Asmodee Pulls eShop Release 'Pandemic' & Ends Switch Online Multiplayer In Catan

That really sucks for Catan, since it has no local multiplayer options 🙁

I literally just bought two copies of Catan for my wife and I to play online against each other. Its her favorite board game.

Edit: I contacted Asmodee Digital on their website about Catan, politely requesting an implementation of a local ad-hoc mode. Maybe if enough Catan players chime in, they can at least update the game for all of us local players.

If something is being taken off the eShop I usually take a hard look at it to pick it up. I purchased Pandemic when it was on sale after the discontinuation was announced. I also picked up Dead By Daylight with the Stranger Things DLC on sale (no longer available.) I looked at the two SNK retro soccer games before they were removed, I passed on those. There was the NES Fire Emblem game, I passed on that (the emulation was poor, everything too dark.) Super Mario 3D All-Stars was also the first physical game I ever purchased on the Switch. My reasoning was have it as a cartridge, so that other people could borrow from me if they missed out. It was also $10 off on physical for some reason at that time.

Thankfully I bought pandemic and it’s dlc recently.

I've got a physical copy of Pandemic. It's an impressive package as you get a board, cards, various pieces...

Asmodee owns BGA, so they want to steer you towards their own platform and subscription.

They should implement a "do you Catan" mode as a compensation at least.

Oh snap. Pandemic's delisting was reported here back in January (I commended the heads-up as such), so it's all the more embarrassing that it's completely slipped my mind since, even through all the discounts the game's recently had.😳😓 I could still ironically come up with the eight bucks it was earlier this month, but definitely not with the full twenty it is three days before the curtain fall. A doofus, I am.🙄😅

I'm not usually for clickbait, but not titeling this "Asmodo games ends pandemic! " is a missed opportunity! 😂😁

I feel that NL needs to add a bit more meat to the bone with these sorts of articles. The statement is incredibly vague and frankly nonsensical - you should be adding some feedback, questions and thoughts to these kinds of articles and calling out the statement as poor. Just a hint of investigative journalism - and adding your own take rather than rehashing similar articles to elsewhere. This statement is crying out for someone to rip it apart for what it really is!!

Catan
1. Why can't the existing online server still be used? Simply saying "we can't use it" is a poor reason.
2. Why can't you simply find a new server host?!
3. How does reducing the price of the game help everyone that already owns it?!

Pandemic
1. The game isn't deemed good enough so you're discontinuing it. Ermm OK, but what exactly is wrong with the existing game? It plays exactly like the board game... Is there an issue with the board game too?!
2. Will you be launching a new version of Pandemic? Why not tell us...?! We have 3 days left to buy the existing version... but it feels like a con to me when you're being deliberately vague on a new version launching. Should you not have issued this statement after the 31st July deadline?

I absolutely despise statements that take us for fools. Either come clean with the reasons for the change, or don't bother putting out this kind of holding statement - and if you do, run the risk of someone, somewhere calling you out.

@BionicDodo Same but my cartridge was missing plus all those DLC boxes take up a lot of space...

Asomodee have been added to my list of companies I won't buy from, companies should not be allowed to do this to consumers.

@dew12333 yeah it's all their fault that amazon are shutting down the gamesparks servers

@smithpa01 Yep that how it works, Did you not know that?

@smithpa01 Correct regarding Amazon, but incorrect regarding blame. Explain why they can't use an alternative provider?

(It's greed)

I own both in board game form. I also own the Pandemic game on my Switch. It was nice being able to just jump on my Switch and play it without setup and cleanup; but to be honest the reason I stopped playing it was because it's hard to read the text on screen and it's clunky to play. I prefer the board games I guess.

Either way, I feel this is a bit of a rip off to Catan owners. They should be refunded.

@nocdaes They're lowering the price of their game in the wake of an important feature disappearing due to greed? Not finding an alternative is sloth, not greed. They only lose money due to this.

@Bret The online service costs them money to offer as a feature - those servers are not free. Instead of replacing the closing server with a new one (costs them money) they are taking the excuse to close it (I say due to greed!).

@VR32X I recently took the plunge for the 3D Edition of the board game and was looking to purchase the Switch version; I was unaware that it doesn't even have a local multiplayer capability. Decisions like that would be baffling if not for the common theme of "any time a player is offline is time we can't control/gate/exploit their experience for more $$$" (look at how 343 has treated local splitscreen multiplayer with Halo Infinite, just for one example).

It's a real shame. I may still consider the Switch version, but only if it goes on sale. A board game port not having local multiplayer is just a bad joke. As someone who's written passionate pleas to developers many times over the years myself, I wish you the best in approaching Asmodee Digital to add it, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

For whatever reason, that price drop never happened, at least not yet. Any further word from Asmodee?