3DS Piracy Revisited!

I would like to thank those who took the time to read my post regarding 3DS piracy and respond with support, different view points, and interesting comments. It wasn’t pleasant, however, reading the rude and hateful comments, but I won’t dwell on those. Piracy is a very emotional topic; one with many facets.

I have always been a huge supporter of Nintendo, the Nintendo DS, and the Nintendo 3DS. If you have followed my vlogs, blogs, and tweets over the past 6 years you will know this. What saddens me is that some people have taken my comments as an attack on Nintendo, the 3DS, and the players. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I wrote this: “If piracy gets bad on the 3DS, we will have no choice but to stop supporting the platform with new games.”

This does not mean I am taking a stand against piracy. This does not mean I am taking my business elsewhere in an action of protest.

What this means is if we cannot make money from developing games we can no longer develop games. That is what can happen if piracy gets bad. If enough people choose to illegally obtain copies of my games for free instead of paying for them, it directly affects my business and my home.

Many claim the Nintendo DS market was not affected by piracy. Nintendo themselves blamed piracy for a 50% drop in European sales in 2010, reported the Asahi Shimbun.

I understand that piracy is always going to exist, and that every market has some form of piracy. I accept that piracy will exist on the 3DS. The question is how much is it affecting the market? Some markets maintain a healthy business environment alongside piracy. I believe this is due to many factors, not least of which is the service provided in that market.

I don't think there is a solution to piracy. It will always exist in some form. We just need to make sure the price of games is affordable. We need to make it easy to buy and own games. The availability and access player's have to their games needs to be at least as easy and convenient as the ROM sites make it to illegally download a game file. Ideally, it should be better. If the player's only question is, "buy or not buy?", and not dealing with issues such as, "how do I transfer ownership of this game to my new system?" then we'll have minimized the appeal of piracy.

I hope this helps explain where I was coming from a little better. We have games planned for the 3DS into 2014. Our support of the 3DS platform couldn’t be stronger. I expect the cynics out there will discard my words as an attempt to just smooth things over. No. I just want to try and get my original intent communicated. That is all. 

Thanks for reading.

3DS Piracy!

According to a report from Tiny Cartridge, hackers are starting to delve into the 3DS, illegally. This may open up pathways for pirates to obtain and distribute games on the black market. The good news is that Nintendo has the ability to put up a good fight against pirates due to 3DS system updates and such. Let’s hope this is enough to stop piracy. Time will tell.

Piracy on the Nintendo DS crippled the DS retail market, especially in Europe. We’ll never know how/if Dementium II landed in as many hands as the first game, Dementium: The Ward, due to the rampant piracy at the time. Dementium: The Ward sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide, which is a great success for an original mature-rated title on the DS. Recorded sales of Dementium II are less than half that. We’ll never truly know why that was so, but many seem to believe that piracy had a lot to do with it.

If piracy gets bad on the 3DS, we will have no choice but to stop supporting the platform with new games. Some say that piracy leads to more game sales, claiming that it enables players to try before they buy. Bullshit. The percentage of people who will spend money on a game that they already got for free is surely very small – especially with so many “free” games already in the market. The line between what should/should not be free is getting very blurry.

If these hackers really want to mess with the guts of a 3DS, why not become legit developers for it and let the world enjoy their talents? Many of today’s great programmers used to be hackers back in the day. It is a great way to learn the craft. Putting ones efforts towards the creation of legit games instead of potentially crippling the market seems like a much more fulfilling path.

OUYA Unboxing!

Happy Holidays! + Random Update...

Why is Mutant Mudds $1 on the App Store?

A question I have been asked is why Mutant Mudds costs only $0.99 on the App Store when it costs $8.99 on Nintendo eShop. I’ll try to justify it.

 

Mutant Mudds was first released on the Nintendo eShop on January 26, 2012. The Nintendo eShop was a very new market, so all I really had to go on in regards to comparable pricing of platformers was DSiWare – the digital download store on the Nintendo DSi. The two main titles I looked at were Shantae and Cave Story. Shantae was priced at $12 and Cave Story was $10. I felt that Mutant Mudds was similar in scope to these, if perhaps slightly on the lighter side when compared to them, so $8.99 felt like a competitive price for a platformer in a Nintendo handheld market.

 

When the game released, most people agreed that the price was fair, even though it was the most expensive title on the Nintendo eShop at the time – if you do not count DSiWare titles, which are also available on the store. Including Shantae and Cave Story.

 

So then it came time to think about the pricing of Mutant Mudds in the App Store. I was new to the market in terms of being a consumer, so I did not have an immediate feeling of where the game should be priced competitively. I knew it could not be priced as high as the Nintendo eShop version, due to lack of buttons and 3D, but I was not sure how much lower I should go.

 

I did a lot of research on other titles and gauged how successful they had been. What is nice about the App Store games is that the data is fairly transparent. You can see top paid titles, highest grossing titles, number of reviews, number of active players on Game Center, and other such indications that give you a decent impression of how well a game has sold. Looking at the top paid apps today, you’ll notice that the majority are priced at $0.99. Sure, there are a few that are priced higher, but they typically offer a well-known brand or perhaps a state-of-the-art experience with cutting edge graphics and such. Mutant Mudds is not a large brand that can command “premium” price, nor does it sport state-of-the-art graphics. J

 

I even considered going freemium with the game and chopping up all of the game contents in purchasable chunks, but quickly ditched that idea when it just didn’t feel natural for this game. But, I am glad I at least considered that pricing model.

 

Other research that I uncovered suggested that even pricing a game above $0.99, say at $1.99, would result in less than 50% sales – meaning; if you can sell 100 copies at $0.99 you should expect to sell less than half that when priced at $1.99. That’s crazy!

 

Another painfully obvious fact is the quality of games now available on the App Store for $0.99. In an interview with GimmeGimmeGames, I recently said:

 

“The quality of games that can be purchased on the App Store for $0.99 is very high. Titles like Jetpack Joyride and Bad Piggies make it a very competitive market. We have to try and compete with that quality and price-point.”

 

Each market is different, not only due to the audience that is actively purchasing goods in those markets, but also due to how that market is presented to the public. After only spending a short time buying games in the App Store you are quickly conditioned to hunt for games that are free or $0.99. Only a well-known brand or an out-of-this-world impressive game can demand “high prices” such as $4.99 and above. It’s a crazy thing. But, it’s real.

 

We make games because we love to. We also want to continue to make games. That means we have to position our games competitively in each market in an attempt to maximum on the cash we receive. The inevitable result is that some people will get upset. I don’t like that fact. But, it is unavoidable. What makes it bearable is the fact that there are just as many people, if not more, who are ecstatic about the price of the title in their market, because that’s where they live and they understand or can appreciate the business side of things.

 

I hope this helps shed some light on how we approach such things. Happy gaming.

PRESS RELEASE: Mutant Mudds Makes a Splash on the App Store

Austin, Texas – December 7, 2012 – Today, Renegade Kid announced that Mutant Mudds, the critically-acclaimed “12-bit” platformer, is available for download on the App Store for the iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod touch®.

Our hero, Max, may be just a 2D sprite, but he can leap into the third dimension by jetting between the background and the foreground playfields with his trusty jetpack in this unique dimensionally-woven experience.

Armed with a heavy-duty water cannon, Max has what he needs to vanquish his long-time nemesis: the Mutant Mudds. Max must blast and hover his way across the soiled landscape to seek out mysterious Water Sprites. Legend says collecting all of the mysterious Water Sprites will wash the filthy Mutant Mudds away for good!

“We’ve worked diligently to ensure Mutant Mudds maintains its authentic platforming experience on iOS devices,” said Jools Watsham, Owner and Director at Renegade Kid. “The result is something I am extremely proud of. We’re excited new players around the world will get to enjoy our 12-bit baby on their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.”

Mutant Mudds is now available on the App store for all iOS devices. To download Mutant Mudds, check out the official iTunes information page at: https://itunes.apple.com/app/mutant-mudds/id571172432

About Renegade Kid
Founded in 2007 by Jools Watsham and Gregg Hargrove, Renegade Kid LLC is an award-winning independent video-game development studio based in Austin, Texas. Having created many memorable gaming experiences for the Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo 3DS™, with titles including the Dementium series, Moon, ATV Wild Ride, Mutant Mudds and Bomb Monkey, the studio is expanding its portfolio by exploring additional gaming platforms. Renegade Kid is excited about the future of video-games, and continues to devote its efforts towards creating fun, high quality games.

For more information about Renegade Kid and Mutant Mudds, please visit http://www.renegadekid.com.

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iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Copyright © 2012 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.

Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2012 Nintendo.

Mutant Mudds, Dementium, ATV Wild Ride, and Bomb Monkey are trademarks of Renegade Kid LLC. © 2012 Renegade Kid LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Win Mutant Mudds on eShop for FREE!

Enter to win a free copy of Mutant Mudds for the Nintendo 3DS eShop - that's a digital download of a game with 60 bone-shatteringly fun and challenging levels (any actual bone shattering experienced during the playing of this game is purely coincidental).

 

All you have to do is follow the directions below. Competition ends at 12:01 am EST on Thursday, October 25th 2012 (that's basically midnight on Wednesday, btw). That's what Rafflecopter tells me, anyway.

 

Three lucky winners will be chosen at random on Thursday at around 11am CST. Good luck!

 

For residents in North America only - sorry!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

FREE Mutant Mudds eShop Update Trailer!

 

Available October 18 in Europe.

Available October 25 in North America.

The Price is Right? Mutant Mudds iOS

The perception of how much money games should cost in the iOS App Store, for example, is very different when compared to the Nintendo eShop and other digital outlets. This is probably largely due to the majority of the audience being casual players and/or users who want simple pleasures on their phones instead of in-depth hardcore gaming experiences due to the limited time they have available to devote to gaming on their phone. This perspective might be slowly changing as the once ‘casual player’ is gradually finding their appetite for games growing and their desire to play more games increases. But, that’s a different story…

Nevertheless, the stage has been set and price expectations have been cemented for the near-future. Games on the App Store must – for the most part – be free or inexpensive to purchase if they are to appeal to the masses.

I would like to present to you, yes you, a (hypothetical?) question to ponder and ultimately answer.

Question: How much would you pay for Mutant Mudds iOS?

Please choose one of the following:

Answer #1: Same as the Nintendo eShop price - $8.99.
“I would be happy to pay the same price as the Nintendo eShop version to have Mutant Mudds on my iPhone. It was worth $8.99 on the 3DS, and it is worth $8.99 on my phone. I think there should be a free demo though, which contains a couple of levels, so people can check it out.”

Answer #2: The typical App Store pricing of $1.99 or $0.99.
“I would never pay more than the normal pricing of Apps for Mutant Mudds – no matter what. I like the game and all, but playing it on the iPhone is not the same as a 3DS due to no 3D and no physical buttons. I still think there should be a free demo though, which contains a couple of levels, so people can check it out.”

Answer #3: Freemium with In-App purchases for convenience.
“I’ve never heard of this game, and there’s no way I’m paying anything for it before I can check it out. A demo of a few levels isn’t enough. I want to get it for free. If I like it I might be interested in paying small amounts – like $0.99 or $1.99 – for In-App purchases that unlock later levels sooner and/or power-ups sooner, but these should be optional because I also want to be able to play the whole game for free if I am good/patient enough.”

Answer #4: Other (please specify in the comments below).

FREE Mutant Mudds Update Coming to Nintendo eShop Very Soon!

 

FREE Mutant Mudds Update Coming to Nintendo eShop Very Soon!

 
Austin, Texas – October 12, 2012 – Today, Renegade Kid announced that their critically-acclaimed platformer, Mutant Mudds, will receive a FREE – and substantial – update on October 18, 2012 in Europe, and October 25th, 2012 in North America. Did we mention it will be free? Yes, we did. Well, cool.

Renegade Kid’s crackpot team of designers and H2O scientists have revisited each of the 20 regular levels that Muddy fans all know and love, and carefully snuck a special ‘CGA-Land’ door somewhere inside each one. If you are one of the brave adventurers who want to experience what these 20 new levels have to offer you must utilize a combination of at least two of the mighty power-ups in order to gain access to the doors. This is a job for Grannie; for she is the only one sassy enough to wield the combined tri-power of the power-ups.

Nestled lovingly inside each of the 20 new (and free) ‘Grannie’ levels is an assortment of fiendish fun that require the use of all three power-ups. Sure, some are hard-as-nails, whereas some are pure fun; allowing you to enjoy the new-found wonder of tri-power harnessing. White, cyan, magenta, and black may not be for everyone, but this is where Grannie truly shines. CGA-Land is her calling, and she rocks it!

“I believe the new content we’ve added to Mutant Mudds really completes the experience,” said Jools Watsham, Owner and Director at Renegade Kid. “I was very proud of what we accomplished with the original release of the game, but the 20 new levels add a delicious layer of icing that gives players the opportunity to take Grannie for a proper jaunt.”

About Renegade Kid
Founded in 2007 by Jools Watsham and Gregg Hargrove, Renegade Kid LLC is an independent development studio based in Austin, Texas. A developer of handheld video-games, Renegade Kid is known for its award-winning titles on the Nintendo DS™, including Dementium: The Ward, Moon, Dementium II, and ATV Wild Ride.

For more information on Mutant Mudds, visit www.mutantmudds.com.

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Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2012 Nintendo.

To access the Nintendo eShop, you will need a wireless broadband Internet connection. If you do not have the Nintendo eShop icon on the Nintendo 3DS main menu, you will need to perform a system update. See support.nintendo.com for more information.

Mutant Mudds, Dementium: The Ward, Dementium II, and ATV Wild Ride are trademarks of Renegade Kid LLC. © 2012 Renegade Kid LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

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