Renegade Kid is a popular developer and publisher on Nintendo download stores, enjoying particular success with Mutant Mudds on 3DS, also releasing the deluxe version — previously on Wii U — as a free update this week. Its titles often attract plenty of interest from the Nintendo Life community, for example, with the recent episodic release of Moon Chronicles and the upcoming Treasurenauts being further examples.
The studio has enjoyed the most success on Nintendo's portable system, but struggled to translate that userbase and positive reputation into crowdfunding success, raising less than 10% of its $580,000 target in a Cult County Kickstarter campaign earlier this year. There are multiple viewpoints on why the campaign fell short, with focus on the high funding goal and the choice of a new IP rather than an established brand.
While a chastening experience, studio co-founder Jools Watsham has taken to Twitter to gauge interest in more potential campaigns from the company. It's not an imminent move, but shows that the company hasn't given up on the concept.
Some responses in the timeline do suggest that Renegade Kid should stick to existing projects and a conventional business model, much as it's followed up until now. Where do you stand? Should Renegade Kid continue to develop and release download games through the standard publishing model, or do you feel it can find success through crowdfunding?
Comments 37
I don't need it.
Interesting times for Renegade Kid. They seem to want to bring out a more ambitious project but are having a hard time pinning down what will be well received for their investment.
I say keep refining their 2D platforming games as they show promise there. Specifically, they could evolve and modernize Blaster Master for instance. Would turn out well for them I think.
He should deliver on what he has already promised first. (Rest of Moon Chronicles / Treasurenaughts maybe something else I don't remember).
Or just do one game really well (Like Shovel Knight was).
To bad Cult Country didn't make it, had potential
I didn't even care for the version on the 3ds. Would have to see it in motion as there just isn't anything much like it on the U as it is.
The problem is, there is only so many times you can release the same game. Particularly when it's not a fantastic game to begin with. It's a decent game for sure, but it's not amazing.
I've played it on DS. But didn't complete it. I'll consider it again on 3DS when it eventually makes its way to europe as a complete package. But by the time they crowd fund the Wii U version and get it developed (assuming successful funding) it'll probably be 2016.
Plus, they're not a particularly big/well known studio, they can't ask for ridiculous amounts of money like last time. I think there would be even less interest in Moon Chronicles for Wii U than for Cult County. The Cult County kickstarter should give them an idea of the amount of fans they have and the amount of money they can realistically ask for. If they ask for hundreds of thousands again to fund Moon Chronicles for Wii U, they're going to fail again.
Just stick with the 3DS and let it go. If they want to put Moon on Wii U, make it a new installment.
Where's Treasurenauts?
Just give us Treasurenaughts on 3DS and Wii U please, you can keep Moon Chronicles on 3DS.
Can't they just do a Dementium that isn't Dementium by name? I mean, like, Cult County... Hmm...
Maybe if you release the games in Europe, you may earn enough to support your next game.
And if you do go with Moon Chronicles U, please add an option for Wiimote + Nunchuck.
Depends, wouldn't mind paying 25$ for the whole thing, unless there's much more content there than I expect .
kickstarter-whore
@WaveBoy you gave $75 to Mr. Inafune? youre insane, very rich, or both
hahahah
Cult county at $125K maybe......they asked for so much that no one really gave it a chance.
@WaveBoy you no crazy then. didn't know about physical copies. sorry, most probably will worth triples within a year.
Id be all over moon chronicles for wii u being there are zero fps outside of call of duty!! I'm in!!
After their last failed kickstarter.Its crazy they believe people want the same tired repackaged ideas and gameplay.PASS....
yeah... release the rest of Moon Chronicles on 3DS first, please~
What about the finishing the 3d add ons first..
I'd like to see Renegade Kid try a mature, medieval open-world title.
They have a big enough name to be able to pursue their goals by themselves, or, in the case of specially ambitious projects, to strike deals with other studios or distributors. I love Kickstarter, but I only ever support interesting games from startup studios there (such as Lobodestroyo or Earthlock: Festival of Magic).
Aah, I will support an FPS that is specifically made for Wii U...at a high price.
Just use Wiimote or/and GamePads gyro. I NEEED new things to shoot with my Wiimote.
And If someone tried to make an FPS that used that Wii U Zapper like thing, I'd go even higher.
@WaveBoy Metroid Prime Hunters had that control setup first. Even the demo that was bundled with launch DS's. And the Dementium series is locked down by South Peak, the publisher, until the contract runs out (don't know date) and RK regains the rights to it.
I'm dubious of stylus controls for a FPS, so I haven't tried Moon yet. Moon HD just to hold me over til Prime 4? That I could get behind. But seeing as Treasurenauts doesn't even have a release date, I think that even fishing this idea on twitter is a bad move.
Ehhh, I dont see the need for Moon Chronicles U, unless the amount needed for that to happen is really cheap, probably wont be a successful KS. I know I wont be picking it up, it doesnt interest me much...if at all.
These guys need to regroup and go back to the drawing board. They should consider all the genres they like and pick one they've never been too involved with. A third person RPG with exp and loot, or a turn-based RPG akin to Divinity: Original Sin but with all the weirdness of an RK developed game. There are so many possibilities.
People on twitter are just going to yell out re-treads of old games....just move on and leave Moon Chronicles for what it is.
I always confuse Jools Watsham with the Jools that made Cannon Fodder and a few other Sensible Software games.
Even so, I would really like Renegade Kid to make a game like Cannon Fodder or Syndicate Wars.
@Nintenjoe64 Maybe Jools can give us a bit of Sensible World of Moon Soccer
please bring moon to wiiu....please...
A new Moon: yes. Not another Moon Chronicles 1
Their kickstarter failed because
1) they clearly overestimated how far their reputation would go.
2) they showed a game that had almost nothing interesting about it.
I like the idea. Currently playing moon on the 3ds with cpp and loving it.
They lost my respect when they made us wait for Cult County and then decided to screw the 3DS version to put a next gen version (which they were not ready to deliver) on Kickstarter.
How about a new game? I love Moon but it's really bland. I'd rather see a Moon 2 made just for the Wii U.
maybe, but moon chronicles on 3ds was a bit dissappointing. i dont think id personally care for it again even on the more comfortable home console. too bad cult county was asking for a rediculous amount of money with no worthwhile video to entice prospective backers. in the end the video they did show was a simple walk through a basic looking environment. whatever they do, they really need to get further along before putting it on kickstarter this time. i mean you cant expect $500k from people when only showing them artist renders.
@WinterWarm same here !
Dear Renegade Kid:
I really enjoyed Mutant Mudds and appreciated the free bonus levels and updates. Great game!
That being said...Moon Chronicles does not interest me on 3DS or Wii U. Why not try making something new to fill in a niche on the WIi U that we're missing like an action RPG or rogue-like?
I would maybe help Kickstart a platformer. I love Mutant Mudds and Treasurenauts looks great.
I just don't want or need small devs like this to do first person shooters. It takes too much time to make a really impressive first person shooter and to be honest I would only play it on PC anyway.
@SethNintendo
"A crack binge". LOL!
@WaveBoy I bit confused by 'A new game for once'. Renegade Kid is far from copycat.
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