[Updated] 2017 Kicks Off With Games Being Removed From Digital Marketplaces

Published: January 3, 2017 7:39 PM /

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Dirt Spiderman F1 2013 Judge Dredd Steam removals

Update: Thanks to TechRaptor Reader VonSanneck pointing it out, we noticed several other titles including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhatten had also been pulled and covered that in this related story.

While I'm sure most people are glad to be done with 2016, it seems we're starting 2017 with bad news, as several games have been removed from digital market places and are no longer able to purchase.

Racing game got it the worst, likely due to car and song license. At the start of the year, three big Codemasters racing games were removed: Dirt 3, GRID, and F1 2013 were all taken off of Steam. If you own the games you can still download them and play them anytime you want, but if you didn't buy them before then you no longer have the chance. It's also worth noting that, while it wasn't at the start of the year, Ubisoft's Driver: San Fransisco was quietly removed from Steam back in December. No official reason has been given for any of the game's removals, though PC Gamer did get an e-mail from GOG saying that GRID was removed for expiring licenses, so it doesn't seem hard to reason that holds true for all the games.

The other group hit hard? Superheroes. Activision's Amazing Spider-Man and Amazing Spider-Man 2 have been pulled off of console marketplaces. Both games are still available to be purchased on Steam, but it's unknown for how much longer. Similarly, there's no word from Activision as to why, but the Sony published and Insomniac developed Spider-Man Ps4 is likely the reason, with licenses transferring. Additionally, with the film license being rebooted again, it is unlikely that any of the right holders want to keep the old version up on store shelves. Another game hit is Judge Dredd: Countdown Sector 106. In a blog post, developer Tin Man Games confirms that the licenses to use Judge Dredd had expired and that they could not get it renewed. The developers started the "#ByeDredd106" hashtag on Twitter to show off some scenes from the game before its takedown. Similar to before, if you own the games you can still download and play them, just if you haven't bought it by now then you've lost your chance.

Finally, not related to either racing or superheroes, Dream Chronicles: The Chosen Child was also taken off of Steam. The game was an adventure game, the third entry in the Dream Chronicles series and the only one to hit Steam. Notably, all five entries into the series appear to have been taken off of their other home, Big Fish Games. The reason for their removal is unknown.

Own any of the removed games? Wish you bought them? Upset at their removal? Let us know in the comments!

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Samuel Guglielmo TechRaptor
| Reviews Editor

I'm Sam. I have been playing video games since my parents brought home a PlayStation whenever that came out. Started writing for TechRaptor for 2016 and,… More about Samuel