SEGA removes Alpha Protocol from sale on digital storefronts

Armenius

Armenius

Extremely [H]
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I was going to bump one of the older threads, but they looked all toxic as hell, mostly stemming from one user who had a hate boner for this game.

SEGA stated that Alpha Protocol was removed from sale on Steam and other digital storefronts due to an "expiry of publishing rights." No further information was given, though people speculate it is due to the use of licensed music as is usually the death knell for other games in the digital age.

Publishers and developers need to warn people when this is going to happen as was done with Alan Wake. I think a stealth removal such as this is both disrespectful to the industry as a whole and its customers.

https://www.gamewatcher.com/news/sega-removes-obsidian-s-spy-rpg-alpha-protocol-from-sale
 
Or a lawyer contacted them and SEGA scrambled. Sort of how we get things done here.
 
How is it disrespectful? When this is happens it is common for people who already bought the game to still have access to it. Just no one new is able to buy it. Still this is the all digital download days you people wanted. I can't wait til some day steams goes offline for what ever reason and people lose everything. The internet would go nuclear over it.
 
Before you get your panties in a twist, realize that removal from a digital store tends to mean they can no longer sell new copies (or accept new codes) typically due to some licensing issue. This isn't the end of the world, because for those who already own the product, their license is still good. So it's all good for those who already have the product, and not so much for those who missed the boat.

Typically, these things get resolved over time. The developer/artists renegotiate and a price is settled. In any event, the only one getting 'screwed' is usually the publisher because of the loss of new sales.
 
That's a shame it's one of my favorite games. It has some issues for sure but it's good enough that I'm willing to look past it's warts, the way that your decisions and the order in which you complete things changes the story is the best I've seen in a game.

Though while it's a shame and it would have been nice for the publisher to give some warning it's really no different than in the old days when as publisher would just stop printing new copies at some point.
 
This isn’t music licensing. It sounds like Sega’s publishing license ended. That means the rights should revert to Obsidian. If that is the case the game could be relisted at some point down the road.
 
It could end up like the original Prey. Steam ran out of cd keys during a sale so they just stopped selling it. I think some people even bought it but couldn't play it and had to be refunded.
 
sharknice said:
It could end up like the original Prey. Steam ran out of cd keys during a sale so they just stopped selling it. I think some people even bought it but couldn't play it and had to be refunded.
Click to expand...

There is a notice on the Steam store page for the game that says this: "At the request of the publisher, Alpha Protocol™ is no longer available for sale on Steam."

If the publishing rights are just changing hands then I agree that it will most likely be back shortly but if it's a licensing issue I'm not so sure. Most games that have been pulled in the past due to licensing issues and then came back had more recent sequels keeping the IP more relevant, the only exception I can recall is the Vampire Bloodlines game that now has a sequel coming out and it might have already been in the works when it was brought back.
 
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