Nightmare on Elm Street: The Scarlet King of DBD's Licenses
To explain the title: If you don't know what the title Scarlet King is, it's the name of one of the SCP-001 contenders. It refers to an eldritch being of the same name described to be effectively self-containing, and no one is expected to do anything to it as it could risk it breaking free.
Just something really crazy and curious I started thinking about. When you think about the history of IPs in this game, Nightmare on Elm Street is the only one that has been stagnant throughout its entire tenure here. The most we've ever gotten for it was two reworks to Freddy. No new cosmetics, no major changes to any of the six variants of Badham. Nothing. Not even new chase music.
Yet somehow, it persists. Unmoving, undying. Perfectly frozen.
It's really weird. Comparing it with the other licenses we've lost over the years:
- Stranger Things had a solid amount of content to it before it got pulled, then not only did it come back it also got an entire second chapter just as big with two whole legendary skins.
- Same thing with Attack on Titan. While it was just a cosmetic collab, it left then came back then brought even more cosmetics with it later on in the previous 2v8 run.
- Hellraiser definitely had its issues, but the Cenobite did launch with cosmetics. Only two of them, but he had some nonetheless.
- Then there's Halloween. Both Laurie Strode and Michael Myers had a handful of things you could get them in the shop.
Then there's Nightmare on Elm Street.
It released with nothing to get in the shop. We've heard of absolutely nothing of the sort coming to the shop for it. Interviews in the past have stated they tried to no avail.
It's a license that by every definition of our history with the aforementioned four should be approaching the chopping block, especially when three of those four were incredibly impactful to the game. Yet despite all the odds stacked against it, it still stands. Despite everything hinting at its death, it lives.
It also doesn't even have an up-to-date store page. If you go visit the steam store and check the page for this DLC, the gameplay showcase still displays Freddy's launch power even though it's no longer the same as that.
To close off this part of the thread, I have to ask the DBD team:
I know you guys want to prevent any of your collabs from leaving, but have you ever hesitated when the time to renew it comes? Do you keep this reboot Freddy around because you don't want to lose him or Quentin, or do you stay determined you can bring a new coat of paint to the dream demon and the dream walker?
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.
Comments
Well i've heard the Nightmare on elm street license is active again and is making a new movie going back on the original storyline instead of the reboot. Alongside that Robert Englund said he didn't physically have it in him to act as Freddy in a movie anymore, but he would be interested in doing voice work as Freddy.
So the license is certainly doing some interesting things for the first time since Freddy has been in DBD. I don't know if that means itl effect the dbd contract or leave room to improve the contract.
That's interesting to hear. I don't think I've ever heard of NoES being active after MK9 and this game. And yeah I can imagine it'll be like the Pinhead scenario if we do ever get Englund in here. The guy is really old.
I do kinda wonder what's keeping him from voicing the character here. An old interview stated the main reason was getting two companies to agree is difficult, but looking into both OG and Reboot films it seems like NLC made them both. So who's the 2nd company at play here? And has it ever been considered to just make a new license to remake him with and scrap the old one? Worse case scenario, Quentin and the six Springwoods are lost.