Over the last few years, we've seen a trend of several titles being removed from digital storefronts, due to licenses expiring. The latest games to get the ax are two Adventure Time games from developer Little Orbit. Both Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom and Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations will leave Steam, XBLA, and PSN on March 31, 2018, and will be unavailable to download.
The news comes from developer Little Orbit, who posted a Tweet detailing the process. The games will be available at a 25% discount until March 31, when they will be delisted. Replies to the tweet inquired about physical versions, which Little Orbit said they did release on Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, but that "it's a bit old now", referencing that they probably aren't the easiest games to get physically.
The games will also be removed from PS Now, meaning that the only way to play the games will soon be to already own the digital version, or the physical Xbox One/PS3 disc. Other Adventure Time games that Cartoon Network published are unaffected.
https://twitter.com/littleorbit/status/977681509984354304
Many were also frustrated by the short notice with which the news was given, with Little Orbit acknowledging that it was less than ideal:
"We definitely did not handle this well, and we hope to do better in the future."
Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom is a top-down adventure game in which players solve puzzles, encounter new and fan favorite characters including Ice King, Gunter, Marceline, Lumpy Space Princess, Flambo, Magic Man, BMO and more.
Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations is a 3D adventure game with beat-em-up mechanics and sees Finn and Jake interrogating residents of the Candy Kingdom.
Many video games have seen a similar fate over the past few years. After licenses run out, companies are having to make the decision as to whether it is worth renewing just to keep the game live on digital stores. These licenses are dependent on a number of factors including property ownership and even the copyright terms of specific songs on a game soundtrack. Last year, Activision pulled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Fast and Furious titles from digital storefronts, due to expired licenses.
A new open world Adventure Time game, called Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion, is on its way for PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch, set for April 24, 2018, release. It will feature voice acting from the show's original voice cast and is being published by Outright Games and developed by Climax Studios.
Are you going to pick up any of the Adventure Time games before they expire? Let us know in the comments.