Stop cashing in on nostalgia for classic video games, please.

SEGA confirmed that the next June 23 will arrive sound origin, a collection of the first four games (updated) about the blue hedgehog for PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. While everything is normal. After all, this launch was announced last May, and since then the news has been conspicuous by its absence. However, when prices became known, criticism was not long in coming, and not without reason. Unless the packs will be available only in digital format, and in order to get the “full experience” you will have to pay 45 euros for the Deluxe version. Thus, the question becomes inevitable: To what extent are companies free to capitalize on nostalgia for classic video games?

Unfortunately, this has become more and more common in recent years. What at first seemed like the perfect way—or the perfect excuse—to celebrate the legacy of the games, characters, and consoles of yesteryear quickly became in the new goose that lays the golden eggs the video game industry. And this is not good, because they play not only with the pockets of the players, but mainly with their feelings.

There will be those who will say that my approach is naive or innocent, but what is nostalgia without a touch of naivety or innocence? Then what is the point of yearning for the experiences that made us happy in childhood or adolescence? It’s more than clear that everyone does what they want with their money; and those who believe that it is not worth paying a significant amount for this type of restart have just as much right to exist as those who choose to do so, even if they know that what they will receive will most certainly not be too much different from what they could experience with an emulator like MAME on any PC.

What the public is looking for added value that – at least in theory – only the original developer can give a historical remaster of the game. The problem is that in many cases this added value is insufficient, poorly focused, or non-existent. And when that happens, even nostalgia per se is not enough to avoid discomfort.

Nostalgia for classic video games is the new goose that lays the golden eggs

Let’s take the case of Nintendo to analyze one of the most recent ones. In September 2021, the Japanese company announced that will add the names of the mythical N64 to Nintendo Switch Online, your subscription service. Among the video games there were such classics as mario kart 64, Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time D Star Fox 64, among others. However, the inclusion of a selection of games from SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive -with Sonic 2 D Castlevania: Bloodline to the head-; as well as the launch of new controls for the Switch inspired by the aforementioned consoles.

But the prices of this so-called expansion pack a lot of people didn’t like them. The thing is, those who wanted to enjoy Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis games on Switch had to pay $30 to $45 in addition to an existing annual subscription. And added to that another 50 bucks for each allegorical command you wish to receive.

As I pointed out earlier, it is clear that this is a business and everyone is free to participate in it or not. Nintendo and SEGA, the companies involved in this case, may charge any fee for their intellectual property. And if they charge such high prices, it’s because they know there are enough nostalgia-hungry people interested in paying themregardless of reviews.

The problem arises when the experience with the final product is very different from what is promised to users. As soon as the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack was released, complaints flooded social media because the emulation was a disaster. The graphic part did not even resemble the original game (the most significant was the lack of fog in The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Timewhich caused a separate discussion), and some games were almost impossible to play without the controls, which were sold separately.

And worst of all, some of these bugs were only fixed in February of this year; i.e. four months after Nintendo released the compilation. So there is no nostalgia worth reversing a bad initial image for..

Hard to swallow prices

Not all re-releases of retro games have glitches like those found in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. But in many cases, it happens that the prices are so high that they negatively affect the desire of players to experience some of the classic offers. These are remasters, which can cost almost as much (or more) as a new PS4 or PS5 game.

What we mentioned at the beginning sound origin this is a complete demo of it; although earlier this year we also saw a more extreme case with an expected landing Kingdom Hearts on the switch. The most complete franchise package it was sold for 90 dollars and it was not a native port, but the version is available via streaming. How can you not think that publishers and developers jumped on the nostalgia train for classic video games just for the money.

If the economy becomes the threshold variable to officially re-experience what has given us satisfaction for years, it becomes clear that something is very wrong. Especially when it’s the same companies that have historically harassed those who developed free emulators or generic game ROMs that are 20 or 30 years old.

And if it’s not yet clear that nostalgia is no longer a tool for celebration, but a tool for profit, the new PlayStation Plus is doing its bit too. Classic games for PlayStation, PS2, PS3 and PSP will only be available on the Premium plan, which will cost at least 17 euros per month.

It is clear that nothing will change in the near future. The largest companies in the industry found very attractive commercial vein to use, whether we like it or not, and they will try to squeeze as much juice out of it as long as it is profitable. As such, Nintendo continues with its plan to bring its classic video games to the Switch on a subscription basis; and even Atari has released an expensive emulator for which it even charges an extra $100 to include controllers.

No matter what, let’s not lose hope that the biggest names in the field gamer one day they’ll see nostalgia again more than a business opportunity. It doesn’t matter how naive you seem.