Android Dilemma

[Tabytac]

I know that Apple has probably helped a ton with financials for this game and will market it on its new Apple Arcade platform but it feels a lot like the Epic Store scandal but worse. Apple themselves have operated anti-consumer techniques in a different sense than Epic (Tencent really) but at least you still could play the games on that platform with albeit many fewer features.

But this deal has left approx. half of the mobile gamers with no choice but to either buy and use n apple device which would probably be more expensive than their current handheld or play on PC which will launch far later and not be portable.

This deal has made me re-evaluate my excitement for this game and trust in Dino polo club as a company due to their poor choices regarding much of their userbase. I am deeply annoyed by this announcement and looking hopefully for an android release, port or just downright copy...

[Robert]

I understand your frustration. As developers we always agonise over the platforms we release on. Sometimes it’s down to expertise, or resources, or even preference. For example no one has accused us of insulting Xbox fans, but it's the only major console that Mini Metro isn't available on – not because we wanted to deprive the owners of those devices, but for commercial reasons. It’s the same here. No offense intended to our fans of Mini Metro on Android, which we will continue to support. But we just can’t bring Mini Motorways to Android as things stand, which is a decision we had to weigh up commercially as much as emotionally.

Also I think it's important to note that Mini Motorways not being on Steam isn't down to any kind of exclusivity arrangement - we're free to release on desktop or consoles at any time we want to. It's not out because there's a small team behind this game and we don't have the resources to dedicate to more than one platform at once. We're not going to release a rushed half-baked port, we want to spend the time to make sure Mini Motorways feels as at home on Steam as it does on Apple Arcade.

[FroBodine]

Yet, we can't even just buy the game for our Apple device. We have to subscribe to a monthly service in order to play this game. No thank you.

So, because of the Apple exclusive deal, there is no chance of it being released for Android?

[Robert]

I'd prefer not to get into discussions about mobile platforms on the Steam forums (we have the r/MiniMotorways subreddit which might be more suitable) but I will say that premium mobile developers have been faced with decreasing margins for years now in the face of highly competitive free-to-play monetisation models. The way things were heading we would have been forced to either adopt free-to-play models (ads, IAP), which don't suit our games, or abandon mobile altogether in favour of desktop and console. The premium/free-to-play divide is even more stark on Android - even though the Android install base is much larger premium developers generally receive 20% of their mobile income from Android, 80% from iOS. It's looking at facts like this that led Apple to create Apple Arcade, and for developers like us to see it as a way to keep making the games that we want to make and have them playable on mobile.

Anyway, the happy news is that the majority of desktop and console audiences are still prepared to pay directly for content that they love, and that doesn't show any sign of abating! So our presence on Steam will be much as same as it has been for Mini Metro.

[FroBodine]

Hey, thank you very much for the detailed and honest response. I REALLY appreciate that.

As much as I never thought I would, I did purchase the Apple Arcade subscription, and so far I'm loving it. For $5, there are a ton of great games, yours included.

I still look forward to the Steam release. Will it be early, mid, or late 2020, do you think?

[Robert]

Oh great! I subscribed on day one (mainly for testing!) and have enjoyed the lineup of games so much that I'm keeping my sub going.

We don't like to give solid dates too early because it can force us to either let people down when we want to delay and put more work into it, or ship something that we're not happy with. However the rough date we've been telling people is "early/mid 2020". I'd be very surprised if it isn't out before the end of Q2.

[FroBodine]

Well, I'm a huge fan of your games, and you as developers. You are very responsive, and that means a LOT to me. Roll on early/mid 2020!

[ekze]

There are games that are both on Apple Arcade and Google Play Store. Notable example: Balatro. Maybe something has changed and you can now bring Mini Motorways natively no Android?