• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

Shadows of the Damned (360/XB1 BC) Delisted from Xbox Live - Hints at remaster on the way

Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Crisis Dino
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
38,397
Ibis Island


Delisted Product Page: https://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/...e-Damned/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8024541092a
(Checked on Xbox One and when you go to buy it says "Offer not valid in your region" on the games page

===================

Edited (via JaseC)
With the game being randomly delisted, It seems EA's publishing deal has finally ended and is now back with Grasshopper Manufacture. As the game was recently featured in Travis Strikes Again (PC/NS/PS4) and in Travis Strikes again it was "teased" that SotD was coming back. There's even a whole conversation on how a new port should have a NewGame+ Mode.
ddk2aljdb.jpg

Eb4SMgUXsAAcgA5
 
Last edited:

sheaaaa

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,556
I really hope this is happening. Shadows of the Damned was great, a real overlooked cult classic. I've still got a physical copy on 360 so I can play it via XB1 BC, but I'd love if this gets remastered and makes it to Steam for preservation and posterity.
 
GrrImAFridge

GrrImAFridge

ONE THOUSAND DOLLARYDOOS
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,669
Western Australia
Grasshopper/GungHo has always owned both the game itself and the IP, as the game was published through EA's EA Partners sub-label (think EA Originals but with something of a more AA focus), so this sudden change in availability is almost certainly the result of EA's publishing contract finally expiring.
 
J75

J75

Member
Sep 29, 2018
6,602
Been wanting a remaster of this for years, oh man I hope this happens baby!
 
Dusk Golem

Dusk Golem

Local Horror Enthusiast
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,804
A bit more caught by Rely on Horror: https://www.relyonhorror.com/latest...rom-microsoft-store-could-hint-at-re-release/

Directly from Xbox Marketplace's Twitter, it's mentioned the reason for the delisting is a request from the publisher. Maybe it has something to do with Ea's licensing of the game with Grasshopper, but unknown right now. Of course the hope is there's something more to this (such as a remaster or the like).
 
OP
OP
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Crisis Dino
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
38,397
Ibis Island
JaseC said:
Grasshopper/GungHo has always owned both the game itself and the IP, as the game was published through EA's EA Partners sub-label (think EA Originals but with something of a more AA focus), so this sudden change in availability is almost certainly the result of EA's publishing contract finally expiring.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Ah ok. That explains that then.
 
dlauv

dlauv

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,513
One of the best TPS games. Hope a remaster gets the red carpet treatment.
 
Valcrist

Valcrist

Tic-Tac-Toe Champion
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,693
Great game, but I didn't like having to play through it three times to get the platinum. Please fix that if I'm going to get the platinum again!

Still, I gladly played through it three times in a row. Loved it.
 
Lord Fanny

Lord Fanny

Banned
Apr 25, 2020
25,953
JaseC said:
Grasshopper/GungHo has always owned both the game itself and the IP, as the game was published through EA's EA Partners sub-label (think EA Originals but with something of a more AA focus), so this sudden change in availability is almost certainly the result of EA's publishing contract finally expiring.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Hmm, are you sure about this? I know people assumed they owned the IP outright when they used the character in TSA, but wasn't EA in the copyright for it in the credits for that game? I don't know if that would matter, but that usually implies some type of ownership, doesn't it?
 
Fisty

Fisty

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,214
DarknessTear said:
Great game, but I didn't like having to play through it three times to get the platinum. Please fix that if I'm going to get the platinum again!

Still, I gladly played through it three times in a row. Loved it.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Did it 3 times with no issues

Then I imported the EU version to do it 3 more times for another platinum!
 
OP
OP
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Crisis Dino
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
38,397
Ibis Island
Lord Fanny said:
Hmm, are you sure about this? I know people assumed they owned the IP outright when they used the character in TSA, but wasn't EA in the copyright for it in the credits for that game? I don't know if that would matter, but that usually implies some type of ownership, doesn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
If someone is willing to watch the credits of Travis Strikes Again they can see if EA is listed there or not.
 
IronicSonic

IronicSonic

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,639
I finished RE4 a couple of weeks ago and I wondered If Shadow of the Damned had that awesome encounter design and pacing as well. Hope a remaster is on the way.
 
EatChildren

EatChildren

Wonder from Down Under
Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,029
Game owns. Snappy, satisfying shooting that's highly reminiscent of Resident Evil 4. Art direction and cast that ooze atmosphere and makes for some incredible stages and boss fights. And more importantly Yamaoka delivered in spades with the OST. The game is like the total embodiment of a hard rock/metal album.

And the title track kicks ass.

 
GrrImAFridge

GrrImAFridge

ONE THOUSAND DOLLARYDOOS
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,669
Western Australia
Lord Fanny said:
Hmm, are you sure about this? I know people assumed they owned the IP outright when they used the character in TSA, but wasn't EA in the copyright for it in the credits for that game? I don't know if that would matter, but that usually implies some type of ownership, doesn't it?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Quite sure. I double-checked before posting:

sotdps3rearcoverlegalrgjko.jpg


This was the appeal of the EA Partners program: you'd get EA's full backing but retain complete legal ownership, minus EA's temporary claim to publishing rights (which always eventually default to the copyright holder). EA Originals, the successor to Partners, is essentially the same thing, but with a laser focus on indies.

Edit: I should note that the Unravel games are a quasi-exception, as Coldwood had the unfortunate luck of signing with EA in the period between Partners being canned and Originals being greenlit, so it owns neither the games themselves nor the IP. Talk about a bum deal.
 
dlauv

dlauv

Prophet of Truth - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,513
IronicSonic said:
I finished RE4 a couple of weeks ago and I wondered If Shadow of the Damned had that awesome encounter design and pacing as well. Hope a remaster is on the way.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It's worse and jankier but definitely in the same vein. RE4 is my favorite TPS and I was a huge fan of Shadows.
 
Strings

Strings

Member
Oct 27, 2017
31,385
Still wish we'd gotten the original concept without EA's meddling (which is available in manga form by the way as Kurayami Dance):

340
 
Dusk Golem

Dusk Golem

Local Horror Enthusiast
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,804
IronicSonic said:
I finished RE4 a couple of weeks ago and I wondered If Shadow of the Damned had that awesome encounter design and pacing as well. Hope a remaster is on the way.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
So I love Shadows of the Damned. It is NOT as tightly designed or as good as Resident Evil 4, but it does have variety and it does have a ton of style to it that RE4 does not have (and more experimental vibe). It's kinda' like RE4's punk rock looser, more experimental, immature & edgier younger brother, it's rougher around the edges but it does have an eye for style and a good taste in music.

Game is chock-full of immature sexual humor told by two actually likable leads in an interesting unique setting, it embraces it's a video game more than RE4 and gets sillier with it, but also more surreal at times.
 
Lord Fanny

Lord Fanny

Banned
Apr 25, 2020
25,953
JaseC said:
Quite sure. I double-checked before posting:

sotdps3rearcoverlegalrgjko.jpg


This was the appeal of the EA Partners program: you'd get EA's full backing but retain complete legal ownership, minus EA's temporary claim to publishing rights (which always eventually default to the copyright holder). EA Originals, the successor to Partners, is essentially the same thing, but with a laser focus on indies.

Edit: I should note that the Unravel games are a quasi-exception, as Coldwood had the unfortunate luck of signing with EA in the period between Partners being canned and Originals being greenlit, so they're both "full" EA games.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Ah, I see. Quite the odd little deal, but does probably explain this
 
Lowblood

Lowblood

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,181
Shame they delisted it without warning. I have a PS3 copy so I can always play that, but I would have gotten the 360 digital version had I known. If there's a remaster coming though that'll make up for it.

I liked it back in the day. Not quite as good as I'd hoped a Suda/Mikami/Yamaoka collab would be, but it's a solid RE4-like game.
 
IronicSonic

IronicSonic

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,639
dlauv said:
It's worse and jankier but definitely in the same vein. RE4 is my favorite TPS and I was a huge fan of Shadows.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Dusk Golem said:
So I love Shadows of the Damned. It is NOT as tightly designed or as good as Resident Evil 4, but it does have variety and it does have a ton of style to it that RE4 does not have (and more experimental vibe). It's kinda' like RE4's punk rock looser, more experimental, immature & edgier younger brother, it's rougher around the edges but it does have an eye for style and a good taste in music.

Game is chock-full of immature sexual humor told by two actually likable leads in an interesting unique setting, it embraces it's a video game more than RE4 and gets sillier with it, but also more surreal at times.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Awesome to hear this. I'll play Vanquish for now waiting for this remake to materialize. Also I'm starting Control as I'm a huge fan of Alan Wake.
 
Madman009

Madman009

Member
Oct 27, 2017
326
God I've been fiending to replay this for forever so heres hoping its true! Also side note, realizing thru the in game posters that Q Hayashida did the boss designs blew my mind back when I first played it lol.
 
Ridley327

Ridley327

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,465
Georgia (the state, not the country)
That would be really great news if GHM was finally able to do as they pleased with the game. It's very strange how much EA wanted to hold onto this one, in spite of what we know to be a very turbulent development history.

It's definitely not a big budget game by any stretch, but the art direction leaning so heavily on thick ambient colored lighting should mean that you wouldn't really need to do much more than have it output at higher resolutions to look pretty damn solid.
 
Musubi

Musubi

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
23,611
I played through this game like a dozen times on 360. Absolutely love it.
 
Barrel Cannon

Barrel Cannon

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
9,293
It was an alright game. Definitely didn't deserve doing as bad as it did. I'd welcome a remaster if it meant we got more ridiculous stuff from suda51 in the future
 
Yuri_Lowell

Yuri_Lowell

Banned
Apr 30, 2020
71
This is very funny. I replayed this last christmas on Xbox one and while i enjoyed the game I kept saying to my self"This game needs a remaster badly"
If its priced right I might check out a remaster.
 
Sesha

Sesha

â–˛ Legend â–˛
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,813
Neat. I'm probably never gonna play this again, but neat.
 
Ridley327

Ridley327

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,465
Georgia (the state, not the country)
Empyrean Cocytus said:
Hopefully Suda can revamp the game on his terms. Would love to see some improvements.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I don't think there's much that Suda can do to the game to get it anywhere remotely close to what he was planning for Kurayami. For better and for worse, Shadows of the Damned is what became of it and that's that.

Really, all the game needs in terms of how it is now is NG+ options to carry over upgrades, especially with the way gems wind up getting stingier on higher difficulties to make you really think about what you want to upgrade.
 
Nax

Nax

Hero of Bowerstone
Member
Oct 10, 2018
6,672
I played this back in like...2012. And I was crazy about achievements so I got 'em all on this game. Which required multiple playthroughs since the achievements didn't stack (which is total garbage).

I honestly can't remember anything from the game, though. Even with multiple playthroughs. Not a glowing recommendation I suppose haha.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.