Image & Form on why SteamWorld Heist is on 3DS first, next game likely set before this one, more
On how it was decided that 3DS is getting SteamWorld Heist first..
We thought about it long and hard… no, it was actually quite easy! At one point we discussed going to PC/Mac/Linux first, but please see the next question for the main reasons behind the decision to go with the 3DS first. SteamWorld Heist will come to 3DS first, and then to all other current-gen platforms. The order among them is yet to be determined. It could be important to mention that we haven’t made any deals – we’ve decided to let the release schedule rest on our own choices.
On the factors in making a choice like this, and the most notable reason for choosing 3DS as the launch platform…
First, it’s a matter of conscience. It dates back to August 2013, when we first released SteamWorld Dig on Nintendo 3DS and raced to the #1 eShop spots in America, Europe and Australia. In a fit of emotion I couldn’t keep my trap shut and in some forum ecstatically announced that our next game would MOST DEFINITELY come to the 3DS first.
Dig was our first self-published game that received major attention, and as a result I was speaking to media the whole time. Some of the other guys in the office, cautious of my transformation from mediocre programmer and wallet to self-proclaimed media rock star, suggested early that I shouldn’t be over-promising, that those sneaky journalists would try to make me divulge things the team would have to deal with later. I promised them I wouldn’t promise too much, and then promptly promised that our next release would hit the 3DS first. At the time I shrugged it off and thought that the intense love we were getting from the 3DS community might wane, and that nobody would remember my “3DS first!” outburst long after the fact.
I’m proud to say it’s a matter of loyalty. We have been surprised to see how steady the sales of the 3DS version of SteamWorld Dig have been. In the end, we’re happy to give something to a community that’s very supportive.
But then I saw a discussion on NeoGAF around six months ago where people were discussing SteamWorld Heist, and someone mentioned that “the devs have promised that it’ll come to the 3DS first.” The Internet has a long memory!
Second, it’s a matter of convenience and production schedule. We’re familiar with 3DS development, and we decided early that we would anyway have to develop specifically with the 3DS in mind, since it’s so different from the other platforms. In other words, it’s no mere port – SteamWorld Heist is built for the 3DS from the ground up. That obviously doesn’t mean it’ll be less of an experience on other platforms later, but it really makes good use of the two screens, and we’ve got performance issues sorted out right off the bat.
And third, I’m proud to say it’s a matter of loyalty. We have been surprised to see how steady the sales of the 3DS version of SteamWorld Dig have been. In the end, we’re happy to give something to a community that’s very supportive, and perhaps doesn’t see too many third-party “first releases”.
On technical challenges bringing the game to 3DS…
In a sense it IS challenging, because you always need to keep track of the frame rate on the 3DS. But although SteamWorld Dig was our first try at the platform, I’d say we’re pretty good at developing for the 3DS. We make pretty good use of it.
On whether it’s the fully featured game on 3DS…
It’s fully featured. It would be unfair to bring a game early to one platform and then flesh it out considerably in subsequent ports, saying “hey, be happy, at least you got it first.” It’s a lose-lose proposition, I think, almost like punishing early adopters. A sure-fire way of disappointing everyone a tiny bit.
On whether the adjustment to the smaller screens a 1:1 in ratio, or if adjustments have been made to viewing angles and the camera…
I think you’ll be able to see a bit farther in HD versions, which actually addresses a shortcoming on all other systems – the lack of a persistent secondary screen. The 3DS has a great advantage there, that we can use the lower screen for an in-combat ship map. I think that’s good to remember if someone slams the platform for its lesser performance, small screen estate, and so on. The very existence of two screens is fabulous, and contributes to the immersive feeling when you play on the 3DS. You don’t need to muck about calling up screens to get the information you need – it’s right there.
On how far the team has progressed in completing the game’s world…
That’s a very interesting way of posing the question. How far “towards the end” of SteamWorld this game is remains to be seen. We have quite a few ideas for games that come “after” SteamWorld Heist, chronologically.
When George Lucas announced parts 1-3 of Star Wars, it sounded pretty strange – but apparently this was something that he’d had in mind from the start, being quite frank about the original movie trilogy being parts 4-6. I specifically remember seeing “Episode V” and wondering about it when I first saw The Empire Strikes Back. Where were episodes 1-3?
The next game we’ll make in the SteamWorld series is probably going to take place before SteamWorld Heist. Since we feel that we can use SteamWorld as an umbrella universe that can contain any kind of game genre, we feel that progressing the story in order is not that important.
I’m not saying that we’re anything like George Lucas! But on a grand scale Star Wars legitimised producing prequels and sequels out of order. The next game we’ll make in the SteamWorld series is probably going to take place before SteamWorld Heist. Since we feel that we can use SteamWorld as an umbrella universe that can contain any kind of game genre, we feel that progressing the story in order is not that important. In the end, you’ll have the whole picture. Calling up another movie reference here, Memento does it all backwards, and is no less interesting for it.
On whether the team is confident that 3DS will deliver a significant proportion of this game’s sales and audience…
I’ve played SteamWorld Heist extensively, so – yes, I believe so! It’s remarkable how well it works on the 3DS, and it’s very hard to play the game and put it down after just a few minutes. Even if I decide to do a short playthrough where I want to look at a specific detail, I don’t go “unpunished” – five minutes quickly turns into an hour. There’s something about being so close to the screen – it’s so immersive, and every successful shot is SO gratifying. It’s almost like tactile feedback.
