Mario, GTA, and 8 more of the most expensive video game ports ever released
The article examines a notable trend in the video game industry: expensive ports of older games to new hardware. While porting games is a common strategy for reviving classic titles, the industry typically employs two approaches—complete remakes that preserve the original experience, or quick updates that improve graphics and framerates with minimal additional changes.
Gamer consensus generally expects quick ports to be affordable, yet several publishers have defied this expectation with surprisingly high prices. The article highlights Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 as prominent examples of costly ports, and examines games from the Mario and Grand Theft Auto franchises as part of its analysis.
The piece surveys ten of the most expensive video game ports ever released, exploring the economic rationale behind premium port pricing and questioning what additional value publishers claim to justify the costs compared to original releases.