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Can we stop griping about remasters?

Grady

Member
Seeing how i never owned a ps3 and never will, I was very please to have gotten the chance to play The Last of Us on Ps4. It is now one of my favorite games. I also was able to get both metro games which i also never played for 50 bucks. There are tons of people out there who have not played these games the first time around. I hope they release an uncharted box set for ps4 as well since i have not played any of them, and a demons souls(wishful thinking) This will stop eventually, its just that these new gen systems are selling at an incredible pace and developers need to release "something" until the other games are finished. Don't feel so entitled. This is the best generation to be a gamer.
 

rdrr gnr

Member
THANK YOU! You are the FIRST person out of everyone who has presented some evidence that actually supports the notion that remasters can take away from company resources.

Having said that, I don't claim to be an expert, but there are certain stages of game development that don't require an increase of staff and whatnot. More resources doesn't automatically mean the game will ship faster or better. Assassins Creed is proof of that.
Logic and a cursory understanding of limited resources and a finite budget aren't evidence enough?
Remasters are good when they are

A. Not used to fill shameful line-up voids for whatever company/publisher
B. Not used by neogaf as a positive argument towards whatever company/publisher

They are supposed to be a plus, nothing more.
I just think there should be a threshold for a remaster candidate. There are games that make sense and have a justification for a port outside of (1) existing and (2) not being playable on a new platform now. There should be something gained in the transition that goes beyond simple convenience.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Logic and a cursory understanding of limited resources and a finite budget aren't evidence enough?

Nope. The intelligence to understand that the resource cost is so minimum and very low to the bottom line.

I just think there should be a threshold for a remaster candidate. There are games that make sense and have a justification for a port outside of (1) existing and (2) not being playable on a new platform now. There should be something gained in the transition that goes beyond simple convenience.
It's reasonable to expect all DLC and 1080p/60fps. That's gain enough for most.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Remasters are good when they are

A. Not used to fill shameful line-up voids for whatever company/publisher
This makes no sense and I would argue completely the opposite in that is the perfect time to release a remaster. If a game gets delayed they can't just magically fill that spot with a new game but they can fill it with a remaster if need be. Would you rather them release nothing?
 

orborborb

Member
All I'm looking for in a rerelease of a game:

-Change the experience of seeing, hearing, and playing the game as little as possible

-Be marketed to a new audience rather than just to people who already played the game

The cases of a "remaster" that actually improves upon the original in ANY medium is so incredibly rare. Ocarina of Time 3DS is the only example in videogames I can think of, there are a handful of director's cuts of movies that are improvements, but vastly more that are not, I was impressed by The Orb's remastered electronic albums and a few remastered classical recordings but never any other remastered album, etc. etc.
 

Maushimo

Neo Member
I like the idea of remasters. To me they're a good way to update an older game, they allow for newer generations of gamers to experience classic games and they're also a good way to gauge interest in a game series. I can see why people don't really like remasters (especially if they are done poorly) but it's a win win to me.
 
Sure, right after we stop complaining about people who complain.
lol I would like to see this thread. That's all the OT feels like sometimes. Oh look another silly grammar thread. Ah, I see, standing on escalators such a peeve! Now you hate drunk threads too? I'm sorry you don't like your roommate's music. Please, tell me more about how you hate the Star Wars prequels.

Anyway, on topic. My only gripe with remasters is they are never games I care about. Most of the shit I want to see remastered no one will buy except me.
 

saunderez

Member
If there isn't enough effort put into them I reserve the right to complain. Upping the resolution and calling it a day isn't enough to claim remaster. But I'd never complain about games like TLOU and GTA V remasters.
 

ArtHands

Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
I don't mind them complaining as i believe they are just new kids who have never lived through a console generation change before.

If they are anything else, then they baffle me.

Erm, there isn't any remaster stuffs previously, because earlier gens has got true backward compatibility. You are able to put in your Ps1 disc to play in your Ps2.

I will be fine if remaster is only for games that are 2gens ago, rather than previous gen (unless it is bundled with at least one game). Will rather they put out the extra stuffs as dlc and disregard the shinier graphics.

FFx/x2 and wind Waker HD are fine

Mcc and god of war collections are fine

Tlos and gtav remaster, nope.
 
When DVD's replaced VHS, people began buying their favoutite movies again on DVD, and it's the same with BluRay now even when BluRay Players still play their DVD's.

Why shouldn't it be the same for Games?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Remasters.

Yeah, this is how I feel. I hate when we have a thread discussing what games we would like to see and there's always that one guy who says "None. I'd rather play new games." I HATE those kind of posts.
 
My only gripe is that most remasters are not decent value. It's great to go back and enjoy an old game with upgraded visuals but £40 for a game that came out a year ago on last gen is ridiculous. £25/£30 would be much fairer.
 

bigace33

Member
Personally, I would love to see a Mass Effect remaster, and a Gears of War trilogy remaster. So far I'm not too impressed with GTA V remaster.
 
My only complaint is if it's too soon to remake a game. HD remakes of HD games is kind of a waste especially when there are much better games to remake. That and current gen (PS4 and X1) are full of remakes and indie games... needs more exclusives. I do love the remakes and LOVE indie games tho.
 

Teletraan1

Banned
I was baffled when I saw some reactions to X/X-2 coming to PS4. Pure hate. I have never played the remasters since I don't own a Vita or a PS3 any longer. Will definitely pick those up when they release. Yet some people are calling SE the worst company ever and telling them to fuck off for releasing something that at this point is probably a low effort release that they don't have to buy. Hardly a reason to get upset.
 

Wensih

Member
They are absolutely using resources that could be spent on something else, like a new game.

Profit from remasters is probably greater than the cost to make them allowing a larger budget for future projects, so yes, while resources are being spent to make remastered games, those resources are being increased because of making the game.

EDIT: Re-releasing games also increases awareness to brands and preserves the shelf-life of games in stores where the series/games can reach the widest new audience that may not have had the means to play them in the past.
 

RedSwirl

Junior Member
Another reason I like remasters: oftentimes they're better than the new games in those franchises publishers make.

People want a SOCOM 2 remaster because it's generally agreed the franchise never got better than that. I'm probably going to end up playing and enjoying Resident Evil 4 Ultimate HD Edition more than RE5 and RE6. If EA had just done an HD remaster of SSX 3 or something, I probably would have just picked that up instead of the new SSX. There will probably be people who don't like Halo 5 when it comes out, and those people will be able to play Halo 2 on Xbox One now that Master Chief Collection is out.

Sometimes a franchise just reaches its peak with one really great game that can't be meaningfully improved upon. The need to have our favorite franchises on on the new machines we buy is in my opinion the main reason a lot of popular game franchises go on for so long. If the quality of a game franchises reaches its peak or logical conclusion, is it really bad to just keep that game available on the latest hardware? There's a reason a lot of people still play the original Counter-Strike after 15 years.
 

Usobuko

Banned
Remasters kick ass.

I never played God of War III/Ascension, Uncharted 3 or Heavy Rain. Gimme some remasters of that shit plz.

Also didn't finish Gears 3 or Judgement. 1080p60 remasters again plz thx.

Also Mass Effect trilogy.

I am also one of those guys who never play MGS, Ratchet, Sly etc until I got my PS3. I don't want to hunt for them and my PS2 died so I welcome remasters / remakes.
 

Teletraan1

Banned
My only complaint is if it's too soon to remake a game. HD remakes of HD games is kind of a waste especially when there are much better games to remake. That and current gen (PS4 and X1) are full of remakes and indie games... needs more exclusives. I do love the remakes and LOVE indie games tho.

It is probably a lot easier to remake a modern game since most of them are just IQ upgrades overtop lower geometry than what the current gen offers. They swap in the cutscene model from the old game for the in game version. Doing the same for a really low geometry game isn't going to yield any sort of impressive results so those games need to be re-imagined or spruced up to a current standard. Which costs way more money. For example if they did a FFVII remake and just retextured the existing terrible character models or used the standard battle model while traversing I can't imagine the results being impressive at all. All of the character models in the game would need to be brought up to a better standard to match the rest of the game. I think they can get away with PS2 and forward for this stuff. PS1 is the generation that it is the most necessary since that stuff looked like shit but also it is the least likely because it will involve the most money to get right.
 

Sayter

Member
Disagree.

I've been there and done that. I don't need to play it again no matter how HD it looks. Give me something new.

Indies get most of my money now.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
I would triple dip for a Mass Effect Trilogy remaster on PS4.

There are some games that I feel deserve to be brought forward into a new generation. So I'll gladly support them. I'd love to see the Prince of Persia trilogy from back in the PS2 days brought forward again. It won't happen because nobody would buy it, I'm sure. But I think there's value in preserving some of these older games.
 

Wensih

Member
Disagree.

I've been there and done that. I don't need to play it again no matter how HD it looks. Give me something new.

Indies get most of my money now.

You're not the demographic then. Just because you've played these games before doesn't mean that others have. Remasters makes it convenient to discover old games.
 
I would already own Sleeping Dogs on PS4 if the price wasn't so high. I SO want to go back to Hong Kong, beat up enemies and jump over cars with mah bad-ass motorcycle.
 

One-Shot

Banned
Yeah the complaints are annoying and as op pointed out pretty baseless. I love remasters.

Games like The Last of Us or FFX are games I will be playing for years to come. Might as well be on a system I currently play and is even better on with the new tech. Now if I can get a Mass Effect and Uncharted collections on PS4 I will be satisfied.
 
The only time I'd say remasters are questionable is when the studio/director decides to mess with the game in some way, in the same way that George Lucas futzed with Star Wars when he did the Special Editions. I know there's been some sloppiness in terms of redoing the assets (I think FFX suffered from that?), but I'm not aware of any intentional changes...yet. I'm sure it'll happen. Other than that, I have no real problem with them. I think it's a bit silly to remaster a game from one generation ago, but if it sells, it sells.
 

Artorias

Banned
I love remasters. Its heartbreaking when they turn out bad of course, because its probably the last release for many games but last gen I spent a ton of time with them.

Super Mario Galaxy HD collection please.
 

Grief.exe

Member
I'm pretty sure the people who complain about remasters are the same people that say indies aren't real games.

You're fighting a losing battle. However I do agree with you 100%

"Indie trash"
"Looks like a flash game"

Expand your mind, indies have some of the most progressive gameplay elements and take take risks that AAA publishers won't.

My only complaint is if it's too soon to remake a game. HD remakes of HD games is kind of a waste especially when there are much better games to remake. That and current gen (PS4 and X1) are full of remakes and indie games... needs more exclusives. I do love the remakes and LOVE indie games tho.

The problem with buying a console this early is they haven't had a chance to build up a compelling library.
 
Remasters are great when they're actual remasters and not just a resolution bump (Capcom).

There ought to be a decent time frame though between the initial release and the remaster imo.
 
Certain remakes are good but I'm quite annoyed at the PS4 FFX/X2 remaster. If there's no limited edition I'll pass on it and actually open the PS3 limited edition I bought and play that. If there is a limited edition I will have to buy it :D
 

cripterion

Member
You're free to like remasters but most of them do feel like a way of cashing more money to me.
If it doesn't divert resources from other games why aren't these remasters free for people that already own the original?

Don't get me wrong I buy some of them but the pricing isn't right at all imo and no amount of extra details or enhanced graphics will not have me believe I'm essentially playing the same thing I was before.

Also if they remaster something go dig other stuff that was out before previous gen. Why not remake Syphon Philter? Parasite Eve or Shenmue?
Would love to have a fighting force or a bad dude remake with today's tech.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
You're free to like remasters but most of them do feel like a way of cashing more money to me.
If it doesn't divert resources from other games why aren't these remasters free for people that already own the original?

Don't get me wrong I buy some of them but the pricing isn't right at all imo and no amount of extra details or enhanced graphics will not have me believe I'm essentially playing the same thing I was before.

Also if they remaster something go dig other stuff that was out before previous gen. Why not remake Syphon Philter? Parasite Eve or Shenmue?
Would love to have a fighting force or a bad dude remake with today's tech.

It's because remasters despite having a low cost aren't free to make.

I simply do not understand the level of entitlement that goes with people. Just because a game gets re-released on a better system does not mean you should get the new game for free. When I buy a game on PS3/360, I am getting the game on PS3/360. That's what I paid for and that's what you paid for. You did not pay for the right to get subsequent re-releases or any other system. There are not many industries that regularly offers free upgrades to things. Gaming is no different.

And yes, you ARE paying for the same thing as before. When you buy a remaster its game that has already been released just prettier. For me if its a game I love its a worthy upgrade that I am more than happy to pay for at the right price.

Acting like you are owed something you didn't pay for. That's entitlement.

Having said that, I will be very grateful and consider it a nice gesture if a company offers me an upgrade option for a game I previously owned.
 

Mooreberg

Member
If you have not played the games, remasters are great. If you have played them, they are easily ignored. I have never seen what the big deal is or why the negativity was warranted.
 
It's because remasters despite having a low cost aren't free to make.

I simply do not understand the level of entitlement that goes with people. Just because a game gets re-released on a better system does not mean you should get the new game for free. When I buy a game on PS3/360, I am getting the game on PS3/360. That's what I paid for and that's what you paid for. You did not pay for the right to get subsequent re-releases or any other system. There are not many industries that regularly offers free upgrades to things. Gaming is no different.

And yes, you ARE paying for the same thing as before. When you buy a remaster its game that has already been released just prettier. For me if its a game I love its a worthy upgrade that I am more than happy to pay for at the right price.

Acting like you are owed something you didn't pay for. That's entitlement.

Having said that, I will be very grateful and consider it a nice gesture if a company offers me an upgrade option for a game I previously owned.

It's a sense of entitlement. If you're actually entitled it means you have a right to it. It's owed to you.

People seem to forget that without the people buying the original game, the remaster wouldn't have the resources to be made. I don't think it's having a sense of entitlement to expect that, unless significant effort is being put into remaking the game or adding significant extra content, previous buyers should be able to upgrade at a discounted price.

REmake? Essentially a new game at that level. I don't think anyone can reasonably expect to get a discount.

GTA V a year later with just an uprez, DLC, and a few new missions? Especially when the originals came out when the new consoles were just about to, yet they held off on releasing them to get people to double dip? Yeah, I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect a little give-back if you bought GTA V last year.

Do the companies HAVE to throw us a bone? Absolutely not. Is the practice kind of ridiculous from a fairness standpoint? Oh yeah.

However, I have no issues with remasters that are priced fairly, given the (perceived) effort involved. If you ask for double the revenue, you've got to deliver more than 1.1x the content.
 
It's a sign that the gaming industry is crazy. There's brand new hardware out there and all we're getting is remasters.

Did Sleeping Dogs and Tomb Raider really need remasters? FFX/X2 is a remaster of a remaster FFS!!!
 

RDreamer

Member
GAF's complaints about remasters are bafflingly dumb. I don't understand it at all.

For one, no, a remaster isn't using resources that a new game should get.... Unless it completely and utterly bombs, a remaster will make profit. That, by definition, is not using resources. That's gaining them. Remasters also keep fan interest high, and even gain new fans, which raises the profit potential on said new game in a series.

The other thing about resources is that a remaster by its very nature doesn't really require a creative staff. At least compared to an original game or a new sequel, a remaster requires almost none of that. That means that the creative staff (i.e. the top level important people expressing the visions we want to see) is still free to work on the next new thing, while programmers will work on the port at the same time. It also requires less than a new game, because, again, you're not building it from the ground up.

Second, no one is forcing you to buy anything. You don't want to buy the remaster? Don't. It's there for people who DO want to, of which there are apparently plenty since the remasters are making money. Not everyone played nearly as many games as you might have. Even sometimes when people play a lot of games, they might miss a series. But these people still buy a new console before consuming everything in a previous generation. Why shouldn't they have an opportunity to play some of these games, in a better form. For example, I played a lot of games last gen, but I mostly missed out on Borderlands. Other games got in the way, and I just never had time for them. Now if things do come true and there's a collection for all 3 games, I'd be ecstatic. And no one's forcing me to buy it right off the bat at a high price, either. The neat thing is that whenever I feel like playing them there will be a better version out for me to play... simply because it exists. Why is this a bad thing? You don't have to play the FFX PS4 remaster. You don't have to play GTA V remaster. You don't have to play The Last of Us Remaster. You don't have to play the potential Borderlands remaster. But, if you ever want to go back and play them you have the option of playing an even better version. Where's the bad in this?

I also think it's funny that people bitch and moan about console exclusive games and then also bitch and moan about ports to new consoles. Shouldn't more people have access to great games?
 
When I buy a game on App Store, I know that it will be compatible with my next iPhone. When I buy a game on Steam, I know that it will be compatible with my next PC. When I buy a game on PlayStation, I know that not only will I not be able to play it on future hardware, but that there might be a financial incentive for that not being the case.

The proliferation of re-releases sends further signals to platform holders that their audience is OK with the fact that each generation of devices brings about a hard reset - all notion of prior products is swiftly forgotten, all support lost. "What, you thought you could play the games you already own on the new hardware you bought? Preposterous! However, we DO offer these slightly updated versions of a select few of your favourite games... just so you know". Think about how that would work for phones. Say I bought Muffin Knight on my iPhone 4S. Imagine that, when I upgraded to 5S, I was presented with only two options: either buying "Muffin Knight Remastered", or carrying both phones with me just in case.

This is nothing new, of course. I was miffed when MS/Sony nixed backwards compatibility, but there was always a technological motivation for it. Both companies had been flip-flopping between estoteric system designs that their successors weren't powerful enough to emulate. Fair enough. But now, when both companies seemingly are set to build subsidized x86 PCs going forward, one would hope that they are taking additional cues from the PC platform on the software side, bringing backwards compatibility back for as long as there is hardware on the market. If the prospect of re-releases is indeed an incentive for this not to happen, then I guess that's something I have gripes with.
 

cripterion

Member
It's because remasters despite having a low cost aren't free to make.

I simply do not understand the level of entitlement that goes with people. Just because a game gets re-released on a better system does not mean you should get the new game for free. When I buy a game on PS3/360, I am getting the game on PS3/360. That's what I paid for and that's what you paid for. You did not pay for the right to get subsequent re-releases or any other system. There are not many industries that regularly offers free upgrades to things. Gaming is no different.

And yes, you ARE paying for the same thing as before. When you buy a remaster its game that has already been released just prettier. For me if its a game I love its a worthy upgrade that I am more than happy to pay for at the right price.

Acting like you are owed something you didn't pay for. That's entitlement.

Having said that, I will be very grateful and consider it a nice gesture if a company offers me an upgrade option for a game I previously owned.

I didn't say we should get the game for free, my point was it was diverting ressources (as in time to do something else) from the devs or else the game would indeed be free.
And sorry to say but there was a time when games got graphical updates on pc and we got those for free and they weren't called remasters, they were simply called patches.

My issue is with the price, yes call me entitled if you want but games are expensive here (up to 69.99€), so I was pretty pissed getting a shoddy experience with GTA V on 360, I thought the remaster would at least have a stable framerate and a decent online component but it's as bad as before.
 
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