A Hat In Time Developer Confirms The Time Travel Platformer Won't Leap Onto Switch

It isn't coming so let's just forget about it.

I understand it would be too much a hassle to port it over, since it's UE3, but the attitude from the person running the Twitter account is somewhat unprofessional if you read through their replies in that list. I don't like devs that have that sort of attitude towards fans, so I'll be adding Gears For Breakfast to the List for the time being.

Unfortunate....

I heard it's because of the engine that the game uses and the difficulty it poses. Speaking of games not coming to Switch.

Blizzard: “There are no plans to move HearthStone to the Nintendo Switch”

https://powerup-gaming.com/2018/02/12/hearthstone-nintendo-switch/

Would've made a great fit but their attitude is horrible. Just because you've made back all your money and then some doesn't mean you shouldn't find a way to make more money off an audience that would be very interested. Instead you alienate them with you're comments.

Would've bought it day one at full price.

@JohnnyVanda I know Jonas personally (the lead dev) he literally gets asked this every day, to the point its really affecting him, time and time again he has mentioned how difficult it would be to port it but nobody will listen to him.

Maybe if we "vote" harder we can change their minds!

@noobsarecool2 All they have to do is give the fans what they want.

@RupeeClock Playtonic ended up needing help from Nintendo and Unity to get the game working properly, but yes it's an admirable port.

@TheOpponent

"All they have to do".

My issue with your statement is if I was a real fan of the game I would buy it on a console it is out on. So if people aren't willing to do that then they aren't real fans.

There are many, many, reasons why the developers may not be making the game for the Switch on top of the ones they have already mentioned and there isn't some magical button they can press and the game is done.

I can understand why the developers are getting annoyed when I see some of these posts.

@SBandy The fact is that as long as Switch owners want it, they're going to ask. The only thing they can do to stop it other than actually producing this port is to block them entirely.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Just an idea for you - why don't you try not complaining or posting a link of something you read on the internet. Neither offers much to anyone.

@noobsarecool2 That's fine for him personally. I don't doubt it's annoying, but when you're representing yourself professionally you need to know everything you say and how you act reflects how people will view your company and product. No one is going to buy anything from those people, so them acting that way (while not excusable) isn't quite the same.

A bummer for me personally, but I LOVE their responses about it as they ward off the rotten thing known as "fan entitlement": https://twitter.com/HatInTime/status/960340773320445952

And no, Wii U was never a stretch goal, just a possibility they acknowledged considering but specifically made no promises about.

As for me, there's the PS4 version at least (I assume Vita version isn't happening either). Hopefully the game has nothing crucial on the triggers. XD

@TheOpponent

They should block them then and then these port beggars can move on with their lives. I want every game on the Switch too but it simply isn't possible.

If people want every game going they have to own every console/PC. Simples.

@nhSnork Wonder if this tweet is linked to that at all. https://twitter.com/HatInTime/status/962875653887594496

@SBandy The usual response is to politely say that there are no plans. Of the alternatives, I'm starting to wonder which is worse: Antagonizing customers they can't have or just leading them on forever with quotes about how they would like to eventually develop for them but never do.

Not a game developer so I can never really know what it’s like to port to any certain system. I’ll likely pick it up on one of the other systems but not being able to play a game on long commutes isn’t appealable. First world problems, indeed

I guess I'll have to get it for PC then. I've followed this game for years and I was hoping for Switch port even though it was unlikely to happen. I don't really like playing on PC nowadays but this is a game I really want to play.

@SBandy It's hard to be "a real fan" like you mentioned if you don't have a console the game is on.

I would love to play Hat in Time, but I can't. I think they really should think this through again and explore all of the possibilities. It's not an impossible port, but it would definitely need work. I would imagine they want the game to be available to as many as possible.

Well, guess I won't be playing it then. Don't own a PS4 and my laptop can't even run simple games properly, let alone a 3D platformer.

@KoopaTheGamer

It is also hard to be a real fan if you have never played the game but so many proclaim to be. If I really want a game I go the extra mile and get the console it is on. It is why I own a PS4, Switch and Wii U.

Oh noooooooooooooooo.

Getting it on PC then.

@noobsarecool2 People will clamour regardless, think it's possible regardless, and never stop whining regardless. It's sad really.

I would have bought it...

...but the developer acted so unprofessionally on Twitter. So what if there are lots of people angered over the fact a Nintendo-inspired game isn’t coming to a Nintendo console? It doesn’t give them the right to passive-aggressively insult a community.

I was genuinely looking forward to this game. And logically, it would be hard to bring it to Switch unless they outsource it to someone who can rebuild the game to use UE4. But developers like this just push my buttons.

It’s their loss tbh. Alienate your potentially largest gaming community, why don’t you?

That’s a shame would have felt at home on the switch. A few devs have mentioned now that unity isn’t an ideal pairing with how these games are made for other systems.

I bought A Hat in Time years ago to support the kickstarter and to support 3D platformers in general. I'm a Mac user and at the time Gears for Breakfast promised a Mac version so I jumped on board. Also at the time the required specifications were given and my 2011 MBP was well in spec - I now have a very good 2015 machine). Their support in the beta testing was shockingly bad and when the game finally released the Mac version was a complete disgrace - it had zero optimisations and either cashed before the title screen or ran so diabolically slow it was as good as completely broken even on the latest Machines. They have release no patches at all for this version and act like it never existed - even though they are still taking peoples money for it. The website, on day of release, still stated the original required specs but at the very last minute they SIGNIFICANTLY changed the specs of the required machine - making only the highest end Macs and PCs capable of running this game. Even on a great PC this game clearly has HORRIBLE and LAZY optimisation.

Sorry but true. I'm glad it's a great game and has had success but Gears for Breakfast have lied to there Kickstarter supporters regrading the required spec (hiding it 'til the last second) and they have not honoured the Mac community with a functioning version months after release. Worse they as a company have completely ignored the issue and point blank refused to reply to any email regarding said issues which is just plain rude at minimum. The game is not graphically more advanced than something like Psychonauts from many years ago. Truth is it runs like crap on any PC - you can feel it struggling even on shockingly low settings - it's just that a very high end PC can disguise the disgusting non-optimisation. For me Gears for Breakfast has been my personal worst experience of a dev ever.

I've heard this lead dev it a bit of a character that is known for his inability to take any criticism and completely blocks anyone who even slightly challenges his deceptions - and my experience verifies this. Could it run well on switch - yes but this guy can't be arsed improving versions he's already sold. I'm disgusted by this dev and the team - they need to take some responsibility and honour the supporters who backed them. I know how many gamers feel about Macs - it's not about that so please don't do the very tiring 'Mac's are excellent for gaming' thing - I've heard it soooo many times. The point is the company has lied (I have proof) and have completely crapped on many of their supporters. Sorry, rant over.

@SBandy That's nice for you, but I can't afford a PS4. It would be nice for me and lots of other people if we didn't have to buy another console just to play this game.

Dang, that's a shame. It probably would've sold most on Switch too.

This has been on my PS4 wishlist, but I have to admit their unbelievably unprofessional responses on Twitter will probably make me keep pushing it back, if I ever get it at all. There's too much to play anyway without having to support such a bratty PR trainwreck of an attitude.

A hat in time is not coming to Switch...FOR NOW.

Come on, it WILL happen down the line!

@Henmii I honestly don't think so. The developers team isn't that big, it would cost too many resources.

I honestly don't see what's wrong with their twitter account, but whatever.

Too bad it's not coming to the Switch but I'm not surprised. Will play it on PC probably.

Oh Well another 7/10 passes us by!!!!

A shame. But this game is still my GOTY 2017 on PC, so if you are at all interested in this game and have one of the devices the game did release on, I say give it a shot!

Switch was not expected to run every multipart game. No surprise here.

Don't really see what's unprofessional here. People asked if it was happening and they said it wasn't. Seems like people are looking for things to fuss about cause they aren't being spoonfed games.

@BigYellow
It's more for the comment where they clapped their hands. We. Can. Do. Whatever. We. Want. Or something of that nature.
Which is very much true, but it could have been said a lot more tastefully. They made a post saying how they wanted a Switch dev kit and even one saying they received a Switch dev kit, which has gotten some people's hopes up that it may be coming to the platform eventually. It would have been nice for an actual follow up to that by stating they would not be bringing the game to Switch for whatever reasons.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE noooo! dang, I was hoping they'd port it over, made sense to me

@Desa Thought that'd be the one that would set people off. 👏 we 👏can 👏love 👏whatever 👏we 👏want 👏and 👏not 👏be 👏under 👏any 👏obligation 👏to 👏do 👏anything 👏 It's pretty blunt, but he's completely right. If this was his first response to the matter, it could be seen as a bit dismissive, but considering this was after constant pressure from fans and 'fans', this is probably what they needed to hear.

The developer didn't receive a Switch dev kit, and it would take many resources to port it to the Switch, not to mention that the Dev probably gets asked this everyday, and is getting pretty tired of it. So I completely understand and am fine with the "Aww... That's a shame" But I don't get the "I hate the developers attitude towards this. All he has to do is port it to switch, is that so hard?!?!?!?"

I don't mind him not releasing it on Switch, what I find a bit rich is him selling the game based on it being a 'Nintendo game on other systems.' Leaves me a tad nauseous.

That's a good thing. Mario Odyssey and Yooka Laylee are better games both of which are on the switch.

If only there was any other way to play this!

That's a shame, I was holding off because I know last year one of the devs had stated they were investigating a Switch port and how it would work out, I guess it ended up not working which is a bummer.

Very strange, considering a Nintendo audience is perfect for a 3D platformer. It’s as if the developer is pissed at Nintendo for some reason. Well, it will cost them sales if they remain stubborn like this.

It's true porting a game from a non-compatible engine will take time, effort, and money. So it's may not be as easy as the developer thought but maybe they could launch a new Kickstarter campaign, and that could make their effort worth while, with any extra sales, as cherry on top.

@nhSnork I sincerely thought you accidentally posted a tweet from an 8 year old. That didn’t want to clean it’s room or something. It’s unprofessional no matter what kind of replies they’re getting. I’m glad I waited for the Switch version that won’t exist at this point.

How does this run on ps4 by the way? The reason I ask is because I have this on pc and it runs okay but like some have said it isn't optimised brilliantly. The game looks great but I have everything pretty much on max with Ryzen 1700, 16gb 3200mhz ram, Vega 56 GPU and it still jutters in crowded parts of the game. I can play destiny 2 at a much more stable frame rate and let's face it the graphics between the two is a big jump (not that a hat in time has bad graphics). The game itself is great fun though, I would have happily double dipped for a handheld version. It has very very strong Nintendo influence that's pretty obvious when you play it!

Maybe a better approach would have been to post a message on the website, explain the situation, and then ignore the question or reference the website.

Also, didn't this game come out like 3-1/2 years after the original, Kickstarter estimate?

Buying it for PS4 then.

I was gonna get it on PC, but based on their nasty attitude, I won't be purchasing it at all.

I can understand the game not coming to the Switch but the people at Twitter are making a huge deal about it. I won't be surprised if a #ForzaForSwitch hashtag goes trending and those Nintendo fanboys pester Microsoft for a Switch port of Horizon 3 later on.

@the8thark lol, no! Odyssey yes, Yooka, no. If it wasn't for Mario, A Hat in Time would be the best 3D platformer released last year.

I still wish I could get a refund on my Steam copy of Yooka-Laylee.

@SBandy I'm sorry, but your comment is pretty ignorant. I'm lucky enough to have a switch and a PS4, but obviously not every person can own every console. Yes, if you want to be able to buy every single game, you'll have to buy every console, but some people just can't afford that.

I'm a programmer and I understand that it's not as simple as copy and paste, but one of the big issues here is that they mentioned a Wii U port multiple times during the Kickstarter. If they weren't sure about being able to port it to the Wii U, then they shouldn't have even mentioned it. Since they did, they should have expected a lot of people to be upset when it didn't make it. Also, it's a game heavily inspired by retro Nintendo games, so naturally people are going to want it on a Nintendo console.

Lastly, you coming in here and telling people that they aren't real fans because they're not able to afford a console that it's on just makes you look like a jerk. Just an FYI.

I think we need to continue pestering them. Keep asking them the question until they answer yes cause clearly they're not getting the message that the Switch is the platform most people want to play it on.

"NO PLANS for additional releases until we make any kind of official announcement." is different from definitely not being made at all. So which is it? Is this another case of Dom jumping the gun, or is there a definitive statement beyond a social media blurb?

Edit: Okay, looks like Dom has it right with this not releasing for Switch. The developer also made this tweet:

👏 we 👏can 👏love 👏whatever 👏we 👏want 👏and 👏not 👏be 👏under 👏any 👏obligation 👏to 👏do 👏anything 👏

— A HAT IN TIME | Gears for Breakfast (@HatInTime) February 5, 2018

So there you go. They've stated they're not under any obligation to "do anything" (in other words, make it happen on Switch), for those who were originally interested in a possible Wii U version. (Which wasn't going to happen because Unreal Engine 3 sucks. No wonder Hat in Time is unoptimized.)

I understand the basic sentiment, they can make it for whatever platform they want (especially since they have NS devkits), but it's a rather unprofessional way to respond to those who were let down. Just keep hammering it in to people that UE3 doesn't play well on Wii U or Switch, that's it. Vote with your dollar on any of their products from now on based on how you feel about how they responded, yada yada.

I love their response.

People only see one side of the story, or in this case the tweet NL featured.
Fact of the matter is that these guys have been getting constant abuse & harassment ever since the game was available on other platforms.

Good for them for telling them to stick it. People think its so easy to just say what you want without any repercussions.

A hat in time wasn’t on my radar before, but it is now. Getting it on another platform.

I enjoyed Hat in Time and while those fan comments on Twitter can be kinda dickish the devs themselves weren't exactly the most professional either. If they had actually explained why its not within their capabilities at the moment people would not be giving them as much flak

Either give a definitive response and risk offending the most sensitive crowd of people on the planet OR give a wishywashy unclear response that will just prompt another dozen of dozy Switch fans to endlessly pester you about a port. Clearly the poor dev cannot win here.

@noobsarecool2 How do you know him exactly?

@RamrodDestroyer
Life comes with a lot of disappointment. Not being able to play game X on console Y is annoying but in the grand scheme of things means nothing.

People are badgering the developers when in reality they might just not have the resources to port the game or it may not just be worth it to them. But It is their game and they can do what they want.

And yes I know not everyone can afford every console but my point is is that if people want to play the game the option is there and it is for them to choose how they spend their money. But how can people say they are a fan yet make no effort to try and access the game on already available consoles.

I say again, if you want to play every game going buy every console going or just suck it up. If calling it as it is is me being a jerk then oh well.

Edit: And if people are annoyed because they backed the game on the understanding it would come out on Wii U or Switch, well they just have to take their medicine and learn from it.

@Bobby_earl it's only "unprofessional" through the prism of fan mentality that moves the goal posts of so-called "professionalism" as freely as its similarly alleged pseudocriteria of "quality". The developers exhibit a playful yet clear and safely-worded disposition at a point where they would be in their full right to just tell people to STFU and GTFO already. That's a whole lot more professionalism than we fans deserve as a phenomenon.

The attitude many tweets (and for that matter, more than a few comments for this article) reek of, on the other hand, can make an eight year old's tweets sound mature in comparison. Just another illustration for what disgusts me about fans and leaves me numbly ashamed to be a fan of so many things myself. /)_-)

At least you seem to pledge that you will steer clear from the game, and I can commend that much.

Outsource it and call Panic Button!

@SBandy My point is that if they made people believe that it was going to come out on Wii U, then they should have the understanding that if it doesn't, people will be upset/badger them. They can't get upset over it, because they accepted that possibility when they said "Rest assured that we'll do everything to get on the Wii U!" I know it's not a definitive "It's gonna be on Wii U", but it sure was meant to get peoples hopes up.

The problem I have with this is that the game was funded largely by Nintendo fans desperate for a new Wii U game. If they had never mentioned the Wii U as a likely platform (and made money off of that false hope) this would be more reasonable.

@nhSnork it’s the internet. If you have any type of presence there will be people that are hateful and will never be happy. It’s best to ignore it and not literally “clap back” when that can be taken as rude to people to said “why won’t it be on Switch” and they overall reply is “cuz we don’t wanna that’s why!”. Two wrongs don’t make a right and I don’t see anything funny or impressive about a reply that lumps haters with potential fans that waited for a Nintendo port and merely asked a question. They should’ve been more specific in their reaction. It wasn’t well thought out.

I appreciate them at least just coming out and starting clearly that it's not coming. Now I won't wait for it on Switch and will buy it on PS4 instead... once it's on sale.

It's no one's fault in the matter really ninty doesn't want a their console supporting a dead engine while the team that made it don't want to recode the game back then since it would be a waste of time and money. But they did say their next game is using UE 4 are much better engine.
but pls don't abuse the devs and send death threats.

@Captain_Toad Sadly they are not an indie company that does it for free.

If anyone expects UE3 to work on Switch, youd be asking Epic to build new system support for an engine that they moved on from in 2014.

So no, it woupdnt happen due to development starting before UE4 was even a thing, and Switch doing the smart thing of using CURRENT engines, because god knows NOTHING will be built with UE3 support anymore.

What I dont like is the other reply they made. "We already made 10x our kickstarter budget so whatever".

The whole situation is a real shame. I'd been following this game ever since its Kickstarter, and was eagerly awaiting a potential Wii U version during a time when the only thing we had to look forward to was this, Road Redemption, and 90s Arcade Racer. I'm almost certain A Hat In Time & Road Redemption only met their funding due to hopeful Wii U owners. So, it's not surprising these same backers probably now own a Switch and expect these games to make it to the platform without a hitch.

Welp, I was interested in playing this game, but only back then when the Wii U lineup was slim pickings. There are so many options for better game time now on the Switch, this game will fade into obsurity on Steam ( Yeah, it's on Ps4, but honestly how good will this game really do on that platform while everyone is invested in Warframe, Fortnite or Monster Hunter World?) along with the others mentioned in time. Road Redemption turned out poorly as well, and 90s Arcade went MIA. If I really want to play a good platformer on PC, I'll just boot up Psychonauts again. Farewell, A Hat In Time.

@Saego,

They could outsource it. That also costs money, but there's always a way. I think it'll happen eventually. Switch is extremely hot with the download-games scene!

@YummyHappyPills @JohnnyVanda That's the thing, the Dev is not explaining their situation effectively: UE3 doesn't and can't run well on any Nintendo console. It also explains why Hat in Time has optimization problems elsewhere, too bad they didn't bring it over to UE4.

Instead of chiding the devs on Hat in Time not coming to Switch, I think people should have instead been asking themselves why they would ever back a project based on UE3. Dev response has been unprofessional, but people need to take some responsibility for themselves, and understand potential downfalls before backing something. People need to do their own research.

These so called developers are a bunch of jokers. I've read this game isn't really optimized in any platform, so I'm not surprised they get intimidated with the work they would have to do to port it to the Switch. Kickstarter can't really change ineptitude after all.

@PlywoodStick I was more distraught to see people in that Twitter thread saying blame Nintendo for not supporting UE3. I mean....sure it's their fault Epic moved on in 2014 and no modern engine realistically or fully supports an outdated engine that ultimately they chose to use when they began, which to be fair you can't fully blame them as UE4 didn't exist at the time.

They had the option to restart on UE4, a far more efficient and supported engine, but didn't. I honestly would expect the game would have still been a late 2017 title regardless.

@YummyHappyPills I get that it's tiresome hearing the same question dozens of times a day, to the point where it's difficult to act professionally and they respond with snark. My question is, how many times do they have to be asked before it occurs to them that porting to the Switch might actually be a good opportunity, even with the necessity of using a different engine? Switch isn't the Wii U, and its players aren't clamoring for games because they lack options; they're clamoring for games they want to play.

gasp REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Anyway, that sucks, PS4 it is. (If I ever get it...)

This is entirely understandable. Hat in Time took a good long while to make and it's possible that the dev want to move along to a new project rather than work on a port. Plus we've seen that more advanced indie titles struggle to make the leap at times due to their underlying programming not being a good fit for the Switch. I suspect that whatever this team makes next will get published on Switch and folks will just need to play Hat in Time on another platform. No worries.

Porting the game would be very hard, and I've seen previous tweets talking about they are frustrated with people begging for a Switch port, but as a company you should try to remain calm, even responding with no.

@PlywoodStick Well the game was kickstarted in 2013, when UE3 was still commonly used. Still, you are right; people need to do their own research. They should have had a calmer response, though.

@TheOpponent It's not that easy rip

@Wolfgabe I'm a Moderator for the hat in time discord, I know him and Jenna Brown personally

@JimmySpades Can't they just pin a post of the reasons why they can't put A Hat in Time on the Nintendo Switch on their front page? They could have shut down most of the trolls fast instead of creating this mess.

@TurboTEF You really don’t know what a good 3D platformer is?

Yooka-Laylee is fantastic. You obviously didn’t like it. It’s not for everyone. Y-L is as good as Mario Odyssey. Y-L is not as popular though because it’s not Mario.

@noobsarecool2 Maybe you could tell him that if they better explained why its not happening and that its not within their current capability but still be open to the possibility in the future rather than simply saying a blunt no on Twitter then people would probably go easy on them more. Simply saying its not happening without giving much of an explanation just makes it seem like GfB doesn't like money which makes the port begging worse. Its probably not helping GfB's case either that Panic Button was able to get Rocket League working on Switch and that game uses UE3 and is far more graphically and technically demanding. Yes I know they had to rebuild it from scratch but still.

I would like Hat in Time on Switch as much as the next guy and I understand it may not be within their current capability but I don't want to see the chances of this game coming to switch being ruined by a highly vocal self entitled minority.

He has actually mentioned many times to lots of people, that the switch does not support unreal 3 which is what the games engine is running, it would be way too difficult and costly to port it over to switch, it's not for a lack of trying, they had the dev kit and worked their asses of to make it work, but the switch just would have any of it. Seeing how much mental stress that Jonas has been under due to all the people outright demanding he release a switch port, I understand why his response is just, no.

@PlywoodStick I never backed it, so that's not a valid point in my case. I fully understand that it simply isn't feasible to port it, but the developer, especially on the official Twitter (and not the dev's personal one), needs to remain professional.

Keep in mind, there are people, on this very site, who expressed that they'll never buy Super Meat Boy on Switch because the WiiWare version was cancelled. That was the better part of a decade ago, and they haven't forgiven it.

A lost customer may be lost forever, and even tell their friends not to bother with your product.

@noobsarecool2 Im sure many of us have jobs that deal with annoying customers; coming off as a douche is never excusable.

Pretty stupid choice by them. But oh well.

Not bothered, it’s average at best.

With no native UE3 support on Switch, I'd be hard pressed to see how an indie like Gears for Breakfast would bring out their game.

These guys don't have the same capacity for porting the engine themselves as do the Rocket League developers.

Maybe down the line, GFB will accept an offer of assistance from someone else (who knows what they will ask for in return though), or Nintendo and EPIC will buddy up for native UE3 support, to cash in on more last gen ports.

But let's not pester them about it. The game's already a huge success and will keep them in business for years. I'm sure after all this time they want to look forward and make new games.

@noobsarecool2 Then why not ask Panic Button for help and let them handle it. The game will likely have to be rebuilt but Panic Button already has experience with this sorta thing and theoretically A Hat in Time should require not nearly as much work as Rocket League did meaning it probably would be cheaper as well. Keep in mind one of the biggest reasons RL Switch took as much work as it did was due to all the optimization needed in order to achieve a consistent 60fps on the Switches lower specs

@RickRau5 I work in Wal Mart now and I can attest to that

I will be getting this game on Ps4 when I catch it on sale, don't really see why they are getting so much backlash for not releasing it on the Switch. Also why is all these Nintendo Fanboy's begging for ports when all you here from them is that the switch has all these great games coming out this year, either get over it no coming out for the Switch or save up some money and purchase another console to play games that will not make their way over to the Switch. It's really that Simple.

I haven't seen negativity like the comment section in this article (and the Reddit equivalent) in a while. It's insane. Someone says, "that's a shame, I wanted it in the Switch" and gets attacked by others who say that person is "anti-supportive and a detriment to the gaming industry". The comment sections for A Hat in Time are literal trash.

Well then, goodbye.

It's unfortunate, but I still recommend any Mario fan to play this game.

@wiggleronacid
It is pretty nasty. A Hat in Time isn't coming to Switch because of lack of Unreal Engine 3 support.

I hope the demand will allow GFB to persue Switch support for their future titles, but it's their decision if rebuilding the game is a good finicial choice or not. They are not a corperation like Nintendo who can outsource ports to other developers.

Really disappointing to be honest. I loved playing the game on my PC with a PC gaming controller. Unfortunately I had to uninstall it since I needed more memory on my harddrive. Really fun game though, especially with mods.

@Seacliff Agreed, I think their next title will be made with Unreal 4 and be developed for the Switch as well, but who knows. They're a small indie team so porting the game would be a big endeavor. Personally, I think it might be worth it given the Switch's success and fan base, but I can see why they wouldn't think so. Just weird to see so much finger-pointing and negativity in the comment sections and subreddits for this game.

but y tho

@brunojenso Couldn't have said it better, mate. I've got a 2011 MBP as well, and since I've come to terms that I need a much better laptop to play the game, I was hoping maybe I'd be able to play it on Switch when I get one. Alas!

I get it that the dev is free to choose any platform they support or don't support, but man, they listed Wii U and Mac as viable platforms during Kickstarter, didn't they? Now one is nowhere to be seen and the second one is basically unplayable. That's not the way to treat your fanbase.

Still, since they've made some money on this game, maybe they'll turn around and hire some third party to optimise and port it to the Switch? (Or, you know, find a publisher?) The sales on the Switch would undoubtedly cover all possible expenses.

@pinta_vodki Glad I'm not on my own with this - the whole thing has been quite a mess. Although I've been less than impressed by the whole scenario and find even my 2015 i7 Mac in PC mod (Bootcamp) with 16RAM, SSD, and 16GB ram can't run it well, I can understand this man and the team must be under incredible pressure, and I hope they stays sane.

So no, I don't expect a Switch port to be something he 'should' do, or even that they fix the Mac version and optimise the PC version properly - sometimes things just don't work out so well. I believe success is often more overwhelming than failure and I hope the whole team is ok and not ready to jump of a bridge with pressure from all sides. It's completely ok if Switch never happens.

Just some clear communication, honesty, a slice of humility with a side order of an apology would be nice. Thinking about it the amount of platforms and controller support they originally planed to cover was a bit over-ambitious for a small team.

Personally I think in the future we will see it on Switch - I think they just need a bit of time and space for their feet to touch the ground and to make a plan - or find a publisher they trust etc - like you said.

Anyway, nobody is perfect - so even having lost some money and still not able to play the game - I wish the team the best and admire there efforts to give 3D Platforming some love - **good grief we need more quality 3D Platformers - to me they are the very essence of what fun video gaming is.**

I still believe they have an amazing game in there - amongst some slightly messy code maybe. If I was them, I'd bite some of my pride, admit I have too much going on, and invest some of the success earnings into getting some extra help - optimisation experts etc... but I guess nothing is quite so simple.

Well I own a normal PC, but not a ''gaming'' one. I would have bought this for the Switch, but I am not going to buy another console just for a few titles. I personally love platformers and I cannot complaint even if I would LOVE to see Iconoclasts, A Hat In Time and Cuphead on the Switch!

We shouldn't give up hope. We should keep begging and begging for the game to release for Nintendo Switch, and if that doesn't work, we'll pester some more, and when they beg for mercy, we'll pester and pester until they snap and bring the game to Switch.

lies

@Bobby_earl "we don't want" is a perfectly valid answer to give on a creator's part, there's nothing wrong with it. They don't owe any technical explanations either, but in the same tweet reply thread, they openly gave some specific info to those who merely asked and were civil about it. So there is hardly any "lumping" going on.

@nhSnork holy five years ago, Batman!

Yah, they can say they don’t want to. I can also say it’s unprofessional. Clearly the link doesn’t work so they may have deleted it in agreement. Now they are, in fact, releasing it for the Switch. Cool.

And your reply about “triggers” and “entitlement” were clearly incorrect as a miracle happened and it’s comkng to Nintendo. “We have nothing to announce” or “we simply do not have the resources at this time” is one hundred times better than the tweet that got you all hot and bothered.

@Bobby_earl guilty as charged, procrastination and blast-from-the-past replies are the bane of my online communication. XD But "unprofessional" is little but the same old fanspeak when it's thrown around just for the sake of it. Even in the PR sphere, their responses are professional when interacting with interested but sanely behaving audiences while fans get the treatment that fanship warrants by definition. Besides, it's well-known how effective "we have nothing to announce" is against fans, so while many creators practice "blanket-spread benevolence", any case of more direct (yet still civil) rebuff like this is a sight to celebrate.

Of course, if they have reconsidered by now (which sounds less like a miracle and more like a possibility of finding time/resources/third party subcontractor to handle the port and engine quirks - after all, Rocket League did happen as well, - on top of all the money indies have been reported to shovel in on Switch), it's no wonder they'd want to wipe the potentially confusing contradictory data now that it no longer applies. If they had been in any way regretting their so-called "unprofessional behavior", the tweets would have barely lived to see this NL newspost appear to begin with.

Speaking of NL, I'm surprised they don't seem to have caught wind yet. But then again, it's pretty late - the Gamescom stuff will be probably posted tomorrow.

@nhSnork nah. I only read articles. I dont spam devs accounts all butt hurt because a game isn’t coming out on the system. Saying “cuz we don’t want to!” is not even a stretch that it is unprofessional. A company should ignore baiting tweets and do what they want to do. Giving into it is just as childish as the original provoking comment itself.

@Bobby_earl you probably haven't seen what really happens when companies and creators give in? That way lie real disasters, with the fallout lasting for years or even decades at times. In the case discussed, silence and sassy rebuffs share the same value in their nature - both testify to the priority of own intent, neither feeds the trolls by losing temper and succumbing to socially inappropriate language, and yet the response has an added perk of putting a full stop to the wild mass guessing, conspirology and other speculations which tend to bring the same inquiries about to the company's inbox again and again. An ultimately dispensable perk, no doubt, - but the fact that most folks simply don't bother doesn't mean it's not valid. There are no shoulds about publicly clarifying one's plans, obligations and the absence of either.

@nhSnork give in? I feel like you think I’m saying something I’m not actually saying.

A company’s said “cuz we don’t want to” and it reminded me of a child. It reminded me of Unprofessionalism. All I said was they should’ve either said nothing or said something more neutral. I never said they should give into fandom demands. How many companies have stated “we have no plans for switch at this time”? If any of those companies somehow can’t stay professional when people troll them over it, they need to hire someone who can.

@SBandy It's not, I thought I was announced today.

@Bobby_earl "cuz we don't want to" is neutral in itself since it reflects reality and common sense the other party is failing at due to fan mentality impairing their judgement. Childish stubbornness is a thing of starkly different nature and context. Your issue is mixing these contexts up and making claims of "Unprofessionalism" that only serve to suggest a questionable perception of what professionalism means in this regard. Whether it's affected by fanship or mere misconceptions.

@nhSnork ummm. What.

I re-read what you said 5 times and I still don’t know what that says.

At the end of the day, your original comment was how funny you thought their reply to the “haterz” were. A child says “cuz I don’t want to”. A professional company does not behave nor speak that way. You can call it opinion or perception, but it’s just the way it is. If the company wants to act that way, be my guest, but don’t deny that the tweeter was out of line regardless of who they were talking to. Sony doesn’t want cross play with fortnite cuz they don’t want to. It would be unprofessional for them to just simply state that and they received 100 times the backlash little Hat in Time received.

Their reply was unprofessional. Clearly because it’s deleted and they feel shame for it. Now, it’s coming out on switch and they’ll make bank. Thanks, Nintendo!

@Bobby_earl I didn't find the tweet just "funny", I found it an admirable example of how to treat fans - civil yet mirthful and firm. A choice between such treatment in verbal form or by way of silence is every company's own to make (it's all supposed to yield the same result in the end), but neither way is something we have a right or competence to chastise them for (as people, I mean - fans don't have rights or competence to begin with). Claiming they were "out of line" is out of line in itself, so I call it out as such. Hence our whole dialogue here.

And no matter how our fan ego would love creators and developers on their knees before our eyes, I've already pointed out that "feeling shame" would have wiped the tweet out of existence posthaste, before the so-called backlash happening. Sony's cross-play situation is irrelevant here because they're a corporation with legions of shareholders breathing down their necks and less room for making statements about their wants alone, especially when it comes to such general stuff where climates and plans can change multiple times down the road. AHiT devs are called indie for a reason (even if they did sign a sadly commonplace devil deal by having the game crowdfunded). And when they changed their mind, they just went ahead and deleted the public outlet data that contradicted the current release plans and could confuse someone who doesn't follow internet dramas. I'm only puzzled why you're thanking Nintendo for this. XD

@nhSnork “public outlet data”. It’s a tweet. A tweet from a frustrated company butthurt over a few fans in social media. Hysterical.

Companies don’t scrub tweets for contradictory information unless it was misleading from conception. They didn’t want to. Now they do. If a company states “we have nothing to announce” then do, they don’t go and say “jk” to previous communication.

Fans were snarky. A company was snarky back. I know it’s “cool” for companies to be snarky, but this was unprofessional. The end.

And “thanks Nintendo” is for all of the money this company originally thought they wouldn’t get because they “don’t want to” XD.

[Lemon out]