Konami Tries To Pull Skullgirls From PSN And XBLA

[Steven Bogos]

Konami Tries To Pull Skullgirls From PSN And XBLA

Skullgirls design director revealed that Konami has put in a request for the game to be delisted from Xbox Live and PSN.

Skullgirls developer Lab Zero and publisher Autumn Games have had somewhat of a... rocky relationship with co-publisher Konami, which ended in a messy breakup [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129431-Skullgirls-and-Konami-Split-Moving-Ahead-with-Patches]. Konami is not taking the news very well, as Skullgirls design director Mike Zaimont recently revealed during a Twitch stream that the publisher has put in a request to Sony and Microsoft to pull the current version of the game from Xbox Live and PSN.

Konami co-published the game alongside Autumn Games on Xbox Live and PSN everywhere outside of Japan, and as such has every right to request the game be pulled. Lab Zero and Autumn are working on a new version of Skullgirls that will be published without Konami's help, but if they are unable to get through Sony and Microsoft's approval process by December 17, the game will disappear from its respective online stores until after the Christmas holidays.

If you already own the game, you'll still keep it and be able to play it offline, but new players won't be able to purchase the game, and it's unknown if the game's online multiplayer will still function if it becomes delisted.

Zaimont says that he and his team at Lab Zero didn't find out about Konami's request until after it had already been approved by Sony.

This seems like a very puzzling and jerk move from Konami, as they would still be able to make money from the PSN and Xbox Live version of the game for as long as it stayed up. It feels like it was done just to spite Lab Zero and Autumn.

Source: Polygon [http://www.twitch.tv/eightysixed/b/485538859?t=7m18s]

Permalink

 

[Lo Flying Frying Pan]

Cut off the nose to spite the face. I applaud your butt-hurt Konami ...

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Really Konami? What are you really hoping to achieve here?

At best, your only lowering your own profits, unless there is some kind of fee you need to pay to keep the game on the services, and going to give yourself all kinds of bad publicity.

 

[VoidWanderer]

Goddamit EA!

Wait, what? Konami!

/sigh

 

[Revolutionary]

Wow Konami dick move, I have to congradulate you on your levels of dickitude. People might care if the weren't so busy trying to find excuses to cirticise Microsoft.
In other news pc version continues to exist, I didn't even realise this game was on the consoles.

 

[llafnwod]

This seems like a very puzzling and jerk move from Konami, as they would still be able to make money from the PSN and Xbox Live version of the game for as long as it stayed up. It feels like it was done just to spite Lab Zero and Autumn.

In all seriousness, what was the point of this aside?

 

[Pandaman1911]

This seems like a very puzzling and jerk move from Konami, as they would still be able to make money from the PSN and Xbox Live version of the game for as long as it stayed up. It feels like it was done just to spite Lab Zero and Autumn.

In all seriousness, what was the point of this aside?

Editor's opinion?

OT, yeah, just seems like a "taking my ball and going home" sort of thing. A dick move from a company that's founded a solid reputation of being dicks.

 

[mistwolf]

Tries, nothing. It has been approved by both Sony and Microsoft. The only hope Lab Zero has is getting listed as an entirely new game, a process that costs thousands of dollars at best. Really dick move, and if Konami has a reasonable reason, they should really be getting that out there. As it is, I can only think they are being a dick.

I have this game on PC, play with my PS3 controller, and it is a great game. Would recommend to anyone!

 

[TheIceQueen]

This seems like a very puzzling and jerk move from Konami, as they would still be able to make money from the PSN and Xbox Live version of the game for as long as it stayed up. It feels like it was done just to spite Lab Zero and Autumn.

In all seriousness, what was the point of this aside?

You've been here since 2007, so it should be safe to assume that you've seen plenty of News articles. If you haven't, and even if you have, it helps to know that The Escapist has always been about putting personal flair into the news articles that they write. This is even mentioned as a heavy portion of the recruitment process.

OT: Sorry to see this happen. It really does seem like a spiteful move for Konami to pull, but I'm not surprised. Of all the studios and publishers out there, Konami seems to have the most spiteful attitude of them all. Our very own Jim Sterling could attest to this.

 

[Psychobabble]

This seems like a very puzzling and jerk move from Konami, as they would still be able to make money from the PSN and Xbox Live version of the game for as long as it stayed up. It feels like it was done just to spite Lab Zero and Autumn.

In all seriousness, what was the point of this aside?

You've been here since 2007, so it should be safe to assume that you've seen plenty of News articles. If you haven't, and even if you have, it helps to know that The Escapist has always been about putting personal flair into the news articles that they write. This is even mentioned as a heavy portion of the recruitment process.

OT: Sorry to see this happen. It really does seem like a spiteful move for Konami to pull, but I'm not surprised. Of all the studios and publishers out there, Konami seems to have the most spiteful attitude of them all. Our very own Jim Sterling could attest to this.

Well he could .. if Konami hadn't had him assassinated and replaced by the Sterlingbot 29000.

 

[hermes]

Tries, nothing. It has been approved by both Sony and Microsoft. The only hope Lab Zero has is getting listed as an entirely new game, a process that costs thousands of dollars at best. Really dick move, and if Konami has a reasonable reason, they should really be getting that out there. As it is, I can only think they are being a dick.

Exactly. The only reason Lab Zero found out about this is because Sony reached out to them; but the process of approval was already on its way.
I would like to know how they plan to move forward from this. Apparently they own the IP, and Sony has the self publishing deal that could help them put it back on; but I don't know the kind of restrictions Konami can put to it.

 

[Something Amyss]

Goddamit EA!

Wait, what? Konami!

/sigh

It's okay, man. At this point it's just reflex.

Seriously, though, this is just ridiculous.

 

[Grahav]

Skullgirls just can't catch a break.

 

[shrekfan246]

In other news pc version continues to exist, I didn't even realise this game was on the consoles.

Which is funny, because it was on the consoles for something like a year before it came to the PC.

OT: Do big publishers even know the meaning of "good publicity" anymore? Just... GG, Konami. Like the constant PR battles between EA, Activision, and Ubisoft to see who can slap around the customers the most, you just couldn't be content with Capcom or Square Enix being worse than you, could you?

 

[shrekfan246]

In other news pc version continues to exist, I didn't even realise this game was on the consoles.

Which is funny, because it was on the consoles for something like a year before it came to the PC.

OT: Do big publishers even know the meaning of "good publicity" anymore? Just... GG, Konami. Like the constant PR battles between EA, Activision, and Ubisoft to see who can slap around the customers the most, you just couldn't be content with Capcom or Square Enix being worse than you, could you?

Well clearly they didnt want this getting out, they were hoping it would all go quietly, it would have too if someone hadnt told the press about it.

Well, that's kind of the thing, isn't it?

It's pretty close to damn impossible to keep things secret these days, especially when the thing you're trying to keep quiet is going to actively screw a respectable number of other people.

 

[Multi-Hobbyist]

Many butt-frustration. So anal-anguishment. Wow.
But seriously, da fuq Konami. Shouldn't you be hurting for money right now? Instead of, y'know, tossing this project in the bin?

 

[JagermanXcell]

Yup... Konami's done it again. Its even worse considering they're doing this to a game they published that they earn profit from thats actually good, but we all have to remember to take a look at ourselves in the mirror and realize just how BATS*IT INSANE they are.
inb4 Xcell935 gets blacklisted.

 

[SweetShark]

Thankfully the PC port of the game is clearly owned by Autumn and Marvelous AQL [I google it to make sure].
So Konami can't [I think] touch it.

However, there is still hope. If Labzero manage to patch the game before 17/12, there is a possibility to NOT remove the game.
Unfortunately, we don't know how close are even to complete the new version....

Good Luck Labzero.

 

[scorptatious]

Goddamnit, between this and the fact that Squiggly hasn't reached the PSN version, I'm going to have to get a working PC to play the current version of the game.

Screw you Konami.