I hate how sanitized modern Sony & Nintendo feels. I miss irreverence in games.

[Stay Up Be Easy]

I fell out of love with Nintendo with the Wii. Same with Sony and the PS4*.

I miss poking at competitors and silly ads.




I miss mascot games and crude humor. I read up on the last Ratchet & Clank game(which I haven't played). Apparently a lot of personality was stripped out.

Humor has mutated from sarcasm and slapstick that could get mean to referencing movies and internet culture.

Everything feels so sterile and corporate. Like games are trying to attract the crowd that turns their noses up at videogames.

I like the Oscar bait stuff. I like the rated E games. But I do miss the 90s flavored stuff that appealed to teenagers and young adults. The stuff everyone claims they're so embarrassed to be seen playing by other people.

I think it all went downhill when Sega scaled back. They were childish, weird and I miss it so much.


Of course that's just one man's opinion.

*Skipped the Wii, got a refurb Wii U & a Pro. Finished 3 games total between the systems.

 

[erekiddo]

Skipping the Wii for the Wii U was the misstep there.

 

[Regulus Tera]

Everyone made fun of the Kevin Butler commercials back in the day so I'm surprised we've gone full 180 on them.

 

[Lord Fanny]

I don't know if I'd go far as to say I miss it, but yeah, there is a lack of real personality to a lot of marketing nowadays for better or for worse. Everything is rather bland and safe, outside a few exceptions

 

[entremet]

So you're talking marketing? I thought this was about game development because both have been on fire in the last 5 years.

 

[RROCKMAN]

PSP Squirrels

 

[Deleted member 12129]

PSP Squirrels

Click to shrink...

I'd hit that

 

[Gobias-Ind]

"Everything feels so sterile and corporate"

Friend, you just posted a bunch of advertisements.

 

[entremet]

Also, ppl still watch commercials lol?

 

[Jon Carter]

They came to the realization that throwing shade at your competitors makes you look childish and petty. It's better now.

 

[Dark Knight]

Stuff like Kevin Butler is kind of a leftover relic of what marketing was like in the 90's. It was alright but it didn't particularly do much for me. I guess at my age I prefer they just focus on the games themselves than some smarmy humor.

I like how slick Nintendo's marketing is these days. It's a little too clean and perfect, sure(near nobody is grouping for Switch play in a lounge area on top of a nice apartment building), but it's more or less to the point with the games they're advertising.

 

[ghibli99]

Eh, some of the greatest games I've played have been from this generation on both Nintendo and Sony consoles. I kinda feel that way every generation though and I've been doing this since the Atari 2600 era. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Jonathan Lanza]

The less petrol to the console war flame the better I say.

 

[kadotsu]

Let 👏 David 👏 Lynch 👏 direct 👏 conferences

 

[Deleted member 8468]

I don't disagree OP, games are bigger money these days and things are played much safer by the heavy hitters.

That said, this wasn't all that long ago.

 

[Wariobenotware]

I always hated these smug commercials. They do nothing but breed more toxic garbage.

 

[Lord Fanny]

Eh, some of the greatest games I've played have been from this generation on both Nintendo and Sony consoles. I kinda feel that way every generation though and I've been doing this since the Atari 2600 era. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Click to shrink...

They aren't talking about games

 

[inner-G]

I care about the games, not the ads.

Today games mostly seem safe and vanilla compared to PS1/2 era titles.

 

[Stay Up Be Easy]

So you're talking marketing? I thought this was about game development because both have been on fire in the last 5 years.

Click to shrink...

Both.

Not saying the games are bad(because I've yet to play a lot of them). But from what I've seen, I miss the personalities/presentation of what came before.

Just an example the cartoons Warner/Hanna Barberra were putting out in the 90s/early 2000s vs what Time Warner outs out now.

Not necessarily worse, but it absolutely tastes different.

Like God of War. I'm sure the new one is fine. But all the impressions I've read. They are going for different things, and the it almost comes off like an apology for making the previous trilogy.

And the previously mentioned R&C.

 

[Potterson]

Seems you care more about marketing than games if you thinkg modern Nintendo is "sterile". Animal Crossing, Splatoon, Astral Chain, new Fire Emblem etc lack personality? Wut.

 

[Lord Fanny]

Lots of people wanna come in acting like they're above all the stuff they are talking about, but I am here to tell you, no matter who you are, no matter what you do, you will never be above PSP Squirrels.

 

[Raccoon]

They came to the realization that throwing shade at your competitors makes you look childish and petty. It's better now.

Click to shrink...

yeah, most of the old sega ads are both obnoxious and unintentionally hilarious in hindsight

 

[Jesse_and_the_rippers]

It could also be that you are no longer an impressionable child/teen watching Nickelodeon shows that have video game advertisements.

 

[Sparkedglory2]

I mean I did enjoy the Kevin Butler commercials, nothing wrong with poking a bit of fun at the competition. But we don't really need it nowadays.

 

[Deleted member 19533]

Skipping the Wii for the Wii U was the misstep there.

Click to shrink...

Indeed. Should have skipped both and just went with Switch which picked up the best pieces of both.

 

[Linde]

commercials like that would be pretty cringe newfags
nowadays
what crude humored games did Nintendo make? i don't think they've changed in that sense. but i also dont think the humour you refer to is actually funny

 

[NotLiquid]

Marketing can be a lot of fun without companies throwing shit at each other. Part of the reason Switch has been so fun is because of the marketing.

Case in point;




More of this please. Take me back to when developers were doing weird and unique adverts.

 

[Deleted member 59109]

I do wish Sony made more games like they did during the PS1/PS2 gens. Nintendo though has been pretty consistent for me.

 

[Deleted member 8468]

Like God of War. I'm sure the new one is fine. But all the impressions I've read. They are going for different things, and the it almost comes off like an apology for making the previous trilogy.

Click to shrink...

Uhh, what? I don't know if I agree with that one.

 

[Mike Armbrust]

Everyone made fun of the Kevin Butler commercials back in the day so I'm surprised we've gone full 180 on them.

Click to shrink...

I loved them back then. Think it just depended on the community.


Game marketing should be fun at times.

 

[ghibli99]

They aren't talking about games

Click to shrink...

"I miss mascot games and crude humor. I read up on the last Ratchet & Clank game(which I haven't played). Apparently a lot of personality was stripped out.

Humor has mutated from sarcasm and slapstick that could get mean to referencing movies and internet culture.

Everything feels so sterile and corporate. Like games are trying to attract the crowd that turns their noses up at videogames."

Yes they are, in a way. And although I didn't articulate it well, my point is that games are still terrific despite this lack of crudeness, sarcasm, and mascot games. Times have changed, but I don't think that has made games less fun or enjoyable just because we lack Conker's BFD or console war commercials. I suppose that's a side effect of my age being in my mid-40s; that stuff was fun at the time when I was in my late-teens and twenties, but I don't hold onto it and let it affect how I feel about what we have now to enjoy.

 

[RROCKMAN]

yeah, most of the old sega ads are both obnoxious and unintentionally hilarious in hindsight

Click to shrink...

Better watch out, Segata Sanshiro might come knocking lol

 

[Illusion]

Marketing can be a lot of fun without companies throwing shit at each other. Part of the reason Switch has been so fun is because of the marketing.

Case in point;




More of this please. Take me back to when developers were doing weird and unique adverts.

Click to shrink...

I loved the whole tie around with Jump Up Super Star. I wish Nintendo did this more often, coming up with good catchy songs with dance numbers. Then build advertisements around it.

 

[Xita]

I do miss weird Nintendo marketing yeah. They've changed for the better since then but I wonder if we'll ever see stuff like this again with Iwata's passing and Reggie's exit from NOA:

 

[delete12345]

More of this please. Take me back to when developers were doing weird and unique adverts.

Click to shrink...

In this current climate, it's not really a good time to do these unique advertisements. Until everything calms down, and everyone is content with the world turning normally, we can then go back to doing these weird advertisements.

I do miss weird Nintendo marketing yeah. They've changed for the better since then but I wonder if we'll ever see stuff like this again with Iwata's passing and Reggie's exit from NOA:

Click to shrink...

We won't be able to anymore. The new CEO doesn't like doing skits. :( You see this when we're viewing the Switch-era Nintendo Directs, contrasting from the Wii and Wii-U era Nintendo Directs.

 

[Deleted member 29682]

"I miss mascot games and crude humor. I read up on the last Ratchet & Clank game(which I haven't played). Apparently a lot of personality was stripped out.

Humor has mutated from sarcasm and slapstick that could get mean to referencing movies and internet culture.

Everything feels so sterile and corporate. Like games are trying to attract the crowd that turns their noses up at videogames."

Yes they are, in a way. And although I didn't articulate it well, my point is that games are still terrific despite this lack of crudeness, sarcasm, and mascot games. Times have changed, but I don't think that has made games less fun or enjoyable just because we lack Conker's BFD or console war commercials. I suppose that's a side effect of my age being in my mid-40s; that stuff was fun at the time when I was in my late-teens and twenties, but I don't hold onto it and let it affect how I feel about what we have now to enjoy.

Click to shrink...

And it's not like those kinds of games don't exist, you're just going to find more of them from AA or indie developers.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

I don't think competition bashing ads serve much of a greater purpose anymore. I think Sega's had a positive effect in the 16-bit era because the console market in NA being dominated by just Nintendo wasn't healthy. Appealing to teens with edgy ads helped fix that. But today, there doesn't seem to be any danger of one console hogging the whole market to itself.

 

[Hailinel]

I don't think competition bashing ads serve much of a greater purpose anymore. I think Sega's had a positive effect in the 16-bit era because the console market in NA being dominated by just Nintendo wasn't healthy. Appealing to teens with edgy ads helped fix that. But today, there doesn't seem to be any danger of one console hogging the whole market to itself.

Click to shrink...

This, really. Not to mention that there was a lot, and I mean a LOT of game advertising in the '90s and early '00s that was embarrassingly juvenile for no purpose and that doesn't really need a comeback in any form.

 

[Deleted member 4034]

I mean, I take that trip down memory lane sometimes for old commercials and old ways we used to talk about games and enjoy them, I can get a good laugh, but it's pretty clear why we stopped doing things like that. It's not a good look today.



And besides, anything that shows too much personality just gets labeled "cringy" by places like this.

 

[Algorum]

I only care about the games not the marketing.

Think Nintendo's history speaks for itself and most seasoned gamers are already aware of Nintendo.

In fact Nintendo this generation has made me fall in love with video games again with an excellent selection of first party games and they still haven't ported over all the Wii U had to offer.

 

[ILikeFeet]

remember when ads gave you a smug sense of superiority?

 

[SMD]

.

 

[DyslexicAlucard]

commercials like that would be pretty cringe newfags
nowadays
what crude humored games did Nintendo make? i don't think they've changed in that sense. but i also dont think the humour you refer to is actually funny

Click to shrink...

1) Youch at that typo!

2) Conker's Bad Fur Day, I suppose. And it's not crude, but Earthbound is definitely more off kilter/irreverent than many games of its era.

That being said, nah, I like the respectful relationships the companies have now. Only thing I miss is hoodie+sport coat J. Allard, TBH.

Good night, my sweet prince. :'(

 

[Flunkie]

PSP Squirrels

Click to shrink...

Best commercials ever.

 

[foxuzamaki]

Indeed. Should have skipped both and just went with Switch which picked up the best pieces of both.

Click to shrink...

There are tons of Wii gems that may never get ported again

 

[Ezra]

I completely disagree. Nintendo found a very clear and strong personality with the Switch. They know what they are, they now their audience and everyone easily understands the brand.

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

Skipping the Wii for the Wii U was the misstep there.

Click to shrink...

But a Wii U literally has a Wii in it.

 

[Deleted member 59109]

And it's not like those kinds of games don't exist, you're just going to find more of them from AA or indie developers.

Click to shrink...

As much as I liked Yooka Laylee Impossible Lair, it really isn't the same getting these games from just indie devs. The effects of the lower budget can really be felt and most of them are usually 2D pixel art or 2D Metroidvanias. It isn't the same thing as having multiple trilogies of AAA 3D platformers on one console.

 

[Deleted member 59109]

But a Wii U literally has a Wii in it.

Click to shrink...

People dislike the name "Wii U" so much that they'll recommend skipping it even if it doesn't make any sense

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Sony and Nintendo are publishing many of the best games in their respective histories, but you fell out of love with both because the marketing isn't XXXtreme enough.

ok.