Neo-retro

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The term "neo-retro" refers to an artistic style that attempts to produce something new, based on classical designs or processes; this is opposed to "retro", which is something from the past that is brought back.

The main reasons for the neo-retro style are:

  • Style: Sometimes the choice is simply artistic; a company will reuse an old design because they feel it still has some relevance in today’s world, and may be seen as innovative or an interesting change of pace from the contemporary. For example, in 1998 Volkswagen introduced the New Beetle, a new car with on outer design that resembled the Beetle of old, even though the car itself is very modern.
  • Simplicity: Almost invariably, modern technology is more complex than older technology, as years of innovation have often followed the mantra: “the more the better.” In order to make technology friendlier, some have gone back to simpler times by reducing the feature set and the control schemes of new products. For example, Nintendo is attempting to undo the progression of the standard video game controller with Wii, by trimming down the number of buttons on the controller, and replacing the multiple analog sticks with a motion sensitive controller. Nintendo hopes to make the system friendlier to gamers and non-gamers alike.
  • Cost: With the advent of modern technology, the cost of making movies and video games has increased tremendously; independent movie studios and smaller game development houses can’t afford the high price tag on the latest technology, and deliberately eschew it in favor of more simplistic graphics. Because of the resistance to use the latest technology to give an exceptional visual or audio performance, many video games with a neo-retro style are panned for having bad or outdated graphics; movie-goers have been a little more receptive, as high-end technology is usually used in sci-fi and fantasy, and not most movies. For example, offbeat games like Katamari Damacy would never sell in the numbers to justify spending millions of dollars on flashy graphics and sounds, so the game designers used a simpler art style to fit the budget of the game.
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