There are countless factors involved in the development, release, and sustainment of video games. One aspect that may be overlooked by the wider community is the crucial part licensing plays in the industry. For example, making a game about an established superhero requires paying for licensing from whoever owns that intellectual property.
These licenses come with expiry dates, and if they’re not renewed, the game must be pulled from sale. While there’s little that can be done about hard copies already in circulation, digital versions can be removed from online marketplaces instantly. Whether because of licensing agreements or other issues, games like Transformers: Devastation can no longer be played legally unless players can track down a physical copy, which is a shame.
7 X-Men Arcade Brought Back a Classic Arcade Game
Fans Now Have to Find an Arcade to Play This Lost X-Men Game
X-Men Arcade was one of the coolest licensed arcade games ever made, and many fans were thrilled when Konami’s classic 1992 beat ’em up was ported to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and mobile devices. While the port was handled by Backbone Entertainment, it played much like the original and let players choose from one of six X-Men, including Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm, battling Sentinels and Magneto’s forces in colorful side-scrolling stages.
I am Magneto, master of magnet!
Some of the voices had to be re-recorded for licensing reasons, but the game’s most iconic lines, like “I am Magneto, master of magnet!,” remained intact. Unfortunately, X-Men Arcade was delisted in 2013 after Marvel’s licensing deal with Konami expired. In 2021, Arcade1Up released an arcade cabinet that includes X-Men, but it has since sold out, and players now have to pay a premium to get their hands on it.
6 Transformers: Devastation Was Perfect for Fans of the Franchise
This Critically Acclaimed Transformers Game Was Forced to Roll Out
Transformers: Devastation is a cel-shaded hack-and-slash title that lets players control Autobots like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee against Megatron and the Decepticons. Even though the Transformers franchise has been around since 1984, there haven’t been many video games based on it, and some of the titles that did come out got bad reviews. For die-hard fans, getting a high-quality game with combat from PlatinumGames felt like a dream come true.
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Devastation was the last Transformers game released by Activision, and unfortunately, the company’s license with Hasbro ended not long after. The title was delisted in 2017, just two years after its 2015 release. Thankfully, since Transformers: Devastation had a physical release, players can still find copies on the used market, though its relative rarity means it’s more expensive than it was at launch.
Transformers: Devastation
Systems
- Released
- October 6, 2015
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- PlatinumGames
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
5 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 Didn’t Live Up to Earlier Titles
Thankfully the Older THPS Games Have Remasters
The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series defined gaming in the 2000s, and the first few titles are arguably the best skateboarding games of all time. Unfortunately, the final entry in the franchise was a controversial one. Activision pressured developer Robomodo to release a game before its license with Tony Hawk expired in 2015, and the result was a mess. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 was plagued by frequent bugs, bland environments, and terrible controls, making it feel like a complete departure from earlier entries.
The game launched the same year the license expired and was soon delisted from digital storefronts. Activision regained the Tony Hawk license in 2020 but hasn’t brought THPS 5 back, which is probably a smart move given its poor reception. Instead, they released a remaster of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 in 2020, followed by remasters of Pro Skater 3 + 4 this year.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5
- Released
- September 29, 2015
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Mild Lyrics
- Developer(s)
- Robomodo, Disruptive Games, Fun Labs
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled Deserves a Comeback
It Was a Follow-Up of a Fan Favorite TMNT Game
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time is considered by many to be one of the greatest SNES games. The iconic beat ’em up was conceived as a sequel to the original TMNT arcade game and was first released in arcades before being ported to the Super Nintendo in 1992. It saw the turtles sent through a time warp, battling Shredder in the past and future to save the day.
In 2009, Ubisoft released a follow-up to the classic title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled. The game was a hit and sold hundreds of thousands of copies while it was available, but the fun didn’t last. Nintendo acquired the TMNT license in 2011, and when that happened, the game was removed. Since Turtles in Time Re-Shelled was a digital-only release, it’s now completely unplayable.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled
- Released
- August 5, 2009
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ // Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Singapore
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Multiplayer
- Local Co-Op, Online Co-Op
3 OutRun Online Arcade Was Innovative for Its Time
A Lapsed Ferrari Licensing Deal Took This OutRun Game Offline
OutRun Online Arcade is the most recent entry in Sega’s classic racing series, but unfortunately, it’s no longer available. The 2009 title was heavily inspired by OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast and brought arcade-style gameplay to then-modern consoles. Players could race solo or compete in multiplayer matches with online leaderboards.
Sadly, the fun didn’t last. OutRun Online Arcade was delisted after Sega’s licensing deal with Ferrari expired, and the game is no longer playable. The OutRun series has been dormant since, which makes its absence even more disappointing. An OutRun movie was announced earlier this year, so it’s possible Sega will try to revive the series soon.
2 Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions Was a Fantastic Marvel Game
It Was Like a Spider-Verse Video Game
Spider-Man variants exploded in popularity after 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, but fans could play as different versions of Spider-Man as early as 2010. Shattered Dimensions let players control four versions of the Wall-Crawler: the Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man 2099, and Ultimate Spider-Man. Along with solid gameplay, it featured writing from longtime Spider-Man scribe Dan Slott.
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The game was a success and even spawned a sequel, Spider-Man: Edge of Time. However, publisher Activision lost the rights to Spider-Man in 2014, and both titles were delisted as a result. Shattered Dimensions briefly returned to Steam in 2015 but was taken down again two years later. Now, the only way to play either game is to track down a physical copy (and a compatible system).
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Systems
- Released
- September 7, 2010
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Beenox
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- Goliath Engine
1 P.T Is a Horror Classic and the Ultimate Lost Game
PlayStation Consoles With P.T. Installed Are Worth a Fortune
In 2014, Hideo Kojima took the gaming world by storm with P.T., a mysterious demo that turned out to be a playable teaser for Silent Hills, a collaboration between him and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. The terrifying title had players loop through a haunted hallway, searching for subtle changes and solving puzzles to progress, all while being stalked by a supernatural entity known only as Lisa.
Kojima parted ways with Konami in 2015, and Silent Hills was scrapped. It’s a canceled game gamers still haven’t gotten over, made worse by Konami’s decision to remove P.T. from PSN. The demo is now unplayable unless it was downloaded before its removal, and some are willing to pay a fortune for PlayStation consoles with the game installed. Though P.T. is lost, its legacy endures, having inspired countless horror games in the years since.
P.T.
- Released
- August 12, 2014
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Konami
- Engine
- Fox Engine
