Embracing the Era of Perennial Games: A New Paradigm for the Industry

The notion of what constitutes a "retro" game has evolved significantly over time. To define it, we might consider a game that, although fondly remembered, has fallen outside the realm of contemporary gaming, becoming more of a historical relic than a competitive entertainment product. Many gamers nostalgically recall their favorite titles from the 8- and 16-bit eras or the original PlayStation, occasionally revisiting them, yet they don't expect these games to compete with modern releases or be judged by the same standards. The question then arises: how long must a game exist before it's considered retro? The answer varies greatly depending on individual perspectives and factors. Historically, console hardware generations provided a clear demarcation; the introduction of new consoles would render previous generations obsolete due to significant improvements in visuals and technology. However, this paradigm has become outdated. We're currently in the fourth year of the PS5's lifespan, and the idea that a PS4 game could be deemed "retro" seems unfathomable. Even games from the PS3 and Xbox 360 era remain relatively contemporary, especially with the enhancement of digital backwards compatibility. It isn't until we reach back to the PS2 era that we start encountering games that most consumers would agree are "old" in the sense of belonging to a bygone generation. Recent data from Newzoo's PC & Console Gaming Report for 2023 revealed that the average age of the top ten most-played games, based on monthly active users, was over seven years, with the PC averaging nearly ten years. Although these games have been updated and patched, the fact that players spent more time engaging with decade-old games than new releases signifies a profound shift in the gaming industry. For decades, the industry was driven by novelty, with games becoming commercially irrelevant after a few weeks and technological progress quickly making them obsolete. Today, games have much longer lifespans, often spanning decades, and the window for player engagement is much broader. Many games now enjoy long tails of popularity that were previously unimaginable, and while technological progress continues, aspects of game visuals have become "good enough" that players still consider older titles contemporary. This transition presents enormous potential, but it hasn't been without its challenges. The "Stop Killing Games" campaign highlights the issue of publishers disabling games when they shut down online services, arguing that companies should preserve access to offline or peer-to-peer multiplayer content that consumers have paid for. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that many of the games being shut down are still considered modern and were purchased recently. Publishers, especially those without long-term successful titles, are wary of their games being played for years, fearing it might impact the sales of newer games. As a result, there's been an attempt to extract revenue from older games through live service elements, which has been successful in some cases but disastrous in others, leading to the undermining of sales and brand value. A common outcome is that games become tied to online servers, and when these fail or are shut down, the game becomes unplayable. The Stop Killing Games campaign argues that this practice is unreasonable, especially in markets with robust consumer protection laws. Arbitrarily disabling a product that a consumer has purchased, simply because it's no longer profitable, is generally frowned upon and could attract regulatory attention, especially if the product could still function without the company's online servers. The games industry is facing a new reality where old games are not swept away by technological progress every few years. Instead, games will have a future more akin to that of movies, with a vast, accessible back catalog that remains enjoyable for decades. This necessitates a transition in how we think about game business models, creating new opportunities but also requiring publishers to accept that some products will continue to be enjoyed without generating additional revenue. Every other medium has come to terms with this, creating environments where a strong back catalog is a source of prestige and value. The games industry must follow suit, recognizing that a long-lasting product is not a bug but a feature, and that deliberately making contemporary products inaccessible is not sustainable and may attract unwanted regulatory attention.