Ports/Remakes vs. New Games

[Sterling]

I have seen more hate over this subject than many other more important subjects. So my question is, why all the hate?

Many users here have made some good points about it being a good business model. It's true. The reason there aren't more new games to our favourite franchises is because it costs a lot. One way developers fill in that cash void is with ports. They're cheap to do, and many of us will buy the games that matter (such as ALttP, or OoT). Every one we do buy is one step closer to that next iteration in the series. It's definitely not because the developers are lazy.

Remakes on the other hand require a lot more money put into them. I'd say about half as much as it would cost to make a brand new game. Now, remakes sometimes play like a brand new game. Not because the mechanics are changed, but because they have been updated so much from the original. Sometimes they get hate from the people who don't get the nostalgia feeling like they did from a VC. Aside from some fan service, remakes are meant to allow a newer audience to get into older games. They aren't bad, and many of the people who played the originals like them as well.

New games are all fine and dandy, but as I said before, they cost boat loads of money to make. If all we got were new iterations of games, many of us would whine about how they're pulling an Activision. The quality would then suffer similar consequences. That would drive more of us away, than bring us back in.

Your thoughts, questions, rotten tomatoes to throw?

EDIT: Couple more cents for the wishing well. It's also never a bad thing to have more of your favourite titles on more systems.

 

[Jamstruth]

If a company releases port after port after port they come across as lazy.

Remakes on the other hand are a different breed. They require entire recoding and graphics effort (though the actual game design is already done). I have nothing against the 3DS remakes, if they were ports I'd be going wtf though.

New games are obviously the best but to get a console off to a good start a bunch of AAA remakes gives a solid ground.

 

[twiztidsinz]

Because people don't like spending hundreds of dollars on the same game.


Real Life Comics just did a comic about this:
http://www.reallifecomics.com/archive/110413.html

 

[DeathStrudel]

Remakes are awesome
Ports are good
New games tend to suck

 

[Sterling]

Because people don't like spending hundreds of dollars on the same game.


Real Life Comics just did a comic about this:
http://www.reallifecomics.com/archive/110413.html
Then why does he keep doing it? The whole point of complaining is after you did something. So if you're complaining, stop buying it. No one is forcing you to buy it. I would be all for complaining about it, if it still costs $60 for a VC game, but it doesn't.


QUOTE(DeathStrudel @ Apr 23 2011, 10:19 AM) Remakes are awesome
Ports are good
New games tend to suck

I pretty much agree, except when the new games get proper development time. That tends to allow a new game to get it right. (Oh God, please let DN:F be the greatest FPS for all eternity!!)

 

[machomuu]

I like ports if they don't come off as lazy. Chrono Trigger is a good example; it had an amazing re-translation, knew post game events, and the Dream Devourer (a very important Chrono Trigger plot point).

I love remakes. If they have graphical updates, musical updates, new events, refrences to future games not yet released by the time of that games original release- so many thing can make a remake good. However, if there's one thing that pisses me off above all else, it's when devs claim they're making a remake, but in reality are making a port.

 

[Ikki]

It all depends.

If it's a memorable game but it's outdated, it's perfectly fine to remake it.
If it's a memorable game and you're going to port it as it is because people can't really play it anymore, don't make it a retail title, if you will, make it cheap or bundle it with more ports.

I'll always think ports belong to the Virtual Console. But selling a bunch of them together as a retail title is okay to me.

As for new games. It depends on the game. I'd rather have a port of an old game than Phantom Hourglass, for example.

 

[machomuu]

It all depends.

If it's a memorable game but it's outdated, it's perfectly fine to remake it.
If it's a memorable game and you're going to port it as it is because people can't really play it anymore, don't make it a retail title, if you will, make it cheap or bundle it with more ports.

I'll always think ports belong to the Virtual Console. But selling a bunch of them together as a retail title is okay to me.

As for new games. It depends on the game. I'd rather have a port of an old game than Phantom Hourglass, for example.

I agree with you Ikki, on pretty much everything in that post. However, if they were to make a remake of Phantom Hourglass for the console that played in a similar style to the other 3D Console titles, would you buy it?

 

[Ikki]

if they were to make a remake of Phantom Hourglass for the console that played in a similar style to the other 3D Console titles, would you buy it?

I'd have to think about it. Right now I couldn't tell. It's a pretty gimmick intense game, I can't really picture it as a 3D console title.

 

[DeathStrudel]

Remakes are awesome
Ports are good
New games tend to suck

I pretty much agree, except when the new games get proper development time. That tends to allow a new game to get it right. (Oh God, please let DN:F be the greatest FPS for all eternity!!)

That's exactly why I said they tend to suck. There are some great new games but unfortunately there are a lot more that blow

 

[Hells Malice]

The best thing about ports and remakes is it's pretty much guaranteed to be great, assuming the original is too.

When I go to buy OOT 3DS...i'm not going there hoping and praying it'll be good and worth my money. I'm going there KNOWING damn well i'm getting an amazing game.

 

[OmegaVesko]

Developers tend to remake/port only good games, so if you buy a remake/port it's usually uaranteed to be good (even more so if you played the original).

New games can be good, but you never know.

 

[SamAsh07]

New games lack that "fun" about them

While old games are spot on, can spend hours playing them without getting bored.

 

[syko5150]

New games lack that "fun" about them

While old games are spot on, can spend hours playing them without getting bored.

I completely agree with you here. I have bought so many games over the years, but a lot of newer games end up collecting dust, while a lot of older games get played countless times.

As for the debate of ports/remakes vs new games, I have to say that ports/remakes are a great way for the younger generation to have a chance to enjoy titles many of us did in the past. When it comes to certain companies making the same damn ports over and over, OK I can understand how many people can grow tired of this. New games, while there are a lot of great games that come out, too many focus on looking pretty or having weird useless gimmicks rather than letting people sit back and enjoy them. This next statement is just my opinion, but i would say about 75% of today's games focus too much on graphics or online play rather than the game itself. I can't speak for everyone else on this, but I enjoy playing through a game that lasts 20 hours+ not a game that can be completed in 6-8 hours. Online play adds more to a game, but I can't see the excitement of playing the same online matches over and over. I would rather see a remake of a game that can add something new to the gameplay or story rather than having DLC that adds more multiplayer maps on new games.

 

[Rydian]

I like ports if they don't come off as lazy. Chrono Trigger is a good example; it had an amazing re-translation, knew post game events, and the Dream Devourer (a very important Chrono Trigger plot point).

I found the new post-game events to be pretty shitty. They weren't done in the style of the original programmers so when an NPC would move the screen would fade, it seemed very amateur, and while the added quests liked to involve time travel, they were pretty much the same shit over and over. I was very disappointed. As for the dream devourer, I don't think I've done that yet.

I tend to like remakes because they can do things with new technology that weren't possible with the technology of the time, and they can also go back and look at the game and see what sort of things could use tweaking and such. This is assuming the remaking team is competent, of course...