Following the launch of Braid: Anniversary Edition on 14th May 2024, creator Jonathan Blow has lamented the game's performance, calling sales "utterly terrible".
Blow's ruminations have been compiled in a video from the YouTube channel Blow Fan and reported by our friends over at Push Square. It takes clips from his Twitch sessions in which he answers questions from fans, many of which seem to be fixated on Braid: Anniversary Edition's sales.
The clips illustrate Blow's increasing frustration with its performance: the first from 20th May featured a more optimistic vibe, with Blow stating that it's "a little too early" to determine what Braid's ongoing sales might look like in the coming weeks and months. Fast forward to 21st July and Blow simply states that sales for the game "have been terrible, they've been utterly terrible".
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He also notes that Steam is undoubtedly the biggest platform for the studio, but had the decision been made to save on porting costs and forego a release on Switch and other consoles, sales would have still been disappointing.
Sadly, this is the reality of releasing a game in 2024 for many studios. The competition is simply too great when compared to Braid's initial launch in 2008. It's a shame though, since we thought the rerelease was well worth checking out, awarding it a coveted score of 9/10 in our review.
Did you buy Braid: Anniversary Edition on Switch? Why do you think it performed so poorly? Let us know with a comment.
[source youtube.com, via pushsquare.com]
Comments 146
If there had been a physical release, I would have purchased it. Digital? No thanks.
I could be entirely wrong, but Braid had some decent name recognition behind it from its first go around, and based on other similar games from that time that DID sell like hotcakes, I think they may have missed the window on a Switch port being profitable. I didn't realize we were already at that stage in the Switch's life cycle, but it does make sense.
A shame indeed - with them having a finished and well respected game that was perfectly fine in its original form, they really, really should have planned a release in the Switch eShop’s early years. At that time a good indie release was still somewhat rare. Not the case now, and for every good indie we choose to buy and play, 20 more release that we are forced to ignore. We are in a world of plenty like never before - and that has both positive and negative aspects to it.
I feel like if you wanted to play Braid, on Steam anyway, you would just... buy Braid? I never understood why this game was getting an anniversary edition in the first place. The original is still perfectly playable and still gorgeous to look at. Why would I buy the Anniversary Edition over the original, which is cheaper and still fine?
The problem is I already have it, and since 2D games aged better, I don't want to rebuy the game again. Especially when there's a lot of great indie games right now, more than I have time to play it.
@Desrever Yup, I think the game will sells better if it released when the switch launch way back on 2017.
@Markatron84 Because braid is no longer available on the steam store 😅
I already have it on steam so it's no problem for me but it kind of suck people can't buy the cheaper version of the game now.
This reminds me, is there supposed to be a "World of Goo 2" or did I imagine it? WoG was 1 of the first great indie games I played on Wii, wondering if the 2nd will also suffer a similar fate? 🤷♂️ (Coincidentally both Braid and WoG both released in 2008, so there's the connection for those offended that I went "off topic" 😁 )
OK so I searched and WoG 2 is a thing and it's due out, in 2 days on Friday? Way to market your game Tomorrow Corporation. 😜
Judging by the 14 comments yeah sales may bomb.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/04/world-of-goo-2-has-been-delayed-to-august-on-switch
Edit: OK in fairness to Tomorrow Corporation they did put out a trailer for WoG 2 on YT 4 days ago, Nintendo Life just decided not to cover it, even though it's a Switch console exclusive (also on PC and Mac) for some reason.🤷♂️
Edit 2: For a game coming out in 2 days, still no price for WoG2 on Epic Games Store and the Nintendo eShop page is rather lacking, so maybe it is them. 😝
https://worldofgoo2.com/
https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/World-of-Goo-2-2520728.html
Oh, and the Nintnedo UK store is weird. Like, really weird.
Edit 3 (last one I promise): UK store may eb weird but the US Nintendo store has no listing whatsoever that I can find for World fo Goo 2, just the original from 2017, for a game that's coming out in 2 days, and was in a Nintendo Direct. How does a game in a Nintendo Direct not have a page in the store?
https://www.nintendo.com/us/search/?slug=world-of-goo-switch#q=World+of+Goo&p=1&cat=all&sort=df
If anyone can find it feel free to let me know, thanks.
No physical release
I don’t really recall seeing this marketed much. Braid was notable for being an early indie success story but I think it’s actual fame in the industry, especially 16 years later, is a bit overstated. The name Jonathon Blow isn’t going to sell copies like Hideo Kojima.
When Braid was released in 2008, games like this were unique, the idea of a small studio making a small but fun game that is better than the AAA games was a novelty, now, even if your game is good, too much competition with similar games, if the original Braid was released today, it would likely be forgotten and sold even less.
It was groundbreaking on the initial release.
But in the decade-and-a-half (good god) since, it's been done, redone, and outdone by hundreds of indies since.
At first release it was clever. But to new audiences, it's "I've seen this already."
lol. lmao, even.
It's also free via Netflix, which is how I picked it up. That's gotta hurt sales somewhat.
@LadyCharlie you took the words out of my mouth. I came here to say exactly the same thing. I think that’s exactly the reason why no one cares.
By today’s standards is just another game in the bunch.
@DogDetective Yup same here.
Sorry but crying about sales? Boohoo, how does he think others get by? Ah wait by making a new game
@DogDetective
This sentiment is unfortunately part of the problem.
I too want a physical, but I'm not in a rush to play the game either.
That means I'm forgoing a digital release altogether.
Meanwhile, a game like Schim gets a physical release and that's how I'm going to get the game.
Great game but no physical no buy from me!
Maybe they should have put the title of the game on their Home Screen menu icon. That’s at least 35,000 sales dismissed due to lazy design.
Braid was incredible for its time, but I found it to be a 'one and done' experience. I can see why it's not selling.
I mean, that's gonna happen when you barely market a remaster of a 16 year old indie game that has been since usurped from its indie royalty throne by other games that have come out in that time and especially in the case of the Switch version, releasing super late into the life cycle of a system you had basically no established audience on doesn't help either.
Braid's still a decent little game and I respect it for being a trailblazer for indies back in the late 2000s but this remaster was always fighting an uphill battle and Blow is a fool if he thought otherwise.
I've barely ever seen or heard mention of this game and it never really looked very appealing to me to begin with. So yeah, sorry, but still no sale from me.
It sold badly because most have played it already. I suspect that has more to do with it.
I mean the game is great.
So great that most people know it exists and if they have interest in it, already own it.
So great that it's been a highlighted product in several Humble Bundles, and has shown up as a promotional "free" game on several services.
So great, that in the 15 years (ish) years since release the idea has been copied, improved on, expanded on, refined, reinvented, and repacked by dozens of other developers.
So great, that you could argue it's one of the games that fueled the "indie game renaissance " resulting in hundreds of games that are similar in tone and feel, including several that are vastly superiour simply because they got to learn from the lessons this game taught us.
So you re-released this game that people have had countless opportunities to pick up for free or at an extremely low price, which was successful largely because of it's uniqueness and how it stood out then, but at a time when the genre and target market is completely saturated with other games, after so many years of delays that any hype is gone and people have forgetting this was even coming out ... and can't figure out why it's not selling?
I guess we'll never know.
As someone who wasn't exposed to the original, my immediate thought when I saw this announced was that the main character looked laughably dorky, and then someone pointed out the story is bad and very 2000s (I looked it up and this was indeed the case!).
I'm sure it's a lovely game (and I've heard nothing but good things about the gameplay), but gaming is a different beast than it was in 2008. I wonder how much the simple matter of time moving forward is (ironically) the issue.
Blow has been absolutely toxic online for years. His Twitter is a cesspit. Tbh I’m glad this has crashed and burned for him.
Braid was very solid but never deserved the level of praise it got. If it hadn’t been for Xbox Live Arcade putting eyes on it you’d really wonder would he have been successful with that first breakout game?
something about the look and maybe even title of this game always creeped me out so I never played it. 😬 I've never had or wanted tbh an xbox or a good PC setup either.
I have no respect for someone crying over disinterest in buying a marked-up warmed over old game which AFAIK has been available cheaply on a major platform* every day since release.
(*correct me if I'm wrong - did this game ever leave Steam/xbox?)
i never played Braid. thought it always looked janky and just never caught my interest. i couldn't care less that it's experiencing poor sales. it's not our jobs as players to support and re-support games unless we love them. i have repurchased (some "free" on ps plus) every Resident Evil game to replay in order. i love those games and have no problem buying them again. Braid? who gives a sh*t?
Yeah I loved the original at the time but really had no desire to play this version... Maybe if it was like a full remake or something I'd have given it a shot, but this basically looked like the same game, and it's not exactly the type of game that asks for repeat plays.
Right, I played it so many years ago, enjoyed it. No reason to do it again though. Make something new maybe?
To be honest, the game is old in terms of video game history. People were probably just not waiting for this anniversary edition. Many people have played the game and it would have to be one of the greatest games of all time to truly justify this release. So is it really that big of a surprise that this didn't perform well? I think not.
Not that surprised - as nice as it was the game didn't really require a "HD" remaster IMO.
Worse still, whilst I likely would have purchased again it down the line, it also released for "free" via Netflix so now I have no zero need to invest in a purchase.
'Arranger' did the same deal with Netflix, but thankfully I didn't realise this was on the service until after I purchased it on Switch (for which I have ZERO regrets)
Mea culpa, having a larger than life (and disposable income) wishlist can bench a lot of it despite all your hype even though it's still generally a matter of when, not if (and will be a double-dip following my GOG copy from way back when, too). Heck, I only got around to investing in Fuga 2 earlier this month, and I unironically rank that game a more head-turning 2023 Switch release than TotK it boldly shared the launch window with. Here's to more folks like myself ensuring prospective legs for the game and to no delisting curveballs getting in the way of that.😅
I know it’s critically acclaimed but I didn’t enjoy it when I played it. It was good but just not something I could figure out. An easy mode that just walks me through it would have actually gotten me to repurchase it though 😂🤣🤷♂️🤷♂️
Also, did they just up res it to HD and that’s it? Or does the anniversary version have something new?
@wiiware
I just checked and you're right! What an absolute arsehole move.
In my case it's because I was waiting for a physical release. An indie like this, one of the ones which started it all, deserved a physical edition day one.
Many indie developers complain when the sales don't go as they expected, the creator behind The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa specifically ranted about people not buying DLCs, but I want to believe that I'm not the only one who waits for a physical release or a complete edition with all the extra content, and don't want to pay digital when there is a physical down the line for latecomers to grab. Done it many times already, I wanna be a latecomer now, if they don't release things physically day one.
Unfortunate, but not surprising considering what the article and previous comments have already mentioned and also that it's been slightly discounted at launch and then never again at least here in Europe according to Deku Deals - again, putting games on sale (of course even more so if significant, but it's not strictly necessary) helps the visibility of games and so their sales!
As the article writer says, there is simply too much competition. This game sounded interesting but it wasn't something I had heard of before and there are somewhat similar games on my backlog so I wishlisted Braid, but it wasn't the top of my priority list. I fully intend to buy the game at a future 50% off sale if/when that happens, but I didn't feel excited enough to snag it day-1.
How many times has the original been on sale or a part of a humble bundle in the last decade and a half?
Also as others have said.... Isn't this guy a bit of a jerk when it comes to online presence and opinions, don't think that's gonna help your sales in the indie market where fans tend to support nice people.
At least this edition can be called a genuine "indie" in the sense that it has not found mainstream success. Not being mainstream should be a badge of honour for an indie.
It was an interesting game when it came out, nothing revolutionary, and there's plenty more out there nowadays to choose from.
I've purchased it on day one, but in my opinion this game didn't age too well. It's too short and kinda shallow comparing to some modern puzzle platforming games. There's something cheesy about Braid. It was quite revolutionary in its days, but it didn't last long. Also, I really love developer commentary in games, but in Braid: Anniversary Edition it's too much and detailed, which makes it boring. I gave up on listening all of it.
A lot of the early indie games became popular ONLY because they were one of the early indie games.
If they had been released now, in this abundant indie games environment, they wouldn’t have made it, if at all because they were truly not anything of note.
Stanley Parable = Physical release. Ordered.
Braid = Digital-only release. Lol.
Should have found a way to partner with the Fez peeps and put out a physical release with them both on.
What did he expect to happen?
It's an unnecessary re-release, of a game that is already widely available.
And there is way better indie titles out there now, that I doubt anyone would care about this anymore.
I think another reason is that it took so long to come out that a lot of people forgot that it was even coming out at all, it was announced in 2020 so it took 4 years to release, I remember that when it came out I've seen a bunch of comments here and elsewhere that just said "wait, when was this announced?"
To be honest, I don’t care why it performed poorly. This was a Very pointless article
In it's time Braid was important, an indie game with innovative gameplay at a time such things were only beginning. But it was quite ugly then to me, even tho I played it. It's still very very very ugly even in its remastered in 2024. Needed a better facelift to get sales. The novelty of it made it stand out at the time...but nowadays not so much.
@World The story is good and was almost universally well received? It's also about the atomic age, so not very 2000s ... Not sure how you "look up" things that are so subjective anyway.
The market has changed so much since the original Braid launched, I don't know why they thought it would do so much better than it has done.
Braid and The Witness are two great games, but of the two the one that I still think about to this day, the one that still looks fantastic, the one that really amazed me with it's smart puzzles and game design....was not Braid, it was The Witness.
Braid feels of it's time and it's great, but I don't need this version with extra commentary and such. I honestly just want to play The Witness again or see what else he can come up with.
@DogDetective Implying that there's somehow a huge market for physical versions of small and short indie games in this day and age, and that it somehow might make a difference in sales.
Face it, the people crying about physical copies of indie games are a loud minority of an already niche audience, which is why major publishers only publish AAA games physically while the likes of LRG and their ilk prey on FOMO.
Next time have Souljaboy to promote it.
@Desrever
The original sold because of the small, "curated" Xbox Live Arcade platform at the time.
Braid was one of my first indie games ever on Xbox Live back in the day, and I absolutely hated it despite its praise. To this day, the majority of games I play are indies, but this one just felt cryptic and frustrating. Maybe the poor sales are a result of a game that didn't age as well as people thought, or maybe it just got lost in the shuffle at the wrong time.
#1 - It's also available on Netflix for completely free. I'd imagine a huge portion of people interested in playing or replaying Braid have Netflix
#2 - I don't think it's aged well. It was unique when released but other games have done similar tricks much better.
@cvrator What I mean is that someone said the story was unappealing and I looked up the plot and found that it was, in fact, unappealing to me as well.
I did not mean "literally set in the 2000s." I meant it uses the common "save the princess...but with a twist!" trope of the late 90s/2000s era that is not personally to my taste and comes off a bit "of the time" nowadays.
It's fine if other people like it; it's just not going to be for me.
I was far, far more interested in The Stanley Parable than this, and while I did buy the re-release of Stanley Parable, I didn't stick with it long. Long enough to play with a bucket, anyway.
A re-release has a lot to prove.
@GarlicGuzzler hahahaha, I don't remember that specifically but it does seem like a thing Mr. Blow would do
US$20 for a digital exclusive?
No wonder it ain't selling.
I mean, I already bought and played Braid elsewhere. To completion. With all the stars. I don't see why anyone who did the same would buy it again.
@JCWrites I'm surprised no one else mentioned this (unless it's just further down). I had never heard of it until now. I have Netflix. Boom, free game worth playing!
Tell me what the Netflix download numbers are and you'll probably find it's super popular, but no one paid for it!
I’m glad. He’s a w*nk.
I'm not buying it for the same reason I'll never buy a Tesla: not giving my money to douchebags!
Unpopular opinion warning. Honest to goodness, I absolutely hate this game. I enjoy a good puzzle game, but I have never been more angry at a game than this one. Instead of feeling smart, this game feels like it's taunting the player. It's one of the few games I have hidden from myself in my Steam library so I don't think about it.
@rjejr Yeah as someone who has been following the game since it's announcement, the marketing for World of Goo 2 has been horrible. The was a trailer in a Direct quite a while ago and then nothing until almost a week before release. Not to mention that there's no eshop page in the UK, so no opportunity for people to wishlist it :/
@GregamanX Oh my gosh, same. I was so confused when everyone said the game was amazing. I thought I was on crazy pills when I played it and hated every minute of it.
@davetobin surprised there aren't more comments about this. Blow himself is awful and I'd never give him a penny.
Sorry Blow, it’s not 2008 anymore. It’s no longer just you and Edmund McMillen making your own video games.
I am extremely not shocked at all by this. It is a 16-year puzzle platformer. First, about half the owners (or more) of a Switch weren't even born when that game first came out so there is no "name recognition". Second, many who had been born came back to gaming with the Switch so there is no name recognition there either. To others' point, many already own it on another platform and it still plays great. Third, like Metroidvanias, there are a lot of other puzzle platformers on Switch, many of which stand on the shoulders of Braid...and are regularly on sale for $2. That undermines the value proposition of this release.
That's because everyone already has it. It has been in so many bundles. And it isn't a game with any replayability.
@Zach777 While I am fully onboard with the hate for bad Switch home icons, where did you get the 35,000 number? If that's even remotely a real thing then I genuinely could use the data for my day-to-day job!
The indie scene was really small back then, we were desperate for a 2d platformer. I'm not opposed to buying games a few times for different platforms, I'm always looking for another platform to beat Enter the Gungeon on for instance, but I played Braid years ago after all the praise it got and felt it was really overrated. I got stuck in the first hour of playing, got frustrated and quit. I'm not going to buy a game like that again just because they re-release it and call it an anniversary edition.
And the game came out a long time ago, the dev was an idiot not putting the game out on the Switch's release, rather than 7 years later. Back then the store had fewer games and over time they would have made some money. Kind of too late now.
Physical cartridge + box is the only way to get that "FOMO" feeling of missing out.
I'm not in a rush to play any game. I don't have a gaming addiction, I have a shopping addiction.
The only games I own digitally across PC and switch are games where the physical option was unviable.
I went out of my way to pay $80 for a opened copy of Shantae Pirate Curse, when I knew it was not only 1/10th the price digitally on sale, but also after I had pirated it and played it to completion on Android, and PC.
I also spent $45 to import Okami from Japan, knowing it goes as low as $8 on Switch and $5 on PC, after I pirated the game on another platform.
I will go out of my way and spend more money on my physical collection/shopping addiction, than go the easier and cheaper route of digital distribution. If I buy a game digitally, it's either the game isn't available physically and I want to play it, or buying it physical is unreasonable due to scalpers.
I would have spent twice the price on Braid if I thought there'd be a limited time to snatch up a limited print/physical copy. Being only digital, I'm not in a rush
Shoulda released The Witness on Switch instead
I enjoyed Braid back in the day on the 360 but that was back when indie games like this were a lot less common. These days with so many quality indie games being released on all platforms Braid was most likely always going to be left in the dust.
In my opinion better games have come out since then but I will always appreciate the game for what it contributed to the indie scene back then.
I would buy a physical version. Sod competition and commercial excuses, times are hard right now. Folk need to go the extra mile to get people to spend on entertainment (especially as quiet as this release has been)
I dead ass didn't even know it released. Since it's digital only, I'll just wait for a sale.
I mean the thing is, Braid had been available on Steam for forever now. I liked it when I played it, and I still own it. Why should I repurchase it just to play the game again when I have it? Now multiply that out for this remaster's target audience, and add in that all new players have so many more choices for indies on Steam and other platforms. To people who haven't played it, I imagine it looks really generic to them, and the trailer doesn't do much to pitch it an what makes it unique.
Tl;Dr yeah no ***** it didn't sell
Honestly, I think the indie gaming landscape has just changed. People is no longer that interested in early indie games, the indie platformers market is oversaturated and the competition is really tough.
I think games such as Limbo and Cave Story would never perform as well as they did if they were released this year. And most of the early indie studios weren't able to reach mainstream success in the current market.
@World fair enough. I think the twist still holds up but I'm def not gonna' try and talk you into playing it. The story kind of takes a back seat to the gameplay anyway and it's a bit tired at this point (and as others have noted the creator is a bit of a jerk)
i really just think this is the result of the games initial popularity. EVERYONES heard of this game, so pretty much everyone whos interested in it has already played it. i cant imagine remasters appeal to many people who have played the original, especially such a linear puzzle platformer. its not really a game many people would bother revisiting either
i personally did buy the remaster just because i've always wanted to get around to playing this game ive heard so much about over the years (it was a tough decision because i naturally have a pretty poor view of the creator lmao). but i really do think im in the minority, pretty much anyone else whos heard about it either decided to play it years ago or to never bother with it
Others have mentioned this already in this thread, but I don't recall seeing very much marketing for it, or even knowing when it released. I also don't have any nostalgia for the game, other than remembering it was an important indie release way back when. I think more marketing would have helped sales.
@MJL That part of the comment was an inflated exaggeration… the rest dealing with bad icons… need to be fixed.
Looking at you, Oregon Trail, 1000xResist, Sonic Mania, Skyrim, El Shaddai, Braid… etc.
@cvrator Duly noted! I appreciate the alternative take on the plot! It may be that it's better in game than when experienced by just reading the summary as I did.
And regarding the gameplay, yeah; Braid isn't the only example of this, but some of these early indies I do struggle with playing now. The gameplay might have been groundbreaking for the time, but unfortunately the games that they inspired just end up being better so it's hard to go back!
(Regarding the creator, I'm getting that impression reading the comments! So perhaps this one is best avoided in any case.)
Pioneer of the indie gaming scene that it was, that ship has long since sailed and far more interesting games have been made since then. Sometimes a game is just great for when it came out and a remaster/remake/re-whatever isn't going to set the world on fire.
Blame Soulja Boy
@Rottytops I love how you talk about paying so much for Shantae when you freely admitted on this website to scamming someone by resealing your copy and selling it to someone for $325. So it's not surprising you want physical when you're trying to pull bs like that.
@Markatron84 Yeah I feel the same. It is personally one of my favorite games of all time, but I never had any desire for a remake. The OG is already very pretty and doesn't seem outdated in any way. Still, I think he added some more content here, so maybe I'll check it out eventually.
Played the original back on XBLA. It was cool…for the time….now? Meh…
I always felt Braid was overrated, and the hype for Blow as a creator was cringe. It was a cool indie game at a time when indie console games were almost unheard of and Blow could get journalists attention by being the fart-sniffing artist in an industry that desperately wanted to be seen as legitimate art. With that being said the actual game never matched the praise it received imo.
In 2024 it's a mediocre indie in a sea of indies and Blow's celebrity is all but evaporated.
I own the original Braid on Steam. Didn't enjoy it enough to play more than an hour or so.
On the other hand, his game The Witness is genius and possibly my favorite puzzle game ever. I bought it on PS4 and Steam Deck and have completed it multiple times.
The gameplay in Braid was interesting but I never cared about the aesthetics or characters or "story" in Braid. The appeal is purely in the clever game design. Maybe my lack of interest in the game's setting or aesthetics has something to do with the fact that I'm in no hurry to try the new version.
I think that having a charming art style can really elevate a game to make people fall in love with it even beyond the clever gameplay - a good example of this for me is Baba Is You, which of course has some extremely unique and interesting gameplay, but also has an adorable and slightly off-kilter art style which serves to get me so much more invested in the game.
Yeah I dunno. Braid aways felt extremely incongruous... you have a man in a suit, stomping on extremely unpleasant-looking knock-off goomba heads? In a grassy plains? Something doesn't quite work here.
That’s disappointing.. I did buy it.
I think it’s the loooooooooooo-
-oooooong delay that killed any hype. People had already given up on it. And when it did release it received no promo push from Nintendo.. never appeared on the front page. Almost made me wonder if Nintendo was annoyed about some missed deadline.
I find taking Braid off Steam (sold for $5) in favor of a slight remake for $20 is really *****
@NintendomPower But why? If the price had dropped to 5$ that’s too low. He’s not obliged to basically give away his work for free. Instead he chose to update it, hoping the game would be appreciated by a new generation, who would have never tried it without an up-to-date presentation and a new marketing push. Sounds really fair. Didn’t work out apparently but that’s not down to pricing.
Many of us don't trust Nintendo not to take our games away in a few years when they decide to close down the switch e-shop as they've done with all their previous consoles. Now XBox-one store is shut down, too. This is a recurring trend - people want to know they're going to have their games no matter what after they buy them. The lack of a physical release definitely hurts publishers that opt for digital only - unless it's on steam (who has proven themselves over more than 20 years).
I didn't even know it was out?
Kinda too bad, but maybe it's cause the original still looks and plays so well, and everyone probably already has it? I'm sure I'll get the urge to replay it at some point and will pick this up on sale so I can have it on the Switch. This is one of those games that I feel everyone should play though, it's a masterpiece.
Sorry to hear Jonathan, but price is king. Drop it to £5 and I’m buying it. ID software released both Quakes for £6 each, I bought both the moment they arrived on Eshop.
Your currently asking to much for the game, LOWER THE PRICE to £5 and watch the sales rise.
I'm really surprised he never ported The Witness to Switch. That's an amazing game and could have sold well if it had come to Switch a few years ago.
I still want to get this on Switch at some point. Not really surprised it hasn't sold well; it was announced, had no release date for a while and then delayed. I didn't see much advertising for it either.
Twenty bucks for an "anniversary edition" of a sixteen year old indie game that just about everyone who wanted to play by now, probably has. Does Jonathan really not see the problem here? Plus, it's not like he's got name recognition going for him either. I never even heard of him until I read this article. If I didn't already know what Braid was, I probably wouldn't have even clicked it.
I own the original on both PC and Xbox. I plan on getting the anniversary edition on Switch and Xbox, but preferrably in either case not for the full price.
@LXP8 Well there is this sort of non-functioning page on the UK eShop, which is more than the US got which is literally nothing, at all.
https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/World-of-Goo-2-2520728.html
I'm used to games in Nintendo Directs going up on the eShop immediately, sometimes w/ a 10% offer for buying the first week, or pre-ordering, to not be there is just really odd. To be fair I haven't looked on my actual Switch yet but not expecting it to be there. And I can't find a price anywhere. Expecting it to be $20 but 2 days out you would think it would be somewhere.
If they have a marketing person they are overpaying them. 🤑
Maybe I'll just wait for it to be free on the Epic Games store, shouldn't take long advertising it like this. 🤷♂️
Phew why is everybody being so cheap 😕 This is an award winning game… I don’t like this line of thinking that games should only ever get cheaper as they grow older. If it’s a great game and fun to play why shouldn’t its price remain adequate?
Look at Xbox - they’re struggling to make a profit, because most people wait for the inevitable price drop before buying a game. That and the subscription service. Now they’re all but exiting the games market. Sony is struggling as well to recoup costs.
Nintendo is healthy. Why? Because they keep prices stable throughout a whole generation!
Well i mean $20 for an old indie game that's not relevant much anymore I picked it up hella cheap on steam, its not my fault most indie games are priced $15 and less (especially on sale) and its trained me to not pay much more than that for a indie game unless its something endlessly amazing like dead cells... That being said paying $35 for a physical copy of something like cult of the lamb is too much too.(However i did buy that, for that much)
His reaction will not help his cause at all. And maybe that doesn't matter at this point.
Eh. I bought it on wiiu. Wasn’t that great. No need to buy it again for me.
Edit: bought it on either xbox or pc. Don’t remember which. Don’t care enough to check.
@EarthboundBenjy Yeah! The guy in a suit! It's such a dorky/odd look that's not appealing. Like okay, I'm in this whimsical storybook world and now I'm playing as...Jeff from Accounting??? Come on now.
(No slight intended to platformers with a guy in a suit, though; I would like to take a moment to acknowledge Salaryman Shi as being an excellent platformer about a guy in a suit)
Having played this game to death when it launched — and then watching so many analytical videos discussing the hidden meanings behind its ending messages and correlation to real-world events — not enough time has passed to warrant a return to it yet. It's not old enough for me to start to feel nostalgic for it yet, and the structure of the game is such that actively discourages additional runs. There's no incentive for replaying it, let alone repurchasing the entire game to do so.
This guy is just upset because the wild runaway success of its initial launch made him think the game had earned a timeless (natch) appeal that, unfortunately, it simply does not have. What was once an indie phenomenon is now a relic of a genre that has since seen vast improvements and genius entries that far surpassed anything this game accomplished. Sad to say, but it's true.
The game is a one trick pony followed by horse jumping over an obstacle and crashing face first into the ground... No need to replay
The game sold over 450,000 copies originally, which is more than enough sales for the average developer. Since that time hundreds of indies have released, perhaps Braid just had its time and that’s fine.
I mean there’s over 4,000 games available on the Switch eshop! What kind of sales numbers is he looking for?? There’s no physical option either. It’s a classic indie game but there’s just too many other similar or even better games available to play. And at $20 being too high imo perhaps he should consider a sale or permanent price reduction?? 10 bucks tops.
It's kind of ironic that Blow is stuck in a time loop trying to flog an old time manipulation themed game that everyone and their dog played 15 years ago. It's not even like the game has replay value. It stinks of him trying to do as little as possible to justify a re-release just to up the general price. Dude should have moved on and spent more of his time working on something new.
The problem is that Braid does not hold up.
The puzzle design is really smart, but being able to skip most of them really cheapens the whole experience. This would be ok for completionists or the hardcore, but the game punishes you for doing this.
I can't be the only person who avoided this because the dev is a real jerk, right?
It isn't rocket science just add up the following
1) older game that has not kept with the zeitgeist. It doesn't help the dev doesn't make games at a more frequent rate, which keeps his work out of the spotlight.
2) Jonathan Blow is continuously making himself no friends with his online presence
3) It is a Netflix freebie. So anyone with a Netflix account can just test it out thay way
I bought this (albeit on sale). The developer commentary was enough to get me through the door, but that’s not the case for many others. I’m not sure we’ve ever been in a time where people seem to care so little about how games are actually made, and yet so confident about their expectations for games.
So outside of the developer commentary, what else did this bring? The original still looks good and is probably obtained cheaply on PC.
@Zach777 I actually don't have much to complain about with Braid's icon because the artwork is so nice on its own. Still could use a logo, but among the logoless icons, it's probably a contender for the best.
El Shaddai, on the other hand, has such a poor icon that it killed any interest I had in buying it on Switch.
@TotalHenshin The artwork was redone, and there are 13 completely new stages not tied to the developer commentary.
Yeah because everyone already freaking owns it, I had to buy it on steam deck because the remaster was delayed for like 2 and 1/2 years on switch.
To tell the truth, I kinda lost track of this game. Had this been released on the 3DS eShop in 2012 or 2013 I probably would have bought it.
For those wondering, it's been in the Humble Bundle three times and I bought all of them, albeit mostly for the other games in the latter two cases.
I have the OG version and haven’t yet played it so I didn’t pick up the new version.
We are collectively over it. It had its 15 minutes of fame but its now irrelevant today. Indie scenes moved on and honestly it will be ulimately forgotten.
This is one of very few games where I find the art style so deeply and intensely revolting that I'll never play it.
Sorry about that, Jon. I already own the game.
It's terrific, but I've already beaten it twice because of THAT bit.
I would've probably bought a Switch release of The Witness.
But, now I'm just waiting patiently for your next thing. <3
@Pod would absolutely buy the witness on switch!
I was going to try this with my Netflix family subscribtion but unlike a game like Valiant Hearts Coming Home, it requires the main user of the family to log in. Guess I won't be supporting this game in anyway then.
@PikaPhantom Thanks for the response. I knew the artwork was redone, but as it being a 2D game, and by other responses here, I don’t think that mattered much to folks. The new levels do matter though!
Expected. But still good to hear, game is middling, and Blow’s absolutely toxic and harmful behavior means even I was interested I’d choose to spend my hard-earned money for something else, it’s not like there’s a shortage of much better indie games.
@Desrever I think it’s an issue with the game. It had some recognition as an early Xbox Arcade game, but it hasn’t been able to outshine the likes of Meatboy, Shovel Knight and SteamWorld Dig. Also, there are FAR more indie titles than there were when Braid originally launched on Xbox Arcade.
From the sounds of the article, he said not porting to the consoles would’ve been a mistake. Even though the Steam SKU is leading, it’s still horrible sales for them. There’s so many choices, I don’t think Braid turns the heads it once did and doesn’t have the nostalgia factor as other contemporaries of its time.
From what I understand, studios are still making a lot of money from Switch eShop sales.
I have no idea what anyone here is saying. Braid is Braid. I haven't played another game like it. I've played loads of indie games doing other things that aren't what Braid is doing. Maybe similar things, maybe better things. But they're not really Braid.
I just think everyone's played it already. It's a landmark game. It holds up, whatever that means. It didn't really need a remaster. I already have it in my Steam library.
I played it on Xbox years ago and honestly didn't think it was that great. I love indie games but this one never clicked with me.
I can’t imagine there’s a large group of people to whom, “the same game but with commentary” sounds appealing enough for a double dip
@wiiware Blah, there are some 2D games that haven't aged well (Overzeal explains it well with Braid). You merely have a preference for 2D artstyles.
I didn't really like it at the time so have little interest in it now.
To be fair, it is on Netflix.
@Markatron84 the original was made for 720p and is starting to show it's age. The anniversary edition really is a big upgrade. Hellman redrew all the art, it has much more detail, with more parallax and animated brush strokes - it's really gorgeous. And a lot of work has been put into the sound too. They added ambient sounds, remastered all of the original sound effects and added some more (sound was very sparse in the original, other than the music). They even got stems for some of the music tracks and reworked them - In the later levels they managed to completely change the mood even though it's the same track. And the level of care they've taken with all of it is unsurpassed. At any point you can toggle between the old version and the remaster and the transition is always perfectly smooth, with all sounds lining up perfectly.
For me the main draw (having already finished the game a bunch of times) was the commentary. They really went all out with it. They made a new index world to keep everything organised, and made the index levels puzzles themselves. Aside from that there are I think 16 new levels, as well as some redesigned levels to accompany the conversations about puzzle design.
It's a shame it hasn't sold well because it really is the gold standard for what a remake/remaster should be. Significantly upgraded visuals and sounds to bring the game up to par with modern standards whilst staying faithful to the original, loads of behind the scenes content, and a decent chunk of fresh game content.
@PeterAndCompany the original released in 2008 which is old enough that it had a chance of finding a whole new audience of people who were too young at the time. It's a shame it doesn't seem to have happened because it clearly had a huge amount of care put into it.
I'm genuinely curious what games you would recommend for someone that liked Braid. I play a lot of puzzles games and there are a bunch of great ones, but I can't think of one that for me hits the same mark.
I'm probably far too late to join in this conversation. But, with respect to all the critical commentaries, I have to say that I think Braid is one of the greatest puzzle platformers of all time. Replaying it recently, I think it holds up 100% And yes, Jonathan Blow is a piece of *****. I'm not going to dispute that in the slightest. But I also think he's a true genius as a game designer, as evidence by both Braid and The Witness. The puzzle designs are some of the most clever and challenging in any game. The visuals are gorgeous (ok, except not the main character), the sound track is stunningly beautiful (maybe my favorite soundtrack ever). The story isn't isn't amazing, but the way in which story and game mechanics are blended is incredibly clever. And the final level is in the top ten greatest moments in video game history. Again, I say this with the utmost respect for everyone who disagrees. And, like joehendrey, I am begging those people who think this game has ever been surpassed to please specify exactly which games are superior. Not because I want to "win the debate", but because I truly hope you are correct: I would absolutely love to play games which have built on and surpassed Braid. In different genres, sure, there are better games. But in for puzzle games, I don't know of any. (Maybe Baba is You?)
@joehendrey yeah, obviously I completely agree. None that hit the same mark, in my estimation. But can you think of any that come close? (I hope you've played The Witness)
@Beaucine Yes, Braid is Braid. One of the all-time greats. But have you tried Prince of Persia: Lost Crown. It's a completely different game, much faster paced, and focused on combat. And, I don't think it's in the same league as Braid...but it does have two or three time travel puzzles that are pretty clever. If you love Braid, you might appreciate them?
@VoidSeraph Oh, it's in my backlog! I love Metroidvanias, obviously, so I was going to get around to the new Prince of Persia eventually.
As for the broader discussion, I think people are awkwardly comparing Braid to, say, something like Limbo, Inside, or Unravel. You know, modern cinematic platformers with puzzle elements. But those aren't Braid, which is a much more exacting, meticulous, even rigid game.
The only comparable games I can think of are, I don't know, The Swapper, which isn't as good; or much older classics, like Fire 'n Ice and Solomon's Key. To me, that's the puzzle platforming tradition Braid falls into.
@Beaucine Yeah, I think you're right. That more or less makes sense. And I love those games! They're moody and atmospheric. But in terms of puzzle-design specifically, Braid is way out of their league.
Nope, not clicking on a link titled ‘Blow Fan’ 😂
@Ryu_Niiyama Not sure what game you are thinking of, but Braid was never on WiiU.
@KeeperBvK I am thinking of Braid. shrugs I own all the major systems. I own thousands of games. So I got the system wrong. Not the end of the world.
I absolutely loved the original, but ever since Jon Blow revealed himself to be a massive conspiracy nut ***** on Twitter, I decided I wouldn't be giving him any more money.
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