I don’t think I understand the way of thinking for Warner Bros. Games. They close down Monolith without blinking twice. They say Multiversus was a failure despite the fact that they doomed it with horrible microtransactions. And don’t even get me started on Suicide Squad: Kill the General Interest. (Er, I meant Justice League, sorry.)
But the biggest problem? Let’s get it out there – the loss of several Midway classics.
It’s been a good while since WB released Midway Arcade Origins for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This compilation celebrated the arcade legacy of the long-lost company, from Robotron 2084 to Joust to Arch Rivals. And while it is playable on Xbox Series S/X thanks to backward compatibility, that’s…been about it. No new releases, no re-releases of games like Roadblasters, nothing.
And why is that? Mainly, it’s the flawed way of thinking by Warner Bros. on how to market these games. It did have an interesting idea with its Lego Dimensions game a while back with an arcade playset, featuring several Midway favorites. But outside of that? No hint at a revival or re-release of any kind.
It’s awful, because it’s complete ignorance of a finer time in gaming – a time, I might add, that many appreciate. So what can Warner Bros. do to fix the issue? Let’s explore some ideas.
A Re-Release of Midway Arcade Origins
Let’s just get this out of the way. Re-releasing Midway Arcade Origins for today’s platforms would be a smart move. Not only could it be produced for mere pennies, but WB could charge $20 and easily get a boatload of sales from it.
Not to mention activating online leaderboards and giving hundreds of thousands of folks the chance to conquer one another. Remember gunning for the high score in Smash TV? Boy, we sure do. We would definitely do that again, and buy that for a dollar to boot.
Plus it would be great for the Switch/Switch 2 and Steam Deck. People could take these classics anywhere on the go and enjoy to their heart’s content.
Also, there’s room for expansion. Big time. Call it DLC if you want, but I’d be happy with Roadblasters and Primal Rage back in my gaming library. (Not that they weren’t there before, but with new features like online play and leaderboards, they’d be great.)
Let’s dig further into this rabbit hole.
What’s Wrong With Re-Releases?
A friend of mine suggested that Gauntlet Legends or Gauntlet: Dark Legacy would do well with a re-release. Of course, it would. It’s a great local favorite amongst the gaming community, and I know several arcade units still making the rounds. (And we know several folks that still play the Dreamcast version. Right on!)
So, yes, a re-release with online play and potentially enhanced visuals (not too much) would be great. And at $20, no less. WB could make a fortune off a package release alone. And maybe even throw in Seven Sorrows, just for the hell of it.
While we’re at it…remember Spy Hunter? At one point in time, it was truly Midway’s bread and butter. They even made a game featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at the height of the PS2’s success. A new release with modern racing features – and competitive action – would be really awesome, we think. No need to bring back “The Rock” since he’s busy, though. The franchise would do fine in itself.
And where the hell is Roadblasters? This was one of the all-time Atari greats and the fact it’s so criminally ignored is asinine.
WB is literally “sitting on a gold mine, Trebek!” here, and all they need to do is put in a little effort. Remember the classics, guys.
If Warner Bros. Won’t Use These Midway Classics, It Should Sell Them
Finally, there’s the last solution which I’ll suggest here. I know WB is content with certain Midway franchises like Mortal Kombat, and intends to keep them. But the others? They’re just gathering dust. So what to do?
Simple. It’s trying to make money to get out of the black, yeah? Why not sell the franchises to a publisher that will do better with them?
Give them over to Digital Eclipse and Atari for a bargain price. Most of them stemmed from Atari coin-op history anyway, so why not? For that matter, maybe even let Microsoft pick them up and make use of their “saving gaming history” mantra. Imagine a bunch of Midway classics available on Xbox Game Pass or for a steal in a bargain package. Hey, it worked for Xbox 360 long ago. Remember the digital release of Paperboy? We still have it.
Warner Bros. just needs to wake up before these classic franchises are lost forever. They’re still favorites to this very day, and giving them a second chance at life is necessary to move forward.
Wake up and remember the good ol’ days, guys. We’re begging ya.
Need more retro goodness? Check out our reviews of Glover and Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered!
