This Is How To Resurrect A Dying Video Game

The Age Of Digital Ressurection

There are new game shops in town, and they’re not on the high street. Digital stores like Steam are the new kings and queens of distribution. One quick transaction (and maybe a few mind-numbing hours of downloading), and any game from indie-darlings to AAA releases are available on your chosen console. Hardcopy sales are no longer the be-all and end-all of a game’s success, making game resurrection finally possible!

Catherine is now available on PC and Nintendo Switch, and thanks to Xbox's acquisition of Zenimax, the sequel of the cult-classic Psychonauts will acquire additional content. Even 2012’s Frog Fractions - a crazy genre-bending browser game - has recently moved to Steam in light of Flash’s imminent demise at the end of the year.

Cult games have found second lives on digital stores as remasters with updated graphics and bug fixes. Re-releases keep what made these games special while providing smooth gameplay experiences and attached discussion forums. And with multiplayer more accessible than ever, gamers can play alongside fellow fans on their favourite resurrected games (although I still haven't forgiven 2K Games for pushing multiplayer onto Spec Ops: The Line). In essence, the digital landscape of the gaming industry finally allows for the rediscovery and revival of long-dead games.

While digital stores are a life-saver for indie developers and cult games, they aren’t wholly absolved for killing off games. The cult-hit Scott Pilgrim vs The World was until recently (thanks Nintendo) entirely dead in the water when PlayStation took it off their network. P.T. is another game that has taken an additional blow as it will not be transferable to the upcoming PS5 – Konami yet again shoots itself in the foot.