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What's Some Tech That Was Better Than It Is Now? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

320 comments fedilink hide all child comments

When you connect a new device to a 'smart' tv, you must pay homage to the manufacturer with a ritualistic dance. Plugging and unplugging the device. Turning them on and off in the correct sequence like entering a konami code.

Every time you want to switch devices, the tv must scan for them. And god forbid you lose power, or unplug something. You are granted the delight experience of doing it all over again.

I have fond memories of the days of just plugging something in, and pressing the input button. Instant gratification. It was a simpler time.

What is some other tech that used to be better?

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago (4 children)

Video games. Don't get me wrong, there are still some great games, but the entire experience has degraded on average.

The inclusion of obnoxiously long, often unskippable, intro sequences with studio credits and such. There used to be maybe a logo, maybe a very short sequence at worst, and almost always skippable.
Most of the big budget games are intended to be a grindy slog, often to get you to spend more money on micro transactions. Fun takes a back seat to intentionally addictive but objectively less enjoyable experiences.
Others are intended to be cinematic experience. Some of that can be fun, but sometimes I just want something like the old Sonic or Mario games that I can just pick up, play for a bit, and put down.
Enjoy a game? You could talk to friends about it at school, or buy a magazine that talks about it. The experience now is largely an unregulated online wasteland... If you find a community, it may quickly be beset by people that you really don't want to associate with, posting crap that no magazine ever would have published. Except for some of the funnier magazines, which may have published it just to rightfully mock the person.

The graphics have improved. In some cases the gameplay has improved. I don't want to downplay those. I'm just annoyed with how the overall experience has gotten worse on average.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 months ago

Funny, I think video games, on the whole, are approaching a real golden age. Sure (like you said) if you stick to the $70 titles produced by big studios you're going to have an increasingly bad time. But the quality of ""Indie"" (but not even really since Indie studios are legit full companies now) games is rising damn-near exponentially. I personally haven't felt a need to choose an ""AAA"" title over an indie title in years and not only am I saving money but I'm enjoying my time with video games more than I ever have (including childhood!) in my life.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

AAA games used to work when released.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Anarchy Online.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

#2 is a very good point, at least regarding the AAA space. This was my experience with Fallout 4.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Best example Battlefield. How can you manage to just get worse and worse with every title. And for many games you need to implement new story or major game mechanics etc. but for this one it would be brilliant if they would have only updated the visuals every 5-10 years