# El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON HD Remaster

> ResidualPlay case file: an overlooked Steam game still earning residual revenue. Estimates carry a ±30-50% error range per title.

- Steam appid: 1581040
- Developer: crim Co., Ltd.
- Released: 2021 · Genre: Action · List price: $29.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.4k to $2.1k per month (mid $1.7k)
- Opportunity score: $2.6k/month at x1.50 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 14.6k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $108.9k
- Review sentiment: 85% positive across 511 reviews (455 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 9.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 10 months ago
- Last build shipped 4.4 years ago
- Store page localized in only 3 language(s)

## Where a gross dollar goes (monthly, at current velocity)

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $3.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.7k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.7k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (24 months)

10, 2, 5, 1, 10, 8, 3, 3, 8, 8, 7, 4, 9, 9, 12, 5, 10, 13, 9, 5, 7, 8, 18, 8

## Estimated acquisition range

$41.1k to $82.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $20.6k/year). Same error range applies.

## Markets by review language

- spanish: 5% (game NOT localized in this language)
- japanese: 19%
- schinese: 8% (game NOT localized in this language)
- brazilian: 3% (game NOT localized in this language)
- german: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- english: 61%
- koreana: 1% (game NOT localized in this language)
- russian: 2% (game NOT localized in this language)

Localization gap: 20% of measured reviews are written in languages the game does not support (top: schinese). Localizing is likely immediate market expansion.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron HD Remaster is a 2021 PC port of the 2010 PS3 action game, known for its striking visual art direction and experimental biblical narrative wrapped in deliberately simple combat mechanics.

This title carries $1,713.6/mo in residual revenue on negligible ongoing marketing, driven by a small but dedicated fanbase (84.9% positive, 9.2 reviews/mo after 53 months). The game is technically dormant, yet the community actively seeks technical fixes and expanded localization, particularly Simplified Chinese (20.5% gap). Revival upside is modest but real: porting to console, fixing the 2008-era launcher tech debt, and pursuing Chinese distribution could unlock the $2,570/mo opportunity ceiling.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (tech): 2021 port retains legacy launcher requiring PhysX and manual driver management; multiple players report launch failures on Proton and modern Windows builds, limiting addressable audience.
- Risk (market): Combat depth and narrative clarity are deliberate artistic choices, not bugs; repositioning this game for mainstream action audiences would require scope and tone change incompatible with cult appeal.
- Risk (other): Developer crim Co. is a one-title studio with no posts in ~10 months; internal capacity to execute localization or porting may be absent.

What players are asking for:
- Fix launcher and PhysX requirement to enable Linux/Proton play and lower friction for new players
- Expand Chinese localization to match demand (33 SC reviews, 20.5% content gap)
- Console ports (PS5, Switch) to reach original PS3 audience nostalgic cohort
- In-game graphical settings and performance tuning for stability on modern hardware

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit launcher codebase and PhysX dependency: cost a technical refresh to Proton-native and modern Windows runtimes; compare to licensing costs for launcher replacement library.
2. Scope Simplified Chinese full localization (UI, dialogue, marketing assets) and run a test campaign on WeChat/Bilibili to measure conversion at current pricing; 33 existing SC reviews suggest untapped segment.
3. Contact publisher/IP holder (appears to be crim Co. internally) to assess console port feasibility (PS5, Switch) as lowest-risk catalog expansion; gauge internal bandwidth vs. outsourcing to co-dev partner.

Generated 2026-08-20 from public signals and player reviews. Directional, not diligence.

## Methodology

Units are estimated from Steam-purchase reviews times a release-cohort multiplier (Boxleiter method, 20-75x by year). Revenue uses an effective price (lifetime discounts and regional pricing) and nets out VAT (~13%), refunds (~9.5%) and Steam's 30% cut: roughly 55% of gross reaches the developer.

Source: https://residualplay.com/game/1581040
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.