Retreads: I hate New Remakes (an op-ed)

[Whiterook]

So keep in mind, that this is my opinion and my opinion may be wrong   …but it’s my opinion:

I Hate New Remakes!

OK, so what the heck am I talking about? Game companies that sell a game, and then a few years later, reissue the game totally updated with new maps, new counters, new playing aids, new updated and in many cases different rules, and so on. And worse, all of what I just mentioned are the new norm, in the whole freaking game is like a brand new game!

So why the problem with this? I already spent about a hundred clams for the first go-around, and now they want a hundred and fifty (inflation) for the new version! That’s not an exaggeration, folks!!!

I subscribe to the oft-mentioned belief from other pissed off gamers that, if you (the game company) took their time and got it right the first time, you wouldn’t be shoving a completely revamped, retooled, retread at me. many games are rushed out these days; and many do not have sufficient playtesting to make sure they work. The result is, game companies *fixing* what they got wrong the first time and wanting to hawk the new version at you. At least in some cases, they offer an upgrade kit, but those are expensive, as well! Take an example of a Vietnam War game that just came back on Gamefound… I bought the original game, which originally retailed at $80 (I got it on a clearance sale for $48); it now costs $100 for the retread, with an option for a $40 update kit. Say in the worse case scenario of wanting the completely new games, old and then later as new, that’s $180 for what originally cost $80…that’s over double the original cost in game investment. 

And what do you do with the old game? Selling it is a pain in the ass, so my usual practice of the past has been to donate the original to a friend. Good Karma, but shitty economics.

Money doesn’t go as far as we’d like, and game companies aren't making that easy in this stupid practice or retreading games with completely different versions. Many will say, I should cut them some slack… but no… get it right the first time or go into the muffin top buisness like Elaine Bennis.

[mikeh]

Not into makeovers myself. Although I think I only have two, AH Russian Campaign and VG France 1944 both redone by Compass I believe. The originals are good enough for me.

[Whiterook]

Oct 4, 2024 10:55:41 GMT -5 mikeh said:

Not into makeovers myself. Although I think I only have two, AH Russian Campaign and VG France 1944 both redone by Compass I believe. The originals are good enough for me.

Glad I’m not the only one. I am guilty of buying retreads, but it has to be a game I REALLY like a lot! Still, even in those instances, it usually doesn’t work out for me…examples in point:

• Lock ‘N Load Publishing’s, World at War ‘85 was the retread under the new ownership of LNLP, of the original World at War designed by Mark Walker. It went from like 13 pages of rules to like 150! Just crazy… so much chrome added, and overkill on the components. I bought it because I liked the maps better than the original, but I found I hated playing the new version and went back to the originals. I’m figuring out how to make my own maps to upgrade the original and play it with those. Yet, I do like the retread of Nations at War…go figure!
• Lock ‘N Load Publishing’s, Heroes of… series, which was a retread like above, of the original Band of Heroes, by Mark Walker. In this case, I might grow to enjoy the retreads, as I have played a couple versions of it so far, but the original was much easier (17 page rules, vs the newer 80+ page rules).
• Phantom Fury, by NUTS! Publishing… I just brought the retread of that game, but it didn’t change very much at all… better map and components, but roughly the same rules. I have no idea why I bought the new version, other than knowing that when it’s gone, it will go up in price threefold, like the original did (…I was lucky to get the original as a present from my wife).
• Pacific Tide, by Compass games… I bought the retread, because it has a mounted map 
• …I’m actually finding Compass Games is the exception to the rule in this discussion, because they take old games long out of print and redo them, often with pretty much the same rules and only slightly upgraded. I like that a lot… it’s hard to find some of the older games, and when you do, you are often priced out of the buy.

So yeah, a I have some issues 

[mikeh]

I was thinking about my statement about not buying remakes, I have bought a remake, the Brian Train game Autumn Mist by Counter Strike that was redone as Winter Thunder by Tiny Battle Publishing. Oh well!

[Whiterook]

Oct 7, 2024 11:52:19 GMT -5 mikeh said:

I was thinking about my statement about not buying remakes, I have bought a remake, the Brian Train game Autumn Mist by Counter Strike that was redone as Winter Thunder by Tiny Battle Publishing. Oh well!

Hmmmm, in the case of that game, I have the latter, but not the former… but seeing pics of the former, I have to admit that I think I like the remake better. I need to get that on the table… so many games to play…