Your Predictions for the Future of Retro Gaming?

[SuperDanX]

Do you have any predictions for the future of retro gaming/collecting? Formats you think are/will be in demand and visa versa? Ive noticed a lot of people are 'dumping' the 16-bit formats in droves and snes/md stuff has never been cheaper or more abundent, a simular situation seems to be starting to happen with the saturn and n64 esp pal stuff. Imo the leap to HD gaming is partially responsible along with things like the virtual console and ps store/xbox marketplace, that said the 8-bit market seems to be on the up!?, along with the dreamcast, the dc's easy vga/hd telly compatibility should bode well for the future dc market, im also expecting to see a big increase in intrest in the handheld market, esp jap gba stuff due to its inherent collectabilty multiple special/ltd editions and the fact you can play the very best from the 16 bit era and dodge the sd/hd issues of the snes and md. Anyhow, what ya think? Its a bit of a ramble and mostly based on hunches but id love to hear your opinions.

[Profit]

I also think GBA games will hold better value and be more popular than SNES/MD games due to the availability of the format to DS owners and just avoiding the hassel of connecting an old console to a TV. (i'd like to see a GBA player for Wii).

[Kaladron]

I think Virtual Console and the like will have a huge impact in the long term. Who wants to pay silly money for games like Sin & Punishment and Dracula X any more when they can get re-releases/downloads much cheaper and easier.

On the other hand, there are always those games where the rights-holders are no longer around so you'll never see them released again. Those games will probably increase in value and you'll probably see collectors moving toward more obscure machines and games as a consequence.

[Leon Retro]

I think the interest in playing classic games will continue. I don't think that the buying and selling of old hardware/software has ever been a big business, or especially popular. Most people are content to use emulators and online console services.

Playing old games is a personal thing. Obviously, some classic games are played more than others, and talked about more, but overall... most people don't discuss their playing of old titles.

I have doubts as to whether kids who played PS2/Xbox/Gamecube games, will create, or even desire a thriving retro scene in 2015 onwards, focused on that era of gaming?

I don't know. For me the 16bit era was magical and there is something far more distinctive about classic 16bit experiences compared to old 32/64/128 3D games. It could be that I'm simply biased, because the 16bit age was a time when I played and enjoyed gaming the most.

Maybe there will be a future retro scene centred around Halo, Metroid Prime, Zelda Wind Waker, Burnout3, Metal Gear Solid 2, Ico etc... ???

I have strong doubts, but I could be very wrong.

[Lyris]

One of the biggest problems IMO, which has been almost totally ignored, is the online component.

Much of Phantasy Star Online for example, is already a memory and nothing more. You can't actually play it online anymore (there were home made servers I think, but how well do they work and how many people can use them?).

What happens to current games once they become retro? How does Xbox Live work - will we always be able to play Halo 2 online (provided we can find someone to play it with) or is it a matter of how long it stays profitable to keep the system up?

[Alex_976]

Yeah and what about when you have your 360 repaired or switch machines. None of the DLC is gonna work If microsoft pull the plug on live.

[Sketcz]

One of the biggest problems IMO, which has been almost totally ignored, is the online component.

Not ignored.

I complained it about this YEARS ago on NTSC-uk, and John Beaulieu shot me down in flames accusing me of being ridiculous and wrong. I kept going on about stuff like the extra songs in Samba De Amigo which could only be unlocked by downloading a special save file from Sega's website.

What about things like that? Or that Shenmue 4th disc which could only be used online?

I kept mentioning these things and old Johnny B would just tear them to pieces, but it looks like I was right in the end, and you Lyris seem to agree that this is a problem.

Online components. Where are they now?!

Someone be a darling and dig up the old thread where I ranted about this. Ta.

[Lyris]

Glad it's not just me then, there are all sorts of "Digital preservation" issues that are being ignored.

[garrz32]

[quote=Kaladron;1318315]I think Virtual Console and the like will have a huge impact in the long term. Who wants to pay silly money for games like Sin & Punishment and Dracula X any more when they can get re-releases/downloads much cheaper and easier.

you could have a point there but there's nothing like having the original game, can you really imagine any of the new gen consoles being played on 15-20 years after there release(i can,t get a 360 to last more than 12 months at the moment)

[noobish hat]

the online problem is exactly why I generally stear clear of online games, and the new gen consoles altogether. I do have many fantastic memories of playing phantasy star online on the dreamcast when i was at highschool, which i will always remember. Some times I want to go back to those days, but of course I can't. But I think a lot of those kinds of games would not really stand the test of time, so maybe it's best that they remain offline and we can remember them in their glory days. Probably not a popular idea amongst us retro gamers, but some things you have to let go of and enjoy them for what they were at the time.

[Kaladron]

Don't websites like GameFAQs preserve some of the old VMU data, like the Samba songs?

[MattyD]

Indeed, You can download a bunch of JSR graffitti from there at least.

[elektronhjarnan]

I have doubts as to whether kids who played PS2/Xbox/Gamecube games, will create, or even desire a thriving retro scene in 2015 onwards, focused on that era of gaming?

I don't know. For me the 16bit era was magical and there is something far more distinctive about classic 16bit experiences compared to old 32/64/128 3D games. It could be that I'm simply biased, because the 16bit age was a time when I played and enjoyed gaming the most.

Maybe there will be a future retro scene centred around Halo, Metroid Prime, Zelda Wind Waker, Burnout3, Metal Gear Solid 2, Ico etc... ???

I have strong doubts, but I could be very wrong.

I think you're wrong. Obviously I can't prove it yet, but I think so.

Nostalgia is surely the driving factor behind so-called retro gaming (not to be confused with a general interest in games, old and new) and I can't see why today's kids should be less nostalgic about their childhood than any previous generation. Their magical childhood memories will be of Halo, Metroid Prime and so on.

However, trying to guess which games will become sought after and talked about in the future is much harder. The general public didn't care much for the droves of shoot-'em-ups coming out for the MD and PCE in the early 1990's - today they're highly prized. Well, some of them are anyway. On the other hand, noone seems to be particularly interested in Desert/Jungle Strike, Mortal Kombat or any number of film license games no matter how well they did at the time.

You can see a similar pattern with the PS1 today. Nobody cares about WipEout and Tomb Raider, but RPGs, shoot-'em-ups and other format-exclusive "oddities" (like Symphony of the Night) are in demand.

Not all popular mainstream hits suffer the same fate, of course. The Mario and Zelda series are as popular now as ever. Time will tell.

[Leon Retro]

When it comes to games like Halo2, I think the issues surrounding its retro worth, and online situation, are a pointless debate, because Halo3 delivers the same experience, only much better.

It's the same with numerous FPS titles. Devs build bigger, better versions of what's gone before. Particularly with the online modes in these fps games, I think people move on to the better looking newer versions, and have little desire to go back to older iterations- simply because the games are all about competition and features, over anything else.

This decade, the games I'll return to are ones that aren't so reliant on online modes. Outrun2, Super Smash Bros Melee, Shoot 'Em Ups, Rez, Viewtiful Joe, Mashed, Earth Defence Force etc... These are games that I imagine playing for many years to come.

I look at my collection of games though, and I realise that I treasure my old 2D 16bit experiences, far more than any CD based 3D title. Old classic 2D games really do feel distinct and special in a world obsessed with 3D.

As much as I've liked lots of 3D games over the years, it's all the great 2D games from years gone by, that scream "Retro" to me.

There is something bleak about 3D. The way it ages so quickly etc... I'm not sure if many 3D games made over the past 10-years or so, will be treasured and played with enthusiam in 2020?

My retro collection consists mainly of 2D titles. Most of them have timeless visuals, sound, and gameplay. They really do put a smile on my face, and cheer me up when I've been playing too much of the latest and greatest 360 titles.

I think you're wrong. Obviously I can't prove it yet, but I think so.

Nostalgia is surely the driving factor behind so-called retro gaming (not to be confused with a general interest in games, old and new) and I can't see why today's kids should be less nostalgic about their childhood than any previous generation. Their magical childhood memories will be of Halo, Metroid Prime and so on.

However, trying to guess which games will become sought after and talked about in the future is much harder. The general public didn't care much for the droves of shoot-'em-ups coming out for the MD and PCE in the early 1990's - today they're highly prized. Well, some of them are anyway. On the other hand, noone seems to be particularly interested in Desert/Jungle Strike, Mortal Kombat or any number of film license games no matter how well they did at the time.

You can see a similar pattern with the PS1 today. Nobody cares about WipEout and Tomb Raider, but RPGs, shoot-'em-ups and other format-exclusive "oddities" (like Symphony of the Night) are in demand.

Not all popular mainstream hits suffer the same fate, of course. The Mario and Zelda series are as popular now as ever. Time will tell.

I don't agree about the nostalgia thing, simply because I discover old 2D games I didn't play back in the day, and some of them really impress me, despite being very old.

I don't think SuperMarioWorld is seen as a great game purely based on nostalgia generated by 20/30somethings, who have fond memories of playing it as kids. It's simply a brilliant game, and I bet kids this decade, enjoyed it on the GBA, if they got the chance.

I think a lot of shooters got neglected in their day, because most gamers were kids, and didn't have the money to spend on lots of titles, so they went with the big name, sure things such as Mario games, Street Fighter2, Sonic The Hedgehog etc....

When I say that I don't think many 3D games made over the past 10-years or so, will be played by people who were kids when those titles were released, it's simply because I think there is a distinct difference between classic 2D gaming and 3D.

I feel that good 2D games don't really age. Sure... they become curiosities, that reflect another age of gaming, but many don't become worthless, as do a lot of old 3D games.

Time will tell if this decades kids will be eager to play all the big name 3D Xbox/PS2 titles in 2020?

I have strong doubts that they will. The fact that older seasoned gamers are generally the ones who buy the more unique titles such as Rez, Shoot 'Em Ups, Street Fighter Collections, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Outrun2 etc..... doesn't bode well for the chances of having legions of new retro fans in the future.

Maybe all the 80s & 90s gamers, will be the ones keeping the retro scene alive for decades to come? ... Maybe the 8/16bit age, with all its 2D, really was a golden-age, that people who enjoyed it will celebrate for ever more?

[Kongster]

The Saturn and Dreamcast will continue to be essential consoles for retro gamers.