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Vblank talks Retro City Rampage's long road to WiiWare, why not on Wii U, future Nintendo support
A portion of a Nintendo Life interview with Vblank's Brian Provinciano...
NL: We suspect some Nintendo fans have a couple of key questions about the path to release for Retro City Rampage. Are you able to clarify the causes for the delays, and why it’s arriving on WiiWare last of all platforms?
BP: There was initially a policy on a competitor which limited its ability to release sooner. Added to that, as mentioned above, with the likelihood of it not netting any revenue, it had to be lower priority. Ensuring that my energy was spent pushing those platforms guaranteed to generate revenue, their success was able to subsidize the release of the WiiWare version. Fans who bought the game on the other platforms kept the lights on at my company so I could continue work and eventually release the Wii version, even if it meant losing money. If the game had only been released on WiiWare, it would not have generated enough revenue to cover its development costs and I’d likely have had to go back to working as just another employee in some other big studio again.
NL: On that note, did you consider switching to the Wii U eShop at any point, or is a future release on the platform a possibility?
BP: The problem is that the Wii U is a completely different system. You can’t just plop Wii code onto it, add some Wii U features and call it a day. It would need to be completely ported from scratch. On top of that, it means a new round of paperwork, platform requirements, e-manuals, game ratings, store metadata and assets, submission and certification. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t simply be a week’s work or such. Much of this was already done for the WiiWare version when the Wii U came along, so switching platforms still would’ve meant almost double the work. I’ve already ported the game to more systems than any one man developer has in history, and it’s left me very drained and physically sore after the long hours at the computer – over three years without a vacation or a day off. My mousing shoulder and neck is seized up right now from all of the time at the computer. So, no plans for more ports, I need to let my body rest without putting in the long hours for a while. Fortunately, WiiWare games can still be purchased and played on the Wii U.
NL: Are you interested in working on a Nintendo system in the future, and are you able to give us any teasers of what's coming next from Vblank?
BP: Yes, I do plan to develop more games for Nintendo’s platforms. Nothing is in the works yet, but after my great experience working with them, I’m motivated to continue doing so. They’re not just business acquaintances, they’ve become friends. It’s a pretty amazing place to be in when I think about it; from growing up playing the NES and SNES to making my own games and eventually my own Nintendo game.
Full interview here
NL: We suspect some Nintendo fans have a couple of key questions about the path to release for Retro City Rampage. Are you able to clarify the causes for the delays, and why it’s arriving on WiiWare last of all platforms?
BP: There was initially a policy on a competitor which limited its ability to release sooner. Added to that, as mentioned above, with the likelihood of it not netting any revenue, it had to be lower priority. Ensuring that my energy was spent pushing those platforms guaranteed to generate revenue, their success was able to subsidize the release of the WiiWare version. Fans who bought the game on the other platforms kept the lights on at my company so I could continue work and eventually release the Wii version, even if it meant losing money. If the game had only been released on WiiWare, it would not have generated enough revenue to cover its development costs and I’d likely have had to go back to working as just another employee in some other big studio again.
NL: On that note, did you consider switching to the Wii U eShop at any point, or is a future release on the platform a possibility?
BP: The problem is that the Wii U is a completely different system. You can’t just plop Wii code onto it, add some Wii U features and call it a day. It would need to be completely ported from scratch. On top of that, it means a new round of paperwork, platform requirements, e-manuals, game ratings, store metadata and assets, submission and certification. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t simply be a week’s work or such. Much of this was already done for the WiiWare version when the Wii U came along, so switching platforms still would’ve meant almost double the work. I’ve already ported the game to more systems than any one man developer has in history, and it’s left me very drained and physically sore after the long hours at the computer – over three years without a vacation or a day off. My mousing shoulder and neck is seized up right now from all of the time at the computer. So, no plans for more ports, I need to let my body rest without putting in the long hours for a while. Fortunately, WiiWare games can still be purchased and played on the Wii U.
NL: Are you interested in working on a Nintendo system in the future, and are you able to give us any teasers of what's coming next from Vblank?
BP: Yes, I do plan to develop more games for Nintendo’s platforms. Nothing is in the works yet, but after my great experience working with them, I’m motivated to continue doing so. They’re not just business acquaintances, they’ve become friends. It’s a pretty amazing place to be in when I think about it; from growing up playing the NES and SNES to making my own games and eventually my own Nintendo game.