Is 2020 the Year of the Remastered Game?

The phrase ‘out with the old, in with the new’ may be working well for the tech giants spearheading the console wars, but, in reality, the world of gaming – and the trends driving it forward – has never been more focused on resurrecting and reviving some of the best-loved titles, genres and styles the industry has seen over the past few decades.

In spite of the fact that the industry is currently taking its first few steps into a new level of gameplay and game creation, there are plenty of developers whose sights are turned on those past trends that, in many ways, brought us all to the position we stand in today.

These titles are, by the standards set by the gaming world, effectively ‘ancient’. In an industry that has produced games which have now had more hours invested into them than human history itself, and which, each year, seemingly propels gamers into a new age of tech and creativity, the ten or twenty years standing between us and the birth of these titles may as well be centuries.

But, whether it is owing to nostalgia or the players’ emotional investment in the world created all that time ago, we have seen an incredible rise in the number of remastered titles making their way back onto our screens.

Long-Lasting Trends

In many ways, the gaming industry is defined by those trends that we cannot seem to move away from. The internet is awash with calls to developers for remastered fan-favourites, classic games such as chess and Tetris are forever being optimised for a modern gaming experience, and dedicated sites feature dozens of online casino reviews to help fans of the genre to find those titles that offer the most compelling experiences on offer today.

There are, then, many gaming trends that – even after decades – do not seem to dwindle, or fade from view as technology progresses. Rather, they move with the times, and developers invest great deals of money and time into ensuring that these experiences never lose their appeal as new trends come and go.

Gamers are, in many ways, creatures of habit; we all find our own niche within this massive industry and, more often than not, pursue those titles that lie in accordance with our unique gaming histories.

It is this year more than any other – when the industry’s leaders are seeking to usher in a new generation of gaming – that our habits are brought into sharp relief, and our lasting infatuation with old titles becomes clearer than ever before.

Consider the recent release of the remastered Final Fantasy VII, which was brought out to much excitement from fans who have followed the franchise for many years – some of them, since the late eighties. Furthermore, the release of newly enhanced versions of classic games such as Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2, Resident Evil 3, Trials of Mana, Destroy All Humans!, and both the first and second Langrissa titles.

What Does this Mean for the Gaming Industry?

These games enter into a world that is saturated with new, highly regarded titles designed with innovative and powerful new technology – and a more discerning audience – in mind, and that only makes their re-entry more appealing.

This year has seen the resurgence of more once-loved titles than any other year, and that offers a wealth of insight into the very heart of the gaming industry. While technical progress may move forward at an accelerated rate, gamers will continue to move at a slower pace, and to pursue – and welcome with open arms – those titles that offered the most compelling experiences, regardless of the technology that first supported them.