> "gaming is dead now"

One gets the impression that gaming is dead when one's only contact with modern gaming consists of reading headlines about a handful of AAA games.

In reality, the gaming landscape has never been better, as game production has expanded in several directions:

- The barrier to entry into game development has been lowered; People who are talented in design but not programming now have the opportunity to create games

- AAA budgets have increased; those who enjoy large-scale productions will find increasingly large games

- There is still a market for old-school games, so plenty of (especially smaller) companies produce retromodern games

Heck, they even still produce commercial Commodore 64 games o_O

Of course, there is less room for radical innovation, but people do not play only radically innovative games. And regardless, innovation still exists today, especially in smaller-scale productions.

I love that. My wife and I are hopefully having kids soon and that's one thing I really want to encourage. Not to say that modern games aren't any good, but there's an increasing lack of respect for the player's time and wallet. The goal is shifting to maximizing value because they're getting more expensive to produce, but increasing the game price itself is a cardinal sin. Not to mention that live service games just out-earn non-service ones.

I hope it works out. I can see it working in the reverse: I play n64/ps1/ps2/gamecube games with my kid, they go to school and their friends are playing fortnight or valorant, and then you become the bad guy for trying to be an obstacle in that.

>I think he picked up my "gaming is dead now" outlook since he doesn't really have any interest in new systems or games anymore

This is interesting, as I was about to say that gaming has never been more alive than it is now - but it's true that at least the developments in hardware are not nearly as exciting as they used to be in the past. Maybe that's what he's feeling?

I'm a bit of an old-timer now (almost 45), but I enjoy a lot of the classics on GOG. And at a price that can't be beat. Totally no interest in playing modern games.

> you could tell at a passing glance which system was displaying on the screen even if you didn't know what game it was

I always felt the same about the look of PS2 games

I demand Sega Saturn representation in this list!

I grew up playing diablo II and super smash bros (super nintendo before that!). While I don't have as much time for it these days, gaming couldn't be farther from dead, IMO. There are incredible games and worlds being created both from AAA and indie studios alike.