Is it just me or is the scene slowing down?

[stigzler]

A few years ago when I happened upon this hobby/obsession/life-thief, it felt like things were abuzz with lots of new innovations + new stuff happening every month. 

It feels across the board (e.g. also on byoac, ngemu etc) that things have hit a bit of a lull, with less of a buzz about it. 

Or maybe it's just me getting used to it...

[Tom Speirs]

I think it might be slowing down here a bit and some of the other reputable sites. Other than that people are getting older etc.

It might partly be a summer thing though. At least I hope. I don't want to have go out and get a proper job!

[Tom Speirs]

Having said that, its nice that we don't have any headache to deal with in regards to support etc.

[Draco1962]

I think it may just be that, Tom. Those who created emus for the older systems are getting older. Many that are younger don't have the passion for those systems to carry the torch, and the emus eventually languish and disappear into obscurity and obsolescence. 

I find myself with less time as of late to play a game or tinker. Not sure if it is age, life distractions, or changing priorities.  Or it could just be a rut that I will eventually crawl out of. 

[Kustom Kid]

I think it's just the time of year when it slows down. Dolphin just had a HUGE release a month or so ago, CEMU is emulating "current gen" hardware *granted it's the WiiU*, MAME is still chugging along with regular incremental releases. I think there was a plateau a while back with a good chunk of emulators, and development slowed down because there just wasn't much left to do.

[stigzler]

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[stigzler]

10 hours ago, Tom Speirs said:

It might partly be a summer thing though. At least I hope. I don't want to have go out and get a proper job!

Don't worry Tom, we'll keep you out of a job...  (we can't have the father of gameex being salaried by the man)

It could be the emu thing. I guess we all wait with baited breath the arrival of x360 + ps3 emulators - and there's probably a bit of a wait for the hardware to catch up to support these. 

I guess the hobby's also entering its autumn years (when was mame? 2000?) - maybe the peak being 5/6 years ago when people started pulling everything together with cab builds, emulators and front ends. 

I still think there's gaps though:

- Comprehensive game controls database for non-mame games

- Comprehensive assets repository for related images/manuals etc (programmer pictures anyone?) 

...off the top of my head. We should make a "to-do list."

[Draco1962]

No lists for me, thanks.

[stigzler]

OK, Draco.

[tthurman]

Quote

It might partly be a summer thing though

This I believe is a big part of it.  School is just getting back here in the states, and once everyone settles in for a long cold winter, I'm betting you'll see renewed energy with this hobby.  There has always been a sort of intangible ebb and flow in the arcade world, but eventually people come back to it for that simplistic release it provides from everyday hustle and bustle of real life.  

Moving and maintaining two homes since March has taken nearly all of my gaming time away, not to mention I lost my 40" Sammy to the living room, so my rig is going screen-less at the moment   

[Draco1962]

Screenless? Oh no! How are you going to get any enjoyment from Gals Panic with no screen?

[stigzler]

6 hours ago, tthurman said:

so my rig is going screen-less at the moment   

Rez...

you'll never know yer score, mind..

[RedDog]

For me, the scene has always been grounded in the nestalgia of old arcade machines and retro consoles. When I throw in my own computer-geekiness, collection obsessivness, and a little too much OCD...a hobby suddenly appeared. It also didn't help when I found GameEx! When that happened, I also began the long term goal of getting my rig completely spiffed up.  

As time goes on, I think younger people don't have much interest in that nestalgia or do not have the exposure. It helps that some game companies have rereleased old arcade and console games as stand alone programs or special platforms (like the recent release of the 30-game NES console). Hopefully it will be enough to keep the interest alive.

[Circo]

It gets slow every summer, even us nerds have to go outside occasionally

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Adultery]

Speak for yourself Circo!

[RIP-Felix]

I agree with the others, summer is when I have more time off from work to mess around in the scene, but it always seems to die around the same time. That's ok, I can get out and enjoy the star we call sun!

[stigzler]

11 hours ago, Circo said:

It gets slow every summer, even us nerds have to go outside occasionally

What is "outside"?

[Draco1962]

I went "outside" once. I think it should be called Hell. Better to stay "inside."

Outside is a most horrid torture. First, there is that terrible orb in the sky that blinds our eyes when we venture there and burns the pasty white exposed parts of our bodies. Then there are these unseen things that scientists call allergens that cause us difficulty in breathing and make you want to claw your eyes out due to the itchiness.

[hansolo77]

Don't forget the monsters... there are people out there right now with gadgets trying to catch them all, but they just keep coming.