If a golden age were to be defined. I would grudgingly give it the period of time late in the PS1 and up to mid PS2. An era of gaming shouldn't be defined solely on the qaulity of games. The Golden Era would be a sign of growth, innovation, new in all areas. What we are seeing from the PS3 is really the opposite. The PS3 is the peak of what the PS1 and SNES started.
We are not seeing growth from third party industry. We are seeing a shift of of third party software grabbing more current defined market. This comes at the expense of smaller growing companies. A Golden Era would be able to allow all companies to grow. Just idling listening proves other wise.
We are not seeing the large innovations in gameplay. Often we are seeing a refinement to gameplay. I'm not going to go on about the values of all the continues, but most of the new games are not all that new at all. LBP one of the most newest games out there isn't much more than an awesome customizable Mario Physics orientated platformed. As for artistic elements I would give props to PS2 and to a lesser extent the Wii. Again this isn't the sign of a Golden Era being the PS3 time.
Designers, fans, critics in this generation are not showing maturity or growth. Almost all of it is pointing that we at the peak and are now fighting for the peak. This is shown by the everyone deriding the other companies, games and consoles. How can this be a Golden Era where respect is so little?
Ok, let's say the PS3 is or has reached the top. The mountain it climbed is the tallest. It's a great achievment. Nintendo decided to stop climbing Everest this generation. They saw what happens when you reach the top. Theres only one way to go from the peak. Instead they changed mountains. Maybe they are diving into the underwater mountains. Which in size comparison dwarf Everest or maybe they have moved to Olympus the tallest known mountain in our Solar System.
However you look at it the PS3 has not reached the top. The Nintendo is near the bottom of a new mountain. Are we in a Golden Age? no. Not for PS3 or Wii. The only difference is that the Wii now is at a bigger mountain to climb. While all the fan fare is about Everest the tune will change to Olympus. Will the other companies stay at the Peak of Everest and let Nintendo eventually climb to a relatively higher mountain. Unlikely. When the last shift happens and everyone is now Climbing Olympus there will be so much space near the bottom and mid that there will be unpresented up. Even more companies will be able to stake claim to the even more paths up. This will be the next Golden Era of gaming.
Once again though as the companies start reaching the top of Olympus it will be cut throat. Repeat above.
@OP
While I respect that the games are your peak of preferred gaming. This is not the Golden Era.
Squilliam: On Vgcharts its a commonly accepted practice to twist the bounds of plausibility in order to support your argument or agenda so I think its pretty cool that this gives me the precedent to say whatever I damn well please.
