An overwhelming majority of gamers have played a remaster or remake in the last year, a new study claims. Around 90% of PC and console gamers have picked up a remade or remastered game at some point over the previous 12 months, according to a report from strategy and consulting firm MTM. The report, titled “Remake vs Innovate: Is the past the future of gaming?” was published on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025.
Through its study, MTM hopes to pinpoint “the sentiment, tension, and economic impact of remakes and remastered video games on the market.” The firm polled 1,500 individuals — 750 in the United States, 750 in the United Kingdom — who play games on a regular basis. For the sake of the study, MTM defined a “remake” as a “reimagining of an original game, built from scratch with updated graphics, gameplay mechanics, and sometimes story elements.” The firm says a “remaster” is “an enhanced version of the original game, improving visuals, sound, and performance without altering the core gameplay.”
The Results
That 90% figure is remarkable enough on its own, but according to MTM, around 85% of those players hopped into the remake/remaster without playing the original version of the game. Additionally, more than three-fourths of respondents (76%) say they see remade and remastered video games as “appealing.”
Vocal gamers are often critical of studios’ remake endeavors, labeling them cash-grabs or the product of creative bankruptcy. These sentiments come as no real surprise, though, as prominent AAA studios inundate the industry news cycle with seemingly inescapable big-budget reimaginings. We’re only two-thirds of our way through 2025, and already, we’ve seen countless re-releases hit shelves and digital retailers — Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and GEX, among others. With four months left, as well as the sales-heavy holiday shopping season, we’re likely to see more.
It’s not just games coming back for an encore, either. In its latest Direct presentation last week, industry titan Nintendo revealed the re-release of its infamous flop, the Virtual Boy. In addition to the revitalized games coming to the brand’s premium Classics library, Nintendo announced it would bring back the bulky, bright-red hardware for a victory lap. The contemporary Switch 2-compatible Virtual Boy offers little more than a novelty for collectors; the original hardware remains atop the list of Nintendo’s most notable flops. As consumer technology prices climb to new highs, fans are spending less time lining up for frivolous, fan-service buys and more time saving for long-awaited game drops like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, especially as Special Edition prices approach triple-digits.
Final Thoughts
Remakes often include quality-of-life improvements, UI modifications, and visual refinements, but according to survey respondents, nostalgia also drives interest. Modernized versions of players’ favorite games “help them reconnect with positive, comforting feelings and memories that they had when they first played the game,” the firm says.
There are drawbacks, though. MTM says that, while some gamers sang the praises of their favorite re-releases, others accused big studios of “taking an easy, repetitive route” that ultimately “[sacrifices] innovative, new experiences that could redefine the industry.”
“Our report shows that there is a strong appeal for remakes and remasters, but it’s a tight balancing act for studios to get right,” said Martin Bradley, MTM’s Head of Gaming. “Many of these games are far out-selling their original release. Commercially across games and other media, nostalgia is a trend set to continue well into 2026 and beyond, but gamers understand that remakes and remasters can come at the cost of creativity—potentially missing out on fresh narratives and experiences.”
Martin continues:
“We went beyond the numbers and chatted directly to gamers to dig deep, and understand what gamers really want; the essence of the original game preserved, combined with vividly detailed graphical overhauls, updated controls and improvements to mechanics.
“We’ve distilled this into our top 8 power-ups for developers and publishers to help support them beyond pure commercials, and show how their remakes and remasters can become both a creative and strategic offering.”
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