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Comment by pavlov | Hacker News Reader

To me, it sounds similar to a once popular band who still make records together.

Maybe their style is progressive rock and they had one hit that still plays enough to keep the royalties flowing [1]. Decades later, audiences have mostly forgotten about prog rock, but does that mean the band should abandon what they know and enjoy, just to maybe try making a Rihanna-inspired album instead? Nobody wants that either.

It sounds like a chill lifestyle to be honest, doing what you love on your own pace, sometimes delivering something new to a dwindling but dedicated audience. Degrowth is anathema to start-up culture but it might be good for the aging human mind.

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[1] A lot of people who have never actively listened to prog rock could hum “Eye in the Sky…”

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You're completely right, and if the shoe was on the other foot I'd probably do the same. I'd be happy to be a one hit wonder if it paid the bills and let me keep on rocking in the free world.

But at the same time, Norman Greenbaum doesn't release a new version of Spirit in the Sky every few years expecting to get a pat on the head. In fact, that'd be an insane choice to make. Cyan is making their new albums, but they're also releasing Myst[club-remix].mp3 and Riven[feat-shiny-bs].mp3 on a regular schedule, and part of you has to wonder when it's ok to embrace the one hit and maybe quit beating the dead horse (apparently there's money in the horse, instead of organs and horse meat, so they CAN beat it but why?)

Old artists certainly do that kind of thing.

Let’s take somebody I actually really respect, the Pet Shop Boys. (They’re practically a one-hit wonder in America but had numerous hit records in Europe.)

Within the past month, PSB has released a new album “Nonetheless” to favorable reviews, but they also released an EP called “Furthermore” with completely new recordings of some of their best-known hits. Recently they also collaborated with British post-punk group Sleaford Mods on a cover and remix of “West End Girls.”

There’s an audience who enjoys all this. Why shouldn’t they both put out new material and work with others to rejuvenate the old? For someone who never liked their brand of melancholy synthpop, it’s beating a dead horse. For the fans, it’s keeping alive something that deserves it.

> Old artists certainly do that kind of thing.

But should they?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3MTlJF2qqM

( FWiW I'm all for grandparents making kids uncomfortable )

I mean, do whatever the hell you want. I'll call you out as a hack for doing it, but if someone out there enjoys it then more power to them.

Personally I think that if Nintendo eschewed new games, and kept releasing the original Super Mario Brothers (a beloved game from almost four decades ago) bit-for-bit on other devices, maybe with better graphics, they'd be irrelevant idiots today. Sure, there's SOME market for that, but what's much cooler is making new stuff that holds up in the current year. Nostalgia is a powerful tool, but porting code from 30 years ago to my smart fridge with upgraded graphics is a poor use of it (this is barely hyperbole for the franchise, which says a lot).

That all being said, I know the Cyan offices haven't collapsed into rubble so they're still doing OK (though their workforce is TINY now, compared to 'back when'). And if that's what floats their boat, great. I'd rather suck start my shotgun than release the same software for 30 years (same as in verbatim, no less, someone else is porting it to modern stacks) but to each their own...

But Cyan does release new games with no connection to the Myst IP. And Nintendo has re-released the original Super Mario Bros on different platforms over the years.

Super Mario All Stars it's a remake of the classic Mario Bros games for the NES but with SNES' Super Mario World graphics, they stil hold up really well today.

> kept releasing the original Super Mario Brothers (a beloved game from almost four decades ago) bit-for-bit on other devices, maybe with better graphics, they'd be irrelevant idiots today

But they do that all the time. New Super Mario Bros had like 5 different releases across multiple platforms with little to no changes. Hell, the entire SMB lineup is basically the same game with a new gimmick and fresh graphics tacked on every release.

Interesting how the „up to date“, or should I say „generic“ production of Furthermore robs them of their charm. They had an instantly recognizable sound.

I agree! These versions are trivial curiosities compared to the originals.

> part of you has to wonder when it's ok to embrace the one hit and maybe quit beating the dead horse

Lots and lots of musicians play all their 20yo hit records every concert. It’s expected, not “beating the dead horse”. I don’t see how this is all that different.

I like that your go-to for prog rock is "Eye in the Sky." I really can't fault it; my first thought was that technically Yes is more iconic of the genre, but it's probably less-known by younger people; if only for the Bulls oddly using Alan Parsons as their intro.

Now THAT I thought was a strange choice... Alan Parsons Project for a bombastic sports-stadium entrance.

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