Modern Classics

Opinion

Can modern games ever become classics? The struggle with servers and consistent support.

By Josiah Sapp

    The library of classic video games seems to be smaller than the myriad of classic movies or music pieces and for good reason. The world of video games hasn’t been around for that long and to define something as “classic” means that it has stood the test of time and is of the highest quality. A few game titles that should be considered when talking about classics are Super Mario Bros, Legend of Zelda, Tetris, and Pac Man. All of which were released 30 years ago but what makes these games classics? They are definitely still fun to play today and for the time they were made, considered to be of the highest quality. Some of them even ended up in a museum! However, what about games released today? Can any of them be considered a classic? The trouble lies with the way games are made and need support.

    The common trend with games today is that they’re constantly connected. They need updates, support, and dedicated servers to play them. Gone are the days of putting a single cartridge into your console and playing it right there and then. Most games have an initial download, day one update, and a strong enough internet connection needed to play the game. All these things are great to play with friends, get free updates, and to fix bugs but what happens when support for the game ends or when the servers shut down? It becomes unplayable all together. These games need a hosting service and a company to keep it running.

    The question is, if servers and constant support is necessary to keep games alive, will any modern game be considered a classic 30 years from now? Do they need to be playable to be considered a classic? There are games out today that are of the highest quality though. Take Blizzard’s hero shooter, Overwatch, as an example. It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before and has inspired an entire genre. It has multiple 9 out of 10 review scores and won game of the year in 2016. As you may have guessed, it’s all online. There is no offline mode and you need to be connected to their servers to play. I’d be disappointed if people didn’t remember Overwatch in 30 years. From the gameplay to the artstyle, this game is flawless but for enough time to pass to consider it a classic, the support needed to play it will have been long gone. The style and memories of Overwatch are definitely timeless but servers, however, are not.

    Halo 2 is often considered to be a “classic” on multiple fronts. It’s known for its ingenuity, design, gameplay and story but most importantly one of the first games to bring online play to the forefront. The game was released in 2004 and the servers hosting the online portion shut down in 2010. It still has a single player campaign and the multiplayer can be played offline via 4 player split screen but as technology advanced and new consoles have been released, less people will be playing Halo 2. Can it still be considered a classic? I think so. I think that in order for a game to become and to remain a classic, it doesn’t have to be playable in it’s original form. It can be revised or remade entirely just like so many other classics have been. Servers will shut down and support will fade but the memories we made playing our favorite games will make them classic. An Italian writer named Italo Calvino summed up what makes a book a classic in his writings titled Why read the classics? He’s writing about literature but has some points that directly correlate to other forms of media including video games. He says in his 3rd point “The classics are books which exercise a particular influence, both when they imprint themselves on our imagination as unforgettable, and when they hide in the layers of memory disguised as the individual's or the collective unconscious.” Classics are timeless, collectively cherished, can withstand scrutiny, and bring back fond memories. No amount of disconnected servers or lack of support can affect the experience that some truly classic video games can deliver.