Xeodrifter developer states unhealthy market as reason for new game not being on Nintendo platforms
Jools Watsham, co-founder of Renegade Kid and new mobile studio Atooi, recently wrote an article on Gamasutra discussing his decision to partake in the mobile gaming space, promoting his new game Totes the Goat, and why that game didn’t make it onto Nintendo platforms like previous titles he’s worked on.
He goes into great detail on what it’s like working in the environment, but the most notable is his description on why Nintendo didn’t make the cut for his new IP this time around:
“For many years I have been 100% dedicated to developing games for Nintendo handhelds. Sure, some of our games have also been ported to other platforms. But, they were all originally made for Nintendo platforms. Part of the reason for this when we started Renegade Kid was that it was a logistically sensible thing to do, considering my experience with the SNES and N64 prior to the release of the Nintendo DS. The other portion of my reasoning was my love for Nintendo, and my love for Nintendo handhelds. I love them, you see!”
“What has changed? Well, my love for Nintendo hasn’t changed. But, the market isn’t quite as healthy as it once was for us. I think it began with the launch of Moon Chronicles for the 3DS in May 2014, and was cemented with the release of Xeodrifter for the 3DS in December 2014. Naturally, everyone has their own opinion regarding creative works, so I accept that not everyone will agree with mine. From my perspective, Moon Chronicles and Xeodrifter are both great quality games that were released into a healthy market – a combination for success, right?”
“Neither game has sold very well, unfortunately. This is not based on my perception of what I think is a good number of units to sell. It is based on the revenue needed to fund a team of four with reasonable salaries and no office space overhead – basic return on investment (ROI). Sure, there are 100 reasons why these games may have not sold more, but the inescapable reality is that the tremendous effort required to create those games versus the reward did not add up in the end. It wasn’t for lack of trying on our part. It wasn’t for lack of support from Nintendo, either. It just didn’t work out.”
There are tons of fans for Xeodrifter, Moon Chronicles, and the newly released remake of Dementium: The Ward on 3DS, so it’s interesting to see that the sales just weren’t up to par to warrant another title coming to 3DS and/or Wii U this time around, given the marketing and word-of-mouth involved within the gaming space regarding Renegade Kid IP.
The installed base is undoubtedly much larger on mobile with virtually everyone having a phone with them, but with its oversaturation of banal titles, games like Totes the Goat and plenty of others that would benefit being on a dedicated gaming system with tangible buttons ultimately get buried until someone stumbles upon it through an ad in yet another unrelated disposable app.
