It’s no secret that the latest technology is being used to create exciting new games. Huge gaming conventions like Gamescom and the Tokyo Game Show are filled with exhibitors showing how artificial intelligence (AI), the metaverse, and new game engines are being used to great effect. However, by looking at some recent examples, we can see how cutting-edge tech is also being used to revitalize classic games.
XBoxes and the Plan to Use AI to Revive Older Games
AI is already offering ways to make better games, with more realistic non-player characters (NPCs) among the clearest benefits to date. Last year, the first game fully created by AI was shown to the world. Called Oasis, it was created by Decart after getting $21 million in funding from backers. It creates the game as you play, generating a Minecraft-style world for players to explore.
- Yet, AI could also prove to be useful in another way, as Microsoft’s gaming division recently confirmed that it’s working on a generative AI model called Muse that it believes can bring older games back to life on newer platforms.
- The model was trained using the 2020 game Bleeding Theory, in partnership with Xbox Game Studios’ Ninja Theory.
- Muse isn’t being used to generate content yet but its emergence gives us an idea of how older and half-forgotten games might re-emerge in the future.
Online Themed Bingo Adds New Elements
Bingo is one of the oldest games still widely played today. It’s based on a 16th-century lottery-style game that was played in Europe. About a century ago, it reached the US and became a global hit in bingo halls throughout the second half of the 20th century.
While bingo halls have struggled to compete with modern gaming options, the rise of bingo online has attracted a new generation of players. One of the first things we notice when we try bingo games online for money is the variety of themes used. Bingo Goal, Bingo Cataratas, and Amazonia Bingo are among the bingo game versions currently available, with each offering a different kind of setting and gameplay. While the classic bingo gameplay is still used, jackpots, extra balls, and bonus rounds are among the features added to create a fresh way of playing online with the latest technology.
Retro Consoles As Part of the Current Wave of Nostalgia-Inspired Entertainment
A study recently carried out in the UK by Pringles discovered that old-school games remain hugely popular among almost three-quarters of the people surveyed. A quarter of those who were asked about their gaming habits confirmed that they own a retro console. These devices have undergone a huge surge in popularity in the last few years despite the ease with which we can find modern games on our smartphones.
Antstream Arcade provides a streaming service that allows players to choose from more than 1300 older games, some of which date back several decades. They use the latest streaming tech to make classic games available on the current generation of PCs, PlayStations, and Xboxes. According to studio head Mike Rouse, we could consider the release of the PS2 as the moment when we moved from classic gaming to the modern equivalent, although it’s likely that everyone has their own opinion based on when and how they started playing.
The Platform That Preserves Classics
Fans of older games may be shocked and horrified to learn that the Video Game History Foundation has revealed that almost 90% of all the games made before 2010 can no longer be played. This is likely to become an ever-bigger problem over time if nothing is done about it, as the release of new technology and ways of playing could make older games fall behind the times more quickly. This list of the top games currently includes titles going as far back as 2009´s League of Legends, but games could get outdated much faster if we aren’t careful.
The good news is that Polish distributor GOG has produced details of a gaming preservation program that it believes will allow us to keep playing past games with no time limit. Diablo and the classic trilogy of Resident Evil titles are among the games currently available. Crucially, the company uses ongoing updates to make sure that the games don’t lose their compatibility with new technology that gets launched over time.
What Can We Expect in the Future?
It seems certain that game developers use the best new tech to create eye-opening new ways of playing that take our gaming experiences in completely new and unexpected directions. However, it’s reassuring to know that plenty of people in the industry are looking for ways to ensure that classic games from years gone by don’t disappear.
Additional source: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/almost-90-of-classic-video-games-are-critically-endangered-and-its-only-getting-worse-preservation-study-warns
