The spotlight is currently shining on retro gaming. Then again, retro themes, gaming included, have sporadically peaked and plummeted over time. According to the latest stats from YouTube’s Culture and Trends team, retro YouTube gaming is up. That is a significant thing to note as YouTube’s Culture and Trends team reports on emerging areas of focus.
8-Bit Stats
Based on current numbers, retro YouTube gaming has seen a significant surge over the past year:
“There were over 1000 times more uploads of videos related to retrogaming in the first half of this year than there were for the same period in 2007.”
That is quite a significant jump, and it is worth noting that retro games are back en vogue. More specifically, the report underlines which games are gaining traction. As YouTube explains, older games currently get the most focus among creators:
“Although the bulk of interest correlates with consoles from the 80s and 90s, the presence of more modern consoles being associated with retrogaming shows that the retrogaming is evolving as the consoles that younger gamers grew up with are slowly being added to the retrogaming canon and considered “retro” (we’re looking at you, Wii U).”
Consoles from the 2010s are now considered “retro gaming”. That’s funny, especially since gaming fidelity in 2010 was leagues ahead of the original 80’s retro games. True enough, 80’s games are the flavor of the month, opening the doors for themed promotions and tie-ins. The nostalgia factor seems to be the driving force here.
Regardless, that does not mean that you can rip off retro gaming IP. While you cannot rip off any IP, you can create themed promotions around the concept. ‘Bitting’ your logo is one example; have you ever seen an 8-bit version of the Facebook icon? With AI image generation tools, designing such logos has become simple. The same tools allow you to easily replicate the nostalgia of retro games in your visuals.
Depending on your target market, retro visuals could be a good approach for your marketing strategy. At the very least, YouTube’s latest findings send endorphins to users as they recall their favorite childhood games.
The Wrap
They just do not make games like Age of Empires anymore. Either way, Retro YouTube gaming could be worth looking into. Alternatively, you can also get an overview of the trend, including plenty of archival footage of console games. As the famous saying goes – ‘Old but Gold.’
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