Breakdown
- Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality might be delisted soon
- The move comes after Warner Bros' closure of Adult Swim games
- Customers may be able to keep their purchased copy of the VR title on PC and PS4
Videogame preservation is becoming a hot topic in recent years, with a flurry of live service games shutting down and wiping away years of content and memories along with it. And now, one of the first major IPs to offer a VR game, Rick and Morty, may be removed from storefronts.
Perhaps you're not a fan of the adult cartoon show that swept the world away a few years back, or maybe you've only just got one of the best VR headsets recently. But, back in 2017, when Rick and Morty hype was unparalleled and VR was still very niche, a VR game based on one of the biggest IPs at the moment was an incredibly exciting thing.
It's certainly not one of the best VR games anymore, especially with virtual reality headsets becoming more mainstream as time has gone on, but Rick and Morty Virtual Rick-ality was a major milestone in the VR space. However, it could soon be just a memory, with Warner Bros. Discovery closing Adult Swim Games and delisting already-published titles from storefronts.
As reported by UploadVR, the Rick and Morty VR game could be a casualty of the poor business decisions that Warner Bros. Discovery has been making recently. Whether it's closing down the beloved Rooster Teeth brand, or deciding that Suicide Squad's poor sales mean that the company should double down on live-service titles, the company is certainly struggling to keep its audiences happy.
It's not an issue exclusively for WB's gaming portfolio either. For example, there's been a lot of controversy regarding an unreleased Coyote Vs. ACME movie that, according to test audiences, is actually really good. But Warner Bros. is deleting it for tax purposes, and has refused offers from the likes of Netflix to have it distributed elsewhere.
The sole Rick and Morty VR game isn't anything too special. It's a very short experience where you play as a clone of Morty Smith as you explore the household, interact with the bizarre world of the TV series, and enter various dimensions. However, seeing it delisted would be a massive shame, considering that VR popularity is only growing, and it's a good introductory game that won't make you throw up (unlike the best VR games like Blade and Sorcery, which might make you vomit on your first few play sessions).
I spoke about the issue of game preservation in the VR space briefly when the Meta outages left Quest headsets in a bad spot, but there's no doubt that Warner Bros. recent business decisions are terrible for preservation, whether that be games, movies, or TV shows. You can still purchase Rick and Morty Virtual Rick-ality on Steam, PlayStation Store (for the first PSVR) and the Oculus Rift store. However, you may not have long before Warner Bros. stamps the game into the bin, without a care in the world.