For many keen gamers out there, you may be wondering if retro gaming is still popular in today’s gaming community.
Before the likes of your modern triple AAA games that thundered onto the market, there were old games. These games, believe it or not, came before the block-busters that you see and play today! These old games as they would now be regarded, were the block-busters of their day. These retro games were 2d & 3d games that were available on PC and console from the 1970s to the 00s. That is over 40 years of games.
Due to the long-enduring popularity of these classic games spanning multiple decades, many older gamers are playing and revisiting these classic games. Some are introducing these games to their children too.
Retro gaming is more popular than ever with younger generations also being introduced to older titles. Retro gaming is still popular and has a large community of die-hard gamers bringing the old to the new. Many of these come-back retro games span multiple generations, with a healthy dose of nostalgia pushing these games back into the player’s hands – both young and old!
With a resurgence in retro gaming in recent years, more people than ever before now have access to older titles with younger audiences potentially being able to play these older games on emulators or as re-releases.
Examples of popular retro games that are still popular today are Classic Doom, Quake, Half-life, Monkey Island, and other games to name a few.
Retro gaming still very much has a place in people’s hearts. So, if you are wondering if people are still playing old games, here is a bit more to answer your question. Yes- retro gaming is popular – people do still play old computer games. But as a reader… you want to know a more.
Is retro gaming still popular? – the data
For those of you that want to steer away from plain old hearsay and the heartfelt responses of millennial gamers. I’ve collected some information and data that may further reaffirm that retro gaming is still popular today. Much of this data and information has been collected from across the internet, taken from the real world, and a bit of firsthand experience.
Retro gaming appeals to many gamers old and new due to the clean gameplay, lower time commitment, novelty, and originality that came with these games. Other common statements you will hear owning to older games’ popularity are; simple plug and play, ease of use, no paywalls or DLC, and microtransactions of methods of making money from the gamer post initial purchase.
Some of the older gamers hail from a golden purer time when it was just about the fun gameplay and the player.
Here are some other interesting facts that point to the popularity of retro games.
Are retro games popular – Trends data
I was gobsmacked to see just how popular retro games are according to trends data ( Google Trends
). When looking around Google Trends to explore the popularity of retro gaming, I was surprised to see that not only was retro gaming popular – it was becoming more popular! If a skeptic was to ask, do people still play old games? I would certainly be able to answer with some confidence. The trends data shows that more people are looking into retro gaming from 2004 to now. Although it should be noted that this is only one data source, it was surprising nonetheless.
According to the trends data, retro gaming is popular – at the time of writing this.
GOG and Steam still have retro games available
Would these platforms/companies offer or sell these games for their own entertainment?
Would these companies even list these games for their own entertainment – if they didn’t believe they could sell or at least give away retro games?
You would be surprised to learn that you can still buy old games among the new listings. I could be mistaken in assuming that these companies are listing these games for jollies. Investing company time and resources etc. But I would assume that, at the very least they are trying to continue to monetise on their old efforts in many of these circumstances.
Is retro gaming still popular? Old games are still being reviewed!
Listing and selling games on the likes of GOG or Steam is one thing, but the fact that they are still being discussed and reviewed is another.
For example, according to Steam’s review of classic Doom from 1993, this game is still being downloaded and played today. At the time of writing the post, Classic Doom ( Doom 1) has over 12,000 positive reviews!
With one person saying – paraphrased – “Best game ever, and most influential game ever!” on some days of the week, I would be inclined to agree.
It should also be noted that this was only being reviewed. The number of downloads was not mentioned on Steam. You can also find modern reviews of old games online.
People are still buying retro games second hand
Old games are available in second-hand shops and on eBay. After carrying out a short search on eBay, I can confirm that there are numerous listings on eBay full of old games, if I had the money, I would even consider making an offer. Judging by the numerous results on eBay, this would confirm that retro gaming is still very much popular.
Popular old games – gamers are still talking about them
Whether this is Reddit, Retro Gamer Magazine, Social media, or on the review sections on websites. I can confirm that gamers are still talking about retro games. Alluding further to retro gaming’s enduring popularity.
Indie games are still inspired by them – Popular Retro Genres
Have you played some of the newer indie games? Especially in 2D. As an ode to some of the games made in the past, their influence still endures. On the market you can buy 2D 8-bit pixel hack-and-slash games, you can also still buy point-and-click games or graphic adventures. Even if you were to say that some of these old games in themselves are no longer popular, the genres still are.
I cannot be an island in retro gaming
As a further testament to their popularity, I cannot be the only one that plays retro games from time to time.
I believe after reviewing the information above, I can confirm and feel assured that gamers are still playing retro games. And that they are still popular today. If you are a retro gamer, you no longer need to feel lonely.