For several years now, certain companies have been re-releasing vintage video games in collector's editions and physical formats that can run on the user's console. However, the passage of time can work against this business model as manufacturing processes become outdated, leading to significant issues, as happened with a recent release by Limited Run Games.
The Troubled Re-release of a 3DO Game by Limited Run Games
According to a report by VGC, Limited Run Games found itself in the midst of controversy after angering 3DO players who purchased the collector's edition of the horror game D, developed by Warp and originally released in 1995 for the Panasonic 3DO. What happened was that the discs containing the game were not pressed but rather recorded on a CD-R, causing some consoles to fail to read the data, ruining the experience for enthusiasts and fans of this game and 90s consoles.
We have informed affected customers and are actively working with our disc replication partners to provide replacement pressed discs for our customers. Customers experiencing this issue can request a full refund by opening a support ticket at https://t.co/qpYxvg6YUd
— Limited Run Games (@LimitedRunGames) May 2, 2024
In response, Limited Run Games revealed what happened. According to the company, it was impossible to print the D CDs in the traditional way, even when they consulted experts in the field, so they used a different recording process: "manufacturing games for hardware that is over 30 years old presents a variety of challenges. We partnered with one of North America's largest disc replication providers to print our physical discs and, despite thorough research into original 3DO hardware and software, we encountered quality and reliability issues when attempting to print discs in the traditional manner. In an attempt to offer full compatibility with original hardware, our disc replication partner was successfully able to manufacture the discs using a CD-R format, which we believed would work on all 3DO systems available on the market. We tested the discs on 3DO consoles in our office, and all 5 game discs worked as expected. It was only after shipping to our customers that we became aware that some users were experiencing difficulties. We will not sell or ship any more copies of this game, or any future 3DO titles, until the situation is resolved."
Limited Run Games informed that customers who bought the collector's edition of D and are having trouble playing it can request a refund. Undoubtedly, beyond the controversy surrounding this situation, it's something to consider for the future because there will come a time when even the physical format won't guarantee the gaming experience.
Stay tuned here, at LEVEL UP.
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