By Mathew Chang
Despite the advanced graphic capabilities and huge production budgets of today’s video games, there are a surprising number of people who are still playing video games from 10 to 20 years ago. From classic RPGs to early FPS games, most gamers have chosen to stick with the classics compared to the games being released today.
But why are they doing this? Why are gamers choosing to install older games over newly released titles?
Here are the top five reasons why.
1. Older games were complete at launch
One of the biggest frustrations with modern games is that many releases are unfinished.
A lot of video games these days get released before they are ready, with developers relying on bug fixes and day-one patches after users have already paid for the titles.
This frustrates gamers who fault the game studios for their lack of concern for consumers.
However, older games come from an era where studios tested their games and patched them prior to release. When you bought a game, you got the full experience.
Back then, developers cared more about the quality of their game, and it showed.
That sense of completeness is something many players miss deeply.
2. Newer games are getting more expensive
For many, gaming is a hobby that allows them to escape reality and have fun. But unfortunately, it has become more expensive over the years, which has affected the prices of games.
Nowadays, the average price for a video game is around $70 dollars USD, which is a $20 increase compared to games made in the early 2000s.
This has led to many people feeling like they have to choose between their hobby or their living costs since both have gotten more expensive.
Along with the fact that gaming subscriptions and microtransactions which push gamers into spending more money have become the norm, it’s no wonder why many have chosen to re-play the games that they already own.
3. Older games respected players’ time
Older games were designed to be fun and memorable rather than putting filler to justify a games’ price.
Games had purpose and were built around fun rather than engagement metrics or pay to win schemes.
Many newer games create a lengthy gameplay experience by giving players repetitive quests to complete and creating grindy systems to keep players logged in for longer periods of time.
Gamers revisiting older titles often appreciate how much more respectful the developers were of the players’ time.
4. Mods give life to older games
Mods are fan-made improvements for video games. They’re often coded by enthusiasts of a passion for their favourite titles which allows the community to add more content for the games that they love and share with others.
They can include new skins or levels, enhanced gear or even a complete reimagining of a game.
This can often increase the replay ability of older video games and even draw more attention towards it by bringing in new players that are interested in mods.
With modern gaming engines becoming more difficult to learn, it’s become much harder to mod newer games compared to older ones, which means that older games have a larger selection of addons to choose from.
Mods allow gamers to experience new things while playing something that they are more familiar with.
5. Nostalgia
Most memorable gaming memories were made when gamers were younger, resulting in people becoming attached to their childhood games.
This sense of nostalgia makes gamers want to keep coming back to older titles as it can be comforting and fun to replay a classic from your childhood, which is something that no modern game can do.
And now, thanks to modern technology, revisiting these classics has never been easier.
Digital storefronts such as Steam and GOG.com allow players to access older games without hunting down original hardware.
For many gamers, re-playing older titles is a way to reconnect with what made gaming feel so exciting in the first place.
And if a game is still fun decades later, then that’s not just nostalgia; it’s solid game design that can transcend time.
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