i always wonder how new games can still keep getting made

[gbpxl]

I understand not wanting wired controllers, 4:3, and standard definition games, but besides maintaining the servers for new games so you can play online multiplayer, I dont see the point in anything beyond 7th gen PC games, PS3, 360, and Wii U, given they all are HD, widescreen, with wireless controllers. the systems are so plentiful that even if yours breaks, you can find a replacement for $50-100.

The libraries for the three consoles are massive and trying to complete (or even 100%) them all would take multiple lifetimes. The games from that generation are much cheaper as well, arguably the cheapest out of any generation. My point with all this is the very premise of needing to buy a game because it fulfills a demand. This demand was met every generation until going from 7th to 8th gen.

The only other factors I can understand are slightly better controllers and the convenience of being able to download titles for legacy systems via PSN, XBL, or Virtual Console.

Are there fantastic games on 8th gen consoles? yeah Im sure there are. but there are hundreds of great games on the old systems too that cost a fraction of the price. economically none of it makes sense to me

I believe we have plateaued now with video games as we already have with cell phones, and televisions. theres really not much that they can do that hasnt been done or that people are dying for them to implement. and the things they do try to implement are often seen as gimmicks. 3D movies, phones that can bend, curved TV screens.

I think instead of trying to improve the technology, they should put more focus on creating titles that will be considered timelss, independent of internet connections, games that people will be talking about for decades to come. I feel nothing has come out since Halo that was up there as being a revolutionary game.

[Aussie2B]

It's not just about technological advancements and the quantity of games available. The average person wouldn't want to play the majority of the games of any one system's library. They're looking for the experiences that specific games offer. If you, say, love a particular game series, there probably isn't so many games in said series that you can't play through them all in a reasonable amount of time. Then you have to wait for new releases to play something in the series you haven't played before. The same can be said for certain genres and what have you. Then there's the community aspect of gaming. Play a random game on a dead console and it's likely to be a pretty solitary experience. But with new games, if you join in when everybody is hyped up about them, you can play them alongside your family, friends, and strangers online, discussing the experience, making even a single-player game feel like a group experience.

[gbpxl]

good points

[kupomogli]

Additionally, advancements in technology also offer experiences that past consoles can't or if they can, not reasonably well. Features that have never been implemented or features that are in their infancy which later games expand upon and perfected, even if possible that were never done before also happens even today.

One example is VR, since VR first appeared on PS4 and PC(unless you want to include the Virtual Boy which really isn't VR at all) my opinion was, it's the same as strapping a tv to your face but I couldn't have been more off. VR is an experience like no other and it enhances first person games in a way that it's not possible without its integration. Before VR, movement, vision, and where you're aiming at in first person games were all tied to the right stick, where the ability to move your head and view your surroundings considerably advances the experience. The only way this is possible on a console is with four analog sticks, something that would be uncontrollable even PC wouldn't be able to accomplish this despite having the available amount of buttons to do so. This isn't all VR has added, as it's incorporated motion controls into it as well, something that was brought about by Wii. VR experiences will only further be increased and games will get better and better.

There are actually many instances of games played on older consoles like the PS2 with features that made newer consoles like PS3 considerably better for action games, or features on the PS2 which we've never seen or may never have been possible on the PS1. Nightmare Creatures had a combo system, but then consider games like the DMC series on PS2 or Ninja Gaiden on Xbox, where enemy physics played a very big part of both games, allowing a very combo heavy action game. Most third person shooters on the PS2 were based on auto lock on, and even with games that actually didn't have auto lock, the only game that I can remember that had a cover system was Scarface the World is Yours, but it hindered the player more than helped and made the action all but useless. Cover systems because very good in the next gen, games where you had a button press to lock into a cover spot, games that snapped the player to cover very well, or games like The Last of Us or Army of Two where cover was very seemlessly integrated based on where you were crouching as you moved along. These are features that may not even have been possible with any sort of real quality. Most shooters and third person shooters on consoles were very rough to play and even a lot of the greatest games had some of the sh**iest cameras in gaming on the PS2. DMC3 is a great game with an absolutely god awful camera.

Technology is at the core of everything and everyone wants the newest gadgets, so obviously with gaming people want to see the prettiest games. Technology is always going to be pushed and there are some games out there that haven't yet been thought of, some unique mechanics or great ideas we'll once see that won't be able to be envisioned on any past obsolete consoles. Yes, there's more out there than anyone could play and finish in a lifetime, but there are still game styles we've never experienced still being created. Whether some of the games are great or not, there are a lot of different game styles we've never experienced before just this gen.

[Gameguy]

Additionally, advancements in technology also offer experiences that past consoles can't or if they can, not reasonably well. Features that have never been implemented or features that are in their infancy which later games expand upon and perfected, even if possible that were never done before also happens even today.

I would say the opposite is true in some examples, some types of technology are essentially lost at this point. Like seeing just how clear and vibrant true vector monitors are, these are basically extinct short of owning a Vectrex.

It's basically impossible to experience every worthwhile piece of media because of time constraints so I'm personally not that interested in seeing what else comes next, I don't have infinite money so I'd rather spend most of my time on what already exists and catch up. I won't avoid everything new but there's less and less that I'm interested in as a must-experience type of thing. Just like there's plenty of movies that sort of look interesting but I won't bother unless I catch one on TV by chance.

[kupomogli]

It's basically impossible to experience every worthwhile piece of media because of time constraints so I'm personally not that interested in seeing what else comes next, I don't have infinite money so I'd rather spend most of my time on what already exists and catch up. I won't avoid everything new but there's less and less that I'm interested in as a must-experience type of thing. Just like there's plenty of movies that sort of look interesting but I won't bother unless I catch one on TV by chance.

There are good games out there that I haven't played, but it's easier to find good games that I'm interested in by staying current. If I miss some hidden gem then I'll play it if I hear about it, but there will be something else along that may be just as good. Outside of current gen, I focus on Playstation primarily and Nintendo afterwards but the effort I put into that isn't near the amount because I've played hundreds of games on each console. It's like looking in a needle in a haystack instead of receiving information daily of what's coming out.

Since time is limited and we're all going to prioritize how we think is best(or talk about our hobby and what/how we like to collect on a forum, etc, etc, etc.)

I would say the opposite is true in some examples, some types of technology are essentially lost at this point. Like seeing just how clear and vibrant true vector monitors are, these are basically extinct short of owning a Vectrex.

Popularity and how much is made off a certain technology is going to be a factor. VR has been successful enough for both Occulus and Vive to have released new versions of the devices and for Sony to have spoken about PSVR2. On the other hand there's Nintendo continuing with motion controls and dual scree monitors because the DS and Wii were so successful. Successful products that push these experiences will continue to be developed. Even if VR and motion control are dropped in the future for something else, I never would have experienced them if I haven't played through current gen. Same as I never would have experienced Virtual Boy if I didn't play it back when it was still current, because even though I have played it and liked a couple of the games I'm never going to go out of my way to collect for the Virtual Boy(though with 22 games it'd likely be the easiest system to get a full set.)