How Far Back Is Considered Retro?

[okcmallrat]

In my humble opinion, 10 years should be enough to be considered retro. In other words, being that it is 2009, all systems that are at least 10 years old shoud qualify.

-N64

-Playstation

-Dreamcast

[E-Day]

I don't consider those retro, nor d I consider the Saturn retro. The Saturn, Playstation and Nintendo 64 are not that different than todays consoles as far as gameplay. They all do 3D, it's just that today's consoles push out graphics that look a lot better.

I consider 16-bit and earlier as retro. Once things changed over to 3D, it just wasn't the same. Things haven't changed again, so that's why I don't see those early 32-bit consoles as retro, even though most of the games looked terrible with their very jagged eadges and boxy characters.

[DPsx7]

With so many games in my collection I define retro a little differently. To me it means anything before the NES, stuff I won't typically play. I use classic to describe anything between NES to DC because I do play those once in a while. (E-day has a good point there.) PS2, GBA, and GC are recent gen, and of course Wii, DS, and PS3 are current gen.

[gblock]

16 bit and back, most definitely....some 32 bit systems, you'd have to consider them as well, Sega CD, Neo Geo, etc...Playstation/Saturn/N64, I would probably consider "retro" once the next generation hits.

[white-zombie]

I think it depends on the console. Some may consider the Xbox to be retro, as it's no longer being produced, but it's the same generation as PS2.

Woukd you guys who don't consider the PSOne/Saturn/N64 to be retro, consider teh CD-i, Amiga CD32, Jaguar and 3DO to be retro, as they are technically the same generation?!

I consider anything in the 32-bit era and prior to be retro, say two generations ago.

[triverse]

I think it depends on the console. Some may consider the Xbox to be retro, as it's no longer being produced, but it's the same generation as PS2.

Woukd you guys who don't consider the PSOne/Saturn/N64 to be retro, consider teh CD-i, Amiga CD32, Jaguar and 3DO to be retro, as they are technically the same generation?!

I consider anything in the 32-bit era and prior to be retro, say two generations ago.

While technically the CD-i was a part of the newer generation, it was a 16-bit system at it's heart and released years before the PSOne and other 32-bit systems (way back in 1991). 3DO and Jaguar, those are a toss up since they were released more recent to PSOne.

[Mister Zero]

I agree with E-Day and gblock.

[bombatomba]

I think that retro is a completely relative term, meaning that a person may also consider the original Xbox to be retro if they were of a certain age when they played it. However, I think we should take a cue from this website and firmly place the December 31, 1999 as the cutoff date for a retro game.

[white-zombie]

However, I think we should take a cue from this website and firmly place the December 31, 1999 as the cutoff date for a retro game.

The only problem with the above is that as time moves forward, this date remains the same, so at what point in the future does the date change to December 31st 2000?

I think the best way to do it would be to say that any games older than 10 years are retro.

What do you think?

Also, I think the PS2 was released in '98, so this is a bit of a grey area lol.

[triverse]

The only problem with the above is that as time moves forward, this date remains the same, so at what point in the future does the date change to December 31st 2000?

I think the best way to do it would be to say that any games older than 10 years are retro.

What do you think?

Also, I think the PS2 was released in '98, so this is a bit of a grey area lol.

Well, the cutoff date here is not set in stone, it will probably move in the future.

The PS2 was not released in 1998, it was released in March of 2000 in Japan and October 2000 in the US.

[white-zombie]

I stand corrected, dunno where I got 1998 from!?

Hmm, perhaps we should come up with our own definition of retro!?

In our context, perhaps: "the continued use of videogames/systems that are now considered defuct".

Am I just thinking about this too much!?

[Thor]

While technically the CD-i was a part of the newer generation, it was a 16-bit system at it's heart and released years before the PSOne and other 32-bit systems (way back in 1991). 3DO and Jaguar, those are a toss up since they were released more recent to PSOne.

Yup I'm with triverse on this one. Anything around the CD-i/3DO/Jag erra and back. I don't consider anything past that starting with the Saturn.

I can't wait to get into my own place again (moving this week today we get the keys ) so I can play some CD-i I just got my converter and Sega pad so I don't have to use the crappy thumb controller. Time for some Faces of Evil :Yahooo:

[white-zombie]

I guess systems such as the CD-i, CD32, 3DO, Jaguar, and the Sega 32X for that matter just 'feel' like older systems, whereas I think the PSOne, Saturn and N64 were more responsible for changing the way games were perceived, and launching 3D to the mainstream.

It may have something to do with the fact that even the Saturn sold more than those aforementioned consoles combined!?