It’s a question that often comes up amongst retro gamers: why so many remakes when our old games are already fine as they are? Well, in an attempt to answer this, MTM, a specialist strategy and insights consultancy trusted by world-leading brands in gaming, today announced its findings from its latest games industry report, ‘Remake vs Innovate’. They asked if the past is the future of gaming, and put together an exploration around the sentiment, tension, and economic impact of remakes and remastered video games on the market.
Summary of findings
The report captures how nostalgia is core to the success of remakes and remasters, promoting an emotional connection to, or comfort in, the past, but highlights the challenges that developers and publishers face when it comes to balancing the tension around changes to narrative or gameplay, versus staying completely true to the original.
A vast majority (90%) of gamers said they had played a remade or remastered game in the last 12 months, with 85% having played a remake or remaster when they didn’t play the original.
76% of gamers said they find remakes or remasters appealing. Many commented that remakes and remasters help them reconnect with positive, comforting feelings and memories that they had when they first played the game.
However, despite the overwhelming appeal, some gamers also recorded their reservations about studios taking an easy, repetitive route to market, with remakes and remasters coming at the cost of sacrificing innovative, new experiences that could redefine the industry.
Martin Bradley, Head of Gaming at MTM, explains, “Our report shows that there is a strong appeal for remakes and remasters, but it’s a tight balancing act for studios to get right. Many of these games are far out-selling their original release. Commercially, across games and other media, nostalgia is a trend set to continue well into 2026 and beyond, but gamers understand that remakes and remasters can come at the cost of creativity, potentially missing out on fresh narratives and experiences.”
He continued by saying, “We went beyond the numbers and chatted directly to gamers to dig deep, and understand what gamers really want; the essence of the original game preserved, combined with vividly detailed graphical overhauls, updated controls, and improvements to mechanics. We’ve distilled this into our top 8 power-ups for developers and publishers to help support them beyond pure commercials, and show how their remakes and remasters can become both a creative and strategic offering.”
The full report can be found on the firm’s website.
