesn't produce them anymore and Disney is getting ready to throw in the towel as well. That seems familiar doesn't it? I love 2D gaming and always will play. I wish they would keep bringing out great 2D handdrawn titles but the days of that happening are drawing to a close with the coming of the PSP and the next Gameboy which might come out sooner then you think. what a great tipic

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[RCM]

WHAT A GREAT TOPIC, NOT TIPIC!

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[vespertillio]

1. Death of the Dreamcast
2. Atari 7800
3. Virtual Boy early demise.
4. Atari Lynx- Awsome machine, victim of the Trameils.
5. 3-D games. (sorry I cant stand 'em)

[IntvGene]

- The advent of the modern, 12-button joystick.

- Sega's oft-forgotten achievements.

- The intentional milking of old technology (Gameboy)

- The death of controller overlays

- The gun adapter that always gets a maximum of four-games to support it.

[crashdummycow01]

most everybody has mentioned Sega.. and i was wondering.. did sega have to like.. sign an agreement saying that they couldnt make gaming consoles anymore?

[brandver3]

I can only think of one thing.

The worst thing to happen to video games in my opinion is...


JOSEPH FUCKING LIBERMAN

[VinnyT]

most everybody has mentioned Sega.. and i was wondering.. did sega have to like.. sign an agreement saying that they couldnt make gaming consoles anymore?

I believe sometime right before the Dreamcast died, the original presidant or whatever of SEGA died. On his deathbed, he basicley said to stop making consoles. His dying wish.

[Dahne]

The new everything-must-connect-to-the-Internet fad. I already have a PC. I want a GAME CONSOLE. Sure, it's nice for some games, but not for everything. Much like 3D in that respect.

[Balloon Fight]

1. Death of Dreamcast- Easily one of my favorite consoles, and somehow it died.
2. 989 Sports- God, they take up space in game magazines with their crappy games.
3. The fact that all games are in 3-D.
4. Thrill Kill being cancelled- Jeez, the game looked awesome, especially after a bad day of work or school. ;)
5. Arcade games declining. I still support my arcade but damn get some more games coming Capcom. No one is even taking arcades serious nowadays. :angry:

[CX2K]

I'll need time for more but the one that stands out for me:

Electronic Arts decision to stop supporting Atari 8-bit computers right before Marble Madness would have come out.

John

[§ Gideon §]

Pardon my english.
Heh. You mean French, right?

Ooh, good topic here. I smell "classic" (assuming heads don't roll!).

-Sony's arrival as a console manufacturer
-The advent of strategy guides as viable products

Hmm... I'll be back.

[WiseSalesman]

5.) Videogames becoming popular.
4.) Videogames getting blamed for columbine/youth violence
3.) Gamestop/EB/Etc. Throwing away cases for Sega, PSX, etc. Cardboard I don't care about, but c'mon.
2.) The advent of FMV, and all that it wrought (making many "casual gamers" [see number 5] think FFVII is the best game ever, shifting the focus off of gameplay and towards graphics)
1.) A direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game, FFX-2

If they actually release it, expect FFVII-2 to top this list instead, as that will be even worse.

[Jasoco]

Let's see. On the Nintendo side, there are things they did to cause their fall from the top.

On the Sega side, there are things THEY did to cause them to fall off the map completely.

1.) Nintendo drops the CD add-on for the SNES. If Nintendo had kept going and released a CD add-on, it would have probably done poorly like the Sega CD did. This is why they cancelled it. But in doing this, they pushed Sony to the edge and caused them to compete.

This could have been avoided by doing things differently. Nintendo could have worked with Sony to use the technology in their next console. Imagin how things would be had the N64 been released with CD media. Instead of either releasing the add-on or cancelling it completely, work with them. Keep them on your side.

This led to what happened next.

2.) Nintendo's stubborness to move to disc based games. By staying with Cartridges, they only gained one thing. Load time. While nice and all, it pissed off Square. This was the second mistake. Square leaves Nintendo and takes their business to Sony who is just starting up in the console business. Puts out FFVII and POOF. Nintendo's credibility is gone in a second. Smooth move, Nintendo.

Hypothetically, one of two things could have happened here. Square could have instead gone to Sega with the Saturn and released it there. Thus keeping two consoles on the market. Sony may have faded (Then again, maybe not.) and we may still have Nintendo vs. Sega today.

On the Sega side of the fence...

3.) Sega releases too much too fast. The Sega CD was supposed to be the Next Generation of gaming. Except it ends up being just a burden. Games were rarely good. Most were crappy FMV games that look even crappier given the Genesis' limited color palette.

What made it worse was putting out yet another overpriced periphrial...

4.) The Sega 32X. While a good idea, it was too much too soon. Sega could have just kept going with the Genesis alone and held out until the next real generation of systems, but they wanted to get an early start on the next big thing.

Speaking of early starts...

5.) Sega releases the Saturn too early. Earlier than anticipated by developers. This causes a really small amount of finished games. Sony comes out of nowhere with the PSX and well, scoops up their customers. While Nintendo sits in Japan testing out the Ultra 64 excited that it'll totally beat out the other two consoles.. a year later.

But in the meantime...

6.) They release the Virtual Boy, most likely as a joke.. or maybe they MEANT to. Who knows? Released a year before the N64, the Virtual Boy didn't do well at all. Everyone knew the 64 was coming. And well, there was really no reason to release this except as a technical showpiece. Or a collectors item.

Fast forward to 2001...

7.) The Game Boy Advance sheds no light on its games. Nintendo releases the Game Boy Advance. Buy once again without a backlight. And even worse is the darkness of the screen. This is remedied two years later with the release of the SP. Another $100+ to spend. Add onto that the majority of GBA games that are simply better versions of NES and SNES games, you've got a winner here!

Rewind a few years...

-1.) Nintendo and their silly licensing fees. Seems funny that many of the best games on the NES were released by companies who couldn't afford to pay Nintendo's atrocious fees. Not only that, but don't forget...

0.) Nintendo's strong hold on companies who want to branch to other systems. The main reason the Master System and the 7800 failed so quickly was the lack of quality games. Everyone was making games for Nintendo. And that was it. Nintendo got the games. The companies worked for Nintendo. And no one else. Good for Nintendo, bad for everyone else.

I guess if you put it all in perspective, everything happening now in the world of gaming, is ultimately the fault of Nintendo. This coming from a Nintendo Fanboy. (From 1986 - 1999)

Lest we forget what's going on now...

8.) The phantom Phantom. Probably doesn't actually exist. And if it does, it won't last long. Not in this market. Not the way it's supposed to work. I expect these things, if they ever come to light, will make nice additions to collectors collections. Grab 'em the second they hit $100 or $50, because you may never see them that low again. Same with the N-Gage.

9.) And just to add a peeve of mine, all the cool shit Japan and other countries get that other countries never do. All the GOOD GBA colors, special editions, cool games. Console colors like Spice. The Panasonic Q. The white Xbox. Thank goodness for Importers.

[punkoffgirl]

I can only really think of one right now, and that would be the Dreamcast dying an early, undeserved death.

[Dr. Morbis]

I have 4 major complaints, and they all involve modern gaming:

1) Load times-there has got to be a way to eliminate this shit.

2) FMV/Cut scenes. When did the story become more important than the actual game play? I don't want to watch a f***ing movie, I want to play a game. I don't care if it's the greatest story ever told, I can read it in the manual. I refuse to sit through 20+ minutes of cut scenes that fill out the space on many disc-based games.

3) Huge learning curve. Whatever happened to the "minutes to learn, lifetime to master" philosophy. Nowadays you need a degree in rocket science, 23 fingers, and about 2 hours of 'acclimatization' before you actually have a handle on the game.

4) the death of 2D games. For all intents and purposes, it's a bygone era. Sure, there are a few lingering releases, but it's over. I don't mind 3D for genres like First-person shooters, but does every single game from now to eternity have to be 3D?

[Jorpho]

Endless speculation about what companies could have done better. Or not.

Um, the Tramiels?

[Dahne]

Games taking forever and a day to start. Whatever happened to turn on the console, see a logo, play? I've gotten very sick of sitting through little ad movies every time I turn a game on.

[Jasoco]

Games taking forever and a day to start. Whatever happened to turn on the console, see a logo, play? I've gotten very sick of sitting through little ad movies every time I turn a game on.Yes! That and long load times at the start, like the PSX, really make me mad.

Non-bypassable logos really get on my nerves.

Same with non-bypassable Copyright screens or Previews (I'm looking at YOU, Disney.) at the beginning of a DVD. Just let us pass the things and go right to the Menu. We KNOW about the legal stuff. And it's there. It doesn't have to be forced into our heads. @_@ x_x

[dreamcaster]

Top 5:

1. The early demise of the Dreamcast. This is an inexcusable event. Adding to the fact it meant Sega would no longer produce consoles, just to add insult to injury. I mean, if the DC had gotten it full 5 years, then at least Sega's pull-out of consoles would've been a little easier to swallow.

2. Cartridge based Nintendo 64. The N64 should've killed the PlayStation, but Nintendo's stubborn adherence to cartridges meant the N64's true potential could never be reached - hence a 64-bit console with little advantage over the 32-bit competition.

3. SNK's lack of popularity in the home console arena. I mean, sure they were expensive - but so were the Saturn, PlayStation and PlayStation 2, all of which enjoyed varying levels of success.

4. PAL Dreamcast CD cases. Fellow PAL DC gamers will know what I mean. :angry:

5. The non-appearance of several consoles in PAL territories. Yes - I'm looking at you Atari 5200 and TurboGrafx-16.

[RCM]

3. SNK's lack of popularity in the home console arena. I mean, sure they were expensive - but so were the Saturn, PlayStation and PlayStation 2, all of which enjoyed varying levels of success.


Dreamcaster-

I don't think hardware prices were the issue for SNK's lack of popularity. It has to do with the ultra high software prices. The Saturn, PS, and PS2 software costs nowhere near as much as a Neo Geo AES Cart. I am talking prices when they are first released.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[dreamcaster]

3. SNK's lack of popularity in the home console arena. I mean, sure they were expensive - but so were the Saturn, PlayStation and PlayStation 2, all of which enjoyed varying levels of success.


Dreamcaster-

I don't think hardware prices were the issue for SNK's lack of popularity. It has to do with the ultra high software prices. The Saturn, PS, and PS2 software costs nowhere near as much as a Neo Geo AES Cart. I am talking prices when they are first released.

I see. I have no clue as to what the software prices were. I was just basing my statement on the cost of Neo Geo hardware.

What were the average prices for Neo Geo AES cartridges?

[EnemyZero]

I agree on Gamefan being the best gaming mag there was. I still have stacks of issues, accually last night I got caught up in reading a huge article for NiGHTS for Sega Saturn and then I really realize I miss that damn magazine, Not that EGM is bad, but it wont ever be a gamefan

[brykasch]

Well here are mine in no particular order-

5. Territory lockouts- If I want a game and I pay 2-300$ for your damn system I should be able to play any game thats released, when its released, not when you decide its convienient for financial reasons to release it over here, and I want it un-edited damnit. Localization sucks!

4. Death of Sega in the console business- Yes they mainly brought this on themselves by the release of the 32x, sega cd, and the fumbling of the saturn by SOA (burn in hell bernie stolar), but they were innovative, and more creative then anything N was offering.

3. Systems that require memory cards and multi-taps, and network adapters and and...- Damn you SOny you suck and you don't even realize why. I bought a Sony for 89 refurbished (hell of a deal). Now I have to spend 20 on a memory card, 39 for a network adapter, 25 for a multi-tap, and 99 for a hard drive? Do they even give a rats ass about the consumer? No system should ever be released in the future that doesn't have 4 ports and a hard drive. Period. For those who hate on the xbox how does this amount grab ya (470$) Thats how much you would have to spend to get what the xbox gave you for 299 at launch. TO me thats just damn insane. Even now its like 330 for everything you need.

2. Cheat codes, gamesharks et al- Made a generation of retarded gamers, and ruined pso on the dc. If you pay 50 dollars for a game dammnit get your money's worth. I know most codes were there in the beginning for reviewers and game testers to test the game without replaying everything every time, but when they started putting them in to make things cool, it was a big turn off.

1. Poorly built systems- Well sony I guess I am talking to you again. I havent had the problems most people have had, but then I neer really had a psx till the last month. But I have had a saturn, and dc since launch, and 8 moves later are still kickin, hell my daughter plays with the buttons on the dc every day and it always fires right up. Either quit using cheap ass parts, or offer a lifetime warranty. Well lifetime of the system anyways

[Flack]

This is what I get for showing up to the party late. I read the initial topic, jotted down five responses, and then scrolled through the thread to see they had already all been mentioned. Poop.

In no particular order.

The N64 Controller
I've bought more than one system solely to play Star Wars games on it. I bought the N64 specificially for Pod Racer, and despite my intense desire to play it, the N64 controller constantly caused my hands to cramp. The N64 is probably my least played system in my collection, for that reason.

The Death of Epyx
Axe of Rage. Battlebugs. Boulderdash. California Games. Championship Wrestling. Death Sword. GI Joe. Hot Wheels. Impossible Mission I and II. Jumpman. Jumpman Jr. Movie Monster Game. Pitstop I and II. Rogue. Super Cycle. Summer Games. Summer Games II. Winter Games. World Games. California Games. California Games II. The Games: Summer Edition. The Games: Winter Edition. The Temple of Apshai Trilogy. World Karate Championship. Epyx was one of the greatest game publishers ever. Everyone has played one of their games, and they had some of the best games on the C64 for years. I miss games like these.

PS2's Weak Guts
The Atari I owned in 1979 still works, so why am I on my second PS2 now? It's not just me, either. Lots of people I work with have purchased two. I also get lots of people through either work or friends bringing me their old broken PS2's. "It won't read anything anymore!" Game console cycles seem to run in five year spurts -- can't they at least build their console to last that long?

Invention of the First Person Shooter Genre
Wolfenstein 3D was a nice novelty, and Doom and Doom II were okay. As far as I'm concerned, 1st Person Shooters could have died there. In the beginning there was at least a little effort to create slight variations (Heretic, Descent, etc) but after that it became enough to simply change a few sprites and call it a new game. It seems amazing to me that game companies have been allowed to keep releasing basically the same game over and over for the past ten years, and it's more surprising that gamers keep buying them. I know I'm in the minority on this one, but I just don't get it. At all.

Games That Make Me Sick
No, I don't mean content wise. I mean becomming physically ill from games. The move from 2D to 3D was a move to headache city for me. Even the best 3D platformer will give me a headache in 10-15 minutes. Any longer than that and I'll start getting sick to my stomach, and eventually vomit. There are games I would KILL to play for hours at a time (the newer Tony Hawks fall into this) but after a few minutes of the horizon spinning around in circles, I have to walk away.

[hu6800]

Um........

The Control on the game WAY OF THE WARRIOR for the 3DO
PoliceNaughts not being released in english
Street Fighter II for the SNES being Featured in magazines 40 issues in a row.
No Sequel to Kieth Courage for the TG16
And
when they stopped making the Dreamcast

[Raedon]

2) The rise of EA. Casual gamers rule the day, they always have. EA is the personification of this. While their sports line up is said to be good if you're into that shite, I find one major problem that nobody seems to address in the press.

I guess you are not really that "Old school" because how could anyone hate the company that brought out such great titles as Bard's Tale and One on One - Larry Vs. Bird. EA is just a company that made the right choices when it came to game development. Hell, Madden was such a great idea. Why do people actually give thought to why sports titles suck? lol I think most sports titles suck, but EA is high on my list of developers and publishers.

[le geek]

1) Crap games on Atari Jaguar (Checkered Flag okay but pales next to Virtua Racing Deluxe, Kasumi Ninja :bad-words: , and Doom locking up!)

2) Dreamcast Dying Early (Man what a great machine)

3) PS2 not living up to the hype (Until ICO that is, mosr PS2 games were PSOne games with prettier graphics :o )

4) 5200 Flaky Joysticks

5) Next Gen Magazine going away

[Cmosfm]

1. as mentioned many times before...death of the Dreamcast...which ROCKED but people didn't buy it cause of the upcoming PS2

2. Expensive Peripherals that only get a handful of games, thus wasting your money, for example back in the day there was the Power Pad, Zapper, etc on up to the Steel Batallion controller and the Eye Toy (early judging, I know, but c'mon who's going to make there games support this?). It's crazy wasting that much money for something that wont be supported.

3. Current "cool status" people must think about when buying a game or console. For example...kid in the store....hmmm, I really want a gamecube cause I LOVE mario and metroid, plus kirby is cool too! But all my friends have an Xbox, they say it's cool, and I think they'll laugh at me if I get that "kiddy" gamecube...Ill get the Xbox, even though I really want the gamecube. Hmm, now I need a game! Wow! Blinx looks like fun! I'll get this...*walks to the counter*...but I remember my friend saying that he wanted Madden cause it was the coolest game, I don't really like football games, but they'll make fun of me if I get Blinx. Oh well, gotta stay cool, I'll get Madden......Back to reality, the kid just wasted 220.00 on something he didn't want cause it was "cool"...great job little guy!

4. Early days of gaming, the NES, Genesis, SNES, etc...I get a game and start playing it, enjoying it, uh oh...just died....GAME OVER! WHAT THE FUCK! AFTER ONLY ONE TRY! back to the beginning...yeah right, back to the STORE!

5. Where's Waldo for the NES...this game just brings back all the horrible horrible childhood memories. Once I put this game into my collection, I refuse to EVER play it! This game is the ephitamy of terrible licensing, horribly thought out gameplay, and, fuck it....this game is SATAN! Im sorry, this game is SATAN himself.

[ApolloBoy]

1: The Tramiels take over Atari :bad-words:
2: Sega quits making systems
3: Nintendo's "you only make games for us" policy
4: Joe Liberman
5: NGPC dies an early death

Also, I don't understand how the PSX/PS2 is "ruining the industry". Please tell me why...

[Daltone]

5) Sony and their wonky yet all powerful console.

4) The death of a Dream(cast).

3) Horribly generic games using a gimmick (which actualy compromises a minor part of game play) to try to sell.

2) The horrible mess that was the Mega CD. I have a secret love for it, but it cannot be spoken aloud in public.

1) Microsoft buying out Access Software, thereby ensuring that the world will be deprived of another 'real' Tex Murphy game.

[jaydubnb]

3. SNK's lack of popularity in the home console arena. I mean, sure they were expensive - but so were the Saturn, PlayStation and PlayStation 2, all of which enjoyed varying levels of success.


Dreamcaster-

I don't think hardware prices were the issue for SNK's lack of popularity. It has to do with the ultra high software prices. The Saturn, PS, and PS2 software costs nowhere near as much as a Neo Geo AES Cart. I am talking prices when they are first released.

I see. I have no clue as to what the software prices were. I was just basing my statement on the cost of Neo Geo hardware.

What were the average prices for Neo Geo AES cartridges?

Around $200-$300 a pop :)

And from what I recall, SNK ever attempted to go mainstream in the home market. IIRC, the Neo AES was meant to be a rental system, but then SNK decided to start selling the puppies. But I'm sure the high prices helped the cause lol

edit: My top 5

1.Death of 2D

2.SNK still censoring games for the US market

3.The low amount of fighters and shooters now as compared to 10 years ago.

4.I FUCKING HATE territorial lockouts!

5.Platform games with bad jumping controls --wtf?

[Half Japanese]

3. Current "cool status" people must think about when buying a game or console. For example...kid in the store....hmmm, I really want a gamecube cause I LOVE mario and metroid, plus kirby is cool too! But all my friends have an Xbox, they say it's cool, and I think they'll laugh at me if I get that "kiddy" gamecube...Ill get the Xbox, even though I really want the gamecube. Hmm, now I need a game! Wow! Blinx looks like fun! I'll get this...*walks to the counter*...but I remember my friend saying that he wanted Madden cause it was the coolest game, I don't really like football games, but they'll make fun of me if I get Blinx. Oh well, gotta stay cool, I'll get Madden......Back to reality, the kid just wasted 220.00 on something he didn't want cause it was "cool"...great job little guy!


That's not necessarily a problem with the gaming industry, that's called being a chickenshit conformist.

[ManekiNeko]

1) Sega's endless procession of sidegrades for the Genesis. Calling the 32X and Sega CD "upgrades" implies that they actually made the Genesis better. Sure, the games for these two accessories were enhanced with more colors and full-motion video scenes, but these games were rarely more fun than what was already available for the unexpanded Genesis.

2) Sony's arrogance. I quickly discovered after a call to their customer (dis)service line that they don't give a damn's damn about Playstation owners. They think that because they're Sony, they can do anything they want without ever risking the Playstation's status as the world's most popular game system. The most frustrating part is that they're right... they've sold thousands of defective systems, yet both their fans and the lapdog news media continue to show their undying loyalty to the Sony brand name.

3) The NES from 1990-1992. Nintendo did a piss-poor job of supporting this system in the early 90's... I became so disgusted with lackluster titles like Bart vs. The Space Mutants and Total Recall that I sold my Nintendo and all its games to a rental store so I could purchase a Genesis. Way to drive away your user base there, Nintendo!

4) Sequels on the NES that aren't. "Hey, I can't wait to play this new NES version of Ninja Gaiden! I loved the arcade game, and... wait a minute, what's this crap? This isn't Ninja Gaiden at all! It's Castlevania with ninjas in it! I demand a refund!!!"

5) The Game Boy Color. I was expecting much, much more from Nintendo than this redesigned Game Boy, which was hardly an improvement. The limited color output made the games look ugly and primitive, and there was so much completely horrible licensed trash released for the Game Boy Color that the ONLY way you could have fun with it was by playing Pokemon, the remake of Zelda, or one of your old black and white Game Boy games. Yet for all its many, many flaws, the Game Boy Color crushed the Neo-Geo Pocket out of existence with barely any effort. Life can be so cruel sometimes.

JR

[calthaer]

I guess you are not really that "Old school" because how could anyone hate the company that brought out such great titles as Bard's Tale and One on One - Larry Vs. Bird. EA is just a company that made the right choices when it came to game development.

All of your verbs are in past tense, and for good reason - EA *was* a good company. I'm not so sure it is now. How can *you* love the company that killed the Ultima series, abandoned the Wing Commander series, sat on the rights for Bard's Tale for so long that they almost killed that, dismantled Westwood and killed their gaming legacy...I mean, do I really have to go on?

I wouldn't say that EA's rise ticks me off, because they did make good games once upon a time when they were ECA - but now, I can't say they're one of my favorite companies at all. If they're one of yours, you've obviously never played any of their major stinkers like Earth & Beyond. So EA would be one of mine.

-The toppling of Looking Glass Studios.

-The sale of the game developer's association when it was set up to be a non-profit organization, the shares of which were supposed to be completely valueless in terms of money. Chris Crawford asks the question of why the industry has changed so much in the past 10-15 years, and if what he reports to be true really is, then I'd have to say that lack of ethics and greed might have something to do with it.

I don't have a 4 and 5.

[StrychNiNE]

1.) Death of 2D
2.) Death of the Dreamcast - damn you mindless masses!! / Death of Black Isle Studios - fuck you Interplay, if you could manage a damn company....
3.) Death of the Saturn - damn you mindless masses!!
4.) Microsoft gets into the console business - damn you huge monopoly company sticking its ass where it doesn't belong!
5.) Videogame stores throwing away boxes and manuals!!

I guess I've just repeated a whole bunch of earlier rants, but I guess it makes sense that we all have similar complaints....I guess....

[RCM]

Raedon wrote:

I guess you are not really that "Old school" because how could anyone hate the company that brought out such great titles as Bard's Tale and One on One - Larry Vs. Bird. EA is just a company that made the right choices when it came to game development. Hell, Madden was such a great idea. Why do people actually give thought to why sports titles suck? lol I think most sports titles suck, but EA is high on my list of developers and publishers.

First of all, I do dislike EA. That is no secret. For everyones reference, I don't hate anyone or anything. I enjoy some of their ancient titles. But the company that was EA and the company that is EA is vastly different. Shouldnt an "Old School" guy like yourself know that? EA has taken gaming to shameful levels that I thought were not possible. They suck peoples cash from their wallets like nothing for near identical product. Sure, other companies do the same, but EA is way too successful at it. That's fine, that's their business but I don't have to like it.

Was that not being "Old School" comment a sort of insult? Assuming things about me from one comment is idiotic. I can assume that you are a moron. Insulting people with no just cause is lame. Keep in mind, If you didn't mean anything by it I absolutely take it all back and am sorry for the retaliation. But if your comments were to try and offend FUCK YOU.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[RCM]

Raedon wrote:

I guess you are not really that "Old school" because how could anyone hate the company that brought out such great titles as Bard's Tale and One on One - Larry Vs. Bird. EA is just a company that made the right choices when it came to game development. Hell, Madden was such a great idea. Why do people actually give thought to why sports titles suck? lol I think most sports titles suck, but EA is high on my list of developers and publishers.

First of all, I do dislike EA. That is no secret. For everyones reference, I don't hate anyone or anything. I enjoy some of their ancient titles. But the company that was EA and the company that is EA is vastly different. Shouldnt an "Old School" guy like yourself know that? EA has taken gaming to shameful levels that I thought were not possible. They suck peoples cash from their wallets like nothing for near identical product. Sure, other companies do the same, but EA is way too successful at it. That's fine, that's their business but I don't have to like it.

Was that not being "Old School" comment a sort of insult? Assuming things about me from one comment is idiotic. I can assume that you are a moron. Insulting people with no just cause is lame. Keep in mind, If you didn't mean anything by it I absolutely take it all back and am sorry for the retaliation. But if your comments were to try and offend FUCK YOU.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Cmosfm]

3. Current "cool status" people must think about when buying a game or console. For example...kid in the store....hmmm, I really want a gamecube cause I LOVE mario and metroid, plus kirby is cool too! But all my friends have an Xbox, they say it's cool, and I think they'll laugh at me if I get that "kiddy" gamecube...Ill get the Xbox, even though I really want the gamecube. Hmm, now I need a game! Wow! Blinx looks like fun! I'll get this...*walks to the counter*...but I remember my friend saying that he wanted Madden cause it was the coolest game, I don't really like football games, but they'll make fun of me if I get Blinx. Oh well, gotta stay cool, I'll get Madden......Back to reality, the kid just wasted 220.00 on something he didn't want cause it was "cool"...great job little guy!


That's not necessarily a problem with the gaming industry, that's called being a chickenshit conformist.

True, but companies are going to make games that people buy, and with everyone buying Madden and the latest ultra-violent game on the market since it's "cool"...that means more and more companies will devote themselves solely to sports and graphic violence slowly turning the video game market into a movie-style market....meaning one good wholesome movie to every 20-30 violent, swear-filled, R rated crap movie that sells good just because of what's in it.

Which leaves us "smart gamers" out in the cold

[agent57]

1. Nolan Bushnell selling Atari to Time-Warner. You should have taken that vacation, Nolan. Imagine, just for a moment, if Nolan never sold and the Activision and Imagic teams had never left Atari to start their own companies back then. Where would Atari be today?
2. The Intellivsion keyboard and it's "terminal back order" status.
3. The monumental piece of shit which was known as the Coleco Adam. I still can not get over the fact that a friend of mine had to send the WHOLE unit back, printer and all, just because of some small problem with the keyboard.
4. The rise and premature fall of the Dreamcast - I'm still pissed off about this one...
5. The controllers for the Atari 5200. It's hard to believe that someone, somewhere, once thought "ok, these controllers are great, let's ship 'em."

[Raedon]

But the company that was EA and the company that is EA is vastly different. Shouldnt an "Old School" guy like yourself know that? EA has taken gaming to shameful levels that I thought were not possible. They suck peoples cash from their wallets like nothing for near identical product. Sure, other companies do the same, but EA is way too successful at it. That's fine, that's their business but I don't have to like it.

Was that not being "Old School" comment a sort of insult? Assuming things about me from one comment is idiotic. I can assume that you are a moron. Insulting people with no just cause is lame. Keep in mind, If you didn't mean anything by it I absolutely take it all back and am sorry for the retaliation. But if your comments were to try and offend FUCK YOU.


Geez, you seem really angry for a man with no hate.. :roll:

[Flack]

I have a sixth to add.

Disappearance of Point and Click Adventures
King's Quests. Space Quests. Hero's Quests. Police Quests. What happened to my quests? I loved those games. Everybody I know who played them loved those games. So why did they quit making them?

[EnemyZero]

Amen to that flack WTF DID HAPPEN? im gonna bust my kings quest 5 out now, or maybe space quest 6

[RCM]

Raedon wrote:

Geez, you seem really angry for a man with no hate..

I don't have any hate in me. I just won't walk away from someone who tries to insult me (unless you're mike tyson or the like). What is your problem Raedon? If you have a problem by all means PM me and express it. If not shut up. There is no need for fighting amongst ourselves. Like it or not, but true gamers are a rarity and many of the people on these boards are true. We should stick together and not fight. At the same time, I, and nobody else on this board should take shit from people that like to start fights. Lets end this little grudge match. Lets cooperate. If you don't want to I understand and my comments before will stay true of you. I hope you a bigger person that.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[Ze_ro]

1. The introduction of the NES. Now, keep in mind that I was just a little kid when this happened, so I had no idea what state the industry was in, and I had no knowledge of the crash. All I knew was that I really really liked my ColecoVision, and the NES's popularity completely buried it.

2. The introduction of the PSX. I really think the move to 3D games caused a lot of badness in video gaming. The whole feeling that 2D games were "inferior" is something I blame on Sony. Also, the video game industry for the first time became dominated by an outsider.

3. The death of the Dreamcast. This system really deserved better. The subsequent fall from grace for Sega sucked too.

4. The rise to power of the x86 PC. I grew up in a Commodore household. My brother had an Amiga 500, and it was very obvious that this system completely outperformed the 386's of the day by a lot. I'm really curious as to what would have happened if the PC never became popular and Amiga's, Atari ST, or Mac's became the dominant computer architecture. Perhaps we'd see iBox's or TT-Box's in EB.

5. I can't think of a fifth... I guess I'll choose the future demise of Nintendo. I hope this never happens, but there's always the possibility.

--Zero

[Lady Jaye]

A lot of good points were brought out. I won't repeat what was written, but here are a few more:

1. WarCraft III (and countless other games) being delayed again and again. Waiting over half a decade for a game to come out is not normal, even if the end result is great.

2. Camera problems in 3D games. I actually like Sonic Adventure 2 (I have it for the GameCube), but that camera can sometimes be maddening. Sega seems to be one of the worst culprits of this.

3. Gaming companies re-releasing games at full price (or almost) without substantial changes to justify the remake. Look at all the GBA remakes. I have nothing against it (although I'll scream if Nintendo includes Mario Bros. with yet one more game), but there's usually nothing that really motivates me to get the remake. Granted, there's an extra level in Yoshi's Island, but that's not even enough for me to get it for GBA. And what about SMB 3? Extra level accessible through a pain-in-the-butt process. Also, these SNES remakes oughta be sold at value prices (like $15 US, not $30).

4. Copycats following the trendsetters. When Pong came out, tons of companies made blatant clones of the game. Same thing with Space Invaders. After this, it became more subtle (copying a new popular genre rather than a particular game until it became plagiarism). When platformers became popular. they became a dime a dozen. Same for shoot-'em-ups, fighters, FPS, extreme sports, etc. It can happen that the copycat's game is as good as the trendsetter's, if not better (Galaga is a great shooter that originated, in Galaxian, as a sorta Space Invaders clone), but more often than not, these are subpar me-too productions that aren't even worth our attention, regardless of hype.

5. Gaming companies making online-only games. That's one of the reasons why I'm not getting Final Fantasy XI. What's the point of buying a game if you know damn well that 10 years down the line you might very well not be able to play it? OK, the same could be said about computer games in general, but at least you could always make those work through older hardware or emulation. If no online support exists for FF XI 10 years from now, there's really nothing that you can do.


And perhaps the two worst people to have been linked in any way to videogames: Jack Tramiel and Joe Lieberman.

[Vroomfunkel]

Hey, RCM, I think you need to take a chill pill!! Someone makes a comment which you decide should be construed as an insult, and then suddenly you are posting obscenities at them. Then Raedon comments on it, in a fairly mild jokey way, and once again you are up in arms ... there's no-one here picking fights but you, as far as I can see. It just doesn't really happen on these boards .. so chill out, and if someone ribs you about something - roll with it, ok?

:cheers:

Vroomfunkel

[RCM]

Hey, RCM, I think you need to take a chill pill!! Someone makes a comment which you decide should be construed as an insult, and then suddenly you are posting obscenities at them. Then Raedon comments on it, in a fairly mild jokey way, and once again you are up in arms ... there's no-one here picking fights but you, as far as I can see. It just doesn't really happen on these boards .. so chill out, and if someone ribs you about something - roll with it, ok?

Vroomfunkel-

If you read all my posts on this subject you will see that I took it as a possible insult. When Raedon choose to take it further i responded again. I am NOT picking fights. I was trying to do everything but pick a fight. I am merely reacting in a way that I think is correct. I am VERY passionate about gaming. When someone attacks me I attack back. I did state that if I took it the wrong way I would apologize. I am fine with someone disagreeeing with me. They can choose to view gaming in anyway they like. But when they attack me personally I will respond, simple as that. I am not the first person on this board to react this way and certainly will not be the last. If people choose the route that Raedon took they will get the consequences that Raedon got. Simple as that. the way you view things and the way I view things are clearly different. Raedon didn't choose to clear up the issue I had with him, he just posted more wise ass comments as far as i'm concerned. I tried to react as justly as possible but now I have you starting on me. I will not take somebody "ribbing" me on anything unless they are my good friend. Vroomfunkel, keep in mind that I did not start this so perhaps you should PM Raedon. You're comments seem to be misdirected. I am responding to attacks that were first launched on me. Please read the whole story before you comment.

ThE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

[§ Gideon §]

Huh? I thought this topic was on notable moments in gaming history... Not things like, "i h8 the damn basturds who made video games popular/throw away boxes and manuals/like the xbox/never bought the dreamcast/nintendo's shitty policies..." Yeah, you get the idea.

[Astro Lad]

5. Death of the Dreamcast- Really a shame what the rest of American missed out on. I probably bought enough DC stuff to extend the system's life by at least a couple days though. ;)

4. Death of 2D- I have nothing against 3D, but how video game designers could so unilaterally abandon so often a beautiful, timeless, artful type of gaming is beyond me.

3. Success of Madden/Annual Update Gaming (Rise of 'modern day' EA)- More and more the past 5-10 years, companies have seen how much money can be made from implementing roster updates and popcorn-selling features in their stagnant, but obscenely popular, series', diverting money and talent from more creative and original games to their cash cows. From a business standpoint, I can't blame them, but as a gamer, I don't like it, and this is why I try to buy and tell everyone I know about every solid, unique game that comes out (Rez, Ico, etc.).

2. Death of the US Arcade- Nowhere more accurately and completely embodies that raw, unbridled sense of "gaming" that all drew us to our ultimate madness. No more clanging of coins, electric mix of sounds, charged atmosphere anymore. Still exists in much smaller ways, but gone for all intents and purposes.

1. Death of Origin- My favorite game developer of all time. Combination of circumstances led to the end of some of the greatest game series of all times when EA came and swooped them up so that they could be a shadow of their former selves. Ah well, Ultima 7 was a nice swan song for the company's (and imo PC gaming's) Golden Age.

[Raedon]

Raedon wrote:

Geez, you seem really angry for a man with no hate..

I don't have any hate in me. I just won't walk away from someone who tries to insult me (unless you're mike tyson or the like). What is your problem Raedon? If you have a problem by all means PM me and express it. If not shut up. There is no need for fighting amongst ourselves. Like it or not, but true gamers are a rarity and many of the people on these boards are true. We should stick together and not fight. At the same time, I, and nobody else on this board should take shit from people that like to start fights. Lets end this little grudge match. Lets cooperate. If you don't want to I understand and my comments before will stay true of you. I hope you a bigger person that.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

I have no idea what you are all about.. I have no problems with you; in fact, this is the first time I have read anything you have posted on the board. :D

[chopstickassasin]

capcom vs snk NOW LOADING

[WiseSalesman]

Huh? I thought this topic was on notable moments in gaming history... Not things like, "i h8 the damn basturds who made video games popular/throw away boxes and manuals/like the xbox/never bought the dreamcast/nintendo's shitty policies..." Yeah, you get the idea.

Okay.....

Nintendo's change of policies was an important moment in gaming history that pissed people off.
Gamestop/EB/Etc. throwing away boxes was a change in corporate policy, which was an important moment in gaming history that pissed people off.
Video games becoming popular is a part of gaming histroy and pissed people off.

I fail to see the problem here.

[Retsudo]

1.Sony and the PS1 overheating problem
2.Death of the Dreamcast- well I never bought one, but its a damn good system, also i didnt like the controller.
3. Nes....blinky blink blink
4.N64 controller
Well thats it for me...hehe O_O

[punkoffgirl]

Games That Make Me Sick
No, I don't mean content wise. I mean becomming physically ill from games. The move from 2D to 3D was a move to headache city for me. Even the best 3D platformer will give me a headache in 10-15 minutes. Any longer than that and I'll start getting sick to my stomach, and eventually vomit. There are games I would KILL to play for hours at a time (the newer Tony Hawks fall into this) but after a few minutes of the horizon spinning around in circles, I have to walk away.

*holds Flack's hand*
You are not alone. Halo is motion-sickness city for me.

PS- This is a great thread, people. Let's not ruin it by taking comments a little too seriously or personally. I'd hate to see it locked.

[Darth Sensei]

Raedon wrote:

Geez, you seem really angry for a man with no hate..

I don't have any hate in me. I just won't walk away from someone who tries to insult me (unless you're mike tyson or the like). What is your problem Raedon? If you have a problem by all means PM me and express it. If not shut up. There is no need for fighting amongst ourselves. Like it or not, but true gamers are a rarity and many of the people on these boards are true. We should stick together and not fight. At the same time, I, and nobody else on this board should take shit from people that like to start fights. Lets end this little grudge match. Lets cooperate. If you don't want to I understand and my comments before will stay true of you. I hope you a bigger person that.

THE ONE, THE ONLY- RCM

RCM,

Vroom is right. You need to chill out. I find it amazing that you say to Raedon "I hope you a bigger person that." First, the grammar is atrocious. Second, you're saying that to someone else right after throwing an F-bomb at him.

This is only a message board and should be light and entertaining. You shouldn't feel personally attacked and wounded, especially with what Raedon said.

THE ONE, THE ONLY - CUEWARRIOR

[Darth Sensei]

I don't want to re-hash what everyone has said except to comment on a couple of things:

1. Duke Nukem Forever and the Wing Commander Series (being shelved) are great disappointments to me.

2. People lament the passing of the Dreamcast and quite often rant about the stupidity of the American consumer for not buying it. However, I consider myself stupid for buying both a 32X and a Sega CD when they first came out to the tune of hundreds of dollars. After that,and the failure of the Saturn, I vowed never to be suckered by Sega again. I suspect the majority of the people who refused to buy it felt the same way.

D

[mezrabad]

In no particular order. (I just put the numbers there so I didn't lose track.)

1. The slow, painful, torturous death of Origin Systems....wait, that just made me sad, it didn't really piss me off. Looking Glass closing down pissed me off. Damn Daikatana.
2. The continuing difficulty of finding non-dance pad Konami Bemani controllers outside of Japan.
3. Columbine and the fact that it's even considered part of gaming history.
4. Steady backwards compatibility for PC games being a thing of long, long ago.
5. Territorial blocking on Consoles, DVD players and some PC Games.

[Sotenga]

I would like to add something to this HUGE thread, but you all pretty much covered anything that I would have said... let me just sum everything up and say that I have a love-hate relationship with video games. The main thing that gets to me is Konami of America... I refuse to treat them as humans until we see an American version of Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo. :angry:

[Kevin Listwan]

1) the N64 expansion pack

2) the need for memory cards. Please include this inside of the system and have extra cards for extra saving be optional

3) lack of truely artistic games (like we have in movies, books, music)

4) Death of Dreamcast

[evildead2099]

The demise of the Sega Dreamcast

The demise of Black Isle Studios

The demise of the real Sierra On-Line

The rise of EA

Joe Lieberman / Jack Thompson / Hilary Clinton

DOOM / GTA getting scapegoated for the actions of irresponsible, unaccountable people

The media's narrow-minded view of videogaming as a type of entertainment (continuing to buy into the misconception that only little kiddies play videogames, and therefore, instilling messages that violence shouldn't exist in DOOM / sex shouldn't exist in Phantasmagoria, etc.)

The rise in cheaply manufactured systems

Monopolies in the console market

Companies censor the North American editions of their videogames to appease USA's fringe groups (who aren't even the consumers buying videogames in the first place!)

The demise of arcade games

The demise of 2D games

Videogame magazines shift their focus to cater trends and casual gamers, as opposed to solid gameplay and those who are passionate, long-time gamers (EGM, this means you! :angry: )

Territorial blocking / region encoded-games

[evildead2099]

People lament the passing of the Dreamcast and quite often rant about the stupidity of the American consumer for not buying it. However, I consider myself stupid for buying both a 32X and a Sega CD when they first came out to the tune of hundreds of dollars. After that,and the failure of the Saturn, I vowed never to be suckered by Sega again. I suspect the majority of the people who refused to buy it felt the same way.

That's a good point. I didn't pick up a Saturn (and, as a matter of fact, avoided being a consumer of console games during that whole 32/64-bit era) largely because of those very factors. Mind you, I was too poor to afford Sega CDs and 32Xs, but the very thought that I could have been ripped off by Sega alienated me from the company until I tried a DC firsthand and realized that it was 2D fighting game heaven!

By the way, when I commented on the demise of the REAL Sierra On-Line, I was implying that I, like Flack, miss point-&-click graphical adventures in the vein of King's Quest, Leisure Suit Larry, Gabriel Knight, and Phantasmagoria.