Why am I excited about Glover?

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I haven’t played Glover since I rented it for the Nintendo 64 over 20 years ago. So it doesn’t make sense that I’m suddenly excited to play it again just because developer Piko Interactive is releasing it on Steam. And yet here I am at the game’s store page, ready to add it to my library.

Glover was a 1998 3D platformer from developer Hasbro Interactive. And because they were so new, 3D platformers on that system stood out. But the game was never great. Even at the time, it garnered – at best – mixed reviews from critics. This is probably why I never went back to it even with emulation.

Going through the hoops of setting up an emulator, I’m going to reboot Mario 64. Or maybe I’ll be spending time with a more esoteric classic like Blast Corps. But the thing is, I haven’t felt the need to actually go back and play Glover.

So why am I excited it’s coming out on Steam? Well, I think of Glover and refer to it often. And I think that’s the difference. The idea that I’ll be getting and playing Glover alongside other people makes going back even more exciting. This is the advantage rights holders have in their fight against emulation. I could have played Glover anytime in the last 20 years, but I’m more likely to play it now that I have to spend money on it. And the reason is simply because Steam will put it in front of millions of others.

Gaming is a cooperative activity, even if you play the games alone. You want to share your experience and talk about it with others, and I’m willing to do that, even from Friggin’ Glover.

Piko will release Glover for Steam on April 20.

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This post Why am I excited about Glover?

was original published at “https://venturebeat.com/2022/03/07/why-am-i-excited-for-glover/”