Image & Form on SteamWorld Heist success, Wii U surprise, more DLC, cross-buy

A portion of a Nintendo Life interview with Image & Form CEO Brjann Sigurgeirsson...

NL: Earlier this year you stated it had been a sales success early on, can you talk a little about that?

BS: Well, we didn't have much to compare with, but it easily surpassed the last three games we've made (Anthill, SteamWorld Tower Defense, SteamWorld Dig) at launch. Obviously Heist is priced higher so we wouldn't have to sell a mountain of units, but we were still surprised at the volume during the first three weeks.

It's kept moving quite decently even though we haven't been heavily featured on the eShop since New Year's. I thought we'd see a drop off a cliff once our launch discount, shop feature and home menu theme went away, but the eShop isn't Steam or the App Store. People go to the eShop looking for quality, and they dig it out.

NL: Are there plans for more DLC to expand SteamWorld Heist in future?

BS: Yes...

NL: Do you have any news to share yet about the Wii U version of Heist, and will the DLC be available day one in that version?

BS: News: the Wii U version is coming, and you'll be happily surprised. Not in a way that should put you off getting it for 3DS - because you should! But... yeah. There's a pleasant surprise there.

DLC: Yes, The Outsider will be available day one on Wii U. Some people think day-one DLC is a nuisance, and that the content should have been included in the game - preferably at no cost. I don't agree. We've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars (even pounds!) making The Outsider, and we obviously have to charge for our content, so that we can continue making new stuff. Including DLC content as part of the game and raising the price point is also a matter of taste. I think providing DLC outside the game gives players the choice whether they want to spend additional money on a game or not. It's pretty fair.

No names, but some friends of mine initially released DLC content for one of their games for free - and then started charging for it, since it made no financial sense. It turned out a bit nasty for them. I think it's better to be upfront about it. We make content. Content costs money.

NL: Are there any plans for cross-buy promotions for those that want the game on both Wii U and 3DS?

BS: Yep! We'll figure out a good way to let people who own the game on one platform benefit from getting it on the other.