Yeah, add to that the mind of youth and it was like every year a new game would blow you're mind. I can't understate how mind-blowing Metal Gear solid was but then just three years later to have MGS2 evolve things so far was just incredible. Not to mention earlier titles like Super Mario 64, Crash banidicoot or Granturismo coming out and just obliterating everything before them. 

But. But. But. That was only a trick of the mind played on us, one that continues to this day to keep you at the front and buying the new games day one, I found this graphical hype to lead well into the end of eighth gen though so you didn't miss out on much, same thing just lesser.

And still, I find VR to be the most impressive and mind blowing jump in gaming hands down, even beating that jump to 3d. Every VR game blows your mind and it doesn't let you forget it, you never get so immersed that the edge it has wears off especially with the more creative games. You're continually reminded just how amazing it is to be able to practically enter a game world and explore. 

VR does seem super cool but unfortunately it doesn't have enough people using it yet to have it receive a lot of support but that'll get better over time and eventually some decades from now the really advanced stuff you see in things like Sci-fi stories will be a reality. For right now I think I'll wait for the technology to mature a bit more and see if Valve ends up making a successor to the Index before considering jumping in.

Yeah, but what is there is really impressive. Take a 90's gamer and put them in Wipepout in PSVR and they'd have a heart attack, literally shocked into the afterlife. 

This always a tough question because for most people the best time to be a gamer is when ever they had no major responsibilities and time to hang out with friends and play games. I miss the summers where all I did was hang out with friends all day outside playing sports etc and then once the sun came down play video games all night. That would of been the 90's for me.

Taking my self out of the equation through I answered yes because I think there so many more games out today that cater to almost anyone taste and I also think it much more normalize then ever before. I have had long conversations about games with my supervisor at work for example. I think that more common now then ever before.

You are in the minority then, because majority of consumers think otherwise from what you say.

There's plenty of IPs and series that get introduced and games that get expanded from already existing IP.

Case in point with Dragon Ball Sparking Zero.

Case in point with all the indie groups and AA groups and the hundreds of games being made that are unique.

Case in point with new IPs and series being made such as Black Myth Wukong, Metaphor (spinoff but standalone from SMT), Ghost (Sony) series, etc.

There are existing series jumping into other genres, expanding their line up and that they have been doing for years such as Final Fantasy, etc

Just because SEGA isnt making new IPs doesnt mean the industry at a whole is on a disaster route. You just have limited taste.

Things change, you just have to be ok with that. The plus today is that there is so much variety of genres. There is almost an infinite rainbow of different kinds of games. You also have different platforms, as well as many legacy ones, even handhelds. The only negative thing is that game systems don't have the coolness of the retro systems and people seem less attached to their systems, probably because having a console isn't anything special these days like it was 30 years ago. Even though i've only ever had Playstation consoles, i do realize that Nintendo has always had a system that the owner could connect more with.

Half-Life Alyx does look amazing yeah and that made me think of this video. 

😆 The poor bastard. 

Shenmue got a new game just a few years ago from fans who kickstarted it. A new Jet Set Radio is happening same with Crazy Taxi and fans of Jet Set Radio keep making tribute games from Hover. Lethal League and most recently Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. Earthbound series didn't die. Ito decided he no longer wanted to make more games. He told the stories he wanted to tell and he has his hand in many industries including as a chef. F-Zero got a new entry and a few tribute games like Fast RMX. Redout games and such. The demand is there. As for Banjo. Look as Smash and Yooka Laylee. Again demand is there. I never heard of Space Channel 7. Must be a sequel to Space Channel 5 I never knew about. PSOII does well so again there is demand for Phantasy Star Online or otherwise.

I cannot swear to it but I think he may be talking more about couch co-op and experiencing games shoulder to shoulder with your friends.  I'm not so sure that is all nostalgia.  How many games these days offer 4 player local play.  Now playing with your friends mostly means wearing a headset.  The experience just isn't the same.

Personally I look back most fondly at the late 90s.  The N64 the PS1.  007/Perfect Dark and Tekken tourneys and not nearly the responsibility I have now.  Personal perspective of course since for me it was better due to not just fresh game ideas and huge leaps forward in the medium but also the time my friends and I had to play together.  Way more time then than I have today.