Alpha Protocol taken down from Steam because the licensed music rights have expired

[Cross]

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-09-06-the-making-of-alpha-protocol-obsidians-secret-best-rpg

"We all recognised we had put Sega in a hard situation," says Feargus Urquhart, another of Obsidian's owners and also CEO. Chris Parker adds: "It was a situation where we figured the hammer was going to fall somewhere but we didn't know necessarily where it was going to fall."

The hammer fell on Aliens: Crucible - but it was a wake up gong for Alpha Protocol. The project could go no further as it was. Chris Parker was brought in as lead producer/game director and Chris Avellone (another owner) as lead designer. Parker says, "We had a big 'coming to Jesus' meeting where we decided what are all the things we wanted to do and didn't want to do."

Before the big meeting, there weren't any spy safe houses. "You'd go to Moscow and go straight through Moscow," Matt MacLean says. "It almost felt like a series of first-person shooter levels. The extreme over-correction would have been 'let's make an open-world city!', but no, we don't have time to do that. But what we can do is let the player move between the hubs."

 

[fantadomat]

How was the game? Never played it

It is pretty good,tho very janky and with few minor bugs. The best part is the dialogue and how interactive is. Would recommend trying it out since it is a unique experience in a good way.

 

[Mikeal]

Thank God I have AP on DVD.

 

[Duraframe300]

Well, at least this showed that there's not insignificant interests in Alpha Protocol. Who knows this may motivate SEGA or Microsoft to do something about it.

At the very least SEGA kicked up quite the confusion with their initial statement. Theres still people reporting that SEGA lost the publishing rights.

They have just majorly fucked up if they wanted to delist in a quiet way.

 

[Cross]

Still, it's quite obvious that the game would have turned out far worse if not for Sega's intervention.

I'm not seeing how that is obvious at all, based on what you've linked and mentioned. If that's your case, it's extremely weak, especially since SEGA's criticism was so easily deflected by saying that it was an old demo, because it makes perfect sense that RPG elements would be weak(er) in earlier iterations of the game, as you'd focus on fundamentals first before you start adding such things, in a game like this.

Early iterations? In that quote, Chris Parker says that it wasn't until spring and summer of 2009 that they finally addressed criticism of lacking RPG elements, more than three years after Alpha Protocol began development.

 

[Infinitron]

The development of Alpha Protocol was obviously a shitshow. But setting aside the debate over whether being more of a pure shooter with fewer RPG elements would have been an improvement, I'm not sure whether it's correct to say that Sega pushed for them specifically. It might be closer to truth to say that it was pressure from Sega that forced Obsidian to reassess the project and decide they needed to implement those things on their own.

So, not so much Sega saying "Hey, you need to add this RPG stuff!" but more "Hey, this project isn't going anywhere, wtf Obsidian!" - and then Parker, Avellone and co coming together and finally laying out a design document that had the hubs, the RPG elements and all that.

 

[moon knight]

Can you still download it?

 

[Nano]

Can you still download it?

Yeah, as long as pirates keep fighting the good fight.

 

[Flou]

Goddammit Sega. How can you release a statement that the rights have reverted back and then take it back. How bad are their PR people?

 

[cloudropis]

(and Chris Parker).

never forget

What, the asinine decision of displaying like seven words tops in every line of subtitles? I will never forget that, I still have nightmares

 

[Luckmann]

Early iterations?

It should be noted that the document being referred to contained criticisms on a demo that was quite old at the time

Do you even read what you quote?

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-09-06-the-making-of-alpha-protocol-obsidians-secret-best-rpg

"We all recognised we had put Sega in a hard situation," says Feargus Urquhart, another of Obsidian's owners and also CEO. Chris Parker adds: "It was a situation where we figured the hammer was going to fall somewhere but we didn't know necessarily where it was going to fall."

The hammer fell on Aliens: Crucible - but it was a wake up gong for Alpha Protocol. The project could go no further as it was. Chris Parker was brought in as lead producer/game director and Chris Avellone (another owner) as lead designer. Parker says, "We had a big 'coming to Jesus' meeting where we decided what are all the things we wanted to do and didn't want to do."

Before the big meeting, there weren't any spy safe houses. "You'd go to Moscow and go straight through Moscow," Matt MacLean says. "It almost felt like a series of first-person shooter levels. The extreme over-correction would have been 'let's make an open-world city!', but no, we don't have time to do that. But what we can do is let the player move between the hubs."

Alright, they had a meeting and nailed down what they wanted to do and didn't want to do and what they had time to actually do. I think you're reading a lot into this that isn't actually there, or something.

 

[LESS T_T]

Techraptor, the only (I think) site reported that SEGA rep said the rights have reverted back to Obsidian, also received the same new statement: https://techraptor.net/content/alph...storefronts-as-segas-publishing-rights-expire

Update: Sega got in contact with us today with an updated statement on the situation:

Due to the expiry of music rights in Alpha Protocol, the title has been removed from Steam and is no longer on sale.”

The original story is below, with minor updates regarding the situation. We are following up for more information and will update as more becomes available.

 

[Abu Antar]

In other words: R.I.P. Alpha Protocol.

 

[cloudropis]

We all the time in the world to mourn.
Tonight, we celebrate

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[CrunchyHemorrhoids]

They finally flushed it

 

[undecaf]

Are people actually rooting for a sequel over this? A badly selling "cult" classic of certain circles?

Well... Maybe, but don't get your hopes up.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Ibn Sina]

Has Better Facial animations than Bloodlines 2. Who can forget the bombshell reporter whom turned out to be an assassin or the drug crazed Russian mobster? Or the German milf whom chased you harder each time you rejected her cruelly lmao.. The game was hilarious and Obsidian will never ever make something like this again...

 

[Mustawd]

During Deadfire's Fig campaign conclusion stream back in the day, somebody on Twitch had asked Feargus if they would ever consider doing an Alpha Protocol sequel. If I recall correctly, his response was "we'll see... stranger things than that have happened".

At least he still remembers the game and didn't respond "Alpha WHAT?" or something like that.

I’m totally “Alpha WHAT?” lol but the game is kind of cute from what I’ve seen on YouTube!

Shut up, idiot.

 

[Abu Antar]

During Deadfire's Fig campaign conclusion stream back in the day, somebody on Twitch had asked Feargus if they would ever consider doing an Alpha Protocol sequel. If I recall correctly, his response was "we'll see... stranger things than that have happened".

At least he still remembers the game and didn't respond "Alpha WHAT?" or something like that.

I’m totally “Alpha WHAT?” lol but the game is kind of cute from what I’ve seen on YouTube!

Shut up, idiot.

I’ve already told you: Idiotism cannot be cured.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Alpha Protocol will always have a special place in my heart as the game that lets you play as a guy with Parkinson's by not speccing into guns

 

[santino27]

Well, at least this showed that there's not insignificant interests in Alpha Protocol. Who knows this may motivate SEGA or Microsoft to do something about it.

There isn't anything in AP that's too special/iconic to the IP; they just need to want to make a spy RPG and name it something else i.e. spiritual successor

Protocol: Tides of Numerica

Edit: Realized I was diverging from the prestigious pattern, so changed Alpha to Numerica.

 

[Quillon]

Well, at least this showed that there's not insignificant interests in Alpha Protocol. Who knows this may motivate SEGA or Microsoft to do something about it.

There isn't anything in AP that's too special/iconic to the IP; they just need to want to make a spy RPG and name it something else i.e. spiritual successor

Protocol: Tides of Alpha

Pillars of Modernity

alternative: Alpha Pro Too Cool

 

[Hellion]

The Other Protocols