I quite liked the concept a few years back when Apple and Google were talking about a Netflix-style subscription model for iOS/Android… a bit like Xbox Game Pass. The subscription would give you access to a bunch of games, and developers were paid royalties based on a mix of metrics like the game review score, number of downloads, average total time spent in game etc. It seemed like a good idea in that it aligned developers and players in the desire for genuinely good games, regardless of the game style or genre. It threw away the need for each game to find a way to monetize their players (which nearly always ends up in multiplayer endless cosmetic MTX nonsense).
Apple Arcade is still going and getting plenty of releases. I don’t know anyone buying it specifically but including it in Apple One (competitively priced subscription for most Apple services) means lots of people have access to it. Me and my partner use it a lot. It’s very nice knowing that those games won’t try to shove microtransactions down my throat.
I had the same thought initially, and unfortunately it wasn’t just GTA. However, IMHO Diablo II Resurrected was an amazing exception, and I’m sure there are others. Plus, the OP’s question was probably about an ideal case and they wanted to know what people have been missing from the past.
Realistically, I wouldn’t expect a decent comeback of Guitar Hero 3 for example, but it sucks that it doesn’t really work on Win10/11 anymore, and while Clone Hero exists, it doesn’t have the same “story” mode as GH3 had, with characters, milestones and such. Hell, you can’t even get “booed out”.
Too bad that as you mentioned, even if there was demand, a random big company would just buy the rights, do some lazy upscale and sell it like it was gourmet shit.
Ah, yes, that infamous barrel. Claims many a hedgehog’s life due to timing out. I did actually manage once or twice as a kid to get under it through fast and clever jumping, until I only learned in adulthood that you’re supposed to move the D-pad up and down to control it. Really doesn’t help that the game doesn’t show you before how to control a barrel like that, and that stage can push players to the edge of danger timewise with or without that barrel.
I imagine as kids we eventually got through it on accident. Like out of frustration we mashed the down button to make our jump land harder and it actually worked xD
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