The interest of the gaming communities and technological advancements are two of the biggest reasons behind the influx of games in the market. The revenue generated by this industry is so great that it masks the revenue of both the music and movie industries. So it shows that people are more interested in games rather than music or movies. The gaming market is right now a very saturated place despite new games being created. Gaming translation services are frequently involved with gaming companies where games are translated for multilingual audiences very accurately.
Game developers create new games but they also consider remaking and remastering of old and previously existing games important. This is another approach that keeps gamers hooked to the games. In this read, we are going to discuss the rise of these two above-mentioned concepts in detail and how they affect the gaming industry. We will also talk about the role of translation and how it keeps the games in demand from the audience’s side.
Nostalgic Effect of Old Games
Playing video games can bring players back to their initial gaming experience because of its potent nostalgia influence. It transports gamers to the past and arouses their emotions. Gamers get to relive the memories they had while playing these games. Hence, these games are very valuable for gamers. Imagine you have played Pacman in your childhood and teenage years. How would you feel if you got to play Pacman again? It would definitely thrill you and you will reminisce the days you played Pacman in the past.
So yes games do have nostalgic effects on people. Even if old games don’t have very awesome graphics, they still are worthy to the gamers who played them. If you compare Pacman with Red Dead Redemption, of course, Red Dead Redemption is going to win. But ask a person from the 1990s and he/she will surely say that Pacman is the best game. Based on what? Nostalgia and past memories.
Remastering Games
Despite the creation of new games, old games are renewed every now and then for multiple reasons. One of the core reasons is to make sure that the old audiences stay with the game. This renewal of games also allows the new generation to indulge in these games. However, the phenomenon of renewing games is not as easy as it sounds. There are certain processes involved, such as remastering games. In this concept, the original game is intact with the same narratives and storyline. Hence, the original story and characters of the video game stay within the game. The change is in the graphics, updating resolutions, and tweaking game mechanics in such a way that it becomes unique but not at all different from the old one. The core of remastering a game is keeping intact the storyline and themes of the game.
Example
One of the best examples of remastered games is “Mass Effect Legendary Edition”. One other example of remastered games is Last of Us Remastered. Take a look at the below shown image:
In the remastered version of the games, graphics are made so much better that they resemble a real-life person. This is the effect of remastering games. Now the gameplay of this remastered version is the same, the only change evident is in the graphics.
Remaking Games
The name refers to existing games that are renewed to a great level. This gaming concept is very much different from remastering games. Here the plot and game world are kept the same however, new characters are added along with new game mechanics. Locations are also changed with better graphics and high resolution. Audio is also improved which makes the game more interesting and players are much more immersed in the game. These games have a greater chance of attracting old as well as new players.
Example
For instance, Far Cry was released in 2004, so its audience is of that era. However, the audience of Far Cry 6 is very different. It includes even teenagers as it captivates their interest and attention. It is a remake game and its audience is both new and old players.
Role of Translation
The role of a game localization company is very important here as it enables accessibility to these remastered and remake games. With gaming localization, linguistic and cultural differences are removed from the way so that gamers from all around the world can play them. By working with professional game translators, these games are perfectly localized where not only the cultural nuances are adapted but also the text format aligns with the audio.
Why the Rise of Updating Existing Games?
Nowadays, gamers expect games to be up-to-date and top-notch with awesome and stunning graphics. If new games are being made excessively, it means the death of old games, so this removes the concept of nostalgia for gamers. Updating existing games means renewing them to the point where they are appealing to the older and the new generations, millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha.
Final Words!
Remaking and remastering video games helps them make them better as well as appealing to new and old audiences. Remastering games involves change in graphics however the storyline stays the same. While remaking games, not only graphics are enhanced but also elements and themes are added to the original story. Hence, the story remains intact in remastering games while in remake the storyline is changed.
