© UbisoftFans of the Scott Pilgrim series from far and wide have begged series creator Bryan Lee O’Malley, Ubisoft, Oni Press, and physical game publishers such as Limited Run Games for a physical edition of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game since it was removed from online storefronts in 2014. Fortunately, Ubisoft announced late last year that a new Complete Edition of the game would be back digitally to mark the game’s 10th anniversary, but only recently a physical edition had also been revealed for Nintendo Switch.
This revelation was a huge moment for the community as for most there was really no way to play the game unless they had already downloaded it on their system. This could become an important moment in the history of game preservation, a great example of why physical games are still so important today.
So to find out a bit more about how it all happened, we had a quick email chat with Josh Fairhurst, co-founder of Limited Run Games.
Nintendo Life: Can you remember the first time someone asked you about the release of a physical version of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game?
Josh: In October 2015, just hours after we got our 100th follower on Twitter, someone asked us if we were watching Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game on PlayStation 3. Since then, it’s been in demand almost daily, which really appeals to the passion of Scott Pilgrim fans.
Scott Pilgrim The Game has been in the minds of fans and only gamers in general since it was dropped in 2014, so what does it feel like to have guaranteed fans can play this game for years to come?
Josh: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is a really important game on many different levels. Together with Double Dragon Neon, it helped bring back the “beat ’em up” genre that we are clearly big fans of (Scott Pilgrim will join the ranks of Streets of Rage 4, River City Girls, Double dragon IV, and many other genre classics in our line-up). It feels extremely good to physically release this game for fans to put on the shelves.
@LimitedRunGamesWith the KO! Edition of the game you are releasing, it seems like you have thought of everything! (Statues, physical music, a strategy guide!) Was there anything else on the drawing board that you wish you could have included?
Josh: When we came up with the original idea for the KO Edition, we asked everyone in the company what ideas they had for a Scott Pilgrim Collector’s Edition. I think the shared ideas document grew to about ten to twelve pages!
When we come up with collectible editions, the first thing I personally like to think of is the box and then I try to thematize the other content around there. For example with Survival 1 & 2 we came up with the idea of making a leather briefcase and all of the content was themed items that a psychologist might own in the game.
After discussing many possibilities, we landed on a hard instrument case (or “roadie case”) with a pop-up scene of “Sex Bob-omb” and working lights and sound. From there, we went through the employees’ suggestions and picked all the content that fits the ‘Sex Bob-omb’ theme – guitar picks, drum sticks, soundtrack, etc. Lots of other ideas remained on the table, but I think we are landed on something that really fits the game and makes for a cool, unique, and game-specific package.
We’ve been in serious discussions to get this game out for a while – so it’s really been a long way no matter how you look at it.
How long has this been in the making for your team?
Josh: We chase Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game since 2015. While we were too small a company at the time to talk directly to anyone dealing with the IP, we were certainly making every possible path to move towards this release. We’ve been in serious discussions about getting this game out for a while now, so it’s really been a long way no matter how you look at it.
Do you think you’ll ever release an original PS3 physical edition, like you did with the Oddworld series?
Josh: I don’t think so. The PlayStation 3 requires a lot more work to support discs – most digital games at the time just weren’t properly formatted to install from disc. This means that most games on the PS3 require a full rebuild and certification process to physically appear on the platform, which is just not feasible for most companies as most PS3 games have codebases that are over a decade old!
The official vinyl soundtrack was released in a very limited edition years ago and is highly sought after today. Considering that you are now dealing in vinyl records, is there any chance you will release a suppression of that too?
Josh: We recently announced one!
[We asked Josh the question prior to that very welcome announcement, of course! – Ed]
Will Scott Pilgrim get a physical release at Best Buy with a unique cover?
Josh: We hope so. You will just have to wait!
Besides Scott Pilgrim, what’s your next most requested game to get a physical release or something you’d like to release someday?
Josh: PT from Konami. It’s probably applied for once a week – so not nearly as often as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – but it is certainly the second most requested release. I personally would like to work with Square Enix as they have TONS of digital games that don’t have physical releases.
We want to thank Josh and Limited Run Games for taking the time to talk! The physical edition of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition on Nintendo Switch is currently available for pre-order through Limited Run Games until February 28.
Let us know if you’re one of the many excited for this release to materialize and check out our review if you’re curious.