Topic: Indies for the Switch!

[Stratos]

(Also gives me an itch to go over my old game design notes from high school and I had plans for a dinosaur themed game. Might be able to do more with it now that I know a thing or two about programming.)

Sounds like a pretty neat pitch, but it feels like something's missing still. Might I suggest adding a fox?

It was really more Donkey Kong Country with Raptors. Though I see what you did there!

[Adrock]

I'm intrigued by Battle Princess Madelyn (it's basically indie Ghouls 'n Ghosts). It's coming to Switch (and Wii U apparently). There are 11 days left on the Kickstarter which has nearly tripled its original goal.

I like supporting Kickstarter projects though I'm not familiar with Casual Bit Games and I'm holding out for a potential Switch physical copy. PS4 is getting a physical release through Limited Run Games.

[Soren]

The fact that it's getting a physical release via Limited Run makes it less likely we'll see a physical release on Switch IMO.


I want to make a separate thread for Hollow Knight because it's been getting some really good reviews and it might just be the 2D Metroidvania game Switch needs, but I'll hold off until we get an actual release date for it.

[Adrock]

I don't have much confidence that Switch will get a physical release unless Limited Run Games or another publisher steps in some time after the game launches. I'm weary of backing the Kickstarter so as to avoid an unlikely but potential Shantae: Half-Genie Hero situation in which a physical copy was announced like a month before release. Granted, it isn't the same kind of situation. Ultimately, while Battle Princess Madelyn looks cool, patience prevails. In the off chance there is a physical release on Switch, I'll be happier with the physical release than the Kickstarter bonuses.

[Oedo]

The fact that it's getting a physical release via Limited Run makes it less likely we'll see a physical release on Switch IMO.

Wouldn't that make it more likely? Limited Run Games said they wanted to go "all-out" on Switch earlier in the year, and a couple of weeks ago they said they're hoping to bring their first Switch game out this summer.

[Soren]

The fact that it's getting a physical release via Limited Run makes it less likely we'll see a physical release on Switch IMO.

Wouldn't that make it more likely? Limited Run Games said they wanted to go "all-out" on Switch earlier in the year, and a couple of weeks ago they said they're hoping to bring their first Switch game out this summer.

I had not seen that article. I take back what I said but am still cautiously optimistic.


I was still under the assumption that Nintendo forced publishers to have pretty high minimum order quantities for physical games because they didn't like physical games on their consoles to only exist as collectors items. If this has changed then it's a positive development, although given Limited Run's propensity for extremely small print runs I wonder if Nintendo is still hesitant to sign off on it.


I'm generally ok with Limited Run games and am already glad I got physical versions of Firewatch, Oxenfree and Runner 2.

[Shaymin]

Shovel Knight's print run for 3DS (and Wii U) wasn't prohibitive enough for Yacht Club to drop it like they did the Xbox One version.

That said, we could be talking 5-10k minimum instead of the 500-1000 LRG usually works with. We'll see.

[Stratos]

I don't like the idea of limited run physical copies, if only because I tend to find them for cheap down the road to round out my collection, but I understand the cost/risk involved and don't blame publishers for doing them on smaller/indie games.

[Soren]

That said, we could be talking 5-10k minimum instead of the 500-1000 LRG usually works with. We'll see.

LRG's print runs are generally between 2-8k. I was led to believe Nintendo's minimum was somewhere in the 30k range, although I honestly can't remember where I saw that number. I can see why LRG would be hesitant to make a print run that large when the most they've done is 10k (once, and that was for Skullgirls).

Given the reports of cartridge costs, I am interested in seeing the costs in making just 5,000 carts of a Switch game.

I don't like the idea of limited run physical copies, if only because I tend to find them for cheap down the road to round out my collection, but I understand the cost/risk involved and don't blame publishers for doing them on smaller/indie games.

Yeah, LRG is a camp out on their website 15 minutes before pre-orders open kind of deal. It's probably even worse now that they don't automatically hold your purchase in the cart while you're completing the order process.

[Stratos]

Pre-orders should be unlimited. I recall that they used to be meant to gauge interest in a title and determined how many they should print. But these days pre-orders can sell out for a product that might not have even gone into production. that is money left on the table and asking for the bridge of fan goodwill to get burned. Nintendo seems to be one of the few companies that has fans put up with this crap, but little companies need all the goodwill they can get.

[azeke]

Super Meat Boy Forever is likely coming to Switch and so is the other punishing 2d platforming with spikes from Edmund McMillen: The End is Nigh