Things from previous console gens that you miss?

[finalark]

For me, it's two things. Local multiplayer and simple consoles.

Local is a dying breed, which is a shame since some of the best gaming experiences I've ever had were with local multiplayer. Online is great for a number of reasons, but there's nothing quite like the feeling of camaraderie as high-fives are passed around the room after beating a tough boss or seeing the look of surprise on your buddy's face as you usurp his first place position or find out exactly where he was sniping from. We'll always have fighting games to keep local around, but unfortunately its a dying art in nearly every other genre.

Simple consoles. I'm gonna be honest here, I don't use 90% of the features included with my game consoles. My Wii U is used to play Wii/Wuu games, to download digital copies of old titles and that's it. My PS3 is used for mostly the same thing, only add "watch DVDs and Blu Rays" to that list. I don't need what basically boils down to a living room PC. If I buy a game console all I want to do is slap a disk into something, press go and play. Having to wade through fifteen minutes of nonsense whenever you get a new game is not a good time.

So how about you guys, what's some old stuff that you miss?

 

[Bairbie]

While I love internet being an big part in newer consoles, I can't help but wish it were a special feature and not a requirement. It might be because I don't have internet, but I miss being able to buy a game or turn on a console without being locked out due to no internet connection. I'm looking at Splatoon/Wii U in particular.

 

[_gold_]

Far too many next-gen games I've seen are only single player games. At least locally. I understand that online multiplayer is much more popular than local multiplayer nowadays, but sometimes I just want to take a load off and play with my friends on the same console. Having game nights with your buds still consist of the same fimiliar games (eg. Golden Eye or Combat Evolved). These are examples of games that are perfectly crafted to support local multiplayer, and they're loads of fun too! It's fine for game developers to evolve with the times, but don't forget your roots either. I'd love to play splitscreen Halo 5 with my friends once it's released, but I can't. That's just one example and there are many more.

Secondly, everything is open-world it seems. Open-world games are extremely fun. The player gets to immerse themselves into that world and discover what it has to offer. But it seems like that's what many developers are only making. It gets a little redundant after awhile, and sometimes I just want a basic, linear game.

 

[Twewy]

Backwards compatibility. Luckily it's coming back.

 

[Powerman293]

Start up screens. Watching something like the eriey PS2 opening or the gamecube is minor but added a nice touch to the console experience. The last system I can remember that had a decent one was PS3.

 

[Deleted member]

Local multiplayer. Sure, online multiplayer is the big thing nowadays, but I miss it when it was all about local play. You rarely see that these days. I also wish some games didn't depend on Internet connectivity in order to function.

 

[Frisk.]

I just wish that we weren't constantly having gimmicks forced down our throats. I just want to play games, not waggle my arms around or dance about in front of a camera. I'm not against innovation, I just dislike innovation for the sake of innovation. Older consoles were more basic but that was perfect and got the job done.

I'm all for consoles having more functionality, whether I use those options or not. Having options is always a good thing unless it gets in the way of the main focus of the system, playing the games. I feel that originally the Wii U was a little tedious to navigate since you had to wait for the menu to load but now that they have introduced a quick start menu it's all good.

 

[DragonBlade64]

Although it's not too much of a problem (especially on Nintendo's part) and I myself haven't experienced it, I think a lot of people would like newly released games to not be "broken" at launch. You guys probably remember last year there were a bunch of big titles that had major problems at launch from multiple glitches to online servers not working. It kinda makes you think about the days when developers actually took the time to check all their games before they released them to make sure that they're the best they can be.
Nowadays it's just, "Get the game out as soon as possible. We'll patch up any problems on launch day."

 

[Kurri ★]

Although it's not too much of a problem (especially on Nintendo's part) and I myself haven't experienced it, I think a lot of people would like newly released games to not be "broken" at launch. You guys probably remember last year there were a bunch of big titles that had major problems at launch from multiple glitches to online servers not working. It kinda makes you think about the days when developers actually took the time to check all their games before they released them to make sure that they're the best they can be.
Nowadays it's just, "Get the game out as soon as possible. We'll patch up any problems on launch day."

Did developers actually take the time to make sure a game was polished, or did we just forgive or completely forget about games that were broken? I know it may seem like they're spending less time now, but I feel they've always been spending little time, we're just now acknowledging it.

I don't know if there's much I actually miss from previous generations. Local multiplayer is cool, but I just open up a VOIP service like Mumble, and although there's no physical interaction, it feels mostly the same, if not, better actually. And I honestly love how consoles are adding more features, even if I only ever really use Spotify and Netflix, I dunno, makes it feel more than just a console and I like that.

Uhh... I guess I miss being able to make custom themes, iirc PS4 doesn't allow that

 

[EZdelFresco]

Local is a dying breed, which is a shame since some of the best gaming experiences I've ever had were with local multiplayer. Online is great for a number of reasons, but there's nothing quite like the feeling of camaraderie as high-fives are passed around the room after beating a tough boss or seeing the look of surprise on your buddy's face as you usurp his first place position or find out exactly where he was sniping from. We'll always have fighting games to keep local around, but unfortunately its a dying art in nearly every other genre.

You hit the nail on the head with this one. There are so many games that get released nowadays that would be PERFECT with local multiplayer, but they just don't have that option. It's sad really. I have friends with **** internet, and friends with no internet at all. But instead of just inviting them over for games, we just have to put up with lag or not play at all. It's stupid. On another note, I miss the thick little booklets that used to come with games. I know some still have them, but I don't see them too often. They used to have a plot synopsis, character bios, and a lot of other interesting ****. When I was in school, if I ever got a new game I'd take the booklet with me to read during downtime in class.

 

[finalark]

Did developers actually take the time to make sure a game was polished, or did we just forgive or completely forget about games that were broken? I know it may seem like they're spending less time now, but I feel they've always been spending little time, we're just now acknowledging it.

There were a number of high profile games that were released in a half finished state back then. A few good examples include Daikatana, the black label version of Spyro 3 believe it or not, Star Ocean Second Story, and Sonic 3 without Knuckles. That being said, I feel like the number of devs rushing things out the window with a "we can patch it later" mentality has increased in recent years. The original 2010 version FFXIV, Asscreed Unity, Battlefield 4 and the PC version of Arkham Knight are all good examples of this.

Ironically, some studios release half finished games all the time to critical acclaim. Hell, I'm pretty sure Obsidian built its career on half finished games.

 

[Spennicus]

I miss being able to just put a game into my console and immediately play it. Nowadays you have to go through start-up menus and occasional updates which, if your internet connection is as bad as mine, can take up to ten minutes to download.

 

[radio silent]

I miss high frame rates being fairly standard in console games. I feel like around the PS2 era, most devs kinda came around to the idea of making games that don't run like trash. These days, you get a lot of devs trying too hard to stretch consoles to their limits, ending up with games that run horribly, and usually don't even look that great.

 

[Minato]

Memory cards sort of. I do like the fact of being able to bring my memory card to a friend's house or copy save data.

 

[MonadoMaster64]

I miss when developers took chances on video game ideas. Making an rpg with mario characters or giving sonic a boost feature, these were ideas that were fresh and nothing that the franchise had seen before. Video games take more time and money to make noways, but sometime I want to be surprised and not get the norm.

 

[Pachinkosam]

I used to buy the next gen consoles for the graphics PlayStation one and moving to PlayStation 2 was a big step with graphics Then PlayStation 3 come out i was like wow it beat the PS2 graphics. But i think PS3 was the max for graphics.

 

[GenNyan]

I miss being able to just put a game into my console and immediately play it. Nowadays you have to go through start-up menus and occasional updates which, if your internet connection is as bad as mine, can take up to ten minutes to download.

You stole mine. Melee takes 15 seconds to start playing once you put the disc in. Sm4sh takes 5 agonizing minutes.

But don't forget that when you get a new console, you need to enter your name, address, wifi password, credit card info, etc. And then 20 updates! Then, a few hours later you can finally create your mandatory avatar/mii, and only THEN you can put a disc in and just play a freakin game.

 

[Soul Train]

I miss hating my console. Praying to it. Loving it. Then hating it again.

My NES was a stuck up, snarky little ****. It only granted you play time after endless cycles of jamming the reset button, blowing in the cartridge (swear to begeezus it works), jiggling the cartridge around, and praying for mercy. Then if anyone so much as nudged the thing it would reset and lose your data.

I hated it. Brothers and friends had their SNES/Genesis/Gamegears that all worked perfectly. Why couldn't I just sell the NES, fix it, get something else? I certainly wanted to. But the problem was, I loved that monster, in a kind of masochistic way. Yeah it was a weird relationship, but it was mine. And that was all I wanted anyways.

*sniff* I'm m'kay. Console relationships today just aren't the same.

 

[zaiman12345]

Wii.
+
Gamecube.

WAI COULDN'T THEY MAKE IT SO THAT THE GC GAMES COULD PLAY IN WIIU?
I HAVE A WII AND GAMECUBE SO I'M NOT WITHOUT GC (i technically have two of them and a wii) BUT STILL!!!
WHAT IF THE NEW KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE THINGS WANT THEM?!

 

[Kurri ★]

Wii.
+
Gamecube.

WAI COULDN'T THEY MAKE IT SO THAT THE GC GAMES COULD PLAY IN WIIU?
I HAVE A WII AND GAMECUBE SO I'M NOT WITHOUT GC (i technically have two of them and a wii) BUT STILL!!!
WHAT IF THE NEW KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE THINGS WANT THEM?!

Probably price... That's why the PS3 was so expensive at the start

 

[_gold_]

Adding to my list, I miss the days where I could buy a new game, insert it into my console, and just play. What I mean is that I miss the days where I didn't have to download a game to my hard drive before playing it. Sure, I'll download it to my hd sooner or later, but first, I just want to play it.
For example, Elder Scrolls Online for the XOne. I go to BestBuy around 11 o'clock in the morning, get home, but the game doesn't finish downloading till around 5 o'clock p.m. later that day. I'm not sure if the PS4 is the same way, but that's one feature I could live without.

 

[DragonBlade64]

Wii.
+
Gamecube.

WAI COULDN'T THEY MAKE IT SO THAT THE GC GAMES COULD PLAY IN WIIU?
I HAVE A WII AND GAMECUBE SO I'M NOT WITHOUT GC (i technically have two of them and a wii) BUT STILL!!!
WHAT IF THE NEW KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE THINGS WANT THEM?!

It's the way how the Wii U is built. From what I've heard, the disc drive of the original Wii had a little slot built in it for mini-DVD discs, allowing Gamecube discs to be used. Wii U doesn't have that, which is why it spits out a Gamecube disc when you put it in.

I've also heard that the Wii U lens reads discs differently than a Wii lens which could also be part of the reason, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[finalark]

WHAT IF THE NEW KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE THOSE THINGS WANT THEM?!

I'm pretty sure if kids want old games these days they download them. No twelve year old has the allowance to afford GCN games these days anyway.

 

[SurrealBrain]

Gonna sound weird, but...I kinda miss the older graphics.

Don't get me wrong, some games do amazing things with newer graphics, and some games (like Mega Man 9 & 10 and Shovel Knight) use a style similar to them, but still...

I also miss the days when developers took more chances. Probably why indies do so well, really.

 

[Minato]

Gonna sound weird, but...I kinda miss the older graphics.

Don't get me wrong, some games do amazing things with newer graphics, and some games (like Mega Man 9 & 10 and Shovel Knight) use a style similar to them, but still...

I also miss the days when developers took more chances. Probably why indies do so well, really.

Retro games will always have that charm with its art style for me. Same goes for 8 bit music.

Reminds me that I want to try out that FF7 demake one day with NES graphics lol

 

[Spak]

The price of video games nowadays.

I mean, it's kinda absurd that we have to pay $60 for a new gen game when 2 gens ago, the price for Player's Choice (Nintendo) games was from $20-30, Greatest Hits (Sony) were from $20-25, and Platinum Hits were $20, while the normal price for a new game console was just $40-50. I know inflation is bad, but it couldn't have inflated that much over the past 10 years.

 

[DragonBlade64]

The price of video games nowadays.

I mean, it's kinda absurd that we have to pay $60 for a new gen game when 2 gens ago, the price for Player's Choice (Nintendo) games was from $20-30, Greatest Hits (Sony) were from $20-25, and Platinum Hits were $20, while the normal price for a new game console was just $40-50. I know inflation is bad, but it couldn't have inflated that much over the past 10 years.

I remember those. Most stores in my area had newly released GCN games for $30-$40. In about a year or two, those games would go down $20-$30.

 

[Kurri ★]

The price of video games nowadays.

I mean, it's kinda absurd that we have to pay $60 for a new gen game when 2 gens ago, the price for Player's Choice (Nintendo) games was from $20-30, Greatest Hits (Sony) were from $20-25, and Platinum Hits were $20, while the normal price for a new game console was just $40-50. I know inflation is bad, but it couldn't have inflated that much over the past 10 years.

I'll admit, I don't know much about money, but I don't think you can look at one generation and see $30, and look at another see $60 and conclude that games are now more expensive. I'm not 100%, but I believe games are actually cheaper now, at least that's what I recall from a few articles I've read.

Also, I miss jet Set Radio Future. I mean it is technically something from previous generations.

 

[Spak]

I'll admit, I don't know much about money, but I don't think you can look at one generation and see $30, and look at another see $60 and conclude that games are now more expensive. I'm not 100%, but I believe games are actually cheaper now, at least that's what I recall from a few articles I've read.

Also, I miss jet Set Radio Future. I mean it is technically something from previous generations.

Combine that with the absurd DLC prices and season tickets and you're up to $100 for a new game with all the content.

Also, $1 in 2001 is worth $1.35 now. That means the $40 games should be up to $54 (probably 55 for marketing's sake), and the $20 games would be worth $27 (we'll round that up to 30), and $30 would be $40. Now, imagine getting the next Smash Bros game for $40.

On top of that, a lot of XBone and PS4 games (along with 360 and PS3) have season tickets for all the content that they decided not to put in the game because they'd get more money if they rushed their game out the door and charged for content people would get if they waited another 6 months. Heck, some companies make the DLC before the game comes out, puts the DLC on the game disc, and forces you to pay them to unlock stuff on the disc you payed over the inflation-calculated max price for.

Also in response to this:

Did developers actually take the time to make sure a game was polished, or did we just forgive or completely forget about games that were broken? I know it may seem like they're spending less time now, but I feel they've always been spending little time, we're just now acknowledging it.

I don't know if there's much I actually miss from previous generations. Local multiplayer is cool, but I just open up a VOIP service like Mumble, and although there's no physical interaction, it feels mostly the same, if not, better actually. And I honestly love how consoles are adding more features, even if I only ever really use Spotify and Netflix, I dunno, makes it feel more than just a console and I like that.

Uhh... I guess I miss being able to make custom themes, iirc PS4 doesn't allow that

I read an article once upon a time (I forget where) that said the people at 3D Realms playtested their levels of Duke Nukem 3D every night before leaving work, even if their shifts were over. There was a paranoia about releasing a buggy game 10 or 20 years ago because since it was before patching was commonly utilized, it would be like that for all time (unless it was released on their personal website or a patch came in an extension pack). A game-breaking bug would hurt the game and company's reputation forever and a careless mistake could be the difference of a good game and a great game. Since patching, companies have started to care less about how solid their game is code-wise pre-release because if a customer finds a bug in the game, it could just be reported, they could iron out the bug, and they could send the patch out lickity split.

 

[GenNyan]

The price of video games nowadays.

I mean, it's kinda absurd that we have to pay $60 for a new gen game when 2 gens ago, the price for Player's Choice (Nintendo) games was from $20-30, Greatest Hits (Sony) were from $20-25, and Platinum Hits were $20, while the normal price for a new game console was just $40-50. I know inflation is bad, but it couldn't have inflated that much over the past 10 years.

To play Devil's advocate:

Handheld games have always been 2/3 the price of console games. Today, avg 3ds/vita games are $40 at launch while consoles are the familiar $60. The collections that you mentioned imply that the games have been around for a while (Greatest hits and such implies it has already sold well), so the price will naturally drop to around $30. You simply cannot compare prices of handheld and console games, cus its apples and oranges.

A few years ago, GBA games were ~$30 at launch and GC games were ~$40. Scaling up to $40 and $60 for the current gen isn't a huge leap there.

The normal price for a new console was $40-$50.

What?
http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/Launch_price
The Sega Genesis was the only console that ever went below $200 launch price, with $200-$300 being the norm.

 

[Spak]

Sorry, I meant console game. That was my b.

 

[finalark]

The price of video games nowadays.

I mean, it's kinda absurd that we have to pay $60 for a new gen game when 2 gens ago, the price for Player's Choice (Nintendo) games was from $20-30, Greatest Hits (Sony) were from $20-25, and Platinum Hits were $20, while the normal price for a new game console was just $40-50. I know inflation is bad, but it couldn't have inflated that much over the past 10 years.

To be fair, Player Selects, Player's Choice and Platinum hits are still $20.

As far as inflation goes, things have been kicked up a lot in ten years. If you wanted to buy a copy of Donkey Kong Country 3 in 1996 for $60, it would be about the same as $91 in 2015. Or how about a copy of Crash Bandicoot 1, the same year, for $50? That would be about $76 now. Or what if you wanted to buy a SEGA Saturn along with a memory card and a copy of NiGHTS into Dreams? That makes the start up price for your Saturn about $300. Or $456 in modern money.

So yeah, video games have technically always floated around the same price range. Hell, even for a "complete" game you were still paying around $100, especially if it was on a cartridge (those things got expensive, did you see how much Street Fighter Alpha was?). That's not inducing things like expansion packs, which I'm sure devs cut content for all the time back in the day.

EDIT: Also, Both Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles were $60 at launch. That means that in today's money you would be paying a good $200 for a complete game. How the **** did people afford to play video games back then?

Also, the fact that people throw a fit if they're sold half a game at full price now but don't even care that SEGA did it back in the early 90s speaks volumes about how much of an influence nostalgia has on opinions. And how you don't realize you're getting gypped when your parents are buying your games for you.

 

[Spak]

EDIT: Also, Both Sonic 3 and Sonic and Knuckles were $60 at launch. That means that in today's money you would be paying a good $200 for a complete game. How the **** did people afford to play video games back then?

Also, the fact that people throw a fit if they're sold half a game at full price now but don't even care that SEGA did it back in the early 90s speaks volumes about how much of an influence nostalgia has on opinions. And how you don't realize you're getting gypped when your parents are buying your games for you.

First time I played the original Sonic games was on a PS2 collection, and I got the PS1 version of SFA (so the price wasn't as bad and it looked and sounded better). Anyways, I see your point, my first console was a PS2 so I didn't realize that video game prices actually went down for Gen 6.

 

[Mic_128]

A focus on good,splitscreen multiplayer

 

[SurrealBrain]

It seems like even Player's Choice, Greatest Hits and Platinum Hits-type releases are being phased out, if they haven't been already.

Granted, many games under them would be bad movie-based games, while more deserving games would get left in the dust simply for not selling well, but with the good deserving ones that got it, they were cheaper and easier to find.

Kinda wish Nintendo kept theirs around...might have gotten some Wii titles sooner.

 

[finalark]

It seems like even Player's Choice, Greatest Hits and Platinum Hits-type releases are being phased out, if they haven't been already.

Granted, many games under them would be bad movie-based games, while more deserving games would get left in the dust simply for not selling well, but with the good deserving ones that got it, they were cheaper and easier to find.

I don't know if you live in an area where games are hard to find, but I can guarantee that Greatest Hits is still around. At every Walmart or Target I've ever been to they have shelves upon shelves of Greatest Hits, Platinum Hits and Player's Choice games. And I never see movie licensed games under them. It's always games like Mario Galaxy, Bioshock Infinite or Skyrim.

 

[Spak]

I don't know if you live in an area where games are hard to find, but I can guarantee that Greatest Hits is still around. At every Walmart or Target I've ever been to they have shelves upon shelves of Greatest Hits, Platinum Hits and Player's Choice games. And I never see movie licensed games under them. It's always games like Mario Galaxy, Bioshock Infinite or Skyrim.

There were only 10 Nintendo Select (the Wii version of Player's Choice) games, as opposed to the dozens of GC Player's Choice.

 

[Kurri ★]

I'm pretty sure things like Greatest Hits or Player's Choice became Game of the Year.

 

[finalark]

There were only 10 Nintendo Select (the Wii version of Player's Choice) games, as opposed to the dozens of GC Player's Choice.

Nintendo needs to step up their Player Selects game. MS and Sony seem to have the right idea.

 

[LancerStaff]

DLC in general, aka the lack thereof.

Very, very rarely do they ever put it at a good price for what it is. Even Nintendo is terrible at pricing what they're putting out. MK8 is basically the one game that did it right. Hyrule Warriors is 90% fluff and a poorly implemented mode, and then Smash's is way overpriced all-around and none of it is very creative or fun. N64 stages? Probably cost 'em more for the one music remix then the rest of the stage. Mii costumes? It's pathetic they even have a price. Characters? Three of them were old characters with very little changes, and two of those were clones. The last, Ryu, isn't even that special and you're forced to buy his stage with him. Then everything from the Fire Emblem guys is a joke, up to and including the entire third route being on-cart DLC.