Everyone thinks the games of their youth were better. That's because you were more easily impressed then because you'd experienced less games.
Another reason is that games are so expensive, and take so long to make now, that its not worth making a game unless it will appeal to the mass market. Which means churning out tried and proven games like Battlefield 2142. Consider the Xbox 360s launch lineup:
* Amped 3 (2K Sports)
* Call of Duty 2 (Activision)
* Condemned: Criminal Origins (SEGA)
* FIFA Soccer 06 Road to 2006 FIFA World Cup (Electronic Arts)
* GUN (Activision)
* Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft)
* Madden NFL 06 (Electronic Arts)
* NBA 2K6 (2K Sports)
* NBA LIVE 06 (Electronic Arts)
* Need for Speed Most Wanted (Electronic Arts)
* NHL 2K6 (2K Sports)
* Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft)
* Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)
* Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft)
* Quake 4 (id Software and Activision)
* Ridge Racer 6 (Namco)
* Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 06 (Electronic Arts)
* Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (Activision)
As you'll notice, almost all of them are sequels. A new console, and what do they launch with? Sequels! The PS3 launch lineup was just as bad.
I think social gaming needs to improve. There aren't many 4 player games around, but FIFA and Pro Evo are both excellent examples of how good 4 player local games can be. A TV-share gadget, which could put half the players on another screen while still using only one console, would be very good.
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If I should die, think only this of me:
That in some corner of a foreign field
There lies a plagiarist.