Love letter to a generation

I want to talk about what I genuinely believe has been the greatest generation of gaming there has ever been - and no, this is not another overwrote trip down Memory Lane where I harp on about arcades. This article is about the last generation of games machines, the generation which, with the release of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this month, is finally entering retirement.

While I'm far from the oldest gamer around, at 38 I am still an old gamer. I'm old enough to remember the halcyon days of the 8-bit generation, the dawn of 16-bit generation and the sense of wonder that came with the first polygonal graphics. I started out on an old Pong clone, which featured two paddle controllers, five game modes and that's it! I "progressed" from that to an Atari 2600, then an Acorn Electron, then a Sega Master System, then a Commodore Amiga, then on to a PlayStation, an N64, a PC (with all the upgrading jiggery-pokery that goes with PC gaming), a Dreamcast, a PlayStation 2 and a GameCube combo, and I currently own a Wii and Xbox 360, with a smattering of PC gaming via Steam. I've owned GameBoys of all generations, as well as a Neo Geo Pocket and now get my mobile gaming kicks on my Sony Xperia phone. I was there when arcades ruled gaming and I rue the fact I did not realise they were fading into obsolescence until it was too late. I spent a number of years working in the industry for one of the UK's oldest developers, only to see them falter and fold under the mounting development costs of the last generation. What I'm saying is, when it comes to gaming, I've pretty much seen it all. So believe me when I say this past generation, the generation of the online console, DLC, motion gaming and indy games, has been the greatest generation in gaming history. Let's have a look at what's been going on since launch of the first last gen console.

Ex-Box

In 2001 Microsoft entered the console market with the Xbox, a vast black leviathan of a games machine with an equally vast controller, nicknamed "The Duke". The console was moderately successful, with Halo proving to be one of the most important games of the whole generation, but the Xbox was no where near as popular as its main rival, the PlayStation 2. Nonetheless, I think we were all surprised when Microsoft promptly replaced it, a mere 4 years later. That replacement was the Xbox 360, followed a year later by Sony's new console, the predictably named PlayStation 3. Little did anyone realise at the time just how different things were going to be this time around.

The first Xbox, not to be confused with the Xbox One.

High definition and online gaming

The mid-2000s saw the popularisation of two technologies that were crucial for getting the most out of the 360 and PS3: HDTVs and broadband internet. Suddenly, home consoles could offer the kind of high quality visuals and intense online competitive play which had previously been the preserve of PC gaming only. Both consoles had their fair share of brilliant online games, such as Forza 2 and Gears of War on the 360 and Killzone 2 and Resistance: Fall of Man on PS3, but it was a game that was available on both systems that really elevated online console gaming. That game, if you hadn't guessed, was Infinity Ward's sublime, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. From the moment we saw the ghilly suit and perks trailers, we knew this was going to be great, but we had no idea it would pretty much take over the gaming world, with people who might otherwise not even call themselves gamers buying consoles and playing nothing but Call of Duty.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was probably the most important
game of the generation.

But online gaming didn't just mean multiplayer, it also offered companies the opportunity to flog us Downloadable Content, or DLC for short. Some of this stuff genuinely added to the gaming experience, things like additional level packs, weapons and vehicles, but some of it was trash (the horse armour for Elder Scroll IV: Oblivion epitomised this kind of virtual racketeering)! It also allowed companies to push patches for their games, which lead to the unfortunate situation where games would ship needing to be patched right out of the box. The other controversial thing online consoles allowed companies to do was charge for content that was actually shipped on the disc . This had people incensed, although the idea of licensed software was not anything new, it was just new to video games; operating systems and software suites have been doing the same thing for years.

Motion gaming explosion

While Microsoft and Sony were winning over hardcore gamers, Nintendo, in a way that only Nintendo could pull off, won over non-gamers with something completely different. Technologically, the Wii console was years behind the 360 and PS3, but its use of motion based gaming as the central control method opened up the hobby to millions of people, from young children to mothers looking to do some exercise to old folks who had never previously even used a computer. For many people, the only games they needed on the Wii were Wii Sports, which was bundled with the console, and Wii Fit, complete with its high tech scales known as the balance board. Nonetheless, the console went on to ship over 100 million units - more than either of its HD rivals.

PlayStation Move is probably the best motion controller of them all.

Of course Microsoft or Sony could not allow Nintendo to corner such a significant part of the market and so in 2010 Sony launched their own version of the Wii-mote called the PlayStation Move and Microsoft launched their controller-free answer, the Kinect sensor. Neither proved to be as popular as Nintendo's console and for many hardcore console gamers these devices were an affront to everything the 360 and PS3 stood for.

Rise of the indies

Something else significant happened during the last generation. In stark contrast to the rising budgets and increasingly cinematic feel of games such as Uncharted, Heavy Rain and Mass Effect, small and independent studios started to attract the attention of the gaming press. Figures such as Jonathan Blow, Phil Fish and Markus "Notch" Persson created imaginative, alternative games that formed the foundation for the indie dev scene (which was also the former name and focus of this very blog). With the success of Minecraft and rave reviews Braid received, small developers started springing up everywhere. And thanks to the popularity of iPhones and Android phones, these developers found audiences everywhere.

These days I don't have much time to play games and so I love all the little gems that are out there. The other thing about the indie dev scene is that they tend to make games with a retro aesthetic. For many this was done to cut costs, but it soon became fashionable and despite the HD capabilities of the modern consoles, it was no longer a crime to show your pixels.

(Clockwise from top-left): Minecraft, Braid, Fez and Super Meat Boy,
four of the most influential indie games over the past 5 years.

More than just a games machine

Just as mobile phones have become smart phones, with more power than most PCs had back in 2005, so too have consoles grown to become more than just games machines. These days people are just as likely to use their consoles to play DVDs and Blu-Rays or use one of the many media streaming services, such as Netflix or the BBC iPlayer to stream movies, TV series and even live events! I actually have friends who only use their consoles for this, because they can do such a good job of it (especially the PS3). 

Who needs Sky or Virgin Media?

My highlights

I wouldn't be writing this article if I didn't have lots of highlights, some of which I have spoken about already in So you don't like modern games? Aside from what I talked about in that article, other highlights have included the rise of the indie scene, with many of my favourite games costing less that £15 quid. Fez is such a beautiful, ingenious game that it makes me feel sad for people who don't play games. I've also loved the renewed popularity of pinball, thanks to Zen Studios and Far Sight Studios. I own versions of their tables on my phone, my PC (via Steam) and my 360 and I'm constantly dabbling with them. Other highlights have been little things like cable-free controllers (once I wised up and bought a load of rechargeable AAs). But if I had to pick just one franchise that has thrilled and enthralled me the most, it would be Bioware's Mass Effect. For me this series encapsulates everything that was great about this generation.

I've probably thrown myself harder into this generation than any other during my adult life, but despite that there are a number of big gaps in my gaming career over the past 8 years. Most notably, I've not played any of the Assassin's Creed games. I thought the original looked great, but it came out in 2007, same as COD4, Mass Effect, Portal, Guitar Hero III, Super Mario Galaxy and Uncharted, so something had to give. And because I no longer own a PS3, I haven't had the chance to play Last of Us, a stunning example of just how powerful and progressive modern games have become.

The new generation

I'm not one for early adoption, not least because early games are often poor, but also because I take a long time to get through games; I still have a considerable stack of 360 and Wii games to finish. Deciding which console to buy is always tricky. Last time around the decision was made for me, because I won my 360 in a competition and my Wii came with a phone contract. I did briefly own a PS3, but at the time there were not many exclusive games and Sony's online services did not compare well to Microsoft's, so I sold it (sorry, Sony fans). 

In some ways, as games machines get closer to one another, as the PS4 and Xbox One undoubtedly are, it actually gets harder to decide. Back in the days of the MegaDrive vs SNES, both machines had loads of exclusives, so which ever you chose you were going to get a pretty distinct experience, but the Xbox One and PS4 will only have a handful of exclusives, with only a few games on either machine to sway your decision one way or the other. I really like the look of the Xbox One and of all the next gen games I've seen Titanfall interests me the most, but... after 6 years of intensive gaming on the Microsoft machine, I fancy a change of scenery, so I'm being pulled towards the PS4. However, there is a new player coming next year, one who's service I already use and like a lot more than either Sony's or Microsoft's, so who knows.

One thing's for sure: I've been gaming for over 30 years and with how busy I am at work, it's about the only hobby I have left, so whatever happens, I'm not going to quit now.

MTW