Reimagining the Classics: The Benefits of Game Demakes for Publishers

Demakes have become a popular phenomenon on platforms like itch.io, where they distill the essence of a beloved intellectual property and merge it with the limitations of older platforms to create something entirely new. These demakes can only be created by individuals with in-depth knowledge of both the intellectual property and older consoles, making them a labor of love from fans or the original title's developers. However, some intellectual property holders have taken a more lenient approach, even commissioning demakes of their own games, recognizing the benefits they can bring to the community and, in turn, the publisher. Game Bakers, the team behind Furi, recently commissioned a demake of the 2016 dual-stick action game from fan developer Sylph, which is free on Steam and available on other platforms with a pay-what-you-will model. According to Emeric Thoa, the company's creative director, the main reason for creating the demake was to give something cool to Furi fans and to encourage people to talk about the original game again. Demakes can act as a form of brand marketing, where publishers reinvest in increasing the visibility of an intellectual property. The Devolver Bootleg, a pack of officially licensed demakes announced during Devolver's presentation at E3 2019, is a prime example of this. Cullen Dwyer, co-founder of Doinksoft, the developer that worked with Devolver on the pack, notes that it was pitched as a marketing stunt, and the focus was on having fun and creating something that fans would enjoy. Publishers like Devolver, with their distinct name recognition, are few and far between, but demakes can play a significant role in community development for those who choose to commission them. In some cases, the novelty of an official demake can be used as a selling point, as seen with the release of Farming Simulator 2019, which included a Commodore 64-styled demake as part of a special edition. Beyond revenue and marketing, demakes can also provide soft benefits to developers and publishers, such as allowing them to identify the core appeal of the original game and streamline it. Thoa notes that creating the Furi demake was a great exercise in simplifying and identifying the core elements that make a game good. Demakes can also serve as a tribute to the developers and publishers who have come before, celebrating the history of games that led to the creation of the original game. Officially licensed demakes can appeal to the nostalgia of fans for bygone gaming eras, extending the appeal of the original to gamers looking for a nostalgic experience. In some cases, developers who create demakes go on to contribute to the genre with original ideas of their own, increasing the popularity of the genre as a whole. Overall, demakes can bring direct and indirect benefits to the original intellectual property holder, whether through sales, marketing, or increased engagement with the franchise.