he annual statistics generated by the video-game industry are staggering in their growth. According to the NPD Group, in the United States alone, almost $18 billion was generated by the video-game industry in 2007. The number represents a 43-percent jump in sales from 2006. While the current-generation console war played a large part in the increase of revenue this past year, it is impossible to deny that the industry is growing – fast.

Last year was a record year for blockbuster releases. As technology improves, games become more expansive, stories more involved and the time investment into games by both developers and players follows the trend upward. Trying to keep up with the newest titles sometimes makes gaming feel more like a full-time job than a hobby. The question remains: In a market full to the point of supersaturation with endless gameplay options, why do we still replay games? It certainly is not for lack of titles, genres or outlets for gaming. Even with a healthy portion of newly released games on my plate… even I sometimes succumb to the call of games from my past.

It turns out, there are plenty of motives to replay games. With reasons spanning from financial limitations to quelling nostalgic urges, it seems these days the average gamer’s collection doesn’t stay put long enough to collect dust.

Reason 1: Financial Limitations

“Because my parents are cheap asses”

     Andrew Reiner, 
     Executive Editor, Game Informer Magazine

The first reason is probably the one that plagues the majority of us…pure lack of financial resources. Gaming isn’t exactly cheap. You may be a teenager, and your parents don’t yet understand that games are vital to your development into an adult. You may be a college student, living off of ramen and juice packs. You may have recently purchased a house and are only now adjusting to having a mortgage. You may have just spawned your first little gamer, and diapers and formula are eating away at your paycheck, or you may have spent the majority of your money pimping out your space for the optimal gaming experience – forgetting to save money for actual games. Let’s not forget that sometimes it is hard to justify the purchase of new games to a non-gaming spouse.

With video-game software averaging $50 a pop – and collector’s editions running the gambit from $60 to $130 – most gamers have to pick and choose their purchases wisely. Further limiting access to new titles is the price of consoles. Not every gamer (or parent of a gamer) can afford to purchase a current-generation console let alone all three top contenders. Unfortunately, bills, utilities, gas and food take financial priority – for most rational people.

While it might be a few months till you can afford a minor spending spree, at least you have your collection to keep you company. Unless you have to choose between selling your mint-condition NES collection (including a copy of Nintendo World Championships) and putting a kidney up for sale on the black market in order to avoid bankruptcy, your array of previously played titles should keep you satisfied till that next paycheck rolls around.

Reason 2: Nostalgia

“I like to replay my favorite series right before a new release. Not only does it get me pumped up, but it helps me remember what the hell is going on in the story.”
  
   Joe Juba
   Associate Editor, Game Informer Magazine

Maybe you despised *gasp* the most recent Zelda release and want to remind yourself why you loved the series in the first place. Maybe you are sick of the drugs, sex and violence in modern games and pine for a simpler time where navigating mazes and eating 8-bit ghosts was the apex of violent titles. (Please ignore Custer’s Revenge and Postal for the sake of the nostalgic gamer’s argument.) Perhaps you simply want to play a game that does not require mastering 10 buttons simultaneously and perfect hand-eye coordination to have a good time. Or you may long for a time when playing games was a stationary endeavor. When did flailing your arms about in an eccentric manner become part of the gaming equation? When did it become cool for a gaming peripheral to tell you to get off your ass and lose weight?

When you feel exhausted just thinking about starting an RPG boasting “Epic adventure delivering over 80 hours of gameplay – complete with a vast array of power-ups, advanced attacks and over 100 different skills,” replaying a game from 1985 might be for you. Take some time to detoxify from all the unadulterated trash (thanks, Nolan) that floods the current market and replay some classics from the past few decades.

Or – contrary to the above – you might not have any qualms with modern games. You may enjoy every graphical improvement, customizable element and innovative control scheme under the sun. While you love old games, you follow the wave of the future. Your rationale for replaying games may stem from the simple desire to promote a greater sense of appreciation for classic games – to know your roots. You don’t mind the fact that there is a direct correlation between your friends becoming gamers and the release of the original Halo title. However, after getting tired of explaining why your “I FEEL ASLEEP” shirt is so funny, you might choose to dust off the NES, find your copy of Metal Gear and make them sit and watch you play. Replaying games is fantastic for this purpose – to further the appreciation of these groundbreaking titles.

Finally, you may also choose to whip out an old PlayStation game in its pristine jewel case in order to prep yourself for an upcoming release. Nothing is better than clocking in work week of Resident Evil the weekend before the next installment hits the stores. If the game your are waiting impatiently to get your hands on isn’t a direct sequel – as is true with most Final Fantasy games – you may replay past titles simply to remember what you liked and disliked about the last release. This knowledge is essential in order to appropriately measure up where the new game sits comparatively on the quality scale. If the storyline is sequential – such as with the Metal Gear series – replaying older installments will help to refresh your memory as to what happened last. Nothing is worse than jumping into a game and feeling detached from the storyline due to gaps in your memory. With the multitude of games you most likely played between sequels – the confusion is understandable – but avoidable. Pick up and replay the game.