The surprise release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on April 22 sent shockwaves through the gaming community, overshadowing other game launches on the same day. Jonas Antonsson, co-founder of indie publisher Raw Fury, expressed his concerns on social media about the impact of such "massive" shadow-drops on indie developers.
Antonsson, who has a deep appreciation for Oblivion and is thrilled about its revival for a new generation, highlighted 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,” he stated.
He specifically mentioned Post Trauma, a puzzle horror game developed by Red Soul Games and published by Raw Fury on the same day. Inspired by PS2-era classics, Post Trauma invites players to "navigate environments, tackle threats, and meet other lost characters in the depths of the Gloom." Antonsson voiced his support for the game but also expressed empathy for the development team, noting the developer's dedication to the project.
Raw Fury's sarcastic tweet on April 22, "Thank god Post Trauma was the only notable release of today and nothing else happened!" underscored their frustration.
From the perspective of Bethesda and its parent company Microsoft, the shadow-drop of Oblivion Remastered was a resounding success. The game saw a strong launch on Steam and has dominated online discussions, with players reveling in the return of quirky character faces, nostalgic bugs, and memes.
The impact of Oblivion Remastered extended beyond indie games, affecting even other titles heavily marketed by Microsoft. Kepler Interactive, the publisher of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, acknowledged the 'Barbenheimer' effect of launching in the same week as Oblivion Remastered. Both games were made available on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
For Raw Fury, setting the release date for Post Trauma without foreknowledge of Oblivion Remastered's shadow-drop may simply be chalked up to unfortunate timing.
For those diving into Oblivion Remastered, we offer a comprehensive guide covering everything from an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, to tips on How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, and all the PC Cheat Codes you might need.
