Is this sub much quieter than it used to be?

[Gimpymoo]

Maybe my rose tinted glasses but seems quieter to me.

Are forums less popular than they once were?
Are gamers now fragmented among a gazillion social media channels?

I am not talking a few years, I am referring to maybe 10 years ago.

Please do not misunderstand, this is not a "OMG PC GAMING IS DYING" thread, far from it.

I remember PCG being VERY active but the reason for it being quieter if indeed it is can be varied.

Forums are not as active in general as they used to be as gamers can choose from soo many more platforms now, not just forums.

 

[Zefan]

Everyone's busy getting killed by children in Fortnite.

 

[ci_newman]

In my experience, forums are used by the older and more wiser crowd, and we dont have time to talk about gaming as much as youngsters that have moved to other platforms (Instagram, Twitch etc).

 

[Gimpymoo]

Everyone's busy getting killed by children in Fortnite.

Thank you, coffee all over keyboard

(That comment works on soo many levels both as a point I am an old fart in gaming terms and that any shooter you play, ones reaction times are just not not as they were, well, mine are not).

In my experience, forums are used by the older and more wiser crowd, and we dont have time to talk about gaming as much as youngsters that have moved to other platforms (Instagram, Twitch etc).

The current generation are an "Instant satisfaction" generation. Forums are similar to posting a letter to them I guess, where as they see Discord/Twitch as "instant".

 

[HazardO]

Traditional forums aren't the only outlet these days. Reddit has centralized a lot of online gaming talk/debate, and then there's the platforms like Discord.

 

[Gimpymoo]

Traditional forums aren't the only outlet these days. Reddit has centralized a lot of online gaming talk/debate, and then there's the platforms like Discord.

I personally have not been a fan of this "centralisation", I enjoyed there being smaller communities instead of massive tribes.

 

[willhub]

I browse Reddit now and again, but I just find forums like these "easier" to use.

 

[pestt]

and then there's the platforms like Discord.

Totally. Discord killed our clan forum overnite.

 

[arc@css]

Quieter for a number of years IMO, not just in PCG, but as a whole. At least that's what my coloured memory tells me.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

The forum have been much, much quieter for sometime now. I don't think the next generation use them tbh. It was pretty much the only thing we had back in the day. For me the current 'advancements' don't replace the forum. I remember how busy it was on the evening of the 10%. Doubt you would get more than a few replies these days. Must be getting old

Where is Neil when you need him for entertainment.

Probably much easier to mod around here than it used to be. I could barely keep up many years ago.

 

[SPG]

Its also easier to get banned as everyone is a delicate little flower these days.

 

[Gimpymoo]

Totally. Discord killed our clan forum overnite.

There is less of a "community" feel when it comes to Discord/Reddit etc though in my opnion.

Discord has killed a lot of clan forums.

Obviously, people vote with their feet and people obviously like those services. Just us old farts it seems who are "hanging on"

I remember having PCG open when at work and leave your screen for half an hour and you would come back and it was highly likely the thread you were looking at had gone to second page, nowadays, still there a day later.

If only we had thread notofications back then

Probably much easier to mod around here than it used to be. I could barely keep up many years ago.

"Back in the day (Sponsored by Hovis)" The ban hammer was yielded frequently from what I remember with thread deletions, suspensions rather common, even in PCG.

Nowadays, you do not see it so much, likely a sign that the people here are just older and not just a teenager with spots with all the problems that brings with it

For someone who is say 15, a forum I suppose is not desirable compared to the many other more "flashier" systems they have become accustomed to.

 

[Rezident]

Yes it does feel quieter, although it still seems to have more posts than any of the other tech sub-fora. Kids seemed to have moved to new platforms that I don't know the name of (I honestly don't know what 'Discord' means, or 'Twitch' etc.). I don't have time to get into things like Snapchat or Instagram and I actually gave up facebook a while ago and it's been great, more time for RL and gaming.

Some game communities don't seem to be here at all, like Hitman - I was surprised that seemingly nobody here plays it, or there are no threads on it. The last Hitman game is amazing but I guess whoever plays it is on Twitchchat or Insta-whatever or something instead. I feel like an old man who's lost in his hometown but refuses to ask for directions!

 

[Rezident]

Could be something to do with shortening attention spans, apparently attention spans have halved, they're having to change school curriculums etc. 'cos people have very short attention spans now. Even instant gratification is stoo slow for some kids now. I guess they would rather an instant video or something stimulating rather than waiting for an answer. And as more move away from fora, the wait for an answer becomes longer...

Apparently even teachers have to entertain students now or they lose attention - perhaps Youtube Cat Videos (or Discord/Snapchat/Twitch videos or whatever you're having) to the side of their post so they don't lose interst before they get a reply

I still find these forums the best source of reliable information - once you've added the complete GPU headcases to your Ignore List. 90% of the stuff on the internet is nonsense nowadays ('No it's not, Fake News!'). You can probably find a site with 'factoids' and statistics to backup any claim you want somewhere online. It's getting harder to find reliable answers but some tech genius on here with 20,000 posts can fix your computer in seconds!

 

[G-MAN2004]

I joined this forum when I was 13, but I can't imagine I'd join it if I was 13 now. It's just not something that comes to mind for young people anymore in this world of endless social media. Discord seems to have taken over too.

This place is still pretty damn active though tbh.

 

[Troezar]

There is also the cost aspect. If you're young even cheap PC gaming is expensive. I'm finding a lot of equipment based hobbies are like that now, fewer youngsters coming in. Low wages, high housing costs and education costs all play a part too I think.

 

[UberGinge]

Everyone's busy getting killed by children in Fortnite.

I think I just found my new signiture quote...

 

[StrongSad]

I check here everyday but don't really have much to add. I am still playing GTA so the conversation is dead on here.

 

[Bishie]

I prefer Reddit overall, although I do still linger here.

 

[arknor]

probably a lot less games to talk about now
most people don't ask questions anymore either because someone will tell them to google or youtube it