Has Nostalgia settled in for the Xbox 360/Playstation 3 generation? For me not really for these reasons.

[Bob_McMillan]

But most notably, I'm nostalgic for that era because it was the last that didn't feel the need to leash us to always online requirements and over-monetization. You bought your game, and for better or worse, it was a complete experience.

I had a PS3 back then, but our internet was total dogshit and completely unsuitable for playing online. Which sucked, because back then the only games people would play for longer than a week were the online ones. When I got the PS4, I realized what a fucking bother PS+ was for a teenager whose parents would never fork over money for a gaming service subscription.

So I'm very much of the same mind. I don't hold any real nostalgia for the games I played on the PS3, but I do miss seeing gaming as a magical pastime full of wonder instead of an increasingly fucked up industry milking consumers.

 

[Dreiko]

It really hasn't been that long, I kept using my ps3 as my main system up until like 3ish years ago. Takes way longer for nostalgia to set in.

 

[Chimpzy]

No, not really. As time goes on, I replay games less and less, preferring to instead play something new. And therein lies the rub because the PS360 era was the first where I had my own income, meaning I've already played pretty much all games of that generation that I wanted to play, either back then, or later on as a rerelease on pc. There's not enough left to make me want to track down a copy and then pull my PS3 or 360 out of storage. I suppose I could just emulate, but neither console has an emulator quite reliable enough yet

 

[Samtemdo8]

I'm definitely nostalgic for WWII games which more or less came to an end in popularity around there, and certain things like Halo 3 that to me represented a peak in a given series. Not many specific things come to mind, but I kind of attribute it to the fact that certain huge game series more or less locked in around there. GTAV was a good game, but its existed largely unchanged and playable for ages. Same with Skyrim. Good game, loved it, not nostalgic at all for it because nothing Elder Scrolls barring the online one has really happened since.



I do feel sad about the slow disappearance of Wii games. Not being super emulatable due to motion controls, and a lot of the library being left to dust does really suck. I don't particularly love many Wii games, but I do wish there was a better way to preserve them - VR seems to be the only current analog and I don't see much getting ported even on the sideload/grey area type sites.

They are perfectly emulatable, dependent on the game, A lot of good Wii Games use the gamecube controller or classic control.

Or at the very least. The motion controls for the Wii Mote was not too complicated. Look at Super Mario Galaxy. All it has is the pointer at the screen and shaking the Wii Mote to do the Spin Attack (Not a complicated motion, just one slight tilt) this can be easily placed as a button.

And best of all, its possible to use a Real Wiimote itself on the emulator.

 

[gorfias]

How can you feel nostalgic for the PS3/Xbox360 era when most of the games that sold well got ported to the PS4/XBone anyway?

To quote Jim Cornette, "How can we miss you if you don't go away?"

Ask me again in 10 years.

This.

And I still have 2 PS3s: fat and super slim. Gave the 3rd, best IMHO, slim, to the boy when he moved out. He took our 360 as well, which is OK as I have Xbox 1 OG and X which has so much backward compatibility. And I kept COD World At War as it is BC.

For nostalgia, I do have the classic NES and SNES but the N64, Gamecube, PS2? Just really felt like poor performers that couldn't do quite what PS360 did but wanted to so I gave them away. As it is, I'm up to my eyeballs with stuff and my wife is ready to kill me.

I don't feel nostalgic for the PS3 as it is here, plays well enough and gives me a gaming fix when I can't get near my other stuff as the rest of the family is on those TVs.

PS360 era was great. But it really hasn't gone away, so I don't think it counts as nostalgia.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I can see why you'd think that, but I actually disagree because during the PS4/Xbone era we've seen a significant rise in indie games. People always ignore them when discussing the gaming industry, as if the AAA is all that matters. It's the AAA industry that should be ignored as much as possible IMO. It's all but worthless nowadays. There's an entire world of amazing creative indie titles now.

No one is ignoring indie titles, but they stand on the shoulders of giants. If not for the AAA industry and the draw towards gaming they produce, companies like Sony and Microsoft wouldn't be interested in supporting gaming with loss-leading hardware sales to make gaming the billion dollar industry it is today. Don't take my comment about creative drop off too literally; I simply mean that during the PS3/360 era, even the AAA industry was willing to try new things whereas the last generation showed an all but complete reliance on complacency and recurrent payment strategies to sustain itself into the current generation (which I can't speak on as I've not even seen a PS5 or XboneX, but I can't imagine the industry has pulled a "Scrooge on Christmas morning" in a single year...)

 

[Adam Jensen]

No one is ignoring indie titles, but they stand on the shoulders of giants. If not for the AAA industry and the draw towards gaming they produce, companies like Sony and Microsoft wouldn't be interested in supporting gaming with loss-leading hardware sales to make gaming the billion dollar industry it is today. Don't take my comment about creative drop off too literally; I simply mean that during the PS3/360 era, even the AAA industry was willing to try new things whereas the last generation showed an all but complete reliance on complacency and recurrent payment strategies to sustain itself into the current generation (which I can't speak on as I've not even seen a PS5 or XboneX, but I can't imagine the industry has pulled a "Scrooge on Christmas morning" in a single year...)

I see your point.

 

[Worgen]

I think for nostalgia to set in, the games kinda have to go away. It seems like most of the best ones are getting remakes/rereleases/remasters so I'm not sure we will see the same level of nostalgia since you can probably still play them easily.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

I think part of what gives us a nostalgia for older consoles is that the number of titles on them were fewer and the genres were less diverse.

For example, people remember the N64 as a golden age of 3D platformer games because it had a lot of iconic and genre defining titles on it.

Huge online multiplayer games, simulation games, roguelike games, and other genres didn't exist on consoles in large numbers yet which narrowed what people saw as what defined a system.

Meanwhile now not only are there numerous titles of all genres to pick from but genres cross over more often for blends and mixes of genres.

I also think part of what creates nostalgia for something is a shared experience with others. There are now so many games that the individual experience of each gamer can now be vastly different from that of another so talking about this kind of thing with others will produce different results.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I think part of what gives us a nostalgia for older consoles is that the number of titles on them were fewer and the genres were less diverse.

For example, people remember the N64 as a golden age of 3D platformer games because it had a lot of iconic and genre defining titles on it.

In the spirit of the thread title, i.e.: specific to the Xbox 360 and PS 3 generation, I don't really feel this applies. That generation was quite diverse both in experiences and online content. A lot of people in here are citing the fact that many of the games originating in that generation are still readily available, but I don't think the OP asked if we're nostalgic simply for the games, but the generation itself.

He did mention game accessibility which likely took quite a few people down that rabbit hole of "I can't miss something I have in my pocket," but I took it as: waking up each day as an avid gamer, am I more excited for what's next, or more exhausted because I'm already planning on being disappointed by what's next because they've shown their hand time and time again over the past 8 years, and have been largely unimpressive by their own standards of capability? Technologically superior? Sure; objectively so. But the essence of the modern gaming experience pales in comparison to the 360/PS3 era. Like many, I'll never forget the first time I exited the dungeon in TES IV: Oblivion. I saw something that literally changed gaming. I NEVER had that experience on the Xbone or PS4. I did experience a lot of samey copycats with a constant eye on my wallet, though.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

In the spirit of the thread title, i.e.: specific to the Xbox 360 and PS 3 generation, I don't really feel this applies. That generation was quite diverse both in experiences and online content. A lot of people in here are citing the fact that many of the games originating in that generation are still readily available, but I don't think the OP asked if we're nostalgic simply for the games, but the generation itself.

He did mention game accessibility which likely took quite a few people down that rabbit hole of "I can't miss something I have in my pocket," but I took it as: waking up each day as an avid gamer, am I more excited for what's next, or more exhausted because I'm already planning on being disappointed by what's next because they've shown their hand time and time again over the past 8 years, and have been largely unimpressive by their own standards of capability? Technologically superior? Sure; objectively so. But the essence of the modern gaming experience pales in comparison to the 360/PS3 era. Like many, I'll never forget the first time I exited the dungeon in TES IV: Oblivion. I saw something that literally changed gaming. I NEVER had that experience on the Xbone or PS4. I did experience a lot of samey copycats with a constant eye on my wallet, though.

I don't think what I said disagrees with that. Games are part of what defines a generation. I'm also not saying my point is the only element, I was saying that it is yet another part of it.

 

[FakeSympathy]

For me, the one and only memorable game from Xbox 360 was the Halo Reach.

I had tons of memories having fun on the multiplayer and forge customs, laughing when trolling a certain friend in the group. Since it was an 360 exclusive, I think it formed a tighter bond between us.

I recently got back into it via MCC, and I think the game aged great. The armor lock is still a stupid armor ability and DMR can be op sometimes, but I still enjoy all the game modes that I loved back in the days

 

[Xprimentyl]

I don't think what I said disagrees with that. Games are part of what defines a generation. I'm also not saying my point is the only element, I was saying that it is yet another part of it.

Ok; fair enough, and interesting sentiment: games help define a generation. So my question would be: how many generation-defining titles did we see in the last generation versus how many we saw in the 360/PS3 generation? Not a challenge, but a genuine question. Because, for the life of me, I can't think of any console-movers from last gen that weren't iterations of franchises founded in a generation before it.

 

[BrawlMan]

Ok; fair enough, and interesting sentiment: games help define a generation. So my question would be: how many generation-defining titles did we see in the last generation versus how many we saw in the 360/PS3 generation? Not a challenge, but a genuine question. Because, for the life of me, I can't think of any console-movers from last gen that weren't iterations of franchises founded in a generation before it.

As far as the 360, ps3, and Wii era:

• Bayonetta
• BioShock
• Gears of War
• Uncharted
• Super Mario Galaxy
• No More Heroes
• Dishonored
• Call of Duty 4
• Street Fighter 4
• A lot of Xbox live arcade and indie titles.
• The Batman Arkham games.
• Dead Rising
• Nier
• The last of Us
• Infamous
• Killzone
• Resistance
• Saints Row 2
• Five nights at Freddy's
• Minecraft

Generation 8:

• Nier: Automata
• Resident Evil 2 Remake
• Devil May Cry 5
• The big comeback of Japanese gaming in general.
• Bayonetta 2
• Among Us
• Smash Brothers Ultimate
• And plenty of other AA and indie Games I can't think of at the moment.

 

[Xprimentyl]

As far as the 360, ps3, and Wii era:

Bayonetta
BioShock
Gears of War
Uncharted
Super Mario Galaxy
No More Heroes
Dishonored
Call of Duty 4
Street Fighter 4
A lot of Xbox live arcade and indie titles.
The Batman Arkham games.
Dead Rising
Nier
The last of Us
Infamous
Killzone
Resistance
Saints row 2
Five nights at Freddy's
Minecraft

Generation 8:

Nier: Automata
Resident Evil 2 Remake
Devil May Cry 5
The big comeback of Japanese gaming in general.
Bayonetta 2
Among Us
Smash Brothers Ultimate
And plenty of other AA and indie Games I can't think of at the moment.

My, people do love their lists, don't they? I wasn't asking for a list of titles; more I was asking for evidence (beyond itemization) that the XBone/PS4 gen was superior or even on par with any generation before it, but most specifically, its predecessor in the Xbox 360/PS3 gen.

That said, outside of them simply being released during the days of XBone/PS4, none of those titles you listed strike me as specifically and universally stellar titles; may be great installments for their particular fanbases, but which of them moved hardware for their mere "need to have"-ability? Not saying they weren't good games, but which of those did people line up in droves at a midnight launch because its existence was genuinely exciting, was changing the landscape of gaming, and are there enough of them to say last gen exceeded its predecessors in overall quality? (And note: a couple of the ones you listed were remakes and sequels from successful franchises released in generations before their launch which kinda adds to my argument that complacency was the status quo for the XBone/PS4 generation.)

Again, I'm not saying no good or quality games came out last gen; I played quite a bit I enjoyed. But those instances were far fewer and far between than what I experienced in the decade previous.

 

[Piscian]

Honestly? Never owned either one when they were in their prime. Right at the time both came out I was hardcore into PC gaming. I'd have to sit down and look it all up, but 2002-2010 I was really just playing PC. For some reason I wanna say I was playing a ton of MMOs, CS:S, CS:GO, TF2, Warcraft, Battlefield, Elder Scrolls, Stalker SOC, GTA3REAL mod etc.

Today I can definitely see the argument of balancing console and PC, but when PS3 was also struggling to support 1080p and I think Xbox 360 was 720p for a long time, I was playing games like Stalker SOC with Nvidia Surround tri-monitors 3x1080p on GTX8800s with my PC master race brethren.

Console games werent even on my radar. I have both consoles now in my collection, but I can literally only think of one game I played which was Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. For some reason that game caught my eye and I borrowed an Xbox 360 just to play it.

I can see why people might be super nostalgic for Xbox360. I bought a modded one to try and catch up. Its got a pretty massive library. I remember PS3s launch being pretty rough.

1. The issue here is that majority of these games, were all heavily multiplatform, you can play these games on all the major consoles and the PC as well. Basically this doesn't give me the same "nostalgic" attachment to a certain consoles library.

Its because of this that people tend to buy re-releases of these games made for more modern consoles and ESPECIALLY the PC. This was and still is the reason to go PC GAMING MASTER RACE. Not just for better graphics, but for Performance if your PC is capable of it.

Started typing before I read the whole post. Yep this was me exactly. Very few major reasons to buy console games between 2004-2012 for me.

 

[BrawlMan]

My, people do love their lists, don't they? I wasn't asking for a list of titles; more I was asking for evidence (beyond itemization) that the XBone/PS4 gen was superior or even on par with any generation before it, but most specifically, its predecessor in the Xbox 360/PS3 gen.

You should have been more specific, and you did ask. It still counts either way. Plus, a lot of these games lead an impact, brought new fans, or still have a legacy. Keep in mind, DMC5 had been in development since 2014 (released in 2019), and the last title came out in 2008. Sold more than the highest selling DMC game, DMC4. Just when Capcom was finally getting out of their dork age.That is nothing to scoff at (not implying your are).

which of those did people line up in droves at a midnight launch because its existence was genuinely exciting, was changing the landscape of gaming, and are there enough of them to say last gen exceeded its predecessors in overall quality?

People Lining Up in Droves During Generation 7:

• Halo 3
• All of Gears of War
• All of the Uncharted
• COD4
• All of the Bioshocks
• Dead Space 1 and 2
• FEAR 2
• Killzone 2
• Street Fighter IV
• God of War III
• Saints Row 2 and III
• GTA IV

 

[Xprimentyl]

You should have been more specific, and you did aski. It still counts either way. Plus, a lot of these games lead an impact, brought new fans, or still have a legacy. Keep in mind, DMC5 had been in development since 2014 (released in 2019), and the last title came out in 2008. Sold more than the highest selling DMC game, DMC4. Just when Capcom was finally getting out of their dork age.That is nothing to scoff at (not implying your are).

Again, not saying the games you listed weren't good, didn't bring in fans or didn't contribute to the success of the generation; I'm comparing 360/PS3 to Xbone/PS4 in the spirit of the thread title (not enumerating generations because as we've found in other threads, it's an arbitrary distinction.) My question, more specifically, is which generation left the bigger, more substantive legacy that might merit particular preference and nostalgia.

People Lining Up in Droves During Generation 7:

• Halo 3
• All of Gears of War
• All of the Uncharted
• COD4
• All of the Bioshocks
• Dead Space 1 and 2
• FEAR 2
• Killzone 2
• Street Fighter IV
• God of War III
• Saints Row 2 and III
• GTA IV

... This was my exact point, was it not? I asked what of significance did last gen (Xbone/PS4) contribute to the legacy of gaming that might outpace the nostalgia those like myself feel for the generation before it (360/PS3.) So my point is reinforced with this list unless anyone can build a longer, more substantive list of "must haves/must plays" from last gen. And I'm not talking about just good games; there's not necessarily a shortage of them, but what games came out last gen that significantly defined the generation and qualify it as better than those before it?

 

[BrawlMan]

Again, not saying the games you listed weren't good, didn't bring in fans or didn't contribute to the success of the generation; I'm comparing 360/PS3 to Xbone/PS4 in the spirit of the thread title (not enumerating generations because as we've found in other threads, it's an arbitrary distinction.)

I know, I was just pointing out what you originally asked with some extra details.

My question, more specifically, is which generation left the bigger, more substantive legacy that might merit particular preference and nostalgia.

If I had to guess, maybe the 7th gen, only because it was still a time where games didn't have so much franchise dilution nor microTransX
in everyone's face. At least early on any way. Me personally, I do have more of a preference for gen 8 mainly because of the big comeback of Japanese gaming, and AA games returning. I've had more fun with the smaller games and mid budget games, than most of the overly bloated, content cutting for a shell price AAA games. Also, no more Gears of War clones nor constant COD clones!

Fighting games became more in full swing too during generation 8, and beat'em ups are in a new golden age again.

And I'm not talking about just good games; there's not necessarily a shortage of them, but what games came out last gen that significantly defined the generation and qualify it as better than those before it?

I already did; twice. It's hard to think on the fly when you're at work. It does not help that a lot of these games got ports on modern consoles now. So it's harder discern and dissect. Most of the other games that didn't make it were either mediocre to begin with, lesser versions of COD/Gears/Halo, or were just unfortunately too niche. And if they are categorized under decent, got the bad luck of the draw with the dev/publisher shutting down.

 

[stroopwafel]

Far too recent for any nostalgia imo. The generation also wasn't that great. Like others said it was dominated by grey brown CoD shooter clones where every game needed to have forced multiplayer and coop to such an extent that it ruined franchises like Dead Space and Resident Evil. Every publisher was chasing those CoD sales numbers and it just ruined gaming as whole. The nickel and diming of microtransactions also reared it's ugly and there wasn't really a big enough indie scene like there is now delivering some of the highest quality games to compensate for lacking AAA titles. On top of that Japanese developers were also largely absent during that era. There were some standouts like Dead Space 1/2, MGS4 and Demon's Souls but it was slim pickings for sure compared to the diarrhea of forgettable first person shooter/''dudebro'' games.

Not only were games largely forgettable 99% of games were also multiplayer and those games played like ass on PS3 due to it's limited ram. I remember the gen most as mediocre games played on an underutilized console. Definitely won't have any nostalgia for this particular era lmao.