It's baffling to me that Snatcher/Policenauts HD remaster is still not a thing

[Bonkers225]

Release it alongside the soundtracks, with some other cool extras like the MSX2 version for Snatcher, on the PS4/5/X/Switch/PC, etc and it would sell like hotcakes. Like wtf are you doing Konami. Thank God we have the roms/emulators/translators as an option. But so many are missing out on these masterpieces. Some would argue it's Kojima's best work, and not the MGS series.

 

[Neb Lleb]

A Snatcher: Special Edition would be awesome. That and a rebalanced version of Drakengard 1 & 2 would be remasters I would happily eat up.

 

[fake-kun]

I heard it's because of copyright issues.

 

[Pjira]

Between the copyright issues I've heard about and that Konami/Kojima still haven't made up that I'm aware of, I don't expect it to happen anytime soon unfortunately.

 

[TotzOnGaming]

I heard it's because of copyright issues.

Why? Does it use liscensed music?

 

[WesternYokai]

I think the problem is Konami simply don't care. Many games with tight copyright issues have been rereleased recently, I can't believe this is an issue with a game that is not that hard to port to modern platforms and copyright owners would earn free money.

Thanks god the emulation is super easy, I was playing Snatcher early this year and had a blast. Didn't finished tho bc I lost my save file lol.

 

[fake-kun]

Why? Does it use liscensed music?

Both games are basically Blade Runner rip-offs.

 

[Blamhammer]

Many likenesses to characters, also there's the chance it will be released with cut scenes and event changes.

Might be for the better but the whole game is already out there and easy to setup and play, so you get to play it as was intended.

 

[popckorn]

For real tho.

 

[DanVzare]

Many likenesses to characters

As someone who likes the Anime artstyle, and has grown so accustomed to it, that I can sometimes identify a character from their face... even I have to ask "Wut?"

Seriously... likenesses? In a game with an anime-artstyle?
"Oh no, that character looks just like every other anime character!"

Both games are basically Blade Runner rip-offs.

Being a rip-off doesn't mean you'll have licensing issues though. As a matter of fact, being a rip-off is exactly why it shouldn't have any licensing issues. Since that's the reason rip-offs are usually made in the first place. You know... to get around having to license the property it's ripping-off.
I mean, Dead Rising and its recent remaster didn't have any problems with being a Dawn of the Dead rip-off.

So with that out of the way, what are the copyright issues people have mentioned all about?
Is it between Konami and Kojima? The music? A threat from Warner Bros? What?

 

[fake-kun]

So with that out of the way, what are the copyright issues people have mentioned all about?

The fact that suing people and companies for plagiarism is a thing?

 

[RepoOnly]

Well that´s company for you. I mean the fact there is no Dungeon keep 1 and 2 HD same thing they hate money or the money is not enugh for the sales. I mean why remaster something that don´t bring in 500+ mill.

But man I would kill for a Snatcher HD and I would love for a Dungeon keeper HD or something so I can play the game in higher resolution than 800X600.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I'd love that, to be honest.

Snatcher was the first game that made want to get into SEGA CD emulation.

 

[ATenderLad]

I'm sure it's more that the games are point and click visual novels with light gun elements, and not, like, pachinko.

 

[WesternYokai]

I would hate hand drawn sprites like Phoenix Wright remasters tho.

 

[Russianbias]

The fact that suing people and companies for plagiarism is a thing?

- except you cant make a case for those two games being plagiarized from Blade Runner. Plagiarism has distinct judicial meaning and it would not be applicable in case with works of fiction like that. First and foremost, its two different type of media. Secondly, who even gonna bother? Scott? Villeneuve? Dick's relatives? Warners/Sony? And while we here, should bethesda/microsoft be scared too because of Fallout 4? Lets be realistic, not everyone is a mariomon company.

In case with video games all AAA segment are essentially kissing cousins, those games resemble eachother while being produced by completely different teams, working on different companies. And no one sues anyone.

In videogames in general, being influenced by something to the point of almost resembling original is absolutely normal. Remember RTS craze of nineties? Isometric RPG revival of 10's? etc etc

Successful movies constantly spawn numerous impersonation movies, yet no one sues anyone. Big releases constantly followed by cheap knock offs, yet no lawsuits.

Even in popular literature you can see this trend. Just look at YA segment. All those YA novels arent even kissing cousins, its an outright full sibling orgy ( no step bullshit there ). Yet, they all getting published and no one sues everyone. Okay. One person tries, but he fails constantly - Michael Murcock. For a hard lefty, he does love his copyrights and loves to apply them rather frivolously - "Oh look! That guy has a sword and white hair! It was stolen from me!".

 

[fake-kun]

- except you cant make a case for those two games being plagiarized from Blade Runner. Plagiarism has distinct judicial meaning and it would not be applicable in case with works of fiction like that. First and foremost, its two different type of media. Secondly, who even gonna bother? Scott? Villeneuve? Dick's relatives? Warners/Sony? And while we here, should bethesda/microsoft be scared too because of Fallout 4? Lets be realistic, not everyone is a mariomon company.

In case with video games all AAA segment are essentially kissing cousins, those games resemble eachother while being produced by completely different teams, working on different companies. And no one sues anyone.

In videogames in general, being influenced by something to the point of almost resembling original is absolutely normal. Remember RTS craze of nineties? Isometric RPG revival of 10's? etc etc

Successful movies constantly spawn numerous impersonation movies, yet no one sues anyone. Big releases constantly followed by cheap knock offs, yet no lawsuits.

Even in popular literature you can see this trend. Just look at YA segment. All those YA novels arent even kissing cousins, its an outright full sibling orgy ( no step bullshit there ). Yet, they all getting published and no one sues everyone. Okay. One person tries, but he fails constantly - Michael Murcock. For a hard lefty, he does love his copyrights and loves to apply them rather frivolously - "Oh look! That guy has a sword and white hair! It was stolen from me!".

The possibility is always there, no matter how small. As long that's the case, there's no reason for Konami to re-release those games and risk getting sued.

 

[Russianbias]

The possibility is always there, no matter how small. As long that's the case, there's no reason for Konami to re-release those games and risk getting sued.

- by that logic, this possibility exists for any kind of product. If this was ever the issue, we would never seen any new products because everyone would be afraid of getting sued.

Most probable explanation of why there are no re-release of Snatcher and Policenauts, is rights issues. Maybe also they dont believe that it would be profitable, because unlike MGS or SH, those two titles have no recognizability outside of being associated with Kojima. This is especially true for Policenauts, which never leaved Japan.