I mean they used to have a lot more actual content. Animated series and stuff like that. For as limited as the animation was the fact that the Doraleus or Urealms guys were putting out a whole scripted cartoon a week was insane. You don't see that in internet nowadays. Either the money or the passion (or both) aren't there anymore.
As for the forums, that's not a purely escapist problem. The whole fucking climate of the internet is a lot more toxic now. Especially when it comes to entertainment media since society is at a point where it has to pick it apart to ascribe racism or sexism or some agenda to it. It's just gotten exhausting at this point where something that used to be about tuning out and having fun has become almost as political as actual POLITICS and no matter what side of it you're on, it's hard to say that doesn't kill the enthusiasm that videogames used to evoke.
Plus people take the internet so personally now. Maybe I sound like an old man but back in my day "who gives a shit, it's just the internet" was a phrase thrown around regularly.
As for the forums, that's not a purely escapist problem. The whole fucking climate of the internet is a lot more toxic now. Especially when it comes to entertainment media since society is at a point where it has to pick it apart to ascribe racism or sexism or some agenda to it. It's just gotten exhausting at this point where something that used to be about tuning out and having fun has become almost as political as actual POLITICS and no matter what side of it you're on, it's hard to say that doesn't kill the enthusiasm that videogames used to evoke.
Plus people take the internet so personally now. Maybe I sound like an old man but back in my day "who gives a shit, it's just the internet" was a phrase thrown around regularly.