@Grap:
Exactly. That is the case with a lot of older games. Outdated graphics and textures for sure. They look ugly as can be. Many older games had control or checkpoint issues. This probably is the case with some of our favorite games of old. I've gone back to older generations and saw it for myself. I think many that really have might have become disilusioned with playing older games too.
@Tetsujin:
Well, the companies have access to usage data. If people really wanted BC so much they would have purchased the PS3 model that did that. They would also have bought en masse the PS1 and PS2 classics ported to the PS3, PSP, PS Vita and PS4 (only PS2 classics in this last one). Something tells me that people barely bought these old games. A reason could be that they have kept their old hardware. Other than that, they might have had no time or can stand any longer o...
Other than the Uncharted and The Last of Us remasters. The rest on PS4 have been all at $40 or under. In fact, the best remaster/remake to date will be the Crash trilogy with not only graphics but serious fixes in the checkpoint/save system as well as some bonus added content. All that for $40.
Well if those old games have serious bugs, control issues, seriously outdated graphics and gameplay, it's no good even if they are free. Consider that both the Crash trilogy and upcoming Shadow of the Colossus are getting rid of their biggest issues. As a fan of some gems of old, I would want some of them to fix their issues if possible. And that is happening with PlayStation. BC, on the other hand, will not fix outdated or buggy messes.
I don't mind these remasters happening just as long as Sony's first party studios are not the ones doing them which is largely the case. Bluepoint Games and Vicarious Visions are behind the majority of these remasters so far.
@sonarus:
I partly agree with what you say. But keep in mind that the majority of remasters made for PS4 have been made by BluePoint Games. These guys are independent from Sony and actually specialized in making remasters. They are not a first party studio and have brought over to us Gravity Rush, Uncharted Collection and soon Shadow of the Colossus. The Crash trilogy is being made by Activision. So, while this is happening, Sony's 14 first party studios are busy making...
I agree that I want more than BC or PS NOW, Remasters such as the Crash trilogy, Wipeout collection and Shadow of the Colossus. These three are brought to modern visuals and performance as expected but also add fixes to gameplay and even add some cool bonuses. Like the article says, the Crash trilogy fixes the checkpoint and saving system which was awful and adds new time trials as well as Coco as a playable character. The Wipeout collection adds new soundtracks and compiles some classic ones...
@Tetsujin:
Both options would be great but I think that we won't see it. Think about it, the reports of the low usage of BC on Xbox One must onto something. Sony introduced PS2 games on PS4 but are very slowly adding ports to it. Too slowly. Could it be that gamers like the option of being able to play old games but at the end don't really have time for them? With all the exclusives coming out on PS4, I think only a remaster of the caliber of the Crash trilogy with ...
Showing so many Indies for the Xbox One X instead more AAA was a really bad idea too. Not sure what Microsoft was thinking.
I agree with the author that Sony should have announced Hidden Agenda and Loco Roco 2 Remastered at the main conference. Matterfall gameplay and both it and Knack's release date/price should have been there too. Truly a missed opportunity.
Yet @elda is right.
That is likely one reason why only half of Xbox One users play BC. With an unclear time distribution between the half that do. Hopefully Microsoft sheds more light on their hard data.
It's a failure based on usage. Such usage will go in reports presented to investors who might not want Microsoft to waste resources, employees and time in such feature ever again. It may happen and I think that is what this opinion article is arguing.
@JasonKCK:
I still haven't seen Microsoft prove Ars Technica wrong. Microsoft's Corporate VP of Xbox , Mike Ybarra's one-sentence statement was just this:
"Scraping some data off servers gives an inaccurate view of what people do."
I'm sorry, but that is hardly a rebuttal. He had no data to share whatsoever. As for Mike Nichols, who is an Xbox marketer. I highlight, an Xbox marketer and not a big executive. He...
That may be a factor as well that I didn't think about. Those that sold their games and now want to re-buy a few of them might hesitate due to still very high prices. Further, they may end up prefering to pick up a remaster to justify a higher price tag.
@Bigpappy:
The point is that Xbox fans and media were touting the BC as the second coming and turning point of this gen. Therefore, suggesting a sales impact. Thanks to them, many were under the impression that BC was actually going to be a big deal when it actually turned out to not be at all.
I agree. Most Xbox gamers mostly play online. They tend to want to play the next big online experience. No wonder why Mike Nichols says a little less than half use BC. Of that half is hard to get an average as giving total hours spent by a group says very little.
@ArmrdChaos:
But he makes fine points. Remakes/remasters are very attractive to those that like specific last gen games. Replay value is also a big issue, lots of games these days are not worth replaying. The author seems to be making the case that BC may be in trouble in the future if it doesn't increase in usage.
Certainly, BC was touted as a bigger bombshell and got more media attention in my opinion than any new exclusive IPs on Xbox One.
One of the points of the article is how the BC was advertised. Then because of Microsoft refusing to give any sales data for games or a follow-up to the BC "bombshell" impact, a report like this one resulted. Microsoft's silence kind of encourages these things and by the looks of it many people out there are curious about BC's real impact.
@Shadowlee:
To me it is justified is the remaster/remake fixes serious problems with the games like in the case of the Crash trilogy and Shadow of the Colossus.