Remakes and Remasters: Is the Future of Gaming in the Past?
What does the public think?
We've seen many Remakes and Remasters, and many more will arrive in the near future: we're not talking so much about titanic works like the total reconstruction of Final Fantasy VII, but rather re-releases of old glories from the past, not necessarily distant, that return to the market after a sort of cleanup or adaptation to new technologies.
The topic has spurred a study conducted by the consulting firm MTM, titled “Remake vs Innovate: Is the past the future of gaming?” The sample chosen isn't particularly vast, as it involves 750 respondents in the USA and another 750 in the UK - for a total of 1500. However, it was sufficient to identify a trend.
Remakes and Remasters: Opinion Percentages
About 26% of respondents stated that Remakes and Remasters are their preferred methods for discovering old games, and 8% admitted they hadn't tried the originals before. Only 26% think they should cost the same as a brand new game, while the others expect a lower price.
According to 60% of respondents, the right time to release a Remaster is between 5 and 8 years – practically from one generation to the next – and only 11% think 10 years or more should pass.
However, only 31% consider them "very appealing."
MTM's analysis concludes that although players don't like the idea of the market being flooded with re-released old titles, generally preferring new IPs, sales data for games like Silent Hill 2 remake, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, and Metal Gear Solid 3 Delta: Snake Eater seem to prove right the publishers who try to exploit this niche.
And what do you think?