It is a known fact in the modern world that the amount of technology in our lives is forever growing. However, different people will want different functions from their technology.
It is a known fact in the modern world that the amount of technology in our lives is forever growing. However, different people will want different functions from their technology. Some people may want to experience the latest gadgets and games to stay in touch with all their family and their peer groups, whilst others may want to kick back with some more ‘vintage’ products, whether that is an older model of mobile phone or even a music track that was most popular back in the late 1980’s. These phases can occur at any point in a person’s life, and I have personal experience of it. When I was younger I was into a completely different set of technology than I am now. At the moment, I enjoy playing games that are considered retro, and listening to music that is considered ‘outdated’.
However, over the years I have seen that film and games markets move closer and closer to promoting these ‘old fashioned’ products. Take Ministry of Sound for example. They have just released ‘ Electronic 80’s 3’. Now, the title is enough to put most people off, so it’s clear that this product is aimed at specific target audience. I did pick it up though, and I was impressed at the number of memories it brought back for me, most of them from games I played in years gone by. It almost seems like some brands want us to remember the good old days, and I’m beginning to believe that this isn’t a completely bad thing.
The event that set this off in my mind was when Disney bought out Lucas Film about a month ago. It made me realise that a lot of movie franchises have been doing this lately, for example Marvel Studios, who were also bought by Disney. A brand new sequel was made, years after the last one, for Indiana Jones (Also owned by Lucas Film) a few years back, with the fourth instalment. The film could have been a lot better in my opinion, and was incredibly silly at times. They will be doing the same thing in 2015 with a new Star Wars film, episode 7. It seems like everyone is catching on that digital entertainment is not at its best these days, and companies are doing their best to cash in on the successes of the past rather than making new ideas with these new sequels years after their predecessors.
It’s not just music and films that are jumping on the retro bandwagon these days. In the last year, I have seen a massive amount of ‘HD Collections’ arrive on retail shelves. These compilations feature between two or three repackaged retro games from years gone by, with updated visuals and features to make the product more appealing to a current market that could match a current day release, to a certain extent. These collections include ‘Metal Gear Solid’, ‘Silent Hill’ and ‘Jak and Daxter’, and there is no sign of them stopping anytime soon. I purchased the ‘MGS’ collection, but only because I was so in love with those games at the time of their release. In all honesty, I think it is a great idea, as it gives players of current generation games a chance to relive the gaming classics, and that can only be a good thing.
There is no way anyone can know what the future holds for films, games and music. I think eventually people will go back to preferring and craving new content from their favourite brands. What is positive here though, is that this so-called ‘vintage’ content will always be available to consumers whenever they need a change of pace in their digital, modern lifestyles.
