Modern gaming is rubbish Part XVIII

 

A while ago I wrote a series of articles talking about a lifelong love of videogames, and how through the last few decades I've definitely had my ups and downs with consoles, PCs and handheld gaming units. In the last article I talked about what it would be like in the 2020s, exciting times ahead with the advent of new Xboxes, and the Playstation 5. Of course, that was a couple of years ago - before the UK effectively cut off its own nose to spite its face with Brexit, and COVID and a massive worldwide semiconductor shortage (as well as worldwide supply chain issues) pretty much ruined anyone's chances of buying a PS5 - even a year after its release. 

I really don't want to hear those stories of "Oh yarse, I got mine SOOOO easily dude, you're just not even trying". The truth is you're right, I'm definitely not even trying - not with the passion and excitement I did when I queued up to try and bag a Nintendo Wii at a Toys R Us midnight launch, or how I did when the PS3 was released (ironically to a pretty 'meh' reception by most folk). For the last few consoles I've hung back until a game releases on the thing as an exclusive that is an essential purchase, but that hasn't happened with the PS5 - and I'm no longer in the game of playing all my old PS4 games all over again with slightly smoother frame rates or tidier graphics (again pointless unless you're running a 4K telly at home which I'm not). 

Similarly I have no interest whatsoever in an Xbox Series X (also out of stock just about everywhere). I just don't have the time or the energy to track down every whisper on the internet of restocks, and I know that even when consoles do briefly appear for sale, they're snapped up by scalpers. Capitalism is great, yo!

Elsewhere I was also tickled by the fact that the one game I'm vaguely interested in buying at launch (well, three games actually) is a remaster of the original GTA Series...

I realised that, including the original PS2 versions I bought separately at launch I've bought this damned series 4 times in total (and if I bought the remasters that'd be the 5th time). The lure of playing them with shiny graphics is one thing, but it's actually the lure of playing them with the same aiming / driving as in GTA V. But can you just preorder a copy on Amazon? Seemingly not (but thankfully other online retailers, like ShopTo seem to be OK for stock so far). I guess there's always the option of purchasing from the Playstation store with absolutely no discount but again I keep wondering if I shouldn't just wait till the durned things end up in a sale at some point and hoover them up then (probably wise as I do own the PS4 versions of the games when they were last 'remastered' and it's not like there's any new content included). 

I'm beginning to wonder if my promise to be still interested and passionate about games in that last roundup article I wrote might just be an empty threat. I am getting sick and tired of the greed involved in gaming, the constant reboots and remasters instead of good original games, and just feeling more and more disillusioned by something that I once loved but am obviously getting too nadgery, old and impatient about now.