Editor’s Note: The following is a community post by PSLS member Ariana H., which questions why we all crave old ‘classic’ games.
If there is one thing that this generation of gamers wants, it’s the classics. Depending on who you ask, the reason for this is different. Some believe that when gaming was new, everything was exciting – despite being worthy of applause or not. Every game was innovative because nothing had been done before. It was the beginning. A lot of today’s games can be likened to the situation movie makers are in today – most movies are either a sequel or remake. There’s no need to think of something new when you have such a vast library to build upon.
Then you have those who credit it to nostalgia. A yearning for a piece of the past, a gateway to lost youth and vigor. Much like an early onset of a mid-life crisis, a lack of connection to the current “it” generation has us reaching for familiarity.
I, on the other hand, believe it’s how the demands of yesterday’s gamers have shaped today’s market. In the past, a lack of graphical capabilities caused a demand for more realistic games. Which, in turn, took away the “escape” of reality I look for in games.
Another factor for me personally is the small amount of local co-op games. I fondly recall slumber parties spent playing Crash Bandicoot and making memories with my friends. Those games are few and far between nowadays. Most of the time we just play a game and then move on to the next one.
The increase of Indie games, however, has my hope for the future growing. With more people able to turn their ideas into action, innovation is again on the rise. My hope is that we will yet again have games that can impart lasting memories we can cherish.
If you enjoyed Ariana’s post, be sure to vote for it to win the community writer award once all the entrants are published.
