The Curious Case of the Return of Retro Games
Over the past two decades for those of you who have been playing games on a console box or a desktop computer, you have probably witnessed first hand the evolution of computer games. The graphics and audio quality have seen defining improvements over time, certainly if you compare them to what we initially saw when computer games first started to become popular. Gameplay today is also much more interactive as well as immersive from the previous generations of computer games. Even the platforms which computer games are played on have expanded to cover everyday use devices such as smartphones and tablets. There is just no denying the fact that the evolution of computer gaming has been quite startling for many of us.
Perhaps this can help to explain why over the past few years there has been renewed interest by many gamers in retro gaming titles. The trend is not just confined to one or two gaming platforms but across multiple platforms. Many retro game titles such as “Snakes & Ladders” and “Tetris” are starting also now to appear on the android platform. In addition, we can also see a steady rise in the demand for retro gaming titles for Sega and Nintendo 64 as well, despite the availability of more advanced gaming consoles such as the PS4 gaming console or Xbox.
Repeated Patterns
The curious thing about retro gaming titles is the fact that gamers are very much aware of the limitations of these games when compared to contemporary titles especially in terms of 3D graphics and virtual reality gameplay. Yet these limitations don’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm that many gamers have for these retro gaming titles. While it might seem odd for many of us, the answer is more obvious than we might think. If we were to take a closer look at many of the contemporary gaming titles that we have today for the PS4 or Xbox, they are simply repeating the gaming patterns of the retro titles. Classic titles are simply taken and recycled to suit the gaming markets of today. The end result of this is a cyclical market showcasing repeated patterns of earlier titles.
What’s in store for the future?
As computing technology has become more advanced and sophisticated, many games developers have sought to modernize successful retro titles to suit today’s generation of players. Because most of these retro titles already have their fan base, the appeal is undeniable as these games help to bring to the forefront an alternative gaming era to gamers who are born post-millennials. In short, the retro gaming experience gives games developers the opportunity to squeeze more bucks out of a gaming title which by right would be regarded as obsolete software by the computing industry.
And with smartphone and mobile devices ownership increasing on a daily basis, it is only natural to expect games developers to rehash their previously successful titles to tap into the post-millennials gaming market thus giving them the chance to enjoy the games which had defined the generation of gamers that came before them.
