After more than ten years, classic game site Vintage is the New Old is being shut down. The decision comes directly from the site’s administrator, Paulo Garcia, who received one angry email too many. The website had been a staple of the retrogaming scene with interviews, news and contests going on since 2011.
In the farewell post, Paulo explains that “although we have a large audience, the engagement is close to zero.” He continues to explain thatthe website never seems to get linked as a source and this frustration is turning “a fun hobby into a tedious chore with no reward”.
Paulo also blames social media on people not wanting to read longer pieces anymore. Finally, as an example of the kind of engagement they have been actually getting, he explains how the recent Vintage is the new Old writer contest had a participant send an angry email. The guy was unhappy about being only third place and sent in an angry letter with swears and random accusations.
The website was the evolution of the original website Commodore Blog, which had been a staple of the early retrogaming scene on the internet. Since 2011, the website changed its name and overall mission, with daily updates on everything that had been going on in the retrogaming scene. From new Commodore 64 games, interviews and news such as the Total Recall game being rediscovered after 33 years.
Still, not all is lost, as Paulo explains in the post that he will not delete anything. “After shutting down, ViTNO will be visible on Internet Archive. I am also considering submitting my database to Internet Archive, so there are other ways to keep the articles alive after the site is gone”.
While we feel sad about this important piece of retrogaming history being shut down, we can sympathize with Paulo’s issues and plight. We hope that the website can one day be appreciated for all the hard work the team put in.