Short answer is, 'Yes! I want everyone to play Sunday Rivals!'
Let's dig into the details on what that looks like. First, the game is still being actively developed, meaning that until the game hits v1.0, no console will let you sell your game on their store in an unfinished state (unless you are a AAA game, oh snap, burn). Steam bucks that trend and lets developers like myself offer our games in Early Access, so adventurous players like you can get in early and experience all the bugs that I missed! It's a win-win!
Outside of Steam, folks see the game online and wonder why I haven't specifically said that it's coming out on the Xbox or PS4 yet. Or the Switch, can't forget the Switch! There's 4 really important things to consider when it comes to console ports:
1. The porting process takes time
A whole lot of precious time!
If you're 40+, maybe you got that reference! Either way, like aging gracefully the porting process is complex and there's significantly more roadblocks in the way compared to releasing on Steam. Getting the game to run smoothly on console hardware and play nicely with their ecosystem will be a challenge. A challenge that multiplies in difficulty with each additional platform. Think of porting as a new journey that will take many months, possibly years. Which leads us to:
2. The porting process is mysterious and dangerous
Ok, probably not dangerous, but definitely unknown. This will be my first foray into console ports and there's a bunch of questions I have about the process along with a handful of things I haven't even considered yet! Getting a game on the Switch is a mystery too, since my first game (Mini Hockey Champ!) was denied. That was some time ago and I've heard Nintendo's curation has improved, but I don't know what that means yet. Known unknowns, as they say. With all that uncertainty, it begs the question: Is this even worth it?
3. Is the audience there?
It's a good fit on paper, but it's directly competing with bigger names and expectations. It's impossible to truly know until I announce it, but I hope so. I'm told time and time again that Sunday Rivals will absolutely slay on the Xbox and Switch. Promises of buying 10 copies for friends! Lamborghini's delivered to my driveway, filled with cash! That sounds great, but does it line up with reality? Which leads me to my last point:
4. Something else
You know what, there's really only 3 points. I said 4 to make it seem more dramatic. I do hope cash-filled lambos are a thing tho.
And I'm hopeful that you're going to be playing Sunday Rivals on your couch in front of that big screen TV one day because that's where I want to play it too! I can't say for certain which controller you'll be holding in your hand, I hope you have choices, but I'm being cautious about promising any of them with so many unknowns.
So that covers the Xbox, Playstation, and Nintendo Switch, but I want to say a quick word about Mobile before you scroll away:
iPhone / Android
For this to happen, the game essentially needs to be rebuilt for mobile from the ground up. At that point, we're literally talking about making a whole new game, which is so far out of scope that it no longer fits into any of my current plans.
Sunday Rivals is in the home stretch towards v1.0 so much will reveal itself in the very near future and I'll be sure to share what I find along the way!
