Goafer Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I was thinking just now that in the old days, people used to listen to vinyls and nowadays say that nothing compares to the crackle of vinyl. I can see the nostalgia in that. But what will the kids of today say when they're grown up? "In my day, we had to put up with the limited audio quality of YouTube". It's just not quite the same is it? The same goes for photos. Back in the old days, photos had the blurry, off coloured charm of Polaroid or cheap film. Nowadays all we have is grainy, pixellated, JPEG artifacty mobile phone pictures. Is that how most of our memories will be seen? Really? Anyone else share a bit of disappointment in this? Any other examples? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightwolf Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I do share a disappointment sometimes, but I think it's more towards the generation younger than me, explaining things to them of what we had, not the generation before us who spoke of not having anything at all, but explaining vhs to my cousin wasn't fun. I love the digital age, I've got a brilliant computer, hd tv, I can play/stream music online for hardly any money at all, I can listen to music on the go with the touch of a button and store all my photos online. But sometimes I do miss the old days, having to rewind tapes just to get to that certain song, blowing cartridges to get them to work on consoles, polaroids - I can't tell you how much I miss polaroid cameras, not nowadays when they are so damn expensive. I even to a certain extent miss CDs, more through my own fault than anything else, I used to spend and save so much to get CDs nowadays I don't bother, sitting at my own pc and downloading tracks as CDs are too expensive for me to get my mits on. I don't know, I suppose in some ways everyone has nostalgia for something, whether it's an item you loved and now don't own, a period of time in your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iun Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 The days of 16-bit gaming. Games were so much harder back then, and a lot cheaper too. £7.99 would get you a budget game for the ST and you would get every penny out of that constantly starting from point zero every time you put the floppy back in. It was horrible in a way, but I miss the days when games used to consistently kick your ass nine ways from Fridays, and there was no help coming. No gamefaqs, no IGN, just expensive magazines with occasional walkthroughs that were of limited help because there were points in the game that relied on you getting your timing exactly right and if you didn't get it, back to the beginning. Horrible, horrible way to play games, terribly long loading times on unreliable machines that crashed as often as worked, bafflingly difficult end-of-level guardians that seemed to exist solely to make you cry out with rage... ...but then there were the games that were just awesome all bottled up in 3.5" of plasticated fun. Games like Space Crusade that taught you the meaning of squad management, sacrifice of useless chaff and the importance of trapping dreadnoughts in doors. Obliterator with its myriad of weird enemies, some of which you just couldn't kill because they were designed to be frustratingly invulnerable, then that nail biting ten-minute countdown to get back to the escape pod that left absolutely no margin for error. Wiz kid, a game that I loved to death but never completed because I couldn't find all the kittens - that game had hours of hidden depth and pages of ridiculous humour that you just don't find nowadays. In short, I miss the 16-bit home computer era: it was shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cube Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 We have to buy computers, consoles, phones, etc with expensive components built into them. In the future there will be centralised supercomputers and everyone would "rent" processing power and it would all be done through streaming. Edit: Not to mention that the internet would be paid through tax and be a common service like water, gas and electricity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raining_again Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 i miss the days of command lines on dos, 5&1/4 inch floppies! (showing my age maybe lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 The only thing I really seem to have nostalgia about is books. I love the smell and feel of a good book even though I know ebooks are a hundred times more practical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoogleViper Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I was thinking just now that in the old days, people used to listen to vinyls and nowadays say that nothing compares to the crackle of vinyl. I can see the nostalgia in that. But what will the kids of today say when they're grown up? "In my day, we had to put up with the limited audio quality of YouTube". It's just not quite the same is it? The same goes for photos. Back in the old days, photos had the blurry, off coloured charm of Polaroid or cheap film. Nowadays all we have is grainy, pixellated, JPEG artifacty mobile phone pictures. Is that how most of our memories will be seen? Really? Anyone else share a bit of disappointment in this? Any other examples? But it's just rose-tinted nostalgia. They probably didn't look at off-colour photos as being great back then. But people are morons when they look back on things. How many times have you heard, "it wasn't like that in my day" when it usually was. Take (teenage) violence/anti-social behaviour. Many middle-aged/older people will swear blind that it wasn't like that in their day. Absolute bollocks. My dad used to get in fights numerous times a week. He was out drinking, fighting and generally causing trouble most days. And so were most of his friends. He would follow Chesterfield FC around the country, constantly getting into fights. Yet if you follow a football team now you rarely see violence, and certainly not on the same scale. But that won't stop 40 year old men from having their regular "kids today" whinge. In short, truth is fluid, memories are false, and people are stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happenstance Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I don't think we can really say about our own nostalgia for current things anyway as we don't know what it will be compared to in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paj! Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Don't talk to me about old photography. / do, I love it. Don't know much, but getting into it. Did a documentary about a broken Polaroid camera, that talked about memory-photography and the validity of physical film. (Kindof) And I'm currently doing a project on Super-8 that I will hand-splice and edit and stuff. So much more intention and worth that how photography is used by the masses these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goafer Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 But it's just rose-tinted nostalgia. Well yeah, but my point is that the same nostalgia can't be applied to everything. I honestly can't see people looking back at low quality internet audio and shoddy mobile phone camera pictures the same way people look back at film photos and vinyls. A perfect example is computer games. People look back fondly at pixelly 8/16 bit graphics with nostalgia, but the same can't be said about PS1/Saturn graphics. Can you honestly see anyone looking back at this and saying "wow those graphics are so retro and cool. Look at the way everything is so shoddy and barely visible"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonnas Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I actually enjoy "physical" content much more "digital" content (Music, Books, Films, Photos, etc.). Digital content is much more practical, I'm aware, but there's something about feeling those things in my hand. That said, I do hope books never go away. Photos, CDs and game/film cases, I can live without, but reading books without paper? Travesty. Oh, and blurry cellphone photos and videos are something I most definitely could live without. I'd much rather use a machine that can do both (or either of) those things properly, otherwise, we might as well use polaroids for decent pictures. A perfect example is computer games. People look back fondly at pixelly 8/16 bit graphics with nostalgia, but the same can't be said about PS1/Saturn graphics. Can you honestly see anyone looking back at this and saying "wow those graphics are so retro and cool. Look at the way everything is so shoddy and barely visible"? Hmm... I kinda like the graphics of some of the early 3D games. Not all, of course, but it's the same way with 8-bit graphics a.k.a. low-res 2D games. Metroid is a glaring example... ...when compared to Megaman, which still looks fine. Much like Soul Reaver has aged better than, say, Virtua Fighter 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grazza Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I think the significant divide of the past was (and still is somewhat) digital vs. analogue. There was something appealing about analogue. Even if digital is superior in enough ways to be better overall, it is not better than analogue in every way. Thus, whilst film is still valued (even if only as a method of preservation), the earliest digital is not missed. In the same way, I don't miss VHS (which I don't think was "digital", but it was still video). There's nothing about it that I particularly want to go back to. It's the same with printed images. We used to be able to go into an "Athena" shop and get a really high quality poster. Nowadays you can find any image you want on the internet, but the quality is not there unless an industry model is in place for people to aspire to. And yeah, I know you can get posters in HMV and such, but there was more choice in the '90s. It's like eBooks - a cool idea, but they've got a long way to go before they can match the thrill of a large, full-colour printed page (digital wallpaper, perhaps?) As for the future, a lot has been said about download vs. physical, but the thing that's getting on my nerves more at the moment is owned vs. streaming. I don't mind downloading, but I'm not at all keen on streaming, as you can't watch a video any time you like. You always have to be connected to the service, which I don't approve of at all. Oh, one more thing - wooden roller coasters. I can't stand how this form of building a roller coaster is being forgotten, mainly in the UK, it must be said. Most of my friends haven't ridden one, which I think is a shame because they're different to steel coasters, not inferior. They're an art form, and we need more in the UK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightwolf Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 There's still one at Blackpool isn't there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyboy-the-Dane Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Well yeah, but my point is that the same nostalgia can't be applied to everything. I honestly can't see people looking back at low quality internet audio and shoddy mobile phone camera pictures the same way people look back at film photos and vinyls. A perfect example is computer games. People look back fondly at pixelly 8/16 bit graphics with nostalgia, but the same can't be said about PS1/Saturn graphics. Can you honestly see anyone looking back at this and saying "wow those graphics are so retro and cool. Look at the way everything is so shoddy and barely visible"? I don't think we can say anything about that right now. It's nostalgia, i.e. it's not based on rational thought. As time goes on, I suspect at least some people will develop nostalgia for PS1 graphics and other things we can't imagine anyone in the future being able to stand, if for no other reason than that it takes them back. Everything seemed better back in the day because the mind remembers the good stuff much better than the bad stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightwolf Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I don't think we can say anything about that right now. It's nostalgia, i.e. it's not based on rational thought. As time goes on, I suspect at least some people will develop nostalgia for PS1 graphics and other things we can't imagine anyone in the future being able to stand, if for no other reason than that it takes them back. Everything seemed better back in the day because the mind remembers the good stuff much better than the bad stuff. It's also safe to say that I prefer my ps1 to my xbox because there's no real fear of it breaking. I've had it since I was 7 and it's still with me! :love: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieColeslaw Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Link's Awakening is still my favourite Zelda game. One thing I don't miss are CDs. I still buy them, but only releases of my absolute favourite bands (1 - 3). MP3s are more practical and accessible. And affordable (not talking about piracy). I feel sorry for the younger generation (I SOUND OLD) already, going on about Youtube and apps and cracks...mainly because I relate all of that with Internet-induced attention deficiency, and information overload frightens me because I am OCD about wanting to know/read EVERYTHING and organising things. I don't know...it's hard to think in terms of people who grew up in a different "time". Seeing as the older generation probably feel that way about us. In terms of what Goafer mentioned about cameras, well, vintage-style analogue cameras like Holgas and Polaroids and stuff have come back in fashion, right? And there are people not from the age of blurry sepia photos (and not exclusively hipsters) who take a genuine interest in learning how to use them and the old techniques of developing photos etc., which is nice. The bottom line is that books, analogue cameras, videogames with DLC, and vinyl shouldn't be wiped out of existence...they do have properties which digital version don't have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goafer Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 I suspect at least some people will develop nostalgia for PS1 graphics and other things we can't imagine anyone in the future being able to stand, if for no other reason than that it takes them back. That's true, everything will be nostalgic to people who experienced it first time round but what about people who are "nostalgic" about polaroids/8bit games that never experienced them first hand? These things have a certain charm to them that current things lack. I just can't see anything from this era making that leap into faux nostalgia like polaroid/vinyl/8 bit etc. When my parents show me old photos, I enjoy looking at them because they look great and have a certain charm about them. I just want this era (my era, if you will) to leave something charming behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoogleViper Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I just can't see anything from this era making that leap into faux nostalgia like polaroid/vinyl/8 bit etc. When my parents show me old photos, I enjoy looking at them because they look great and have a certain charm about them. I just want this era (my era, if you will) to leave something charming behind. It will, even if we don't know what it is yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Don't talk to me about old photography. / do, I love it. Don't know much, but getting into it. Did a documentary about a broken Polaroid camera, that talked about memory-photography and the validity of physical film. (Kindof) And I'm currently doing a project on Super-8 that I will hand-splice and edit and stuff. So much more intention and worth that how photography is used by the masses these days. Any chance we'll see them on N-E one day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emasher Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 We have to buy computers, consoles, phones, etc with expensive components built into them. In the future there will be centralised supercomputers and everyone would "rent" processing power and it would all be done through streaming. Edit: Not to mention that the internet would be paid through tax and be a common service like water, gas and electricity. That sounds like a terrible future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamishmash Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) Nowadays we have to put up with every other photo being taken having that awful "old photo effect" on iPhones or "instagram". Or like how modern movies filmed in digital HD try and add in lens flare effects which you don't get anymore. We are the age of nostalgia, things have got too good. Everyone seeks out "vintage" clothes with tears and faded, battered patterns. Photoshop graphics but with "old paper" effects put on top. It's also interesting to note that something like Wind Waker is fine to play, the graphics are perfect, but I'm already finding replaying Twilight Princess tricky with it's blurry textures and horrible "distance effect" which so many modern games do and do badly. Edited October 23, 2011 by Hamishmash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happenstance Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 It will, even if we don't know what it is yet. Exactly. Im sure if people were thinking about this back then they'd have the same problem, you cant compare something to something else that hasnt been invented yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paj! Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Any chance we'll see them on N-E one day? My tutors seemed to love it, it's like shown to prospective students and stuff. Which is really nice, but it really wasn't a very ambitious work (it's just a camera...) - I just put a lot more thought into the concept (evidenced in the presentations/development meetings blah blah) than a lot of people given the same task. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayseven Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 There's two sides to this, as we've already discussed; the 'rose-tinted nostalgia' that every generation encounters when they realise that everything is in a constant state of flux, there's something slightly unreal about trying to recognise that other people have minds and experiences, and that's just made even more absurd when you realise that you can have a full conversation with someone born into a world after 9/11, after mobile phones and after walkmans and after Home Alone and blue sachets in crisps with real money in and so on. It's basically impossible to comprehend being born in any other era, and as Eddie said, it doesn't half make you feel old when you start reminiscing! That state of naivity/innocence, of an age before unlimited and unfiltered information at your fingertips. I think it's important to try not to assume the past is better, or to assume that the scale is somehow the same. The measure has changed, and it won't stop changing. What is important to note is that no matter how different the world is there is a stability in the human's ability to respond to stimuli in whatever emotive or imaginative way. While specific experiences may be long dead -- I'll never experience watching a movie at the cinema whilst being allowed to smoke -- they are surely experiences that are composed of other elements of experience that can be experienced, so there's no true loss involved aside from, in a way, mere bragging rights of having actually experienced the image in question... as if that even matters anyway. Yeah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoogleViper Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 you can have a full conversation with someone born into a world after 9/11, after mobile phones and after walkmans and after Home Alone and blue sachets in crisps with real money in and so on. I was born after Home Alone, and most (if not all) people on this forum were born after walkman's were invented. Most people here were born after Personal CD players were invented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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