As far as the forums? No. Most have either moved on, or become jaded and apathetic towards both retro collecting and modern/current gen gaming. That was the common thread of this place a decade ago, the reason why it was so active, because everyone was very personally invested in those things. We were all more than happy to trade notes, talk about hidden gems to look out for, show off pick-ups, talk about childhood gaming memories, tell wacky collector stories, create various ranking lists and best ofs, etc. But since the wind left the sails of why we were all here to begin with, solid community members disappeared and increasingly fewer came about to pick up their slack, it became more like sending messages into the void, and like "why bother?" Does anyone here have even a remote interest in the same things that I still care about regarding gaming or collecting anymore? As the sentiment has increasingly felt like a resounding "no" on both fronts, my desire to participate only diminished further. Gotta be honest.
I really couldn't have said it better myself.
I guess I send messages out into the void on here hoping someone will reply or contribute something. I get not being as into collecting, hunting for games, or being excited about new releases, I'm certainly one of those people. However, I'm still a gamer and someone who still considers video games to be an important part of my life. I know that's true for a lot of people that use this site, although I'm sure some have moved on. Obviously people can move on, go to different forum sites, go strictly to social media to discuss gaming, or do whatever they want to, but it's sad that so many have left behind a place that has one of the best gaming communities on the internet, at least used to.
Is it just me, or does it seem like interest in gaming is on the decline in general? I feel like there's less interest in gaming on sites like Youtube even, with most gaming content being rage bait or some pedantic video about some currently trendy game or series. I guess it all just kinda bums me out and makes me wish things were the way they were back in 2013/2014 when the zeitgeist felt like a bunch of people who were excited about gaming, both new and old, and tracking down games from their past.
As much as I don't like to admit, this generation and the ways things have been headed has been a bit rough. I'm not one to wallow in this and complain, in fact I try to make every effort to get excited and be enthusiastic over whatever crumb is dropping in the current scene. Like for example, Visions of Mana recently. It's a great game, nothing to throw a fit about there. I feel there has been plenty to satiate that hunger for gaming in the current age, IMO. But that's not to say that it's the same, because it isn't.
Like everything in life peaks, gaming reached a peak at a certain point, now it's on a downward trajectory. It's not 1998, or 2003, or even 2011 anymore. The industry is doesn't function in a healthy or practical manner any longer, it's become creatively bankrupt, riding heavily on nostalgia, gamers of certain demographic are feeling old and jaded, everything is online. It's a lot of things.
I still find a good bit of gaming entertainment to watch on YouTube, and I don't feel like that's dying off personally. I guess it depends on what aspect you're looking into. I still decry the death of physical media as a culprit in further atomizing everyone's experience with modern games. What's anyone buying, what do they own? Who knows. I feel like that's harder to convey when you don't have physical items trading around, and everything is tied to an account that only one person has access to. The sense of what's relevant or popular in this moment in time, almost doesn't matter anymore. Like when MP3s became dominant. Everybody has their own personal playlist now, and no one cares what someone else listens to. I can't think of the last time I saw someone wearing a t-shirt of a band, it's not even relevant in pop-culture anymore, the bands people listen to, because music isn't much of a shared experience anymore. I think video games are headed in that direction too.
Personally, I'm back into collecting once again, lol. I'll never be satisfied until I have everything I've ever wanted, and didn't know that I wanted. I also try to stay optimistic about the current gaming scene, even if it feels like no one gives a shit anymore, besides myself. How much longer will gaming be physical, and something you can take real ownership of and forever play on your own terms? Who's to say, but I'm relishing in the fact that it's still a thing. I'm gonna enjoy it while it lasts.
There have certainly been glimmers of hope in the current gen, and I agree about latching onto those when they present themselves. I'm still very optimistic and happy with where fighting games are at the moment, and between Capcom, SNK, Namco, and Arcsys the games are top notch for the most part, although DLC abuse is rife within the genre these days. Some games have literally half the roster behind paywalls which always pisses me off, but it typically doesn't detract from the base game which is still great. However, most other genres I care about seem to have fewer and fewer games I'm actually interested in. And then of course nearly every studio or dev wants to create the next big live service or always online game, which are more or less throw away, disposable games once they've reached their expiration date or been replaced by the next big fad game.
I've never really thought about how decentralized pop culture has become, but what you said makes perfect sense. Sometimes I feel like me not knowing what people are listening to as far as music is just a symptom of me getting older and more out of touch with what is currently cool. But I also think there's no such thing as big ticket acts anymore, at least any that have emerged in the last 10 years or so. Most of the mega stars are people/bands that rose to fame a decade or two ago, and they keep getting paraded out and promoted to superstardom every few years or so (ie. Beyonce, Taylor Swift). There really is no central place to find good rock music, for example, like there was 15-years ago or so, whether that was radio or MTV. It certainly has created less social cohesion and I can see gaming going in that direction too.
Show Posts