It can't be retro until it's been off the market for a number of years, is no longer supported, and won't run on current hardware.
The Java version is an absolute marvel of programming, and the game has far more depth and character than many modern games.
First of all i think you'll need to define "retro game". Either made to be "retro" (which it is not) or actually retro, as in no more development for 20 years.
None of which it ticks. So nah for me. 😀😀
I feel like it’s not gonna be anytime soon since the gene still gets active support from Mojang. The alpha/beta versions are already considered retro by a lot of people though
That is actually a really good statement of how people think of "retro". My line for retro vs modern is somewhere between 2004-2007, and I realize that part of that is that playing older games got way easier once Steam came around and automatic updates became much more common.
The culture of online games constantly getting upgrades, DLC and patches means retro games won't exist on the same timescale compared to pre 2000s games I reckon
If the "20 years = retro" rule is i place, 5 more years. I think Half-Life 2 is now considered "retro" despite the huge update it got earlier this year, heh
Given that it both still updates and makes no attempt to lean into its age or have a “retro feel”, probably not any time soon. That is my opinion at least.
… how many people didnt do it? And why would we count that as “not updating anymore” for the purposes of this categorization when they are literally making updates for free, and the updating your account was also free, but some just chose not to do it or forgot?
Ykw that is fair, but if you did want to consider Minecraft a “retro game” or something you would probably need to come up with a term for unconverted Minecraft and call that retro, since Minecraft does still update for all updated accounts and new players. Even that seems a bit of a stretch, tho
I mean they want to be "retroactively cool" but that is different then remaining on an old version. Starting a new alpha version play through could be retro
Depends on what you count as an update. In my eyes, annual Smissmass and Scream Fortress updates show the game is getting some degree of support, pushing back the clock on the game aging into my personal definition of “retro.” But, like, that’s just my opinion, man.
(Side note, if you have any links to pre plastic connector brio in Oregon please please please let me know, I have a niece who is how old though to comprehend magnets as magic)
Nintendo "updates" their NES games in the form of "virtual console" titles (I forget what they call the switch versions), but NES is still solidly retro
Are those not moreso emulator updates? I don't think people considered the Mario 25 version that came with the Wii special edition retro, but super Mario Bros itself is. And I think a lot of people consider Minecraft early versions (alpha, beta) retro but not minecraft. So it's a weird dichotomy
Like Fortnite battle Royale is closer to a decade old than it is to release, Minecraft is well over a decade old and it still gets yearly major updates
It's life service, so probably never, since nothing's gonna stop the cash-cow that is minecraft from getting updated. Also, I don't think a retro game can be a game where devs already knew how to make a game, but that might just be vibes based
I've seen some definitions that say 15 years, because of how fast the video game industry moves compared to others, but I'm not so sure. Of course, that might be because I still regularly play games from 15 years ago, and I don't want to feel old
Like modernism gave way to postmodernism, "retro" will eventually become a definition for games of a specific style. I feel that Undertale is more retro than Halo: CE, despite being relatively new.
Retro IS usually a definition of style when used in most design contexts. Something that is old isn’t usually called retro, something that LOOKS old is. Like the 2005 Mustang. This is a good correction. Classic or vintage more aptly describes older games.
This isn’t really answering directly, but in the spirit of the question, for modded Minecraft a number of the mods or packs that never got ported to new versions still prompt playthroughs on 1.7 or 1.12, which feels like retro Minecraft within the history of the game itself.
I think we could call it retro. Present relevance doesn’t mean it’s not old/retro. At very least we could call old versions retro probably. It’s a weird conundrum since it’s still getting regular updates
Any game that is still getting supported shouldn’t be classified until it’s support is over. I doubt minecraft will see that anytime soon. I’m willing to bet we’ll still be playing Minecraft with constant support for the next 5-10 years.
I'd say that for getting content updates rather that than just support. For instance, Mario Kart 7 got an update at the end of 2022 to fix a gamebreaking bug and that game was released in 2012. I don't consider that retro-breaking
That’s different. Patches are a different thing as that was more of a quality of life thing especially since they were close to killing off the 3DS internet capabilities around then.
Your opinion is justified. I just find that a game that keeps adding content doesn’t fit the idea of retro because it try’s to stay fresh. To compare it to something else, GTA Online. It’s 10 years old but due to how much of a money maker it is for RStar the constant supports keeps the game fresh.
I wonder. Isn't "retro" also at least in part, and maybe even more so about the aesthetic? That's what it refers to when we talk about retro fashion, for example. Even though Mojang keeps adding new content, the basic style and gameplay of Minecraft doesn't change.
A game that has staying power will stay. RStar is feeling GTAV doesn’t have long so that is why they are pouring all they can with GTAVI. Keep in mind this doesn’t constitute mods or community additions. Content added by developers is the driving factor here
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The Java version is an absolute marvel of programming, and the game has far more depth and character than many modern games.
None of which it ticks. So nah for me. 😀😀
I bet there will be a lot of 1.2.5 nostalgia.
pain in the ass to play with a modern setup = retro game
Not to be rude, but you sound like you are younger than the Wii.
I'd say it'll become retro once it's gone from limelight
30+ years is retro, 60+ is classic, 90+ years is vintage
Legos aren’t retro toys, y’know?
Comparing Minecraft to Legos works in terms of adoption along with the more literal analogy.
And so is Bionicle really.
(Side note, if you have any links to pre plastic connector brio in Oregon please please please let me know, I have a niece who is how old though to comprehend magnets as magic)
like, "a ten year old kid playing a twenty year old game, is playing the game their thirty year old parent did when they were ten"
minecraft will be retro in 2029-2031
ps4 will be retro in 2033
switch will be retro in 2037
…then a few years after that has to pass
next question
Is the Simpsons a "retro" TV show?