Retro Gaming: your thoughts?

Hello there!

I’m a student from Staffordshire University in his final year of study. I’m doing my final year project on retro games and how much they impact games of today. I’d like to know what you guys think about retro games.

Feel free to talk about anything retro, like why you like retro to your favourite retro game. Talk about modern games as well if you want. It will all help!

Thanks in advance for the help!

[lesta_smsc]

Well firstly good luck with your project!

I think retro is something people hold dear as it reminds them of 'their' past... In todays day and age, we see very few of the younger generation wanting to embrace in purchasing consoles/computers of the days gone by... Whereas those who were brought up with such consoles remember the many hours of fun they gave, the friends they made due to it, and can relate to wanting to establish the old consoles on the consoles of today - hence emulation!

[gimbal]

Why I like retro? Well I come from a time where they weren't retro Compare it to music; people nowadays still listen to music from the 60's, 70's, etc. There are also people like me who listen primarily to music from that era even though I wasn't even born yet then; I acknowledge the passion and the honesty in the music made then. Likewise there are also young gamers who reach back to the games of ye olde days for the same reasons, possibly with a little encouragement from dear old dad.

But that is still a minority. I see a tendency among current generation gamers where they state that old = bad, and old can be as little as 2 years. I don't think you'd easily convince someone to give Gears of War 1 another playthrough even if it is only a few years old and available for the still current X-Box 360! Why would you? There is Gears of War 3...

I'd say that to be a true retro gamer, you simply have a more open mind. Old = not necessarily bad (because granted, there are a number of games that didn't age well at all). You play those games maybe because you have fond memories of it, you want a trip down nostalgia lane or you want to experience what the genius game designers of those days cooked up with the limited means at their disposal.

Or you play them to be inspired. Because games are apparently also comparable to fashion; if you look at the current generation of independent developers, they mostly focus on bringing the retro feel back to the games they make today. Partly out of necessity, because that is within budget and capabilities. But they actually manage to take the ideas of 20 years ago, apply it to a modern market and do very well with it.

So in that respect, can games really become retro games? I think not, they are timeless.

[Thorham]

To me it's not about nostalgia. I will play whatever games I like, old and new, meaning that it's purely the fun factor that's important to me (although I currently can't play new games, because my pc has a 667 mhz Pentium 3 ).

Originally Posted by gimbal

So in that respect, can games really become retro games? I think not, they are timeless.

Well said, and very true, after all, who would call chess retro?

[Bamiga2002]

Originally Posted by gimbal

I don't think you'd easily convince someone to give Gears of War 1 another playthrough even if it is only a few years old and available for the still current X-Box 360! Why would you? There is Gears of War 3...

Just to make a note: currently games that get my active playing time are Gears of War 3 on Xbox360 and Curse of the Azure Bonds on Amiga. There's some contrast for you!

[synchro]

Theres nothing like the sound and colours of Retro Gaming....The Arcades..the music and atmosphere !!

You just cant get that feeling on todays console market

Funny enough it all seemed to stop after the Amiga

[lordofchaos]

Retro gaming isn't just a state of mind, it's a way of life! I play my Amiga more than I do my Xbox and PC combined, heck even my C64 get's more mileage.

One thing I find personally with retro games is that's it's easier to reach a Zen like state of mind, you often find that your skills as a gamer can be tested to the absolute limit and often beyond breaking point. Concentration, aptitude and mental agility as well as cat like reflexes are common requirements for many of the 8/16 bit games out there, but that mainly constitutes for the computer side of gaming. Console games however have always tended to have a far smoother and learned difficult curve, thus being the most commercially successful and accessible to the general public. I tend to gravitate between the two depending on my state of mind.

[fishyfish]

In my opinion, both retro and "modern" gaming compliment each other. I find if I stick to either for any prolonged period of time I get bored of it. Sometimes I prefer to play something simpler, with limited depth, something I can just have a quick game or 2 (or 8 depending on the game), and other times I like to really submerge myself into a game (retro/modern respectively). Now this isnt to say modern gaming is always more involving, or that it's games are more complex (gameplay wise), but rather the details and extra bits and pieces in modern games are taken to the nth degree, while games of yesteryear focus only really on the crucial gameplay elements. Both have thier place depending on the mood.

[mombasajoe]

In my opinion playing old games on real or emulated hardware is not "retro" but "vintage".

[gimbal]

Originally Posted by mombasajoe

In my opinion playing old games on real or emulated hardware is not "retro" but "vintage".

Yeah! What he said!

[MrCheese]

The original Syndicate is much much better than the new one. People who had consoles or computers "back in the day" often want to become re-associated with them so they get on eBay and buy them and get stuck in. This will not happen to future generations - who will love "their first PC"? There is much love for Amiga / Spectrum / C64 / Megadrive / SNES etc.

[fishyfish]

I disagree that people born after the golden era of computing wont still remember what they grew up with fondly, and in fact they do. Many of the younger guys/gals at uni reminesced exactly the same way as the older ones did, the only difference being what it was they recalled fondly. Rather than the c64/amiga/whatever they recalled their N64, their pentium2, etc.

Funny you should mention Syndicate though, I spent quite some time arguing with one young guy in particular which was better out of syndicate and the sequel (Syndicate Wars). Another one we argued about was Populous2 and Populous3. This guy was only 19 as well, so the younger generations definately do check out what was available before tey started having an interest. Not to the same degree as those that were around at the time, but they still do nonetheless.

My uni studies were video game creation centric (3ds max, c/c++ programming, action script, 3ds max, AI programming, etc.) so we spent quite some time discussing these things.

[lordofchaos]

New Syndicate = Bag Of Shite. Generic FPS number 2111...Ok that was harsh but I`m sick to the back teeth with the current FPS cycle, it's a real shame because it was my favorite type of game at one point, Goldeneye, Half Life and Halo 1 really left an impression on me. The lack of risk taking is partly to blame, too much money involved and no room for failing...well for the smaller devs anyway.

[gilgamesh]

I'm not really interested in the gazillionth version of Modern Warfare. The games I play are not only those that I played as a kid, but also those that came even before, and there's probably no limit in that direction.

Old games bring back the sense of wonder and excitement for technology. They remind me of spending hours in front of mystifying beige boxes that smelled of dust and ozone. You felt much more like one of William Gibson's "cyber cowboys" than you do now surfing the web.

Installing a game could be an adventure in and of itself. You even had to learn and memorize a game's interface! Modern games are too streamlined for my taste. Sure, they excel in graphics, but the gameplay didn't really improve. It rather dumbed down. Having said that, there are some exceptions like indie and open source games, and even the odd mainstream game.

[lordofchaos]

Originally Posted by gilgamesh

Sure, they excel in graphics, but the gameplay didn't really improve. It rather dumbed down.

That's my major pet peeve at the moment, the dumbing down side of things...As the years go by and the different generations of hardware come and go it can be difficult not to feel jaded at times, but like you said there are still some bright sparks of brilliance out there amongst the tide of shovelware and endless sequels. Now where's Half Life 3!

[Patarival]

First, let me tell you that I honestly don't think that new games are worse than retro games. I can enjoy a new game just as much as an old one.

That said, I actually like the new Syndicate - not as a game, mind you, but as an experience.

But old games often have a certain charm that goes beyond nostalgia. I think you can feel if something is "hand made". I think that's why the indie-scene is so successful with their pseudo-retro games.


It's a little bit the same with movies: People always want "despecialized" versions of Star Wars, for example. Not just because Han shoots first but because all these hand made special effects are much more charming that the soulless CGI of the remakes - even if they don't look that good.

[synchro]

Originally Posted by mombasajoe

In my opinion playing old games on real or emulated hardware is not "retro" but "vintage".

No your wrong !!

Although "Vintage " is used in a phrase for old stuff its actually a Wine adjective used to describe the year of grapes....usually over 20 years old like what vintage is the wine...

Now Retro is a style from the past...never seen before and not repeated...ie Glam rock for instance in music...or the swinging 60,s
So the phrase how very retro would be ok if i came home with a pair of platform shoes on

Having said all that.....Before arcade Machines and vic20's i dont ever remember hearing the word Retro......strange

[laffer]

I think he was only trying to use a more classy word for it.
I think it's a nice way of saying it, I never liked the term 'retro' that much to begin with

Anyway, I play way more vintage games than modern ones.... way more.
I like how older games are much of the time much easier to pick up and play for shorter periods of time, and I also like the way they have you use your imagination more.
Also, I suspect I simply like the gameplay in those games better than new ones... I can enjoy modern games as well, but I tend to get tired of them much more quickly, and I don't replay them nearly as much.

Then there's the thing gilgamesh brilliantly described -

Originally Posted by gilgamesh

Old games bring back the sense of wonder and excitement for technology. They remind me of spending hours in front of mystifying beige boxes that smelled of dust and ozone. You felt much more like one of William Gibson's "cyber cowboys" than you do now surfing the web.

[synchro]

I think he was only trying to use a more classy word for it.
I think it's a nice way of saying it, I never liked the term 'retro' that much to begin with

Ahh right...I read it as if it was being described like fact...My mistake..
I always think of vintage as victorian or earlier with vintage cars etc.....
I have only ever really connected retro to arcade gaming although i know its not specific to that...dunno why

As for the gilgamesh Quote........It Says it all

[Retrofan]

Yes, please don't call playing Amiga games "vintage gaming"... you are adding me more years... I like retro... Retro...fan jeje