Matt,
Your comments are your own opinion and I respect that. However, there are other opinions out there that you should keep in mind.
1. It is very simple to crank out a remake, but work translates into quality. I made 3-D characters for a remake of Colonel’s Bequest, and created custom backgrounds. Also I found a number of people who wanted to help. Remakes are plentiful, or there are very few remakes; it all depends on your point of view.
2. I had the fortune of working in the field that allowed me to improve my programming skills and graphics to the point I was getting paid to make games. Now I do not have an employer, and the talent is out there, it’s just waiting. I’ve spent countless hours tweaking my projects.
3. Since it’s so simple to make a remake, and the talent is out there waiting to get started on a concrete project, all we seem to be lacking is direction. There’s too much other stuff out there right now, some people don’t even have the Internet.
4. Imagine if we had a real President who provided the impetus to get the ball rolling. Bush already mentioned that he wants everyone to get high-speed access, but some people don’t even have a computer. The computer world is Baby and “Toddler” and ‘Noob’ or they are Elite or Hackers or Phreakz. You probably don’t know Phreakz… their operative word is “The world is free for me.”
5. So; We are stuck in the 80s again. Only a lonely renegade company like SIERRA ONLINE can succeed in injecting some life into the scene. Let’s hope the battle has begun.