The dilemma about retro games, including microcomputer games

[fireflame]

I have always felt it would be great if old games, 8 bit games from consoles and micro computers, came back on Steam or consoles. Thishappens for nes, snes a,d Sega games a lot, but is less common for microcomputer games.

So I brought the idea inside retro gaming communities and I feel a part of thre community is strongly against that idea. They feel bringing back microcomputer games on Steam would cause lawsuits against retro gaming communities, roms being pulled off,etc...

They think it would be putting games behind paywalls shielded with DRMS.

So I don't know what to think. It would be certainly possible to bring back those games at reasonable prices, so what is the cause of that fear? I am aware Nintendo takes down many isos websites,but on the other hand, old games could get a lot of visibility pn Steam or GoG, or Switch, and this would contribute to preservation.

I would be willing to pay to get such games, even though I am aware emulation exists.

So isit beter for old games to reùain underground, or for them to get more exposure through stores?

For example I have heard about this new concept, a streaming platform dedicated to old games(uk only):https://www.antstream.com/

 

[Deleted member 17210]

I don't think the C64 games on the Wii VC sold well. I think most companies don't feel there's enough money it. I would love to see some more re-releases, especially compilations. I don't think people need to worry about roms disappearing. Even with commercial options, they will likely still be around.

 

[fireflame]

I don't think the C64 games on the Wii VC sold well. I think most companies don't feel there's enough money it. I would love to see some more re-releases, especially compilations. I don't think people need to worry about roms disappearing. Even with commercial options, they will likely still be around.

Click to shrink...

I am not a developer, so I don't know how high the costs would be to port them, but It makes sense costs would be much lower than to make a fresh new game, so while there would not be a ton of money to get, there would still be a margin.
Snk made classic collection recently, so maybe that could be made for companies that old the copyrights of several games(like Rebellion holding hewson games)?

 

[MrCunningham]

I thought to myself a few times, that the retroarch developers could add a storefront to the UI that would allow developers to sell their ROM's at a price. retroarch could be ideal for this, because it supports so many different platforms, including phones and tablets. But things like DRM management could get really messy.

 

[EllipsisBreak]

I'm all for it. In an ideal world, every game in history would still be available.

 

[Wulfric]

I agree that would be a cool option.

A lot of those games don't get releases simply because of lack of consumer demand, ambiguous copyright, and lack of source code/assets.

Simply put, the manhour cost to get the game working and cleared for release is more than the income generated. GOG has helped bring back a lot of the popular titles, but the games you're talking about are quite a bit older.

 

[Cheesetriangles]

Gameroom failed for a reason. There isn't enough of a market for these old games. People will be happy to buy a NES classic to play greats like Mario but there isn't enough widespread fanbase for these older computer catalogs.

 

[D.Lo]

So the people you spoke to would be angry if games are available for sale because it might inconvenience their piracy?

 

[fireflame]

So the people you spoke to would be angry if games are available for sale because it might inconvenience their piracy?

Click to shrink...

"Hope on what?
That someone or some company is going to monetise, and lootbox your nostalgia?
That you can then rent 30+yo DRM'd games for a super premium price on a premium store?
That everyone else won't be able to play older games because you want them on Steam?
That companies are now sueing other companies because they now claim they have the rights of JSW, for example?

Please don't kill our culture. If you just want to make the world better, could you please just jump in front of a train instead? "
The argument is there is an underground community making softwares, which is true, peoplemake games nowdays for Amstrad,ZX, and Commodore...
He apologized but took my post as some sort of invasion. But I found the argument that I could hurt Retro community quite exaggerated.