Each development contract is different but they usually follow the same rough structure. The publisher puts up the money for the development of the game. The developers code and make the game. When they are done they give the finished product to the publisher who markets and arranges distribution.
The publisher most likely owns the rights to the game so selling it outside of WB isn’t legal, which stops Steam and most reputable stores. The devs are watching years of their lives being swept under the rug and probably deleted if no one has a copy of the game. WB has not said anything about relisting any games so it’s very possible their work is being deleted forever. They have put in months of crunch to meet a deadline, sacrificed relationships and events to ensure their contributions to the game with the belief the game would be as good as it was going to be. Now it means nothing because the game is going away.
It’s incredibly disrespectful to the time, talent, and energy the developers have put into the game and should sour devs from working for other publishers who do the same. However, shovelware exists because some devs just want a paycheck, so this will probably not stop cut throat devs from making a minimum viable product by a deadline.
Ultimately this is the world we live in: the money owns the rights and so makes the decisions that others have to live by. If you are upset by this, think of a new way to do it and try it out. Be the change.
gibmiser@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Sounds like they need a class action lawsuit from all the developers.
They gave their rights to the game to another company based on the Assumption that they would get continual residuals from the sale because the Company would be acting as a distributor.
Depending on how the contract is phrased might not be breach. But God damn that deserves to be taking a court over it.
the_artic_one@programming.dev 6 months ago
I’m not a lawyer but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a “class action lawsuit” involving multiple business who each had their own lawyers negotiate individual publishing contracts with potentially wildly different terms.