With the release of The Last of Us Remastered, gamers were given a solid
example of how a game can benefit from modern graphics and next generation
system features, even for a game that was barely a year old.
Remastering games is nothing new as God of War and God of War 2 were
polished up for the PS 3 and there are scores of other titles that have
benefitted from a graphical update and other issues over the years.
Sony had plenty of games upgraded to take advantage of the PS 3 and many
wonder with the Xbox One and Playstation 4, just how many older games will
get a new life with 1080 graphics, 60fps, and upgraded online play.
The biggest question facing many gamers is which games should be
remastered, and also, why do they need to be remastered.
For some companies it is a matter of finance. Being able to take an
already completed game, polish it up, and release it anew is a good source
of revenue that does not come with the higher development costs of
creating a game from scratch.
There is also the added bonus of reviving interest in a franchise and
setting up further remastered titles in a series and increasing interest
for future titles in a series.
However much like with movies, there is the artistic side of things to
consider. Many purists were ready to run Ted Turner out of town when he
dared to colorize several classic Black and White films for his network.
One side said it was sacrilege to destroy art in this fashion and others
said it is simply using a tool and medium that was not available to film
makers of the time.
The argument about costumes, makeup, lighting, and such being shot in a
way to take advantage of a lack of color were all presented as reasons why
films should not be altered in such radical ways.
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg also heard the wrath of fans when they
changed up the original “Star Wars” trilogy and “E.T.” as fans develop
attachments to the version they grew up with and find that radical changes
is taking away a cherished memory or experience.
For gamers, the opportunity for better graphics is always an enticement as
I do not know many players that would prefer blocky 8 bit graphics to the
high definition standards of today, but with that being said, Minecraft
breathed new life into the retro look.
I think for me when Jeff Goldblum stated in “Jurassic Park” that just
because something could be done, people should also should stop and ask if
it should be done as well; sums up the debate for me.
There are games that can and should be updated as they bring a new level
of enjoyment and help extend the life of a franchise. Others exist simply
for the sake of making money from developers who take the easier road
rather than creating something new.
Regardless, consumers are the ultimate vote in the end and they will
ultimately vote with their wallets which in and of itself is the only
thing that really matters to most developers.
