
Limited Run Games caused quite a stir recently when it was discovered that the company was selling CD-R discs to customers as part of its expensive, limited edition products – specifically D, which retailed for $64.99.
At the time, it was claimed that this was due to "quality and reliability issues when attempting to press 3DO discs in the traditional manner," with Limited Run claiming in a statement that burned CDs ensured better compatibility with 3DO hardware (something many people have pointed out is totally incorrect – the 3DO's CD drive is famously picky when it comes to reading CD-Rs).
Now, Limited Run co-founder Douglas Bogart – who left the company in 2023 – has claimed there was a very different reason for selling CD-Rs to customers: fellow company founder Josh Fairhurst thought it was cheaper:
I wasn’t there when they sold CD-R’s to customers but I was there when he proposed the idea and I with a few other co-workers told him it was a bad idea to sell burned discs to customers, but his response was it was cheaper, and they wouldn’t play or notice it. I had hoped he got off that idea but clearly didn’t.
Bogart made the claim about Fairhurst in a lengthy post on Medium. The post has since been deleted but is available online (as spotted by Game Sack).
In it, Bogart also outlines various issues he encountered working with Fairhurst, which include harassment in the workplace, spending company money on his personal collection, and harbouring a vendetta against other companies working in the same sector of the industry, such as iam8bit.
Whenever there was a possible PR disaster and a way to avoid it he wouldn’t listen. A crappy internal saying was “it’s good enough” if we could save money and cut corners then it was okay if it was passable and just pray no one took a hard look. No one can tell him anything unless you somehow convince him it’s his idea. Tasks used to not get done at work for the longest time because he refused to relinquish control. He taught that behavior to a lot of us too.
You can read the full statement here.
[source x.com]
Comments 18
They still do a good job with their Switch releases, and every Switch game I've bought from them has been quality.
I don't like seeing how they fumbled the 3DO releases, but as a buyer of Switch games? I still support them. I won't change my mind.
@LadyCharlie Yeah, I've only had one small issue with the glue in a box melting and ruining the poster, but I think that most people's issues with the company (for Switch games at least) is just how expensive the games are and how long it takes them to ship. I ordered in-stock items during the blowout sale that took nearly a month to send out. I also am perfectly fine paying $35-40 for a physical Switch game, but then their "collectors editions" add a keychain, a brochure and a cd and they sell that for $45 extra.
@UK_Kev I don't think Nintendo is THAT involved but I do know that there HAVE been Switch slipups (the one I remember is that if you have a physical copy of the original Doom you can't upgrade to the new release for free).
Personally, I tend to avoid companies that openly treat their customers like morons.
I've heard plenty of negative stories about LR. I've also had my own issues when dealing with their support. I started buying Vita games, then Switch. Eventually, I started buying Collectors Editions of various games. I've spent thousands on LR releases. After my own bad experiences, and reading about others' experiences with them, I've greatly reduced how much I buy from them. I only buy games that I really love, and only the basic editions; I avoid the (wildly overpriced) Collectors Editions.
I would rather a game stay out of circulation than be re-released by LRG.
Limited Scam games
Do the right thing SHUT THEM DOWN Embracer SHUT THEM DOWN
Treat the customers like idiots and hope they don't notice? Check. Be cheap because it's only 3DO? Check. Mismanage a company because you're too arrogant to accept differing opinions? Check.
Begs a question why they didn't just sell CD-Rs but price them cheaper. Limited Fun Games indeed. 😆
Sounds a lot like some of the experiences I had at my old job. A toxic work environment like that is suffocating.
I have a lot of really nice PS Vita physical games from them. But selling CD-Rs is definitely not okay.
This just reinforces my concerns for Earthion, when it gets released. Should have put it out through RetroBit, their releases have been great.
But I thought it was about the case and manuals anyway and they are technically repros.
"No one can tell him anything unless you somehow convince him it’s his idea."
Just thought about when I jokingly suggested that they should release Cosmic Star Heroine in a Sega CD case, LRG liked the post, then a couple months later announced that very thing. Probably a coincidence and it was around the time they started selling replacement Sega CD cases anyway, but I can't help but wonder...
Entitled, pathologically competitive a-holes running game companies? Damn, who knew? 😐
In all seriousness, that archived Medium article was pretty bone-chilling. Just because their releases are occasionally done right doesn't mean Josh Fairhurst should stay in charge. He sounds less capable of growth than the average Scorsese protagonist.
Besides which, it's that kind of arrogance that will destroy LRG (even if he gets off scot-free).
What an A-hole. But this world is built for people like him so I guess he'll be alright. I wish someone with the clout and determination like GamersNexus would run this story and build some momentum and pressure.
Old games are worth a good amount now because not many people thought they would be worth anything.
Everyone spending ass loads of money of LRG, you really have no idea what these forced-scarcity products like LRG will be worth in the future. Just something to consider if you're a speculator.
These guys aren't trying to sell us good products, they're relying on FOMO to sell products. No good business does that.
It's amusing that the guy thought buyers would not notice. Even if the CD-Rs looked real, it would just be a matter of time before someone found out. Gamers are a resourceful bunch. I remember when the Coleco Chameleon fiasco was playing out in real time, people correctly identified the hidden SNES Jr. under another shell based on the port layout, and others correctly identified a video capture card or something like that which was claimed to be their prototype board, and it only took a short time despite the limited resources available(a photo or two that didn't show much).
Aside from the idea that an official game-repro company would sell CD-Rs, which doesn't make sense for what they purport to be about, the bigger problem is that they concealed the fact. A lot of these CEO types, whether the company is big or small, think they see money in some ideas like this, yet fail to consider the PR cost. I guess that's because it's long-term thinking that seems to be in short supply in that world. Even if they make a larger amount of money up front, the price paid later from the revelations is higher. I think about the Unity game engine and how the company committed a massive PR blunder that damaged their brand considerably. CEOs are supposed(lol) to have good judgement, but we see many examples where they clearly don't know what they're doing.
"Good enough" can be good or bad depending on the context. It depends on what the standard is. For example, the old Working Designs Sega CD and Saturn releases probably would have been well received without the additional inclusions and special manuals, though those did help them stand out. They went to extra mile when "good enough" would have truly been good enough. But when "good enough" is an excuse to cut corners that are detrimental to the core product, then that's when that attitude gets to be a problem.
How is burning a cd cheaper? The media costs money and takes time. Pressing a CD is nearly instantaneous and is extremely cheap.
That's alright.
I had no intention of buying their over priced fomo products.
And now I am even less inclined.
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