Final Fantasy VII (11.99$) - http://store.steampowered.com/app/39140/
Final Fantasy VIII (11.99$) - http://store.steampowered.com/app/39150/
Final Fantasy VIII was just released today (December 5th, 2013) on the Steam Database. Now there's a bigger question which comes into mind. If Square Enix has just realized that it can continue to gain money from old titles by releasing a PC version, than what does that mean for PC gamers and the SteamBox concept?
Well, it could mean a few things. Now console game publishers are starting to realize that people *still* want to buy their old, classic games. A reason why GOG.com exists. This brings up a whole new range of possibilities for the SteamBox. We might not only see the SteamBox be just a console-like device for PC games, but it might also be a single device from which you can play seveal of your classic console favorites legally, without using emulators.
This means they've begun to realize that piracy is a distribution problem. So, there might be some hope. Square Enix just got it. Now let's hope Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, GameFreak (the guys behind Pokemon) and other companies start to get it. This might just be icing on the cake for the SteamBox, but who doesn't icing? xD
If this does start a new trend of old console games being legally sold via Steam to PC gamers, it's just one more reason to join us in PC-land. It's nice and comfy over here.
Oh, one more thing. D*mn the discounts, full spending ahead! Gaben be praised! =P
You make it sound like they've just done this, though they were release on PC back in 1998 and 200 respectively.
However, I do think there is money to be made in re-releasing older games, that have been updated for the newer OS's. As many people will not take the time to manually get the older games to run on newer OS's or people may not have a copy of the older versions.
Yep. Now we've got part of the problem solved. We've got someone (Steam) willing to sell these games to people and let them download them using the internet. So now we've got a channel to play buy and play these games.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg. You know SpeedRunsLive? How many of those games are older than 10 or even 20 years? And how many gamers today would buy the games they played as a child just for the sake of nostalgia?
I know I'd drop a good 5 to 10 dollars right now on Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue (for each one) if they were released on Steam. Same goes for Super Mario World, Super Mario All-Stars, Super Mario Kart, Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, and others. If console game publishers could only realize how many gamers in their 20s and 30s are willing to spend 5 to 10 dollars for a legal copy of their favorite childhood games, there's a small fortune to be made.
Most of these games aren't being re-released. The copyright is still in place, but no money is being made by not creating another outlet for these games. It isn't driving up sales of new products, otherwise the Nintendo WiiU would be a console worth buying - it isn't, no matter how many times they've lowered the prices. If FF VII and FF VIII can make it to the PC and sell like crazy, just imagine how much games like Super Mario World, Pokemon Red, Ocarina of Time, FF X (the original) and other console classics might sell.
There's a small fortune to be made here. And if Square Enix starts this trend, it might take off in a big way. And if these titles are also ported to Linux for the SteamBox, even better! =)
Well, true dat. However, if more Console Game Publishers start porting more of their old console titles to PC so they can sell them again (much like how the same was happening to old console games for mobile devices), we might finally be able to have a way to replace all the old consoles with a single device, using legally owned games (rather than illegally-downloaded games).