They don't make them like they use to...

[Canadave]

That's what some people say pretty much every generation. When the 16-bit generation came out people were nostalgic for their 8 bit games. Then the 64 bit systems came out, people were nostalgic for the 16 bit era. The older games feel better than they actually are because you're be influenced by the memories of when you first played them.

I know that's true in a lot of cases, but I know it isn't in my case. It isn't so much older games that I prefer, but the style of them. I've been playing a lot of recent freeware games that are so much better than any professional game you can get nowadays. Games are trying so hard to be more like movies that they just aren't designed to be fun or challenging any more.

A Game with a Kitty
An Untitled Story
Cave Story
Eversion
I Wanna Be The Guy (and I Wanna Be The Fan Game)
Jumper 2
The Spirit Engine
Touhou Series

All these games are so much better than what's on the market today. Games such as Braid or Trine interest me far more than Bioshock 3 or Wii Sports 2. There's also this really cool looking platformer coming out for the PC (and Xbox Live I believe) that uses the 2D/3D gimmick of Super Paper Mario. I can't remember the name of it, but it looks fantastic.

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. Big studio games are starting to get way too slick and polished, with everyone trying to be "cinematic" all the time. But why do games have to be cinematic? Can't they be something else, something unique? Indie developers seem to understand that—World of Goo, for example, I found incredibly refreshing simply because it felt different—while most mainstream developers seem to have trouble with the concept.

The Call of Duty series is a great example... I rather enjoyed the first game, but the longer the series has gone on, the less interest I have. It's just constantly retreading the same basic ground with new settings and graphics, without trying to do something new or interesting.

 

[Jadzia]

I find the process of creating things according to my own tastes is far more rewarding than being an end user of something purchased. Creating things is fun.

I love doing creative things, but I also have an unfortunate habit of leaving things unfinished

I understand. I find it easier to stay motivated if there's a social component to the creativity, whether that's keeping people up to date on my progress, or working on a project as part of a team.

Also, I like working to deadlines. I enjoy the pressure of time. It livens me up and keeps me on top form.

 

[donners22]

It's funny; I was responding to a poll for "Game of the Decade", and the ones that jumped into my head were:

Wing Commander: Prophecy
Baldur's Gate
Planescape Torment
Fallout 1 & 2
Icewind Dale
MacCricket
Descent
Magic: The Gathering
Alpha Centauri
Star Trek: Judgment Rites
Castles: Siege & Conquest

All from the 90s. There are unquestionably some gems from recent years, but most are sequels to or very much derive from those earlier games - Civ 4, Dragon Age, Football Manager, Total War, etc.

I'm just resigned to having my favourites updated - with mixed success - rather than getting anything new, with rare exceptions (eg. Deus Ex, Sacrifice, etc, and even those are from the very early part of the decade).

 

[JPRyan]

I have one pc in my house that still runs Win98 just so I can still play Wing Comma ner, Tie Fighter, X Wing and Mechwarrior3.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

I have one pc in my house that still runs Win98 just so I can still play Wing Comma ner, Tie Fighter, X Wing and Mechwarrior3.

That's actually not a bad idea. I still have my old Win98 computer at home somewhere, and I hope it still works.