Update #2 []: In a previous version of this article, we stated that, as was speculated by @allcityslopshop.com / Gosokkyu, the reason for Fray and Brandish Renewel's delisting was due to the use of the MEG-DOS emulator.
Gosokkyu has reached out to us with corrections and clarifications, which are reproduced in full below:
"EGG did make a statement about resolving a MEG-DOS-related matter with M2, but they didn't actually state what that issue was, nor did they link it to the recent EGG Console delistings, which remain unexplained.
The issue pertaining to Fray and Brandish—and again, this is all inference/speculation, because EGG is not being upfront about anything—seems to be that they included a version of MS-DOS in the EGG Console emulator for the purposes of emulating HDD functionality, for which they may not be licensed.
MEG-DOS looks to be a separate matter: in the discussions around these delistings, it was noted that certain EGG reissues on PC contain the MEG-DOS OS, originally made/owned by SPS & now owned by M2, which was news to M2's president—they sought a quick resolution on that front, hence the statement, but again, that doesn't necessarily mean the two issues are linked, or that whatever issue brought down Fray or Brandish has been resolved, because EGG themselves have been very vague in both situations and haven't confirmed the root cause of any of these recent issues (nor do I expect them to)."
Update #1 []:
The Project EGG social media account has posted a statement which goes into a little more detail as to why the EGGCONSOLE versions of Fray and Brandish Renewal are being removed from digital distribution.
As was speculated by @allcityslopshop.com / Gosokkyu, both games use an MS-DOS-compatible PC98 emulator, MEG-DOS, which was developed by SPS and is now owned by M2. It would appear M2 itself did not authorise its use.
"Last night, we had constructive discussions with M2 Corporation's representative, Mr. Horii, regarding the rights related to MEGDOS and the future structure," says the Project EGG account. "We sincerely apologize for the unauthorized use, albeit unintentional, which caused concern and inconvenience to M2 Corporation and other related parties. We will strive to ensure that retro games can be used with greater peace of mind in the future, and we kindly ask for your continued support."
Gosokkyu also notes that today's EGG Console release, Puyo Puyo for PC98, is currently unavailable, so that might be impacted by this as well.
Original Story: It has been revealed that the EGGCONSOLE versions of Fray and Brandish Renewal are being removed from digital distribution.
The move was confirmed by the publisher today, with no reason given for the removal.
"Due to circumstances, we will be discontinuing the distribution of the EGG console versions of "Fray (PC-9801 version)" and "Brandish Renewal (PC-9801 version)," says the Project Egg social media account.
"We deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused to all related parties and users. We kindly ask for your continued support of EGG console in the future."
The removal of Brandish Renewal is highly unusual, as the game only launched this month.
While no reason has been given, @allcityslopshop.com has speculated that it could be down to the use of MS-DOS in the emulator:
The publisher has confirmed that those who have already purchased the games will still be able to redownload them after they have been removed from the eShop.