"Indie Publisher Struggles After Oblivion Remastered Overshadows Release"

The unexpected shadow-drop release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered on April 22 sent shockwaves through the gaming community. While fans rejoiced, indie developers who had planned their game launches for the same day found themselves struggling to stay afloat amidst the excitement.

Jonas Antonsson, co-founder of indie publisher Raw Fury, voiced his concerns on social media, highlighting the challenges posed by such massive releases. "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 shared. However, he also pointed out the harsh reality for indie developers: "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. This game, inspired by PS2 era classics, challenges players to "navigate environments, tackle threats, and meet other lost characters in the depths of the Gloom." Antonsson expressed his empathy for the team and the developer, stating, "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 frustration was evident in their sarcastic tweet on April 22: "Thank god Post Trauma was the only notable release of today and nothing else happened!"

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

The impact of Oblivion Remastered extends beyond indie games. Even other titles that Microsoft has heavily marketed are facing stiff competition. This week, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 publisher Kepler Interactive acknowledged the 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon of launching the same week as Oblivion Remastered, with both games debuting directly into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

For Raw Fury, setting the release date for Post Trauma without knowledge of Oblivion Remastered's impending drop was unfortunate, and it may be remembered as one of those unpredictable events in the gaming industry.

For those eager to dive into The Elder Scrolls IV: 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.