"Have you ever thought of going retro-only?"
NO!!!!! Retro video games and modern video games are all video games, it's just modern games are well, newer, more advanced, but retro games are older, more classic and nostalgic. We should balance what era of video games we play out, because it's nice to be in with the new, but it's also nice to go back to the olden days. You can't just go retro-only for nostaglia's sakes, you should play what your heart wants? Wanna play the first Super Mario Bros.? Go ahead? Wanna play the newest Legend of Zelda? No one's stopping you. Video games are hear for the player's enjoyment, no matter what era the video game you're playing is from.

What if my heart wants to play old games for the next 20 years?

Okay then I'm not stopping you. I am just saying you shouldn't purposely want to restrict youself to retro games, only if you really want to.

It's crossed my mind once or twice but no. I still have faith in the video game industry.

I wish they would release some kind of compilation game cartridge(s) for the DS or 3DS, that had games such as Secret of Mana, Earthbound, Lunar 2 Eternal Blue, Grandia 1 & 2, Dark Cloud 1 & 2 and other great classic RPG's. I don't even mind if they update a few things here and there on them, such as a feature to save the game anytime, or enhanced graphics, or perhaps new cut scenes that are video. Retro can be modern at the same time, and bring young people to the good old games while bringing us old-school gamers back to the good stuff we loved decades ago.

@JoeysGirl You know there's problems with Earthbound being remade/ported right? Nintendo have shyed away from releasing any MOTHER games outside Japan because there's legal issues around the music and the references in the game. It's not that I don't want it out, I love it but I'm pretty sure it won't be re-released anytime soon.
I understand Earthbound being brought to the WiiU VC in Japan but seeing it come here may quite well never happen. Shigesato Itoi, the creator of the MOTHER series, has recently expressed more interest in the MOTHER series being re-released, but hasn't specified any of the games being remade or available for our Virtual Consoles, so hold on a little more?

But won't the new games of today eventually become retro?

I consider myself a retro gamer. The only 'newer' console I own is a 3DS and I rarely even use it. For all my awesome portable games I have a GBA SP, a Sega Nomad and a Gamecube Gameboy Player with that elusive 480p component cable

In all honesty, the game industry keeps getting worse and worse.

Nowdays we have Call of Duties and similar crap all over the place and very simplistic 2D mario games that seem like they were designed for 10 year olds (compare Super Mario World to ANY 'New' Super Mario Bros). We have not even gotten a TRUE Pokemon Stadium-like game since the N64! The Last GREAT Nintendo console was the Gamecube. I skipped on Wii and will skip Wii U. I only purchased the 3DS due to an instinct I have to purchase every Nintendo Handheld but I honestly do not like it very much.... they screwed up Paper Mario now, even the starfox remake lost its starfox-like charm with little design fails they implemented...

I miss the days when Nintendo was family friendly yet they did not treat gamers like little kids.
Nintendo!! Make a TRUE 3D Mario, not that Galaxy Crap. Make a super-epic Zelda with no wolf gimmicks! Make a huge roteste for the New Smash, even much older QUALITY fighters like Marvel vs. Capcom 2 have a ton more characters than your Brawl, dont be stingy! Design your games with progression in mind but do not adapt to fit the trends of dumb 12 year olds or the new gaming grandmas of the day.... Make quality games that are more graphically advanced, network connected, deeper and with old school nintendo personality...

Its definitely crossed my mind, if only as a what if but I don't think I could go purely retro. I can't claim to have been there from the beginning but I grew up playing Nintendo and Sega consoles, and while I'm definitely an old school gamer at heart there are a lot of great game being made to today that wouldn't be possible on older consoles that are worth playing.

That being said I might skip out on the other two next gen consoles. It seems to me there are fewer and fewer games I'm interested in on them these days, and I'm sorta getting tired of trying to keep up with each new generation. Thats why I'm really considering sticking with Nintendo/handhelds for console exclusives and PC for the rest aside from what I already have. I think my renewed interest in PCs and the fact that I've really slowed down and started to become more set in my ways as far as gaming is concerned (which is weird since I'm not quite that old yet ) has ruined my perception on consoles.

I do not see that happening... The trends and technology wont change much for quite some time. Unless true virtual reality becomes a reality I doubt this current gen stuff will ever be retro. Retro will most likely mean 'on the TV with a controller' for virtual reality in the future....

That would be hilarious if that Xbox 720 rumour is true. Always on-line for a console, that's just too funny. Obviously, they are desperate to give customers to Sony (assuming Sony aren't dumb enough to do the same) and the PC industry. As if Microsoft didn't have enough control with what you do with their machine. The next step would be for Microsoft to send out representatives to every Xbox owners home, and verify firsthand that everything is legit. What a joke..

I'd get a 'gaming PC' if I were you. Although pretty much all AAA releases go through Steam, you can play them offline once installed/downloaded, you get access to a big range of awesome 'throwback' indie titles, you have DRM free sites like gog that are expanding their range of new indie titles. Or alternatively, you can buy directly from many developers and not have to worry about any sort of DRM restrictions.. there's also some really good free games that are available...you have a lot more control in customizing your gaming experience then you do on consoles.

I despise 'always online DRM' with a passion. Ask anyone who bought Diablo 3 how bad it is. Lag in single player games due to server problems happens more often than you might think, getting booted from your game because the server's over-burdened or down for maintenance is equally hilarious. So my advice would be, get a PC and get into 'indie' gaming because there are a lot of really good old style indie games available, and you can get the AAA stuff without such draconian restrictions..

@FluttershyGuy thanks for taking the time to respond to my comment.

Wow! I feel like my post struck a chord, while your response definitely enlightened me as to your position. Let me say that I agree, Miiverse + retro gaming does sound like a tasty mix of new and old. When I saw the words "retro only" it made me think of regressing into a cave, and seemed like a hard line to draw in such a connected world! Your approach seems feasible and appealing; it seems fitting that retro games should enjoy a sort of renaissance under Nintendo's guiding hand. The price argument is also in your corner, provided one has the bones to purchase the console itself.

There are a lot of things that bother me about modern gaming and many of the rumours surrounding the next playstation and xbox are really offputting. I don't even have much desire to get a Wii U yet. This is before I even get into the expense of investing in new consoles.

Going fully retro is something I would consider, if not through choice then necessity. There are so many games I still want to play on the PS2, let alone the 360 Wii and PS3. There is a huge library on older consoles to fall back on.

All it take for something to become retro is age. But this notion that our technology has peaked in terms of graphics and the capabilities of the systems is foolish as well.

On topic though as far as going retro only. I think therefore I am.

I am retro only except for a few 3DS games.

I have taken extended breaks from modern games and went retro only...but I've always come back. I'm a gamer... I will always have an interest in new games and new console tech.

Something really terrible would have to happen in the modern gaming world to make me abandon it completely. Even the "always online" rumour probably wouldn't kill it for me..mostly because it wouldn't last. Game companies have already tried this, and it always fails.

All I know for sure is that my NES, SNES and Genesis will never be boxed and stored away...

Yes I have. I have completed roughly half of the games I own. Then I have always wanted to get a PS2, Dreamcast, and that neo geo thing that was expesive at launch. If I waited on my 3DS, 5 or 6 years from now I could pick up the latest model at a cheap price and get some good games cheap with it. I don't have much money. Infact, it would be better for me to stay a generatin behind. Hey, Nintendo's first party Wii U titles may stink in the future (doubtful) and the PS4 gets a load of quality titles I would've missed on the Wii U. I'd pick up the PS4 and get a Wii U eventually.
The answer is yes, the answer is yes.

As long as Nintendo is still breathing and making games i will never abandon Modern and soley go retro. Yet it actually did cross my mind, at least when Nintendo Unvieled the Wii U...Boy was i crushed. in comparison to the Wii reveal it was extremely underwhelming....I thought,"THIS is the successor to the Wii?" I expected a powerhouse in innovation that would shake the industry, a revolution if you will WHICH was brought on by the Wii/Wii remote 'when motion control were down right' The virtual Console was another super exciting feature that warmed old school gamers hearts where they could relive their favorite classics on the fly, and experience other classics that completely escaped them back in their childhood.The earlier(Launch 06'-mid 08')Wii days including 2010 were amazing ,and offered some of the most memorable and innovative gaming experiences I'll never forget!

If I chose to quit modern gaming all together i'd basically dedicate my gaming time mostly to the NES, SNES & Wii. With a splash of Atari 2600, GameBoy, GBA and DS. And I've got to say, i'm finding the 3DS to be a bit of a mixed bag. If it weren't for the amazing stereoscopic 3D and Handheld Virtual Console i wouldn't of even picked one up! It's severely lacking in Sprites. Everything is polygon based(Unless you're dippig into 3DSWare.)where as the DS had an awesome selection of 2D platformer sprite goodness. It's not fair to compare since the 3DS isn't even at the mid of it's life span yet, but it seems in tone with the gamecube as far as what types of games are coming out. But at least the Hand Held VC breaks things up giving gamers the best of both worlds. Still, i have yet to tackle Kid Icarus: Uprising, NSMB.2(looks...familar, dejavu anyone?), Zelda OOT3D and Mario Kart 7 so maybe i should just shut the She-ra up.

Yes, generally for GameCube games and older.

Nah. At worst, the rumors about the new Microsoft and Sony consoles requiring constant internet connection and/or being download-only would just ensure that, regarding consoles, I'm a Nintendo-only guy.