Ever since it got funded in October 2013 for a little more than $700,000, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has evolved into quite the promising looking platformer. Unfortunately, it seems that WayForward has hit a few bumps close to release. A new Kickstarter update by the developers states that the game would is being delayed by six weeks, in addition to announcing some bad news for a select few backers.
While the original target release date was supposed to land on the 27th of September, WayForward explains the delay is caused by the need for additional polish. As of now, it seems that Shantae is in the process of rigorous bug fixing and compliance testing – a stressful process that can take several months, and lead to disastrous results if not properly taken care of. (On that note, I’d seriously recommend you read Rami Ismail’s recent article on the topic of meeting console requirements.)
Speaking of which, it seems that at least two of Shantae‘s console versions are now completely cancelled. WayForward has stated that they’ve dropped the game’s Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, mainly due to a recent update which revealed that only 1% of backers remain interested in the older generation of platforms. WayForward states that their time would be “better spent on the game’s DLC,” and cut those ports.
If we go into murkier waters, a backer called “Zaein” also claims to be told by WayForward’s support team that all development for the game’s PSTV port has been dropped (a fact which hasn’t been officially disclosed in any prior Shantae updates). While the studio hasn’t replied to our query on the matter, other backers are starting to report identical information.
As it stands, there are plenty of affected people voicing their frustration in the update’s comments. Although we’re looking at a rather small percentage, the fact that certain backers would be unable to use their game copies remains. Luckily, WayForward are accepting all refunds requested by those in the tough position of not owning any release platform.
I must say that, saying that you’ll stop all development for two release platforms a few weeks before release is a a “tad” bit unprofessional…
Official response on PSTV support from WayForward is:
We’ve confirmed that PSTV has been discontinued, so this is no longer a platform that we’re able to support.
[…] the response has been pretty positive. It seems backers aren’t having many hard feelings over Wayforward dropping the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game a few months back. They have, however, been looking for news about the physical rewards […]