Nnooo on finding success with WiiWare/DSiWare, made less with Pop on iOS
WiiWare and DSiWare are two platforms that are well-known for being filled with problems for indie developers. Both maintained a number of limits, from size restrictions to sales requirements for payments.
Despite these issues, a few studios did manage to find success.
Nnooo creative director Nic Watt recently talked about the company’s own success with WiiWare and DSiWare as well as a general sales overview of its products:
“[People believe] that you cannot make money on [WiiWare and DSiWare]. WiiWare and DSiWare have allowed us to do exactly what we set out to do — develop and publish our own self-funded IP. In terms of success, the answer is an overwhelming yes! As a launch title for WiiWare, we sold really well and made enough money in the first six months to approximately double our investment. With DSiWare, all of our titles to date have at least broken even and most are well past that. The myNotebook series in particular has sold in the hundreds of thousands across all six versions. Both WiiWare and DSiWare have been profitable for us. (WiiWare and, in particular, DSiWare success) has resulted in really great sales for us (a company of five) and allowed us to develop two new, more ambitious games in Spirit Hunters Inc. and EscapeVektor.”
Watt added that Nnooo saw fewer sales for once of its games, Pop, on iOS compared to WiiWare and DSiWare:
“In terms of sales, we have not seen anywhere near the volume of sales for Pop on iOS devices as we have on WiiWare and DSiWare. The main advantage as far as we are concerned is that the people who buy Nintendo platforms actually care about buying and playing games. They are actively engaged in gaming and want new content and experiences. In comparison I feel that too many users of iOS are freeloaders who just want as much as they can get for as little expenditure. They are not looking for quality experiences or for longevity. They just want novelty and cheap prices.”
