It's hard to believe that Video games are now in their 8th generation, and the medium has come a long way since its humble Pong beginnings. We've had good gens, we've had bad ones, but which generation did you think was your favorite, and which was your least favorite?
My favorite generation so far has to be the 6th Generation with the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Dreamcast, and GBA. Not only was it the generation I grew up on, but it was also where Video games really hit their peak IMO. No longer were they seen as just toys for kids, but events rivaling movies or music videos. It felt like there was a wide array of ideas being experimented and you had everything from Cartoony Platformers marketed together with Gritty GTA games. Importantly, it was the generation where Video Games really started looking and playing like they were intended to, especially coming from the very basic 3D capabilities of the preceding generation. There were now fully realized world to explore, with tons of things happening, characters that looked like their official renders that could form real body movements and lip sync, gameplay that was smooth, tight, and responsive, and of course, the rise of Online Multiplayer. It's so good, that a large portion of games from this era still look and play well to this day, which is a reason why publishers continue to keep re-releasing games from this period. It really felt like this was the generation where video games really started to become something special.
Honorable mention goes to the current 8th generation with the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. Yes, a lot of people may have their grievances with some of the practices this generation, but I feel 8th gen is the best we had since 6th. For one all three consoles these days are incredibly easy to develop for thanks to their PC-like hardware and wide array of engine support. Because of this, and the improvements made to digital distribution, it feels like there's a wider spread of ideas and visuals this generation than the one preceding it. It's so easy to make a game now, that console libraries are now massive. eSports is finally hitting the mainstream, the lines between casual and hardcore gamers and gaming continue to blur and become more dynamic, And this is the generation where you have colorful games that can run on toasters like Fortnite, Rocket League, Shovel Knight, Celeste, and Overwatch being some of the most popular and well received games alongside your usual AAA titles. Honestly if game generations stopped here, I'd think I'd be pretty happy.
My least favorite generation though, has to be 7th generation with the PS3, 360, Wii, DS, and PSP. Looking back, I don't hate it as much as I used to. Much like 6th generation, a lot of 7th gen titles still look and play very well today, which is again, why we see so many remasters and ports from this era even today. But I think its the generation that probably won't age that gracefully. The gargantuan power increase of the HD systems means AAA development skyrocketed, leading to games becoming more focus-tested and by-the-numbers, which means all those unique, mid-budget titles from the 6th generation vanished from HD systems. At the time the infrastructure to launch a successful indie game on consoles just wasn't there yet. Sure you had Xbox Live Arcade, which did pretty well in getting the concept started, but none of the big three really provided an environment where these kinds of games can succeed. As a result, indie games were predominantly on PC. All those aforementioned mid-budget games also retreated to either the PC, PS2/Wii, or DS/PSP, as the HD systems at the time weren't the easiest to develop for, particularly in the PS3's case. And of course, motion controls and casual games first got their rise on consoles with the success of the Wii, and what did publishers do with that? Shat out an endless stream of shovel-ware and broken waggle garbage to fund the HD AAA Shooter or Action game of their dreams, which was unfortunate to say the least. Also, at least early in the gen, many games had a bad habit of forcing bloom lighting into everything, which makes a lot of games look glossy and plastic-ey by today's standards. 7th generation had its bright spots, but it was mostly an era of underused potential, awkward trends, and lots of brown.
My favorite generation so far has to be the 6th Generation with the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Dreamcast, and GBA. Not only was it the generation I grew up on, but it was also where Video games really hit their peak IMO. No longer were they seen as just toys for kids, but events rivaling movies or music videos. It felt like there was a wide array of ideas being experimented and you had everything from Cartoony Platformers marketed together with Gritty GTA games. Importantly, it was the generation where Video Games really started looking and playing like they were intended to, especially coming from the very basic 3D capabilities of the preceding generation. There were now fully realized world to explore, with tons of things happening, characters that looked like their official renders that could form real body movements and lip sync, gameplay that was smooth, tight, and responsive, and of course, the rise of Online Multiplayer. It's so good, that a large portion of games from this era still look and play well to this day, which is a reason why publishers continue to keep re-releasing games from this period. It really felt like this was the generation where video games really started to become something special.
Honorable mention goes to the current 8th generation with the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. Yes, a lot of people may have their grievances with some of the practices this generation, but I feel 8th gen is the best we had since 6th. For one all three consoles these days are incredibly easy to develop for thanks to their PC-like hardware and wide array of engine support. Because of this, and the improvements made to digital distribution, it feels like there's a wider spread of ideas and visuals this generation than the one preceding it. It's so easy to make a game now, that console libraries are now massive. eSports is finally hitting the mainstream, the lines between casual and hardcore gamers and gaming continue to blur and become more dynamic, And this is the generation where you have colorful games that can run on toasters like Fortnite, Rocket League, Shovel Knight, Celeste, and Overwatch being some of the most popular and well received games alongside your usual AAA titles. Honestly if game generations stopped here, I'd think I'd be pretty happy.
My least favorite generation though, has to be 7th generation with the PS3, 360, Wii, DS, and PSP. Looking back, I don't hate it as much as I used to. Much like 6th generation, a lot of 7th gen titles still look and play very well today, which is again, why we see so many remasters and ports from this era even today. But I think its the generation that probably won't age that gracefully. The gargantuan power increase of the HD systems means AAA development skyrocketed, leading to games becoming more focus-tested and by-the-numbers, which means all those unique, mid-budget titles from the 6th generation vanished from HD systems. At the time the infrastructure to launch a successful indie game on consoles just wasn't there yet. Sure you had Xbox Live Arcade, which did pretty well in getting the concept started, but none of the big three really provided an environment where these kinds of games can succeed. As a result, indie games were predominantly on PC. All those aforementioned mid-budget games also retreated to either the PC, PS2/Wii, or DS/PSP, as the HD systems at the time weren't the easiest to develop for, particularly in the PS3's case. And of course, motion controls and casual games first got their rise on consoles with the success of the Wii, and what did publishers do with that? Shat out an endless stream of shovel-ware and broken waggle garbage to fund the HD AAA Shooter or Action game of their dreams, which was unfortunate to say the least. Also, at least early in the gen, many games had a bad habit of forcing bloom lighting into everything, which makes a lot of games look glossy and plastic-ey by today's standards. 7th generation had its bright spots, but it was mostly an era of underused potential, awkward trends, and lots of brown.
