Now as I'm waiting for a computer to rebuild I can type this out.

After a little over a decade, the game industry has seen many changes. As I mentioned in an earlier post, video games have become a part of mainstream life as a valid form of entertainment along with being an overall lifestyle from fashion to language. Since this original post we've seen two game generation changes, a shift in the delivery of games from physical to a mix of that and digital distribution and a new way to get our game on thanks to what has become a staple of everyday life for many: smart phones and tablets. During this time we've also seen the return and rise of the “garage”, now called “indie”, developers which have brought a tsunami of titles that hearken back to the games of the past to new concepts that address can address our emotions or make us aware of different causes or issues. The PC, after being hailed as a “dead platform”, is now seeing a renaissance in the game world thanks to said indies and the distribution center known as Steam.

From the games side of thing, it is now essentially a “whatever you want, it's probably out there” type of environment. It's mind boggling what one can find, from your usual evolutions of your favorite titles like Super Mario Bros to games that look and play like they came from the 80's to games that can only be classified as “experiences” like Uncharted, BioShock or Journey. There are even games that for those gamers that have certain, well, fetishes showing that the boundaries have all but disappeared.

From a social aspect gaming ranks up there with talking about the weather, sports or politics. For me growing up as a young teen during the NES days, you couldn't really talk about games with your peers in school as it was seen as kind of a “nerdy” thing to do. Of course the preps and the jocks played but you wouldn't get a confession out of them other than the deck was their sibling's. This could also be a phenomenon from where I lived so everyone's experiences may be quite different.

With all these things going for gaming, you'd think I'd be dancing in the streets. After this original post I really got into the Xbox and then the 360 when it came out. I didn't play classics all that much anymore, sticking to the newer stuff, consuming what games tickled my fancy. I was thinking Lendelin was right-gaming was better in the modern era.

Then I changed my mind....

Games now having to be patched on the day you buy them. SYSTEMS needing patching the first time you use them. Options that came with your game system being changed or removed whether you wanted that or not (the X360 Blade menus, Wii MP3 playback-if I recall and the PS3 Alternate OS option to name a couple) and if you don't, you can't use your machine online. Anonymous gamers online that have no tact, sportmanship or even a clean mouth. Then the media...oh man, the MEDIA! Since when did video games become so...so...DRAMATIC?! So, I dunno, Hollywood? Read gaming journalism from yesteryear and then read today's so-called articles-night and day difference. Thanks to them we start hearing about the real “cream of the crop” of gamers-the swatters, “GamerGate”, those who send out threats to developers and such, forcing them to escape with their lives.

This is not what I expected the future of gaming to go. While it's the best its ever been, it's also become the ugliest. The fan wars of Atari or Nintendo vs. Sega have nothing on what goes on today. Many of the popular games, at least for me, seem so “ho-hum” where you just plod forward. Then when you do find something you might like, beware reading about it because more than likely the article that's previewing it will give up a spoiler that can ruin what the developers have crafted as “an experience”. An article I read about Metroid Prime 3 did that to me when you face off against Ridley for the first time. Took the impact right out. Or a certain part of Call of Duty Modern Warfare while you are playing a character that is escaping the area in a helicopter-the emotional impact was lost.

Of course, this could all just come down to me. I've had a lot of changes happen to me in the twelve years since I first posted in this thread. I still love the history of our great hobby but it's hard for me to delve into the modern. It's too big, it's too much. My time goes elsewhere and when it comes to games, I tend to sit on the sidelines and watch my kid and my girlfriend's kids play Smash Bros on the Wii or serve up some justice playing TMNT on MAME with the OUYA.

And that's my 2 Zenny on this..or has inflation raised it to 4?