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Why old games never die, but new ones do

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Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#81

Post by Uvix »

tombert wrote: post #77
Uvix wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have hypothetically done the same thing, but it didn't require switching reader software, which is why I didn't understand how the switch to KOReader was connected to that... If all you want to do is read EPUBs you purchased from somewhere else, there's easier ways than jailbreaking and switching to KOReader.

I don’t really like having to convert EPUBs to mobi. I have had issues with Calibre breaking formatting back when I used a Kindle DX in like 2011. I am sure it’s better at conversion now, but it left a bad taste in my mouth, so I like being able to immediately drop the EPUBs into a custom folder and point KOReader. Additionally, KOReader is pretty nice in its own right, like being able to use any arbitrary TTF font a…

Makes sense.

I use Amazon's conversion tooling rather than Calibre (first kindlegen, now amazon.com/sendtokindle), and haven't noticed any formatting issues - and the website gives me wireless sync support too. No arbitrary TTF support or custom screen images, though.

Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#82

Post by tombert »

Uvix wrote: post #81
tombert wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t really like having to convert EPUBs to mobi. I have had issues with Calibre breaking formatting back when I used a Kindle DX in like 2011. I am sure it’s better at conversion now, but it left a bad taste in my mouth, so I like being able to immediately drop the EPUBs into a custom folder and point KOReader. Additionally, KOReader is pretty nice in its own right, like being able to use any arbitrary TTF font a…

Makes sense. I use Amazon's conversion tooling rather than Calibre (first kindlegen, now amazon.com/sendtokindle), and haven't noticed any formatting issues - and the website gives me wireless sync support too. No arbitrary TTF support or custom screen images, though.

Well one of my Kindles is actually a DX, which can only communicate via 3G which has long been shut down, meaning that the only way to send books to it is via USB, so I don’t think the sendtokindle would work with that.

I also wouldn’t want to use a cloud service if the books are obtained from an, uh, “unofficial” source. Again, not that I would ever do that, because that would be a crime.

Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#83

Post by pimlottc »

BlarfMcFlarf wrote: post #18

Ver few competitive games can survive, because you need a huge player base to maintain a skill based matchmaking ladder 24/7, and the moment you dip below that critical number the game is doomed since new players are locked out. Its winner takes all. Everyone stills tries to make em for the big potential upside, but they are always very high risk. Single player, and non centralized coop, are a different matter of cou…

Even without matchmaking issues, it can be difficult for new players to break into a community of diehards who have often been playing together for years.

Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#84

Post by superkuh »

ofcourseyoudo wrote: post #25

"Far more people are playing UT99 than in the past as you just need to download it there and play it." This is laughably untrue. But mostly this article just says "old good games are old and good". It's nice that they run on anything, but comparing the current slate of new-ish games against... the entire history of PC gaming, I actually think new games are doing just fine: - Fortnite - Apex Legends - Valorant - Overw…

I don't think any of those have private servers that you can run and host games in. They're all far too dependent on microtransactions and in-game-purchased items to implement that kind of robust and long lasting system. They will die because of this as soon as they are not profitable.

Oh, and Overwatch is dead and unplayable. Blizzard unilaterally killed it despite people wanting to keep playing. There is overwatch 2 but that is not the same game.

Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#85

Post by jmyeet »

mattnewton wrote: post #2

The article kinda dances around this point, but I think the largest reason "old games never die" is simply the old games mentioned were the good ones of their generation. Similar to the lindy effect[0] where shows that had been around a while were likely to stay around a while longer. The are the games good enough for people to host fan servers and make mods, and behind each good game there is a lot of forgotten stuf…

You're talking survivorship bias [1]. That and general nostalgia are common explanations for this but I find the explanations unsatisfying.

Like if this were true, shouldn't we be seeing similar survivors from the 2000s and 2010s? I mean there are games that are beloved years later (I'm looking at you, Zelda: Breth of the Wild) but the gaming landscape is fundamentally changed. We now have free to play games that have longevity (eg League of Legends, even Fortnite) and we also have "annual" games eg FIFA, Call of Duty, Madden.

But also micro-transactions has poisoned the well here. The psychology and mechanics of addiction work in the short-term but I don't think you'll see any longevity or nostalgia from playing these games in the future.

I'm reminded of an article I read some time ago about music where the question was (paraphrased) "Why don't we produce hits anymore?" Yes, there's popular music. There are extraordinarily successful artists. But nothing seems to have the staying power, cultural significance and instant recognition of music from the 1950s thorugh the 1980s.

Suffice it to say, I think there's something special about older games and the culprit is really the profit motive. Games were games, not just addiction-inducing vending machines for skins.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias

Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#86

Post by thaumasiotes »

margalabargala wrote: post #56
ofcourseyoudo wrote: post #25

"Far more people are playing UT99 than in the past as you just need to download it there and play it." This is laughably untrue. But mostly this article just says "old good games are old and good". It's nice that they run on anything, but comparing the current slate of new-ish games against... the entire history of PC gaming, I actually think new games are doing just fine: - Fortnite - Apex Legends - Valorant - Overw…

Several of the games in your list are well over a decade old. How old is too old to be "new"?

"New" means you're dependent on an official server.

Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#87

Post by Gigachad »

CrossVR wrote: post #20
mattnewton wrote: post #2

The article kinda dances around this point, but I think the largest reason "old games never die" is simply the old games mentioned were the good ones of their generation. Similar to the lindy effect[0] where shows that had been around a while were likely to stay around a while longer. The are the games good enough for people to host fan servers and make mods, and behind each good game there is a lot of forgotten stuf…

Yet the obscure forgotten stuff is still playable if you kept a copy of the disc. Those games didn't need a community to preserve them, because they were not designed to be ephemeral like live service games.

Outside of computer games, there are plenty of games that have died off because the communities to play them no longer exist or the rules have been forgotten.

Any game that has a multi player or team aspect will eventually die. Even if the servers stay online forever, it will not be the same experience as if you were there in the moment playing when it was lively.

Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#88

Post by overgard »

I think another reason might just be: simplicity. A lot of these older games are much easier to pick up and grok.

I remember I used to play a ton of Battlefield 1942 back in the day (like, in a competitive clan, going to LAN parties, that kind of thing). I tried picking up Battlefield V but I just gave up because it felt like there was just too much going on. It probably has a host of other great things, but my main reaction playing it was this is too much and I'm overwhelmed, and that's coming from someone that grew up on competitive multiplayer games.

Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#89

Post by tiltowait »

lesser23 wrote: post #59
unclad5968 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why should everyone have the right to play NES games for free?

Why shouldn’t old art be permitted into the public domain to encourage improvement and innovation? Draconian Mickey Mouse copyright law has likely stifled more innovation that we could possibly imagine. Much like patent law there should be a strict, non-renewable period where a company can recoup their cost and make profit. Then it is introduced to the public domain. Not “allowing people to play NES games for free” i…

Is Mario art?

Putting that question aside: why should an artist be required to make their creations free for anyone to use after a certain period of time? Why are their wishes at best secondary? Now, to be clear: I am pro-emulation. If someone is no longer selling a game, I see no ethical problem with pirating it. I don't, however, think anyone has a right to the game simply by virtue of it existing.

And you can share your copy of SMB3. You can lend someone your cart or give it away. No one will stop you. No law will punish you. But that's not the same thing as dumping the cart's contents and putting them online for anyone with a computer to download.

Re: Why old games never die, but new ones do

#90

Post by klodolph »

jmyeet wrote: post #85
mattnewton wrote: post #2

The article kinda dances around this point, but I think the largest reason "old games never die" is simply the old games mentioned were the good ones of their generation. Similar to the lindy effect[0] where shows that had been around a while were likely to stay around a while longer. The are the games good enough for people to host fan servers and make mods, and behind each good game there is a lot of forgotten stuf…

You're talking survivorship bias [1]. That and general nostalgia are common explanations for this but I find the explanations unsatisfying. Like if this were true, shouldn't we be seeing similar survivors from the 2000s and 2010s? I mean there are games that are beloved years later (I'm looking at you, Zelda: Breth of the Wild) but the gaming landscape is fundamentally changed. We now have free to play games that hav…

Games from the 2010s I still see people playing: FTL, Celeste, Undertale, Skyrim, Mass Effect 2, Stardew Valley… there are definitely survivors from the 2010s. Your list may be different from mine.

Not counting any of the perennial games like League of Legends or Fortnite.

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