Braid developer Jonathan Blow has mentioned the not too long ago launched anniversary version of the indie puzzle platformer has offered “horribly,” and indicated he’s now struggling to make use of workers full-time.
Blow, who additionally created The Witness, catapulted into the higher echelons of indie online game growth after Braid loved monumental success on Xbox Reside Arcade in 2008. It’s since change into referred to as one of many biggest indie video games of all time, with quite a few good overview scores beneath its belt.
16 years later, in Could 2024, Blow launched a remaster with totally repainted art work, new puzzles, and in-depth commentary, throughout PC by way of Steam, Nintendo Swap, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Xbox Sequence X/S, Android, and iOS, with the cellular model launched by Netflix to these with an energetic subscription. The Anniversary Edition was introduced throughout Sony’s State of Play occasion in August 2020.
As surfaced by a consumer on ResetEra, a YouTube channel known as “Blow Fan” printed a compilation of commentary from Blow on Braid, Anniversary Edition’s gross sales efficiency, made throughout quite a few livestreams within the months since launch. Whereas Blow fails to substantiate a gross sales determine, the image he paints right here is obvious: Braid, Anniversary Edition has flopped.
In a single stream dated June 17, Blow mentioned Braid, Anniversary Edition had offered “horribly.” “It has offered like canine**t in comparison with what we have to make for the corporate to outlive,” he continued. “So the long run is unsure, let’s put it that manner.”
Then, on July 21, Blow was requested once more about gross sales. “No, they’ve been horrible,” he replied. “Completely horrible.”
In one other stream dated July 22, mentioned releasing Braid, Anniversary Edition on so many platforms “made a distinction, however the issue is most of these platforms are f***ing useless now.”
“Steam is well nonetheless our largest platform,” he continued. “There would have been one thing to be mentioned for simply not porting to half these platforms.
“It is a actually fascinating factor that we did. We did commentary in a manner that no one’s ever executed it, at a way more thorough stage than anyone’s ever executed it. And in some unspecified time in the future, you simply must know that what you probably did was a great factor, even when the world doesn’t actually acknowledge it. And that is a kind of instances, I feel.”
Then, in a stream on July 27, Blow as soon as once more addressed the Braid, Anniversary Edition gross sales, however this time solid doubt on his firm’s potential to make use of workers. Responding to a query on how many individuals at his firm had been engaged on the compiler for programming language Jai full-time, Blow mentioned: “None, as a result of we won’t afford to pay anybody as a result of the gross sales are unhealthy.”
“The entire recreation business is having a tough time,” he mentioned.
Blow’s feedback have sparked one thing of an inquest on-line about why Braid, Anniversary Edition has struggled. In a single stream, Blow discounted the impression that bringing the sport to conventions and placing it in entrance of individuals may need had on the success of the sport, saying cons don’t do a lot to assist promote video video games. He additionally mentioned selling the sport on podcasts and YouTube interviews wouldn’t have helped, both. There are others who recommend there was little demand for a Braid remaster within the first place, with the unique completely playable nonetheless all these years later.
Blow’s studio is Thekla, Inc., which additionally developed and printed 2016 first-person puzzle recreation The Witness. It’s mentioned to be engaged on quite a few unannounced tasks, together with a VR recreation.
Wesley is the UK Information Editor for IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.