Alpha Protocol, one of my favorite games, has been removed from Steam and other PC storefronts and is therefore unavailable to purchase.
It was initially believed Sega’s rights to publish the game had expired. However, the company clarified to GameSpot that this is incorrect; it still owns the Alpha Protocol brand and intellectual property–just not some of the music within the game.
A Sega spokesperson told GameSpot: “Due to the expiry of music rights in Alpha Protocol, the title has been removed from Steam and is no longer on sale.”
Alpha Protocol is also unavailable to purchase on the PlayStation, Xbox, and Humble stores, though Sega has assured fans that existing owners of the game (on any platform) will still be able to redownload it in the future.
Alpha Protocol was released for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 in 2010. Although it received a mixed critical reception at the time, it went on to gain a cult following thanks to its deep RPG mechanics and glamorous spy fiction. I once called it the best James Bond game ever, despite 007 not actually being in it.
Eurogamer reported in 2017 that developer Obsidian intended to retain the rights to Alpha Protocol for itself but was forced to give them up to Sega in order to get the contract signed. Obsidian has since been acquired by Microsoft and is now working on The Outer Worlds, which launches on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 25. Rest in peace, Alpha Protocol.