Does the success of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy speak more about the power of nostalgia or the appetite for platformers in a market dominated by sports games, shooters and RPGs?
Definitely a mix of both. While platformers are interesting and fun when done well, the ultimate rise in technology has left the market thirsty for far more wild, innovative games, with exceptions like Cuphead and Celeste appealing to the old ones who grew up with those type of games. – TokyoExpress7 years ago
Platformers have seen a recent revival with Super Mario Odyssey, A Hat in Time, and many others. And the success of those games shows that there is still room for platformers in the industry. – ankit86977 years ago
I believe a revival may have already begun, but a lot of my knowledge comes from the indie game market. Someone else mentioned the success of Cuphead, I would add Shovel Knight to that, as games that appeal to nostalgia but in very different ways. On the other hand, both INSIDE and LIMBO by PlayDead are wildly acclaimed puzzle platformers that don't necessarily appeal to nostalgia in the same way. Ori and the Blind Forest behaves in a similar vein. For 3D platformers, someone mentioned a Hat in Time, though I'd also mention Yooka-Laylee, though it had a rocky launch. It can also be mentioned from both consumer AND developer point-of-view; nostalgia appeals to those who grew up with these kind of games, but a lot of people that grew up with these kind of games are now making them. From the indie standpoint, developers are reimagining the styles of games that they grew up with and rejuvenating dying forms. Maybe there's a point to be said about the motivations behind releasing platformers for indie developers versus massive franchises. – caffeine7 years ago