Why did we have more fun with less? A casual conversation.

Remember when fewer options meant more fun?
Like the times we only had a handful of games, but every single one of them left an unforgettable memory in your brain? Nowadays, with countless games, movies, shows, and books at our fingertips, why does it feel like we're enjoying them less than we used to?
Let's chat about how the overwhelming abundance of media today compares to the past when our choices were limited but our enjoyment was higher.
Whether you're a gamer, a movie buff, or a bookworm, this discussion is for you. Share your thoughts in the comments below! Do you miss the simpler times? How do you navigate the endless sea of content today?
#EntertainmentParadox #ModernMedia #ChoiceOverload #Nostalgia #GamingCommunity #MovieBuffs #BookLovers #casualconversation
Game: Pepsi Man (PS1)

[@GamingPandaCat]

the problem is infinite growth, we're not meant to go through this much stuff in a lifetime, every year more media than you'll ever consume in your entire life, this includes practice projects and everything being made, we're too fixated on aesthetics and are not encouraged to really think about what we're consuming, we got really good at just putting people on a treadmill and never stopping.

[@yoncreator]

For sure there is definitely way more "stuff" than we can possibly consume nowadays. The game "Getting Over It With Bennet Foddy" has a dialogue where he talks about this issue and it's very interesting!

[@Daiyve]

Fixation is a hobby becoming obsessive where you are playing to pass time but not really enjoying the games anymore. Our minds naturally delete and downsize whatever memories are in the way. I played FFVIII for the first time this year and it became my second favorite FF, I beat chrono trigger yesterday and it's easily in my top 5 now. People can get back in touch with what they initially enjoyed about gaming, and if they have a lot going on in their personal life this can help or hurt the enjoyment of escapism, but that stuff is still going on in the background.

[@mrgtmodernretrogamingtech6891]

YOU ARE NOT ALONE... I'm from a 3rd World Country and I pirate all Movie, Music and Games since 2005. I still remember when my Original Nintendo DS + R4 is filled with Latest Game and can play them all, all day long, because most of them are quality games... Nowadays, we are flooded with mediocre media where hidden gems are really hard to find or hard to come by... Gosh... I miss those simple good old days... Before Internet 2.0, Smartphone and Socialmedia... Salute bro, thanks for sharing... Have a *vitual hug* (no homo)... =P

[@noirlavender6409]

exactly, it isn't about comfort it's about quality. Now I play a game even for free and I feel robed, like I want my money and time back so badly xd

[@yoncreator]

Thank you so much for watching and leaving a great comment! I'm glad that my rambling was interesting enough for you to spend your listening to!

[@fench1234567]

@@noirlavender6409 So many games have defeatistic themes and endings now. I refuse to subject myself to a downer game anymore.

[@no-replies]

I was just having this realization with gaming. As a kid we'd get a game for birthday and Christmas and maybe if something came out in between and then play the absolute hell out of it. Now I'm almost suffocated with choice to the point I never finish anything.

[@yoncreator]

Yeah, this is pretty much how I feel these days too! You summed it up perfectly.

[@henryblazer20]

mannn.. i dont care what game we got. it could have been Lee Trevino's Golf on the NES.. we played teh mess out of that game and spread it thin. Just reminds me of when we'd go ot the video rental store and rent a game..and back then we didnt have the internet to watch preview videos. so you rented it and had it for 2 days or so..and you just played it until you got the most out of it you did..didnt matter what it was. we just kept ourselves entertained with it.

[@nihilisticnerd]

Less is often more.

[@yoncreator]

Well put!

[@budley8539]

This reminds of that supermarket effect where you have a bunch of options and it stuns your decision making.

[@alface935]

No wonder Ice Cream Stores sick to mostly just selling Chocolate, Strawberry, Cream

[@henryblazer20]

also... i am totally getting the pepsi man rom and going to play the mess out of it now.

[@alface935]

@@henryblazer20 But of course and since You are getting a Playstation 1 Emulator working You might as well get the LSD Dream Emulator game too Trust Me that game is going to be crazy @_@ And might as well get the first Medal Of Honor and Resident Evil working too

[@jeremyf9124]

I appreciate the fact that I can now take more risks with media, because of the subscription models. If I watch something on Netflix, and I don’t like it, I haven’t paid separately to watch it, (unlike the old rental stores) so I’ve only wasted time, not money. If I’m not satisfied with a streaming service, I can cancel. The same is true with music. Gaming is somewhat different, but I can now get plenty of info before I buy.

[@alface935]

@@jeremyf9124 Time is more valuable than Money Money You can always get more Time You can't get more For example if You have Infinite You can always make more Money If You have Infinite Money You can't make more Time

[@kolonarulez5222]

My dumbass waiting here for this to tie into Pepsiman somehow lol

[@yoncreator]

Oh no, sorry about that! I was just playing Pepsi man because I love that game LOL

[@checkoffgames]

So, from what I understand, you came to the conclusion that people are rejecting new things in favor of old things. Really, for most people, the old stuff is the new experience, and the new stuff is what we've been doing. There's more GAME to the games, for example, that I've recorded, than there is to a modern adventurer, shooter, whatever. There's puzzles, and mazes, and obstacle courses that take up space that would, in a modern game, be replaced by competitive maps, dead space for walking, or tedious, non-game progressing garbage. Newer games have more style, but less substance. better graphics, worse art, better controls, less meaningful stuff to do. There is, for some people, nostalgia that brings them back to their games, but why do they keep playing them once the rose tint fades away?

[@novinceinhosic3531]

I highly disagree on controls. They usually are more scripted to avoid the bad physics and natural gliches.

[@anthonyjohnson8166]

because they have heart. that is evident when you play an old game.

[@fawkkyutuu8851]

They have more fully realized realism but less style actually.. they're more boring and generic trying to look and behave so lifelike and logical , the ultra polished character models and streamlined hand holdy controls and spotless textures/assets leave nothing to the player's imagination and so the overall game has far less character. I hate most modern 3D and even how perfect and fake-pretty actors are made to look in movies , it detaches me more than immerses me , I want strong distinct imperfect design personality in everything , that's what made early 3D games feel so alive , every world was a barely stable delicate uncanny valley of experimental ambition.

[@Teeveepicksures]

"57 Channels and nothin' on."

[@yoncreator]

"Hundreds of games on steam, and not a single fun game to play" - me some point in the past, present, and future probably

[@TimDespairBear11]

I think as a kid, we just FORCED ourselves to have fun with whatever games we had. As an adult if a game is boring me I can just drop it and buy something else. That doesn’t mean old games were better, we just had more patience with them.

[@teh0wnz0r76]

nope we had more media of higher quality

[@TimDespairBear11]

@@teh0wnz0r76 there’s a lot of good modern games, the problem is people only look at aaa garbage instead of going out of their way to find stuff. Also I know for a fact a lot of the games I played growing up were shit, such as bugs life on PS1. But I enjoyed the games as a kid.

[@teh0wnz0r76]

@@TimDespairBear11 wrong. the devs that make good games cant make as many games.

[@yoncreator]

I think this is absolutely a relevant part of it - excellent point. I think the abundance of options has caused us to become less patient. If something doesn't click or feel good right away, why bother and stick around? There's more than you can chew waiting for you in the internet... And your next "perfect game" is just one more click away....maybe? Haha

[@teh0wnz0r76]

@@yoncreator but this is completely wrong tho. maybe u dont remember but u could rent games. we had so many options every weekend lol, not to mention goin to a friends house who had different games or a different system. stop the cope fellas.

[@tristan_840]

It's not the games exactly, it's the time, the atmosphere of those times.

[@yoncreator]

For sure! Big fan of older atmosphere!

[@therealfodder]

Middle-aged bloke here - this completely resonates with me. Still a gamer and I can't count the amount of times I've sat here scrolling through cheap Steam key sites looking for something to pick up when I have 1000s of games I could jump into include a lot I don't think I've ever fired up. All for that brief dopamine hit of "new shiny thing". Different medium - but again I totally get your point about going outside of your comfort zone. Musically I was always into industrial/indie/metal stuff - basically noisy and messy was my thing. Ever heard of Annett Louisan? Unless you're German and like easy listening stuff (I'm British) it's unlikely. But I stumbled on her stuff (well...downloaded a torrent back in the day...) and was blown away. Totally outside of anything I would ever consciously listen to but it was a total palate cleanser. It's worth looking wider.

[@yoncreator]

Hey thanks so much for checking the video out and leaving a comment! Very cool to see a viewer from Britain! I'm new to KZbin so this is all very exciting. I hear you, I've been on that same kind of steam doom scrolling mode looking for "the next fun game." Very dreary stuff. Your insight about the music is very interesting. I'm from the US, so I haven't heard Annett Louisan, but just checked her music out. I don't understand the lyrics, but she has a fantastic voice! I like Das Gefühl a lot. Thank you for a great recommendation. I would have never found this artist if it weren't for your comment! I agree. I think my solution to this personal struggle has been to 1) be more intentional about the media I consume. It's so easy to just fall back to the easy and comfortable stuff that I'm used to. 2) be more willing to look wider and play / watch stuff I may initially not be drawn to right away!

[@EmilyBodoo]

Regarding returning to old games. I was born in 1998 and I haven't played games from the 80s and 90s for obvious reasons. I have no nostalgia for them, for me they are essentially “new”. But today, most of the games I play are games from the 80s and 90s, mainly NES and Gameboy. I just honestly find these games a lot more interesting than modern games.

[@Rafa-Silva-Alt]

I would love to hear your unfiltered opinions on them, that's so fascinating.

[@yoncreator]

The Gameboy era had some really fantastic games. I also really adore a lot of games from the SNES era as well.

[@joser.4494]

I think a bit part of it is the way we engage with entertainment. Like ppl don't go to the theatre as much anymore, but there's something special about driving to a place, buying a ticket, and watching the movie on a big screen compared to sitting on the couch I do everyday and watching it on netflix. Or before streaming services you'd just watch whatever was on tv and maybe discover something you wouldn't have initially been into, but now that we can select from so many shows it gets daunting choosing so we just watch the same show over and over.

[@yoncreator]

You're touching on something really great here. I think our access to information, internet, games, video, etc - all within our fingertips by accessing a superdevice that can be placed inside your pocket has absolutely changed the way we interact with these mediums. The theater example is an excellent one. Going to the movies (at least to me) isn't just about watching the movie. It's about driving to the theater, buying the tickets, choosing the snacks, smelling the aroma of popcorn and butter, enjoying the film, talking about it with friends or family afterwards on the drive back... It's an entire experience. Now we have so much more convenience by touching the Netflix app on our phone from the comfort of our bed. Don't get me wrong - I love binging Netflix on my bed, just as much the other guy. But maybe in the pursuit of comfort and accessibility, there are some things we've traded off.

[@SpanishScion]

Reminds me of the old gaming magazines back in the day. Sure, most of them were glorified ad catalogs, but they got me hyped for games that I'd never even play, just like theater trailers got me hyped for movies I'd never watch. We were primed to enjoy stuff, where rare and occasional purchases were surrounded in a cloud of anticipation and possibility. Even back in the day there were always more games than you could ever afford the time or money for, but that used to be exciting! It felt like an inexhaustable fund of fun, rather than a content mine you went to after work. The context of purchasing matters, I suppose what we're trying to say. The fact that many old games require you to go out of your way, get or emulate old hardware, adjust PC setting or run old OS in a VM scrapes away the beige veneer of convenience, building anticipation, even for the familiar.

[@kaiserwellington1327]

I remember having fun playing this weird Hannah Montana DS game, I found on the ground when I was 11 lol.

[@yoncreator]

That's awesome! I remember a similar experience with a Spongebob Squarepants game for the GBA!

[@conmereth]

Someone once told me to avoid picking and choosing, meaning to avoid attachment to our preferences. When we feel we have the choice to do anything we want its easy to fall into habits that while pleasant on the surface really come to rule our lives. In that sense liberation is the middle way, to recieve without attachment and to be open to new experiences. I think there might be something in that which could apply here.

[@yoncreator]

What a great point. I think detaching from expectations and just experiencing things in the moment as they truly are is the way to go - for most things in life. I definitely think I have a bias and attachment to the older experiences I had with gaming!

[@W.2026]

We live in an age where people call video games unplayable because you hit a tree and the tree doesn't break like it would in real life. Of course they don't get to enjoy anything, let alone games.

[@yoncreator]

Haha, I hear you. I've never been a big stickler for realistic physics or realistic graphics. Some of my favorite games have stylized graphics and maybe even some "jank" in them. But if the core gameplay is fun, I'm all about it.

[@radiobe4179]

In today's consumer environment, everything is treated as "content." With so many options, it's challenging to enjoy one thing without pondering the potentially better things available. Big games now cost significantly more than they used to, and they're often designed in familiar ways. If a game loses money, executives can point to data and say they took the safer, more commendable path of replicating popular trends. However, gaming is truly in a golden age right now. Titles like Death's Door, Tunic, En Garde!, Hades, Cassette Beasts, Chained Echoes, Slay the Spire, Nobody Saves the World, and Dredge are just a few examples of games that are undeniably fun. We're seeing the release of true masterpieces. We just need to be smart about how we consume games. Enjoy them at our own pace, make meaningful purchases of games we intend to play, and avoid those that prey on our time. By doing this, we can fully appreciate the golden age of gaming we're currently experiencing.

[@yoncreator]

Really really insightful comment, I love it. I think you're right. Big AAA games cost ridiculous amounts to make, and there is a huge financial risk to create something that won't appeal to a broader audience and sell well. Also agree with the golden age part of the comment. The lowering of barrier to both game dev and publishing thanks to shifts in tools and industry has given rise to incredible experiences as well. Being smart and intentional about our media consumption and time management has never been a more valuable skill in our time!

[@SwannyTheMike]

Honestly, I think a part a lot of people don't want to admit is that things seemed better because we were kids and the world felt new to us. Media was oversaturated in the 80s and 90s too after all. Let's not forget the old "100+ channels and nothing to watch" line. A good example of what I'm talking about: I was born in '94 and recall the early 2000s in the US being a pretty pleasant time. Yet at that same time, we had 9/11, the dawn of the school shooting epidemic, two wars, the guy mailing anthrax to people (who they never did catch), and worst of all, Tom Brady's first three Super Bowl wins. I also recall a lot of games I enjoyed as a kid being dunked on by older gamers talking about how nothing could compare to the glory of 16-bit gaming. It actually gave me a bit of a complex towards sprite-based games for a time because of how widespread that crap was. All the while, the real problems of the game industry like crunch culture and corporate greed continued to be ignored in favor of the age-old refrain of "things were better back in the day". Because if you convince everyone that society is in a constant state of decline, then nobody feels that they have the power to change things and become apathetic to the world around them. And if that doesn't work, start a culture war or two to distract everyone while you pick their pockets. In my opinion, the first step to breaking out of this cycle is stepping away from the social media cycle of needing to have an opinion on literally everything. Focus on what you enjoy and go on deep dives to find similar content. Not only will you find old stuff that you never realized existed, but also find hidden gems among current releases. It also helps save money in the long run since you slowly stop caring about buying things right on release. This works for all media, not just video games.

[@teh0wnz0r76]

wrong they were better

[@fawkkyutuu8851]

I disagree , nostalgia is really powerful but honestly age and youth has nothing to do with It , certain things in life/art forms/industries truly were just better during certain times/eras , everything has high points and low points and to me 1985/86 - 2005 was the videogame industries overall greatest purest golden age collectively , even though i also feel that there can be many types of lesser golden ages like imo 7th gen was online gamings golden age but strictly for online gaming and nothing else. It's the same with Hip Hop , the 1980 - early 90s are still widely accepted as Raps golden age , even by people who weren't even born and have no nostalgia attached , they can still clearly admit the superior amount of creative quality and important records and authenticity the genre and culture used to have was at a high point and can probably never be that way again because now it's too big and commercialized and unfortunately nothing ever goes backwards (unless there's an industry crash perhaps). Every once fresh once great artform/hobby goes through a true major golden age one time and it never ever comes back once enough money is in involved and it's too mainstream established.

[@yoncreator]

Hey thanks for a great and thoughtful comment. I hear what you men. I can definitely see childhood being a kind of rosy filter on a lot of experiences that makes things feel more special. Great suggestion on breaking out of the cycle. I'm definitely looking forward to doing more deep dives on types of content I truly enjoy. I think there is a mix of subjective perception change from growing older but also an element of truth in terms of regression in some game franchises. A big example that comes to mind is Pokemon franchise. I still remember rushing back home from elementary school and eagerly playing Pokemon Fire Red on my GBA for hours, combing through the grass patches of Kanto to find my favorite pokemons. It felt truly magical. I've bought a ton of Pokemon games throughout my life, but I decided not to buy Scarlet and Violet. I just felt like it reached a point where the game quality had dropped beyond a level I was willing to accept. To me, that game isn't my cup of tea. But the earnings report shows that it's the best selling Pokemon game to date. The broader point I'm making here is two fold: 1) Yes, childhood definitely has a special way of making us look at our formative experiences with a touch of "magic" that is hard to replicate as we grow older. 2) Some games - not all - have in my opinion, regressed and taken several steps backwards instead of becoming an even fuller and more incredible digital experience.

[@SwannyTheMike]

@@fawkkyutuu8851 I don't entirely disagree with you on the idea that there were points in time that specific forms of media were better. It's more the finality of "The golden age is over and it's all downhill from here" that I take issue with. I believe most things in life to be an endless series of peaks and valleys. The problem is that the inclines between those peaks and valleys can be so gradual that it looks like a straight line to us in the present. For example, Hollywood's original "golden age" is generally agreed to have ended in the 50s. However, this lull for the studio system quietly led to an unprecedented level of directorial control over projects until the box office bomb that was Heaven's Gate and Michael Cimino's general toxic attitude ruined it for everyone. The end of that golden age for the auteur director then gave way for the superstar blockbuster directors like Spielberg and Lucas. That's about thirty extra years of golden age depending on who you ask. Since then, Hollywood has used its considerable capital to try and prolong the blockbuster age, but with theaters becoming too expensive for most, they've inadvertently set the stage for return of the auteur directors and the rise of studios like A24 and Blumhouse. I don't doubt a similar thing will eventually occur with the gaming industry as well.

[@SwannyTheMike]

@@yoncreator There are most certainly a good number of game franchises that have noticeably dropped in quality over the years. Many of them series I used to like (RIP Rainbow Six). What I've noticed however - not with anything you've said here or in your video mind you - is a tendency towards viewing EVERYTHING from the past as having been better and that nothing today could possibly compare. Which I feel often leads to wallowing in bitterness that things aren't how they used to be rather than actively seeking out what makes you happy in the present. Not only is the latter a healthier outlook IMO, but I also believe that it's the key to actually putting a dent in the corporate machines churning out endless slop. Disengage from the cycle of hype, remind yourself that you don't need to have an opinion on everything that comes out, and find the things truly worth your time. That's the general point I'm trying to make here. Hopefully I'm actually making sense. It's almost 3am here but I wanted to put this down while it was fresh in my mind.

[@nobufelipe3969]

Because of the overwhelming amount of content I have. I have not being able to enjoy anything. So I’ve started doing these “themed binge watching marathons”(for games as well). And I slowly started to regain interest in things again.

[@yoncreator]

That's cool! Glad to hear that you're regaining interest in things again :)

[@henryblazer20]

as a Gen X, we were left alone to our own devices and imaginations. I remember taking any form of entertainment and just expanding on it. I remember having the original Zelda game and we did not have the NES system, and i read the instruction manual front to back, doodling in it, and i spent HOURS just going through the manual. Today we just have too much.. TOO much

[@yoncreator]

This really hits home for me as well! One of my favorite games growing up as a kid was Sly Cooper, and I remember reading the entire instruction manual from front to back. The booklet was designed like a very important document from the in game universe, and I felt like I was holding a piece of the game in my hands in real life!

[@henryblazer20]

@@yoncreator Yes!!! It was almost a requirement to read the instruction manual before powering on the game! so cool and i love the Sly Cooper series

[@jeremyf9124]

I’m also gen X and the lack of choices & information when I was a kid caused people to take more risks in what they watched & played. Now there’s so much info & access that too many people follow the herd. Some of the games I’ve had the most fun playing recently are Lucky’s Tale, Powerwash Simulator VR & Tetris Effect Connected, on the Meta Quest 2. Definitely not the most popular games, but so what?

[@henryblazer20]

@@jeremyf9124 I have spent HOURS on power wash sim!

[@gentlesirpancakebottoms6692]

I think the main problem today started with the transition to digital and the vast volume of content on display. Not because of digital itself, despite me preferring physical media myself for various reasons. But because media literaly went from being media, art and entertainment to "content" and "product" during the transition to digital. Being the best. Trying to make the best with what you got and trying to become "the thing" for the next decade. Or at least be memorable enough to stand out and be liked and remembered was something even bad products tried to achieve. These ideas and ambitions faded away in the digital future and got replaced with just "content" and "product". It's all just disposable timewasters now. Designed to be forgotten and replaced as quickly as they are released. And lack any soul and heart. And I think even the most uncritical consumers are starting to subconsciously notice it. There are still great movies, shows and videogames etc being made. But they are farer and fewer between. And the reaction from the industries at large when something like that comes along is no longer met with awe and inspiration to do better, and to replicate. But is met with jealousy, contempt and the notion that whatever daring to deliver this quality is out if line and needs to be put down. Mediocrity is the new "good". Anything else is not allowed and you should just shut up, consume and don't ask questions. Don't have standards. The problem is not us not growing and evolving as consumers. But that the products we are supposed to consume aren't growing and evolving, but on the contrary are regressing in so many ways. And many modern things despite looking better on a superficial level feels cheaper compared to 10-20 year old stuff. If not in visuals, then writing.

[@yoncreator]

Thanks for watching the video and the insightful commentary. I really appreciate your points because I can tell you watched through the entire video since you address my points! Your final point about "modern things despite looking better on a superficial level feels cheaper compared to 10-20 year old stuff" is how I felt about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. I grew up as a huge pokemon fan, and I played most of the games. I'm not someone who claims that the ONLY good games are from Gen 1 and 2. I played and enjoyed the newer games like X and Y a ton. But Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was something that surprised me in terms of how we've come so far in terms of technological innovations, but the original soul of what made the gameplay so magical was lost (in my opinion).

[@Magus12000BC]

I grew up with the NES. By the time I graduated high school, I could have the entire NES library burned onto a CD-R and play it on a Dreamcast. It's very weird going from having a dozen or so games on a system to literal hundreds. I went from mastering a game and learning it inside and out to maybe playing a game for a few hours and never touching it again. I don't think that we are wired for that much choice. Those games didn't change. It's the desire for constant mental stimulus of having something new. And it robbed me of my patience. And that's why games today have changed. This is why we have these forever, live service, constantly evolving games. Because we aren't starved for choice anymore. And the publishers realized this.

[@Daiyve]

Think about this problem as if it was applied to books and readers. If you were born today you have hundreds of years worth of english books to read, people are going to gravitate toward the newer stuff, the classics, the things for casual readers. Then if this outlet is something they enjoy, they will dive deeper into their favorite genres and even go back and read things from the 18th and 19th centuries, 80s and 90s for gaming, where you can argue the art was more well applied. I've had a backlog of jrpgs to play since I was in elementary school. Gaming isn't the problem it's a chaotic life and mind, but I beat Chrono Trigger for the first time at 32 and it's in my top 5 games now. I had no issues enjoying it or placing it above nostalgia.

[@yoncreator]

Great insight! Glad to hear you played through Chrono Trigger. I haven't gone through the entire game yet myself (played for a while then took a break that's been going on for over 10 years...)

[@Daiyve]

​@@yoncreator I tried to play it on emulator when I was in high school and afterward and the graphics were ugly, but with modern upscaling the game is beautiful and that wasn't a barrier anymore to enjoying it. I tried to play chrono Cross today and lasted about 10 minutes, the combat didn't look or feel good, and the main character stars with a cinematic spell calling meteors down from space....not sure if that's addressed in the plot but it makes it hard to immerse.

[@realkingofantarctica]

When you have more options, each one feels less special. We used to savour what we could as children, now that we have everything at our fingertips, it feels less earned, and they can start to make us feel less fulfilled. It's a mindset thing, more than anything. That's why I only buy things if I really want them, not just if I can afford them.

[@alannguyen4636]

Imagination drives enjoyment. Playing games that had me pull myself into it and enjoy the little aspects people usually wouldn't always managed to captivate and let my imagination create immersion. I think nowadays games focus so much on what people notice and try to immerse their user artificially that they leave little for the creative in all of us to immerse ourselves. Awesome video man!

[@yoncreator]

Thanks! Immersion is a great point, and it's interesting how games with higher fidelity or realistic graphics don't (at least for me) create the most immersion. I think it has to do more with game feel and making me totally engrossed in what I'm doing in the virtual world that I forget about the real world.

[@breakfasthole3851]

Here's my take on this... if new things in entertainment aren't grabbing you like they used to, it's time to find different things from 'your' era that you can dip into as fresh experiences. Arcade games are now accessible through emulation. Rom hacks for games you used to enjoy are abundant and there are people making good, unofficial sequels, expansions etc. There are great videos about these things on KZbin but the point is about taking the time to experience them (not just watching the videos as an outsider). There are new games that are made in the spirit of old games. Good, old games that you never played. Even older games that you will appreciate now that 'your' era was recycling. It's about doing some research and finding out what suits you. Definitely don't download whole console rom sets and start blindly digging into stuff though or you're right back in the overwhelming list again. But it's all there. Enough 'new' entertainment from 'your' era to keep coming back to for decades 👍

[@yoncreator]

Absolutely! This is a great perspective. I've been meaning to go back and clean the dust off from my older consoles! Time to revisit some gems of the past that I didn't give my full attention to!

[@DeathMetalThrasher]

In my experience, my interest in gaming comes and goes as a grown ass adult. For me it's hard to immerse myself in any game unless I have 2 weeks off of work or something. Being an adult sucks because you're always thinking about bills, maintaining relationships, etc. I still enjoy older games from previous generations, but I think the last time I was in awe and was able to really digest a game was around 2013-2014. There's still really good games released nowadays like Elden Ring for example. I don't really know, I guess the sense of mystery and curiosity to imagine isn't really there anymore. Many modern games in the triple a space at least have become saturated and samey. I liked when game developers took risks.

[@yoncreator]

Yeah man, I miss it when game devs took risks too. But I think it's become really hard to take big risks nowadays unless you're a smaller developer, it seems like. Did you like Elden Ring? It's an unpopular take, but I didn't really fall in love with it like everyone else did. I wish I liked it because everyone seems to be having such a great time with it...

[@Destroyah5000]

In the case with movies, the ones we hang on to are the ones that trick us into feeling an emotion. When more movies release that try to do the same thing a person can identify what has been done before and therefore resists being fooled again. I think this phenomenon is true for video games too nowadays.

[@nordicwarriorgaming4953]

As far as I'm concerned old games are objectively better in every way. Modern games are all AI generated rubbish with no soul. OOHHHH THE GRAPHICSSSSSS!

[@IVIUT3D]

you aint played a recent game that was made purely to make a good game and not geared towards milking players at every step. Helldivers 2 is probably the most fun Ive ever had in 30yrs of gaming myself.

[@jeremyf9124]

There are good and bad new games & old games, just like movies. Look past what’s the most popular & take risks.

[@nordicwarriorgaming4953]

@@jeremyf9124 No thanks. Every modern game bores me to sleep.

[@yoncreator]

I think there are still a lot of modern games I personally love and really enjoy. But I do see trends that I personally dislike. For example, the move away from couch co op game experiences to exclusively online multiplayer is something I get bummed out about. When Halo Infinite promised couch co op and then pulled out of that promise, it really made me sad. Halo to me was always co op game, growing up with my younger brother playing the campaign together.

[@RainbowRoadCrashTest]

Less is more. you're right! I know the answer seems overly simplistic, but it really what is if you bring it down in a nutshell. To truly "lose youself in the moment" is to not be aware of everything at once.

[@yoncreator]

You summarized my rambling into a nutshell!

[@ChuckieV79]

I totally feel what you're saying here. I was born in 79, but I don't think games really started to pump out like crazy until digital gaming took off. So, even though I have nostalgia/comfortability playing games from the Genesis/SNES era, it's not any different from the PS2 era in that there is so much out there today that in comparison it feels like the value of games in general, (and not monetarily) feels less. I can't help but want to compare it to movies. They used to feel bigger and more substantial as well, even the small independent films. Now everything feels so watered down. Ironically, I look forward to when the games industry completely runs out of ideas and just does reboots, sequels, and remasters (mostly for older titles left to die on older systems). It's already kinda begun, but perhaps not as prevalent as the movie industry yet. I don't know if there is any real solution. Personally, I find myself going back to older titles or just unplugging for awhile to clean my mental pallet, but everyone is different.

[@yoncreator]

Thank you for your cool insight! I'm a 90s kid, but I also played Genesis and SNES games, and they were absolutely fantastic and formative in my early years. I definitely think remakes are something I absolutely look forward to. Recently Nintendo did a Paper Mario Thousand Year Door remake, which is an RPG game from the Gamecube era. One of my favorites, and I am in awe with how great it looks.

[@Boi-wot]

I feel this within the deepest crevices of my soul. The overabundance of EVERYTHING has ruined any ounce of enjoyment I could have. Growing up as a Zoomer just after the turn of the millenia, experiencing every exciting facet within said timeframe with the remaining novelty from the 80s and 90s still barely bleeding through into my life; experiencing VHS, walkman, VCDs, Sega Genesis, and the Ps1... Everything was so limited and I took pride in every little thing I had. Every game felt unique, every limitation that struck each game's development gave them a certain charm that I can't possibly articulate. I grew up in a country where drama is silenced, so I never managed to get into the online gaming scene until late 2018 because the culture was to absolutely *_never_* associate with complete strangers online, game or otherwise. This put me in this weird limbo where I have to keep up with everyone who are playing new hot titles, whilst I enjoy my time with singleplayer titles. I never got to jump to the Ps3 or the Xbox 360 until two years ago, and during the many years that I was stuck with not having access to every game under the sun; I enjoyed everything thoroughly. I've come to see new titles as being monotonous replicas with different mechanics being churned out every year, even if the reality doesn't reflect that, it all bleeds together so intensely that I can't distinguish "fun" with modern gaming. Rockstar hasn't released a title in forever, but somehow by proxy of being exposed to it so much on the internet; I've disassociated myself from seeing Rockstar games as a quality game developer who releases award winning media, to 'That one game I keep seeing everywhere the same way I see my own kitchen daily'. The spark, that wonder for playing just ceases to exist. I remember a time when every strict mom would explode if they found out their kid is playing videogames and rotting their brains with it, now it's overwhelmingly normal. Normal. I can no longer sift through a disc album, meticulously choosing a game and then absolutely enjoying my time. Now it's 'click', stare at ginormous library of games that will start with just a single button, and then close the folder or turn off the console thereafter. It doesn't help that games are not getting cheaper to run and is slippery slope for each and every game being released on whether they can play without crashing from bugs or incomplete data or what have you with the extra transactions that occur after buying a full priced title (especially on PC), playing those old titles that are unique and limited are now the only way to feel that cozy feeling I had as a child. If I could generalize the thing that ruined my media experience, it's when the internet became increasingly more mainstream and exceedingly commercialized. The internet singlehandedly unleashed the cascading events to today's media problem as a whole. When was the last time anyone looked up a cheat code for a new game? Almost none since game consoles became online. The only thing that DOES give me wonder are now everything that came during early HD gaming and prior. There's plenty, and it's enough to last me a long time. No hyper realistic games that are trying to emulate life, no multiplayer where insults flew everywhere, and the very limited amount of games I have grown accustomed to. The few times I try a new title, it's either out of random choosing after 30 minutes of wondering whether to play or not. Or I feel the need to fit in with the general populace who always keep up with the newest games. Or when I've managed to keep my piqued interest on a game long enough to play it and then finish it in one sitting-- or save the game, forgetting about it, and then moving to another title because the novelty has worn off. I envy fighting game players or sports game players, they're playing the one thing they're comfortable with. Limited to only their Fifas or NBAs every year, or Tekken and StreetFighter every 5 years or so. They play and play, never getting bored with it. I miss when handheld gaming was made to occupy the free time you had during busy days, not wasting your time or bleeding your wallet through microtransactions, and certainly not being spectacles akin to console gaming. The distinction was important, the limitation was important. Handhelds are now being built to run almost exactly like super computers. I'm not sure I know anyone in their right mind playing Cyberpunk during lunchbreak would care much about it looking like it's stronger platform counterparts. There are no 'handheld' consoles anymore, you have 'hand' 'held' consoles instead. You can't put them in your pocket anymore, you have to put them in a bag because of how large they are. I understand that circumstance require these consoles be larger to accomodate more power that current games require, but... I miss when they were actually hand sized... The Ps Vita and the 3DS I would consider the very last handheld consoles that deserve the denomination. They were still reasonable. I know I'm just ranting and venting by this point and my complaints don't factor much since most likely this line of thought will occur similarly with the new generation who grew up with these new technology. If people back in the day spoke of times prior to the computer, and then of times prior to the internet, and then times prior to the smartphone, and then times prior to V.R, and now on times prior to A.I A.I children might perhaps complain of holographs, or complain of brainchips. Lord knows brainchips are absolutely going to be the next boon considering the one person who got it apparently has Aimbot level of skill because the middleman between cognition and input is completely bypassed. That alone is going to be very appealing to many new young gamers... And the cycle continues...

[@MxArgent]

I've been thinking about the toll these eternally escalating expectations take on the state of the market. A lot of my favorite stuff of the past few years has come out of that small-medium indie space where there's room for lower scope and stakes. Hell, my overall favorite lately's been the System Shock remake and that's still a lightly dusted up title from 1994.

[@yoncreator]

Great point. Heard excellent things about System Shock and its legacy in gaming. I need to go back and check that game out. I feel similarly. Some of my absolute modern favorites in the last few years have come from studios that are not AAA. Hazelight Studios' "It Takes Two" comes to mind as a game that truly blew me away.

[@its_just_matt]

We've been flooded with games, not even to mention some of the fun new and free games on itch. We are painfully catered to and our time is demanded more and more as every year goes by. It's a weird time to live in. Games are fun, but the act of acquiring and playing those games has become something different. I prefer buying games by friends, or specifically getting physical versions and making the act of getting those physical games more of an event than just buying it online. I definitely feel better and have more fun with them when I do that.

[@yoncreator]

I relate to this a lot. There was a brief period around 3-4 years ago where I exclusively bought digital copies of games, and I regret it. Digital copies feel like just "renting" a game until the eshop closes - after which you can never get your game back. Also, trading games or letting friends borrow physical copies is something that is so cool and enjoyable!

[@TheTektronik]

I think this is where Temple Run took inspirations from.

[@yoncreator]

Hahaha! So many of my friends have said the same thing after seeing this video! The OG Temple Run - Pepsi Man.

[@nordicnostalgia8106]

I haven’t played Temple Run but the Pepsi Man style of gaming was quite common on the PS1 for some reason. I can think of Atlantis, Hercules, Crash Bandicoot and a Micky Mouse game doing the same thing. Only difference it was only certain stages doing it and not the whole game. I guess it comes from rail shooter from previous years such as Star Fox

[@infinity2z3r07]

really thoughtful dude. so many reasons why. comically/tragically overwhelmed by choice. how could anyone feel justified in choosing? give me a choice of 3 games/movies/songs and i know i'll pick the right one. a choice of 100 feels infinitely worse. a choice of 10000 makes me hate the thing itself. we're faced with a choice many times greater. this problem is a paradox, unsolvable and most of us feel it. btw i feel it's ok to get the same thing at a restaurant every time if you've tried at least a few other things 😅😅

[@TherealDCAvenger]

I have a home video of when I was younger bragging about my "massive" collection of comics and it was rather small and now that is actually really big, it feels so small Edit:My game collection was mostly random licensed games and some sonic games and I never felt like I had nothing to play, now that I have almost every game I want for the consoles I own I feel at times like I have nothing to play.

[@yoncreator]

Yeah, I totally feel that! It's so relative, and it's so wild to look back and think "wow, I can't believe I thought that back then compared to now!"

[@fench1234567]

A well constructed game can be simple and catchy, but it doesn't HAVE to be. What really satisfies and adds a sense of accomplishment varies from person to person, but many agree that a game needs a focused and well defined purpose for actions in game, as well as a balance between difficulty and freedom to complete the game as one chooses. For many, a rockin sound track was the ONLY reason they kept playing some games.

[@captain3186]

Today we live our lives inside an Endless Buffet that serves whatever we can think of vs Before we had to drive to the Restaurant and order a Dish offered on the Menu. We have Gorged ourselves Numb. We have basically OD'd and now struggle to appreciate or even identify a Good Meal. Too much of a Good thing, is a Bad thing.

[@yoncreator]

Yeah I feel like this is a part of it for sure! We have so much of abundance available to us. Just realizing how many free games I've collected on Epic Store over the years that I have never even touched blows my mind...

[@rokmare]

Back during the PS1 and PS2 era games were about creativity and giving unique experiences so there was more variety of games, today games are more about graphics and becoming more cinematic. With games being so expensive to make if it doesn’t make millions of dollars back it could shutdown an entire studio that’s why nobody willing to take creative risk like before

[@Dragonfury3000]

Great video discussion first of all. I think games in general got way bigger and more time consuming. That's a great thing to get more bang for your buck but the fun is about wanting more with less for the most part. After playing a game like Stray on PS5 that game reminded me the simpler times when 2 to 5 hour experiences were more common for high quality games and how that's usually more important than getting a bloated game like newer assassins creed or far cry games that usually can take over hundred hours to fully enjoy. There's a market for both types of games but I do prefer the simpler ones sometimes. It's easy to get burned out from videogames after playing open world games.

[@yoncreator]

Hey, I appreciate you watching and leaving a thoughtful comment! You make a fantastic point. I haven't gotten to try Stray, but your point regarding 2 to 5 hour game experiences really is a worthwhile detail to think about. I think games are expected to deliver on a ton of new features nowadays more than ever. I'm in agreement with you. It definitely may be just a preference thing, but I am much more in alignment with a really strong, extremely enjoyable 5 hour gameplay over a 100 hour game that is much more diluted (e.g. big open world games with tons of mid dialogue and auto generated animations). My hot take in gaming is that I dislike open world games for the most part. I'm much more into super tight and very well designed linear experiences (think Mario Galaxy - where each level has an extremely unique gameplay mechanic!)

[@Dragonfury3000]

@@yoncreator it's best to avoid those open world games for now even if their good like elden ring. I far enjoyed more playing Armored Core 6 because it's just a mission selection screen and off you go right into the action.

[@SpanishScion]

Just this past week I finished Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and that was the first new to me game in 5 years that Ive played until I saw the credits roll. I am not sure why; there's been plenty of games I've tried out before that, good games both old and new. Part of it is lilely that a lot of games I play are either sandbox strategy or multiplayer games that don't exactly have an end like that, but I've bought and dropped a lot of single player games too that just didn't hook me. Part of it might be the lack of "priming rituals", the magazine ads, hype from friends, physical purchases, manual reading, etc. Your mind was prepared to enjoy, even for games you knew you would never play. Endless possibilities, rather than an endless chore. To get back to Like a Dragon, that was a game, and series, that got hyped up around me for years before I decided to try it out. I was primed to enjoy it. The last game I finished before that was Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and I was there for the full reveal and hype cycle before release. Maybe that had someting to do with it? I don't know. What I do know is, I am probably going to play and finish all the remaining Yakuza games, and the prospect fills me with excitement, and not the mild dread that trying to finish other games eventually brought out. Its a good feeling

[@winrawrisyou]

15:55 I feel this video, just another guy who fits (most of) it. Now, I consider it a good thing I spend less time on games, so it's not a big issue, but it's an interesting thing to think about, about myself. I would say, there are just some ways the industry or tastes have changed, and if you like/dislike certain things then, within the bounds of certain genres, you really can get left behind and not just because you're super picky. I think multiplayer RTSs are the best example, since traditional RTS games rarely come out and rarely have much player count compared to their glory days. You're pretty much left behind just by liking that genre. Personally I like multiplayer FPSs, and in most games with cosmetics I find it much more difficult just to see people, which is a hugely significantly frustrating thing. Or, more generally, MOST multiplayer FPSs are a bit too similar: the stereotypical modern military shooter (even Battlefield set in WW1 has to have reflex sights!). To be fair I enjoyed Fortnite (with building) and The Finals, both interesting new takes on shooters. Of course, one can just play OTHER genres where you have fewer expectations/preconceptions, and I do, occasionally. I know I'm being ramble-y. I'm not sure why I find it so hard to articulate how I feel about this topic lol.

[@yoncreator]

You make a fantastic point and example about RTS games. I grew up on the OG starcraft and brood war myself. I remember when that game was all the craze back in the day. It's really wild to think such a popular game and genre is now mostly forgotten, like you said. I feel similarly about the mascot 3d platformers - the likes of Crash Bandicoot, Banjo Kazooie, Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter. They had their time in the sun, but now they are forgotten relics of the past. Before I knew it, no one was making 3d platformers anymore. There just isn't the interest or money to be made in that genre perhaps! No worries on being "ramble-y" I didn't find your comment to be so. If anything I am rambling for almost 20 minutes in my video, just saying a stream of consciousness that comes to my mind. I think it's hard to articulate how you feel about this topic because it's definitely one that is very complex and multifacted. My hope with this video was just to share my own feelings and to see if anyone else felt the same - I recognize that my perception isn't an objective truth. I'm really glad to see so many people engaging in discussion in the comments - it was my primary goal with this type of video.

[@winrawrisyou]

@@yoncreator Yes, it's nice to see people talking in an open and non-argumentative, non-accusatory way on YT for once, haha. On the note of platformers being old, I saw a few others mention liking old games they hadn't played in their youth. I'm another one. I'm not sure what the exact charm is, but even ones considered mediocre sometimes get my attention much better than many new games. Is it that when designers were still figuring everything out so more unique games came out? Were the AAA devs of the time less afraid to take risks? Certainly with cheaper production values, lower-budget devs could cram in more environments, more dialogue that didn't need voicing, & more ideas. Do the lesser graphics and audio allow our imagination to fill the details? Is it that the games were more focused, less crud in them (modern day crafting systems)? I don't know, although one must be careful about bias with selecting the best games of course. Anyway, it was a good video. :)

[@zwerne42]

1:46 Drinks coke dies

[@yoncreator]

Pepsi fan forever!

[@RubyJones-zj4fu]

Still having a great time been playing games for over 50 yrs playing ps5 Uncharted and during breaks I play a few of my arcade 1ups It's a great time .best it's ever been 😂

[@JetFireHawk]

I had stitch on ps2 aswell i remember that

[@yoncreator]

Hey lets go! Lilo and Stitch PS2 gamers unite!

[@Frank_42]

All these free games and 549 Steam games, and I can't think of what I want to play. To make it worse I just paid $36 for the new Riven game because I just had to play it. It's ok, but once I beat it, probably in a week, I will never touch it again.

[@yoncreator]

Man, I really feel that. That exact kind of sentiment is what got me yapping on my mic and talking about this topic on my video in the first place. There seems like there are some great suggestions in the comments on how to resolve this dissatisfaction we are both feeling. Hope some of the recommendations help you out!

[@quatreraberbawinner2628]

I think it's a lot of things nostalgia included, there is an idea that limitations breed creativity, nowadays we have ultra realistic graphics in 4k detail, but back in the day some of what you were seeing was left up to the imagination, you couldn't just rely on them either, you had to put gameplay first, and if you were making a game you had better have a killer soundtrack or your game was trash Online too has a lot to do with it as well, digital distribution has lowered the barrier for entry for alot of people and unfortunately this has meant a deluge of sub par indie games Or AAA unfinished live service games The point is to say its only nostalgia is missing the fact the game industry has changed and not all of those changes are necessarily good or at least have drawbacks

[@yoncreator]

For sure! I'm not an expert in this topic, but I agree with a lot of what you said. For example, Naughty Dog had to do a lot of clever tricks in order to get Crash Bandicoot (PS1) to look and feel the way it did. It was a technical marvel and achievement for sure and that kind of innovation came from overcoming limitations. It's really incredible what they were able to do. I definitely agree that I don't think it's just nostalgia. I acknowledge a lot of my enjoyment of some of these game has to do with nostalgia, but there are many games that I find extremely enjoyable and well made even compared to today's standards.

[@luketj]

i only ever play old games now. the only dev nowadays that still keeps me entertained is nintendo lol.

[@yoncreator]

For sure, Nintendo truly does make some games that always makes me want to buy their console. I don't think I really fully appreciated it at the time, but the Wii was such a groundbreaking invention. I remember playing Wii sports with my mom and dad, and they were actually having fun. They never played games together with me, but for Wii sports they were so willing!

[@billyj.causeyvideoguy7361]

To me its how old games felt like playing with toys. (And often focused on a few mechanics and did them well.) Games now are bloated and often look uncanny. There is also the issue of an increase in focus on pvp and not single player, and when a title is single player it often follows one of a few formulas. Nothing feels novel or “new” anymore either. It feels like we stopped pushing gameplay ideas forward outside of one or two titles a year that come and go with little legacy.

[@yoncreator]

I definitely do feel there has been a shift in big companies focusing on multiplayer live service game as opposed to single player games. From a business perspective, it's a no brainer. Microtransactions, despite everyone online saying how much they dislike it, makes developers exponentially more money than just selling retail copies. From a game enthusiast's perspective, I really do miss the old days when there were more single player games with no microtransactions baked into the DNA of the game.

[@novinceinhosic3531]

Gaming is now more of a job than actual relaxation.

[@billyj.causeyvideoguy7361]

@@novinceinhosic3531 yep

[@DiabolicCrusher]

Still is having more fun with less. We didn't know how good we had it. I personally even used to back in the day enjoy some games most people would call shit or janky(25tolife, Dead Island might fall into this category i guess), i genuinely had fun with those, nowadays we have truly garbage games, and the worst part is some of them are being made in a half-assed manner on purpose too. I still like to boot up original GTA SA and play through it for...i honestly lost count of how much times i did that, i like to get drunk and grind in Diablo 3 like i used to back in the day. Feel free to call me a washed up boomer gamer or whatever, but i genuinely don't remember when i had genuine fun with a relatively new game that isn't an indie. Luckily there's now plenty of things i can go back to, some of which i didn't even know about back in 2000's. I still feel like PS2/PSP era was the golden age for gaming, and i'm glad i basically got to grow up during that time and to experience that.

[@VitoBurrito]

Here before this videos blow up. Mark my words bro. Algorithm brought me here. I feel really the same. It's was so novelle and exiciting back then when I played xbox 360 and nintendo ds. And before that psx and ps2. Getting a new was so hype and you spend so much time because money was scarce. Now everything is kinda so saturated and so many dissapointments from devs. Gaming lost its magic. Kinda gard to explain. Your version of it is a nice perspective.

[@yoncreator]

Wow, thank you so much! To be completely honest, I'm already blown away by the view count as well as the comments in this video! When I posted it, I had little to no expectations and thought it would get a handful of views. After all, who would want to watch some guy playing a PS1 game while yapping about some random topic? Glad to hear that my talk has reached you. I definitely feel like the "magic" is something that is harder to access now. Some of the comments talk about how it can be an effect of growing older and the childish perspective (the real magic) is no longer there. That might be a part of it. I think there are still games that make me feel the kind of wonder that I had when I first played the original Crash Bandicoot or Metal Gear Solid. I think I may need to look a bit harder... Thanks for leaving a nice comment, very lucky to have you in my little corner of the internet. Hope to see you around.

[@nathantrudgill5057]

Things have become so readily available, that it's lost its value

[@shareofmoney]

Great video. I think it comes down to two things, too many options and not enough simplicity. Games now have a lot of depth but lack fun factor in my opinion. It's not good when a game feels like a lot of work to enjoy. Also, I think too much content and too many options can be off putting.

[@bluepriest6990]

For old school runescape people play it beacuse the newer one is hard to learn and the userbase is older. People become less willing and less able to play or learn newer things as they get older.

[@PJ-sv4iw]

that is wholly inaccurate. "not willing to play or learn new things the older they get?" LOL WUT.

[@bluepriest6990]

@@PJ-sv4iw It is entirely accurate and a well recorded phenomenon that around the age of 26 your neuroplasticity starts to decline. this results in things becoming harder to learn this results in people being less willing to put in the extra effort to try to learn these things.

[@muelabruno66]

Just pick a console. Old one would be best . Get the emulator and play every title on there. Its fun. Like a game with in games. Sometimes you play an hour or so on a game you never knew existed.

[@yoncreator]

Awesome suggestion!

[@anthonykarnes6804]

Imagination

[@anythingelse6232]

Its because the less was technically more, let me explain. A lot of the media or games felt more complete, most media now is recycled slop someone has already made and most of the games out now are half made with worlds that feel empty and have no soul on top of everyone trying to use a formula instead of trying new things outside of the box.

[@fizzyfuzz5878]

3:08 when you realize city escape from sonic adventure 2 ripped off Pepsiman

[@ThiennTaii]

Everything is relativity!

[@yoncreator]

You're so right!

[@tr909love]

Also making games look more realistic is stupid and making games like a movie is also stupid

[@yoncreator]

Yeah, it's all preference and depends on person to person, but I love more stylized graphics in games (e.g. Team Fortress 2).

[@fadercreek]

Sony and microsoft might have rushed to get good graphics way too soon

[@yoncreator]

I love modern graphics a lot, but there is a super special place in my heart for Playstation 1 era 3D graphics.

[@fadercreek]

@@yoncreator nintendo is genius , sega, atari, blaze entertainment and valve are sitting back and taking notes from them

[@MaoRatto]

15:18 That's exactly how I feel right now when it comes to the lack of any Voxel FPS games that don't have F2P mechanics and work.

[@yoncreator]

For sure, do you have any favorites or games that you wish there were more of? I feel this way about mascot / character 3D platformers (e.g. Crash Bandicoot, Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter, Banjo Kazooie)

[@MaoRatto]

@@yoncreator I want more of Blockstorm or Guncraft. Something that isn't Halo based... Blockstorm to me was the perfect game, but Indiegala wanted to be developers and not publishers which ruined it. Ace of spades classic/Open Spades is still played, but not the pacing I want. Blockstorm is what I would call a perfect casual and perfectly balanced User generated content game. It's a ticking time bomb due to no LAN mode. Voxel FPS Games take the part I hate about FPS games the lack of alternate routes, interactivity, and fixes it with alt-strats, interactivity, mostly punishing camping like in Blockstorm maps, Guncraft, it takes too much specialization, and also no custom guns anymore. The VOXEL Fps genre was an early 2010's trend that died in 2018 I would say. Mainly Guncraft and Ace of spades jagex competed, then later on in 2013, blockstorm and murder miners. Blockstorm was easily the much better game as there were more players, the best editor outside of no multiplayer for that feature, and all skins/playermodels/mechas/or anything. Could be user generated, leading to every match and round in the game. To be extremely unique from one another.

[@MaoRatto]

@@yoncreator I would say my love for 3D platformers and Voxel FPS games without F2P is how I feel. Mainly... These two genres are very niche, and also Voxel FPS games were... Perfect movement if timed perfectly can be much better than a normal FPS or less impacted by bad level design.

[@GuitarWithBrett]

It’s really not a new idea .. rural vs city where city is full of “too much stuff” is old theme and “things are changing too fast”. Just do stuff that is meaningful , use your intuition

[@Alexis.784]

Well this is easy, games don't be trying to be games no more, but simulators with a lot of shit to do. Not that having a lot of stuff to do in a game is bad, but playing gta 5 and later SA, well one it's a game and doesn't try being anything else, the other is more like a simulator that gets old pretty quick. But also the fact that this aplies to most games nowdays, yeah oversaturation is a factor in it, and also growing up, but bruh i'm an adult myself and still have fun playing games from the 90's and the 2000's as if i were a child again, and i'm not nostalgic myself that's for sure.

[@HorribleHomeVideo]

i remember but i am not a boomer, 1980 isnt boomer breh

[@gyozanomics]

ok boomer

[@yoncreator]

Haha, I'm starting to get to the point where I feel less and less connected with the young'uns hence the boomer feel

[@Gamesux421]

Is this people not having fun anymore after getting older and thinking its the whole world getting less fun and not them growing up?

[@x7heDeviLx]

You hit the nail on the head. People tend to think everyone knows what they know and feel what they feel.

[@sigmachud9092]

easy access and the sheer amount of games available have 100% changed the video game hobby, specifically. the way they are made, the way the user engages with them, it's is just a fact that it's not the same. for better or worse, everyone has an opinion. lots of people are growing out of playing games and refuse to just accept it and move on. i think that's part of it.

[@TheLoverOfYourMother1]

I thought so, until I started playing old games from Xbox/360 era that I never played and have been enjoying them more than most modern releases.

[@billyj.causeyvideoguy7361]

I dunno. You have a lot of teenagers on tiktok making content about how things were better before they were born. I just think the enjoyable parts of everything are on the decline despite the surface level appearance of progress. I kind of compare it to vfx: cgi is cheaper, faster, and more flexible than practical effects. But often feels way more like work than how fun practical was. (Spending weeks tweaking keyframes or materials looking at charts and node trees vs hanging out in a garage spraying and carving foam while listening to music.

[@tonycordero6105]

@@x7heDeviLxI disagree. I go out of my way not to think everyone feels how I do. What I typically see out there is that people choose to feel whatever they want in the moment as it suits them. No accountability, no regret.

[@tapioca8574]

Something I think a lot of people don't recognize is that things weren't better or simpler when they were a kid. In many ways things were a lot worse, but childhood has a way of blinding us to them. Even in the way they effected us, they tended to be filtered through the stresses and problems of our families more broadly and only impacted us indirectly. That simplicity in perspective of youth makes the overwhelming and difficult world one finds themselves in as an adult seem like things have gotten so much worse. In such an environment change and the new can become a bit of a subconscious fear, and clinging to a baseline, something deeply familiar and known such as old media, can be an anchor point. It can trigger a sort of memory of perceived better times and act as a comfort, almost like a trauma response. This illusion if not consciously recognized and acknowledged can be incredibly destructive in the perception of new things and a lack of interest in the future due to a desire to return to a mythologized past. The problem is it wasn't the media that made that time great, it was the ignorance brought on through childhood innocence. We yearn for a time before we knew anything about the world we live in. Granted, on top of that, being spoiled for choice does have negative outcomes in a way. Choice paralysis is a real thing, and having infinite access to entertainment is numbing for obvious reasons. Makes me think of when I buy candy at the gas station even though I hate it and it makes me feel bad physically. It's not special or a treat anymore. It's just a very cheap luxury I have effectively infinite access to, making my consumption of it lack any sort of special exclusivity it had when I was a kid. Why do I still buy it and consume it? Habit, I guess. Maybe it's that same chasing of the feeling I got as a child. Hard to say, but good to think on.

[@jakegriffin7002]

@@tapioca8574 Smash Bros Melee, Pokemon Emerald & Final Fantasy X2 tho. Most(younger&older)would still agree that those franchises hit their peaks then regardless of nostalgia

[@tapioca8574]

@jakegriffin7002 Games these days are definitely designed to be less fun to encourage microtransactions, but still. Not exclusively. There is a marked downgrade in AAA production quality.

[@yoncreator]

Thank you for such an insightful comment, I really enjoyed reading your perspective. I agree that childhood has a special, almost magical filter in the way that we perceive things - not just limited to media. The sense of returning to what is comfortable is something I definitely feel when I make choices on what to play, watch, or listen to. I've been intentionally thinking about my choices in media recently and making an effort to engage with more novel ideas and experiences. Yet, I do feel like there is more to this story than simply a perception issue. I do think some games have definitely taken steps back in terms of quality and innovation (e.g. Pokemon)

[@yoncreator]

I played Melee and Pokemon Emerald, and I definitely agree! Two of my favorites in the franchise. Especially with Pokemon, it's a shame that the series has taken many steps back. I remember being so excited about a new Pokemon game during the Gen 2, 3, 4 era. I think X and Y was the last game that I felt genuine excitement for, and Sword and Shield onwards was the time I started to be disappointed in the games.

[@yoncreator]

It certainly feels that way doesn't it? It's interesting. I'm not an expert in the topic, but from a cursory glance games cost so much more to develop now than before. I wonder why despite the increase in studio budgets and resources, our perception is that the quality has gone down over time.

[@teh0wnz0r76]

i mean, NES got super mario 1-3, megaman 1-6, ninja turtles, metal gear, operation wolf, duck hunt... sega genesis got sonic 1-3, earthworm jim, vectorman, road rash... the hits came non stop bak in the day. nowadays, outside GOTY winners, theres maybe1 or 2 other hits. shit absolutely got worse. ps2 got dmc 1-3, onimusha 1-4... ps3 got dmc4... ps5 got dmc5 n onimusha remaster, not even a new game...

[@yoncreator]

Oh man, you're listing out some banger games right now! Absolutely love Super Mario 3 (my favorite 2d platformer of all time). Earthworm Jim what a classic! I do think there are still fantastic games being made in the modern era, but for some reason I do think there is a bit of oversaturation of companies trying the "same type of game" over and over again. Seems like there is a big rush to create a "hero shooter" right now...

[@teh0wnz0r76]

@@yoncreator but ur wrong tho. theres nowhere near as many great, classic games bein made. the mentality n the motivation behind development is different. no need to lie to urself or try to cope. facts r facts. observable facts.

[@chunkymilk]

talking about old games and brings up Overwatch? lol

[@jakegriffin7002]

I think it has more to do with the rise of quid quo pro/nepotism in the video game industry. Developer jobs go to peoples kids or people who are willing to go the “extra mile” instead of the next Iwata or Sakurai

[@tapioca8574]

I think it's an entirely different angle. It went from a fairly niche industry to a very very popular and thus profitable one. As far as entertainment value, games these days aren't designed to be fun. They're designed to be addictive, with the promise of fun behind a purchase. It's not nepotism, but the fact shareholders instead of seeing video games as a small side industry who's success or failure isn't as important now see games as a tens or hundreds of million dollar investment with potentially hundreds or thousands of percent profitability if they can replicate the greatest monetary successes of the industry. TL;DR rich people saw GTA Online make Rockstar a squajillion dollars

[@PowerMetalReviews]

No-one in 2005 was pining for old tech from the 90s, nostalgia would have been taking out an Apple computer or commodore 64 or Super Nintendo and going, oh that's so cool; think about early lets play channels, but there was no antagonism to the present or wanting to return. This is completely different. The "new" things are in fact old, because everything is stagnant. And new stuff shouldn't require so much effort to try. Again, it required no effort to enjoy the Xbox 360 even if you loved Nintendo games. This just isn't nostalgia you know. Especially since many are wanting to go back to an earlier time, even though they didn't live through it. Which is not nostalgia by definition. You can't have rose tinted glasses for experiences you didn't have. Still, please consider doing an update to this video in 6 months and let us know if this attempt to reframe goes well, although I don't think it's nostalgia I'd be interested in seeing how it works for you.

[@dylives7667]

WTF you mean less? Back then each console had a plethora of exclusives. And you were lucky you got to have 1. And if it was the Gamecube you made a bad choice, as both the XBOX and PS2 could get easily hacked to unlock their full potential. So many games, so little time and money.

[@Sburner4]

>binge watch netflix >smokes weed >wanks at least 4 times a weak >doesn't do any exercise or physical activities >most of his social needs are meet through social media >"waaaa videogames aint fun anymore, what's wrong? :"( ITS THE INDUSTRY! >:("