COLOGNE: Clunky games consoles with blobby pixels might not be the latest thing — but they’re still cool even if you’re no longer at school.
Video games producers plying their wares at Gamescom this week in Cologne may primarily be out to push the frontiers of high-tech and virtual reality as they eye a bigger slice of a booming market.
But their commercial antennae are sufficently honed to realize numerous hands on the joystick belong to gamers for whom retro hasn’t so much come back as never gone away.
That much was evident from the interest shown toward those who brought along vintage hardware which the uninitiated might have thought had long been left to gather dust in the attic.
So-called “retrogaming” — digging out favorite classic games of yesteryear to be played on equally aging hardware — is right on trend at Gamescom, Europe’s gaming fair.
That much is clear from seeing a sea of enraptured faces as visitors drool over machines from right back in the early days — including the kind of machines once a staple in cafes and arcades.
For some old school gamers, it’s a welcome blast from the past.
For others the past is their present, be it indulging original vintage passions on old machines, ‘emulating’ a game simulated on a new machine or ‘porting’ to enjoy old content on new hardware.
“It reminds me of my childhood and today I realize that the games in those days could also be complex,” said Jackye Mueller, a 21-year-old student trying to snaffle virtual bananas while playing old favorite Donkey Kong on a Super Nintendo.
Nearby, a father is waxing lyrical on the attractions of another classic game, “Pong,” to his young son.
The arcade game, launched in 1972, involves each player manipulating a virtual cursor-like tennis ‘racquet’ to ping the ball back across a screen of simple 2D graphics.
“Retro is everywhere — in films, music, cars, clothes. So why not games?” asks Christian Gleinser, creator of a cohort of new games which work on computers ‘boasting’ 1980s graphics.
“People like to have fun among friends and appreciate the ease of use, the short charging times and even the old pixels,” he said.
What is striking is how the rising retro trend has lifted the average gamer age as veterans who got the bug in the 1980s and 1990s pass on their memories and old-time savvy to youngsters, often their own, even as the latter more often than not are coming to the genre via shiny and new hardware.
In praise of the big pixel: Gaming is having a retro moment
In praise of the big pixel: Gaming is having a retro moment
- For some old school gamers, it’s a welcome blast from the past
Closing Bell: Saudi equities continue 4-day upward trend
RIYADH: Saudi equities closed higher on Wednesday, with the Tadawul All Share Index rising 51.52 points, or 0.47 percent, to finish at 10,945.15.
Trading activity was robust, with 373.9 million shares exchanged and total turnover reaching SR6.81 billion.
The MT30 Index also ended the session in positive territory, advancing 11.93 points, or 0.82 percent, to 1,472.82, while the Nomu Parallel Market Index declined 116.82 points, or 0.49 percent, to 23,551.47, reflecting continued volatility in the parallel market.
The main market saw 90 gainers against 171 decliners, indicating selective buying.
On the upside, Al Kathiri Holding Co. led gainers, closing at SR2.18, up SR0.12, or 5.83 percent. Wafrah for Industry and Development Co. advanced to SR23, gaining SR0.99, or 4.5 percent, while Al Ramz Real Estate Co. rose 4.35 percent to close at SR60.
SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co. added 4.21 percent to SR118.70, and Al Jouf Agricultural Development Co. climbed 4.12 percent to SR45.
Meanwhile, losses were led by Saudi Industrial Export Co., which fell 9.73 percent to SR2.69. United Cooperative Assurance Co. declined 5.08 percent to SR3.74, while Thimar Development Holding Co. dropped 4.54 percent to SR35.30.
Abdullah Saad Mohammed Abo Moati for Bookstores Co. retreated 4.15 percent to SR48.50, and Gulf Union Alahlia Cooperative Insurance Co. slipped 3.96 percent to SR10.44.
On the announcement front, Saudi National Bank announced its intention to issue US dollar-denominated Additional Tier 1 capital notes under its existing international capital programe, with the final size and terms to be determined subject to market conditions and regulatory approvals.
The planned issuance aims to strengthen Tier 1 capital and support the bank’s broader financial and strategic objectives.
The stock closed at SR42.70, gaining SR0.70, or 1.67 percent, reflecting positive investor reaction to the capital management move.
Separately, Almasane Alkobra Mining Co. said its board approved the establishment of a wholly owned simplified joint stock company to provide drilling, exploration and related support services, with a share capital of SR100 million and headquarters in Najran, subject to regulatory approvals.
The new subsidiary aligns with the company’s strategy to enhance operational efficiency and expand its role in the Kingdom’s mining sector.
Shares of Almasane Alkobra Mining closed at SR98.70, up SR0.30, or 0.3 percent, by the end of the session.
