Anyone else bored with the current gerneration?

[EnemyZero]

Maybe its just me but I've become very bored with current gen consoles....at least what comes to america anyways, i can name a handfull of tittles i really enjoy, but i can go through import sights and name tons of games that look awesome and of course will never come here, my manager at gamecrazy pointed out to me yestarday my wierdness and how all the games i enjoy are japanese, like JSRF, Phantom Crash, Panzer Dragoon Orta to name a few for xbox, i think im gonna go strictly import , with stuff for gamecube like, one piece, naruto, dragon drive just to name a few, and ps2 has a decent library, but im mostly aiming for my saturn and DC which have some amazing imports....BUT anyways....maybe im just wierd but staring at the back wall of our games yestarday, i could seriously only pick out like 10 out of like 100 games i really enjoy....anyone else feel this way?

[hydr0x]

mh i currently got SingStar for PS2 and Super Smash Bros. Melee and Mario Golf for Gamcube and i really ain't bored at all, there are as many new concepts and fantastic games as for any past console, hell, which game was so innovative for e.g. SNES anyways?

[Nez]

Well granted I don't like this generation as much as previouse one. But, there are some gems, beyond good and evil, Metroid Prime, Pikmin, Disgaea, Devil May Cry, and Prince of Persia are well worth there purchase price. So while the good games unique games don't pour out like they used to, theres plenty of things to do and enjoy.

[Drexel923]

I'm perfectly happy with the games from this generation. For my tastes, I'd say its on par with, and looking to pass, the previous gen.

[lendelin]

Bored????????

Not at all! Games are more exciting than ever.

We get more quality games than ever, the quality of the big bulk of average games increased, the sheer number of gems increased because there are more games released than ever while the percentage of gems and games worthwhile playing stays around the same abround ten percent. Additionally, the prices for console games drop faster than ever, the choices are a plenty, and the competition is healthy and fierce.

Innovative games are there, overall gameplay goes slowly and gradually in new directions (like always), and games developed from a kids toy and geek fest to a well respected form of entertainment.

The music industry is boring as hell and is in a slump for more than ten years now. Games are getting better and better.

Bored with games? Why should I be bored? :)

[lendelin]

....maybe im just wierd but staring at the back wall of our games yestarday, i could seriously only pick out like 10 out of like 100 games i really enjoy....anyone else feel this way?

You are right on target with this number; but this number goes for any other console generation as well. If you are bored with games today, then you are bored with previous console generations as well, the ten percent of NES games worthwhile playing didn't make the NES and SMS games boring.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

I kind of understand what your trying to say in a ways. I still myself play my nes,genesis and snes more then anything. Though i still give my next-gen consoles the love that they need. I just think that theirs more games that are about flash and no gameplay to back it up cough "square" cough nowadays. You just need to look around more and give some more games a chance. I got breath of fire v for ps2 new for 20 bucks last year going in not hoping for alot. Though it turn out to be one of the best rpg's i played in quite some time.

[Aussie2B]

Oh, absolutely. In a general sense, I couldn't really care less about any of the current three consoles (or the handhelds either). Part of it is this shift of focus to American-made games. Even the biggest Nintendo franchises seem to be sort of niche these days, as they take a backseat to the new "latest and greatest" American-made game by Rockstar games or whoever. To me, these games are garbage, and this I say not out of bias but from actually playing them and giving everything a chance. Nearly all have lousy gameplay, graphics, sound, atmosphere, etc., but I suppose their violence and American themes appeal to Joe Schmoe hick from Alabama who isn't embarrassed that he got his 14-year-old cousin pregnant but is far too much of a man to play Mario. *rolls eyes* Maybe it's the second coming for fans of the Atari days and such, but to me, gaming and the Japanese go hand-in-hand. I'm not so biased that I can't make exceptions (I love many Rare games, and there are other various non-Japanese games I've enjoyed), but I've yet to come across a single modern non-Japanese game that has brought me enjoyment.

ANYWAY...

With that said, the only games I've particularly liked from this generation are a handful of imports (Star Ocean 3, Baten Kaitos, Choaniki), and to a lesser extent, I've thought some of the Japanese games that got a US release were pretty good (Pikmin, Mario, Zelda, Viewtiful Joe, etc.). Only those imports have kept my attention and interest long enough to beat, though. I haven't played any US release all that extensively (furthest I got in any was with Pikmin, in which I got to the very end, but didn't have enough time to do everything in that last place with just one day).

Even imports these days interest me less. With Super Famicom and N64 (and other consoles to a lesser extent) I can think of an endless list of imports I want to try. Of course, part of it is price. I don't want to shell out big bucks on a current import unless it's really something special. Otherwise, what's the point when I can get 5 great SFC games with the same money.

I suppose like always the current generation will appeal to me more in retrospect. There was a good chunk of time in the N64 days that my system just collected dust, but now I'm buying, playing, and loving the console more than ever.

[Push Upstairs]

The only "NEW" game in the past 5 years that has really sparked my interest is "Outrun 2".

Every game i have bought since 1999 has been older & used.

[calthaer]

We need more originality and fewer licensed crappy games, but I hardly think that has anything to do with "current gen." Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft could all come out with their "next-gen" systems and we'd still have the same crap. It's an industry problem, not a "gen" problem.

[-hellvin-]

There is defenitely a slew of crap released week after week in the current gen, but there are quite a few decent to awesome games that make it out every month, so I'm happy with it.

[ubersaurus]

I'm certainly not bored. I've found numerous good games to play. In the past few days, I've finished up Bloodrayne and KOTOR, and am currently deciding what I want to tackle next. Maybe Space Channel 5 part 2, or Metal Gear Solid 2? I don't know. But there's alot of good recent releases to keep me occupied.

[YoshiM]

I'm about 40% "Eh, it could be worse" and 60% "This gen rocks" between the consoles and my GBA. I've been trying to shed the jadedness of my nature and try the games out there. Thankfully I've been pleasantly surprised. Red Dead Revolver is a fresh experience, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher's Bay is one helluva ride and Euro 2004 (Soccer game) has gotten me interested in some sports games again. Developers now have a pretty good handle on what the current hardware can do and we're seeing the results.

The negative thing I have for the current gen is overall length of games, initial time investment and lack of real difficulty. Riddick, as I mentioned before, was awesome. Excellent FPS with great graphics, good storyline, solid gameplay and good controls. However the main game took me about 6 or 7 hours to beat. If I would have purchased the game I would be upset (and I'm not really into the whole "root around for hidden items and unlockables". That's not really extending the gameplay that's putting in a scavenger hunt). I think Prince of Persia overall took about 10 to 15 hours for me to beat. Both games are great but neither is worthy of "classic" as one probably won't replay the game again. I can't see a reason to.

When I mentioned "initial time investment" I am referring to the games where it "takes a while to get into it" or "it takes a while to get to the good stuff". I'm from the school of twitch arcade gaming where a game has to hook me in mere minutes. I'm not going to waste time on a game that requires me to plod through boring game play to get to the part where things "pick up". When I play a game I should enjoy it, right? I don't want to have regrets about losing so much time from a game session.

Lack of difficulty in modern games has been something I've been hollerin' about for years. I understand you can't really have the same difficulty in a 3D game as you can in a 2D as the former could be really frustrating. Could you imagine playing SMB with a second-person camera ala Crash Bandicoot? Hard as hell, I'd think with all the layered bricks with you trying to jump in between them without banging Mario's head and falling to your doom. But with many adventure games (a staple of any platform) the only real difficulties typically lie in camera control and time investment. The first anyone who plays modern game knows about. There are time the camera just can't show you what's going on and you either get beat up, can't see where to go, or you die from an unseen trap/fall/obstacle. The second means that if you put in the time, you'll beat the game. Games like Banjo Kazooie/Tooie, Conkers, Luigi's Mansion, Wind Waker, etc. and so forth all you have to do is get from location to location with some bad guys that are usually easily thwartable and some geographic puzzle that don't really force you to bang your head into a wall.

But that's just me.

[Kamino]

hell no I ain't bored!
I consider more than a few games neo-classics.
Vice city, Max Payne, Medal of Honour: Frontline, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, F-Zero GX...the list goes on.
Games aren't any "better", just different.....still good.

[PapaStu]

I'm hardly tired with the current generation of games... I find it hard to be when you can pick up over 1270 PSOne games, 600 sumptin PS2, and 300 or so Xbox and Cube titles. That doesnt even count the current GBA stuff. How can you be bored? Add to that Online play which can keeps games fresh and interesting and I think that your good to go for quite the long while. And if you are still bored... then I dont think that anyone can help you.

[dethink]

Oh, absolutely. In a general sense, I couldn't really care less about any of the current three consoles (or the handhelds either). Part of it is this shift of focus to American-made games. Even the biggest Nintendo franchises seem to be sort of niche these days, as they take a backseat to the new "latest and greatest" American-made game by Rockstar games or whoever. To me, these games are garbage, and this I say not out of bias but from actually playing them and giving everything a chance. Nearly all have lousy gameplay, graphics, sound, atmosphere, etc., but I suppose their violence and American themes appeal to Joe Schmoe hick from Alabama who isn't embarrassed that he got his 14-year-old cousin pregnant but is far too much of a man to play Mario. *rolls eyes* Maybe it's the second coming for fans of the Atari days and such, but to me, gaming and the Japanese go hand-in-hand. I'm not so biased that I can't make exceptions (I love many Rare games, and there are other various non-Japanese games I've enjoyed), but I've yet to come across a single modern non-Japanese game that has brought me enjoyment.

agreed...add that to the points i brought up in the "which generation is the worst" poll, and that sums up about the last few years...

the reason i think you're not seeing as many huge numbers of titles, is because the high profile ones are SO long...i have a lot more income than i did when i was a kid, and yet my library of modern games can be counted on ONE hand. i had probably close to 50 NES games when i sold mine way back when, and you NEEDED that many games LOL ...contra sure as hell couldn't keep you occupied for 60 hours at a stretch. true, you'd probably invest a number of hours beating it (sans cheats), but an actual run through won't take that long once it's mastered. new games are just a matter of plodding through the hours.

where they differ is in the replay experience. if you get nostalgic for contra, you can have a heck of a fun time playing through a couple hours to go from start to finish, but starting over in GTA if you want to run back through after the fact? "hey, remember the cool part with the_____?" yeah, it's gonna take me 40 hours to see again...

[AMG]

Overall I've enjoyed this gen of games. Games like GTA 3 & VC, Final Fantasy X & X-2, Gran Turismo 3, Resident Evl:CV, REbirth, Mortal Kombat:DA and Soul Calibur (just to name a few) have given me plenty of fun gaming.

While it hasn't lived up to the last gen (32/64 bit era) of games yet, I feel it will when it's all said and done.

[toddst]

A few months ago, I might have been more negative on the current generation, but the following games have changed my opinion.

-Prince of Persia
-Mario Vs. Donkey Kong
-Zelda: 4 Swords
-Metroid Prime
-Metroid Fusion
-Metroid Zero
-Wario Ware (for GCN & GBA)

Crap, I didn't realize that I was such a Nintendo fan...

-Todd

[ManekiNeko]

Am I bored with today's video games? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! This has got to be the least interesting period in video game history... all the genres I hate are the ones that are currently most popular, and far too many games are designed with the most depressing and ugly color schemes I've ever seen in my life. I feel like I'm trapped in a photograph from the Civil War, what with all the browns and greys in today's games.

The life got sucked out of this hobby around the time the Dreamcast was put out to pasture. It hasn't been the same for me since.

JR

[Quickclaw]

More oblivious to it than anything related to boredom.

[dethink]

The life got sucked out of this hobby around the time the Dreamcast was put out to pasture. It hasn't been the same for me since.

+1

in the DC's heyday, there was so much good stuff coming out (US alone) that any week i didn't pick up 2 games on saturday was an off week.

[midgey]

The music industry is boring as hell and is in a slump for more than ten years now. Games are getting better and better.



Sorry for the threadjack, but I disagree quite a bit with this statement. The music industry is much more of a diamond in the rough business than video games. If you are willing to look deeper into it, you will find much more quality stuff than if you are listening to the radio. (Listen to college radio, or even public access radio...basically anything that isn't associated with clear channel) If you tell me a few of your favorite artists/genres, I can most likely provide you with a list of quality releases from the past 10 years...unless of course you listen to trance or the majority of modern electronica.

Now for the original topic...I wouldn't say that I'm bored with the current generation, but its definitely a shadow of its former self. I'd definitely say that the current generation is more tuned towards multiplayer for me, which isn't a bad thing, just a different thing. Most of the modern games I play, I play with a group of friends...stuff like Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Crimson Skies, Culdcept, Four Swords, etc. So it takes a big name title for me to turn my head if it doesn't have a multiplayer mode. Thus most of my solo gaming is on a NES or something from the 16 bit era.