Are "HD" versions a scam?

My friends, as a pc gamer, this puzzles my brain quite deeply. Profoundly in-fact.

As a pc gamer, When I want to play a better looking title, new or decades old, I simply turn the resolution up. It's like a switch, high/low.

And (this doesn't even apply) likewise I can force AA and even ambient occlusion on games that didn't actually have the technology available at the time.

When a game gets a "HD" re-release. "Next generation re imagining" is anything being done that couldn't be done before? Is it simply a "switch" to up the resolution and then charge £20 (or even £30).

Legit or big scam? Discuss.

PS2 games that got HD are ok, something like TLOU is a scam.

Despite the fact I could've played them for free and with gazillions of amazing mods (graphics or gameplay or new stories, etc.) on PC without paying a dime...I would've still bought them on consoles but only if they were aptly priced. However, they unfortunately aren't.

If they're full priced then yeah.

Things like Tomb Raider Definitive are, and it's not even the Definitive Edition. Load of crap.

How are they scam when the HD remakes are completely optional? you can either wait for a mega price drop after few years OR just completely play the original and skip the HD remake.

The HD remake is made for those who missed out on the past games and want to enjoy them in HD plus the other goodies ( EX: trophies, added content, remixed soundtrack, etc ) AND for the big fans who would love to play the games again and have that experience all over again.

dont like it then dont buy it, simple as that.

Depends on the releases, games like God of War seem like a scam, the gameplay gets a re-polish in HD while pre-rendered cutscenes still look like previous gen. Then again games like Ico/SoTC look way better, especially SoTC since that ran at a much lower framerate and resolution on the PS2. Is it a scam though just to re-release an old game so it's playable on a next gen console; no. If you don't like the price, then simply wait, it will get cheaper.

So...all games are optional.

Got it

It doesn't bother me. If you're not interested, don't buy it. Some people never got to play the original anyway.

if they're poorly done, then yes. I'd consider them to be scams.

I wish they would rerelease games on PC. Im playing Chaos Theory and Double Agent now. The compatibility is pretty shaky.

By not liking something that isn't for you, everything would be a "scam" by that definition.

An HD rehash must be 10+ years old or gtfo in my book. Rehashing a game released last year such as TR: Acceptable Edition and TLOU is just sad. Next you'll be seeing games released in 900p and six months later a new version of the same game will be released in 1080p because "we found a better way of using X1/ps4 architecture". Its just sad that devs waste time on games everyone who've cared already beaten instead of creating something that is hmmmmmmmmmm NEXT GEN? Yeaaaaah something we don't have...

Depends on if it's merely a resolution increase or they actually invested some time into making the game better (like Wind Waker HD).

More insightful words of wisdom from finalstar

I'm actually quite excited about Last of Us on ps4. It released right after e3, and after watching all those pretty new tech demos, I thought the game looked pretty rough.

Also, I couldn't stand the ps3 controller any longer. Those sticks are so inaccurate compared to ps4 that I ended up giving up on the game halfway through. For the target audience, Last of Us on ps4 is absolutely a scam because most people had no problems with it on ps3 and will pay another 40-60$ when they don't need to.

For me on the other hand, I'm actually going to be able to enjoy a fantastic game I couldn't before.

As a pc gamer, it's not really my problem. One of the many advantages of he platform.

I have only jumped on a few of them. Recently I bought the final fantasy x/x-2 HD collection on Vita. I have both original PS2 games on my shelf, but I thought this would be a nice way to replay them with pretty graphics and the advantage of having it on the Vita. They really have done a nice job touching up the visuals and it was 40 bucks for 2 huge games so I don't feel cheated at all.

The games like Tomb Raider are a tough call. I played that on PC so I would never buy the DE on my Ps4 or xb1. I can see someone who is playing through TR for the first time spending the extra cash for the DE.

As always Gamers have choice. If you don't like something, just don't spend the money I guess.

I guess it depend on the game. Like FFX for example, i'm happy i can re-experience the game but with the International contents this time around.

You may remember from that thread, I totally agree with you that TLOU, a 9 month old, HD game is too soon. Scam is a term, that well, it makes me wonder if the value is assessed by the individual. PS2 and O Xbox and Wind Waker were actual steps from SD to HD, so I had no problem buying them after the initial resistance I had a few years back. TLOU going from 720p to 1080p isn't worth the money to me. I know there is a difference but the difference isn't enough to get me to plunk down money for it. Hell, I don't own more than 3 blu ray movies because I had a large DVD collection, and I started streaming HD movies. I am getting torn on the issue. I cant as a former stock broker (see Boiler Room, although that movie was full of shyte) in my 20s, who ran a business with a staff of 7, blame these companies for doing this. People are willing to buy it. Look at the yearly releases that are complained about. But majority are buying them, so of course they are made.

I cant expect a corporation, whose purpose is to make profit on products/services offered to take the high road, when consumers aren't as a majority doing that. They are willing to buy.

Not really, at least some aren't. Some are genuinely solid re-releases. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD is a perfect example of how a HD remaster should be. 2 games for 40 bucks, international editions to boot (only Europe and Japan got those editions). So now I get extra content that is new to explore, it wasn't just a resolution bump, they remodeled some of the models, redid textures, made everything 16:9 aspect ratio and raising the resolution. Square handled the CGI cutscenes better than what was done with God of War. Square used high resolution video, but at the time for those cutscenes they were at 4:3 ratio. So they did crop them a bit to get it to fit the 16:9 ratio. Now I'm guessing they didn't have the original source files to just re-render them (considering the length they went through on the other aspects of the games they re-did and touched up). But I would much rather have sharp clean cutscenes that were just cropped a bit compared to a low res jaggy mess.

Pretty much anything from the PS2/GCN/Xbox and earlier are perfectly acceptable for a HD remaster. Taking PS3/360 games and porting them to the PS4/One are a bit more shaky. But like others of have said, you don't have to buy them and are meant more for some people that didn't play them last gen or ended up selling their last gen system to get a PS4/One. The only games I can think that I would succumb to would be a Mass Effect Trilogy package on PS4/One in pure 1080p 60 fps with all DLC. Thats pretty much it really.

And it's sometimes not just a switch for resolution, some things do need to be redone like menu's, HUDs, Maps and such, otherwise like some PC games were you use a widescreen hack, the HUD doesn't scale well.

As a gamer who doesn't limit myself to only one platform, it's not my problem either. One of the many advantages of being open minded.

Considering no one's forcing you at gunpoint to buy it I'd say it's totally legit. Movies and novels receive rereleases and updates all the time, I don't see why games should be an exception, what's important is how it's handled.

I actually wish stuff like this was more common, in a lot of cases games have a limited run and eventually they become difficult to find. Same for the hardware, a game might only be on a particular system that's difficult to find or not very appealing to buy anymore.

I totally respect just increasing the resolution. The game has a place in history and changing how it plays sorta just makes it a different game, arguably. Like the crappy rereleases Lucas did with the original Star Wars movies. There needs to be a certain level of respect payed to the original release, if not then just do a remake from scratch

What you said does not make logical sense my friend. Re analise your post, come back and apologize for making me type this out.

So much jelly in that post. So much limitation.

..well friend. As a console gamer, I couldn't give a damn about how you play decades old Lego PC games. If I wanted to play an old console game, I'd break out my old consoles. Enjoy your pirating.

I have over 3000 steam games. And a leather chair that cost £1000.

Yeah this.

I don't mind HD remakes if they actually improve on the original (mainly graphically of course) and add some extra content (ie. DLC)... and of course are not fully priced.

Depends on a number of things, such as pricing, additions to gameplay/graphics, subtractions from gameplay/graphics.

PC has the luxury of scaling graphics and more importantly user mods.

Thats one of the mistakes in think Sony and MS made this gen. Not allowing PC-like mods.

Consoles simply dont have the luxury of graphically modding games so they get milked with HD re-releases.

I have all systems, except Xbox One (which means I'm not missing anything LOL) and even have a PC. Must suck to be in a relationship with just one of them... *giggles*

HD versions - To appeal to nostalgia or to make older games more relevant to newer gamers. The MGS, DMC, GOW etc. packs are awesome because yes, they are great games but do I really want to go back to playing 480p games? Not really.

"Ultimate" versions - Tomb Raider, TLOU etc. are really just filler for a new generation. We won't see these in a year or two. It helps people who never played the game get into the franchise without having to buy an old console. If I never owned a PS3, would I rather buy a PS3 or PS4 to play TLOU? I would rather buy a PS4.

Depends on the remake, the price, and the user

I have over 400 games (over multiple platforms) a plush lazy boy in my man cave, and I don't have the time to play a fraction of them. What exactly does that have to do with "HD versions of games being a scam?"

If you don't understand what the word scam means, then sure!

My friend, you implied pc gamers are criminals. This is deeply offensive.

Not really, though we've seen some pretty poor HD re-releases in the past.

What's nice about an HD re-release is that they'll retune the game for at least 1280x720 which is a 16:9 aspect ratio. This plays far better on modern TVs than hooking up old 6th and older generation game consoles to a modern set. You also get the advantage of achievements, slightly better overall visuals (unless it's a total HD remake like Halo Combat Anniversary was), and the ability to play it on your modern console.

Even with backwards compatibility it's nice to have a modern version that plays better with modern screens. It would be nice to get BC back on the PS4 but I would still like to see re-releases in HD of old games. I would kill to see the Ace Combat series brought to the PS4/Xbox One in 1080p @ 60fps. That would be killer.

..it was a bad attempt at trying to campaign PC "superiority"

You dont have to buy it and they didnt rip you off with the original version, so its not a scam.

That schtick is really getting old...

My chumling, as a pc gamer with these options, I was simply looking out for you.

This constant inferiority complex is truly juvenile.

I rather buy a PS4 with PS3/PS2 backward compatibility, too bad this practice wasn't continued.

Some how greed/cheap/and lazy intervened to now we see a new practice of just reselling old games on new systems that have no backward compatibility.

With you having to hold on to your old system this halts the funding of used game shops for getting 2nd hand payment on a used system resell. So no backward compatibility means you'll less likely to trade in your system.

The resale of an old game upscaled for the new system keeps the cash away from the used shop store who would normally profit for selling the used game of the old system.

Instead the sale would come to the new system in the HD upscale version.

We've been had.

Agreed. I missed out on many games because I didn't own a PS2, and now I can enjoy them in HD on my PS3. Or even better: on the go with my Vita.

And not all decade old PC games have a simple resolution switch either. Many 2D games don't have one in fact.

I would totally buy an HD re-release of the commandos games on PC for example. They are being sold now on Steam but don't even support modern resolutions. That is a bigger scam IMO.

A scam implies the buyer is purchasing something lesser than advertised.

So no, HD remakes are not a scam as everyone knows exactly what they are buying. Games previewed with bullshots like GTAV? Yeah, those are scams.

My cupcake, once again a hermit is venturing into unknown territory in reference to games and things they know nothing about. Stick to what you know--that's obviously not console games.

you're juvenile

Thousand times this. All HD ports should have been done by Bluepoint. They were porting geniuses. Also they shouldn't be full price. If there's improved performance and you're retiring the platform you played it on last, on top of really liking the game enough in the first place to buy it again then I don't see why not.

If they are simply upscales or repackages where higher quality content textures were just sitting on developers hard-drive then yeah, I could see how that might be a scam (though you still have to account for cost of porting).

But when textures are redone from the ground up, gameplay enhanced and OST's entirely re-recorded you are looking at a value package.

Truth is turning up your settings on the PC isn't at all like a good HD conversion (Windwaker, FFX/X-2).

PS2 games are SD, so making them HD and re-releasing them is fine. PS3 games are already HD, so re-releasing them is milking consumers.