Gaming trends you miss

[Misumi]

Forgot to mention the magic that was Gameshark

 

Ahh the old Gameshark menus. Pretty sure I had some Gameshark Memory Card as well.

 

Personally I miss the demo discs that OXM used to bundle with their magazines. I found a lot of my games by playing the demos on those discs.

[Kiffster]

Expansion packs and internet-free games. Basically the pre-steam times.

Also miss thick, meaty game manuals and those huge 22x26cm or something game boxes that preceded today's plastic dvd cases. Miss the look and smell of those haha

[Vanzant]

Seeing who can get the high score.

[Journey_95]

I miss the time when open world wasn't forced on so many IP's just because it sells (Mirror's Edge, ME:A, DA:I, Mafia 3 all suffered from it). The same old padding and boring repetitive side quests just get old real fast, sick of this typical formula.

[doubleg213]

When there seemed to be hundreds of games available for very little money.

 

There was a place in the little town near me where you could buy Spectrum games, two pound a week pocket money and games costing 99p, £1.99 or £2.99. I'd buy one or two games a week generally and it didn't seem to matter, as if they turned out to be rubbish you could just go and buy some more the next week.

 

I still have them all in the loft and I must have well over 500 spectrum games alone up there.

Edited December 11, 2017 by doubleg213

[Dryspace]

There are literally thousands of games available for very little money now, and I wish they would all go away to wherever they came from.

 

If Steam were a physical store, a customer would suffocate under an avalanche of digital garbage well before he could locate a single quality game.

[Misumi]

Seeing who can get the high score.

 

If you have Steam on PC, there's a game called Ballistic Tanks which has that score system, along with the whole retro arcade feel. It's also got local co-op/split screen.

[Carbonox]

The instruction manuals that got you well immersed in the game world before even getting started. It was pretty sad to see them slowly fade away throughout the PS3 era.

[Saint seb]

Back when a game just was released without paywalls...good times...

Also these days games are like no longer that controversial i feel...

[D9fred95]

Memory cards. Hard drives are definitely more practical in this day and age, but memory cards had that charm. Call it nostalgia but I miss them. I still have my PS2 and Xbox 360 Arcade cards with stuff on them.

[trip]

Another nostalgia post and less of a trend but...I really miss the days of serious gaming magazines.

[Sombra]

The instruction manuals that got you well immersed in the game world before even getting started. It was pretty sad to see them slowly fade away throughout the PS3 era.

This, Vice City's manual was a nice read.

[Static]

Wacky oddball peripherals

 

 

And 80's / 90's video game advertisements.

[zypxel]

Fun

[Homemade Dynamite]

In the old days, game companies competed the have the most content in their games. Today, those same companies compete to have the least content in their games so they can sell the rest as DLC.

[Gnocchi Flip Flops]

I miss attention to detail. And a games that focused on something for everybody, variety. sh*t like this:

 

 

 

No other racing game gives me that feeling when I buy a car. I feel like nothing as cool as TDU1 for its time in the racing games segment will ever come again.

 

Ironically this game has an issue that I feel is a problem with many games today. DLC. They added a bunch of cars via DLC and removed the DLCs not long ago. Why? God forbid my Xbox 360 gives out. Not to mention when I bought the game one DLC was already removed. They then cut off the multiplayer mode.

 

Longevity is what I'm getting at. It's not a focus. You make a game. You make DLC. Then the game gets old and you cut off multiplayer and you get rid of the DLC and now whoever wants to play the game will never get the full package. It's dead.

 

I miss when I could get a game I knew I'd always be able to enjoy fully.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Scaglietti

[Algonquin Assassin]

I miss when how good or bad a game was come from simple word of mouth from your friends. Now it seems like most games are either successes or failures just because of their review scores.

 

I miss those days when my friends got a new game before me and could ask them how good/bad it was. Of course you can still do that, but it’s not like it used to be with all these internet reviewers and such.

 

Good old word of mouth seems to be getting lost in this day.

[Hmmm nice bike]

 

The instruction manuals that got you well immersed in the game world before even getting started. It was pretty sad to see them slowly fade away throughout the PS3 era.

This, Vice City's manual was a nice read.

 

Pretty much all of GTA's (as well as Manhunt's) manuals were fun to read, and they were pretty creative, too. Saints Row 1 even has a massive manual done in a very similar style to GTA's old manuals, except it was a police dossier written by one of the main characters and contained a load of information and background to the game. It's a shame that now most companies don't even bother doing this anymore, and I was surprised to see that all Rockstar included was just a sheet of paper in V. Truly a sign of a new era.

Edited December 29, 2017 by Hmmm nice bike

[TheOneLibertonian]

 

 

I miss attention to detail. And a games that focused on something for everybody, variety. sh*t like this:

 

 

 

No other racing game gives me that feeling when I buy a car. I feel like nothing as cool as TDU1 for its time in the racing games segment will ever come again.

 

Ironically this game has an issue that I feel is a problem with many games today. DLC. They added a bunch of cars via DLC and removed the DLCs not long ago. Why? God forbid my Xbox 360 gives out. Not to mention when I bought the game one DLC was already removed. They then cut off the multiplayer mode.

 

Longevity is what I'm getting at. It's not a focus. You make a game. You make DLC. Then the game gets old and you cut off multiplayer and you get rid of the DLC and now whoever wants to play the game will never get the full package. It's dead.

 

I miss when I could get a game I knew I'd always be able to enjoy fully.

 

While I really didn't like both TDU games all that much with the driving aspect itself is extremely dull and disappointing, I feel that both TDU's have very interesting concepts that I wish were present in more racing games today. Buying a car is never more satisfying than in TDU IMO. Personally, I think all the cool novelty elements such as interactable car dealerships, buyable houses, and avatar customization makes the game feel richer and more alive as a whole. The little things of course are just little, but they are significant to make the game more complete and I feel that is what lacking in most games today. Games should innovate and set trends, but most publishers today would rather make a co-existing game with a fresh coat of paint instead for maximum profit.

[B Dawg]

While I really didn't like both TDU games all that much with the driving aspect itself is extremely dull and disappointing

How so? Some of the most fun I've had driving was in TDU1, even more so with Hardcore Mode and the Ultra Community Pack. It was pretty much the perfect middle-ground/sim-cade racer (until Forza Horizon which looks better, which sadly is Xbox or W10 exclusive so can't confirm that), not too arcade, but not too simulation either.

Drifting around curvy roads in Muscle Cars or speeding on the highways in Sports cars was, and still is pretty satisfying.

Could never tolerate TDU2 due to it's retarded camera system, story, characters, progression system, etc... (hey, lets add stupid cutscenes with annoying pricks straight out of Ballad Of Gay Tony in a driving game). It also seemed inferior driving wise too.

Edited January 1, 2018 by B Dawg

[Dryspace]

The only racing games I have played in the last several years are Grid and Need for Speed: Shift. While NFS: Shift is clearly not a simulation, I was very impressed with the feel of driving--particularly the fact that the camera moves in response to inertia. If I had been told about that, I would have probably scoffed, but after Shift, a game without the camera movement seemed much less realistic (As an aside, I realize that that would need to be disabled for VR).

 

I felt that Shift did a good job at making me feel like I was actually handling these machines, even though the physics left a lot to be desired. Of course, I was using a controller with digital brake and throttle, and thus was forced to engage throttle and brake assists, so the overall modeling probably didn't bother me near as much as if I had been using a proper wheel and pedals.

 

My question is: Since Shift is the only standard I have for arcade-style racing, how does Test Drive Unlimited, or other games, compare?

[Guest]

This is how we did lan with 1 TV and 1 game console in the early 90's.

 

One large piece of cardboard for the bottom half of the screen. Tapped and propped up with a bed sheet draped over the top.

 

[TheOneLibertonian]

 

While I really didn't like both TDU games all that much with the driving aspect itself is extremely dull and disappointing

How so? Some of the most fun I've had driving was in TDU1, even more so with Hardcore Mode and the Ultra Community Pack. It was pretty much the perfect middle-ground/sim-cade racer (until Forza Horizon which looks better, which sadly is Xbox or W10 exclusive so can't confirm that), not too arcade, but not too simulation either.

Drifting around curvy roads in Muscle Cars or speeding on the highways in Sports cars was, and still is pretty satisfying.

Could never tolerate TDU2 due to it's retarded camera system, story, characters, progression system, etc... (hey, lets add stupid cutscenes with annoying pricks straight out of Ballad Of Gay Tony in a driving game). It also seemed inferior driving wise too.

 

I'll admit that TDU1's physics are much better than the atrocity that is TDU2's, but while I do love the cars and Hawaii itself, driving in TDU1 doesn't really grab my attention. It just tries so hard be a bridge between simulation and arcade. The physics lack finesse and responsiveness, even Assetto Corsa or Project Cars 1 feels better with a controller out of the box. Forza Horizon 3 on the other hand, while slightly more arcade than TDU, does a better job balancing fun and realism in my opinion. However, TDU does a much better job at presenting, and letting players to immerse themselves with the plethora of content available.

 

I still do appreciate TDU, and all it's concepts have so much potential to them. However, the most important aspect of a racing game is the driving itself. TDU fails to impress me there. But, if you ask me what games an craft my ideal racing game? TDU would definitely be there. It would be all the social features & map from TDU, together with the customization & car selection of Forza, with the physics and presentation of Gran Turismo. That would be ideal virtual car heaven for me. I think that I was too harsh on my opinion of TDU in my previous post, but other than the driving itself, I think it is a great game at that.

Edited January 3, 2018 by TheOneLibertonian

[Tokasmoka]

I mentioned this in another thread but my mom once called the Nintendo hotline to get the Password to fight Tyson in Mike Tyson's Punchout and then put that code down in a card and put it in my stocking for xmas, that got her inducted into the Parental Hall of Fame(RIP). So I guess I miss the nostalgia of passwords and gaming hotlines lol. I also miss the good ol' days of reading Nintendo Power mags as a kid. I remember they had an interview with the guy that played Bud Bundy in Married with Children and he gave tips on how to play Double Dragon like pretending that's your girlfriend they kidnapped lol. I know this is all lost on anyone born after 1985.

 

Most importantly I miss renting games at the video store. I used to hide the tags on the games I wanted to rent so they'd be available on the weekend. I see that ad for the power glove and I rented that once, it was a disaster but look at that ad, what 10yo kid wouldn't want that! I remember renting the Game Genie too, had a lot of fun with that. Also controllers with Turbo buttons because most games for Nintendo were all about that finger dexterity.

 

Good Thread!

Edited January 11, 2018 by Tokasmoka

[Rhoda]

I know these are still sold, but you talking about peripherals got me thinking about the third party controllers that were sold around the time of the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. They're still around, but they were much more prevalent 15/20 years ago. They looked similar but they always had that cheaper feel that pretty much meant it was designated second player material. Then there were the see through controllers, which really were the hot spit on a cheerleader's back tattoo. If you owned one of these and your friend came around, it was a sure thing that they would never get to touch it. If you had a friend who owned one, you know what I mean. This is a photo of a rare combination of the two...

 

[Algonquin Assassin]

I had a few of those controllers for my PS2. They sure did feel cheap though lol.

[Sanches]

Quality.

[Daz]

I miss games having a purpose built training area separate from a main story to try first before jumping into the main game, which also let you skip it and was not integrated into a bullsh*t mission at the start of the game. If more games did this we could avoid pointless tutorial quests. I don't need to be told how to climb a ladder half way through RDR. I also missed games not showing you where to go all the damn time, it eliminates a lot of mystery in the game. I remember playing Goldeneye and it was that age old thing in games during that specific time that just because they built a building somewhere you expected it to be reachable. So I would constantly think I could get to another area at the dam on Goldeneye, or be able to get to the observatory on GTA3. Why would they build it if we couldn't get to it? I always shot all the scientists too and always wondered why I kept failing each mission. The easter egg of shooting one in the hand and have them take a gun out didn't help to identify them as "innocent civilians" that just didn't compute in my brain as a young gamer where if it can be shot it obviously is designed to be shot. Why would you not shoot all things that can be shot?

 

I also miss cheats, thats all I did with games from the N64 and PS1 era onwards, the only reason I ever used the internet in the 90s were to print off cheats from cheatcc.com off my mate's dad's computer, the only one with known internet in the whole of the city. Now its dead because of achievements, and more recently being able to force you to pay for it instead of it being a code everyone passed around at school. That was 80% of how I gamed back in the day. All gone now.

 

I miss classic co-op games. A full singleplayer story but with the optional buddy, it seems to go in and out of trends these days, I remember one of the James Bond games, Everything or Nothing, I believe it was called, it was when it moved from FPS from Nightfire to third person, back when it was still Brosnan, and even though it had crappy lock on targeting it had right analog stick movement to move a cursor in the lock on circle to be able to headshot people. That was great and I remember having to drag a mate round just to play split screen co-op on that thing, that really set off my desire for some co-op play. Same goes with Conflict Desert Storm, one of the best games ever, something that to this day I don't believe of any game utilizing. Having a squad of 4 that you can instantly switch between. I loved being able to set up all soldiers covering different areas manually. It worked so well and they never wandered around, they always stayed put until told to follow. That had great co-op, even in the first level your sniper was in a jail cell so in co-op they had to sit there in jail until player 1 had to rescue them. That sh*t was a proper game. The sound of tank tracks made you literally sh*t yourself due to how scary and dangerous they were.

 

I miss games that weren't trying to impress everyone and please everyone. I really think its so rare these days to find a truly unique game, or something that is hardcore into it's own genre. Everything has merged. I do like my Fallout games to have good gunplay like a proper FPS, but I do miss a lot of the options. If I buy a driving game, I want it because I am interested in cars and driving, I do not want a f*cking murder plot as a "story" for a driving f*cking game. Even though I love The Crew, that has some awful sh*t about it. It only shines when you turn all voices, prompts, music, and every hud element off. That is where it becomes a game.

 

I miss games shutting the f*ck up. Following on from the above. I just want to be told the briefing, or have objectives saved somewhere, and be NOT told by someone over the intercom that this gun can fire a bullet if I hit RT. They need to f*ck off, it breaks all immersion. I want to go deep into the game to the point where I feel like I am alone playing. That is something a lot of old PC games felt like. I know I will like a game when it feels like a PC mod, just pure game, no voice over except sound effects.

 

I also miss games that never had f*cking collectibles. If you are going to do that, make it a small amount, make us work for each one, and make each 10 or so give us something super useful that we will want to do it each time we replay the game, such as Fallout with the bobbleheads or GTA3, a new free gun at your hideout on each 10 found. FFS, I don't want pointless time wasting.

 

And lastly I miss games that had a good gameplay hook and built on top of it, rather than just being a game for the sake of it, just to make some more cash for the next year.

 

More I assume I have probably forgotten, all for now. Some things to think about.

[Tech-Noir]

Good box art and proper manuals will be missed.

 

The manuals going away I can deal with a bit, because tutorials replace them, but the box art these days is absolutely awful. You have fantastic ones like Doom's alternate art, but horrible lazy ones like...

 

 

Horrible.

[Static]

 

Top 5 alt cover right there. Reminds me of the Catcher in the Rye cover