» Thu Aug 02, 2012 2:03 am
Shiny graphics do not a good game make. I find myself playing Final Fantasy VI constantly, and its graphics leave a lot to be desired, but it makes up for it by having a diverse (and likable) cast of characters, great themes, a beautiful score, and satisfying gameplay.
This is a problem that games have. People "can't get into them" or want them to be remade if they're old and don't have the greatest top of the line special effects or CGI. Films have a little bit of leeway in this, because as long as new formats are being created for film, new audiences can discover great movies and learn to appreciate them, despite the progress technology has made since the movie came out.
Because games are pretty much tied to a certain platform (disregarding roms), it becomes harder and harder for new audiences to discover classic games. They have to depend on rereleases or HD remakes in order to play them a lot of the time, because it's doubtful that they can/will get a functional SNES just to enjoy Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Fortunatley, this problem seems to be getting addressed more and more with the advent of digital downloads for games. The ability to download classic games at a fairly reasonable price and enjoy them on platforms more current than the one they came out on is a great move. Now they just need to keep it going.
Of course, you'll still have large amounts of people who won't play older games because they lack the latest graphics, but at least they'll have a chance of being discovered and passed on to new generations of fans.