Indie Publisher Boss Laments Team's Struggle Post-Oblivion Remastered Surprise Release

The surprise release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on April 22 sent shockwaves through the gaming community, but it was a different story for indie developers who had planned to launch their games on the same day. Jonas Antonsson, co-founder of indie publisher Raw Fury, voiced his concerns on social media, highlighting how "massive" shadow-drops from big titles like Oblivion Remastered can overshadow smaller releases, causing them to be "buried."

"I loved (when younger) and still absolutely love Oblivion and I’m personally excited to see it get a breath of new life and being introduced to a whole new generation of players," Antonsson said. However, he pointed out the challenges that such shadow-drops pose for indie developers and publishers. "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."

Antonsson specifically mentioned Post Trauma, a puzzle horror game developed by Red Soul Games and published by Raw Fury on April 22. Inspired by PS2-era classics, Post Trauma requires players to "navigate environments, tackle threats, and meet other lost characters in the depths of the Gloom." Antonsson expressed his sympathy for the team and the developer who had dedicated years to the project: "Love the game that dropped but feel the pain for our team and especially the developer we’ve worked with for years - who has poured his heart and soul into his game."

Raw Fury’s tweet on April 22 reflected their frustration: "Thank god Post Trauma was the only notable release of today and nothing else happened!"

From Bethesda and parent company Microsoft’s perspective, the shadow-drop of Oblivion Remastered has been a resounding success. The game saw a strong start on Steam and has dominated online conversations, with players reveling in the return of the game's iconic character faces, classic bugs, and beloved memes.

Even other games heavily promoted by Microsoft are feeling the impact of Oblivion Remastered. This week, Kepler Interactive, the publisher of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, acknowledged the 'Barbenheimer' effect of launching the same week as Oblivion Remastered, with both games debuting directly on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

For Raw Fury, setting the release date for Post Trauma without knowing about the impending Oblivion Remastered shadow-drop may simply be chalked up to unfortunate timing. It's just one of those unpredictable events in the gaming industry.

For those eager to dive into Oblivion Remastered, we offer a comprehensive guide that includes an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, tips on How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, every PC Cheat Code, and much more.