The Longevity of Modern Games

[republic]

Back in the day, I always knew my games would be out of date.  Replaced by better graphics, higher resolutions, etc.  However, I don't honestly see (quite literally since I wear glasses) any benefit for going higher than 1080p.  I can honestly see myself playing a game like the DCS sims years from now.  (Though hopefully in a few years someone will finally make a dynamic Falcon 4 style campaign engine)

From 1994 to 2000 it was quite literally night and day.  However for the same time period from 2007 to 2013 I'm not seeing much.  Other than lack of widescreen support, I still find many early 2000's era games still enjoyable.  Others seem to agree because of the GOG.com.

This is Eve Online's 10 year anniversary.  How long can a MMO last?  This is all new territory.

I sit and look at my Steam collection and think "There's no way I'll be able to beat all these until I retire."  My next thought is "I don't think any of these games could seriously be improved on in ways that would make me not want to play the versions I have 5 to 10 or more years from now."  Then I wonder..."will I still be able to play them by then?"

Hmm..just random early Sunday morning thoughts.

[Yskonyn]

Funny you mention that, but you don't touch upon a very big issue in my view; originality.
Many games these days are re-runs of old classics or try to cash in bigtime while lifting on some big Hollywood brand.
I am glad we have the indie movement gaining momentum, providing us with the more unique offering at this time.

But games like Assassin's Creed, Battlefield, Batman, etc etc etc etc are just like DVD's. You run them once, maybe twice and then they get shelved. It's quick entertainment. And I don't see these games being played in ten years still. Especially not if they have a successor every year.

Gog.com shows that the games of old still have a place in modern times, but I believe that is more a sign of the current generation of older gamers. Those who grew up in the 'Golden Age of Gaming'. We crave to get that fuzzy warm feeling back. The feeling we had in high school while we dumped homework in favour of playing the games hours on end we now regard as classics.
But our children will have a very different definition of 'classic games'.

There is one part of gaming, though, that is less saturated and more stable; simming. Be it racing, flying, tanking, whatever.
Less titles available and closely knit communities ensure longevity.

[republic]

I hear you.  I do, however, feel like Kickstarter is helping.  FTL reminds me a lot of the games that came out in the 90's.  I do wish there were more games pushing story and exploration.

I feel like games today feel like they have to fit into a genre.  They have to do x and y because they are an RPG, etc.  Back then, a developer just had an idea and made a game.

I don't even know how I would classify some of my favorite games. 

Starflight I and II...rpgish action adventure
Space Quest...comedy adventure I suppose
K240/Fragile Allegiance...realtime strategy trading sim

Utopia, Metal Marines, P.T.O., Starfleet Academy, Transport Tycoon, Great Naval Battles, Wing Commander, all the old 'lighter' flight sims...Aces over Europe/Pacific... 

Many of the older games didn't fit into a single genre, they seeped around the edges into other genres, or other ideas that don't even have genre's.

[Gusington]

The one game I have played more than any other is Medieval 2 Total War...probably thousands of hours sunk into it. Does that qualify as modern or olde? It was released in 2006.

[bob48]

As it happens, MetalDog and I were talking about the TW games earlier during our Warlock MP game - like you Gus, TW Med 2 is the one that I have played the most out of all the TW series, and I played Med 1 a whole lot as well.

I have the boxed 'Gold Edition' which requires the CD to be in the drive, but I've been very tempted to get the Steam version on more than one occasion.

[Longdan]

Some old games weren't much good but they seemed great at the time and have since been surpassed.
Others were and are great.  In my opinion there are many that were great that would need to be polished
up and filled out a bit to work today but if the right people were to bring them to state of the art it would
be wonderful.  I have been playing some older RPG's with enjoyment because I was never into RPG's before
and so the genre is new to me.  Dated graphics etc. don't hurt so much.

[Father Ted]

One thing worth considering in this is how many BAD games were produced in the "golden age", that we now just don't remember.  It's a bit like with music or films - you could pick out all your faves from, say, the 80s and think it was a golden age for music.  If you actually sat and listened to the whole of the Top 40 for one week, you'd no doubt have to suffer 20 derivative tracks for each nugget of gold.

In 20 years' time we'll probably think of early 2010s  as being a grand time for games - picking out five or so titles that have lasted in the memory.

FWIW I think improvements will be in the direction of more robust MP support/innovation and greater computing power allowing a greater interaction with the virtual world.

[Arctic Blast]

One thing worth considering in this is how many BAD games were produced in the "golden age", that we now just don't remember.  It's a bit like with music or films - you could pick out all your faves from, say, the 80s and think it was a golden age for music.  If you actually sat and listened to the whole of the Top 40 for one week, you'd no doubt have to suffer 20 derivative tracks for each nugget of gold.

In 20 years' time we'll probably think of early 2010s  as being a grand time for games - picking out five or so titles that have lasted in the memory.

FWIW I think improvements will be in the direction of more robust MP support/innovation and greater computing power allowing a greater interaction with the virtual world.

Exactly. We're wired to remember the good things from the past and forget the bad. There were A LOT of crap games back in the day, and a lot of games that you played once and then tossed aside to never again be remembered.

[republic]

I guess your right.  There was one game I vividly remember being horrible.  It was by Sierra in the mid 90's and it was one of those full motion video CDROM games.  I paid $60 for the thing and it was utterly pointless.  Like a video choose your own adventure...

[bob48]

^^ Arctic said it all for me, so I won't bother  :D

[Staggerwing]

...There were A LOT of crap games back in the day, and a lot of games that you played once and then tossed aside to never again be remembered.

Some of those were so bad they were almost good in the way a wretched movie becomes a classic (Plan 9, anyone).

Anyone remember Battles in Time?

[Arctic Blast]

I guess your right.  There was one game I vividly remember being horrible.  It was by Sierra in the mid 90's and it was one of those full motion video CDROM games.  I paid $60 for the thing and it was utterly pointless.  Like a video choose your own adventure...

Oh yeah, those mid 90's games that were all about the full motion video have NOT aged well at all.

[bob48]

hehe, Elite and Paradroid on the ol' C64 - crap graphix but smashing games.

[Staggerwing]

I guess your right.  There was one game I vividly remember being horrible.  It was by Sierra in the mid 90's and it was one of those full motion video CDROM games.  I paid $60 for the thing and it was utterly pointless.  Like a video choose your own adventure...

I'm guessing it was Roberta Williams Phantasmagoria.

[republic]

Just looked it up, it was The Last Dynasty.  It didn't work well and I never even got to the space combat...