More than in years past, 2020 represents a time when everything old is new again. A fact that is particularly true for games. Major AAA publishers like Activision, EA, and Square Enix seem all too happy to feed gamers' nostalgia through total remakes or slightly affected remasters, simply because the repackaging of an older game already has bias built into it. for less expensive trends. It can also help bridge the gap between successful new titles. This reliance on remakes and remasters now stands out more than ever. Yet another common route publishers can take is porting, which refers to a process that can be as simple as releasing a game on a platform it wasn't originally intended for, up to the aforementioned Remaster that features revised footage. and new quality of life features. With the ports having so much leeway, we thought it was worth talking to the teams behind them. And even if you think developing a game completely from scratch is hard, adapting someone else's work for a modern audience can be just as hard.
A playable galaxy for everyone
![Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast]()
Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (Image credit: LucasArts) "It's a challenge to bring a game based on old technology up to today's standards," said Elizabeth Howard, vice president of publishing at Aspyr Media. " make sure the sentiment doesn't get lost in translation or take away from the overall experience gamers expect. " A Texas-based game studio with over two decades of development and publishing experience, Aspyr was founded with the explicit intention of bringing popular games to the Mac, a feat that eventually led to it owning 60% of the Mac Entertainment Market in 2004. Since then, the studio has continued to expand its partnerships and began porting games to other platforms. Chances are if you play Guitar Hero on PC or Sid Meier's Civilization on Linux, it's the people behind it. "It's a challenge to bring a game based on old technology up to today's standards." Elizabeth Howard- Aspyr Media However, one relationship that has been around from almost the beginning was linked to LucasArts, now defunct. "Aspyr has a long history of working with the highest-rated games in the Star Wars franchise, bringing them to new platforms for even more fans," Howard said. "Over the course of Aspyr's history, we've worked on more than 10 Star Wars games. This includes Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Empire at War, LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, Star Wars: The Force "Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition and Star Wars Battlefront. "Such familiarity has put Aspyr in a prime position to bring and remaster certain Star Wars games previously considered lost in the ether after Disney acquired the license in 2012. The House of Mouse just didn't seem to respect what it now considers media legends at first, but now thanks to Aspyr, we've seen classic titles like Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy, and most recently the wildly popular Star Wars Episode I: Racer coming to PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Risk vs reward
![Star Wars Episodio 1: Racer]()
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer (Image credit: Aspyr Media) But what's the best approach to porting games that are now over 20 years old to new systems? There is almost never a "one size fits all" solution, as Howard reveals: "With every project, tough decisions are made and planning is done so that any change, whether it's taking something out or adding functionality really benefits the game and the player. . "This means that the desired outcome for any port is to bring back the feel of the original while resolving any technical issues that may arise. For example, most of Aspyr's classic remasters were not developed with the big screen in mind. Add to that other risk factors, such as how the game's UI will be translated, whether the original source code is available to work, and whether the licensed soundtrack needs to be revamped, and what you've got is a possible field. problem-solving process that the port study must pass. Howard suggests that it's all worth it, if only to ensure "that the game stays true to the brand."
"I would say that the porting experience of The Witcher 3 made it easier for us in terms of Switch ports."
Matthew Karch - CEO of Saber Interactive This idea of "staying true" is a concept that any determined developer should keep in mind when porting games to another platform. But while bringing back classic games from death (like the Aspyr case) means you're struggling with the optimistic view of gamers, porting to modern games suddenly sees you compete with other contemporary versions of the same product After Having worked on the popular ports of World War Z, Vampyr, Ghostbusters: The Video Game - Remastered, and more, he is a task developer Saber Interactive knows all too well.
At a time when frame rates, draw distances, and overall graphical fidelity are being scrutinized by a select subset of detail-oriented gamers, Saber has always managed to impress with its technically advanced ports, most notable for its work with nintendo switch. The prime example of this is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition, which beat the odds to allow players to take CD Projekt Red's album in the open world anywhere.
"Since the release of The Witcher 3 on Switch, we've become somewhat known for Switch ports," laughs Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive. "Which is fun because we have a long history and a wide variety of projects." Released just last year, this Switch version includes the base game and all DLC. This forced Saber to make some concessions from a visual standpoint, yes, though it still looks and plays a bit like its home console counterparts.
Karch acknowledges that Switcher, as gamers began calling it, was "the hardest port we've ever worked on," but is confident that Saber has now worked out the lessons it can pass on to other studios. Interested in porting to Nintendo's hybrid platform. "I would say that the porting experience of The Witcher 3 made it easier for us in terms of Switch ports," he said.
Team A
![The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt]()
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Image credit: CD Projekt Red) But what's the difference in porting something modern like The Witcher 3, as opposed to a slightly older title like Ghostbusters: The Video Game? "Sometimes we get code with little advice, and we just need to understand it. It can be an interesting challenge... or a nightmare." Matthew Karch - CEO of Saber Interactive It turns out that age plays a more crucial role than we think. He's also not able to work directly with the original team, which is common when key developers are separated and studios have long disbanded. "It's ideal when most of the original development team is still intact," admits Karch. "They know where the bodies are buried, so to speak. But sometimes we're given a code with little advice, and we just need to understand it. This can be an interesting challenge...or a nightmare." Fortunately, in the case of The Witcher 3, Karch and his team were able to maintain a close relationship with CDProjektRed, no doubt helped by the fact that the Russian studio at Saber Interactive was located near Poland. Either way, it pays to have an adaptable port studio.
Passion breeds success
![The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt]()
The Witcher 3's Switch port is generally referred to as "The Switcher" (Image credit: CD Projekt Red) Above all, when it comes to choosing which games to play, the demand is obviously high, but Aspyr and Saber agree on that passion is also the key to success. "Everyone at Aspyr is a huge Star Wars fan," Howard said. "We love being able to bring Star Wars games to new audiences. For us, it's about the games that we think are the most passionate about and that we'd like to see appear on new platforms." Karch agrees: "For us to undertake a port project these days, it has to be the one that interests us the most." This passion clearly resonates with a modern audience with a thirst for greater access to gaming across all platforms and all generations, two aspects that specialist babywear studios are well versed in. And as more and more practices like Smart Delivery, video game remakes, and backwards compatibility continue to be discussed, you can be sure that there will always be teams ready to make new and classic games under the best possible day.