The Retro Gaming Boom

In this technology-based world of ours, sometimes the more simple products appeal. People now have endless opportunities to stream movies, there are impressive health trackers for our wrists, and we’re even swiping right with ease as we attempt to find love on the array of dating apps that are out there. When assessing the gaming sphere, the advancements have been particularly immense.

From augmented reality and virtual reality options to live gaming opportunities and a rise in the number of users downloading smartphone games, it’s a category of entertainment that has never been so diverse. Despite the array of options that are now out there, there is still, somewhat evidently, an appetite for retro games.

For example, options like the Plinko gambling game, which is a Provably Fair game backed by the blockchain for verifying the casino results and is a title that encapsulates the appetite for retro games, are making a comeback as casino gamers look for gaming alternatives to supplement the array of graphically advanced and immensely detailed titles that are typically accessible. We’re even seeing the emergence of other classic games that are making a comeback also, such as Sonic the Hedgehog and DOOM I and II.

The retro gaming market is consolidating and setting record sales

Alongside the downloadable options on mobile and a selection of other consoles is the emergence of modern-day gamers now snapping up an array of retro gaming products. These types of classic options are going for vast sums of money, too. For instance, a Legend of Zelda cartridge for a Nintendo console was snapped up for a staggering $870,000. Even more amazingly, a Super Mario 64 cartridge was sold for a humongous $1.56M. The evident boom in retro gaming products has created a new and exciting market, with the market initially coming to life in France around eight years ago. Since then, the playing and collecting of classic video games and the consoles they can be housed on has reached new heights.

Prominent modern options are being replaced by classic consoles

Although hugely advanced games consoles, such as a PlayStation 5, serve up mightily impressive graphics and a comprehensive selection of high-quality gaming opportunities, the games that came before them and essentially helped shape the gaming sphere today appear to be making a comeback. Staff at Last Level Games in Norwich are experiencing the same type of boom, with an array of customers looking for a nostalgia-filled gaming adventure. Martin Kay, who works at the shop, said: “Games of a certain generation have gone up as people look for some nostalgia. Collectors of the age who grew up with video games want to rediscover their youth, and they now have the disposable income to buy what they want.”

Even younger gamers are collecting

While Martin Kay is correct and senior gamers are snapping up classic gaming products more than any other consumers, younger gamers are also collecting. In the same way that diehard music lovers seek out collectible items to do with a favorite band or Premier League soccer fans try to track down classic memorabilia from back in the day, modern-day gamers, particularly between the ages of 20 and 30, are being introduced to retro gaming. Some people purchase old consoles that have been given a modern makeover, while others search for iconic titles that were released on much-loved consoles, such as the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. While there is a need to beware of any counterfeit products that can occasionally be online, the sheer amount of retro gaming opportunities suggests that it’s a growing market that will only continue to thrive, despite the large number of advanced gaming platforms that we can access with ease in 2023. Sometimes, no matter how detailed a particular gaming option is, you just can’t beat a classic.