At 11:59 p.m. PST on December 6, 2024, Sega will start taking down more than 60 classic games from major platforms like Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Nintendo eShop. Some of the popular titles that will be removed include Sonic 3D Blast, Jet Set Radio, and Crazy Taxi.
Impact on Availability
Figuring out the exact number of games being removed is tricky since some are bundled in collections that differ across platforms. For more details on which games will be taken off each store, you can check Sega's FAQ, where they made the delisting announcement. The silver lining is that if you've already bought these games, you'll still be able to download and play them even after they’re gone.
Speculations on the Reason
Sega hasn't provided any reasons for this delisting. On a Reddit discussion about it, many people think that Sega might be removing the original titles to make way for remakes. Although the Japanese game developer has been praised for reasonable pricing so far, fans are concerned that future remasters or collections could come with higher prices or might only be available through subscription services.
Remake Possibilities
One hint that new remakes could be on the way is that the Sega Ages remasters for the Nintendo Switch (currently priced at $274 on Amazon) won't be affected by the delisting. If Sega is indeed planning new versions, it remains unclear whether they will release these games individually or as part of a larger collection.
Industry expert Oli Welsh shared his thoughts on Polygon, suggesting that technical quality issues might play a role in this decision since many of the games being removed are older ports and emulations.
Collector's Market
Collectors of physical games might actually benefit from this planned delisting. Once the digital versions are unavailable, the value of physical copies on resale platforms might spike.
Sega's decision to delist these games has stirred various opinions among fans and collectors alike.
