Discussion Are gaming forums dying?

Broken Shotgun

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Of all the forums that I know still exist that I've registered on, they are all pretty much dead. Whether that's forums aimed at covering video games, or some other subject. It doesn't matter what the forum is about. Because I know I can post a thread, go back within hours or even days to that website, and it's normally the case that nobody has responded.

Even when people do reply, sometimes the post they submit is so generic or badly written, that it's just like, meh. Give them an A for effort, I suppose. ;)

About the only really active gaming forum I know of, is GameFAQs. And that is sad. I've used GameFAQs with different profiles before. But I told myself after I closed my last account there, that that was it. The users there are no good for having a civilized discussion with. If you just "speak the truth" about something, they think you're whining.

It's sad to see that forums covering video games are dead now. These days, you basically have to go on people's YouTube videos or engage on live streams to engage with your fellow fans.

Facebook and Twitter sucks as well. It often feels like you're just adding "friends" you may or may not see any more, and then having them unfriend you afterwards, one at a time, because they're either shallow or they terminated their membership. Plus, I think people use these social media sites merely as some sort of outlet to show off how cool something is they've partook in, but it's not the same as having some in real life reaction.

I don't really use YouTube any more, due to certain wankers monitoring me. It seems whenever I closed one channel and made another one a few weeks later, these sad idiots would soon discover me again and then make videos basically saying, "He's back, guys. Go bug him".

To be honest, I may stop contributing to the Horror Film Wiki now too. I've had too many visitations from a particular Kiwi screwball, using female identities, and who enjoys editing every page that I do, as if it's a game of tag. Plus, it's dead anyway. Who needs niche wikis for finding information anyway? :(

To be honest, I think they have a personality disorder. You can find them lining up at the local job center every Friday morning, their noses buried in their smartphone, while trying to be smart. AKA, get a job. Get laid. Get a life.

:p
 
Without question -- the more social media impinges on the territory forums used to rule, the less traffic there is for forums to make use of, and since there are still so many forums out there, it's not hard for forums to quickly go from buzzing with activity to a wasteland in no time at all. It's a sad sign of the times, but those of us that love forums will always be around :)
 
It's not just gaming to be fair, I think other than a few big forums, forums in general are struggling a bit compared to the older periods where they were extremely popular
 
Jumping from forum to forum, is like pub crawling. ?

If one doesn't serve you, one barman someplace will. ?
 
I know big time forums are starting to shut down for discord. What a shame really.
 
I find that everyone is scattered across other forums, social media and chat services like Discord.

I think this is what makes it appear as if forums are dying...there are too many other ways that members connect with each other and are spread out too far apart. Not that we should look to get rid of those other ways to keep up with one another but I suppose the heydays of forums having 100,000 members might be long gone?
 
There will always be a place for forum, I wouldn't worry about it. Traffic will naturally return when people see social media for what it is.
No they won't. Lol. People go back on there because literally everybody and their mother are having convos on there way more frequently than some random forum.
 
Honestly, I think forums are dying out in general due to applications like Discord. You can pretty much do everything you can do on a forum, through Discord. Forums have been around for decades now and I don't see them completely dying. But, when it comes to the gaming community, Discord is just the way to go. That's why a lot of these "dying" gaming forums are switching to applications like discord.
 
Honestly, I think forums are dying out in general due to applications like Discord. You can pretty much do everything you can do on a forum, through Discord. Forums have been around for decades now and I don't see them completely dying. But, when it comes to the gaming community, Discord is just the way to go. That's why a lot of these "dying" gaming forums are switching to applications like discord.
You can also make a private server on discord just to hang out with you and your friends. Can't really do that on a social forum.

But sadly it is safe to say most forums are on life support nowadays.
 
I would certainly agree that forums are on the way out across the board but there is still a place for them in my head. Don't get me wrong, the like of social media and discord are great, and maybe it's because I'm in my twenties and grew up with forums, but I just love coming across a forum and having a conversation this way. Something about it just feels more real - it's also beneficial to find focused communities I think.
 
I think that for some users, forums are preferable for archival reasons. On Discord, if you miss a conversation, it can be very hard to look back at it later on. On a forum, it's no problem; you can refer back to the thread at any time. They both have their advantages.
 
No they won't. Lol. People go back on there because literally everybody and their mother are having convos on there way more frequently than some random forum.
Forums aren't a platform for having a natter with family and friends. They are an archive of information, easily accessible and always available. Those interactions can stay put. I have been involved with forums in some respect since about 99 - trends change. They tend to go full circle though. I am confident forums with good engaging content will continue to have success. People throw in the towel and blame social media far too easily.

Discord, Facebook etc do not offer the same experience.
 

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