A Generation of Nothing

The 9th console generation is well underway, approaching the halfway point in fact...and boy is there very little to show for it. People are worried about the Switch 2's power but I'm more worried about the PS5 and Series X's libraries.

Let's talk about it.

[davidhusari]

the problem is that the lifespan of the systems last the same as they’ve always been, but games are taking longer and longer to make.

[ianprescott]

It feels like this generation still hasn’t even gotten started yet

[NathanielBandy]

My most played ps5 game is YouTube, it loads it really fast!

[renaultft]

My PS5 library has 1 9th gen exclusive game because every other game I've been interested in I already got for my PS4. I essentially have a PS4 2.

[dannykazari]

Nintendo's underpowered hardware has ironically saved them from many things ailing the industry right now. Making a game with a realistic scope in mind is important. 5+ year dev times and million dollar budgets isn't healthy or feasible for every game, and we're seeing the effects of that now.

[buggyjohnson]

this generation is fantastic at allowing you to play older games and clear the backlog.

[flameguy]

I can't get over how Microsoft keeps buying up so many developers and STILL can't get a decent release schedule down.

[SebastianTheGreat]

The PS5 is the best way to play PS4 games…. and that’s probably the best thing you can say about it

[ChiruKobra]

A big factor, especially for Sony, is the dogged determination to make nothing but AAA $200+ million budget type of games. Like, I'm sure the PS5 and Xbox Series would have a lot more to offer if they allowed themselves to make games with smaller scopes and smaller budgets, something akin to the development cycles of old. And they have the IP to do it, too! Get a Parappa, a Sly Cooper, a Syphon Filter, or a Banjo, a Blinx, a Blue Dragon a chance to shine. It doesn't need the fanciest graphics or the highest budgets. It just needs to be good.

[Leonheart]

As another person mentioned: "the endless pursuit of graphical perfection in games has not only hurt their gameplay and sense of discovery but their development as well, becoming extremely expensive and taking years to develop, which is unsustainable for companies and consoles in the long run"

[hallo-mttx]

i remember people desperately trying to get a ps5 and scalpers being able to sell them at insane prices
all for nothing lol

[tsb]

It's never about how much power you have, it's all about how you utilise the power you're given

[Murv]

As a purely PC gamer I've played on a PS5 2 years ago at a friend's place. But I somehow still feel like the thing is "about to be released".

[Amavra]

I feel like we also dont talk about the priorities of these companies.

Nintendo makes video games, that is what their company does.

Sony and Microsoft make thousands and thousands of products and services, video games being a small slice of that.

Its not weird that Nintendo puts game development first while the other conpanies treat it as a side project.

[TriforceZard]

I will never understand how people ignore Nintendo in console discussion when they have so much to offer over the competition.

[YamatoFukkatsu]

I don't wanna hear anyone trash the WiiU's library anymore, at least in comparison to what Sony and Microsoft are doing now. I think even the WiiU had more exclusives than both PS5 and Series S in half the time (it's arguable whether or not some of them were "good" exclusives, but they were exclusives all the same).

[sil]

The fact that the PS5 has LESS exclusives than the FCKING VIRTUAL BOY, makes me choke on my food of laughing

[cjtenney]

Part of what allows Nintendo to have so many quality exclusives is the fact that their consoles aren't as powerful. They don't have to spend all the time and money it takes AAA companies to create ground-breaking photo realistic assets and and new physics engines for each new release. Microsoft and Sony could have much larger libraries if there wasn't an expectation for all "next-gen" games to have the production value of Hollywood movies.

[sadtooncat]

ONE GAME
I DON'T KNOW WHY
I BOUGHT A PS5 WITH NO GAMES TO BUY

[bigotis]

How tf is the switch 7 years old already... It seems like yesterday that I would get home from school and go on my shitty laptop to watch the first reveal trailer