Delisted Games - Memorial Thread

[Skunkworks]

Nothing feels quite as bad as seeing a completed and enjoyable product vanish from the face of the earth. It hurts from a video games history perspective, but also from a practical standpoint. Recently, Randon and I was discussing how the earlier Unreal Tournament titles are completely unavailable in 2024. I thought I would start a thread so we can be aware when things are leaving and mourn their passing.

I’ll start with the Switch version of Mushihimesama. You have until 8/10/24.

https://www.gematsu.com/2024/07/mushihimesama-for-switch-to-be-delisted-on-august-10

[Random Encounter]

I remember how Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was delisted for the longest time. It's only recently that it got put back out on modern platforms. And don't get me started about Unreal Tournament. I'm still bitter.

EDIT: Oh, it's a Cave game. Yeah, those guys are assholes when it comes to the emulation community, so seeing them delist something doesn't surprise me.

[Selbaek]

The Marvel Ultimate Alliance remaster was put up for digital only storefronts and very quickly delisted. There is no way to legally get ahold of it, and that's a shame.

[The Grimace]

Scott Pilgrim vs the World is awesome. I highly recommend people check put the videos the sprite artist for the game, Paul Robertson, has uploaded to Youtube. He has done some AMAZING animations for Adult Swim and does phenomenal artwork especially orientated at gamers. They're a treat to the eyes.

[The Grimace]

Tangentially related: I'm highly disappointed with console manufacturers in the digital age. There are so many great games out there that people are unable to legitimately buy due to game companies and right holders folding, or due to closures of online services like the Nintendo 3DS Shop. Piracy is morally correct in situations like this and it's a shame it has to be so difficult to enjoy myriad games of ages past. When you can lose the ability to legitimately buy video games in less than a decade, that's extremely unfair to customers.

Because I lack storage space, I can't buy many physical copies of games. This will bite me in the ass if and when Sony and Nintendo inevitably close down more online services.

Several games have been removed from Steam's storefront after being purchased by Epic, and personally I avoid Epic unless it's to get a free game I'll (probably) never player. Don't even get me started on legal PC games bring ruined by DRM, too... Ugh.

Game preservation in the modern era is such a tough subject to tackle.

[Skunkworks]

I’m going to premise this with “I have no idea how EU initiatives work”, but I thought this was an interesting idea.

https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/initiatives/details/2024/000007_en

This initiative calls to require publishers that sell or license videogames to consumers in the European Union (or related features and assets sold for videogames they operate) to leave said videogames in a functional (playable) state.

Specifically, the initiative seeks to prevent the remote disabling of videogames by the publishers, before providing reasonable means to continue functioning of said videogames without the involvement from the side of the publisher.

[Random Encounter]

Leave it to the EU to actually hold companies' feet to the fire. Super based.