As more developers move towards self-publishing there is always the awkwardness of changing platform publishing rights. Games like Destiny have undergone the transition but the next franchise to get caught up in a bit of a tricky situation is that zany visual novel series, Danganronpa.
Publisher NIS America has announced that over the coming months, the Danganronpa franchise will be removed from the PlayStation Network. The franchise totals five games that will be removed from sale at select dates.
The first game to be taken off the service on August 31 is Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girl, the action spin-off of the franchise on the PlayStation Vita. The following games that will be taken down on September 4 are the two Vita versions of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, the original game in the franchise, and its sequel Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. The last two titles to leave the service on September 25 are the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony.
The reason for the removal is due to publishing rights for the franchise changing with regards to the PlayStation releases. Developer Spike Chunsoft has moved to self-publish its library of games, forgoing alternative publishers. Since NIS America is the current publisher of the franchise on PSN, the games must be removed from the service. This very likely means that the removal of the Danganronpa franchise off PSN is temporary and they will return in time. No other platforms will be affected by this change in publishers.
The news of Danganronpa's change in publishers comes at an interesting time for the series and its writer. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the franchise and it was announced back in April that Danganronpa would receive mobile ports. The mobile versions have released since the announcement to high user scores and praise from mobile players.
As for Kazutaka Kodaka, the writer and scenario planner for the Danganronpa franchise, today marks the release of his first project under his new independent studio. Death Come True is Kodaka's first game in over a decade to not be part of the courtroom of despair simulator with Danganronpa. Death Come True is an FMV Horror Visual Novel that appears to cross somewhere between Phantasmagoria and 428: Shibuya Scramble. With the game only coming out today, fans are getting their first taste of Kodaka unshackled from despair filled and often insane stories of Danganronpa.
The Danganronpa franchise is currently available on PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, PC, and Mobile Platforms.
Source: NIS America