230°

“It Was The Best Of Times…” Why This Is The Best Console Generation

Some say that this current generation of video game consoles is the best. Some say it’s the worst. BOTH viewpoints are correct.

This eighth generation of consoles has brought with it some incredible things that gamers could only have dreamed of before but it’s also brought out the worst in video game companies and gamers themselves.

This editorial will focus on what makes this generation the best.

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Kalowest4261d ago

Console generations 6&7 are the best.

darthv724261d ago

that is where it all really began. The rivalry between nintendo and sega with heavy hitting marketing like "genesis does what nintendon't" and "super nintendo is what genesisn't"

That was the time when real creative development meant finding ways around technical limitations. None of this overly used violence 3d this or that.

the days of the 2d side scrolling shooters (space shmups), sports, action, adventure, rpg....those were the days of glory.

Kalowest4261d ago

"Console generations 6&7 are the best."

I mean 5&6 are the best to me(Born in 91), I didn't get to play much of the 4th gen consoles(I just started buying older game systems)

nix4261d ago

it was one of the best but this gen instead of looking and talking about great games that came out... we were all too busy dissing each other. so much energy was spent just fighting.

in spite of some really great games we got, the publishers went lazy and started selling same games with minor changes again and again. the whole "release now, patch later" attitude is nothing but greed overtaking the passion. charging gamers for DLC that was already in the disk are some of the sad moments of this gen.

as for the media, fanboys running the gaming sites pretty much fueled the whole console war. so much hate has been spewed this gen that it's really embarassing. also the anti-sony campaign is a sad reminder of what this gen was all about.

thankfully as the time passed by i learnt to ignore most of the news and just stick to what seemed relevant. i also learnt to understand the review system better and not fall for the hype train. i hope others have learnt the same and won't fall for all that happened this gen.

overall, i'm content with this gen in spite of all the hatred. i'm proud to have played most of this gen's best games.

SilentNegotiator4261d ago

4th, 5th, and 6th. The tip of the videogame generation bell curve. I don't have much faith in the future; not with the way the biggest publishers are working (DRM, shooter-fication, etc).

antz11044261d ago

Say what you want. Most people, myself included, go back to play N64, SNES, or PS1 and enjoy it to some extent, but these days we expect more.

Of course todays gen is better.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4261d ago
Campy da Camper4261d ago

Agreed. Cameron Diaz's perky little Bcups are in my mind all the time. Damn, that woman is fine.

nveenio4261d ago

She looks better in this thumb than in most instances. And she's starting to show her age, too. When it comes to women showing their age, I'm a Kate Beckinsale kind of guy. (Could you tell?)

Marceles4261d ago

The worst thing I hate about this gen is the media coverage. In the Super Nintendo days I had GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly magazines to tell me everything new. Nowadays we have xboxsucksps3rules.blogspot.org or some crazy site reviewing games.

I'm not trying to sound old school, but media coverage this gen is in the crapper. Everything gets spoiled, everything is fanboy tainted, people that don't even play games are pursuading people on what's good and what isn't. When I see people giving opinions about that, it's like not watching a sports team until the playoffs and then bandwagoning on a favorite. So much misleading cluttered info.

ATi_Elite4261d ago

Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Turbo GFX-16, Neo Geo is still the BEST era of console video gaming EVER!

None of that multiplat CRAP with only a handful of exclusives on each system like THIS Gen.

Each system back then had tons of Exclusives and even the few multiplats were totally different.

vortis4260d ago

THANK YOU.

This article is absolute media drivel fail.

"Golden Era ftw 1991-2001
R.I.P, we still love you!"

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4260d ago
Carl_Shocker4261d ago

I highly doubt it...

Developers lying to us
Developers giving loyal fans the middle finger
Developers becoming greedy
Developers becoming obessed with sales
Developers changing a beloved franchise for a bigger audience
Devlopers cutting content for DLC
High DLC prices
Multiplayer/Co-op being tacked onto nearly every game
Disc locked content
Casuals being too much of a focus
Casual focus ruining core games and developers
Gimmicks being thrown into games

I could go on

This gen has done some amazing things but you can't beat the previous gens.

Romudeth4261d ago

Come back tomorrow for the 2nd part of this editorial "Why this is the worst generation of consoles."

Smelly1sam4261d ago

Dude I 100% agree with you!

AWBrawler4261d ago

best gen ever was the old SEGA vs Nintendo days and maybe last gen. last gen with PS2 Xbox and Gamecube had so much creativity unlike this gen.

Kratoscar20084261d ago

I couldnt say it better, for me the best is the PS1 era and PS2 next, i would add:

Games coming with bugs as result of DLC and the lack of testing games just to save extra bucks.

Too much shooters, now thanks to them games like RE died entirely, wich gets my next point..

Death of the Survival horror genre.

SE and Capcom now are greedy and they have lots their reputation entirely.

This generation has really sucked, just graphics and no essence at all.

vortis4260d ago

Well said. Bubbles.

And I'd just like to tack on:

Bloated marketing campaigns
Overspending in production
Hollywood talent
Crooked media providing crooked bias (Jessica Chobot in ME3 + ME3 review scores + "OMG GOTY 5/5!!!" fanboyism)
Publishers tanking devs after milking fan favorite franchises

---

I'm gonna stop there 'cause I'm getting pissed thinking about all the crap going on in this gen.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4260d ago
jc485734261d ago

this is by the far the worst despite some great games. I feel sorry for the people that are just starting this generation.

Ben_Grimm4261d ago

This gen was great! We got some awesome games and very new experiences this time around.

There were some bad times I admit, but I personally believe the good outweighed the bad.

*looks at X-Men:Destiny*

I take that back! *RAAAAGE*!!!

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290°

Why Xbox believes it must cut costs and close studios

Companies, particularly public companies like Microsoft, need to grow.

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eurogamer.net
gold_drake1d 3h ago

i mean its pretty simple, they spent close to 30 billion in acquiring activision, they thought they'd make it bk no problem, and that didnt happen.

its just shit that because of MS's miscalculation alot of people lost their jobs.

Jingsing1d ago

This is exactly what many people said would happen including the CMA and FTC. Lies lies and more lies and they allowed a $69 billion buy out to happen.

gold_drake1d ago

oh yeh it was 70 billion. that was my bad haha even worse.

JackBNimble2h ago

MS has educated financial advisers, they knew there was little chance to recoup the 70billion just to break even on the Activision deal let alone whatever other nonsense is going on in MS.
This whole thing was to corner the market for leverage.

thesoftware7301d ago (Edited 1d ago )

gold,

You can't be serious, right?

Do you think that MS thought they would make 80bill in a year & Half? They haven't even released titles under MS yet, lol.

But in fact, that A/B revenue is already paying off, look at the last earnings call. That $80 billion is long-term money, my guy, no sane person/company would think they would make that back in any short-term situation, it's a long-term investment.

Let's play silly then. If MS's reason for laying off staff and closing studios was due(which it really was not) to the A/B deal, tell me what Sony's reason was for past studio closures, the recent 900-person layoffs, closing Sony London, shutting down Dreams, and closing Japan Studio? Zipper? Psygnosis? cuts at all their internal studios.

Keep in mind, you are claiming MS's reason is because of the A/B deal; please explain Sony's reason.

Hofstaderman23h ago

You actually still defending them? Sheesh.....

gold_drake23h ago

this is not a sony vs MS debate. dont make it something it isnt.

and of course not, but im pretty sure they thought they'd make more money after the deal. they didnt, and closed off some studios.

its pretty insane to think there is any other reason for the closure of studios in this case.

romulus2323h ago(Edited 23h ago)

(It really was) due to the Activision Blizzard deal and the loss of physical sales due to gamepass. You keep bringing up Sony in all your posts about this, stop deflecting and trying to change the topic, this is about MS and what they are doing.

BehindTheRows23h ago

Has nothing to do with Sony. Stay on topic.

notachance23h ago

once in a while you see someone too invested in their make-believe console war that everything happened has to be connected to said war…

a bit of banter between fans is normal, this crusade you’re doing now isn’t.

Chevalier22h ago

Wow idiotic. You bring up very old closures not that there haven't been recent ones from Playstations, but, seriously stop deflecting. This has NOTHING to do with Playstation.

Does Playstation got $3 trillion behind them and daddies wallet? No they don't so stop making a fool of yourself.

Xbox has never been profitable really and they just keep losing money so between their worst hardware sales, terrible 3rd party sales and now terrible 1st party sales.

Gamepass numbers that are no longer being announced shows their numbers after 3 years of missed targets has flatlined. Plus their recent gains up to 34 million were ONLY because they folded Gold members in too. Absolutely take your idiotic rhetoric out of here. Keep on topic without deflecting.

S2Killinit22h ago

Ayayayay with these xbox/MS excuses.

Reaper22_17h ago

How dare you mention Sony! Everyone here knows when Sony closes a studio and lay off workers it was the right thing to do. Even when they bought Gaikai and fired almost everyone it was the right thing to do.

Gamers can be such hypocrites sometimes.

andy8516h ago

Is it? That's revenue not profit. Completely different.

fr0sty7h ago

The earnings call only showcased how dire the situation is... Even with ABK and Bethesda, they still couldn't make enough to keep investors happy, gamepass subs are stagnant, and hardware sales are tanking.

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 7h ago
thesoftware73021h ago(Edited 21h ago)

Drake,

"this is not a sony vs MS debate. dont make it something it isnt."

You are correct that it's not an MS Vs Sony Topic, but when exaggeration and imagination mix from a one-sided social group, similar examples are needed to ground radical thoughts; in this instance, the example was that shutting down 3,4,5, even 6 studios during a restructure/ buyout/acquisition is not some anomaly(it can suck) that has to be dissected or spell doom and gloom.

"But I'm pretty sure they thought they'd make more money after the deal. They didn't, and they closed off some studios."

But they did make more money, a lot, actually; the last earnings call showed a huge growth in profit, almost all due to A/B revenue.

"its pretty insane to think there is any other reason for the closure of studios in this case."

The fact that they did make money, kinda throws this out the window, and besides, you don't wake up and say, hey let's close a studio, you look at the output, you look at the dev as a whole, the long term and short term, you weigh it against all other studios and goals, you keep key members, ect..then you close if they are the weakest links...which by MS analysis they were.

Again, I will make a small Sony comparison, just so some of you can understand and see past the bias; Insomniac, ND, and Bungie have made some of the best games ever created, yet Sony saw fit to cut jobs in every of these studios, even tho Insomniac & ND are the biggest producers of PS games, leagues ahead better than Tango and Arkane, yet, they saw cuts, mind you, while being the TOP produces of PS first party. They were told to cut costs, and more jobs may be on the line, and Bungie is being threatened by a hostile Sony takeover. Put that in perspective, as I know that layoffs and dev closures are different, but if the best of the best is getting cut off, it is less than surprising, that lesser studios are closing.

@Cheva,
My response fits well with your comments as well. You even went on to prove that the dev closures are not just due to A/B acquisition. Then you point out Sony has less money than MS, inferring that MS should keep devs open that they see as lesser earners, while Sony having less money makes it okay to close them. lol...it doesn't work that way.

gold_drake21h ago

im not reading all of that. u have ur opinion, i have mine.

thats rly it.

but this aint sony vs ms.

ApocalypseShadow20h ago

You're trying to compare a 100 billion company to a company that has 3 TRILLION worth. SIE has to live or die on their own. And in turn, PlayStation has helped the main company again and again. Sony has to balance out what is working and not working in the company.

While Xbox has Daddy Warbucks footing the bill to keep the platform afloat. They have been bleeding money from Nvidia hardware in the OG Xbox, the RROD fiasco, the attempted 2013 DRM nonsense and the lies about being the most powerful console in the world and the losses of paying out millions to prop up a service hoping it catches on with enough subscribers to justify its existence.

They're not comparable if Xbox isn't allowed to live or die by its actions. It's subsidized. Revenue isn't profit. And if they were profiting on their own, they wouldn't be closing developers. If they were profiting, they wouldn't need Daddy Warbucks spending 80 to 100 billion buying up 3rd party publishers to sustain a loss leading platform.

They stopped announcing game sales, stopped announcing hardware sales, stopped announcing game pass subscribers, they are putting games on their competitors platforms but you're telling us that they are doing great even after killing jobs and closing developers at Xbox.

Stop drinking the Kool aid. You're drunk.

Chevalier11h ago

Again at which point did Playstation have a $3 trillion company shift the market with a giant purchase?

"But they did make more money, a lot, actually; the last earnings call showed a huge growth in profit, almost all due to A/B revenue."

Lol. No they didn't. Increased revenue was ONLY due to adding Activision Blizzard revenue in. Growth was only 1 percent. It's idiots like you that have no idea what they're talking about is why Xbox isn't better than it is. You guys just make excuses continually.

If Xbox got so much profit then why did they stop announcing hardware numbers? Why did they stop announcing Gamepass numbers? Oh right because they're NOT profitable. Their sales in every category has dropped off the face of the planet. It's why Spencer will be closing more studios and canceling upcoming projects too.

The Wood3h ago

How can they be profitable when they're not selling enough hardware, software or subs. You need take a seat on this one my friend unless you can prove you angles

jwillj2k42h ago

Sony didnt shut down the studios you mentioned after they made last of us or ratchet and clank or destiny. Cutting jobs is not equal to closing studios. Sony cuts are a candle in the sun of Microsoft’s closures.

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WelkinCole16h ago

I am pretty sure MS knew this would happen and this was part of their plan. I mean if anyone with half a brain can see this happening I am pretty sure a multi billion company like MS knew this would happen

The whole strategy in buying Beth and Acti/Blizzard is for

1. Buy established games they can have under xbox because they have done a horrible job in building their portfolio internally for the past 15 years

2. Following from 1, try and boost xbox competitivenss against a dominat PS which MS after 3 tries still can't crack

3. Follolwing from 2, try and weaken Playstation dominance by taking out these massive multiplats from the PS

4. Following from 3, try and profit off from the PS domiance with selected games they will still have on the PS to make money like COD

5. Obviously get the IP's by buying them instead of creating them which again as I mentioned in number 1 they have been woeful in doing

None of these had anyting to do with keeping all the devs they accuried. MS has always been very shitty to Devs under them. Look at what happned to Bungie for example.

I believe MS in court truely mean it when they said they had to do something because PS was just too dominant. This was their last roll of the dice.

And from the looks of things. It has not panned out as MS had hoped. PS5 is still as dominant as ever and xbox is still behind. Worse still their MP's they got is not irreplaceable as they thought. Starfield? lol!. There have not been any major shift in momentum in this console war in their favor so now its time to start cutting their loses and it starts with the most expensive cost for any company. People.

Michiel198914h ago

for a comparison, sony laid of a bigger % of it's staff this year than ms, it's what companies sadly do nowadays. If you think with GP and Bethesda + acti aquisition they were looking for quick cash, you couldn't be more wrong. It hasn't even been a year, "they thought they'd make it bk no problem, and that didnt happen." shows you have 0 understanding of how a business operates.

thesoftware7301h ago

@ Michiel1989

Exactly this!

I'm reading these comments, and it's mesmerizing how off-base most of them are.

I posted a few comments above, and their rebuttals have nothing to do with the points that I presented; when they start doing that, I just ignore them because, at that point, they're debating all over the place.

Profchaos7h ago

30 more like 70 to 80 plus 7 for Bethesda

Tzuno2h ago

meanwhile everything turned woke an inevitably went downward, i'd say it serves them well if they promote such kind of approach, mwuahahahahahhh!

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 1h ago
anast1d ago

They are going to use AI for a large portion of the game development process. Upper management need bonuses and the shareholders need more money. So, people will lose their jobs.

Skuletor1d ago

Maybe they were already using AI to make business decisions, which would explain why they closed Hi-Fi Rush's studio, then said they need more games like Hi-Fi Rush not long after that announcement.

Crows9023h ago(Edited 23h ago)

They shouldn't have bought any studios. Some is okay...but they went on a shopping spree...stupid

Einhander197223h ago

The better question is why did Microsoft buy publishers for a service they were subsidizing they knew couldn't support.

And why are so many websites trying to make people feel sorry for Microsoft instead of truly criticizing the fact they are closing studios and killing jobs that would have been fine if Microsoft themselves hadn't gotten involved.

Quit feeling sorry for Microsoft and start feeling sorry for the industry and the all the gamers who are actually losing out.

THIS IS MICROSOFTS FAULT.

RNTody23h ago

The first thing that happens after any major acquisition or merger is a consolidation of the whole new portfolio, which includes cutting any excess, bloat or portfolios that don't fit the larger MO of the big boy. So far, it's been par for the course with Microsoft and that's why gamers have been so against this acquisition. Tango Gameworks is the beginning. You think Microsoft wants to pay to keep small timers like Ninja Theory in business?

There is absolutely zero evidence to suggest that Microsoft will improve any of these studios, but plenty to suggest that they will get rid of what they don't need and hold onto the IP. The real agenda of the acquisition was always to acquire The Elder Scrolls, Diablo, Fallout, Call of Duty, Candy Crush etc. that will create millions in passive revenue stream for Microsoft regardless of where the games release. Microsoft simply wants their cut.

Because of Games Pass Microsoft has no interest in investing in new IP which is risky and requires creative talent they can neither nurture nor manage. Game Pass has also not grown in the way Microsoft expected it to, even post acquisitions. Therefore the logical thing to do, without serious money makers to release, is to cut as much cost as possible.

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90°

10 of the best Kirby games ever made

NE: "Kirby's been on more than a handful of adventures, and we've gathered a list of 10 of the best Kirby games here."

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nintendoeverything.com
140°

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night DLC Adds Free Gameplay Modes

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has received a bunch of new DLC, including two new gameplay modes, for free.