Super Rare Games has announced Heaven's Machine as the first title in its 'Super Rare Shorts' series of physical-only Switch games.
The game is "a chaotic, fast-paced roguelite set on a cosmic train racing towards heaven" developed by Glass Revolver, the studio behind ITTA and House of God. In the game, you'll take on the role of Jack, exploring a randomly-generated train as you grab items, blast away enemies, and battle monsters.
Pre-orders for the game are open from now up until 22nd December – remember that this is a physical-only release (meaning it'll never launch digitally on the eShop) and that all pre-orders made during that time will be fulfilled, with no limits or numbered copies to speak of.
Here's more on Super Rare Shorts:
"After a year of hard work, we're ecstatic to finally be getting Heaven's Machine in fans' hands. As the first release in our brand new Super Rare Shorts label, this represents a big new step for Super Rare Games in our quest to be indie's best friend.
Super Rare Shorts are completely original titles that we have fully funded development of, releasing physically-only on the Nintendo Switch - never to release digitally on consoles.
Our goal with Shorts is to boost indie developers, helping bring to life ideas that would usually be considered too small-scope by publishers. With massive visibility issues for digital indie games and even small publishers increasingly signing larger-scope indie titles, we hope to showcase awesome games from up-and-coming and veteran indie developers that would otherwise have never seen the light of day.
For the sake of preservation, games in Super Rare's Shorts series will eventually make their way to itch.io; Super Rare Games says that "Shorts will come content complete and there will never be updates to the game. Your physical version will never become inferior."
Are you interested in this new series of physical-only Switch games? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Comments 26
Hmm...not sure about this one. It's erm, very cluttered.
I still don’t know about this. Seems a step backwards in modern day terms, which for me simply means keeping around options. While I realize indies do struggle with funding issues, it seems like it would hit less audiences being physical only whereas digital helps broaden the scope.
Not interested myself, but atleast its open pre-order.
Physical only +a set small number = instant sellout by scalpers.
Basically they're dedicated to manufacture games for scalpers and not give any other potential Switch user access to them in the foreseeable future. Way to pull a reverse "diGiTaL iS tHE fUTuRe".
I think this is a neat idea but I’m not sold on this game itself. Have Demon Throttle over at Special Reserve pre-ordered though. Same deal: never digital.
I know what I’m not buying lmao
Look and plays just like every other 8-Bit twin stick shooter. May check it out if the price is right.
Insta no buy from me. Not chasing a print run.
As someone had previously commented on these physical-only games, this model doesn’t make sense because the consumer has to pre-order before they can see any reviews. Good on Super Rare if this succeeds, but it’s not for me, even if the trailer is intriguing.
Am I only one who finds that trailer visually incomprehensible? My eyes were incapable of focusing on a single thing throughout that whole video. It feels like I'm seeing everything and nothing all at once.
Looks like a game I would buy on the Eshop, on sale, for $3
I thought it was a spaceship at 1st 😂
Wow … the future of gaming is here
This looks like Enter The Gungeon, my favorite indie game! Sucks that this is physical only. Otherwise I'd probably buy it 😝
It's strange and stupid - physical-only on Nintendo Switch and digital-only on PC. Why not to make digital eShop release? Sigh
Which insane person in the company decided upon no eshop release? Commercial suicide in this day and age.
I understand the skepticism most people have about the physical-only release, but in the short term I think this is kind of genius marketing. The eShop is so poorly designed and such a mess that legitimately great games get buried underneath tons of filler and overshadowed by more high-profile releases (Stardew, Cuphead, Hollow Knight etc). I think the physical-only approach will at the very least get more eyes on the game, and that's a great thing. Plus, this game looks absolutely awesome, I understand why it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea though.
@Boogaloo_Jenkins House of God looks identical to this and available on Steam. I dare say there is nothing stopping that game getting a release but it remains to be seen what exactly is the difference. It's certainly not a 'completely original...' game.
It is physical only......... unless you have a jig or a hwfly...
I had a feeling these physical only games were gonna be crap. And so far in my opinion I was right.
@Solomon_Rambling Review just posted: https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/heavens-machine
Oof.
I imagine some will still buy it for its perceived rarity. In years to come it might be one of those cult games that sells for ridiculous prices.
This has to be one of the dumbest business decisions I've seen from a game company in a while. Not only are they kneecapping sales by never doing a digital launch and only producing physical copies during a certain window, but they're also promising to never update or improve upon these games post-launch. Reviews have already indicated Heaven's Machine is a mess, but no, they can't fix it with patches because that would offend physical cartridge purists or something.
I think companies like Super Rare offer a valuable service through their focus on physical media, but initiatives like this are just baffling to me.
Physical-only indie games are a terrible idea.
@AlexHarford
Oof indeed.
That “no update policy” no longer seems like a feature, if we could ever call it that in the first place.
It's a hard pass, and I'm all for physical. The problem is it's a limited run, and I'd wait for reviews on a game I know nothing about, but by the time reviews would come out for it it would be sold out. So, I reject it so it can't break my hear*RUNS SOBBING UNCONTROLLABLY INTO THE BATHROOM*
@Purgatorium specsavers
This model is shady at best and should not be supported.
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