When does "retro" starts?

[Ikagura]

It will be quite the debate here but how long before something becomes retro for good? Personally I already see the early 7th gen as retro since the games are almost 20 years old, that they are several gens apart and how I play them for nostalgia as well. I cannot really play early Wii games while telling myself that I'm playing modern games, ditto with 2005-2008 Xbox 360 games.

But I'd be curious to know your opinion and if you think that retro means "Before 2000" or even "Before 3D became commonplace".

 

[RageBurner]

I didn't vote on the poll because no option there reflected my opinion exactly, but essentially it's not any one point in time. Retro is a moving goal post, not a discrete category. One might say even the 360 is somewhat retro compared to current gen, given the inexorable passage of time.

 

[zat01chi]

I voted: The PS2 era and before, nothing after.

Remember them manuals?

 

[CellRising]

I voted for over 10 years because most that is considered Retro is already 10 to 15 years old. But for me retro is anything that has ceased production and teeters on the edge of becoming lost media. Only being saved by communities like this one getting talked about and sharing memories among people who enjoyed them.

 

[RageBurner]

I voted for over 10 years because most that is considered Retro is already 10 to 15 years old. But for me retro is anything that has ceased production and teeters on the edge of becoming lost media. Only being saved by communities like this one getting talked about and sharing memories among people who enjoyed them.

That's a very good way to put it.

 

[Leon]

I said this in the other thread about this but i put them in categories.
Ps3 is classical era (for lack of a better word).
PS1-PS2 is retro to me.
16 bit and earlier is vintage.

 

[ScroogeWantsYeMunny]

What everyone else has said. 15 to 20 years seems like a good transitional point.

 

[daro_glez]

For me, it's not retro if you can't play it in your mom's cellphone.

 

[PhrawzT]

I consider the PS2 and original Xbox the cutoff for retro. Anything after that is too similar to modern gaming.

 

[daratmp+wxqvs]

I could imagine that for younger generations it depends on their age. Anything they played in their youth 'feels' retro to them.
And I'm sure thats why some older folks here might think calling PS2 retro just doesnt feel right to them, because they grew up on an Atari 2600.

 

[Ikagura]

I missed a ton of replies there.

I could imagine that for younger generations it depends on their age. Anything they played in their youth 'feels' retro to them.
And I'm sure that's why some older folks here might think calling PS2 retro just doesn't feel right to them, because they grew up on an Atari 2600.

I guess so, something from childhood always seems much more far removed than something played as a late teen/young adult (which is apparently a psychological thing but I won't get further).

 

[ThirdEidolon]

Retro changes, year by year.

The PS3 is considered a retro console now.

Sad times.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 12:57 AM

I missed a ton of replies there.


I guess so, something from childhood always seems much more far removed than something played as a late teen/young adult (which is apparently a psychological thing but I won't get further).

my idea of retro is Sonic 2 on the Sega Megadrive (my first game), but even the PS3 console is now considered retro, sadly.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 12:57 AM

this is also how I feel

I consider the PS2 and original Xbox the cutoff for retro. Anything after that is too similar to modern gaming.

 

[Ikagura]

The 7th gen is a special case because while it technically started in 2005 I always felt that 2010-2012 PS360 games had a different feel from the early titles.

The Wii had some "classic Nintendo" feels in its early days (and a bit in the later years) but that's just Nintendo being Nintendo and having some lag compared to Sony and Microsoft.