Yacht Club Games’ Shovel Knight is due to release at retail on November 3rd in North America and October 30th in Europe but it’s run into several issues in the process. Most notably is the retail release of the Xbox One version, which has been cancelled.
According to the developer, this has been due to “publishing policies on the [Xbox One] that are beyond our control. We’ll keep fighting to get a retail version on Xbox One. But as of now, the boxed version is in indefinite limbo. The digital version of Shovel Knight on Xbox One is already available and, of course, will continue to receive new updates and our full support.”
That’s not all. The retail price has also been increased to $24.99 as opposed to $19.99 when it was first announced. “Although everyone initially agreed to a $19.99 price point, some retailers ran into trouble with limited space to show off their wares, and the rules in place about where games with certain prices are displayed. We didn’t want our ‘bargain priced’ game to go straight to the bargain bin of obscurity, so we had to raise the price.
“We didn’t want anyone to feel as if they were getting hoodwinked just because of our retail situation! If you have already pre-ordered Shovel Knight, your retailer should honour the original price!”
To make up for this price increase, Yacht Club Games will be including a digital version of the soundtrack. This is in addition to the base game and the Plague of Shadows expansion. Other updates will be added as they become available to players.
The Vita version doesn’t seem to be dead just yet, thankfully. The developer is “working our hardest to make it possible. While we can confirm one won’t be shipping this holiday, we are still working our hardest to make it possible! Hang in there a bit longer, and hopefully we can make something happen!”
What are your thoughts on the retail release woes of Shovel Knight? Let us know in the comments.