Despite the immense processing power of modern technology, accessing and playing old video games on contemporary systems remains a significant challenge. While an average smartphone vastly surpasses the capabilities of retro consoles that ran on mere bytes of RAM, the primary obstacle is not technological but rather a business-related one. Many modern video game publishers, despite making social media posts about anniversaries, generally do not prioritize making their extensive back catalogs easily available to players.

This situation marks a notable regression from just two console generations ago, when the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console provided a robust platform for retro gaming. It allowed users to download titles from NES, SNES, N64, and even non-Nintendo systems at reasonable prices. However, Nintendo later pivoted, choosing to leverage its vast library of classic games to bolster its subscription service, Nintendo Switch Online. Consequently, games that were purchasable on the Wii as recently as 2019 are no longer directly available for purchase. This shift reflects a broader strategy: to sell access to content repeatedly rather than through a single transaction.

Nintendo is not alone in discontinuing its digital marketplaces. Storefronts for systems like the Wii, 3DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, and PS Vita have all been shut down. This closure renders numerous seminal works, such as "Silent Hill" and "Ninja Gaiden Black," officially inaccessible through legitimate digital channels. While fan-made emulators, which use reverse-engineered software to simulate original hardware, offer an unofficial workaround, this method often requires a level of technical effort that primarily appeals to hardcore enthusiasts, leaving casual players without easy options.

Amidst this challenging landscape, a recent development provided a welcome surprise: Capcom re-released the first three "Resident Evil" games on Steam for a discounted price. It's important to note that these are not the original PlayStation (PSX) versions familiar to many, but rather ports of the mostly similar PC releases, adapted for modern systems by the preservation-focused platform Good Old Games (GOG). A "Game Business" interview with GOG's managing director, Maciej Gołębiewski, revealed that GOG proactively approached Capcom about these re-releases. Capcom initially hesitated, believing their remakes offered a superior experience and questioning the value of bringing back the "vanilla versions." However, GOG successfully advocated, emphasizing that a dedicated audience with fond memories of the original games would highly appreciate experiencing them again. Thanks to GOG's persistence, all three titles were made available on their storefront two years prior to their Steam release.