The Power of Nostalgia Can’t Be Underestimated
Nostalgia is a powerful force in the entertainment industries. In short, this is because entertainment companies are less than enthusiastic about risk, not least because their projects can come with millions and millions of dollars in costs. As a result, it makes a lot of sense for entertainment companies to revive products that were popular in the past.
First, this is because said products have pre-established customer bases, meaning that it should be easier to convince said individuals to buy them. Second, this is because said products can invoke memories of the past, which is useful because nostalgia tends to have positive connotations for most people. Combined, it is no wonder that such a wide range of products are being released for the purpose of appealing to people’s sense of nostalgia, with an excellent example being the classic consoles that are coming out.
What Is the PlayStation Classic?
One excellent example is the PlayStation Classic, which was revealed in September of 2018. In short, it is a new video game console based on the PlayStation console. However, people who have seen its appearance should have no problems telling it apart from its predecessor, not least because it is so miniaturized that it is around 80 percent smaller in volume.
Unfortunately, the PlayStation Classic isn’t a true miniaturized copy of the PlayStation but rather a dedicated video game console based upon it, meaning that while it will come with a set of pre-installed PlayStation games made playable via emulation, it won’t be compatible with additional PlayStation games.
Due to this, the set of pre-installed games should be the single most important factor in whether interested individuals will buy it or not. This is particularly true because it has been stated that no new games will be added to the set once the PlayStation Classic, meaning that what comes with it will be it. Unfortunately, the full list of 20 games hasn’t been revealed at this point in time, Instead, no more than five at known, which would be Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash!, R4: Ridge Racer Type 4, Tekken 3, and Wild Arms.
As a result, interested individuals should continue to pay attention because the full list is bound to be released sooner or later, though they will want to make sure that they are reading the right list. This is because it has been stated that some of the games on the list will remain the same from region to region, whereas others will not, which makes sense because the PlayStation Classic is such a nostalgia-driven product.
What Is the NES Classic Edition?
In a sense, the NES Classic Edition can be considered the predecessor to the PlayStation Classic. This is because it was a dedicated video game console based on the NES that was released in 2016 but has since been re-released in 2018. Something that was necessary because Nintendo released no more than a small number of units, which was far from being sufficient to meet the demand of all of the interested individuals out there.
Some people have speculated that this was an intentional move on Nintendo’s part for the purpose of stirring up interest in the NES Classic Edition. However, most people tend to believe that it was nothing more sinister than an underestimate of consumer interest by Nintendo, which is something that happens to even the biggest companies from time to time.
Regardless, the NES Classic Edition comes with a set of 30 pre-installed games. Like the PlayStation Classic, some of the pre-installed games are common to all of the regions in which it is sold, while others are exclusive to certain markets. Some examples of the common games include but are not limited to Castlevania, Donkey Kong, and Super Mario Bros., which were popular across all of the regions.
Meanwhile, some examples of the games exclusive to the NA and PAL regions include Bubble Bobble, Final Fantasy, and Tecmo Bowl, while some examples of the games exclusive to the JA region include Final Fantasy III, River City Ransom, and Solomon’s Key. Naturally, this means that interested individuals should make their decisions based on the list of games that are available to them in their particular part of the world.
Which Classic Console Wood You Play?
People who are interested in these classic consoles shouldn’t let other people influence their decisions too much. This is because they are the ones who understand their video game preferences the best, meaning that they are the ones in the best position to make the best decisions. Certainly, it can be helpful for them to listen to the opinions of other people for the purpose of helping them make a more informed decision than otherwise possible.
However, if they let other people’s opinions influence them so much that they are effectively having their decision made for them, they could end up regretting it, particularly since nostalgia is something that can see significant variation from person to person.
Further Considerations
These two dedicated video game consoles are not the only dedicated video game consoles to have been released in recent times. For example, Nintendo has also released the SNES Classic Edition, which is based on the Super NES. Due to the successes of said products, it seems probable that companies will continue to make more of them, which is good for a number of reasons.
For instance, there are a lot of games out there that are worth playing but are so old that getting a hold of them through legitimate means has become a huge hassle. As a result, dedicated video game consoles give interested individuals either a way to re-experience their memories or a way to play something new in a simple and straightforward manner. On top of this, dedicated video game consoles tend to be “plug-n-play” in nature, meaning that they offer a huge measure of convenience for interested individuals. Something that more standard video game consoles can’t match.
