This is another one of those news stories that falls into the better-late-than-never category. Last month, developer Mediatonic announced that Secrets and Treasure: The Lost Cities (Win 8) and Secrets and Treasure: The Lost Cities (WP) would be delisted in "mid-January". While the game will no longer be available to download after this date, players who have already downloaded and installed the game will be able to continue playing. According to their Facebook announcement, the servers will also be closed, but this shouldn't affect any of the game's achievements. Here is a quick Q&A that should answer any questions that you may have:
Q. Will there be new levels?
A. There won’t be any more levels released, but you can play the current 200 levels over again to collect more keys and gold.
Q. Will I still be able to log in with Xbox Live? Can I still earn Achievements?
A. Yes, Xbox Live login will still work, and you can definitely still earn Achievements. Go get ‘em!
Q. Will I be able to log in with Facebook, or see my friends on the leaderboard?
A. Facebook login will be disabled, and you will no longer be able to view the leaderboard.
Q. What about my gems – can I still spend them?
A. Your gems are still valid, and you will still be able to spend them on boosts.
Q. Can I still buy or earn gems?
A. You won’t be able to buy gems for real money, but you’ll still be able to earn them in Daily Challenge mode.
Q. What if I accidentally delete the game, can I download it again?
A. The game will no longer be available for download, so if you delete it, it’s gone forever.
Q. What really happened to Professor Flintlock?
A. He never made it to the Lost Cities – on the way there he was eaten by a grue. It’s very sad, but Marissa does eventually find the Lost Cities, falls in love with Sam and they live happily ever after. Jaques retires from adventuring and opens a small French bistro in London, where Professor Blackstone – now the Director of the British Museum, due to his discoveries in the Lost Cities – dines regularly. The Adventurer’s Guild is shut down after the government discovers irregularities in their finances. After some time in prison, Victor Callous emerges a changed man and devotes the rest of his life to charitable works. In short: they all live happily ever after.
While we haven't got a specific date for the delisting, we suggest that you pick up the title as soon as possible from either the Windows 8 marketplace or the Windows Phone store. If you have any more questions to pose to the developers about the impending delisting, they will be happy to answer them on Facebook, Twitter or in-game.