On the other hand, some of the best games I've ever played only came out in the past ten years (Dark Souls, Soma, Tacoma, Outer Wilds, Subnautica, Factorio). I

On the other hand, some of the best games I've ever played only came out in the past ten years (Dark Souls, Soma, Tacoma, Outer Wilds, Subnautica, Factorio). I don't feel gaming is worse off now - we have so much variety to choose from. Whatever special interest you have, there's likely something out there for you to play to accommodate your interests. I do agree though, that we've lost some things (while gaining others). Blizzard is no longer putting out the same kinds of games that put them on the map. A lot of valuable IP's that forged the gaming industry in its early years are forgotten or killed off or have some weird mobile/mobile transaction-ridden game to carry the flame. We'll probably never see another Starcraft. The next Diablo will likely be a huge disappointment. We've lost studios like Westwood or Maxis. We're never getting another Silent Hill. Or another Metal Gear. The list goes on. And then you have a company like Nintendo that's pretty much doing exactly what they've always been doing, putting out the same kinds of games that made them so beloved (with many improvements and experiments along the way). Or Sony with its laser focus on great single-player experiences without loot boxes and their crazy large number of first-party and second-party studios.