Video games have been popular with people of all generations. However, at this moment, we’re at – probably – the best point in the history of gaming: several decades of producing great games, and a future that promises new wonders.
This article goes over some interesting trends and occurrences in retro consoles and games in 2024.
Retro Motifs, Modern Tech
Online gaming is convenient. Having a stable Internet connection by your side is the key prerequisite for this convenience.
From that starting point, you can get to any level and finish lines of retro games. If you like to play Hyper Olympic (also known as Track and Field) or Super Mario, your renewed vintage gaming experience is just a few clicks away. Search for what you want to play, find the right platform, and start your sessions.
Some websites, such as Best Plinko Casino, even offer retro iGaming visual and sound motifs, to make people feel as if it’s the 1980s and they’re in their early 20s. No wonder that Kate Bush re-rose to stardom in the last few years thanks to Stranger Things. We all like a pinch of nostalgia dressed in 21st-century digital comfort.
Simplicity Allures
The gaming industry has been gaining popularity for almost half a century now, ever since its dawn in the 1970s. Although it’s a well-known fact, it still sounds incredible that the global gaming revenue will have reached $453.30 billion in 2024. It’s supposed to grow by an annual rate of 7.93% in the 2024-2029 period.
Amidst this business and design race for stunning visual solutions, enhanced game engines, and new markets, some veteran gamers want their games neat and simple. That’s why they return to ISS Pro Evolution Soccer, Age of Empires, or Quake; simpler graphics, amusing gameplay, and, some fresh, feel-good nostalgia.
Renaissance of Mini Consoles
Nintendo has hit the bull’s eye with their Switch handheld console. Since its release in 2017, it has been successfully competing with Xbox and PS5, which are full-scale gaming consoles.
And if you stop and think for a moment, you’ll realize that Switch is actually a GameBoy’s grandchild (if Wii U is considered its child). The ergonomic position in the player’s hands, the ease of use, and gaming challenges all make Switch an interesting device for different generations.
Things pushed further in the last couple of years and now you can buy different retro gaming consoles. Some are well-kept, original consoles from the 1980s and 1990s, but there’s a significant share of newly produced devices with retro games. You can even order USB sticks with various retro games, plug them into your TV set, and get back to your youth.
80s Pop Culture Revival
We’ve mentioned Kate Bush and Stranger Things above. This is only one of dozens of references to the 1980s in the last few years that have resonated with audiences of various generations.
This isn’t a social study, so we won’t go deep into the reasons for such a revival. What’s obvious is that Millennials are now a huge global cohort of working people in their thirties and forties. They can afford to buy a retro gaming console, subscribe to Netflix, or pay to play their favorite oldies on gaming platforms. Also, they show such games to their children, so there’s a new line of retro games in the making.
No wonder Doom, Pac-Man, and The Legend of Zelda were among the most popular retro games in 2023.
We definitely have some exciting play times before us, with a mix of cutting-edge gaming technology and validated retro stuff.
