The recent cancellation of La-Mulana for WiiWare for territories outside of Japan stirred up a bit of brouhaha, and it was a long time coming. First the game’s release was put in question. Then the developers at Nigoro let us know that they didn’t know what the hold up was. Shortly after that, the game’s publishers announced its cancellation, and then the fans got upset. When fans get upset, conspiracy theories, finger pointing, and general grumpiness are sure to follow.
Thankfully, the good gentlemen at Nigoro are here to clear the air, and like true professionals, they’re taking responsibility for the cancellation of their game. It sounds like the inclusion of DLC was a major issue in getting the game approved by Nintendo of America and of Europe. Due to the WiiWare file size constraints, DLC was the only way they could include all the features that they planned for the game. They knew that going into development of the game, but they gave it a shot anyway. The gambled and lost. God bless them for trying.
It’s not all bad news though. The game is still coming to PC, complete with all the content that was intended for the WiiWare version. Nigoro also sounds keen on bringing the game to the 3DS eShop or PSN, and they haven’t ruled out working with Nicalis on that. I think the game would look great on 3DS, and judging by the popularity of Mutant Mudds, VVVVVV, and Might Switch Force, it might sell pretty well too.
Nigoro interview: “Overseas Sales are Essential” for Developer’s Future [IndieGames]
