SEGA Delisting Sonic 1/2/3K/CD From Digital Stores May 20

[DaBigJ]

So, I hope you guys bought the classic games on platforms like Steam

Cuz they're going bye bye soon!

[Blue Blood]

32 minutes ago, Jake_LeOFFICIAL said:

So, I hope you guys bought the classic games on platforms like Steam

Cuz they're going bye bye soon!

I was expecting this to happen. Can't say that it's a bad thing for 99% of players because these remastered versions are superior to the originals and I can't see myself ever going back. Getting rid of the old emulated versions means reducing the potential for confusion. But they aren't exactly the same, and there's always value in preserving the originals. It's a shame that Origins doesn't include emulated roms as an optional way of playing. Of course, the original version of CD hasn't been seen since the Mega CD; the Gems Collection version was a port of the PC version, which itself had several differences from the Mega CD version.

I just hope that SEGA support Origins with patches and updates in the future. It would be great whatever inaccuracies may potentially exist in these games could get addressed over time.

[DaBigJ]

I'm seeing people on Twitter getting upset over this and I'm all like "But why?"

It's stupidly easy to get roms for Sonic 1-3K, and for CD you can find a copy of that on the internet too...just not as easily, I'll admit. Plus, if you already bought them...they still stay in your steam library? I don't really get the fuss here

[Coz483]

7 minutes ago, Blue Blood said:

 It's a shame that Origins doesn't include emulated roms as an optional way of playing. 

Pretty sure it does

[Blue Blood]

7 minutes ago, Coz483 said:

Pretty sure it does

No, it doesn't. The "Classic Mode" is still the remastered games, simply with rendered in 4:3 instead of 16:9 and with lives enabled instead of the new coin system. It seems likely to me that other additions, such as Hidden Palace in S2 or the boss arenas that got updated for widescreen, will be absent from Classic Mode. You can tell that Classic Mode isn't simply emulated roms by looking at the wrecking ball during the GHZ boss or the S1 title screen. The wrecking ball has full rotational sprites in the remaster and the S1 title screen is different also. 

[Coz483]

Oh ok. I really don't care other than for CD and 3&K since the decomp and air need them, but like you can literally play these he's everywhere even online!

[Indigo Rush]

20 minutes ago, Coz483 said:

Pretty sure it does

It should, but it doesn't. As Blue Blood said there's little details that tip you off to this such as the title screen and wrecking ball.

It's not a massive deal, but for all it's scrutinizing accuracy, the Retro Engine remasters do have a plethora of changes that do add up and affect the way you play the game; biggest differences include how the rotating maze special stage handles, the absence of certain items, etc.

[Sean]

Eat my ass Sega

[Blue Blood]

17 minutes ago, Indigo Rush said:

It should, but it doesn't. As Blue Blood said there's little details that tip you off to this such as the title screen and wrecking ball.

It's not a massive deal, but for all it's scrutinizing accuracy, the Retro Engine remasters do have a plethora of changes that do add up and affect the way you play the game; biggest differences include how the rotating maze special stage handles, the absence of certain items, etc.

It's all these things that make Classic and Anniversary mode design choices seem strange. Classic Mode should just be original roms emulated, whilst Anniversary mode should be the remasters (with both 4:3 and lives on optional toggles). I don't know why it's not like this. Soundtrack copyright wouldn't be an issue, because music can be streamed independently of the emulation and therefore easily replaced (Classic Collection streams separate audio). Suitable emulators already exist for 1 through K. The only potential hurdle would be emulating CD, which isn't impossible but would require some extra work. 

[JezMM]

55 minutes ago, Jake_LeOFFICIAL said:

I'm seeing people on Twitter getting upset over this and I'm all like "But why?"

It's stupidly easy to get roms for Sonic 1-3K, and for CD you can find a copy of that on the internet too...just not as easily, I'll admit. Plus, if you already bought them...they still stay in your steam library? I don't really get the fuss here

The point is that the Steam versions of S3&K and CD are required for many popular mods, namely Sonic 3 A.I.R. and playable Knuckles in CD.  While it's possible that the content of these mods might get re-created for Origins instead, it's not a sure thing.  It's definitely true that this will affect an extremely tiny minority, but it's still a bit of a disregard for the hard work of some passionate fans.  Beyond that, most people who care about game preservation would tell you every release of a game is important to preserve if possible.

Personally, I think the middleground would be to delist them publicly to remove confusion, but leave the purchase pages accessible by URL for those who are looking for them for particular, nerdy purposes like modding.

[Soniman]

Reminds of when Rockstsr delisted past versions of the PS2 GTA games only to then release the worst possible versions by far with no option to play anything else, thankfully Origins doesn’t look like garbage so that possibility is unlikely

[Zaysho]

Looking forward to Sega pretending the Genesis Sonic 3 soundtrack never existed.

[Eurisko]

There is still modern options for those games. The ultimate Megadrive/Genesis collection on 360/PS3. Also the the ‘Sega Classics’ versions on those platforms to.  

[Jango]

First they pulled an EA with that chart, and now they're pulling a Rockstar Games, huh? Only leaving the overpriced collection as an option to get these games. Can't say I'm surprised at SEGA at this point. Sure quality wise we have nothing to fear (unlike the GTA Trilogy), but still sucks to terminate the originals.

[Johnster4]

So they are actually trying to force people to choose between lives or the enhancements such as widescreen support and additional level such as hidden palace. I hope they clarify all of this on Thursday with the streams returning.

[TheOcelot]

Confirmation from SEGA that the mobile remasters (iOS and Android) are not being delisted:

 

[Sean]

Good to know. They need to leave S3K on Steam the fuck alone though. I'm worried what will happen to AIR's development once it's no longer legally possible to obtain a rom for it.

[DaBigJ]

Oh yeah, it just sank in that AIR will be affected by this shit too.

That's shit.  

[Plumbers_Helper]

I expected this to happen, but I'm still disappointed. If the origins versions are similar enough I'm sure all the current Sonic CD mods can be added to origins...is what I'd say if Denuvo wasn't forced into the PC version. That's going to make things much more difficult. However, I can definitely say I have absolutely not interest in the PC version of Origins as long as Denuvo remains. Sonic Mania was the first game I ever bought with Denuvo and it was ridiculous how I had to keep reconnecting to the internet every few days just to "validate" my copy of a game I paid for. I flat out couldn't even play the game for almost a week because work on the house knocked out the internet for a few days. I can understand connecting to the internet ONCE but should never have to keep doing that again and again and again and again and you get the point.

[Tornado]

10 hours ago, Eurisko said:

There is still modern options for those games. The ultimate Megadrive/Genesis collection on 360/PS3. Also the the ‘Sega Classics’ versions on those platforms to.  

I think you need to recalibrate your definition of "modern" if you're going two console generations back for an example. Sonic 3 and Knuckles also wasn't on that collection. 

[JonoD]

Honestly, I don't think this is something to get too upset about really.

Given that I'm pretty certain that every Sonic fan will in all likelihood have these in their Steam libraries already and you can still buy these up until that date if for some reason you haven't already (unlike Rockstar who just pulled the plug without warning).

That's not to mention that I think we can be pretty confident that to the vast majority of players, these versions are getting replaced with versions that are categorically better than what's currently on there. The same thing happened with the iOS versions years ago. The old, emulated versions of the games just ceased to exist when the CW remasters dropped and people got over that quickly enough given just how much was added.

the fact they're getting de-listed also doesn't mean they'll magically vanish out of everyone's Steam libraries overnight. They're getting de-listed from sale, not recalled. So if people who still want to mod those games that they've bought, they absolutely can continue to do so with those versions if they want to.

[DaBigJ]

Saw Tracker quote tweet this, and is a pretty good thread that shows this effects speedrunners too.

[Milo]

The JP Sonic Channel website lists the 360 versions of 1, 2, 3, and &K; the PS3 versions of 1 and 2, the PS Now release of Sonic 1; and the Steam versions of 1, 2, and 3&K as the games being delisted. No mention of Sonic CD.

 

[KHCast]

“Well you can always just access them on the 360/PS3 gen still”

 

lmao that argument sure got shot in the dick fast 

[JonoD]

1 hour ago, KHCast said:

“Well you can always just access them on the 360/PS3 gen still”

 

lmao that argument sure got shot in the dick fast 

Not quite. This collection exists and is absolutely easy to get a hold of for chump change second hand -

Doesn't solve the Sonic 3K issue, but that was never on that platform anyway.