Three Xbox games hard delisted from Microsoft Store over publisher dispute

[iamthemilkman]

This is when games get delisted, removed from your library, cannot be redownloaded, and you're not refunded, similar to Sony's recent movie delistings.

Three Xbox games from developer Creepy Brothers have been hard delisted from the Microsoft Store over a dispute with the games' publisher.

If you have Creepy Tale, Creepy Tale 2, or Strike Force Kitty installed on your Xbox console, don't uninstall them, as all three games were recently hard delisted from the Xbox store.

For those unfamiliar, a hard delisting is very different from the normal Xbox delistings we see so regularly. When a game is traditionally delisted, it simply means the game is no longer available for purchase on the Microsoft Store, but owners of that title can still download and play it whenever they like. As for a hard delisting, this is when the game is removed from the store and also from owners' libraries, meaning it can no longer be downloaded without using a workaround.

After reaching out to developer Creepy Brothers, the team explained that Creepy Tale, Creepy Tale 2, and Strike Force Kitty had been hard delisted due to a dispute with publisher No Gravity Games, which, according to Creepy Brothers, has "violated the terms of the agreement and has not paid royalties for several years." We have put this claim to No Gravity Games but have not yet received a reply.

When asked whether the games would be relisted, and after it was pointed out that players who had previously purchased Creepy Tale 1+2 and Strike Force Kitty could no longer download them, Creepy Brothers offered little clarity on the situation. "It's a very slow and complicated process. I hope the games will return to stores with a new publisher," the studio said.

Last month, Bullets & Brains, which was also published by No Gravity Games but developed by Ajvar Studio, was also hard delisted, though the reasons behind its removal remain unknown.

Link

List of hard delisted games:

1.) Black & White Bushido - $12.99
2.) Blast Zone! Tournament - $19.99
3.) Bullets & Brains - $14.99
4.) Fat City - $19.99
5.) Fermi's Path - $9.99
6.) Hamster on Rails - $14.99
7.) Kid Tripp - $3.99
8.) Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign - $14.99
9.) Miles & Kilo - $7.99
10.) One Step After Fall (German) - $4.99
11.) One Step After Fall (Spanish) - $4.99
12.) Oniria Crimes - $19.99
13.) Polychromatic - $9.99
14.) Project Downfall - $23.99
15.) Quantum Rush Champions - $14.99
16.) Schedule I: Dope Empire - $14.99
17.) Cairn (Windows) - $1.89
18.) Space Hulk: Ascension - $34.99
19.) Cozy Valley Life - $19.99
20.) Creepy Tale - $9.99
21.) Creepy Tale 2 - $14.99
22.) Strike Force Kitty - $4.99

 

[wobblysquid]

I never understand why people squabbling has to affect the games I paid for. It's like a grocery store coming to my house to take my bag of apples back because of a dispute with the grower. How does that make any sense?

 

[Vardalis]

They love to remind you this all digital future is really anti-consumer no matter how you slice it, don't they.

 

[Generic Edgelord]

If a purchase can be taken away at any time, it should be refundable at any time. Delisting games without granting refunds to everyone who purchased them should be illegal.