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Let's say you and your ex-playstation games mate run into each other in an internet cafe, which you haven't seen each other for a long time. Catching up with one another with this conversation:

  • Buddy: hello there mate! What have you been up to? I haven't seen you for ages.
  • You: nothing much, just got here to research an article
  • Buddy: are you not playing computer games now? Man, you are missing a lot of great games, enjoyable and unparalleled games.
  • You: yeah, I can say that, as it has always been... from our childhood years and then on.(talks about enjoyable and unparalleled)

Did I use the phrase correctly according to the situation? I googled this already, but none of them are accurate and answer my question.

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    Just to clarify, could you give an explanation on what your are trying to tell your friend with the final line? As it reads, I'm unsure whether you're trying to say that you have never had time for games, or that you miss the times you used to be able to play games. – user68033 May 3 '18 at 9:35
  • Like the previous commenter, I'm not sure what you're trying to say, especially in conjunction with the fact that your friend was one of your "PlayStation games mate". In the second-to-last reply, your buddy is saying you're missing out on a lot of games, so when you say "as it has always been", you agree, which clashes with your first remark (that you played games together, which means you were in the swim as far as games go). – user3395 May 3 '18 at 10:59
  • I don't understand what the speaker is trying to convey with as it has always been in the cited context, so I've closevoted as "Unclear". I can't think of any way the final utterance above could be "idiomatic", but if indeed the intended meaning is * I have always [missed a lot of great games]*, as set out by @Tᴚoɯɐuo below, I think it would be perfectly idiomatic to replace as it has always been with a rueful as ever. – FumbleFingers May 3 '18 at 12:49
  • Are you trying to say "there have always been great games"? – WendyG May 3 '18 at 15:17
  • Is it ok now to say I have used the bold letter correctly? – John Arvin May 3 '18 at 16:22
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Even though we are not sure what idea you're trying to express, we can say that you're using the phrase not quite idiomatically in that sentence.

as it has always been reaffirms a previous assertion about the state, condition or quality of something and adds the idea that it has always been so.

This elevator is broken state, as it has always been. From the very first day it was installed, it has never worked.

This road is crowded state with truck traffic, as it has always been. Truckers use it to avoid the tolls on the interstate.

Mining today is a dangerous condition/quality occupation, as it has always been. Unless the mine is adequately ventilated, explosions can occur.

You must be able to carry forward, so to speak, the predicated state, condition, or quality from the earlier assertion:

...as it has always been [broken]

...as it has always been [crowded with truck traffic]

...as it has always been [dangerous].

In your conversation, however, there is no reference to a state, condition, or quality. The statement to which you're replying says:

You are missing a lot of great games.

You might reply:

... as I always have [missed a lot of great games]

P.S. As FumbleFingers remarks in his comment, as ever would be an idiomatic reply (I think moreso in British English than in American English, where we would say as always).

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