Finally bought a physical PS2 copy of Most Wanted — for the kid in China who couldn't pay back then
The first time I played Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Black Box Studio was already gone. Disbanded.
I wanted to give them my money, but there was no one left to take it.
That hit me hard — missing the chance to pay for a childhood favorite.
See, back in the day in China, most of us played this game as a cracked copy. No other way.
No official retail. No Steam. No way to pay even if you wanted to.
We were kids with dial-up internet and a dream — and a pirated ISO from a local PC café.
So years later, I thought: maybe a physical PS2 import copy would help. A kind of spiritual closure.
Luckily, I didn't get scammed. Found an old-school seller who knew his stuff. Got it at a fair price.
We talked a bit about why I was buying it — he was genuinely happy for me.
Also grabbed a few titles on Steam during sales. Two bucks each on average. Felt good.
I have mixed feelings about this franchise.
Part of me still hopes it can rise again. Make something world-changing. Like it once did.
I wanted to give them my money, but there was no one left to take it.
That hit me hard — missing the chance to pay for a childhood favorite.
See, back in the day in China, most of us played this game as a cracked copy. No other way.
No official retail. No Steam. No way to pay even if you wanted to.
We were kids with dial-up internet and a dream — and a pirated ISO from a local PC café.
So years later, I thought: maybe a physical PS2 import copy would help. A kind of spiritual closure.
Luckily, I didn't get scammed. Found an old-school seller who knew his stuff. Got it at a fair price.
We talked a bit about why I was buying it — he was genuinely happy for me.
Also grabbed a few titles on Steam during sales. Two bucks each on average. Felt good.
I have mixed feelings about this franchise.
Part of me still hopes it can rise again. Make something world-changing. Like it once did.