Poll: Do You Think Kids Would Be Happier Playing The Games We Grew Up With And Not Knowing Of Modern Ones?

[RagTagBand]

No. Games are better now than they've ever been in the past, it's just a fact of life that the older you get the more jaded you become and, in a lot of cases (such as in OP's case and a few other posters), more prone to seeing the past through rose tinted, nostalgia framed glasses.

Fuck I grew up with games like Dynamite Dan and the very first Prince of Persia and they were fucking amazing, But then again I was 4-5 years old at the time and they were literally the best available...so of course they seemed great at the time. Now I look back and wonder How something so ridiculously simplistic and devoid of content could hold my attention, but then again the answer is clear - I WAS 5 YEARS OLD.

Games have never stopped getting better, they're more complex, they're deeper experiences, they look better, they play better...who the hell in their right mind (ie non-nostaligia'd) would want to go backwards instead of forwards?

 

[Mikeyfell]

Well of course they would.

Technically I "grew up" with a PS2 since it was the first console I bought but I do think kids would enjoy the fun games infinity more than the mechanically perfect gray/brown chest-high-wall-a-thon of this generations games.

Back in the good old days mechanical prowess and graphics technology were no substitute for good old fashion fun. Now days fun is the first thing that gets cut in order to make way for better graphics or better ducking behind chest high wall mechanics.

 

[The Grim Ace]

Let them nostalgia after they've played the modern games they have. I had my N64 and my PS2 to keep me busy long before I discovered the beauty that was the NES, the SNES, and the Genesis. I think doing it like that might make them much more appreciative of the classics.

 

[Yopaz]

Not knowing the modern games I would be just as happy. Knowing the modern games they wont like the classics we grew up with.

I think the Donkey Kong Country series is the peak of gaming and I still enjoy it today. The graphics were great for its time and they have ages well because they focused on a good use of colour rather than realism. I don't think a kid who lovees Call of Duty would feel the same way though.

 

[Mallefunction]

I think kids should be started out on modern games, but shown older ones (like how a child first sees movies from their generation before expanding their knowledge of the medium)

I know I still have my PS1 titles (Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Frogger, etc) and if I have kids, they are getting those ones first :3 Just because they are old doesn't mean they aren't fun.

 

[Twilight_guy]

No. Games change and improve over time and gain variety. I'm not going to doom this generation tot eh last generations shit just because I'm wear nostalgia goggles. I hate the argument "when I was kid things were better" so much.

 

[Scarim Coral]

I don't think it would make any different well probably less docuhe spewing kids (I grew up with the SNES so no online gaming). However it will make them quite backward if they knew nothing about modern gaming and their advantages.

 

[Hedonist]

Children are very easy to manipulate. And because of their "imagination" they can be perfectly happy growing up with a ball and a stick.

 

[dimensional]

No I dont think they would to be honest I am certainly happier with games now than back in the 80s it wasnt fun waiting 40 minutes or more to load a game on the C64 only to find its rubbish or glitched or it has crashed.

Not that there arent awesome games from that period that stand the test of time and should be experienced by all most notably super mario bros being far and away the best for me but they can play that anyway (if they have a wii) Fools errand is still a great puzzle game but overall no I dont think they would be happier but at least they may be more appreciative of the diversity games can offer and it would show them in much starker contrast the difference between a good game and a broken unplayable mess of a game.

Oh and as for games being harder now that is complete rubbish, much thorough play testing has made them as a whole more accessible and less prone to screw you over despite increased complexity.

 

[martin's a madman]

Would you be happier playing the games your parents did while having no knowledge of the ones from your time?

How about their parents?

Theirs?


Each generation has its own unique thing to contribute, and while it's easy to say 'my generation was the best, no other can be as good' it will only lead to disappointment.

 

[Sneezeguard]

I would say maybe before was a time of great innovation, games were more creative, original and willing to take risks. And you really notice a difference from game to game as they evolved.

Nowadays games are more expensive to produce and buy while Games today while of greater standard and better to look at have become kinda stagnant. I am no longer as excited as I once was with a new game.

 

[SonicKaos]

If I have a kid, I plan on buying the old consoles for them when they're young so they get exposure to it. I can't keep them from wanting the latest and greatest forever... but I want to make sure he/she has solid roots to build from lol. Get some knowledge of the classics, and then move up.

 

[Wonderland]

I would say no. I mean, they wan't to play whatever is coolest, and while Super Mario (and Zork, if you are old enough)is cool to us, to them it don't really scream "COOL!"

 

[Zantos]

I'd encourage them to play a few of the older ones, but I don't think they'd be happier not playing the new ones. There are some really good games out there from the current generation that they'd be seriously missing out on.

 

[Zajber]

Yes. Megaman, Donkey Kong, Mario, Sonic (all 2D of course, anything else is rubbish (except Mario 64/Sunshine)). End of story.
Games nowadays are just too simple and forgiving. Hell, give a youngster a NES-controller and hook them up with Ninja Gaiden. 5 minutes and they would whine about how hard it is (Took me half a day or something like that of constant playing to beat it).
I miss the day when it was almost like games celebrated when you died.

 

[dickywebster]

Meh, there are good games from all generation of games i think (btw i do still play pacman), so im not a huge fan of just playing one generation, but it does sometimes make me sad when i hear people dismiss games purely because they were on say the ps2 and dont look as good as the current gen games, which makes they rubbish in some peoples eyes...

 

[Palademon]

Hell no! I grew up on a diet of Timesplitters, Medal of Honour and Crazy Taxi, and I think games like MW2 are better in every conceivable way. Nostalgia prevents progress and impedes logic, and a society without logic and progress is worth shit all.

My good sir I challenge you to a duel for the honour of Timesplitters!

OT: I don't think they'd be inherently happier, but it'd be nice if they took interest.

 

[Mr.Tophat]

There are great games now, and great games then. But as the OP said in... different terms. Move forward not back: Even Orson Welles said that the best movies he had ever seen came AFTER his own masterpiece, not before.

 

[XT inc]

I think so, if you get thrown into modern gaming, I don?t think you would ever get that sense of awe as generations progress.

The classic games were built for kids and are more kid friendly.

Plus what a ride it was growing up from Nintendo to now, Anything pre Nintendo would just be cruel.

Besides you would get so much more enjoyment out of the culture if you start at the back and work your way forward, games that are utterly intolerable now are epic and new. I.e trying playing most of the first generation 3d games on the play station/ N64. God what a bunch of clunky, jaggy, blocky bunch of crap. That all got epically buffed from going from Snes to play station.