Rethinking Remakes: Value and Culture in Video Game Temporalization.

This article examines the growing trend of video game remasters and remakes through the concept of "temporalization," defined as the adaptation of older games to align with contemporary market contexts. Moving beyond the common authenticity-focused critique that frames rereleases as derivative or ahistorical, temporalization is presented as a multifaceted cultural and economic practice involving technical, narrative, aesthetic, and marketing changes to appeal to diverse player groups. The article analyzes three distinct temporalization strategies—spectacular (Final Fantasy VII: Remake), definitive (Yakuza Kiwami and Remastered Collection), and antiquarian (Mega Man Legacy Collection)—to illustrate how rereleases can either reimagine, consolidate, or preserve older games, each offering different forms of adaptive value. It calls for further empirical and critical research into temporalization as a labor process and cultural phenomenon, emphasizing the need to recognize its complexity and varied impacts on game history, player experience, and industry practices.