Video games get delisted often, mostly for banal reasons like an expired music licensing agreement or a publishing agreement running out. But the recent delisting of Adult Swim Games en masse feels a bit different.
08.03.2024 - 16:19 / polygon.com
Warner Bros. Discovery is telling developers it plans to start “retiring” games published by its Adult Swim Games label, game makers who worked with the publisher tell Polygon. At least three games are under threat of being removed from Steam and other digital stores, with the fate of other games published by Adult Swim unclear.
The media conglomerate’s planned removal of those games echoes cuts from its film and television business; Warner Bros. Discovery infamously scrapped plans to release nearly complete movies Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme, and removed multiple series from its streaming services. If Warner Bros. does go through with plans to delist Adult Swim’s games from Steam and digital console stores, 18 or more games could be affected.
News of the Warner Bros. plan to potentially pull Adult Swim’s games from Steam and the PlayStation Store was first reported by developer Owen Reedy, who released puzzle-adventure game Small Radios Big Televisions through the label in 2016. Reedy said on X Tuesday the game was being “retired” by Adult Swim Games’ owner. He responded to the company’s decision by making the Windows PC version of Small Radios Big Televisions available to download for free from his studio’s website.
Polygon reached out to other developers who had worked with Adult Swim Games as a publisher. Two studios responded to say that they’d received a similar warning from Warner Bros. Discovery, but they are still in the dark about what it means for their games.
Developer Michael Molinari, who released Soundodger+ through Adult Swim Games in 2013, told Polygon he received a warning from a Warner Bros. Discovery rep earlier this week that his game would be “removed from Steam” within the next 60 days.
“I don’t know if they’re delisting it or deleting it,” Molinari told Polygon in an email. “I pleaded with the rep to transfer ownership to my company, as I still retain all IP and game rights. I sent him a link to Steam’s transfer page and explained clearly that it takes literally three clicks to transfer ownership to me. He rejected my request.”
Molinari said the Warner Bros. Discovery representative said the decision not to transfer ownership back to developers “stems from logistical and resource constraints” and “the limited capacity of our team.” (One developer Polygon spoke with said the current Adult Swim Games team consisted of a “skeleton crew.”) Molinari expressed frustration that WBD’s planned removal of his game and others would lead to “over a decade of downloads, community guides, reviews, and patch notes [...] suddenly vanishing.”
According to Molinari, Warner Bros. Discovery informed him that he’s allowed to republish Soundodger+ on Steam, but that option presents its own issues.
Video games get delisted often, mostly for banal reasons like an expired music licensing agreement or a publishing agreement running out. But the recent delisting of Adult Swim Games en masse feels a bit different.
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More developers have confirmed that they have been told by Warner Bros. Discovery that their games will imminently be delisted from digital storefronts. Soundodger+ and Fist Puncher are both due to vanish, following in the footsteps of puzzle game Small Radios Big Televisions, whose developer announced its imminent delisting earlier this week and released the game for free in response.
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Warner Bros. Discovery has informed developers that it plans to remove games published under its Adult Swim Games label. Three games are currently on the chopping block, and many more could be in danger if WB terminates the brand altogether.
There are fresh fears Warner Bros. Discovery plans to delist all Adult Swim games, including the likes of Pool Panic, Duck Game, Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality, and Kingsway, within the next two months.
In further confirmation that one can never truly own digital media, Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to "retire" 2016's noodling around puzzle game Small Radios Big Televisions - meaning it'll disappear off storefronts in the next 60 days. Developer Owen Deery revealed this news on Xitter a couple of days ago, simultaneously announcing that the game is now free to download. Deery also noted you can buy the synthy soundtrack to show support.
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