Back in late October, we reported that the upcoming Croc remaster would be skipping a physical version on Xbox, and the publisher has been discussing this with some disgruntled fans on social media over the past few days.
The situation is that the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 versions of Croc will be getting a disc version, but the Xbox, PS4 and PC releases will be digital-only (including a code as part of the Collector's Edition) due to lack of demand.
This recent response proved controversial with disappointed Croc fans, who began sharing their vast Xbox libraries to prove that there is demand for physical versions of games. However, the developer explained that the demand doesn't get close to the minimum number of discs they'd be forced to order, so there's really no way around it.
Here's a bit more of what Argonaut Games had to say in response to someone on Twitter:
"Respectfully, there are minimum manufacturing runs for physical and all our data indicates that we would not be able to sell enough copies to justify manufacturing physical for Xbox. We developed the game so it's not as if we don't like the platforms, but we have to be realistic."
"We've tried really hard to come up with a practical solution where the alternative is to not have one."
As unfortunate as this situation is, we can understand the decision to avoid a physical Xbox disc in this case, especially when you consider that even a big first-party release like Avowed is going down the code-in-a-box route next year.
In terms of the digital release, the Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remaster was set to launch before the end of 2024, but it's since been pushed back to early 2025. We'll be playing it soon, but there's no official date for it as of yet. It's clearly a shame to be missing out on the disc, but if the data says it's not worth it, there's not much to be done!
What are your thoughts on this situation? Let us know down in the comments section below.
[source x.com]
Comments 35
Can't wait to play this again loved it as a child!
I don’t think it’s going to be a huge seller on any platform.
But the dev has been upfront and honest about it so good on them.
Series S has been a huge seller so the lack of demand does not surprise me.
Such a gamer response to show pictures of their own game library to prove there is demand....
Unless you intend to buy thousands of copies that is still 1 person!
Smart delivery makes a physical copy pointless, sadly. If you have a series X, you’re not allowed to play the Xbox one version, and that’s almost certainly what would be on the disc. Kinda defeats the purpose of a physical version.
I am pro-physical media, but only within reason. When it's a niche of a niche like this, at some point you have to question what is the point if the market is so tiny. Without seeing hard numbers I suspect they made the right calls here.
Oh wow! My lad played this on a PC when he was little. He's 32 now!
If there's not enough demand for it, there's not enough demand for it. Nobody wants to be sitting on a load of stock they can't sell.
Let's be honest; there's no demand for a physical PS5 release either.
Let's also be honest, there's no demand for a digital release for that matter.
Let's be also, also honest, there's no demand for this game period.
And this is why I buy my physical games elsewhere. Thank you, stupid younger pro-digital generation. Thank you, greedy ‘we can make more money if we rent games to our userbase as a service instead of focusing on sales’ Xbox management.
That makes a lot of sense given how large Series S is as a base & how little Xbox has supported physical at all. I collect a lot of physical for Xbox but think I am in the minority
I'm guessing the gamers that shower their OWN PERSONAL collection were yanks with that typical "world revolves around us" attitude. There is next to no demand for it because at the moment there is next to no demand for Xbox worldwide. I love my Series X when it's time to waste time on Halo or Forza, but for everything else Switch and PS5 are the go to consols for most people now.
Instead of jumping on the developers, fans should jump on Microsoft for their abysmal handling of Xbox since the 360. They let that massive success go to their heads (let's face it, 360 was the absolute boss of that gen)and they massively dropped the ball with Xbox One and haven't recovered since.
I wonder what is keeping Microsoft demanding high print runs of physical media when it seems that Sony and Nintendo have no such high mark.
I'm 35 and never heard of this game until this remaster. This isn't going to sell well on any platform. Digital or physical.
@M20B25 it is a nostalgia play for a certain group of people who were kids in the PS1 days.
Every developer and their uncle was attempting this mascot platformed thing and to be honest none of them ever held a candle to any Mario title.
But to some they were important games growing up and that's what these releases are aimed at.
@Scummbuddy Xbox said themselves they were reducing the minimum number of discs you need to order in a print run a couple of years back to avoid this issue.
However MS have also released a number of games without a physical edition at all so appear to be contradicting themselves and their own plans.
@Medic_alert they might have said they were, but they never did. Instead they partnered with a few companies and as well as um doing something with indies devs to help them with physical but all signs point to the min amount being still in the massive range compared to the other 2. Like 10k vs 1k
What he’ll probably find is there isn’t enough demand from anyone.
@mousieone just to show I'm not pulling this out my butt
https://www.purexbox.com/news/2023/03/xbox-is-helping-indie-devs-to-create-physical-versions-of-their-games
Shame they couldn't make it work, but they obviously aren't skipping Xbox physical because it's funny. An alternative to this in the future might be to crowdfund the required total $ required to print the minimum amount of disc's.
Dire days for physical only.
The cycle continues: physical games skip Xbox due to low demand, so the target audience increasingly moves to PS5/Switch, so physical games skip Xbox due to low demand, so...
I can't wait for this game idk why everyone in this comment section is hating it. I grew up with games like this one and it's a shame Xbox gamers won't be able to try it out with a physical edition. So least you can get digital if you still want. For everyone saying there's no interest in it, give it a chance it's a really great platformer
@Medic_alert yes that’s the indie team, but they make special agreements for people going down that route. However, if you don’t have one of these agreements; the full print amount is required.
Well! I guess I’m buying the PS5 and switch physical copies! Surprised about no ps4 physical version though.Meanwhile Virtua Fighter 2 is getting a physical release on Xbox but not PS4,Switch etc?? Go figure.
I have a big, big stack of physical Xbox games myself but the writing is on the wall I need to start going digital asap
The loud .003 percent still insist there is a demand for physical media.
NEWSFLASH: No, there isn't.
Rough, but here we are most Xbox gamers don't care about ownership. So he's not wrong, it is what it is and we miss out.
I am not personally surprised developers don't want to spend money creating physical versions which are likely to be unsold. I am guessing they need to print a large number otherwise they are likely loosing money. Since the trend is towards digital games, even more so on the Xbox developer don't both with a physical release.
This is why I buy all my games elsewhere these days, Xbox have all but destroyed their own platform when it comes to physical games and don't even bother releasing their own games complete on disc or even have a disc. At this point I'll be stunned if any future Xbox even has a disc drive
@SpacemanJupiter yet physical media still sells really well for both Playstation and Nintendo 🤔
@carlos82 future Xboxes will be adorably all-digital.
This is on Microsoft who, for some reason, has insane MOQs and its led to an overall atmosphere where people dont buy physical games for the system. Gamepass doesn't help either.
Physical games on Xbox are kinda dead...
Then again, we should be able to convert our digital library to physical copy. Sure it will have it's own issues in pratice but i think it's nothing major enough. I'm inclined to believe that the real reason it's not happening is because companies are slowly not liking it when you fully owned their games.
it’s generally appealing to people who mostly grow up playing this game anyway, so it’s probably for the best.
@endlessleep it’s not dead yet, indiana jones physical copies have been selling out
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