- 16 hours ago
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:08Looking back at my many, many years of gaming, there's one fact that remains
00:13undeniable. We had no idea how good we had it. There's a reason the PS2 is the
00:19most popular and best-selling console of all time. But it wasn't just the PS2 that
00:23made this generation of gaming so special. Microsoft's original Xbox and
00:28Nintendo's GameCube are just as fondly remembered today, even if they didn't
00:32have the same mass appeal and sheer catalog of memorable and iconic games
00:37that helped define the entire sixth generation. These days gaming consoles are
00:41more powerful than ever, we have more games than we could ever hope to play,
00:45and we're more connected than any other generation through our love of games, but
00:49somehow, despite all of these advantages, gaming just doesn't feel the same.
00:54Somewhere between the sixth generation and the ninth, we lost what made
00:58gaming so special. And while the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation still had a bit of
01:03that spark, after 2013 and the release of the PS4 and Xbox One, gaming was never the
01:10same again. Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we're reminiscing about one of the
01:14greatest gaming generations ever made and hopefully explain why gaming doesn't
01:19feel the same anymore, especially for those who grew up during the PS2 era versus
01:24gaming today.
01:25Dad, your fans want you outside. Fans? Oh, those fans.
01:33Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get
01:37notified about our latest videos.
01:40Now, before anyone starts complaining about nostalgia-baiting or rose-tinted glasses,
01:46that's not what this is. Well, not entirely at least. For anyone who grew up playing video games,
01:51especially like I did, video games were an enormous part of my life. I always preferred
01:56to be home with a new game to play over the weekend rather than going out, but those times
02:01with those games, especially the ones I played on my PS2, have stuck with me far more than
02:06anything I've played in the last five years, if not more. The impact of the PS2 cannot be
02:13understated. Not only did it make gaming more mainstream thanks to the inclusion of the DVD
02:17players, but video games were finally competing with film in terms of their production values.
02:23Creators like Hideo Kojima showed what was possible within game storytelling and cinematic
02:27scope, and greatly influenced the medium into what it is today. Game mechanics that we still
02:33use in nearly every genre of gaming were crafted and pioneered on the PS2. This generation was
02:39where 3D gaming took its first steps to becoming the industry standard. Games like Halo revolutionized
02:45first-person shooters on console and eventually became a weekend staple with Halo 2 and its online
02:51multiplayer. Online gaming also began during this time, and while primitive looking today,
02:56we never needed more than to simply connect with friends or people we'd never met to have a good
03:01time trash talking and scoring killstreaks.
03:12Gaming was at its most pure during this time. Much like today, we had more games than we could
03:18have hoped to play, but the difference was the quality of these releases. Annual games would
03:23drastically improve year over year, and not just with the traditional sports games. We got entire
03:29trilogies of games within a single generation. From Sly Cooper to Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank,
03:35which even ended up having more than just the base trilogy release on the PS2, we weren't waiting
03:40half a decade for a follow-up to our favorite series, and each new game implemented important
03:45gameplay changes that made the experience better right off the disc.
03:54That was another thing that made playing during this era so unique compared to modern gaming. The
04:00entire game, whether you bought or rented it, was on the disc. You could simply go to Blockbuster, or
04:06my personal favorite, Hollywood Video, rent a game for the weekend, and if you liked it, rent it again
04:12later, or go out and buy a copy. The games were the complete experience whether you bought them new,
04:17used, or rented. They were the same game, and everyone got to experience the same game regardless
04:22of how they played. Oftentimes, renting a game was the only way to keep up with the absolutely stacked
04:28release schedules we lived through.
04:42Video game releases used to be an event, something you waited for weeks or months and would get sick
04:48during the release of your most anticipated game and have to stay home from school like I did.
04:53I'm just kidding, Mom. I never would have done that.
04:57That's exactly what I did.
05:00Yeah! Yeah! Suck it! Suck it! Where's your alien plasma rifle now, bitch?
05:06Wow! Wow! Oh! Are you playing Halo? No?
05:11We used to camp outside for midnight releases, meeting other gamers, and creating new friends and
05:17communities simply from our anticipation of a new release. With the ever-increasing push for digital
05:23games, this community aspect has all but vanished with people simply waiting at home for the newest
05:28release to download. Gaming used to bring people together, and despite us being more connected than
05:34ever, we've never been more alone in this hobby. Couch co-op barely even exists anymore, so all that
05:39bonding time we used to experience had been replaced with discord calls or in-game chat, where instead
05:45of focusing on having fun, you're doing your best not to get banned for trash talk. The PS2 era of
05:51games
05:51also not only play differently compared to modern games that feel the need to hold the player's hand
05:56through every puzzle and interaction, but they looked different too. I'm not talking about just
06:01graphically. Games during this time had a completely unique vibe and aesthetic that has somehow remained
06:07timeless when everything released today is designed to look and play almost identically. Nearly every
06:13game had their own visual style that differentiated them from one another. Metal Gear Solid 2 looks nothing like
06:19Splinter Cell, Ratchet and Clank is completely different from Sly Cooper, and even the need for
06:24speed games updated their style and gameplay loop from one game to the next, but managed to keep each
06:30entry fun and compelling unlike the series' more modern entries. Games from the sixth generation remain
06:36timeless because of their art style, which were artist renditions of photo realism rather than full
06:42body scans of actors, environments, and making every game balance on the edge of the uncanny valley.
06:48These games are not only still incredibly playable today, but some games managed to rival ninth
06:53generation games on the most modern hardware with the most cutting edge graphics. These games were
06:59also much more than just skin deep. You take the majority of PS2 games, completely ignore their story,
07:06cutscenes, and performances, and focus solely on the gameplay, and you can still have an incredible
07:11time with the gameplay first style of PS2 era titles. There was no yellow paint, no slow walking
07:17exposition, and no journalist mode for easy completion. Video games used to challenge their
07:23players and allow them to uncover their mechanics on their own, rather than spell out every single
07:28action to them in a pop-up menu. No, I don't need to be told how to walk or move
07:33the camera for the
07:34one thousandth time. The first thing I did when you actually let me play the game was push all the
07:39buttons to see what they did.
07:47Finally, I was getting tired of playing your childish games. Video games of this era were
07:53booming in popularity, and along with the sheer number of games released every month, and approximately
07:594,000 games to play during the sixth generation's life cycle, there was typically something for
08:04everyone, and if you were to ask 100 gamers what their favorite PS2 game was, you'd likely get a
08:09different answer each time. These games were self-contained, and their smaller scope crafted more
08:15personal experiences and lasting memories rather than the scale of the experience. Most PS2 games could
08:21be beaten in a single sitting, and even the larger titles still capped out at around 40-ish hours, offering
08:27more than enough content for players to feel satisfied, and just long enough for them to want to replay the
08:33game again and again. It's called replay value.
08:47This was also a time of innovation, and the peak of experimentation as well. The PS2, Xbox, and even
08:54GameCube are full of video games that would have never got approved by today's publishers, becoming
08:59cultural icons of the generation, and timeless classics that are still referenced today, would
09:05have never been developed in the modern-day gaming landscape. Games that continuously pushed the
09:10consoles to their limits, creating worlds and gameplay mechanics never thought possible, and what's more,
09:16these worlds felt alive. Whether it was the NPCs, the environments, or the characters themselves,
09:21games of this era felt reactive. Some games, like the Red Faction series, even let players almost
09:26completely reshape the game's terrain. Others, such as PSYOP's The Mindgate Conspiracy, set players
09:32loose with an arsenal of psychic powers to experiment with. Stealth games were revolutionized and
09:38iterated on with the Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, and Hitman series respectively, and the many
09:43mechanics these titles crafted are still utilized today. The games were insanely interactive as well.
09:49All the way back in the PS2's first year, Metal Gear Solid 2 had more interactivity in its opening tanker
09:55chapter than many modern games have in their entire runtime.
10:05Game publisher and developer reputations once meant something too. Insomniac, Naughty Dog,
10:11Konami, Capcom, hell, even Ubisoft and EA, having these publishers attached was usually a sign of
10:17quality back in the sixth generation. A slate of incredible game releases built up confidence in
10:23gamers' mind that simply seeing the publisher's name on the box art let them know they were in
10:28for a one-of-a-kind experience. Nowadays, publishers and developers are still cashing in
10:33on these franchises that they had no hand in creating decades ago. How often do you see the
10:38blurb, from the creators of, in game articles or trailers? Knowing the people who created those
10:44genre-defining titles have long since moved on. There's a reason these companies continue to try and
10:50cash in on gamers' nostalgia for these franchises, and it's because their name and reputation alone
10:55in the modern age doesn't carry the same weight that it used to. Probably the most important aspect
11:01that made the games of this era so timeless and memorable was the fact that AAA didn't exist.
11:07Okay, it did, but not like today. The term didn't even originate in this generation. Typically,
11:13every game studio of the sixth generation could easily be classified as AA at best. Most of these
11:19studios' staff were well under 100 developers for every project, which allowed them to work
11:25more closely with one another to deliver the best version of the game. The smaller development teams
11:30also allowed these developers to work on multiple projects at once, something almost unheard of in
11:36the ninth generation. Some of the most visually stunning and beloved classics of the PS2, Xbox,
11:41and GameCube systems were imagined, programmed, and developed by usually less than 50 people.
11:47This approach to game design allowed the teams to have better communication between each department,
11:52because they were all typically in the same office, and make decisions faster streamlining the
11:57development process without needing to go through multiple channels to make a simple change.
12:14So, what happened after the sixth generation to make games feel created less by passionate developers,
12:20and more like corporate checkboxes? Well, just like in everything successful, executives got involved,
12:26and suddenly gaming was less about the games and more about how to monetize them while putting in the
12:32least amount of effort. Video games used to be developed by dedicated and passionate creators who
12:37wanted nothing more than to see their creation come to life and have players experience the world they
12:42had poured their passion into. However, once video games went mainstream and the casual market took notice,
12:48so did the mega-corporations. Now, passionate devs were pushed aside for money men and shareholders,
12:55resulting in taking fewer risks and fewer original ideas coming out of major publishers and developers.
13:01Do you think something like Shadow of the Colossus or Mr. Mosquito would get greenlit by today's modern publishers?
13:06Not a chance.
13:15Once the executives took over, creativity and originality was the first thing to go. Video games were no longer
13:22about the creative and artistic aspirations of the medium, and instead became almost solely focused on
13:28monetizing the absolute crap out of every product these once-renowned developers released. Properties that
13:34used to have loyal fan bases turned their backs on the gamers who made their franchises household
13:39names in the pursuit of profits and the mythical modern audience. Games became oversimplified in
13:45order to appeal to the widest demographic of players with the goal of enticing new players over the loyal
13:50fan base. Naturally, this more corporatized approach to game design has been a non-starter, and not only
13:56the game's loyal fans failing to play the new releases, but the new modern audience publishers and
14:01developers are so desperate to appeal to also failing to show up even for the games specifically
14:07tailored to them. Video games used to offer a challenge not only gameplay-wise, but also
14:17narratively as well. Titles like Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, Bully, Manhunt, or really anything from
14:23Rockstar's PS2 days all challenged players by pushing boundaries and oftentimes making the player
14:29uncomfortable with their ideas. Nowadays, every game has its rough edges sanded off so as not to offend
14:35anyone and in turn has nothing meaningful to say. The implementation of DLC and microtransactions has
14:42also been extremely detrimental to gaming overall. I grew up in the generations where the entire game
14:48was not only on the disc, but if there were a few bugs and glitches, it only added to the
14:53game's charm.
14:54Somehow, video games that can take almost a decade to produce, with some of the most advanced gaming
14:59technology available, are in a less playable state than games released 20 years ago without a single
15:05patch or update. This, once again, ties into the size of development teams these days. Did you know
15:11the scale of GTA 6 is so enormous that most of the studios within Rockstar don't even know the full
15:17narrative of the game? Multiple internal studios from all across the globe are now tasked with building
15:22games and getting them out the door in an almost alpha state, and gamers are expected to simply
15:27accept this as the way things are done now. But why? Why is that just how video games are designed
15:33now?
15:34Seriously dude, you got some time on your hands. I got some properties with paying tenants.
15:39Over the last decade or so, AA and indie game developers have been utilizing the same development
15:45scale PS2 games used to work under. Smaller, dedicated teams with modest budgets once again
15:51innovating on the games industry and accomplishing incredibly visionary creations that have become
15:56generational masterpieces. Meanwhile, AAA game development continues to bleed money, resources,
16:02and talent with near consistent layoffs and studio closures.
16:07You're dead, I thought.
16:13This on the inside. Video games used to be created by gamers for gamers and would listen to their community
16:19feedback to make their next game even better than the one before it. However, today's game developers
16:24and the culture of toxic positivity has led modern developers and publishers to lash out at any
16:31criticism of their games, no matter how minuscule. And they wonder why no one wants to play their
16:36copy-paste games of franchises that have long overstayed their welcome. AAA game development stifles
16:42creativity. You need only look at games like Claire Obscure, Expedition 33, or Dispatch. Both games
16:49developed by former Ubisoft developers who grew tired of working on the same game ad nauseam and instead
16:55left to craft some of the most beloved games of this generation. AAA game development is dying,
17:01they just don't realize it yet. Long live AA and indie.
17:16If you look at the majority of games released this entire generation, something begins to come
17:21into focus. Most of the games people are playing aren't new releases, but retro. Remakes and remasters
17:27have become the largest library of the ninth generation, whereas new titles can take upwards of
17:33five to ten years to release in a near unplayable state. Gamers long for the days of good old-fashioned
17:39inventive and creative video games, something this generation has desperately tried to move away from,
17:45instead putting profits over artistry, and gamers have had enough. There's a reason the majority of
17:51the remasters released today are from the PS2 era, and it's because those titles are timeless,
17:57still replayable 20 years later with only minor updates required. The scale of game development
18:02has become unsustainable. With budgets ballooning past Hollywood blockbusters, themselves widely
18:08over-budgeted, video games are pricing themselves out of their core demographic. But you know what
18:14generation didn't and remains a classic for both nostalgic gamers and even those who weren't even
18:19born until the mid-2000s? The sixth generation. The PS2 era is without a doubt the greatest output of
18:25video game creativity the medium has ever seen. Modern games might have the flashy and pointless ray
18:31tracing and cinematic presentation, but an entire console generation still manages to outperform
18:37nearly every major studio still riding the coattails of the past glory.
18:42Is that your car? I don't have a car. That's gonna be a weird insurance claim.
18:47Double-A and indie game developers have long since realized the PS2 era isn't just the past,
18:52it's the future. With game development tools more powerful than ever, so much so that many of the most
18:58popular games today have been created by one or a handful of programmers and creators,
19:03you have to wonder why every game from a major publisher needs hundreds of millions of dollars
19:08and a team of hundreds if not more to get one game out the door every five to seven years
19:15at best.
19:16Triple-A publishers and developers have become arrogant, believing simply the name of their studio
19:21should carry the same weight that it did back then, while delivering games that pale in comparison to
19:26those classics of generations past. The PS2 era of gaming, alongside Xbox and GameCube, is the
19:36blueprint of how to become successful in the gaming industry. Not only did many of these console games
19:42revolutionized gaming overall, but their titles have stood the test of time, resulting in gaming
19:48becoming more widely accepted by mainstream audiences, all without pandering to them or oversimplifying their
19:54mechanics. Video games are works of art, and likewise deserve the utmost respect for their craft,
20:01which is something that can never be truly appreciated by people who only look to monopolize
20:05these dedicated developers' creations. Until these big corporations begin to realize less is more,
20:11and return to the double-A style of game development, the game industry will continue to bleed itself dry
20:17of not only game creators, but also new players. Don't worry about the majority of us though,
20:22we've still got 4,000 games to work through in our backlog, or maybe we'll just create our own game
20:28that we always wanted to play. Which generation of gaming was your favorite, and do you think modern
20:45gaming can ever return to the glory days of the sixth generation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
20:50Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from MojoPlays,
20:54and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
Comments