As we speed towards the PlayStation 5 and the new Xbox I can't help but worry about the future of gaming. In 2020 we will see the next evolution of gaming but for a lot of people the lure of retro gaming and nostalgia is getting stronger. My name is Stevie McCoy and this is why I believe Gamings future is in its past.
So, I'm currently part of 3 groups consisting of around 36,000 members on Facebook for purely retro gaming. The rise in nostalgia for retro gaming in the last few years has been huge to the point where Nintendo, Sony and Sega could no longer ignore it.
Nintendo where first to try their hand with their below par and stupidly priced NES and SNES classics which they seriously underestimated just how popular they would be. The NES Classic sold out nearly everywhere in a few days with no more stock made available for up to six months later. Not only that but only 30 games included and the really short controller cable made this feel like a bit of cash grab.
Next up was the SNES Classic which solved the controller cable issue but doubled the price and reduced the number of games to 21 and again sold out within weeks of release. Next up was Sony, surly they wouldn't make the same mistake would they?
Yes they would, releasing the PS1 Classic with 20 games and very limited options to optimise for modern TVs this was the ultimate rushed attempt to jump on the retro gaming hype train, fans didn't fall for it this time, the poor production and lack of effort from Sony was as clear as day. Within two weeks of it hitting shelves prices where slashed. They couldn't give them away. Last up was Sega's turn. Flying pretty low under the radar it seems to be the pick of bunch with 42 games it was well received by fans and critics a like, Sega seem to have a bit more respect for their fanbase.
Next we will look at the market of video games, for every ten triple A games there is a remake or remaster that comes along and shakes things up a bit. Crash and Spyro have both had great success in the last few years with remasters and in early 2019 Resident Evil 2 redefined what it is to remake a game in a similar way to the original redefined what a sequel was way back in 1998. Suddenly gamers wanted more. Online petitions called for remakes and remasters of games such as Resident evil 3, Final Fantasy 7 and 8, Metal Gear Solid and many more, all of a sudden new IP,s didn't look as appealing.
I'm not saying that retro gaming will take over the industry as modern gaming is to big but I can feel a shift in gamers who are fed up with re-skin new releases every year and day one titles that are buggy or broken. Gamers are longing for games that work. Also tone def developers who aren't listening to fans, delivering games no one wants, modes that are done to death and the dreaded micro transactions and loot boxes. Give me a game I can pick up and play and level up as I progress, not pay £80 for a broken re-skin of last years title then charge me £100+ to level up just to compete online. It's very easy to pick up and play retro games that don't require huge Install times and patches.
Last but not least is the imagination to think outside the box. In comes Raspberry Pi. The super cheap, super easy retro gaming dream come true. Want to relive your childhood with all the classics? Want to build and arcade cabinet? Want to make an all retro handheld? You can easy peasy, from Commodore 64 and Atari to Mame and Final Burn Alpha all the way PlayStation one and some N64 it's all here. Anyone can do it if you have a PC and the Internet. I spend so much more time on these than my ps4 these days. With an every growing community of people working on builds and accessories the possibilities are endless for ways to enjoy retro gaming. My next article will be an in depth Retropie piece so I will leave it here for now. But the future is exciting.
In summary I believe Gamings future is in its past because remakes/remasters are in, gamers are running out of patience with re-skin and broken games plus micro transactions and retro gaming is easier than ever to get in to. The world of gaming is in an interesting position at this current time and it will be interesting to see what happens next. Thank you for reading I've been Stevie McCoy and I'll see you next time
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