The Elder Scrolls (A Case Study)
Bethesda has exploded onto the scenes with games like The Elder Scrolls series ( Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, and Online) and Fallout. Over the last 5 years dedicated fans have devoted countless hours to re-imagine old games. TESrenewal.com has served as a proving ground of sorts; hundreds of individuals have volunteered to recreate the entire landscape of Morrowind on the Skyrim engine. This has allowed programmers, artists, and voice actors a place to gain real world knowledge and add tangible proof to their resumes. The screenshots prove this 5 year project has not been a pipe dream.
The Future
Many other titles are in various stages of completion Half-Life, Doom, Duke Nuke-em, and even the older Morrowblivion (Morrowind on the Oblivion Engine). These games for the most part are actually supported by the original developers, at least morally. Bethesda recently gave the green light for the TES Renewals team to continue with Skywind as long as they did not charge for their reboot, and all players purchased the two original games. This opens up a huge world of content for programmers and gamers alike. This also is a way for companies to generate buzz and sell additional units of their older titles. Young programmers and amateur hobbyist are getting exposure to the industry and connecting like never before.