Is the forum in decline?

[sscott]

Coming up to seven years on the forum, as a long time member (but certainly not the longest!) I have almost stopped visiting compared to what I used to even a year ago. Maybe the problem is forum themselves are not the social medium of choice now (well, they're not). Love games, met many of the members here but from my perspective it's lost its interest. The default answer is usually "post something interesting yourself" and hopefully (!) I have done that in the past but can't think of any new sh1t.

So, is it the forum or forums as a medium themselves or (as is likely) I'm full of shiiiite.

Discuss. I look forward to several members 'flat' 3 word responses which don't really add anything.

"Don't agree with that."

"Think you're wrong"

"Worse than Hitler"

"Milk. Bread. Eggs."

"Pew Die Pie"

[Gibberish Driftwood]

The Games TM forum used to be jam packed with people, but now its almost dead. Hope the same thing doesnt happen to this Place.

[markopoloman]

I think some people prefer the more interactive stuff like Facebook (I really really dislike it).
We do get this question pop up a couple of times a year though - Isn't it inevitable that some of us older members get that feeling of 'been there, done that' and not feel like visiting so often?
I don't post a massive amount but still come here daily and read the posts.

It's not dead yet though and compared to some other forums I visit, this place is like the 6.30am train from Bournemouth to London!

For me though, forums are still the preferred choice. Twitter is horrible, Facebook is destructive (except for business) and blogs to me are mainly a snorefest.

[sscott]

I think some people prefer the more interactive stuff like Facebook (I really really dislike it).
We do get this question pop up a couple of times a year though - Isn't it inevitable that some of us older members get that feeling of 'been there, done that' and not feel like visiting so often?
I don't post a massive amount but still come here daily and read the posts.

It's not dead yet though and compared to some other forums I visit, this place is like the 6.30am train from Bournemouth to London!

For me though, forums are still the preferred choice. Twitter is horrible, Facebook is destructive (except for business) and blogs to me are mainly a snorefest.

We do Mr. Polo, it just seems that our lot really do visit less, statistically, we used to brush it off but it is sorta true now, hey we age, time moves on so it's not surprising, just. But sad, maybe...

[Space_turnip]

It seems to be happening all over. Not just this forum but many others. You're probably right that forums just aren't that popular anymore. A lot us here have been using forums for probably 15 years now (I know I have), and no doubt many were using boards on the net before that, and that's a hell of a long time in this age, but it seems that the majority of people on forums have been using them for sometime, there doesn't seem to be many of the 'new' internet generation who see them as that important.

Got to say that Retro gaming itself is at a strange stage now too. Maybe it's just me noticing it more now, but there seems to be far more bickering, wild accusations, bad blood and the like around it all now, whilst at the same time things are much 'bigger' (the retro events as one example). Hard to explain I guess, and no doubt to most people it isn't the case, but it certainly seems less 'fun' and friendly then it did (and judging by the fact that people were saying the same thing when I first visited this forum 7 years ago, I can only think that either a)it's now really unfriendly, or b) years ago the retro gaming scene was some fun filled utopia of joy )

[r0jaws]

It does seem like the retro scene has become more mainstream, there's more of it, and more money involved. It was easier for it to be a fun hobby when nobody was interested, and therefore you could pick up bits and pieces for a song.
It has kinda sucked some of the joy out of it a bit, maybe that's being reflected in the forums?

[Antiriad2097]

For many things, I'm just all talked out. I've asked the questions I wanted answered, offered opinions on many things, and still do even if its covering old ground. But I find I have less to say now than previously.

I think part not that is down to the success of RG, and it bringing retro to the mainstream, leading to larger and more events and other things that mean the forum is less vital. I'd also add YouTube to the mix. A few years ago I was having to download special shows like Consolevania, Weekend Gamer or The 1 Up Show. Now there's a mountain of video content to devour, more than I have btime to keep up with. I think I'm now years behind on podcasts too.

There does still seem to be a steady trickle of people arriving here though, filling the gaps of those who left.

Also bear in mind that there was something of an explosion on the forum when we signed up due to the death and rebirth of RG. Inevitably that lead to a sudden influx of excited people, quite a few of whom had been playing within the scene from before RG. I remember seeing issue 1 on the shelves and thinking finally someone was writing just for me. A far cry from buying mags just for a page or two of retro content.

I've never understood the bickering and accusations of cliques, whether in the forum or outside. If you don't like someone, don't speak/deal with them. There's no point in getting all dramatic about it.

Is the scene less fun? Probably not. Its just not fresh and exciting any more, the consequence of becoming mainstream. We have been spoiled by overexposure, desensitised to the simple joys. Its like being back in the 80s again, when you'd groan at yet another side scrolling platformed with a 'cute' character hero. We see so much retro now, it doesn't press our nostalgia buttons in the same way, since we have so many recent memories of similar gaming.

Unusually, since I don't often start threads, I was surprised at the volume of responses I got to my scanlines thread. It seems people are prepared to discuss things given the right topic.

[DPrinny]

In before Laird slating this one.

As a whole I have noticed forums dying down, one that I have used for I will say over ten years was almost dead till I posted a "Is this the end" thread.

People just seem to like Facebook more,

[psj3809]

It's the summer. Plus things like this happen from time to time. Nothing to worry about

Think if anything there's far less arguments than there used to be. Lots of retro shows on nowadays which are very popular

[nokgod]

sscott, i swear you start this thread every summer holiday

Is it not a coincidence that you have more time on your hands and visit the forum more, just when everyone else packs up and goes on holiday? (i won't be posting much after this weekend, for the next fortnight )

Seriously though, i see the 'regulars' posting less (inevitable) and there's not so much young blood coming through that's all enthusiastic, asking questions about everything and anything. I can see forums becoming retro in the not too distant future. I'll still be around though, i like the anonymity of being words and an avatar. No way i'm going the facebook route.

Also as mentioned above, the retro scene itself is changing and not necessarily for the better. Mainstream = more interest = more money = more sharks.

[flatapex]

retro gaming as a scene is changing, certainly from when i came back to the 8/16 bit era in 2003 (i was one of those awful resellers )

in around 2004-5 retro started to become trendy, I wish I had discovered rg back then as I was a games tm reader for the tiny bit of retro content they had, it was around that time that retro became briefly cool, it was that sort of era that anything vintage started becoming cool though so retro gaming was swept up as part of it. Events are bigger, I have noticed that stuff I went to last year is a lot bigger this year etc, I think a lot of the short term money makers will disappear. I think we need to get off our backsides and be more social though

[Liamh1982]

I think the problems this place had with spam and security breaches and the whole Wordpress-based fiasco shook quite a few members' faith in this place - it's been fine for a while but there's always a nagging doubt that the next "crash" or whatever is just around the corner.

Antiriad brings up a good point regarding being all talked out - those of us in the 5,000, 10,000 or even 20,000 club are going to find it difficult to put a new viewpoint across although it doesn't help when a newcomer posts a topic and then one of us posts a link to a previous thread asking the same question.

[psj3809]

sscott, i swear you start this thread every summer holiday

Is it not a coincidence that you have more time on your hands and visit the forum more, just when everyone else packs up and goes on holiday? (i won't be posting much after this weekend, for the next fortnight )

Yep i'm sure he wrote another one last year as well round this time ! We've had great weather, just think people have been doing different things, holidays etc. Got a good retro show next weekend, Play Expo in October as well, sure we'll get people talking retro again

[flatapex]

I think we need to get off our backsides and treat every topic like its new and not been asked before.

just because its been asked before doesnt mean the person asking has, or the people that could answer have answered

[Spector]

Coming up to seven years on the forum, as a long time member (but certainly not the longest!) I have almost stopped visiting compared to what I used to even a year ago. Maybe the problem is forum themselves are not the social medium of choice now (well, they're not). Love games, met many of the members here but from my perspective it's lost its interest. The default answer is usually "post something interesting yourself" and hopefully (!) I have done that in the past but can't think of any new sh1t.

So, is it the forum or forums as a medium themselves or (as is likely) I'm full of shiiiite.

Discuss.

I agree sscott, let's get back to the good ol dayz of krusty et al when we used to threaten each other's children!