HD remakes

[The Beans]

When PS5 is released and Xbox...errr 1440 hits the shelves, all we will have to play are old HD remake titles?

The number of new games released far outnumbers the number of remakes currently out there. So what are you basing your extrapolation on? It just seems like exaggeration to me.

Its a bit like re-making old films... why re-make the Wicker Man?

To make money from a new audience, particularly a mainstream one. Sometimes the remake works and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes a film is worth remaking to do the source material more justice too (especially with regard to special effects), and in turn produce a film for a new audience that makes money. A good story is a good story. It's going to be re-used at some point. In exactly the same way a good game can be re-used. Almost the entire history of gaming amounts to the recycling of ideas.

Its like saying "I'm going to rewrite a Tale of Two Cities... using new words..."

You only have to look at various screenplays for anything that's been done multiple times to see that this is actually common. It's why screenplays are "adapted". The basic story of A Tale Of Two Cities has also been used in novels, essentially a rewriting of the story using "new words".

Whats the point?

The point is always to make a product that can make money with the minimum of effort. It's not a crime and it's nothing new in the game industry. I know this because I've bought quite a few copies of Bubble Bobble down the years on various formats. Haven't we all done the same with one game or another? Just think, Paradroid was remade as Paradroid '90 on a new platform. I don't remember many people complaining about it. It didn't herald the end of original games either. Why the fuss about such things now?

[Megamixer]

TBH though the upscale from VHS to DVD is waaaaaaaaay more than DVD to BluGay I do NOT miss battered old VHS tapes

Tapes have a cool retro feel and function to them. I've been tempted on more than one occasion to get another VHS player or even a Betamax but a lack of space has thankfully stopped me

As for the topic of these HD re-releases, I think in principle, they are a good idea. I like physical products so having a lot of them on-disc is the initial bonus. However, I'm more likely to just buy and play the original PS2 game so while I think the re-releases aren't necessarily a bad idea, I still don't buy them.

I remember another thread where somebody (I forget who) asked why games weren't more commonly reprinted and re-packaged as DVD's and CD's are. Well, these re-releases are a good example of that very thing happening. People like me who already have the originals aren't the audience but it's great for those who missed the games the first time round (in the same way that somebody can pick up a reprint of a CD today that they missed in the 80's/90's/whatever).

The only complaint is that some are badly handled, quickly rushed out or worse than the originals. The Silent Hill 'downgrade' with removal of fog etc. being a great example. They need to be at least identical to the original product and properly optimised for the newer hardware. Even if the people behind them don't do an outstanding job, they must make sure that the presentation is acceptable and that the games run in a stable way.

[slacey1070]

The beans, I'm not making a fuss, darran asked opinion... And I said I'm playing devils advocate... And I think I knew its about money, almost business is... From a creative perspective why?

As for numbers of remakes, you wil note I said ps5... I'm zooming into the future... And suggesting "what if..?"

I suppose all this was ever thus... Look at the spectrum for every ultimate game, there was 50 dodgy clone or "reharsh"....

It's back to what I said, a reasonably priced bundle or download "remastering" fine... I just don't really get the excitement.

Question...

If you could play the original via perfect emulation on your pc, would any of you buy a hd remastering?

[koopa42]

Question...

If you could play the original via perfect emulation on your pc, would any of you buy a hd remastering?

As I said, I had a GC with Resi 4 well within reach and could easily set it up but still preferred to have a pick up and play version on my 360. I still bought SSFII HD even though I own pretty much every version of the game and have mame running on the PC AND had a good idea it would rage me to death online.

I think i'm coming around to this DD stuff, I like to be able to pick up and play and if I'm called away (2 young kids running about) I can just put it down.

One last thing, perfect emulation via PC is rarely easy to do (for me anyway) so I'm happy to shell out for classic/HD classics that are good to go, if that all makes sense LOL

[The Beans]

The beans, I'm not making a fuss, darran asked opinion... And I said I'm playing devils advocate... And I think I knew its about money, almost business is... From a creative perspective why?
...
It's back to what I said, a reasonably priced bundle or download "remastering" fine... I just don't really get the excitement.

Question...

If you could play the original via perfect emulation on your pc, would any of you buy a hd remastering?

I meant "why the fuss now?" as a general throw out to everybody rather than you in particular. Remaking and re-releasing has been a feature of gaming for a long time.

I don't think there's anything there from a creative perspective with most remakes other than the desire to improve the game maybe. A remake offers the chance to fix things the old hardware couldn't handle or put something back in that had to be left out. I do think it's mostly about the money.

I do get excited about being able to play an old favourite on a new machine if there's new features etc. But you might as well ask why people get excited about playing any new version of an old favourite of theirs on any machine really. People just do. We're on a forum dedicated to that sort of thing. Owning a game for one system doesn't automatically stop me from buying it for another. It depends on the game and what's being offered.

In answer to your question at the end of the post I can only say that for me the ability to emulate doesn't automatically stop me buying retail products. As an example, I bought Guwange on XBLA even though I can play it for nothing in MAME. It's the same with HD remakes. Again it depends on what I want and what's on offer for the price.

edit: I'd like to add that one of the reasons why I'd buy an old game on the 360 is the social aspect of party voicechat. This might not seem like much to non-modern gamers but talking to friends online while you play adds to gaming for me.

[Freestyler]

Same code with a fancy new or updated HD graphics engine? Remaster. Example: Halo: Anniversary.
New game code heavily based on the "look and feel" of the original game? Remake. Example: Monkey Island: Special Edition.
Completely new code using new ideas, sharing virtually nothing but the originals name? Re-Imagining. Example: Syndicate.

Not that anyone will listen!

[crusto]

Same code with a fancy new or updated HD graphics engine? Remaster. Example: Halo: Anniversary.
New game code heavily based on the "look and feel" of the original game? Remake. Example: Monkey Island: Special Edition.
Completely new code using new ideas, sharing virtually nothing but the originals name? Re-Imagining. Example: Syndicate.

Not that anyone will listen!

Pardon

[NorthWay]

Completely new code using new ideas, sharing virtually nothing but the originals name? Re-Imagining. Example: Syndicate.

Reset?

[The Beans]

Completely new code using new ideas, sharing virtually nothing but the originals name? Re-Imagining. Example: Syndicate.

Reset?

Reboot.

[Smurph]

I hate 'Reboot'. Everything is getting a 'reboot' these days, even things that are just sequels have that tag attached to them, but I digress.

On the original point: HD remakes are awesome because Shadow of the Colossus. The Defense rests, y'honour.

Also, I did know about ZoE getting a lick of paint, which I am slightly moist for, but Okami I was not aware of, and I have pooped a little bit. The chance to see the graphical effect when you restore an area, and 5.1 Shinsu Field music... Best. News. Ever.

Anybody who doesn't see the benefit of Bluray needs to look at a few particular films (mostly more recent ones, to be fair - the older transfers are only as good as the print they're taken off, but a lot of recent stuff is digital) to see the real benefit. The jump from VHS to DVD is massive, yes, but that's the equivalent of the jump from really needing glasses to glasses with vasoline smeared all over them. Bluray gets the vaseline off.

[slacey1070]

On the original point: HD remakes are awesome because Shadow of the Colossus. The Defense rests, y'honour.

Never played Shadow of the Colossus... BUT its the kind of game I'd love to play, which probably means that HD remakes/boots/sets.etc have their place . . .

... And that title probably backs up some of the points about opening up new audiences.

Good debate....

I was going to ask if HD remakes are retro

[SirClive]

Question...

If you could play the original via perfect emulation on your pc, would any of you buy a hd remastering?

Because not everyone plays games on their PC. I spend enough time using a computer at work so when I want to play games for more than a quick blast I want to slouch on the couch and play them on my big TV. It the same argument about why buy Wii VC stuff when you can just emulate. Different medium, different needs.

[ShadowMan]

Question...

If you could play the original via perfect emulation on your pc, would any of you buy a hd remastering?

HD remaster for me. For example, I emulated Yakuza this month so I could play it in HD on my big TV. It looked much better than simply playing it on my PS2 and it ran really well(not perfect but more than good enough). Now Sega are officially releasing the game on the PS3 as an HD remaster along with Yakuza 2. It looks as though graphics wise it'll be pretty much identical to it being emulated on PC but unlike the PC version they are tweaking bits of the game here and there which will improve gameplay in places. Along with the touch up here and there it'll also have trophies so I'll be picking it up on release for the above reasons. Granted though not every game/remaster receives the same treatment.

[t0nedude]

I hate 'Reboot'. Everything is getting a 'reboot' these days, even things that are just sequels have that tag attached to them, but I digress.

On the original point: HD remakes are awesome because Shadow of the Colossus. The Defense rests, y'honour.

Also, I did know about ZoE getting a lick of paint, which I am slightly moist for, but Okami I was not aware of, and I have pooped a little bit. The chance to see the graphical effect when you restore an area, and 5.1 Shinsu Field music... Best. News. Ever.

Anybody who doesn't see the benefit of Bluray needs to look at a few particular films (mostly more recent ones, to be fair - the older transfers are only as good as the print they're taken off, but a lot of recent stuff is digital) to see the real benefit. The jump from VHS to DVD is massive, yes, but that's the equivalent of the jump from really needing glasses to glasses with vasoline smeared all over them. Bluray gets the vaseline off.

Ironic you mention Shadow of the Colossus just before I was about to add my bit to this thread. Was going to say that I don't have a XBOX360 or PS3, and really couldn't care less about them per-se or the games on them.......however I love(d) SOTC on the PS2 and would quite easily have bought a PS3 purely for the HD remake (and the Disgaea's of course). Shame I haven't really got the money to do so (or the time to play them) - I'm married y'see....

Tony.

[Freestyler]

Completely new code using new ideas, sharing virtually nothing but the originals name? Re-Imagining. Example: Syndicate.

Reset?

Reboot.

Yeah, Hollywood went through Re-imagining and are now using Reboot. I think they realised how annoying the first word's connotations were (the old version wasn't "imaginative" enough, perhaps?) so the term reboot is popular. Everyone understands "Rebooting" your PC, and rebooting doesn't delete what came first, so it's not replacing the original.

Let's face it; any re-imagining or reboot also creates healthy demand for the originals. At least in DVD sales.