this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2025
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RetroGaming

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r/RetroGaming is very strict about retro. They say the Nintendo 64 is retro while the PlayStation 2 is modern. This despite the fact the PlayStation 2 is now 25 years old.

So I got to wonder about this community deems as “retro”.

Or a better question: what’s considered retro and not retro? What’s the fine line between retro and modern?

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[–] CrayonRosary@lemmy.world 2 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

Retro means new things that look like they're old. As in "looking backwards" for inspiration. Like pixel art. Prime example: VVVVVV.

I'm mostly being pedantic, but it's a pet peeve of mine that gamers (and only gamers) use "retro" wrong. Every other type of collector correctly uses the word "vintage" instead: Vintage clothing, furniture, coins, wine, etc. And they use "retro" to mean new things that look old, like retro clothing. Only gamers call vintage things "retro".

In my experience when I point this out, gamers just get mad. I don't understand that. But I'm kind of a language nerd who watches linguistics videos for fun. And yes, I know language changes and evolves, and words mean how people use them, and dictionaries are not prescriptive, etc., etc. It's still wrong, damnit! It's a niche use by specific group of people that confuses everyone else because of its wrongness.