In all areas of the entertainment industry, we tend to go back to what we know. Discovering new music, games and films is obviously exciting, but we all like to return to our old favorites. It is the feeling that we will know what we are getting that draws us back in – enjoyment guaranteed.
This is why reboots, remakes and reworkings are so popular and so prevalent. Nostalgia is big business and the gaming industry is no different from any others. If it sells, then it will sell again. But why do we like a reboot?
A well-worn path
Hollywood and the film industry are possibly the biggest proponents of rebooting successful products for newer audiences. Sequels have always been big business in the movies, but the current trend of rebooting classic favorites has seen some very familiar films and characters re-emerging.
Movie fans might well go back to watch their favorites over and over again, but there is not always a lot of money in that. That is why a reboot is seen as preferable. Updating a story and getting rid of any parts that didn’t quite work mean that not only will it attract a new audience but it will also entice those older fans to see if it can live up to the classic that they remember.
Newer consoles, more reboots
At the PlayStation and Xbox end of the gaming world, there is another very good reason why reboots appear. Unlike films, once a higher-spec and faster console is brought onto the market, it is rare for even the biggest fans of a game to go back to their old console. The technological advances mean that gamers will always want to play the best version.
However, these people will still like the idea of playing their favorite games – so reboots and remasters are the obvious answer. Thanks to the advanced technology, a classic game can be tweaked to work at an even better level while also ticking the nostalgia box.
Online betting
It is not just the high-level gaming consoles that get in on the reboot action though. The online casino market is huge and there are thousands of games played by customers all over the world every day. These sites cater specifically for their audience and know that a familiar game – or slot – will be a big winner.
Rebooting a classic such as the Thundercats slots game works on a number of levels. Not only is it a game that people remember from ten years previously, but it is also a well-loved cartoon in the first place. These slots developers have been rebooting films and TV shows for a long time, as the brand recognition is a great selling point.
Stakers.com has a number of games available to its customers that not only tie in with well-known shows but are also reboots of games that their gamers remember the first time around. As long as the reboot is playable and offers contemporary features, it is likely to work well.
The success of franchises
Unlike straight sequels, which have been known to flop if they are not done properly, franchise games are almost a guaranteed moneymaker for the industry as gamers are desperate to see how the newest version of the game compares to their favorite.
Classics such as Final Fantasy, Grand Theft Auto and Tomb Raider are well known to the consumer and are therefore a safer bet than a completely new game. With a quick reboot of the basic premise, a familiar storyline can be used to great effect. A modern twist given to older classics is a great way to get a customer base engaged again – and also to attract new, younger fans.
Reboots are here to stay
Whether it is the classic old jackpot slots getting a modern updating on betting sites, or the latest franchise game being updated thanks to the technological advance of consoles, it is highly unlikely that we will see the end of reboots.
On a purely financial note, these rebooted games are much cheaper to develop and more of a sure-fire winner than brand-new titles. As customers, we like what we already know, so both sides of the industry are happy.
Classic games are classic for a reason, and if new versions can improve on something that is already well loved, then that works for all involved.
