The recent confirmation from more developers that their games will soon be delisted from digital storefronts by Warner Bros. Discovery has sent shockwaves through the gaming community. Games such as Soundodger+ and Fist Puncher are set to disappear, following in the footsteps of Small Radios Big Televisions. All of these games were published by Adult Swim Games, which is now under the ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery. The looming delisting of these games has raised concerns about the fate of other Adult Swim games, even though many developers have not yet received any official communication from Warner Bros. Discovery.
Studio Reactions to the Delisting
Amid the chaos, developers like Matt Kain, the developer of Fist Puncher, have expressed their frustration with Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to delist their games. Kain revealed that despite requesting the transfer of the game to their Steam publisher account, Warner Bros. Discovery has refused, citing a universal decision not to transfer games back to original studios due to resource constraints. Similarly, Studio Bean, the developer of Soundodger+, shared their disappointment after being informed that their game would be delisted. Despite offering a simple solution to transfer the game to their Steam account, Warner Bros. Discovery declined, only allowing the game to be republished on Steam without any mention of Adult Swim in the credits.
The news of the impending delisting has understandably caused panic among other developers whose games were published by Adult Swim. Landon Podbielski, the creator of Duck Game, expressed his distress at the situation, even though he had not received any official notice about the delisting. The uncertainty surrounding the fate of these games has led to concerns about the livelihoods of small developers and the potential negative impact on their work. Lee Petty from Double Fine highlighted the detrimental effects of delisting games from digital storefronts, emphasizing the importance of preserving developers’ work and sustaining their careers.
As the fate of various Adult Swim games hangs in the balance, developers like Mr. Podunkian and John Gottschalk remain unsure about the status of their titles. While some games like Rain World and Volgarr the Viking have been confirmed to be safe from delisting, others such as Desync, Pool Panic, and Rick And Morty: Virtual Rick-ality are at risk. The uncertainty surrounding the future of these games poses a significant challenge for developers, especially those whose games may be impacted by the delisting.
The current situation raises concerns about the preservation of indie games and the challenges faced by developers in maintaining the availability of their work. The potential loss of Steam reviews and the requirement to remove branding from games present additional hurdles for developers already grappling with the delisting process. Despite the assurance from some developers that their games will remain online, the overall impact of Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to delist games published by Adult Swim remains a pressing issue in the gaming industry.
The delisting of games published by Adult Swim under Warner Bros. Discovery’s ownership has sparked outrage and concern among developers. The uncertainty surrounding the future of these games underscores the importance of games preservation and the need to support indie developers in navigating challenges posed by corporate decisions. As developers continue to grapple with the aftermath of the delisting announcements, the gaming community must rally behind them to ensure that their work is not erased or forgotten in the ever-changing landscape of the industry.
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