Earlier this month we covered how the original Tomb Raider games were getting a free remaster, courtesy of Realtech VR. Now I'm afraid I have some bad news. DSOGaming is reporting that Realtech VR is cancelling the project.
It appears Square Enix didn't appreciate Realtech VRs ambition, sending them a cease and desist letter on the project, and has pulled all the videos of the project from YouTube. The remastered versions were essentially mods, that would require you to own the original DOS games on Steam in order to work, so it's a little surprising that the C&D letter got sent. Realtech VR stated in a tweet today "After this episode, we are refocusing on new projects involving Augmented Reality on iOS and VR on PC. We are not more committed on third party license anymore."
It's a shame, the remastered really looked fantastic, and could have brought a good amount of hype to the series for the upcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Crystal Dynamics released an official statement that can be read below.
“While we always welcome passion and excitement for the Tomb Raider franchise, the remasters in question were initiated and advertised without seeking approval. As such, they were never officially sanctioned. Ensuring fans receive high quality gaming experiences is at the heart of our mission as a company, which requires all projects to go through proper channels. We are thrilled about the future of Tomb Raider, and cannot thank fans enough for their continued support and excitement for the brand.”
It appears Square Enix didn't appreciate Realtech VRs ambition, sending them a cease and desist letter on the project, and has pulled all the videos of the project from YouTube. The remastered versions were essentially mods, that would require you to own the original DOS games on Steam in order to work, so it's a little surprising that the C&D letter got sent. Realtech VR stated in a tweet today "After this episode, we are refocusing on new projects involving Augmented Reality on iOS and VR on PC. We are not more committed on third party license anymore."
It's a shame, the remastered really looked fantastic, and could have brought a good amount of hype to the series for the upcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Crystal Dynamics released an official statement that can be read below.
“While we always welcome passion and excitement for the Tomb Raider franchise, the remasters in question were initiated and advertised without seeking approval. As such, they were never officially sanctioned. Ensuring fans receive high quality gaming experiences is at the heart of our mission as a company, which requires all projects to go through proper channels. We are thrilled about the future of Tomb Raider, and cannot thank fans enough for their continued support and excitement for the brand.”