One Day Was All Owlboy Needed To Flip A Profit On Nintendo Switch
/ Matthew ArcillaLooks like Nintendo has another “Nindies” success story to be proud of. During a recent Reddit AMA, D-Pad Studios CEO Jo-Remi Madsen stated that Owlboy turned a profit a mere 24 hours after release on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
While specific sales data is not publicly available given the action platformer was only released last month on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and in February on the Switch, we can only take Madsen’s word for it. Nonetheless, he said that the development took the team “by complete surprise” and that such profit “bodes really well” for the funding of future products.
Owlboy was released a year and a half ago on PC after a long nine-year development period. While no developer should take treat such a long development time lightly, profitability on the Switch is still great news for any game project. D-Pad Studios started work on the platform with the intention to “do pixel art right” at a time when 3D games remained the overwhelming norm.
That Owlboy still found success in a market where 2D indie platformers like Shovel Knight and Rogue legacy had become commonplace is something of a minor miracle. Moreso given that despite continuing success of indies on the Switch, discoverability for titles has become an issue on the eShop. Ultimately, the big takeaway from this is not just more projects from D-Pad Studios on the Switch, but more indie projects migrating to it.
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