What killed Sierra?

[Bludshot]

Neonivek could you specify what period you consider to be the last golden age? I only ask because I have heard a lot of different dates.

I think Blackthorne gave a nice simple, but accurate, description of videogames today, there is a game for everyone these days, and it is much easier for people to take the creative process they want without the need to make it appeal to a mass market.

As for the casual market complaints, who cares? Your grandmother can't very well be expected to pick up a serious title right off the bat, we all start somewhere and Angry Birds is just as good as anything else.

[Neonivek]

I could never put a specific date on it. I like to say the period of 80s-90s somewhere there.

As for the casual market complaints, who cares?

It is simple. I am not a casual gamer and thus what appeals to a Casual Gamer doesn't nessisarily appeal to me.

As well the casual gamer's tastes are very narrow because it represents a person who doesn't care about games.

Thus games marketed towards casual gamers fall within that very narrow margin. They are also the most profitable.

we all start somewhere and Angry Birds is just as good as anything else

You are sort of mixing up my statements. There is nothing wrong with a Casual gamer. I never felt guilty for being only a "Casual Book reader" (In my original post I defined "Casual Gamer" as someone who plays games but doesn't really know much about them and doesn't research them).

Saying that "Casual games" are bad is like saying Harry Potter was a bad book. The issue isn't that games marketed towards casual gamers exist, the issue is of course bland games that the Casual market will buy. No one here is a "Casual Gamer" because as far as my definition is concerned "Casual" doesn't represent the kinds of games you play but rather your general awareness of the medium.

The Casual market being less apt at getting bored and the most easily placated. What is actually pushing us to another Golden age is that the Casual market is getting very bored for multiple reasons. Thus it may be starting to be time for the old formulas to be thrown out.

[Sir Perceval of Daventry]

I tend to think 2D games were better than 3D games--Both computer and console games. So there is that, in terms of my stance on whether we're in a golden age. Also I don't see very many fantasy games come out that often anymore.

[KatieHal]

Some of the biggest hits in the last few years have been fantasy games--Skyrim, Dragon Age, Final Fantasy games are going back to their more fantasy-centric routes (I think--I haven't played any in a long time). And plenty others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

[crayauchtin]

Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning (which was not as big a hit as people expected it to be), the Witcher 2, Diablo III, Torchlight III....

Not to mention the vast majority of MMOs. There's also a bajillion and a half fantasy social games, which people are debating whether or not that's the next wave of the future for games (I don't usually like social games, but if any of you have the chance to try out Dawn of the Dragons and it's sequel Clash of the Dragons, totally different games as far as gameplay, but they both have fantastic stories. At least thus far, I'm not at the last zone in any of them yet. )

I'm forgetting some too, I know, but those are springing to mind.

[MikPal]

Two Worlds, Two Worlds II, Hunted: The Demon's Forge...

[Bludshot]

Never played them put the Demon/Dark Souls games are pretty popular too.

[Neonivek]

Fantasy games are a lot less common then they were in the golden age but that is more because during the golden age a big ton of the games were fantasy.

But they are hardly uncommon.

Final Fantasy games are going back to their more fantasy-centric routes (I think--I haven't played any in a long time).

They are not. They are heading towards anime though with each Final Fantasy feeling more and more line an anime.

which people are debating whether or not that's the next wave of the future for games

EA has actually gambled on this and actually outright forces their games now to have "Social features" which for some games has been quite destructive.

But no Social games are not really the future of games to me. They may be a new avenue but social games are a VERY narrow type of game.