The End of a Generation: The 7th and I
I'm writing a series of posts about
the seventh generation of consoles and the games that graced them (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP and
DS). This will include a Top 20 countdown, thoughts on the industry, silly
pictures and whatever else comes to mind.
November 2005 saw the release of the Xbox 360 in the US,
the first home console of the seventh generation. It also happens to be the
month that I upped sticks and moved to Japan. I don’t recall being aware of the
360 at the time, in fact my interest in video games was at an all-time low, but
that would change as the generation progressed. The era of 360-PS3-Wii-DS-PSP
spans some of the most exciting and eventful years of my life - I'm not dead
yet, but I’m told everything goes downhill from 30 - and it turned my interest
in video games into a passion. All in all, it was a pretty good eight years.
My decision to move to Japan was a rather hasty one. I
was supposed to be going back to university to study law following a year out.
However, as much as I tried to sell myself on the prospect of fourteen hour
work days, pinstripe suits, coke, cocktails and hookers, I was far from
convinced. A summer of travelling introduced me to a world outside of my comfort
zone, and then the following year a fortnight backpacking in Japan confirmed my
doubts. So I cancelled my university place, got myself an English teaching job
with the despicable NOVA, secured my visa and headed out to Japan in search of
adventure and cheap, convenience store booze, both of which I found in
abundance.
I arrived in Japan with only my Gameboy SP, Tactics
Advance and a middling Sonic game. When I left in January 2010, I shipped four
large cardboard boxes full of discs, cartridges and superfluous peripherals.
Those were four years well spent and I've been adding to that collection ever
since.
My seventh generation began with the PSP in late 2005. It
was a long wait for my first pay cheque in Japan, and clubbing all night in
Shibuya twice a week was taking its toll on my bank balance, yet I still
splurged on a white PSP. I took my new toy everywhere, as I guided my Phoenix
Suns through a season of NBA Live 2006, raced through Wipeout and tried to find
a practical use for Talkman.
In those early years of the Seventh, I did much of my gaming on portables. The PSP was my main distraction and a DS would follow a year or so later. They were my train companions, as work took me across the length and breadth of Tokyo. I was able to invest tens of hours into games like Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops, Crisis Core and Chrono Trigger while successfully avoiding eye contact with other commuters.
Both systems would suffer once we moved back to England
in 2010. With lengthy commutes a thing of the past, both handhelds quickly fell
out of favour, though the PSP made a brief comeback in 2011 with the excellent
Tactics Ogre. Things have certainly changed this year, as stunners like Monster
Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS) and Persona 4 Golden (Vita) have ensured that my portables
have seen plenty of action.
The Wii was my first home console of the era. Although we
like to ridicule the visuals and family-friendly software, at the time I was
greatly impressed. The Wii was and remains The party console. Some of my
all-time favourite local multiplayer experiences, somewhat of a throwback in an
era of online fragging, belong to Wii titles like Resident Evil: Umbrella
Chronicles and of course Wii Sports. Although it’s not quite a game, I adore
Joysound Karaoke and it will ensure that the Wii remains plugged into the TV
until the end of time, or at least until the Wii U, English version gets up to
speed.
Then came the PS3, and it was love at first sight.
Between my original, fat black brick and the slim model that would replace it,
I have spent thousands of hours on my PS3 since the spring of 2008. Speaking of
replacing hardware, this generation has been more expensive than any other. I
have had to fork out for a second PS3, PSP and 360 over the last few years due
to a range of faults, all of which occurred just outside of warranty. To
Nintendo’s credit, I could probably crack a walnut with my DS and it would
still work, or batter a home invader with my Wii without interrupting our
karaoke session.
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Doing some game journalizms at TGS 2009
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The PS3 introduced me to online gaming, friend lists, digital purchases and trophies/achievements, all of which are now thoroughly integral to my video game experience. When I think of the seventh generation, I think of the PS3 first and, despite Sony’s numerous mistakes, I can honestly say I have never had as much fun with a console as I have with the third PlayStation.
I knew I wanted an Xbox 360, but I wasn’t really sure
why. This was of little concern when, one evening, I staggered into a local
electronics store after an afternoon spent in the pub and picked up a bundle.
For the first time ever, I had all three major platforms and I tried to make
the most of this new found wealth. I've enjoyed a number of games on the 360 -
Mass Effect 2, Alan Wake and Dead Rising are the first that come to mind - but
it was never more than an occasional distraction.
I try to give every platform a fair shake, but I did find
Sony’s 7G exclusives to be far superior to Microsoft’s. Familiarity and Metal
Gear Solid 4 made me choose the PS3 at first; the quality of the software
ensured that I never jumped ship, despite Sony’s best attempts to sabotage its
image. High prices, overconfidence in
their brand, lack of innovation in everything but the software and of course
their mishandling of the PSN hack marked a difficult generation for Sony, where
they lost a great deal of goodwill earned over the last fifteen years. It will
be interesting to see whether they can build upon a strong finish and also
maintain the lead that Microsoft has gifted them into the next generation.
I bought far too many games over the last eight years - I
blame Akihabara (Tokyo) and online shopping. In Japan I learnt to love the high
street again; back in England I remembered how to hate it. Shopping in
Akihabara was a joy, once you learnt to ignore all the other human beings,
whether I was looking for new games or raiding the retro stores. The high
street experience is abysmal in England but I found solace online, where most
games are heavily discounted within a month or two, as retailers vie for your
attention in an effort to offload five thousand unwanted copies of Fuse.
Although you wouldn't know by looking at suggested retail prices, it is now
cheaper than ever to build up an extensive library of games, and I certainly made
the most of discounts over the last few years.
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“I can feel it coming over me, I feel it all around me”
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As my enthusiasm for games and the industry grew throughout this generation, I started to look for ways to share my interest. I began blogging in 2008 and then made my way to 1UP the following year, where I met countless other gamers from all over the world. I eventually settled here in late 2010, as well as contributing to other sites and even appearing in print on a couple of occasions. For a while, playing and writing about games became inseparable, as I'd dedicate a few sentences to even the most forgettable of titles.
Attending Tokyo Game Show on a Press Pass from 2009-2011
was a high point. It was a chance to view the inner workings of the industry
and its PR machine, or at least gate-crash the party before being chased off by
an angry SEGA rep. It was two days each year of new games, drinking and looking
down my nose at all the plebs attending the nightmarish public days, and I
loved it.
My seventh generation hasn’t just been about playing
games. It’s been about sharing them with like-minded people, deconstructing
Metal Gear Solid 4 over several beers with friends, posing on a Yakuza throne,
listening to a teenager battle rapping an entire Call of Duty lobby,
retail therapy, considering burying my dead PS3, trying not to swear too much on a podcast,
singing the Street Fighter IV theme tune at karaoke and keeping a regular blog
for the best part of five years. It’s all these things and so much more. But
yeah, I suppose it’s mostly been about playing games, lots of games.
Sony's brand took a hit this generation, but I feel it all worked out in the end. Sony has been working hard these past few years, and they even won me back from primarily playing my 360. I also think things will continue to get better as Sony approaches this next generation like a challenger instead of an unbeatable champion.
ReplyDeleteYour Yakuza picture is the best!
I agree that this generation was about the gaming community as much as the games themselves. I wish I had had better online gaming experiences though... This has been better for me on PSN then Live, but it's still been rough.
I also like Sony approaching next gen as the challenger. Hopefully it will keep them on their toes and they will avoid the mistakes they made with the PS3
DeletePeople were lining up to have their picture taken in the Yakuza throne! One of the highlights of TGS 09 :)
Cheers