Considering getting out of gaming.

[Wolfsage]

I'm thinking this next generation of consoles are going to phase me out entirely due to internet needed to run just about everything. Or fix broken games they put out. Less of the game seems to be on the physical disc. And most times you see the plot on YouTube. Add to the fact the games for the next consle generation will be $70. Along with the fact more of the games will likely need some type of internet activation or mantainence threw it.
I'm just tired. It used to be fun looking forward to new games. Now it's just a lot of questions and confusion and high prices.

 

[GadAbout]

People change as they go through life. It's not good or bad, we just do.

 

[AGXStarseed]

I agree - my last console has been the PS3 and I've had little motivation to go for a PS4, let alone a PS5.
(I've got no space for either console for a start).

Also, I agree with you - in the past you just turned the console on, put in the disc, waited for it all to load up then away you went.
Nowadays, everything seems so convoluted and annoying - like the frustration of wanting to play multiplayer online with your friends/acquaintances but not been able to because you've got to wait for hours while your game finishes downloading and installing an update, a patch, some DLC, etc.
(DLC also gets on my nerves - I'd rather they just put it all in the game instead of making us pay however much for the game then making us pay extra just for some more characters/levels/abilities/weapons/etc.)

Also, I find most modern games just aren't as fun. Maybe that's just bias on my part and fair play to anyone who disagrees, but I got way more enjoyment out of playing games on a PS2 or even my old Gameboy Advance than I get from most games nowadays.
If it's a choice between a few hours of Crazy Taxi on the PS2/hours of Pokemon LeafGreen on the GBA or hours of one of the many COD-style games that get shoveled out every year, I'll take the 'oldies' any day of the week.

 

[Autistic Yoda]

Wolfseed, and AGXStarseed; Mature adults, you have become. New games with no personal financial payoff; Unworthy of much of your time, they are.

 

[Judge]

Having spent a few years working for a major Silicon Valley player in computer gaming many years ago, I occasionally post that most of you would probably give up gaming if you truly understood how publishers and developers view their customers as opposed to their shareholders, officers and directors.

And how software publishers and developers collude with hardware manufacturers. Making for a vicious cycle of constantly paying to upgrade your hardware just to play the latest software game, apart from much greater dependence on one's ISP to deliver competitive bandwidth.

I was once an avid gamer myself, until I got on the inside. I loved working as a website developer in the marketing department, but the experience caused me to give up playing games on the PC platform altogether.

And to think now that the XBox has evolved into just another PC running Windows 10. Sad...but inevitable. The only games I rarely play now are ones from an earlier era- circa 2003 on my legacy hardware system running Windows XP SP3. And to think that I once admired the console platform as anything but a PC.

 

[Wolfsage]

Wolfseed, and AGXStarseed; Mature adults, you have become. New games with no personal financial payoff; Unworthy of much your time, they are.

An honor master Yoda. Your wisdom is appreciated.

 

[Wolfsage]

Having spent a few years working for a major Silicon Valley player in computer gaming many years ago, I occasionally post that most of you would probably give up gaming if you truly understood how publishers and developers view their customers as opposed to their shareholders, officers and directors.

And how software publishers and developers collude with hardware manufacturers. Making for a vicious cycle of constantly paying to upgrade your hardware just to play the latest software game, apart from much greater dependence on one's ISP to deliver competitive bandwidth.

I was once an avid gamer myself, until I got on the inside. I loved working as a website developer in the marketing department, but the experience caused me to give up playing games on the PC platform altogether.

And to think now that the XBox has evolved into just another PC running Windows 10. Sad...but inevitable. The only games I rarely play now are ones from an earlier era- circa 2003 on my legacy hardware system running Windows XP SP3. And to think that I once admired the console platform as anything but a PC.

I read some of your posts. It confirmed what I suspected. Thanks for the info.

 

[Misery]

I'm going to say the same thing I say every single time this type of topic appears:

Look elsewhere for your games. The big corporate loons arent the only source anymore.

Just as a bit of context here: I've been gaming since... er... '84, I'm told. I was 3. Gaming since then. I grew up with the Atari 2600, NES, and DOS computers. ANCIENT things.

Here's the thing about that: I never lost the taste for those. No rose-tinted glasses here, because I go play those things often. Hell, I've got an emulator in freaking VR that can let me access all of those old games in an 80s bedroom that doesnt actually exist. And to play old arcade games (mostly "golden age" stuff) in an arcade that also doesnt quite exist. I had this entire computer built JUST to do that, that was literally the entire reason. Suffice it to say... I am, at heart, a retro gamer.

So, do I just not buy games anymore, because of how things have changed? Have I just stopped doing that? Well, yes, but actually no.

I stopped buying AAA games years ago. YEARS ago. Those games you're talking about that cost $70? Haha, I dont freaking touch those. They're garbage. Corporate nonsense that is also predatory and dangerous... yeah, I'll pass.

And, even without the predatory/dangerous aspect, they're.... bad. They're mostly bad. A bunch of stupid cookie-cutter generic nonsense, pandering only to the biggest (most braindead) crowd. I need actual freaking substance.

Let me show you a few things that I've been into as of late:

This is Umfend, a short horror game that I particularly loved. Right away, you might be saying to yourself, "???", and I'd have to agree with you, it's quite the unique experience. The sorts of horror games you're probably used to... they aint like this. And no, despite the look of a couple of the characters there, it is NOT an anime-styled/inspired game. One very specific set of characters sort of has... almost that look? But everything else.... no. This one screenshot alone is a good taste of where I'm going with what I'm saying here. I'm not even going to try to explain what the heck is going on in it though, it'd only give everyone a headache.

This is Streets of Rogue! Think GTA meets Deus Ex (the original, as in the one that everyone freaking loved) but on the SNES because why not. I cant praise this game enough. I dont say this lightly, but I genuinely think this is one of the greatest games ever made, period. Even in all my years of gaming... this still sits in the top 3 for me, which is quite the feat. 300+ hours in and this game still continues to surprise me on a very regular basis. How many other games can do that after 300 bloody hours? Not many. In this particular screenshot, I have hypnotized the mayor into thinking that I'm awesome so that he would give me his hat. Why did I do this? So I could get the hat, that's why! I could have gone in there and just shot him, or maybe turned into a giant and stomped the building flat, but hypnosis seemed funnier (and it was). You never know what is going to happen in this game, and every single character has their own agenda and will interact with the world on their own. In most games, wild events are scripted. In THIS game.... nothing is scripted, because nothing needs to be. That dramatic fight that broke out between the mafia and the police because a robber tried to steal from one of the mafia guys, who fired at him, but missed and hit an officer, thus leading to a giant shoot out, lots of explosions, and for some reason a zombie outbreak? Yeah, that wasnt scripted, the game just DID that. Who knows what it'll do next time. Did I mention I've played this for 300+ hours?

This is "A Robot Named Fight". No, I dont know why it's called that, just go with it. Does it look like Super Metroid? Because it's basically Super Metroid, except procedural. This developer is amazing, he managed to mimic the EXACT FEEL of that old classic while bringing in a million new twists. I've spent alot of time with this one. I dont think I need to explain it too much further. "Super Metroid but procedural" will do.

Now, I"ll show one last thing:

Yes, this is VR. Why am I showing you this? Simple: Often when I show people examples of what I'm going on about here, they say something like "BUT I WANT TEH GRAFIX, ONLY TEH BIG COMPANYS CAN MAKE TEH GRAFIX", so I slap them in the face with a fish and then shove something like this at them.

Aside from Google Earth (which I show in here because I freaking can) the games/programs/whatever in here were made by very, very small dev teams (actually I think one of the non-Google ones was made by ONE guy, and I do personally know another solo VR dev). Yet they can produce things this freaking GORGEOUS. And believe me: They look way better when you've actually got that headset on. I'm showing these to make a point: just because alot of what I personally like to show uses pixel-art graphics, doesnt mean that games with amazing 3D wowness dont exist.

And yes I know the emulator program in the video appears to have no sound, as does the... er... particle one, that's because I havent exactly mastered the art of recording VR footage into a flat video format. There is sound: I just screwed it up.


What the hell am I getting at here? Why am I ranting about these?

Simple: YOU DONT NEED THE NEW FREAKING CONSOLES. You dont need to buy 70 dollar games from shady companies. You know how much these cost? The most expensive one on this list (including the things in the video) was $15. The 70 that you'd spend for some craptasmal piece of corporate garbage could buy ALL of these at once. And just ONE of them is better than that 70-dollar thing.

There are a million new gaming experiences out there, so much absolutely incredible stuff. You just have to be willing to go try something new.

These examples are all found on Steam, but dont think that's the ONLY place to go (though it is the BEST place to go). Also dont think that you need a mega-PC for this (aside from the VR stuff anyway). Most games on PC these days will run easily on nearly anything. But, alot of these are available even on console. Heck, I have Streets of Rogue and the Metroid-ish one on the Switch as well.

Trust me: It's worth trying. I used to buy the big games, all the major stuff, had all the biggest consoles, and just like you... I found myself enjoying it less and less. The games were getting stale, expensive, stupid, and repetitive. There was no creativity anymore (outside of Nintendo). And then I found two games (Binding of Isaac and Spelunky, which I didnt show here as I dont think they NEED an introduction), and I sorta jumped ship. Dove into indie games. Never looked back. Oh, dont get me wrong: I still follow the AAA side of the industry.... because it's a freaking comedy reel and I get a kick outta listening to it. I dont actually BUY those giant slimy things anymore. Why pay $70 for a short, wonky pile of crap when I could get 200 freaking hours out of something that costs $10?

TL;DR: There are TONS of amazing, incredible, creative games out there. You just have to be willing to try something new.

 

[Wolfsage]

I'm going to say the same thing I say every single time this type of topic appears:

Look elsewhere for your games. The big corporate loons arent the only source anymore.

Just as a bit of context here: I've been gaming since... er... '84, I'm told. I was 3. Gaming since then. I grew up with the Atari 2600, NES, and DOS computers. ANCIENT things.

Here's the thing about that: I never lost the taste for those. No rose-tinted glasses here, because I go play those things often. Hell, I've got an emulator in freaking VR that can let me access all of those old games in an 80s bedroom that doesnt actually exist. And to play old arcade games (mostly "golden age" stuff) in an arcade that also doesnt quite exist. I had this entire computer built JUST to do that, that was literally the entire reason. Suffice it to say... I am, at heart, a retro gamer.

So, do I just not buy games anymore, because of how things have changed? Have I just stopped doing that? Well, yes, but actually no.

I stopped buying AAA games years ago. YEARS ago. Those games you're talking about that cost $70? Haha, I dont freaking touch those. They're garbage. Corporate nonsense that is also predatory and dangerous... yeah, I'll pass.

And, even without the predatory/dangerous aspect, they're.... bad. They're mostly bad. A bunch of stupid cookie-cutter generic nonsense, pandering only to the biggest (most braindead) crowd. I need actual freaking substance.

Let me show you a few things that I've been into as of late:

View attachment 64812

This is Umfend, a short horror game that I particularly loved. Right away, you might be saying to yourself, "???", and I'd have to agree with you, it's quite the unique experience. The sorts of horror games you're probably used to... they aint like this. And no, despite the look of a couple of the characters there, it is NOT an anime-styled/inspired game. One very specific set of characters sort of has... almost that look? But everything else.... no. This one screenshot alone is a good taste of where I'm going with what I'm saying here. I'm not even going to try to explain what the heck is going on in it though, it'd only give everyone a headache.

View attachment 64813

This is Streets of Rogue! Think GTA meets Deus Ex (the original, as in the one that everyone freaking loved) but on the SNES because why not. I cant praise this game enough. I dont say this lightly, but I genuinely think this is one of the greatest games ever made, period. Even in all my years of gaming... this still sits in the top 3 for me, which is quite the feat. 300+ hours in and this game still continues to surprise me on a very regular basis. How many other games can do that after 300 bloody hours? Not many. In this particular screenshot, I have hypnotized the mayor into thinking that I'm awesome so that he would give me his hat. Why did I do this? So I could get the hat, that's why! I could have gone in there and just shot him, or maybe turned into a giant and stomped the building flat, but hypnosis seemed funnier (and it was). You never know what is going to happen in this game, and every single character has their own agenda and will interact with the world on their own. In most games, wild events are scripted. In THIS game.... nothing is scripted, because nothing needs to be. That dramatic fight that broke out between the mafia and the police because a robber tried to steal from one of the mafia guys, who fired at him, but missed and hit an officer, thus leading to a giant shoot out, lots of explosions, and for some reason a zombie outbreak? Yeah, that wasnt scripted, the game just DID that. Who knows what it'll do next time. Did I mention I've played this for 300+ hours?

View attachment 64814

This is "A Robot Named Fight". No, I dont know why it's called that, just go with it. Does it look like Super Metroid? Because it's basically Super Metroid, except procedural. This developer is amazing, he managed to mimic the EXACT FEEL of that old classic while bringing in a million new twists. I've spent alot of time with this one. I dont think I need to explain it too much further. "Super Metroid but procedural" will do.

Now, I"ll show one last thing:

Yes, this is VR. Why am I showing you this? Simple: Often when I show people examples of what I'm going on about here, they say something like "BUT I WANT TEH GRAFIX, ONLY TEH BIG COMPANYS CAN MAKE TEH GRAFIX", so I slap them in the face with a fish and then shove something like this at them.

Aside from Google Earth (which I show in here because I freaking can) the games/programs/whatever in here were made by very, very small dev teams (actually I think one of the non-Google ones was made by ONE guy, and I do personally know another solo VR dev). Yet they can produce things this freaking GORGEOUS. And believe me: They look way better when you've actually got that headset on. I'm showing these to make a point: just because alot of what I personally like to show uses pixel-art graphics, doesnt mean that games with amazing 3D wowness dont exist.

And yes I know the emulator program in the video appears to have no sound, as does the... er... particle one, that's because I havent exactly mastered the art of recording VR footage into a flat video format. There is sound: I just screwed it up.


What the hell am I getting at here? Why am I ranting about these?

Simple: YOU DONT NEED THE NEW FREAKING CONSOLES. You dont need to buy 70 dollar games from shady companies. You know how much these cost? The most expensive one on this list (including the things in the video) was $15. The 70 that you'd spend for some craptasmal piece of corporate garbage could buy ALL of these at once. And just ONE of them is better than that 70-dollar thing.

There are a million new gaming experiences out there, so much absolutely incredible stuff. You just have to be willing to go try something new.

These examples are all found on Steam, but dont think that's the ONLY place to go (though it is the BEST place to go). Also dont think that you need a mega-PC for this (aside from the VR stuff anyway). Most games on PC these days will run easily on nearly anything. But, alot of these are available even on console. Heck, I have Streets of Rogue and the Metroid-ish one on the Switch as well.

Trust me: It's worth trying. I used to buy the big games, all the major stuff, had all the biggest consoles, and just like you... I found myself enjoying it less and less. The games were getting stale, expensive, stupid, and repetitive. There was no creativity anymore (outside of Nintendo). And then I found two games (Binding of Isaac and Spelunky, which I didnt show here as I dont think they NEED an introduction), and I sorta jumped ship. Dove into indie games. Never looked back. Oh, dont get me wrong: I still follow the AAA side of the industry.... because it's a freaking comedy reel and I get a kick outta listening to it. I dont actually BUY those giant slimy things anymore. Why pay $70 for a short, wonky pile of crap when I could get 200 freaking hours out of something that costs $10?

TL;DR: There are TONS of amazing, incredible, creative games out there. You just have to be willing to try something new.

Thanks. Appreciate the options. Just not in a position to do that right now. But, maybe one day. Did they ever get VR to where you don't get sick using it for long periods of time? I had that experience with the original ones way back when.

 

[Misery]

Thanks. Appreciate the options. Just not in a position to do that right now. But, maybe one day. Did they ever get VR to where you don't get sick using it for long periods of time? I had that experience with the original ones way back when.

Yes and no. I'll try to explain as best I can, but some of the deeper stuff behind it gets really technical so I certainly have holes in my knowledge.

VR is *drastically* different from what it was "back then". I remember those old ones. Anyone that ever so much as stepped into one for even 5 minutes probably does, those things were... unforgettable. With their polygonal blockiness and running at like 20 frames per second. How incredibly primitive they seem now.

The things in the video are running at about 90 FPS, I think? Might be higher, probably IS higher due to the PC's brute force. That's one of the keys: if the framerate of the simulation is too low, that's a prime recipe for VR sickness. Probably THE biggest thing that caused it in the old days. Typically you want it 80-90 or higher, is what I've heard.

Also, they've changed alot about movement options. If you have a look at the video, the nature program at the start, right around 1:37 I start pointing and just teleporting all over the place. That's one of the biggest changes: new movement options. Other than the framerate thing, the bit that causes VR sickness is because of inner-ear states clashing with what your eyes are seeing. When you're sliding forward in VR, but you're not ACTUALLY moving IRL, that clash happens, and that's what gets you dizzy and starts the process of everything going totally downhill. Teleport movement is used in the vast majority of things and eliminates this aspect by simply having you "blink" from one spot to another. Yet in most cases the option to use smooth movement is there for those that can handle it.

There's also the idea of large play areas. I've got a large enough zone set off for this, so I can physically walk around in it if I want. Granted, the size of that area is limited. But it sure adds to the immersion, and I can combine that with other types of movement if I want.

The 3rd major issue is spinning. This is the hardest thing for new users to handle. Spinning, as in hitting the control stick so that you "turn" without actually turning IRL. Your brain really, really doesnt like doing that. If you try it when you're not ready, well... there's an instant sensation from it, in your eyes, that I would have trouble describing. Keep doing it and you're bound for a very bad time. So, "snap movement" is the new thing. A flick of the stick, and you just sort of "pop" to a new orientation. Or... better yet... just turn around IRL. That's much more immersive. There ARE some VR setups that wont allow you to do that without screwy technical issues (PSVR's method of reading where your control sticks are would start to break down if you tried it there) but things like the Oculus, Vive, or... or... Steam's thing work just fine as long as your sensors are positioned properly.

Lastly, there's a process to doing all of this. You can see me sliding/flying all over the place in these videos, particularly in the bat%@#* mess that is the game at the end. I got my VR legs, so to speak. When I first started using it, I couldnt deal with sliding movement. But, I'd researched the heck outta all of this before getting the Oculus, so I knew what to do. Basically, baby steps. I'd go into the arcade program (not shown there), and there's a particular straight hallway in there with little visual distraction. I'd go, okay, I'm going to slide slowly down this hallway, see how far I can get today. The very *instant* I'd start to feel even slightly weird, I'd stop, and go back to teleporting and continue doing fun gaming stuffs. After about a month of this the negative effects had vanished entirely and I can handle intense sliding/flying/whatever. I never experienced actual VR sickness as a result of this careful, small step approach. It's THE bit of advice I always give to new users: take it slow, VERY slow, and never, EVER try to push through any symptoms you may experience, no matter how minor. After enough time... you wont experience them anymore, and you'll have gotten through it without even one real bad experience.



So, yeah, that's how it's different now. I find the whole thing quite fascinating. The tech behind it, and the in-program advances that make the whole thing more user-friendly. And I tell ya, there is NOTHING else like it. Particularly for horror games. Like, the FNAF series, right? Super familiar with it, played all the main games, no problem. I jumped in to the recent VR version, went into the recreation of the first game, and after about 8 minutes went "NOPE nope nope uh-uh FREAKING NOPE" and had to jump out. Nothing had even happened yet. That's how darned immersive the whole thing can be! I love it. It's also good for relaxing, like in that nature program. I honestly think there's alot of potential for beneficial mental, physical, and emotional effects that scientists and engineers could explore.

I just wish it was more accessible to more people. The cost, is what I mean. It's still very expensive. But it's getting there.

Sorry, that was long, but I aint good at being concise.

 

[Wolfsage]

Yes and no. I'll try to explain as best I can, but some of the deeper stuff behind it gets really technical so I certainly have holes in my knowledge.

VR is *drastically* different from what it was "back then". I remember those old ones. Anyone that ever so much as stepped into one for even 5 minutes probably does, those things were... unforgettable. With their polygonal blockiness and running at like 20 frames per second. How incredibly primitive they seem now.

The things in the video are running at about 90 FPS, I think? Might be higher, probably IS higher due to the PC's brute force. That's one of the keys: if the framerate of the simulation is too low, that's a prime recipe for VR sickness. Probably THE biggest thing that caused it in the old days. Typically you want it 80-90 or higher, is what I've heard.

Also, they've changed alot about movement options. If you have a look at the video, the nature program at the start, right around 1:37 I start pointing and just teleporting all over the place. That's one of the biggest changes: new movement options. Other than the framerate thing, the bit that causes VR sickness is because of inner-ear states clashing with what your eyes are seeing. When you're sliding forward in VR, but you're not ACTUALLY moving IRL, that clash happens, and that's what gets you dizzy and starts the process of everything going totally downhill. Teleport movement is used in the vast majority of things and eliminates this aspect by simply having you "blink" from one spot to another. Yet in most cases the option to use smooth movement is there for those that can handle it.

There's also the idea of large play areas. I've got a large enough zone set off for this, so I can physically walk around in it if I want. Granted, the size of that area is limited. But it sure adds to the immersion, and I can combine that with other types of movement if I want.

The 3rd major issue is spinning. This is the hardest thing for new users to handle. Spinning, as in hitting the control stick so that you "turn" without actually turning IRL. Your brain really, really doesnt like doing that. If you try it when you're not ready, well... there's an instant sensation from it, in your eyes, that I would have trouble describing. Keep doing it and you're bound for a very bad time. So, "snap movement" is the new thing. A flick of the stick, and you just sort of "pop" to a new orientation. Or... better yet... just turn around IRL. That's much more immersive. There ARE some VR setups that wont allow you to do that without screwy technical issues (PSVR's method of reading where your control sticks are would start to break down if you tried it there) but things like the Oculus, Vive, or... or... Steam's thing work just fine as long as your sensors are positioned properly.

Lastly, there's a process to doing all of this. You can see me sliding/flying all over the place in these videos, particularly in the bat%@#* mess that is the game at the end. I got my VR legs, so to speak. When I first started using it, I couldnt deal with sliding movement. But, I'd researched the heck outta all of this before getting the Oculus, so I knew what to do. Basically, baby steps. I'd go into the arcade program (not shown there), and there's a particular straight hallway in there with little visual distraction. I'd go, okay, I'm going to slide slowly down this hallway, see how far I can get today. The very *instant* I'd start to feel even slightly weird, I'd stop, and go back to teleporting and continue doing fun gaming stuffs. After about a month of this the negative effects had vanished entirely and I can handle intense sliding/flying/whatever. I never experienced actual VR sickness as a result of this careful, small step approach. It's THE bit of advice I always give to new users: take it slow, VERY slow, and never, EVER try to push through any symptoms you may experience, no matter how minor. After enough time... you wont experience them anymore, and you'll have gotten through it without even one real bad experience.



So, yeah, that's how it's different now. I find the whole thing quite fascinating. The tech behind it, and the in-program advances that make the whole thing more user-friendly. And I tell ya, there is NOTHING else like it. Particularly for horror games. Like, the FNAF series, right? Super familiar with it, played all the main games, no problem. I jumped in to the recent VR version, went into the recreation of the first game, and after about 8 minutes went "NOPE nope nope uh-uh FREAKING NOPE" and had to jump out. Nothing had even happened yet. That's how darned immersive the whole thing can be! I love it. It's also good for relaxing, like in that nature program. I honestly think there's alot of potential for beneficial mental, physical, and emotional effects that scientists and engineers could explore.

I just wish it was more accessible to more people. The cost, is what I mean. It's still very expensive. But it's getting there.

Sorry, that was long, but I aint good at being concise.

Thanks. Needed to know. Also love old arcade games. Particular the Terminator one. Which they made two of. And beachhead 2000. Again thanks.

 

[Misery]

Thanks. Needed to know. Also love old arcade games. Particular the Terminator one. Which they made two of. And beachhead 2000. Again thanks.

Speaking of old arcade games, I may as well show this real quick:

That's the arcade program I mentioned. All those things are active and fully playable! Any arcade rom can be jammed in there. I have it set to randomize the arcade every time I go in. Needless to say a flat screenshot like that doesnt at all convey what it's really like. Also it's very loud. Arcades always were, eh? This thing is why I bought a VR unit to begin with.

 

[Wolfsage]

Speaking of old arcade games, I may as well show this real quick:

View attachment 64815

That's the arcade program I mentioned. All those things are active and fully playable! Any arcade rom can be jammed in there. I have it set to randomize the arcade every time I go in. Needless to say a flat screenshot like that doesnt at all convey what it's really like. Also it's very loud. Arcades always were, eh? This thing is why I bought a VR unit to begin with.

True that without the noise it just wouldn't be authentic. Part of the charm really. Another way you knew there was more then one game to play. And each had something special in store for you. Glad you got the experience back.

 

[Moonhart44]

I feel afraid when i may be too old ot play online games. i normally just wait anotehr year for new consoles, because their games are always bad in the first year, and then by next black friday, you can get a deal.
my bf decides to play one game and its on the game cube so he buys a bunch of htose haha

 

[FreeDiver]

Speaking of old arcade games, I may as well show this real quick:

View attachment 64815

That's the arcade program I mentioned. All those things are active and fully playable! Any arcade rom can be jammed in there. I have it set to randomize the arcade every time I go in. Needless to say a flat screenshot like that doesnt at all convey what it's really like. Also it's very loud. Arcades always were, eh? This thing is why I bought a VR unit to begin with.

Oh! those old arcades bring back so many memories.

And who could ever forget Chuck E, Cheeses from the 80's. Long before they turned into the brightly lit daycare center we know today.