For you, what was the golden age in gaming?

[Lotus Victoria]

Ohayoou my dear champions!

So, for you:

What was/is the golden age of gaming for you, and why?

For me, it was the 90-2000's, with PS1 and Snes games. MGS, FFT, CHRONO CROSS and Castlevania. <3.

And you?

[Lightning-]

Right now, you have everything from the past and the present, plus what comes in the near future.

[Deleted]

I agree definitely the mid to late 90's. Technology has moved on and graphics etc are incredible compared to the games of that time. But the depth of gameplay and pure fun that those games had has dimished as the visuals have moved on. Everything these days has to be a perfect simulation of reality instead of escapist fun.

[Jester Joe]

Right now, you have everything from the past and the present, plus what comes in the near future.

I think it's the future, because then you have everything from the future, and the past and present.

[Poppincaps]

Probably PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube era. Games were becoming more mainstream, but hadn't been bogged down by things like microtransactions, day 1 dlc, etc. It had it's own share of bullshit, but there were many great games.

Although, last generation did evolve the games industry in many ways. Both good and bad. The last 3 generations (not counting current gen) have all been great in their own ways. Although the generations before that can't really compete.

[Valeron]

20 years ago, when I was a teenager

[Wilian]

Mid 90s to early 00s, when innovation and progression was name of the game, new genres were made and old ones refined. The moment just before games hit absolute mainstream when began the Dumbening so the Masses could be reached.

[dope_danny]

1998 was the best year for videogames. No contest.

marvel vs capcom, resident evil 2, panzer dragoon saga, xenogears, starcraft, parasite eve, tenchu, gran turismo, banjo kazoie, megaman legends, medieval, metal gear solid, fallout 2, pokemon red and blue, grim fandango, half life, ocarina of time, thief, baldurs gate, starsiege: tribes, mario party, suikoden 2, sonic adventure. The Dreamcast and Gameboy colour released.

Throw into that the releases of 97' and 99' like FF7, symphony of the night, final fantasy tactics, gta, age of empires, smash bros, silent hill, FF8, everquest, street fighter 3rd strike, persona 2, system shock 2, syphon filter, legacy of kain: soul reaver, soul calbire, resident evil 3 nemesis, jet force gemini, pokemon gold and silver, shenmue and planescape torment and the release of the N64 and Playstation as well?

The late 90's was the absolute golden age of videogames. Fresh ideas were constant, ideas like micro transactions, casual catering gameplay and altering games because someone who was never going to buy it heard about it and started an internet angry mob were none existent.

It was just videogames. Absolutely amazing videogames week after week after week.

[kail]

Right now, you have everything from the past and the present, plus what comes in the near future.

Pretty much this. Our library only grows stronger, and there comes more variety.

[Simulacrum]

You probably should've reconsidered your poll, considering you didn't even list your own choice as an option.

[dope_danny]

Pretty much this. Our library only grows stronger, and there comes more variety.

Not quite. With the advent of digital only games we are actually experiencing the first age where we lose games forever. Afterburner Climax, outrun 2008, Scott Pilgrim VS the World to name a few digital only modern titles removed from online services and unless you bought them back at release and have it on your console you can NEVER get those games ever again.

I can still go to a retro store and get just about anything from the 20th century. The more we go all digital the more games are at risk of being lost forever.

[Judge Malthred]

For me the Golden Age was right up until all the DRM non-sense, online only single player games, selling titles at $60 but withholding the finished product to be dolled out later on in chunks as paid "DLC".

[Archmage Alodi]

PS1 and PS2 age , either games were more fun back then or i was younger and enjoyed more than i do now.

[kail]

Not quite. With the advent of digital only games we are actually experiencing the first age where we lose games forever. Afterburner Climax, outrun 2008, Scott Pilgrim VS the World to name a few digital only modern titles removed from online services and unless you bought them back at release and have it on your console you can NEVER get those games ever again.

I can still go to a retro store and get just about anything from the 20th century. The more we go all digital the more games are at risk of being lost forever.

We have lost more physical games (in terms of discontinued print) than digital. Not everyone has access to a retro store nor is it a gurantee in order to play older games. Digital stores have been making some older games accessible, GOG and Nintendo eShop are some examples.

[Sj]

It's hard to really narrow it down. So many great games came out between SNES/Genesis and the end of the PS2. I think 16-bit graphics have aged better than the early 3D stuff, so I voted 16-bit era.

[Maxilian]

90 - 2000 was a really good age for gaming but... the future looks soooooooooooooooooooo promising!

[Deleted]

in innovation terms, for me it was the zx spectrum.
for graphics, it is the pc, (Now)
Fo having a blast with friends, smoking a few joints, having a few beers then its the original playstation.

if I absolutly have to choose "the golden age of gaming" then it is right now.
There is so many games, both good and bad. Theres new tech, like 3D and VR.
And there is much more to come.

[Varabently]

I appreciate you saying FFT and not FFVII or FFVIII (both of which were of course great games) in your list of games. That warms my heart.

Secondly, it's tough because there's this thing nostalgia that is a very real input to how well we perceive things from our childhood/teenage/early adult years. I am getting to the point where I am falling out of touch with current games and can only really get excited about older games or games that imitate "how it used to be" which is a strange feeling.

I still think the current age of gaming is the golden age, not only because it includes everyone older game, but also because of crowd-funding. No longer are developers solely tied to investment groups and banks and such for funding. They can make a niche game with input from a small and dedicated fan-base. These games would never have seen the light of day or would have been changed too much if not for crowd-funding.

Do I miss the "good old days?" Of course I do, just like everyone else, you enjoy what you did when you were younger and think it was the best and everyone else missed out if they didn't have it. I remember lots of time on the gameboy with Pokemon red/blue or on the SNES with Mega Man X and the PS1 with FFT and Ocarina of Time on the N64. Classic games now and unanimously and critically acclaimed, so in some ways the "old" games are better than newer games. But there are classics being made every year, and will continue to be made. Those ones I mentioned were all in the mid to late 90s range, so maybe that's my "pick."

Just don't get lost in nostalgia and not give any new games a chance. There are still some great games out there, being developed and maybe just conceptualized now. I'm personally looking forward to The Division and Crowfall, both of which come out next year. Both are largely different takes on existing genres or maybe could be considered new genres. Either way, there's good in the past present and future.

[Maxilian]

Fo having a blast with friends, smoking a few joints, having a few beers then its the original playstation.

You can do these now, there's no reason why you couldn't do that (Well... excluding the fact that now you're an adult with responsabilities, but... those are only details :P)

if I absolutly have to choose "the golden age of gaming" then it is right now.
There is so many games, both good and bad. Theres new tech, like 3D and VR.
And there is much more to come.

Yes!, so many possibilities!, is true that there are some bad games, and that, even between the good games, the same "gameplay" is used over and over again and they just change the theme and add a couple of things (but we also have many more unique games now, even more thanks to the indie community)

[Tradewind]

16 bit era, and the mode 7 hooplah. Mostly because back then it didn't seem to matter what "social agenda" the games had. You just played them.