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Dear Console Developers, Please Sell Us Our Old Games Again
news.filefront.com — "The Virtual Console, Xbox Live Arcade, and the Playstation Network all offer their own unique sets of games to purchase and play without even getting up from your couch. While their efforts to resell me my childhood have not been in vain, I sometimes wonder why there aren ’t even more old school games showing up at a more regular pace."
xBBx- 937 diggs
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- caddyalan, on 02/22/2008, -1/+16There are an awful lot of old games which have been "buried by time," and only work on outdated consoles or computers. I'm willing to forego games which are tied into outdated licenses. I'm not willing to accept excuses such as "the code was lost," because it should be possible to re-create most games.
- enclaved, on 02/22/2008, -3/+6yeah, but even if redevelopment is possible, who's to say it's financially viable to do so?
- Spytap, on 02/22/2008, -4/+2Redevlopment should be fairly simple, the fact of the matter is that this gives a lot of us the chance to play games that we've heard a lot about but never played...but that would pay to give it a shot.
- enclaved, on 02/23/2008, -2/+9Why would redevelopment be simple? Have you ever lost a project and had to recode it from scratch? You are foolish to think it's trivial.
- Spytap, on 02/22/2008, -4/+2Redevlopment should be fairly simple, the fact of the matter is that this gives a lot of us the chance to play games that we've heard a lot about but never played...but that would pay to give it a shot.
- andstone, on 02/23/2008, -1/+2what i don't understand is why don't companies just vamp up the graphics on older games (i.e., legend of time, goldeneye, mario 64) and sell ?? i guess higher graphics couldn't be implemented as well in the 2d titles... but still. leave the fuggin games alone, just spruce the graphics for hd! me want aa!
- dandonia, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1Changing a game isnt always a great idea, like golden eye. I have played a better looking version of the game which had dual analog control but to be honest the game just didnt feel right. The only scenario where I could see better graphics been a plus is in the strategy classics like xcom enemy unknown, theme park and civ. The flaw with that logic is if you saw a great looking civ game you would expect it to have all the qualities of civ 4.
- stavrogin2, on 02/24/2008, -0/+1Square-Enix has been doing this with the Final Fantasy games on the DS. They've done it with Final Fantasy III (unreleased in the U.S.) and FF2(snes)/FF4(J).
- Abomonog, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1Get a P.C. and go to http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/. All of those old console titles are right there for free. Duke Nukem 3d is also classed as abandonware and is runnable on a modern PC when slightly modded. I hate whiners like this because nearly all of those old games are freely available online for the horrendously expensive price of...
Nothing.
- enclaved, on 02/22/2008, -3/+6yeah, but even if redevelopment is possible, who's to say it's financially viable to do so?
- clarkbp, on 02/22/2008, -1/+12Warlords was awesome. Where is Warlords? (any atari 2600 freaks out there?)
- chip0wa, on 02/22/2008, -1/+2Hell yes man. I have a copy for my atari but my twisty paddles are all screwy :(
- RandomGuySteve, on 02/22/2008, -1/+0Wow. I was thinking of the really fun strategy turn based rpg that was released on the PC in 1989, but your Warlords looks much more entertaining and was released on the Atari in 1981. Before I was born.
- Tahiri, on 02/22/2008, -1/+1Working Designs re-released it as a hidden game in the Making of Lunar disc included with Lunar 1.
Supports 8 players
Assuming we're talking about the same game... - HastyBoom, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1Dood *****-ya Warlords 2600. So intense with 4 players.
- chip0wa, on 02/22/2008, -1/+2Hell yes man. I have a copy for my atari but my twisty paddles are all screwy :(
- yohnstoppable, on 02/22/2008, -4/+80Obligatory "Give us ***** Goldeneye already" comment
- BitSlash, on 02/22/2008, -0/+10http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/22/british-mag-to-u ...
- raluca74, on 02/22/2008, -28/+4old games = not good
old wine = good.- Coffeedemon, on 02/22/2008, -0/+7What about an old whine?
- MaynardJK, on 02/23/2008, -0/+5I bet you are one of the kiddies that didn't start gaming until the PS1 days. You're an idiot.
- Hetman, on 02/22/2008, -2/+12If you do not think old games = Good then you are probably to young to be drinking wine anyways. So put the bottle down pick up some old games and you will see how great they really are. "you do not really have to put the bottle down but if you are under 16 you definatly should. but I hope someone that young would not be making a reference about old wine being good."
- jonnyeh, on 02/23/2008, -1/+5I'm sorry, but old games are not necessarily good. Some old games are good, probably a lot fewer than you remember, just like today's games.
Really good games from ye olden tymes are still really good, but mediocre game are now awful.
Go play some Super Mario, Metroid, and zelda, they're still awesome. Then go play Boomer's Adventure in Asmik World, barf!
- jonnyeh, on 02/23/2008, -1/+5I'm sorry, but old games are not necessarily good. Some old games are good, probably a lot fewer than you remember, just like today's games.
- johnmatias, on 02/22/2008, -0/+2BitSlash. That screenshot brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you. - Tahiri, on 02/22/2008, -8/+1IIRC, Goldeneye has no f**ing...
- Noceous, on 02/23/2008, -0/+6What ***** are you talking about? Your comment ***** doesn't make any ***** sense. Where the ***** did he say it had *****?
- BlueSkyfish, on 02/23/2008, -0/+2Lay off, he has mental problems.
- Noceous, on 02/23/2008, -0/+6What ***** are you talking about? Your comment ***** doesn't make any ***** sense. Where the ***** did he say it had *****?
- Ghiren, on 02/23/2008, -0/+6Goldeneye + XBox Live support = Change of drawers :)
- solid12345, on 02/23/2008, -0/+3If it is Nintendo holding back this coming to the system they really are douchebags. Microsoft extended the olive branch to Nintendo by urging fans to buy a Wii and 360 for the price of a PS3, so Nintendo should not say anything if Rare wants to port Goldeneye over to Live.
- dandonia, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1Id prefer the game to come out on both wii and 360. I have played the game with a 360 pad and it felt *****, it needs the classic 64 pad to it justice.
- Cerialthriller, on 02/22/2008, -1/+48ChronoTrigger please!
- robopuppy, on 02/22/2008, -3/+2... was already rereleased in a PSX collection with an inferior translation, ruining a lot of the back story and character development.
- Ayavaron, on 02/22/2008, -1/+10I think a lot of people consider the PSX retro now.
- robopuppy, on 02/22/2008, -3/+2... was already rereleased in a PSX collection with an inferior translation, ruining a lot of the back story and character development.
- Rev0lver, on 02/22/2008, -1/+10I would love to see the day when Legend of Dragoon makes it's way on PSN.
- xhazerdusx, on 02/22/2008, -1/+2Yep. I'd buy it.
- alpacino718, on 02/22/2008, -1/+3One of the best RPG's i've ever played. Dugg
- Shirleycakes, on 02/23/2008, -1/+2Ohh, with its original loading times and everything! That'd be rad!
- Iced_Eagle, on 02/22/2008, -13/+8While I'm all for nostalgia factor, we really need to move on. I'd rather have developers spend the time working on new, innovative games that have the chance to become new classics instead of putting out games that we played years ago.
- Enuratique, on 02/22/2008, -4/+6Not to mention the heartburn it gives me to pay good money for a game I could just as easily dust off from the closet.
- MaynardJK, on 02/23/2008, -1/+1Then don't buy them again. The gaming demographic has exploded since the Atari and NES days. That means there are a ton of people that didn't get a chance to play them then.
- Nitesmoke, on 02/22/2008, -1/+9The developers would still work on the new games but and different people could release the old ones.
- dandonia, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1It would almost be a right of passage for some of the newer developers to say they worked on classics lol.
- zantos420, on 02/22/2008, -0/+4while i must agree with what you said, I must also disagree on the basis that there are a few select games that just had amazing replay value and would just be mind blowing on todays gaming consoles
- jgzman, on 02/22/2008, -1/+2The money spent on the (minimal) effort to port a game forward a few years can be used to develop new games. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.
- warriorscot, on 02/23/2008, -0/+2I would quite like to see what new hardware and new experience could do to some old games, give them some loose remakes keep the same story maybe extend it a bit and then revamp all the game play and graphics, I would love to see wing commander done now and some of the older star wars games revamped. I think there is allot of market for it look how much hype surrounds the black mesa Mod of HL2, the original half life just made like the new one. I don't care what anyone says but better gfx does make for a superior experience when the material is good.
- grumbel, on 02/23/2008, -0/+2It really depends, there are some games classics out there that really are worth a revisit and could benefit a lot when a few features would be added (network play, bad framerates fixed, etc.). But overall I agree, the past is the past, if you want those games you can have them on the PC via emulation and there is no need to rebuy them again.
Overall I am much more interested in games that follow the spirit of the good old days (small budget, small team, etc.), then games that try to be pixel perfect replicas. I'll take a decent 2D jump'n run any day, but I am not really interested in buying SuperMarioBros3 for the fourth time.
- Enuratique, on 02/22/2008, -4/+6Not to mention the heartburn it gives me to pay good money for a game I could just as easily dust off from the closet.
- cerealjynx, on 02/22/2008, -6/+51Yeah, or you could just play them on your computer. For free.
I guess you'd have to like, download stuff and then run it through an emulation program. Life is difficult!- Myztry, on 02/23/2008, -0/+2They'd rather you repurchase the game. Turns out the value is with the delivery medium, and not the license.
Same story with VHS > DVD > BLURAY. Following the Title licensing theory, there should only be a couple of dollars media exchange fee, as the product is already licensed/paid for. - solid12345, on 02/23/2008, -0/+3Yeah but there is no Live to play them on online.
Playing Street Fighter 2 Turbo on Live is a blast and being able to trash talk online. I've tried playing fighters on Kaillera but the lag is just unbearable and trying to set up a match is the worst ***** in the world.- Doomsan, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1***** kaillera, they should update it, it's a pain in the ass to try to start a game
- Myztry, on 02/23/2008, -0/+2They'd rather you repurchase the game. Turns out the value is with the delivery medium, and not the license.
- Hetman, on 02/22/2008, -2/+5I agree XBL arcade is awesome. Bombermanlive is so fun and does bring back child hood memories. And I also like how they update the graphics and stuff. But they should always offer the original one also. Like on Rez HD you can play the original version or the HD version.
- johnmatias, on 02/22/2008, -3/+11But there's just something so nostalgic about blowing the hell out of an N64 game and then beating the ***** out it because it refuses to work.
Ah, memories...- Archer007, on 02/23/2008, -1/+3Blow Me. http://www.productwiki.com/upload/images/blow_me_n ...
- ianarcher, on 02/22/2008, -11/+53I, for one, am insulted when companies like Nintendo pull old ROMs off websites and try to charge me $10 to play Donkey Kong or the original Zelda.
I spent the majority of my childhood money supporting these companies buying their overpriced games. And now, they want to overcharge me again for 15-year-old technology. Thanks for the loyalty guys!- nblsavage, on 02/22/2008, -6/+17You know, no one is forcing you to buy them. If you want to go to the effort of getting an old console and games, it should be fairly cheap.
- jftitan, on 02/22/2008, -1/+4Free if you go Rom and EMU. I still have my old NES, I still have to slam my game cartage down when trying to get the game to play. EMU FTW.
- Peynis, on 02/23/2008, -3/+5"You know, no one is forcing you to buy them."
That's what they all say...it still doesn't justify those prices, though...
No one's forced to buy anything, how does that make it okay?
It's just sad to see how Nintendo ***** their loyal customers just because they know there'll alway be someone else who's willing to pay those prices anyway, now that they're finally successful...
To be honest, it's also kind of a personal thing...I really appreciate getting something *real* for my money - like a cartridge, or a disc, making my collection bigger with every game I buy...which just isn't the case when you buy VC games...
It may be hard to understand if you're a fan of VC games, but in my opinion VC games are a huge waste of money...you just can't compare a download to the real thing...when emulating old consoles became a fashion, all 'honest' gamers were like "you'll never be able to simulate the feeling of the actual console" - and now that Nintendo is asking money for the exact same thing, it's good all of a sudden? You could even connect the Wiimote + classic controller to your PC and play it on your TV via TV-out, and it'd be just as good, only less expensive...and how could that be morally unacceptable if you've already bought the game years ago?
- mywhitenoise, on 02/22/2008, -4/+12The N64 games are the only ones with a semi-decent pricing scheme. I can't believe they charge $8 for SNES games.
- Spamcan, on 02/22/2008, -0/+10It's one thing to say a game is worth X amount of money, but some of the Virtual Console games cost more then they do for a used copy of the physical cartridge. It's even worse that games like Sonic and Streets of Rage appear on XBL with optional filtering, online scoreboards, gamer points and online multiplayer for $5 while these same games are $8 on the VC without any of these features, that is totally inexcusable. Not that Nintendo is the only guilty party here, Microsoft is now charging $15 for downloadable versions of old XBOX games that can now be found cheaper on disc and take up 1/10th of the piddly 20GB drive most people have.
- nblsavage, on 02/22/2008, -6/+17You know, no one is forcing you to buy them. If you want to go to the effort of getting an old console and games, it should be fairly cheap.
- Aharoni, on 02/22/2008, -1/+11There are many old games that can actually move consoles, the fans are dying for sequels/remake and the IP owner isn't planning on doing anything with it for the time being. Star control, for example, would make a perfect XBL game. Ally cat, the ancient game developed by IBM, with modern cell-shaded graphics? now that is a casual gaming experience that would only do good to Microsoft's line of games.
I wish certain games would make a modern comeback on the PC as well... think about it: X-Com: Enemy Unknown with Google Earth as the globe view.- johnmatias, on 02/22/2008, -1/+2Agrees with the XCOM comment.
- Hoov, on 02/22/2008, -1/+2Wow, talk about nostalgia. I used to play Ally Cat all the time when all we had was an IBM PS/2 (if I recall correctly, been a while) with the 5 1/4" real floppy disk. That and the beertap game, and Leisure Suit Larry.
...thanks for making me feel old, *****.- bitterbug, on 02/23/2008, -1/+1Old? Were you even born when pong came out? God damn it, when I was your age we had to walk over and turn on the TV set ourselves! Uphill! Both ways!
- bitterbug, on 02/23/2008, -1/+1The Microprose guys are at it again. There was an article on Shack the other day. We could very well see a successor to Xcom. :)
- Aharoni, on 02/23/2008, -1/+1What?! why hasn't this reached Digg's front page 3 times already?
- se1zure, on 02/22/2008, -8/+7yes, please let us buy what we already bought years ago!
or release it for free to show you actually care about your customers.- xBBx, on 02/22/2008, -2/+5No way, these companies will never release their old games for free. If they can milk their old games, why wouldn't they? Nintendo itself has a HUUUUUGE catalog of games. If they can make $5-$10 bucks from games that pretty much are already done products, why wouldn't they? It's just smart business.
- ianarcher, on 02/22/2008, -5/+1Being nice to loyal customers is also smart business.
- roflbrothel, on 02/22/2008, -2/+5Not if the customers are loyal enough to pay for them.
- ianarcher, on 02/22/2008, -5/+1Being nice to loyal customers is also smart business.
- xBBx, on 02/22/2008, -2/+5No way, these companies will never release their old games for free. If they can milk their old games, why wouldn't they? Nintendo itself has a HUUUUUGE catalog of games. If they can make $5-$10 bucks from games that pretty much are already done products, why wouldn't they? It's just smart business.
- lebruf, on 02/22/2008, -3/+35Every time I try out one of those old games I LOVED to death (Street Fighter II, Metal Gear, Bionic Commando... etc) I realize after about 5 minutes of play that it's boring as hell.
Nostalgia is nice, but not always entertaining. For most, I think just knowing that you can play it again any damn time you want is the real payoff, not actually playing it.
(try and take this ***** away from me NOW mom and dad)- Peynis, on 02/23/2008, -2/+9How can you not love Street Fighter 2, even after 15 years? :(
- hektur, on 02/22/2008, -5/+6For the last 3 days I've been playing the first Spyro which I downloaded from the PSN. I am trying to get every dragon every egg and every gem. I am having alot of fun too band my COD 4 clan is getting mad at me.
- olbap, on 02/22/2008, -15/+3You're a ***** prick. Your clan depends on you and you're selling them down the river for a lame cutesy game like Spyro? Come on. I can definitely tell you've had a boring sheltered life....
- Jay730, on 02/22/2008, -12/+35EMULATORS! STOP BITCHING! SAVE YOUR CASH!!!
- flair1, on 02/22/2008, -4/+4I have emulators and play games on Wii's virtual console. The control system is so much better on virtual console, and a lot of those old games are really hard. I just can't play them well through emulation.
- boxybrzown, on 02/22/2008, -1/+12- Buy an actual USB gamepad for 20 bucks instead of using the keyboard
- Use save states! They don't make you less of a man, honest How the hell else will you beat Battletoads? - Sairgem, on 02/23/2008, -1/+2Buy a 360 controller, problem solved.
- sauvaget, on 02/23/2008, -1/+2bluetooth-dongle.
just connect your wii-mote + classic with your pc. works fine, windows and linux.- ufee, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1Hell yes. I use that for all my classic games.
- boxybrzown, on 02/22/2008, -1/+12- Buy an actual USB gamepad for 20 bucks instead of using the keyboard
- flair1, on 02/22/2008, -4/+4I have emulators and play games on Wii's virtual console. The control system is so much better on virtual console, and a lot of those old games are really hard. I just can't play them well through emulation.
- kingmanic, on 02/22/2008, -0/+10Licensing issues could hold things up. For instance Golden Eye, created by Rare (now a 2nd party Xbox developer), published by Nintendo. Nindendo has to wrangle with Microsoft if they want it on the virtual console, Microsoft needs to wrangle with Nintendo is they want it on Live Arcade.In the end the competing interests makes it impossible. You also have companies like SquareEnix, which makes more money reselling it as a repackaged slightly improved game (FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFVI) then as a download. There is also games where either the publisher or the developer no longer exists and the IP is either in Limbo or divided up among several publishers (Fall out was like this). All leading to delayed availability of old games.
- anononon, on 02/22/2008, -0/+2I keep seeing comments how Microsoft will have to wrangle with Nintendo to secure the rights to Goldeneye but RARE also developed the entire Donkey Kong Country series on SNES and DK64. Does Nintendo have any of these games on Wii?
- kingmanic, on 02/22/2008, -0/+4Donkey Kong was published by Nintendo, the IP was Nintendo owned and rare was essentially doing work for hire. They were hired to work with the Nintendo IP (Donkey Kong). Golden eye is in a different spot because it's also someone else IP (MGM). Thus Nintendo owned Donkey Kong with some strings back to rare, strings back to MGM. Rare's a 2nd party of Microsoft (actually MS owned). The talks to get golden eye on the wii broke down on profit splitting between the three. The rights for Donkey Kong Country is clearly Nintendo's.
- warriorscot, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1They both need each other and can both put them on the consoles so I think they should just share all the bloody things, people aren't going to buy a console just for this so its a nice sweetener for both parties.
- anononon, on 02/22/2008, -0/+2I keep seeing comments how Microsoft will have to wrangle with Nintendo to secure the rights to Goldeneye but RARE also developed the entire Donkey Kong Country series on SNES and DK64. Does Nintendo have any of these games on Wii?
- facelogic, on 02/22/2008, -8/+1Signed.
- minoss, on 02/22/2008, -2/+4I think the appeal of the old games is often driven by impression they had at the time and nostalgia rather than how good they would hold up against current titles. I feel they are something I would play for 30 minutes and not pick up again for a while. I am talking about porting over with same graphics, gameplay, controls, etc over. An upgrade or remake with new graphics is something entirely different.
- Ph0biA, on 02/22/2008, -8/+2All Console and No Games, Makes Jack a dull-.... ***** that, Makes Jack PISSED.
- OrderedChaos, on 02/22/2008, -3/+9How about some remade Monkey Island games? Too much to hope for I know.
- xBBx, on 02/22/2008, -2/+3Completely agree. If Nintendo can somehow make a deal with LucasArts to release their old adventure games, they'd make an absolute killing!
- antiorblkflag9, on 02/22/2008, -1/+1I've been waiting since I beat the PS2 one however many years ago that came out.
- Peynis, on 02/23/2008, -1/+2Two words: homebrew, ScummVM
just wait, I bet we'll be seeing a port of ScummVM later this year...
- MrWhipplemen, on 02/22/2008, -2/+9I wish that they/somebody would redo a new NBA Jam with modern rosters
or even just a release on virtual console or XBOX live
that game I loved- Cerebral, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1NBA Jam, Killer Instinct, KI2, Daytona USA (done before but XBL play would be amazing) and more.
I would also wish that Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo were smart and find a way to release some old games on the other platforms. I mean what better way to get someone to want a PS3 than to give them some old school FF action or something like the first Jack & Daxter etc. One would assume they make more off of software sales than off the hardware.
- Cerebral, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1NBA Jam, Killer Instinct, KI2, Daytona USA (done before but XBL play would be amazing) and more.
- ussoldier, on 02/22/2008, -1/+18For real, buy a used PSP off of Ebay, an 8gb duostick, a $10 acrylic full body protector, install Dark Alex's custom firmware from psp.qj.net , and play 7000 of your favorite old console games from any platform anywhere you go (fire up thepiratebay.org and your bittorent client (utorrent, azureus) and do a search on console name ROMS, or PSP ISO or PSP CSO). Total cost about $200.
- flair1, on 02/22/2008, -16/+3why don't you just go to Best Buy with a gun and rob the store? Same thing.
- Hetman, on 02/22/2008, -1/+8When did bestbuy start selling SNES, SEGA and NES games? And even if you do believe you are stealing armed robbery is considered a violent crime so it is not the same thing. This would be more like shoplifting.
- trer, on 02/22/2008, -1/+9Downloading roms is NOT the same thing as assault with a deadly weapon.
- roflbrothel, on 02/22/2008, -1/+8Buried for idiocy.
- Danktolker, on 02/23/2008, -3/+1Buried for nazism
- MadamSarcasm, on 02/24/2008, -0/+0Great, mentioning guns in regards to a gaming post will do nothing short of giving ole JT something to take a screenshot of and present as evidence in court.
- Hetman, on 02/22/2008, -1/+3Agreed that is the best possible use for the psp. I did not touch mine for like 6 months until I learned about this hack "or whatever you wanna call it." And now I carry it everywhere I go.
- flair1, on 02/22/2008, -16/+3why don't you just go to Best Buy with a gun and rob the store? Same thing.
- Skurt, on 02/22/2008, -2/+2I had an old Mattel Intellivision when I lived in Iceland, we played the hell out of it on those 24 hour nights. Recently I bought one of those 10 in one Intellivision 'toys' and played some of the old games. lasted about 5 min per game and it's in the cabinet for another 20 years.
Old games are cool but not really up to par. Try playing Leisure Suit Larry VGA!- tavisjohn, on 02/23/2008, -1/+1I just beat LSL VGA again the other day!!! It was fun... Now to play LSL2!!!
- LordStandley, on 02/22/2008, -4/+3I love all the old games coming back. I would smack my Mom for Super Dodge Ball on the VC.
- chroko, on 02/22/2008, -7/+5I'm amazed why anybody assumes this is an easy task. The companies that made many of these old games might not exist anymore. Even if they do, the people who made them have probably retired from the industry.
These games were often written in assembler, and used obscure development practices (eg: you needed a Silicon Graphics workstation to develop Nintendo 64 games at one point). If the code even still exists, it will be rotting away on a floppy disk in somebody's attic. The code itself is unmaintainable, the graphics in some strange custom format that was convenient at the time.
It's rare for anyone to still have copies of anything they worked on 20 years ago. And nobody is going to hire a modern console development team to reconstruct a game that was mildly popular 20 years ago. It might work for a few major games (which they've already done) - but there's no money in it for most titles.
If you enjoy these old titles: congratulations. But you're stuck 20 years in the past.- Peynis, on 02/23/2008, -1/+5You truly have no clue what the hell you're talking about.
VC games are merely being emulated on the Wii, just like you'd emulate them on a PC, so bringing a classic game to the VC is really easy to pull off and needs no effort at all.
You dump the ROM from an original cartridge, configure some settings here and there, like the controls, write an electronic user manual and that's pretty much it...If the game runs flawlessly (which it undoubtedly will in most cases), you're ready to release it...
How else do you think publishers would be able to release several VC games a week in addition to their regular lineup of new games?
The "development" costs and effort going into VC games are close to zero, so there's no risk connected to it at all....- chroko, on 03/01/2008, -0/+1Did you even read the article? It talks about changes like adding (and I quote): "online multiplayer and leaderboards." That's not a ROM dump. That's rebuilding the game from the ground up for a new platform.
Which means a small programming team + full QA pass. And time and money.
- chroko, on 03/01/2008, -0/+1Did you even read the article? It talks about changes like adding (and I quote): "online multiplayer and leaderboards." That's not a ROM dump. That's rebuilding the game from the ground up for a new platform.
- warriorscot, on 02/23/2008, -1/+1Allot of these games would be fairly easy to recreate without allot of work, you couldn't really use the original content you are right, but I think this is more about the IP than the actual software. The stories and Ideas can still be as good as they are now even if the hardware wasn't, you can play goldeneye as a HL2 mod now, its not the same game but its the same idea.
- Peynis, on 02/23/2008, -1/+5You truly have no clue what the hell you're talking about.
- tomz17, on 02/22/2008, -2/+6#1 Buy an xbox
#2 Hack it
#3 Get the BIG ASS EMULATOR DISKS
Enjoy memories of your childhood.- xsquirrel378x, on 02/23/2008, -9/+1#4 WhoTF wants to buy an xbox?
#5 Use a dreamcast instead, no need to mod it
#6 Or get a USB gamepad and some video cables and connect your computer to your TV
#7 ???
#8 PROFIT! dont buy a ***** xbox- MaynardJK, on 02/23/2008, -0/+5XBMC is one of the greatest pieces of software ever written. Your fanboyism is making you miss out big time.
Every NES, SNES, SMS, Genesis, and TG16 game on one box = heaven. Plus, it will stream damn near anything you throw at it. If it had the horsepower to emulate N64 better it would be perfect.- tomz17, on 02/23/2008, -0/+4I agree... the emulators on the XBOX for SNES, NES, and GENESIS are perfect! The BAED (Big Ass Emulator Disk) compilations are great. A single DVD includes EVERY SNES, NES, Genesis, and atari game ever made! The $50 I spent on an xbox was by far the most entertaining $50 I ever spent!!!
- MaynardJK, on 02/23/2008, -0/+5XBMC is one of the greatest pieces of software ever written. Your fanboyism is making you miss out big time.
- winmywii, on 02/23/2008, -0/+4I have a Wii, but I still play my modded xbox a lot more. I don't think I have even gotten that much value out of a console. With Emulators and XBMC I am set.
- xsquirrel378x, on 02/23/2008, -9/+1#4 WhoTF wants to buy an xbox?
- bthug7, on 02/22/2008, -2/+2Bring back Buck Bumble. Probably my favorite N64 game every.
- l800LEMMINGS, on 02/22/2008, -2/+1i think they should not rape us in price and we should start saying goodbye to those emulators we've enjoyed free for years
- olbap, on 02/22/2008, -4/+3Yes, developers, please sell me more old games. I need more ways for some corporation to part me from my hard earned money. People just don't know how to let sleeping dogs lie. In a world where PC gaming is on the verge of collapse and the independent gaming community could use more support, people just want to throw their money away on out-dated ***** that has already had its day in the sun. What is the problem with people? They'll do anything to have a repeated emotional experience even if it means making the same old people rich time after time. ***** you and your nostalgia.
- roflbrothel, on 02/22/2008, -0/+3How is PC gaming on the verge of collapse?
- LittleFishChan, on 02/22/2008, -1/+1Anybody can use a Wiimote (And the Classic Controller by extension) on the PC using a Bluetooth Adapter. Map the buttons out for ZNES (Or whatever your favorite emulator) and there you go. That's how I play old NES games, and I didn't pay a nickel for them. I buy consoles for NEW games, I leave my PC for old ones.
- pumacub, on 02/22/2008, -1/+1FFVI for the Wii VC!
- ZephyrNinety, on 02/22/2008, -1/+1Better yet, current GBA and DS games downloadable too. Advance Wars on your TV?
- dako, on 02/22/2008, -2/+4I want to play River City Ransom :D !
- ZephyrNinety, on 02/22/2008, -2/+10Dreamcast games need to be brought back.
- roflbrothel, on 02/22/2008, -1/+3Heh, I still have my dreamcast. Hell, I still have my Sega Genesis! Works too.
- Peynis, on 02/23/2008, -2/+1*cough* Rez HD *cough* ?
- candafilm, on 02/22/2008, -3/+5Nintendo, give me Earthbound. Money is no object!
- enderwiggen16, on 02/22/2008, -1/+0Was anyone else coming into this article, thinking they were going to talk about the onslaught of recycled game-play mechanics present in recent games? I was kind of disappointed.
- imnotsinister, on 02/24/2008, -0/+0I got the same impression...and also experienced disappointment.
- mitchography, on 02/22/2008, -2/+0While it can be difficult due to who owns what properties and rights i think that there is a strong enough market for companies to get their stuff sorted.
I too am on the long long list of people who would sell a left kidney and an unborn child to have Goldeneye on the Wii
Whilst there is the option of hacking an old machine say the original xbox, loading up a new dash and throwing obscene amounts of emulators and roms on it, Its pretty much a very half handed job. I would prefer for the developers to maybe update the content a little graphics wise and hey an easter egg or two would be incredible, so that it gives a game a fresh but classic appeal and will work without any issues on the current console. - tweder, on 02/22/2008, -2/+4Earthbound, goddamnit!
Japanese re-release of Mother 1+2 (games in which english localization has been completed for YEARS) and Mother 3 for GBA make it pretty clear that the IP hasn't been abandoned. I can't understand for the life of me why this particular franchise is treated like a pariah by Nintendo of America.
Fans begged for a sequel to Earthbound, one finally gets created, yet NOA can't be bothered to translate it. Hell, I'd buy a copy for myself and all my closest friends to show my support, but no!
Now we're over a year into the Wii's release, and its Earthbound isn't even scheduled for release on the virtual console.
Pathetic, Nintendo.- candafilm, on 02/23/2008, -1/+2We Earthbound fas are a rabid bunch and will kill to get the game on VC.
- roflbrothel, on 02/22/2008, -1/+17I WANT TO PLAY OREGON TRAIL ON A 1080P 100" SCREEN!
*dies of dysentery*- LordStandley, on 02/22/2008, -2/+4Guess you didn't pack enough food.
- Cerebral, on 02/23/2008, -1/+1I got one how about Oregon Trail MMORPG?
- retrolab, on 02/22/2008, -0/+210 bucks says Duke Nukem 3D & Bionic Commando sell like hotcakes.
- slearwig, on 02/22/2008, -1/+2I want an 'M' rated update to SNES Shadowrun (Not Shadowrun 2007). Bring back Beam Software LTD./Konami Ultra games!
- norman619, on 02/23/2008, -1/+4ROMs and MAME baby!
- Comatorium, on 02/23/2008, -1/+1I'd really like to see a Wii installment of Glover (N64), Star Fox (N64), Luigi's Mansion (GC), Super Punch-Out (SNES) and Psychonauts (XBOX/PS2.) I think if Nintendo brings up a few memorable games from the past and executes properly, they could dominate.
- Cerebral, on 02/23/2008, -0/+2You do know you can just pick up Luigi's Mansion from a "used" games store and put it into your Wii and play with the wavebird or wired controller right?
- rowlodge, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1they won't even make the current ps2 games backward compatible in the ps3, kind of odd.
- Cerebral, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1It's the Microsoft issue where they feel that their biggest competition is themselves. With Microsoft it's Office (why purchase the new version etc.) whereas with consoles its the whole line of thinking that if they keep making the games backwards compatible then they have to make sure there is better quality coming out or they know people will just stick with what they have (Microsoft and Nintendo are guilty of this too, Nintendo just has the same hardware as the GC in the Wii so it was almost impossible NOT to do so).
- winmywii, on 02/23/2008, -0/+3I can't bring myself to pay for the same game again. If I really want to play it that bad I will bust out the old console or an emulator. These downloads should be free, especially on XBL.
- Sairgem, on 02/23/2008, -0/+5Except the xbla games actually add something. Be it better graphics, online multiplayer, or at the very least I think every game has an online leaderboard. Nintendo is basically charging for roms that you could find online for free. If they added online multiplayer to some of their games, they would be worth the money again.
- bphicke, on 02/23/2008, -2/+6Is it just me, or does it seem like developers are replacing good story lines and great gameplay with flashy graphics?
- TheGreatBelow, on 02/23/2008, -0/+2Yep, and most of the time the gameplay isn't even that good. Take Crysis for example. Aside from the amazing environments and graphics, it is a pretty weak game. The storyline has no character development. The gameplay is meh as well.
- Sairgem, on 02/23/2008, -2/+2Wow! Observant aren't you?
- Cerebral, on 02/23/2008, -0/+2I think it's just what was bound to happen as we get older. The sad thing is that when a game comes out that breaks the mold it is either praised as the next big thing and sells like *****, or is knocked to the ground and kicked in the face and sells decently.
I will say though that some of the story lines may be the same as they were, the game now days can actually put you in the story like never before. The gameplay issue is a tough one because I feel that as the games have gotten more complex, the more they end up needing to dumb down the gameplay because we could do so much in the game. For instance Oblivion is one of the most amazing games in terms of the fact that you can go anywhere and do anything but still be following multiple story lines. Is the gameplay bad? No. But but it doesn't go far beyond menial slashing and spell casting. It's a give and take kind of thing. In the end you have to realize that the games DO have to come out and that means that in the time between when they finish the game and it is released there will be some new technology/ideas that were never able to be put in the game etc.
- tikal2k, on 02/23/2008, -1/+2The fascinating part here is the percentage of people who would rather install the emulator compared to the percentage who would go to the store and buy the reissues, and why.
While there might be an incentive to play it from the sofa on an actual video game platform with game specific controllers (as opposed to, say, on a MAME emulator using a remapped keyboard), most of the motivation probably just comes from being able to "own" the cart again and play it at will. Of course, the time involved in actually playing the new releases will probably be considerably less (nobody's staying up all night again to finish the reissue of Metal Gear). - SynthFreud, on 02/23/2008, -4/+0You don't have to buy any of this crap. There's this little thing called "emulation" and I hear it's been around for a while.
- TheGreatBelow, on 02/23/2008, -0/+2Lion King on Sega Genesis > *
- Number23, on 02/23/2008, -0/+1I'm not so much with the 8 or 16 bit 2D games, but there are a LOT of very playable PS1 games that look pretty OK on the PS3 with upscaling turned on. I played Wipeout XL last night, and that game still holds up.
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