The unexpected release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on April 22 sent shockwaves through the gaming community. While fans rejoiced, indie developers who had scheduled their game launches for the same day found themselves grappling with the fallout.
Jonas Antonsson, co-founder of indie publisher Raw Fury, voiced his concerns on social media, highlighting how "massive" shadow-drops from blockbuster titles like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered can overshadow smaller releases. "I loved (when younger) and still absolutely love Oblivion and I’m personally excited to see it get a breath of new life and being introduced to a whole new generation of players," Antonsson stated.
However, he pointed out the challenges faced by indie developers: "But from the perspective of indies and indie publishers, this is the problem with these sorts of massive shadow drops. Everything more or less gets buried. We don’t have the cash nor muscle to throw around, so everything is carefully planned. Including when to release, based on other releases, etc. - to try to maximize the chances of getting attention."
Antonsson drew attention to Post Trauma, a puzzle horror game developed by Red Soul Games and published by Raw Fury on April 22. Inspired by PS2 era classics, Post Trauma challenges players to "navigate environments, tackle threats, and meet other lost characters in the depths of the Gloom."
"Love the game that dropped but feel the pain for our team and especially the developer we’ve worked with for years - who has poured his heart and soul into his game," Antonsson expressed. Raw Fury's sarcastic tweet on the release day further emphasized their frustration: "Thank god Post Trauma was the only notable release of today and nothing else happened!"
From the perspective of Bethesda and its parent company Microsoft, the shadow-drop of Oblivion Remastered was a resounding success. The game saw a stellar launch on Steam and has dominated online conversations, with players reveling in the return of the game's quirky character faces, classic bugs, and beloved memes.
Even other titles heavily marketed by Microsoft, such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, have felt the impact of Oblivion Remastered. Publisher Kepler Interactive acknowledged the 'Barbenheimer' effect of launching the same week as Oblivion Remastered, with both games debuting directly on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
For Raw Fury, setting the release date for Post Trauma without knowing about Oblivion Remastered's shadow-drop was an unfortunate coincidence. It may be remembered as just one of those unpredictable events in the gaming industry.
For those eager to dive into The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, we offer a comprehensive guide that includes an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, tips on How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, every PC Cheat Code, and much more.
