Why There Is No Future For Old Games

[DoctorM]

When I built my current system and put a 64-bit OS on it I was gut punched that it wouldn't run old 16-bit software.
So I did what probably everyone else is doing: I installed Windows Virtual PC/Windows XP mode.

My Windows 7 now runs old incompatible software just fine in an XP box. I don't see that going away any time soon and it's a good answer for old games that have been left behind.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows7/install-and-use-windows-xp-mode-in-windows-7

 

[Hutzpah Chicken]

... the only way to run yesterday's games is to own yesterday's hardware.

I never got this attitude from PC gamers, as if consoles turned into dust whenever a new generation comes along.
Dude, man, Shamus: my PS2 works fine.

The more moving parts, the skeevier a console can get as time goes on. I've gone through 2 PS2's since 2003, yet my Sega Master System has worked perfectly since 1986.

The systems will still exist in the future, but will all the inter-connectivity still be around? Probably not, as the companies will discontinue those services or something without removing all the DRM crap from the games that require the companies servers. It would take an industrious community to keep things afloat.

Besides, Truxton is all ya need.

 

[Johnny Impact]

Things are getting easier, not harder. Remember when you had to install a new peripheral from a disk, and if it didn't work, there was no alternative? When every device had a unique plug, and then it all changed to USB? When you couldn't get new drivers any time of the day or night over the Internet? Having to manually change DMA and IRQ settings for certain games, and then games started using custom settings by themselves? When 100MB of hard drive was considered a lot? Remember processor speeds under 1GHz?

With the monstrous capabilities and ease of use future machines are sure to have, I figure we'll be able to load a Windows emulator, graphics card emulator, plus the entirety of Skyrim or whatever, and just play it the way we play original Doom and XCOM today. Probably with no more than a double-click.

Tracking down the right emulator may be more difficult, but the fact that someone expressed concern means someone else is already archiving drivers. Nothing really goes away on the Internet. Everything survives somewhere. There will always be a way to get old games, and someone will always make them playable (for a certain value of playable -- I've yet to find a good PS1 emulator). Publishers and copyright holders will put it out there themselves, or they'll lose to the pirates. Either way, gamers win.

EDIT: (glances upward) Ha! Truxton! That takes me back. I remember a buddy and I stayed up all night in his tiny basement bedroom blasting away. Gotta respect the classics. Just Truxton, though? Really? What about

Toejam & Earl
Mutant League Football
Sonic 2 / 3 / & Knuckles
Golden Axe
Revenge of Shinobi
Phantasy Star II / IV
Gaiares
Streets of Rage 2
Gunstar Heroes
Landstalker
Earthworm Jim
Ghouls & Ghosts
Lemmings
Kid Chameleon

 

[ryukage_sama]

This seems to be mistakenly fatalistic. Maintaining the playability of old games IS difficult, but it is hardly without a future. Perhaps this article is deliberately goading people to prove him wrong. There are enough resourceful, innovative nostalgics among gamers to find the means to accomplish this.

 

[Robyrt]

However, while it has become a bit harder, there still seems to be a solution to every problem. I haven't yet come across an old game that I simply cannot play. Sure, console companies don't make backwards compatible hardware, but you can get emulators on the PC that play most, if not all of the games from consoles going back many generations.

The classic example of a game that just doesn't respond well to compatibility settings is Fire Fight, an obscure Epic Games title that never installed anything at all. The soundtrack was stored as CD audio on the game disc, all working files were copied to C:\TEMP on startup, and the save games were stored directly in the Windows registry. The game refuses to run from anywhere but your primary disc drive as an anti-piracy measure. Understandably, Windows isn't thrilled about any of those features these days, and even "Run in Windows 95 mode" won't let the game update its own registry keys while it's running!

 

[evilhippo]

"but because of the wonderful DMCA, it is illegal to do so"

Only if you are in the USA, which about 6.7 billion people aren't ;-)

Oh and thanks the God I don't believe it that I hovered over that first link and looked before clicking on it! Friends don't trick friends into visiting Kotaku, ok?

 

[Karadalis]

Kinda have to disagree with Shamus on the emulation of old windows versions.

We can currently emulate entire consoles on PC that no one had thought possible... heck they even managed to create a beast of a Playstation portable emulator and a NDS emulator that even implemented a workaround for the touchscreen (you use it per mouse)

If people are determined enough to get shit done, they get shit done. Never underestimate people that really REALLY want to play a certain type of game.

Usually its just a matter of time till people work out how to emulate these consoles, and the same should be true for windows since all these consoles have their very own operating systems that have to be emulated too, and the only holdup for people is usually security measures put in by the console fabricator to keep people from doing what they have been doing for the past couple of years... getting console games to run on PC with the help of emulators.

But have to agree with the IP hoggery... these people are complete retards... its like they dont want to make money.

 

[McGuinty1]

Speaking of driver layer problems, I recently tried to resurrect my old PC copies of Splinter Cell and SC: Chaos Theory, and was displeased to find that while both ran and played ok, the projection lighting system, especially in the first game, was totally fucked on newer hardware. The lighting system that is so so important to the atmosphere and gameplay is basically non-functional. I ended up buying the first 3 games in their re-release form on PS3, which of course will also be lost to time once that console gives up the ghost. Like tears in the rain, my friends.

 

[BlackBark]

Snip

The classic example of a game that just doesn't respond well to compatibility settings is Fire Fight, an obscure Epic Games title that never installed anything at all. The soundtrack was stored as CD audio on the game disc, all working files were copied to C:\TEMP on startup, and the save games were stored directly in the Windows registry. The game refuses to run from anywhere but your primary disc drive as an anti-piracy measure. Understandably, Windows isn't thrilled about any of those features these days, and even "Run in Windows 95 mode" won't let the game update its own registry keys while it's running!

I'm sure you're right, there will always be cases where things are more difficult. However, I did do a quick google search for Firefight and found a link to a version that claimed to be Windows XP compatible. Even if you don't have XP anymore, it's easy enough to get a virtual machine with XP and then you could play it. I didn't actually try it out, and I'm sure there are some old games that are unplayable nowadays, but I haven't yet found an old game that I want to play and can't.

 

[Requia]

While WINE is limited, it's also not going anywhere. You'll still be able to play the windows games it currently runs in ten years (and likely a few more). Open source is a forever thing.

Virtualization is also becoming a viable option (though that hits the same DRM problem) with it being possible to get decent graphics performance on good hardware (its a system board limit mostly, cheaper Intel processors aren't any good either). Though I'm not 100% sure that'll still work if your graphics card doesn't support the version of windows you use.

This does nothing to deal with the licensing and DRM problems of course, but the technical side is already being solved thanks to people who just hate windows (though you might need to install Linux, or get a Steambox).

 

[wildstars]

I don't agree with the statement about hardware/OS versions. I'm no longer the Windows expert I used to be, but back when I had my MCSE, Microsoft used to beat you up on the exams about Windows on Windows (WoW). Basically the version of windows you are running can emulate many previous versions of windows. It'll do this automatically a good bit of the time, but you can manually force it using the compatibility mode options. I just looked at theme hospital (don't judge, it was free), and I can run it on my windows 7 pc in anything as old as windows 95. I'm not sure I agree with the statements about DX9 versions and helper libraries, but its been a long time since I had to worry about them. Which probably says a lot, since I run old games all the time on windows 7 with little problems.

And then there is visualization. The stuff you can do with VMWare or natively in windows with remote desktop 8 is amazing. RD8 supports virtual GPUs (for virtual DX11). It blows my mind that Microsoft even considered that, let alone implemented it. Finally a reason to order Nvidia Titans for corporate servers.

Also, there is an old game that may invalidate most of the article: "Descent: Freespace 2."
And its a year older than No One Lives Forever.

I don't know about NOLF, but I've been dying to play NOLF2 for the past two weeks. If I can figure out where the CDs are stashed, I'm gonna see how it runs on modern HW/OS.

Honestly, the more I think about it, I can think of specific games/services that invalidate many of these points. I don't have time for that, I've got to go find my NOLF2 CDs.

 

[Jorpho]

Raymond Chen was one of the developers on Windows 95 and writes a fairly interesting blog about the design decisions that went into it. Over in this post [https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ff625273.aspx] we learn that the Windows 95 compatibility layer actually contains a giant glob of Windows 95 code because there was no hope of replicating its heap manager otherwise.

Freely available is a bonus chapter from his book, "The Old New Thing", entitled "How to Ensure That Your Program Does Not Run Under Windows 95". Turns out a lot of those old DOS programs were written very much the Wrong Way, and getting Windows 95 to run those involved a great truckload of custom fixes.
http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/9780321440303/samplechapter/Chen_bonus_ch02.pdf

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

 

[RicoADF]

What about preservation of source codes? Note: I know nothing about programming and all my guesses about source codes are based on my own interpretation of games with open ones.

If a game has its source code made public, couldn't it be made compatible with modern PCs? I know we cannot guess about how future computers will work and this entirely excludes consoles but as far as preserving old games, couldn't having access to the game's source code allow a small group of people to get many games running again on newer hardware?

If that were possible, we would just need some sort of tyrant to take over the world and make it law that games have to release their source codes after X amount of time. That shouldn't be too hard though.

I point to Freespace 2 as an example of this, that game has not only been patched and fixed it has had features and graphics enhancements that rival most 'HD' remakes. Thank god Volition released the source code.

Unfortunately most games wont (or can't) do this, usually for legal bullcrap.

 

[geier]

Shamus, Shamus, Shamus ..... there are PS3 Emulaters for the PC on the internet. Do you realy belive in 20 years there will be no one that can make "Call of Crapdooty" or "Modern Shitware" work on Windows 28? I seriously doubt it.

 

[Grampy_bone]

DO NOT question emulators. We have emulation of things as recent as the Wii. I can run DS emulation at 60fps on my 6 yr old gaming laptop. Old games will be fine, but the multiplayer experience will be forgotten, or, not entirely.

If the modern trend is anything to go by multiplayer genre's will be kept alive by indies, or heck ppl still playing that old game. Jedi Knight Academy is still kicking with a userbase dedicated to dueling. And if you want a modern equivalent, look at the independent title, Blade Symphony. Things simply don't die. They are remade. Where there is potential profit there is are mediocrely talented indie devs looking to cash in.

Yes, this. If no one ever manages to emulate Windows, it would be the exception, not the rule. We have emulators for every OS and console ever made, why would Windows be any different? Not to mention we can just create a virtual PC and run any OS we want on it. Hobbyists setting up virtual windows environment to run old games is very probable in the future.

When Shamus points out that you can buy a 100 year old book, he doesn't mention that you can only buy the *good* 100 year old books. How many countless works have been lost to history because they didn't keep selling and it wasn't worth it to preserve them or reprint them? We'll probably never know.

The reality is that despite the doom-and-gloom attitude in this article the gaming industry is way ahead of the curve compared to every other medium. While old film reels from groundbreaking early movies were melted down and made into shoes, gaming enthusiasts have preserved every game from every console and platform going back to the dawn of gaming. You can download any ROM for any old console you want, you can go to a website and play every single DOS game ever released.

I think the real problem is the game industry doesn't want to preserve old games because they don't like the competition. They do not like being judged against every game that has ever been released. It's why they seem to forget about any game that came out more than a year or two ago, let alone a decade or more.

http://gamasutra.com/blogs/FelipePepe/20150211/236041/The_Ministry_of_Hype_The_danger_of_letting_the_gaming_industry_curate_its_own_history.php

 

[viranimus]

Interesting.

Seems that the exodus of staff unearthed something I personally had thought was long since buried. I guess with the other content on the site it made Mr Young's contributions less noticeable and in its absence makes it more prominent, something I wish I hadnt noticed.

There is just so much wrong with this assessment. Mostly it boils down to misunderstandings of the technology. When it isnt, what is worse is taking the role of industry apologist that makes the error of accepting things that are wrong with the industry simply because they are present, and distinctly caused by such apologists.

Now, like many of these types of articles, this seems to be a case of falling bass ackwards into a correct headline, but doing so with flawed reasoning.

Yes old games technically have no future. Its not because of the stated reasons in so much as it has more to do with the fact that if the IP is profitable... they are never allowed to become old and exist in a constant state of "we want you to buy it again" limbo, Or if it does not seem worth the IP holders time, investment and effort, it is shunted and summarily buried, specifically so as the property cannot be resurrected. Then the industry has been allowed to engage in this an economic hunt against consumers not buying the newest shiniest and highest priced thing. They not only do not want to put out production costs for old versions of software devoid illogical control over the software, They will fight tooth and nail against consumers for having no alternative but to buy used copies because they feel they were entitled to that sale.

I could go into each point breaking down how the reasoning is flawed, but its not an essay I want to rewrite yet again. Ill just close by saying that there are a LOT of problems facing the future of old games, but these are either not among them, or so low down the ladder they are hardly worth mentioning by comparison.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

c) all electronics aren't designed to eventually break down so you'll buy new ones.

I hate to inform you of a universal scientific law called "entropy" that basically means everything eventually breaks down no matter what. So, whether or not things are "intentionally" made to break down, there is nothing on this planet man- or universe-made that doesn't break down eventually.
So your third point is just cynically moot and I'd advise you to just use the first two.

I maintain all of my legacy hardware as best as I can, replacing bits that may no longer function or function less optimally, but I'm aware eventually the parts will run out and I will no longer be able to use those consoles, but as far as "made to break so you'll buy new ones" is something I've yet to encounter in my 25 years as a gamer. I won't deny I've broken plenty of machines myself mind you, but I've not once had a console just up and die on me for no reason except years of constant usage. Which, if you're aware of how heat expansion works, eventually fucks up the machine so that it no longer functions optimally then eventually just stops working. Thats not how they're designed, thats how the universe works.

 

[Casual Shinji]

c) all electronics aren't designed to eventually break down so you'll buy new ones.

I hate to inform you of a universal scientific law called "entropy" that basically means everything eventually breaks down no matter what. So, whether or not things are "intentionally" made to break down, there is nothing on this planet man- or universe-made that doesn't break down eventually.
So your third point is just cynically moot and I'd advise you to just use the first two.

No, no piece of electronic equipment lasts forever, but they can be made to last longer than they actually do. Yet they intentionally aren't.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

c) all electronics aren't designed to eventually break down so you'll buy new ones.

I hate to inform you of a universal scientific law called "entropy" that basically means everything eventually breaks down no matter what. So, whether or not things are "intentionally" made to break down, there is nothing on this planet man- or universe-made that doesn't break down eventually.
So your third point is just cynically moot and I'd advise you to just use the first two.

No, no piece of electronic equipment lasts forever, but they can be made to last longer than they actually do. Yet they intentionally aren't.

You realize too that the older systems only ran on very small power supplies whereas as time progressed so did the amount of power we push through the newer systems. More power = more heat, more heat = more expansion and degradation of those parts. Heatsinks and fans only mitigate these issues but they don't solve it. Maybe in the future if we find a way to make processors that don't use a lot of power and generate a lot of heat they won't degrade as fast, but until then, the more powerful the system is, the more likely it is to last a lot shorter than the previous generation. That isn't the companies who make those systems cheating customers, thats just how things work.
I know in your cynical view, any time an issue like this crops up you're going to just blame the big bad corporations for being greedy and selling us things that eventually will break down so we're forced to buy new ones.

I'll tell you my experience and, if your cynicism can move out of the way for a moment and you can listen you might learn something.

I've owned an XBOX 360 that was released on launch day, it lasted up until I sold it a few years ago to a friend since I'd acquired a 360 Elite and preferred the hard drive space on it. As far as I'm aware, my old 2005 360 STILL works, and that's because my friend and I take care of our equipment. I've had one PS3 burn out on me, and that was fairly recently, and thats after nearly 4 years of running that thing constantly (power supply died). I've also an 80gb A01 PS3 that still runs, plays PS2 and PS3 games and doesn't show any signs of breaking down.

Sure systems do break down, but I'd bet my left testicle that most of the people who ***** and moan that their system was a piece of shit designed to break down so they'd buy a new one have no idea how to maintain these things, nor how to properly store them in well ventilated areas, clean the dust out of them (not just taking compressed air and blowing out the vents but cracking them open and actually de-dusting the whole thing). It can be done but most people are too lazy or uninformed to do so.
These are the same people who wonder why their cars break down because they didn't change the oil or check their fluids or rotate their tires or do any basic maintenance.

And yes there are systems that do break down despite all of this, but one has to remember they're not hand made, they're factory assembled and there's guaranteed to be a few that shouldn't pass inspection but do anyway because either the inspector is tired, bored, hates his/her job... whatever.

So yes you can blame the corporations for these systems "breaking down so quickly" but in all honesty thats a load of bullshit. If it weren't, I'd not have half the systems in my possession that work just fine.

I can't attest to the lifespan of the newest systems like the XB1 or PS4 because I haven't had them long enough but I'd bet that as long as I don't run them 24/7, keep them as dust free as possible and ensure they're well ventilated, they'll last a long time.

 

[darthxaos]

This is why pirates are actually good for gaming. Yeah, they may not be good for the bean counters and suits, but without the pirates to crack DRM, make emulators, and such, we really WOULD be in danger of losing our history.

Also fuck the Walt Disney company, the politicians in their pocket, and their creation of eternal copyright.