Bill & Ted's Excellent Retro Collection Will Be Removed from PS5, PS4 Very Soon

Physical copies stay winning.

Does it cost the developers money on a monthly basis to have the games on the online servers like PSN, Xbox and Nintendo. Because then I can understand that they might remove their titles, if not then it's just a way to boost the prices of the physical copies.

@Martijn87 Their license for the IP has expired so they can no longer sell it after the 1st January.

The game will still be on the servers. So if you’ve already bought it, you will still be able to play or redownload it.

This game itself is no loss as its pretty terrible but it doesn't paint a good picture for the potential future of their other games such as Jurassic Park, though without them we wouldn't have the opportunity to buy them again anyway

Do the IP owners stipulate that rights must be exclusive, or do publishers who want to avoid confusion and/or competition? I just can’t understand why an IP owner would want to remove a product from sale which effectively works as free advertising for their brand. That is unless they want to sell the rights to the IP to another publisher who will pay more, but then why sell exclusive rights in the first place? I suspect it’s most likely the game publishers who demand it, which kind of puts responsibility on them.

I'm pretty sure if it was selling bucketloads they'd be able to extend the license.

@SoulChimera then i understand why they are not going to sell it anymore.

Well it's a pretty terrible collection so no loss really.

@Ashpip
Sure, but the vast majority of game sales are at release for nearly all games. Then more sales during the first discount, before things slow to a trickle. You are rarely, if ever, going to sell “bucketloads” this long after release.

Limited Run is doing a sale right now and you can buy physical copies for 30%off, tomorrow will be 40% off, and Saturday 50% off whatever is still in stock.

Bill & Ted: The Kill & Dead collection

Thanks for this article. I actually wanted to pick this up.

"This means it won't be available to buy, but people will still be able to redownload it."

You're talking balls, mate - Remember the Scott Pilgrim fiasco, yeah? They said the exact same thing about it when it was pulled from PSN, but when I went to redownload it after changing to a Slim, not only could I not redownload it, but Sony told me I never bought it, despite being halfway through a playthrough on my old George Foreman PS3.

These days, Physical copies are basically just access keys and barely finished or even beta builds of a game, but in an era where Digital editions and Subscriptions are pushed as the status quo, at least a Physical purchase allows me to own something that can't be taken away at any given time.

How f*ing depressing is that?

@Nepp67 But physical copies can also be damaged, and with time, they will not run either. Here, you can still download it once you buy it.

@kyleforrester87 😂😂😂

@Martijn87 Without a 'License' in place, it would be illegal for the Publisher to sell and profit from another's Intellectual Property. They do NOT own the rights to Bill & Ted, so once the Licence expires, they can no longer sell the game.

It's no different from Spider-Man (Treyarch) or Wolverine (Raven Software) games by Activision are no longer for sale, cannot be 'sold' because ABK cannot 'profit' from using Marvel characters without a 'License' in place.

@KendoHead at least a Physical purchase allows me to own something that can't be taken away at any given time.

You buy a Physical version, they can still 'revoke' your Licence to play or at least stop you from 'playing' if they decide or you break the terms & conditions of said licence.

You NEVER own a 'Game'! What you 'purchase' - whether Digitally or Physically, is a 'Licence' to access that Software. The software is 'included' on disc/via download so you can play but without a Licence, the Software is useless to you. Try playing a game you installed to your Console without the Disc, you can't! That's despite the entire game being 'installed' - you need the Disc to prove you still own a valid Licence to access the Software...

Many games are no-longer 'playable' or major portions of the Game are no longer available due to them deciding to turn off Servers for example. If you own 'Goldeneye' on Cartridge, you have a 'valid' licence to keep playing on N64 hardware - but can't use that 'Licence' to play on Xbox or Switch today. Therefore, you are still dependent on using Obsolete Hardware (no longer in Production) to play games no longer being made or for sale - unless you can find a 'used' working copy somewhere...

People that were never going to buy the game anyway are going to be so upset.

It's so weird they hold a licence to a decades old NES game that is terrible.

What was even the point of acquiring the license to resell these old terrible games only to have to stop mere months later?

I guess Limited Run are living up to their names, in both physical and digital editions. No big loss anyway, not like these bad games weren't already readily available.

It’s a limited run for digital copies as well. I pretty much forgot this collection existed until now.

@BAMozzy
Where to start?

"You never own a 'game'!" - My copy of Rocket Knight Adventures disagrees. I've owned it since 1994, and through those 29 years there's never been the threat of a developer, publisher or distributor taking it away from me. Ryan Lindsay tried to take it off me once, though - but his wee brother stole it back for me.

"Try playing a game you installed to your Console without the Disc, you can't!" - pretty sure I mentioned that Physical discs these days are basically just access keys. Thanks for reiterating what I already know, big man - affirmation is hard to find these days.
Also, the game being installed on a console is nothing to do with ownership - it's about practicality. I don't see Last of Us Part 2 running with a fifth of the current optimisation if the data was read directly from the disc while playing.

"Many games are no-longer 'playable' or major portions of the Game are no longer available due to them deciding to turn off Servers for example." - this is a very fair point, but only really applies to older games that are predominantly online, say, FFXI or Phantasy Star Online. What you fail to mention is that owning physical copies means you can actually still play the game through the use of fan, local or private servers.
Otherwise, loss of access to a game you own physically doesn't really happen historically, especially if it's a single player experience.

Also, if I own a copy of Goldeneye for the N64, then I own a copy for the N64.I don't know anyone in their right mind who would expect or demand to be able to play it on Switch or XBox just because they have a copy for the N64. That's like me owning a copy of Earthworm Jim on the Mega Drive and then expecting to be able to use it on a SNES, too - so I'm not really sure what your point is there.

In fact, I'm not sure what your point is overall, to be honest - do you not like me expecting to have some recompense and substance for my my financial surrenders? If the point you were trying to make was that actually nobody owns anything, because one day we're all going to die and beyond that everything we know, have known and will ever know is going to be broken down beyond even its most fundamental form before fading away with the death of the universe, then you could have just said that, like.

Happy New Year

The fact the name.of the company is limited run games.

I mean its in the name. Limited.

They've released you've got a certain time to buy and then its gone.

At least they told us the truth

@KendoHead the game being installed on a console is nothing to do with ownership...

You are right here because even if you do somehow manage to install Software on your console, you cannot access it with a Valid Licence - either from putting the Disc in OR because the License is attached to your Account if bought digitally. So installed 'software' is not 'ownership' as you could install the Last of Us 2 from disc, sell the disc and therefore that 'software' becomes useless without the Licence key to access it - which you no longer own. Its the same with Digital - the download part is just to ensure you have the software that your purchased licence key will allow you to play...

The only difference is that licence is held on Disc/Cartridge with Physical and with Digital, its linked to your Account so you need to sign in to Access the Software or put the Disc in. Without the Licence, you can't play and that Software is 'owned' by the Devs/publishers - not you!

The point I was making about 'Goldeneye' for example is that you need to own the Cartridge and the Hardware simultaneously and just 'owning' the Cartridge doesn't grant you the right to play on newer hardware. If you bought Killzone 3 on disc, it doesn't matter if you now own a PS4/5, you can't 'play' it or expect to be able to jump online anymore. If you bought it digitally and they turn the 'online' service off on PS3 you can't 're-download' so its lost. Without a working PS3, owning the Disc isn't going to let you play...

You NEVER own the Software - that is 'owned' by the developer/publisher. You've never 'owned' the Software. Just because you 'could' abuse terms, maybe even 'copy' games from others 'illegally' and play without any real 'risk' in the past doesn't change the fact you didn't 'own' the Game. You bought a licence to access the devs/publisher owned software included with it...

Limited Run Grifts

@Bez87 They didn't. LRG are liars. There's never any indication their digital titles will be pulled down, especially with only 5 days warning. There's also the Scott Pilgrim fiasco mentioned above.
They also lied about Go! Go! Kokopolo being the final 3DS physical release, then they teased another 3DS game on Twitter in early 2023.

This company is beyond garbage, it's mind blowing.

This sounds like some LRG BS to me.

People would rather buy the game digitally for $10 then go onto LRG's site and spend $35 for a physical copy, that's why they're removing the digital version, to force people to pay for the overpriced physical on their site cause they have stockpiles of it and it's not selling.

Look, I know about the whole physical vs digital debate, but this is a really shoddy decision by LRG. Honestly if I'd wanted to play these games, I would just emulate them.

LRG is a terrible company that are only in it for the money and nobody can convince me otherwise.

It’s currently in the January sale on limited run,just picked one up. Only problem is shipping and delivery taxes aren’t cheap.

😂 limited run games has been dead to me ever since they fired Kara Lynne because some trans activist on twitter complained she has a solid grip on reality. Shame for B&T love that series, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy every bit of negativity LRG encounters. They already had a horrible record of delivering their products in a timely manor, many people having to wait over a year for their purchase to finally be delivered.. then they pulled that virtue signaling trash. They deserve more criticism than they receive.

@Bez87
You are probably joking, but just incase you aren't, limited run games bring digital release games and release a physical copy, of few units, like 5,000 or whatever.
They are pretty expensive, usually you buy it well in advance like a Kickstarter, and you get it long after you forgot you ordered it.
I have a few of them, including the first ever ps5 limited run release. And a few PS4 ones

I've been fully digital for everything for years now and this new trend of removing properties is seriously making me consider going back to physical media.

Just download an emulator, and play it that way, if you wanna "enjoy" this trash.

Insane how people buy even the worst of games, when it's limited.

Haven't seen/played the Bill & Ted Collection-the PS5 store version even lacks any trailers in the PS App!😳
But, noted a tweet mentioning the ps4 version had never apparently even appeared on the PSN EU store is par for course with LRG.

Another LRG indie Deathwish Enforcers had been solely available only on the U.S PSN for months & only after months of silence from LRG (& the poor dev limited to replying it was in the hands of LRG as publisher),did it finally get a EU territories release.

Likewise another LRG funded project Night Trap Anniversary edition also only ever appeared on the U.S PSN Store,despite appearing on EU/AU regions on the Eshop. Given only two thousand copies sold out,it permanently locked out a number of EU (& associated),regions from the so-called "game preservationists".

The reality is,the only business focus they really have is pushing a continual P.R. "FOMO Culture" of the next overpriced nostalgia physical Collection, charge exorbitant postage if you're overseas & incorporate extras such as better packaging & insurance as upsell extras AND take people's money upfront with excuses galore when it comes to delivering said games!🙄

They treat digital releases as an afterthought to compel those physical orders! In this case, they probably took a cheaper licensing length option to encourage those physical presell's...in this case it's been exposed compared to the likes of Scott Pilgrim,or Lego Lord of the Rings,which seem to typically have at least 5 year deals....😕

@Steel76 First reasonable comment!!

@Martijn87 There is no fee for keeping your game on the store. As the data has to remain the servers no matter what, to allow gamers access to their libraries. So it changes nothing with regards to that status (though it exist at all costs sony money, i imagine less popular games get moved to older slower hardware over time). The bigger problem is the fact that games like Bill and Ted tend to be licensed properties and the publishers/developers do not own the games. For example once Ubisoft's license for south park expires, The Fractured But Whole and Stick of Truth will be removed from the stores for purchase. The same could also technically happen to a game like Final Fantasy XV, where they stupidly licensed Stand by Me for their opening track, which honestly hurt the game, did not improve it one bit, is a stupid song that doesn't fit the situation, and is licensed to them to use it. Which means Square has to renegotiate that garbage in the future to keep it on the store or remake the game, which may result in square just removing the track out right in favor of a new one. Which we've seen done in many other games.

Which is why at some point of the license deal is limited for something like Rock Band, Rock Smith, or Guitar Hero, those individual tracks or even the entire game it's self can be removed from the store front.

So this is likely a licensing issue with the IP holder of B&T, not becuase of any cost to keep it on the store. As sony and other companies don't stand to gain anything from removing old software they could be selling in the event that a popularity spike happens.

@TheMightyImp2 yes I'm joking.
Well sort of.

But they are called limited run games, its just very fitting that they have finally released a game where they only had a limited timed contract for a game.

I wonder if the contract for longer was to much on this game.

Or

They had seen a decline in sales and there whole limited run physical games and downloads had slowed down the last time so to try and boost sales this time around made it so that, digital and physical sales were on a limited time frame.

I mean what better way to grab a few more sales than a game being delisted.

Whoever buys it, gets to keep downloading it so it doesn't really matter.

But for those who wasn't going to buy it but realise its going to be taken away from them, they may aswel jump in and have a piece of history.