Exploring Outdated vs Old Mechanics
I recently was wondering why there aren't many popular games with economy building and resource management, so I decided to go to Reddit to see what others thought. My post was named "Is resource management an old concept?". I received many good replies, but the first one that stuck out said "Resource management is an old concept, but it is NOT outdated". This got me thinking about outdated vs old mechanics. Even though my question was really whether the mechanics were outdated, the actual text I used was old. This response helped me break apart the concepts.
Just because a mechanic is old, doesn't necessarily mean it is outdated.
What Do I Mean When I Say "Old" or "Outdated"?
For this post, I will use old to mean something that was created, established, or discovered in a relatively distant past. For example, I will not talk about games played in ancient Egypt, but I will refer to games made in the early 2000s as old.
Moreover, outdated will be used to mean something that was done in the past because of necessity, and is more likely than not avoided in the present. Think of outdated as something that has expired or gone past its best-by date.
What Are Some Old Concepts that Are Used Today?
In my opinion, the two most popular mechanics that have lasted since my early days of gaming are platforms and first-person shooters.
Between the two, platform games were my favorite. I spent countless hours playing Crash Bandicoot on PlayStation and Sonic on Genesis. I also had a few Donkey Kong and Mario clones on those single-game handheld systems. Platforming still lives on and thrives today, mostly through indie and smaller-budget games. Hollow Knight, Rain World, and Celeste are some of the best examples that have platforms and a unique twist.
I have rarely enjoyed first-person shooters. While everyone was playing Halo, I was enjoying Fable. I could not understand the appeal. My brother, on the other hand, was really into Counter Strike thanks to one of our favorite shows, Pure Pwnage. Suppose you want modern examples of first-person shooters, just open Steam and throw a rock at your screen. You will most likely hit a new one that came out today.
Can Mechanics Become Outdated?
Filling out the outdated column is more difficult since being outdated is mostly subjective. Nostalgia is a powerful feeling. Mechanics that some may find annoying, others may find enjoyable.
Some mechanics have a small audience that even AAA studios, with the modern tools and techniques at their disposal, would have trouble selling. That being said, I can think of a modern game for almost every example of an outdated mechanic.
The mechanic I would avoid is locked-in controls like in the old Wizardry games. Though this is mostly a personal preference, I am not alone in this thought because of the sequels not being as popular or existing today. To find out more about how Wizardry fell out of style, check out this amazing video I found:
How Wizardry Influenced Your Favorite Game - The Crawl
Should old or outdated mechanics be avoided?
No. I don't believe any game genre or mechanic should be avoided. It is useful, however, to know your target audience for a game. If you are comfortable with the genre and understand what the target audience is looking for, then go for it.
Mixing mechanics is also a good approach where you can take the good parts of a few different things and make something new. This is trickier though because you risk upsetting multiple audiences if the game doesn't have the feeling they are looking for.
The Future Proofing Problem
I doubt the creators of those older games were worried about their games lasting for 30+ years. Yet, there are still players enjoying their games. It is impossible to future-proof a game. There is no telling how AI, VR, and future tech will change gameplay. The only thing a developer can do is create something they feel is fun. Whether you make your decision using your gut or whether you research a market, fun is always a goal.