Biggest challenge is, at least on PC, advancement of technology. Not all games are running fine on Windows 10. Also, in the age where everyone has at least 1080p screen, those games don't just look bad, they are barely comprehensible. I took my sweet time to experiment with variety of thingies and got PES 3 to look extremely good even though its 15 years old game.
Despite nostalgia factor, especially on PC it would be borderline impossible for me to play PES 3 in its original state. 1080p and stable 60fps is simply enough a must.
Great advantage is that, thanks to kitserver and sweetfx those things are doable. Also, putting it straight, PS2 PES games at least offer gaming experience, not artificial scriptey emotioney experience something. Difference between PS2 and PS4 era games in that regard is giant. I remember when I stopped playing PES 2015 after getting scripted to death in Go Ahead Eagles ML and went back to PES 6 and started Deportivo ML with Phoenix Patch. In PES 15, I won Eredivisie in first season on Top Player with weakest Dutch team. With Deportivo in PES 6 I have barely gotten to 6th place and European cups, I'm sure it was in the last game of the season when I've jumped back to 6th.
Guess which one was more satisfying? The one that was real of course. I complain about PES 15+ ML scriptings all the freaking time, but even then I won so many games and trophies between PES 15 and 18 on various difficulties and even manual settings. Any sort of accomplishment feels artificial. And that's only part of the grand scheme of thingies...
In PES 3 which am playing rn, this is so much never the case never! Stats mean everything and that can be see even more than in PES 5/6. Never once have I felt cheated, and believe me I've lost so many games in 90th minute, even got fucked over by random defender error in WEFA Champs final yesterday in extra time - not a single objection from me, because that's what could happen and guess what it happened, and not because of behind the scene calculations.
TL;DR I like playing actual game, not the artificial display of newest nikey boots and hairstyles tankyouverymuch.
Idk really, and why would I care about more people? PES was niche to begin with, it is only natural that there won't be many of us either way. Besides, this thread does a great job of bringing people back into Retro PES, hell it got me to buy PES 3 btw where's my 8€ I've paid for it because of this thread!
Silly aside, popularity is really not that good these days. I'd rather have a few quality individuals involved in the whole ordeal who know what PES is all about instead of trying to reach out to anyone and everyone. That old PES still holds up for as many people as we see in this thread is a miracle!
What's worth being mentioned is online, that can always bring people together and make'em stay. I gotta get that WE9LE thing for once and play with you, only problem is I'm in love with PES 3 at the moment

I used to play PES 6 online a bit in the past and it was excellent! Got me thinking bout ye olde days and playing on couch with me mateys, hah.
People grow up, simply enough. Back in the school days I had all the time in the world to bang in season after season of PES 6 Master Leagues like a crazy. Granted, I still have tons of time and play the game but surely waaaay less than back in the day. I am not a patchmaker but I used to be a modder in another set of games (oldschool paradox strategies, now those whackers just spew DLCs one after another ugh) and growing up is definitely a huge factor. We grow up, we don't have time, we have other thingies to do...simply enough, life.
What could be done? Idk, at best we could entertain ourselves and maybe lure some other people in with some nice patch or OF...I keep thinking about alternative universe with different set of teams in which Italy is on top of the world again and balance of power is entirely different. Teams would be inspired by either PES 3-to-5-style-fake-teams, or some political/historical (both non-football and football) references. It would require fuckton of balance and work (all those faces omg) but think of it, starting a Master League with entirely new set of players and teams for you to explore anew? PES3 is great because...it doesn't have many teams.
I have written more but I broke 10k character limit and had to delete things...but they will show up one day again, eventually? I think.
***
And now its time for Commonwealth update. Only done the transfers yesterday and holy crap we have some big guns ready for this season. Over 60k of points have been put to use to acquire as what follows:
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Chigrat - quality Romanian full-back from Westfalen, decent all-around.
Hyypia - the Finnish Wall Man I am reaching out for more and more neighbours of the Great Slavia. And we happily welcome Suomi people because they're damn good.
Ferguson - former Old Firm Blue captain who had to leave team after Scots have brought in English DMF Lampard. Fergie made a name for himself in Russian team Valdai as he led them back to Division 1. Now he will continue his adventures in Slavdom after accepting Polish Giants - Commonwealth's offer.
Bermar - another versatile, extremely talented Czech midfielder, very similar to Rosicly but he's good at the wings. Potentially monstrous, his dribbling stats are inbloodysane!
Olisadebe - Polski Nigerian, our national hero from early 00s. He became quality European striker in Poland and moved to Athenakos, but now that White Eagle Monster has emerged on the ocean of European football he will be coming back and good lord is he FAST.
Ujlesi - decent Czech CB, gotten for free as he was free agent. Decent backup.
Ignashevich - more or less the same except he's Russian, he's GIANT and also you got to see him at this World Cup if I understand things rightly!
Hakan Unsal - Turks were very warm and supportive towards Poland after it collapsed back in the day and so we remember them fondly. Unsal is my LMF option in case Bermar won't work out and/or I will need to rotate.
Ramski - Polski Canadian who scored a lot of goalshots in England, wonder if you guys remember his real name? I was surprised how good his stats are and decided to bring him in. Surely potential member of the starting eleven.
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Look at that Teamwork and Speed! We are fast and deadly as mother of fuck, we are
C O M M O N W E A L T H and this year we will win everything.
Of course first game of the season is against Longobardi...perfect!