METAL GEAR SOLID 2, METAL GEAR SOLID 3, and all products that include these games from digital storefronts globally starting soon. Sounds like something that should have been worked out before those licenses needed renewing, So in addition to MGS2 disappearing is also removing Metal Gear Solid HD Edition from sale as well, for an example of the kind of videos we’re talking about, here’s some Cold War footage from a Metal Gear Solid 3 cutscene.
The takedowns apply from today (November 8, 2021). Whether their removals truly are temporary or could result in something like a repackaged re-release with the footage missing, we’ll have to see.
Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 are being taken down from online shopfronts after issues emerged with “licenses for select historical archive footage used in-game.”
People are way too keen on assuming intent whenever has an issue of any kind with any of its franchises. This happens semi-regularly to publishers, big and small. Re-upping these timed licenses are easy to miss and sometimes hard to execute, especially if any amount of them have changed hands in the meantime. Hell, at one point this happened to GTA games, so... As in that case, it’s normally related to music, more than archive footage, but yeah, no, there’s no reason to assume is out in an odd crusade to cause itself petty problems to supposedly spite. This isn’t a unique thing - this is an industry-wide thing. The industry itself treats video games as temporary and ephemeral, and so publishers tend not to go for long-term licenses in the way film and TV do for assets like this. I know this removal doesn’t affect owned but if the content is removed from the game expect it to disappear in the next update to the digital game you own. It's what happened to GTA songs that lapsed. That can’t remove a copy (retail or second-hand) from circulation as easily as they do a digital copy. Former photo researcher here, and the situation is likely as innocuous as it appears. Not that it’s going to stop the breathless conspiracy theories or self-righteous chest-thumping about copyright law. So don’t be shocked if Metal Gear Solid isn’t the only thing to temporarily vanish over the next few years. Ten years is the upper limit for these sorts of licenses, which puts us - from now until probably 2024 or so - in the rough window during which similar agreements are likely set to expire. Not all historical media is public domain. Full stop. Consequently, licenses need to be renewed every so often if a product that uses said imagery is to keep being sold. It’s a fairly simple, borderline automated process (usually) and is unlikely to keep these games off of digital storefronts for more than a handful of weeks tops.
ya is to the real good news because I'm waiting for this game to play soon.
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