Over the past few years, we’ve seen a huge rise in nostalgia for the 80s. perhaps it should not be a surprise that we are also seeing a growing trend in retro gaming. Gamers are missing classics from the early days of consoles, and are also longing to recapture the magic of early arcade experiences. Let’s learn more about this trend and how it has developed since the pandemic began.
Retro Gaming Got Big During the Lockdown
A lot of people found themselves bereft of their usual routines during the 2020 lockdown. As a result, many turned to gaming for entertainment—and quite a few found themselves reaching for the past. That makes a lot of sense, since nostalgia can comfort us during uncertain times. We can escape into happy memories, which was something a lot of people needed in order to cope with increased anxiety and stress during 2020.
As this article in Engineering and Technology mentioned last year, the website Retrogames.co.uk experienced a 30% spike in sales during the lockdown, which was a record for the site. The article adds, “Prices of famous mini consoles and their games has gone up by as much as half since April, according to Keepa.com … Prices for the NES Classic and Super NES Classic Edition spiralled, as did those for original editions of the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation One platforms.”
Retro Gaming is Still Hot in 2021
Many people are now getting vaccinated and returning to some of their previous routines. But interest in classic games has not waned. If anything, it is still growing. USA Today reported on the popularity of retro games in May 2021, saying “Many [gamers] are buying cabinets for the home, including replicas of classic coin-operated (“coin-op”) games and pinball machines.”
Most recently, gamers have started to invest in old cathode ray tubes (CRTs). As an article in Wired explains, CRTs actually have a lot going for them, despite their clunky sizes and weights. They feature high contrast, brightness, and deep colors. The article quotes Jordan Starkweather, creator of @CRTpixels on Twitter, explaining, “Vintage games weren’t designed to look as sharp as we are used to seeing them on HDTVs … They utilized the unique characteristics of a CRT display in order to blend pixels and create details that don’t come across on an LCD screen.” So, retro games often look a lot better when displayed on the technology they were made for.
A lot of old video games displayed vector graphics for vector displays, which were specialized types of CRTs. Some examples include Asteroids, Mine Storm, Lunar Lander, Tempest, Star Castle, and others. Vector art has remained popular for a wide range of applications, however. Indeed, vector stock images are used for creative projects by individuals as well as companies.
Now you know a bit more about the growing interest in retro gaming. Playing classic games is a great way to discover more about the roots of gaming while indulging in nostalgia. So, dust off that old CRT that is in your basement, and get back to playing some retro favorites.