5 differences between old school and current video games

Do you remember the good old days of video gaming? When games were simple and pixelated, and you only needed two buttons to play them? Those days may be gone, but they are not forgotten.

Indeed, video gaming has come an extremely long way since the days when it first became a thing that we could all spend hours on end enjoying, with things that were once unimaginable now impossible to live without in the modern era!

In this blog post, we will discuss five differences between old-school and current video games. Many of them will be rather obvious and clear as there will have been an element of natural progression, while there have been a number of innovations to have been experienced that we simply would never have been able to foresee once upon a time!

Graphics

Perhaps one of the most instantly recognizable differences is in regard to the graphics that are being used now compared to those that were once being utilized and created by developers in the past. Old school games were mostly two-dimensional, with simple pixelated graphics. Today’s games are realistic and three-dimensional, with lifelike characters and environments. This difference is due to the advancement of technology over the years.

Technology

As alluded to, technology has had a huge impact on the gaming industry over the years, and this is one of the biggest differences that gamers have been able to experience as the years have flown by. While we have noticed the change in graphics and visuals provided, we have also been able to see a number of innovative features come to life and change the way we game!

For instance, virtual reality is huge and we have seen how games have started to feel as real as reality, while we have even seen the introduction of cryptocurrency in some aspects. Gamers are now able to use their favorite virtual currency to play titles such as bitcoin poker whenever they want; something that was previously unheard of and something many would not have expected to have been able to happen.

Gameplay and stories have changed

Old-school games were usually pretty straightforward, with a limited number of levels or worlds to explore, however this has now changed significantly and now provides gamers with something completely new and immersive.

Current games are often much more complex, with open-ended sandbox gameplay and side quests that can keep you occupied for hours on end as they are a lot more interesting and can provide various different elements compared to the games that were once released and designed to simply be a form of release. 

This has also allowed for stories that have been created and utilized to be further improved, too. Old-school games tended to be pretty basic in terms of plot, while current games often have rich and detailed narratives that rival Hollywood movies. This change is likely due to the increased focus on storytelling in games as the medium has matured.

Controls

For our fourth major difference between old-school titles and those that are considered to be more modern, all you have to do is to look at the controls of the game. Old school games often used simple button presses to control your character, while current games make use of advanced motion controls and touchscreen interfaces.

Nowadays, gamers will need specialized controllers or keyboards to help them be able to play their favorite games as effectively as possible as there are a number of different outcomes and button combinations that are now possible to choose from. It could be argued that this change is due to the increasing popularity of gaming on mobile devices and consoles that support more sophisticated input methods.

The gaming community has evolved

The fifth and final difference that can be recognized is the growth of the gaming community.

Old school gamers were a tight-knit group, but they were also relatively small in number. Today’s gaming community is massive, with millions of people playing games online with friends or strangers from all over the world. 

It would have once been considered desirable to be able to play against other players from all over the world via the internet, and the advent of this technology has allowed that to be possible. In fact, it has become a staple of gaming nowadays, with players typically wanting to only play via this mode rather than perhaps conventional modes that are typically offered. This change is due to the rise of online multiplayer gaming and social media platforms that make it easy to connect with other gamers.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, these are just five of the biggest differences between old-school games and those to have been released in the modern era. Many of them are rather easy to recognize, but there is no denying their importance and how they have managed to contribute to the overall gaming industry with such a positive impact!