Activision lost the rights to publish TMNT games

[ColinStein]

As the story goes, it seems that several Activision licensed games have been pulled from digital stores, including both TMNT games they published: Out of the Shadows and Mutants in Manhattan. Neither of the games I liked, enjoyed, or finished. Different websites and sources are assuming it's because it's the new year and they let the licenses go.

So Who would you like to make new TMNT games? I remember the rumor of Rocksteady working on one and that would be cool.

Source-ish
http://www.polygon.com/2017/1/4/1417...n-tmnt-removed

(And if this is already a thread somewhere else, DAMN IT! I looked and missed it. Sorry.)

[Candy Kappa]

bummer, haven't gotten the last game yet.

[Cure]

That's too bad.

[TigerClaw]

Activision also lost the rights to the SpiderMan games, Which make sense since Insomniac Games has a new Spider-Man gaming coming out this year.

I would love to see Insomniac Games do a TMNT game.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ColinStein

So Who would you like to make new TMNT games? I remember the rumor of Rocksteady working on one

That would never happen.

[TigerClaw]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

That would never happen.

I would like to see Insomniac Games do it, They have a great track record, and they are releasing the new SpiderMan game this year.

[oldmanwinters]

Speaking of rights, no one has botched this story worse than Game Rant, who is apparently under the impression that the TMNT is owned by Marvel:
https://gamerant.com/activision-spid...urtle-digital/

Anyone who wanted to buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan or either of the two The Amazing Spider-Man games will find themselves disappointed as Activision has been removing these titles from the digital shelves over the last few days, most likely due to licensing issues with trademark holder Marvel

So far Activision has remained silent as to the why of it all, though speculation points toward a licensing issue with Marvel, the owner of both franchises.

Why Marvel keeps demanding these recalls is somewhat uncertain, though in the case of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan it could very well be that many considered it to be one of the worst games of 2016. In fact, it seems to be common for Marvel video games too be rather less than expected. Though there are many possible reasons for this, a clue may lie in an interview given by TQ Jefferson, Marvel’s VP of games production, back around the time the comic-book publisher ended their partnership with Sega.

Having Activision pull their titles from Steam and the like every time a game bombs seems to be a counter-productive strategy, though, as all it does is once again draw attention to games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, which most seem to had forgotten about except for a short entry in the annual hall of shame articles. Though Marvel may think that out of sight is out of mind, they could also find that gamers have long memories.

[PApagreg]

Whoever it is I hope they give platinum another chance in making a TMNT game

[oldmanwinters]

Got my fingers crossed for Capcom to make a new TMNT 2D fighter!

[Andrew NDB]

And I doubt anybody "lost" their license. Probably they got the license for X # of years, months, and 1/1/2017 was the end date, with the option for Activision to pay X number of dollars to renew it for another year. They didn't, because nobody bought "Out of the Shadows" or "Mutants in Manhattan." Nobody just gets a license for something forever.

[Ninjinister]

Originally Posted by Powder

2, actually. They did a plug & play sorta thing for the 4kids series.

I feel like if you take into consideration what it is, they did amazing work with that. It's a plug 'n' play so if you expect anything blockbuster status, it's not gonna happen... but it had nice graphics and didn't play like garbage.

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Got my fingers crossed for Capcom to make a new TMNT 2D fighter!

Sadly (and I do mean that, because this would be the best thing ever for me), this is very unlikely to happen. Capcom hasn't been doing superb financially as of late, to the point where Street Fighter 5 only happened because Sony financed it. They've canned every Mega Man project in the past few years that hasn't been a rerelease or mobile game (or both), Resident Evil 6 was considered a low point in not only the franchise's history but gaming history overall, and Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono can't even get the Darkstalkers project he wants to do off the ground. Capcom barely does fighters outside of Street Fighter these days anyway, and even less so licensed fighters anymore. The Marvel vs. series only keeps happening due to its legacy as well as the fact that Marvel/Disney is, like Sony, very likely footing some of the bill.

2D licensed fighters are dead overall anyway... you might get some anime fighters from the likes of Bandai-Namco, but that's about it. Even the Smash-esque platform fighter is dwindling when it comes to licensed fighters... I can only think of one that was released in the last few years. Pretty much the only recourse I could see is if Bandai-Namco got the license somehow (and even then it wouldn't be handled by their top-tier teams like Tekken and SoulCalibur) or if somehow an indie developer got a crack at this. And even in these two cases, I doubt it'd be passable.

So yeah, if Activision has indeed dropped or tanked the license, I am disappointed that this'd be the first "era" where we didn't get some sort of fighting game. Because of who I am, I'd prefer a s**t fighting game to no fighting game.

[ColinStein]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

That would never happen.

Yea... We'll probably never get a game with as much respect the Arkham series got.

I think another WayForward TMNT game could be cool. Something that wasn't limited to a super young audience. Maybe something in the vein of Double Dragon Neon.

What kind of game would be best for TMNT? They did that Smash Bros clone awhile ago from Ubisoft. There's been fighting games, beat 'em ups, side scrollers. I think beat 'em ups has always been the best games. Maybe an open world?

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ColinStein

What kind of game would be best for TMNT?

If not an open sandbox game, I'd like to see a return to the style of the very first NES game. You know, an overworld, different styles of adventuring/action as things go on (maybe the default being something like the most recent Ninja Gaiden games). Anything, anything but another lame button-mashing Final Fight clone like the last 50 TMNT games have been.

But then, TMNT games don't really sell. So we'll probably get Final Fight clone #51 next time around. Cheap, quick, easy to throw out there.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by ColinStein

I think another WayForward TMNT game could be cool. Something that wasn't limited to a super young audience. Maybe something in the vein of Double Dragon Neon.

Wayforward has made some amazing games, none of them being their TMNT titles. I'm assuming we got one of their C-teams or something, 'cause I expect wayyyyy better from them. I'd definitely be open to one developed by different people within the company.

[TigerClaw]

How about a TMNT game done by Telltale? Maybe set in the IDW universe.

[CyberCubed]

No. TellTale games aren't real games.

[slingtheory]

Actually glad to see Activision go. Maybe the next publisher the tmnt finds a home with will put a little more resources and effort behind their projects

[Ninjinister]

Originally Posted by slingtheory

Actually glad to see Activision go. Maybe the next publisher the tmnt finds a home with will put a little more resources and effort behind their projects

Yeah the only TMNT game of theirs I liked to any degree was Mutants in Manhattan.

I miss the Activision of old. Pitfall is still my jam.

[Maelxich]

I hope whoever gets it gives platinum games another shot there seemed to be a lot of issues with that game like them promising 60 fps and it being 30 weird choices when all they had to do was making transformers devestation with turtle switching and combo specials like out of the shadows did but keep the idw designs

A rerelease of the arcade games like final fight double impact would be great if they can strike a deal with Konami and even get some concept art etc as unlockables

A fighter would be nice as well as a batman tmnt team up game based on the crossover comic

All in all the one I want most is another platinum game and hope the new owner of the license realizes why no one like mutants in manhattan

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Maelxich

A rerelease of the arcade games like final fight double impact would be great if they can strike a deal with Konami

Regular people don't want that or care about that.