I'll try to address many of the comments here.
First of all. I wasn't contacting them to submit the game. The game isn't done. I was pitching the game so I could have access to dev resources so I could continue to develop the game for Switch. More on this later...
I've worked on the game off and on for 6 years as a side hobby (I know Nintendo has said the Switch isn't open to hobbyist at this point, however when speaking with Kirk Scott I brought this up and he said to email him so "we could figure this out" This made me believe I could potentially be able to get access to the dev resources so I could continue to work on the game).
Anyways, I was working on it an hour a day during the month of May to finalize things before releasing the single player campaign on iOS to help fund development of the definitive Switch version. And even before I ran into issues with the game running on older devices the game's scope became way too big for iOS. That's why I always intended to release It on a Nintendo console because the game would be perfect for it.
When the Switch came out I knew it would be the perfect platform for the game. However at the time it was not supported by my game engine. So I continued to work on the main single player campaign. When my game engine was updated to support Switch development my plan became to release the single player campaign on iOS to fund development of the Switch version and get feedback to improve the game before the Switch release. The definitive Switch release would have the battle mode, racing mode, an additional world and more features. When the iOS version was having issues running on older devices I decided it had officially outgrown mobile and so I moved forward with the Nintendo Switch version.
Also to those saying I am entitled and whining... that is far from the truth. On my Nintendo channel I also cover my journey as a game developer. I am simply sharing what happened and my plan going forward. Am I not allowed to share a little frustration? Where is the whining? Was anything about my response unprofessional? I literally just explained what happen and how I am not giving up and how I will be going the long route by making the game a success first on other platforms then try again to submit it on Switch. And if I am still not allowed to self publish then I will reach out to an indie publisher to have them publish it.
I even said that this is a GOOD thing. Because the long way will help make the game better and more of a success when it does come to Switch. I understand why Nintendo didn't let me publish and it's fine. I will keep working on it, keep improving, and keep trying.
And you can't judge the game just by looking at screenshots. Even in the video I just show basic gameplay. I have a separate video where I show the unique gameplay elements, the bosses, the incredible difficulty, the amazing music, the story, the scope and so much more.
Also when did I claim to be an expert on how Nintendo handles 3rd party relations? I just tried to make sense of what happened. And when I say open the floodgates for open development that doesn't mean suddenly every game will get on the eShop. They will still review every game. It just means they will let Indies like me have access to dev resources so we can get our games running on Switch. Being able to actually run the game on the target hardware makes development much easier. It also means we can self publish that way you don't need a publisher to take 70 percent of the profit.
But again I am fine with the situation now. I have a plan like I explained in the video so I know where I am going from here and I will keep working at it, keep improving, and keep on trying.
I acknowledge that I was in over my head. While I do believe this scope of the game is right for the Switch, I realize at it's current state it needs more work. I said that in the video, the game is NOT done. Yeah I jumped the gun and thought I could just move forward with the Switch version. But if I was accepted in I wasn't going to submit the game how it is now, I would work on all the improvements first. I wanted to be able to get it running on the Switch so I could implement the changes directly to the Switch build. It's much easier to work on a game when you are aloud to get it running on the hardware you're aiming to release it for. I think some people seem to think that I was submitting it to Nintendo to publish... I was submitting it to get access to the Switch dev portal and dev resources so I could continue to work on the game.
But again, I am fine with how the situation has played out. Instead of developing the game directly on the Switch hardware I will continue to develop it for other platforms and when it's ready I will try again on Switch. I actually have a publisher who has reached out to me about helping publish the game on Switch. But I told them I am going to put more work into the game first. All this negativity and hate is just motivating me even more keep trying and keep working harder!
Comments 1
Re: Indie Developer Shares "Bad News" About Publishing On Switch, After Pitching His Game To Nintendo
I'll try to address many of the comments here.
First of all. I wasn't contacting them to submit the game. The game isn't done. I was pitching the game so I could have access to dev resources so I could continue to develop the game for Switch. More on this later...
I've worked on the game off and on for 6 years as a side hobby (I know Nintendo has said the Switch isn't open to hobbyist at this point, however when speaking with Kirk Scott I brought this up and he said to email him so "we could figure this out" This made me believe I could potentially be able to get access to the dev resources so I could continue to work on the game).
Anyways, I was working on it an hour a day during the month of May to finalize things before releasing the single player campaign on iOS to help fund development of the definitive Switch version. And even before I ran into issues with the game running on older devices the game's scope became way too big for iOS. That's why I always intended to release It on a Nintendo console because the game would be perfect for it.
When the Switch came out I knew it would be the perfect platform for the game. However at the time it was not supported by my game engine. So I continued to work on the main single player campaign. When my game engine was updated to support Switch development my plan became to release the single player campaign on iOS to fund development of the Switch version and get feedback to improve the game before the Switch release. The definitive Switch release would have the battle mode, racing mode, an additional world and more features. When the iOS version was having issues running on older devices I decided it had officially outgrown mobile and so I moved forward with the Nintendo Switch version.
Also to those saying I am entitled and whining... that is far from the truth. On my Nintendo channel I also cover my journey as a game developer. I am simply sharing what happened and my plan going forward. Am I not allowed to share a little frustration? Where is the whining? Was anything about my response unprofessional? I literally just explained what happen and how I am not giving up and how I will be going the long route by making the game a success first on other platforms then try again to submit it on Switch. And if I am still not allowed to self publish then I will reach out to an indie publisher to have them publish it.
I even said that this is a GOOD thing. Because the long way will help make the game better and more of a success when it does come to Switch. I understand why Nintendo didn't let me publish and it's fine. I will keep working on it, keep improving, and keep trying.
And you can't judge the game just by looking at screenshots. Even in the video I just show basic gameplay. I have a separate video where I show the unique gameplay elements, the bosses, the incredible difficulty, the amazing music, the story, the scope and so much more.
Also when did I claim to be an expert on how Nintendo handles 3rd party relations? I just tried to make sense of what happened. And when I say open the floodgates for open development that doesn't mean suddenly every game will get on the eShop. They will still review every game. It just means they will let Indies like me have access to dev resources so we can get our games running on Switch. Being able to actually run the game on the target hardware makes development much easier. It also means we can self publish that way you don't need a publisher to take 70 percent of the profit.
But again I am fine with the situation now. I have a plan like I explained in the video so I know where I am going from here and I will keep working at it, keep improving, and keep on trying.
I acknowledge that I was in over my head. While I do believe this scope of the game is right for the Switch, I realize at it's current state it needs more work. I said that in the video, the game is NOT done. Yeah I jumped the gun and thought I could just move forward with the Switch version. But if I was accepted in I wasn't going to submit the game how it is now, I would work on all the improvements first. I wanted to be able to get it running on the Switch so I could implement the changes directly to the Switch build. It's much easier to work on a game when you are aloud to get it running on the hardware you're aiming to release it for. I think some people seem to think that I was submitting it to Nintendo to publish... I was submitting it to get access to the Switch dev portal and dev resources so I could continue to work on the game.
But again, I am fine with how the situation has played out. Instead of developing the game directly on the Switch hardware I will continue to develop it for other platforms and when it's ready I will try again on Switch. I actually have a publisher who has reached out to me about helping publish the game on Switch. But I told them I am going to put more work into the game first. All this negativity and hate is just motivating me even more keep trying and keep working harder!