Warner Bros., the owners of the now-closed Adult Swim Games publishing label, have recently reached out to developers regarding the return of ownership of their game’s Steam pages. This marks a significant shift from a previous stance taken by Warner Bros. in March, where it seemed like all Adult Swim Games would be removed from platforms.
After receiving the news, developers of games like Small Radios Big Televisions and Duck Game expressed relief and gratitude for Warner Bros.’ decision to return ownership of their games. Landon Podbielski, the developer of Duck Game, shared the good news on X, stating that his game is “safe” and will not be going anywhere. This news was also echoed by Owen Deery, developer of Small Radios Big Television, who announced that his game will be returning to him along with its store listings.
Initial Concerns Addressed
Initially, Warner Bros. had informed developers that they would not be transferring ownership of the games back to the original studios due to resource constraints. However, the recent development suggests a change of heart from Warner Bros., much to the relief of developers who were facing the prospect of their games being removed from sale.
Adult Swim Games, which was established in 2005, had published popular titles such as Robot Unicorn Attack, Jazzpunk, and Westerado: Double Barreled. However, the restructuring of the parent company in late 2020 led to the publisher being dissolved. While Adult Swim Games did not retain intellectual property rights to the games they published, they did control the Steam store pages.
The decision to transfer ownership of the Steam store pages back to developers not only secures their games’ presence on the platform but also preserves years’ worth of Steam reviews. This move by Warner Bros. highlights the importance of maintaining developers’ rights and the impact of such decisions on the gaming marketplace.
Warner Bros.’ reversal of their decision regarding the ownership of Adult Swim Games has been met with relief and gratitude from developers. The return of ownership of Steam store pages ensures the continued availability of these games and acknowledges the importance of developers in the gaming industry. This development also underscores the significance of intellectual property rights and the impact of publisher decisions on developers and the gaming community as a whole.
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