- Pronouns
- he/him
“Shadowdrop.” You know what it means. I know what it means. We all do. It’s a word so ingrained in video game enthusiast culture that it’s unavoidable. For an industry and community that regularly sets its proverbial collective watch to the timings of corporate product announcements, it only makes sense that we, as a community, would come up with terms for specific release patterns and practices.
In case you’re not aware, the term “shadowdrop” is used to refer to a video game product release that happens the same day (in some cases, moment) of announcement. A recent example of a shadowdrop is Metroid Prime Remastered. A game that went from, officially, non-existent, to available for immediate purchase and enjoyment within a single day.
My question for you, dear reader, is this: Where did this term originate? It certainly sounds as if it could have come from a video game. If you told me that a “shadowdrop” was some stealth-based attack from some ninja-themed video game from two decades ago, I’d believe you without a moment’s consideration. If you told me a “shadowdrop” was Akuma’s finishing move from Super Street Fighter Alpha EX 3 Turbo Third Impact For Matching Service Dash, I’d believe you again.
However if you also told me this term did not originate from a videogame, I’d also believe you. The term feels as though it comes from fiction, though at the same time, could just as easily come from a business school textbook that is trying a little too hard to be cool when explaining supply and demand control methods. I, simply, do not know.
Folks, I ask you: Where did the term “shadowdrop” originate?
In case you’re not aware, the term “shadowdrop” is used to refer to a video game product release that happens the same day (in some cases, moment) of announcement. A recent example of a shadowdrop is Metroid Prime Remastered. A game that went from, officially, non-existent, to available for immediate purchase and enjoyment within a single day.
My question for you, dear reader, is this: Where did this term originate? It certainly sounds as if it could have come from a video game. If you told me that a “shadowdrop” was some stealth-based attack from some ninja-themed video game from two decades ago, I’d believe you without a moment’s consideration. If you told me a “shadowdrop” was Akuma’s finishing move from Super Street Fighter Alpha EX 3 Turbo Third Impact For Matching Service Dash, I’d believe you again.
However if you also told me this term did not originate from a videogame, I’d also believe you. The term feels as though it comes from fiction, though at the same time, could just as easily come from a business school textbook that is trying a little too hard to be cool when explaining supply and demand control methods. I, simply, do not know.
Folks, I ask you: Where did the term “shadowdrop” originate?
