Yesterday was yet another challenging day for indie game developer Red Candle Games. The developers ofDetentionandDevotionpublicly announced that its second game would be coming to the PC storefront GOG. However, within hours of the announcement, GOG publicly reversed its decision in controversial fashion. As frustrating as the situation may be, however, Red Candle Games has since promised to continue seeking opportunities for the release ofDevotion.
Red Candle Games' troubles started when an Easter egg was discovered inDevotionthatmocked People’s Republic of China President Xi Jinping.Devotion’s publisher pulled the game from all available platforms. The worst of the issue, however, has been the refusal of those same platforms to offerDevotionas an independently published game since. Fear of reprisal from the Chinese government or Chinese gamers appears to be preventing a proper release ofDevotion, even in the west.
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In good news, Red Candle Games' first release,Detention, remains an impressive success. A Netflix adaptation of the horror game is currently being released, with the first four episodes already available on the streaming service. The remaining four episodes will be released over the next week or so. The Taiwanese adaptation of the Taiwanese game is already receiving very positive review coverage. And don’t forget,Red Candle Games is also working on a new game, too.
Red Candle Games’success withDetentionmakes its plight withDevotionall the more frustrating. When a platform like GOG, which launched as a service removing DRM from games because it prioritized gamers, capitulates from pressure, something’s gone very wrong. Hopefully, in due time,Devotionbecomes widely available to players internationally.
