A Nardio Indie Game Developer PSA
When a developer stops caring.
PANIC ART STUDIOS
Why I won’t support Panic Art Studios and why you shouldn’t either
I was going to review Hero Siege when it was originally released, but it was almost unplayable at launch. I decided to give Panic Art Studios some time to get their game together as they were telling Facebook fans fixes were coming.
After some updates the game was working really well. It was a fun but glitchy Diablo like game for the iOS. I honestly liked it. Sure there were a bunch of bugs and it was a bit shallow, but it was still a fun game. Then more updates happened and Hero Siege just broke. More updates happened and nothing was fixed. Meanwhile the game is still up on the iOS app store after months of no comment about the problems of the game. Panic Art Studios seemed to ignore questions they were asked on Facebook. The description for the game was updated a few months back with: “We are working on solving the issue with iPod 4Gen devices. Just be patient please, we are only 2 students making games for fun.”
Hero Siege back when it actually worked.
All well and good. I can totally get behind two kids working on a game in their spare time and it wouldn’t have even bothered me…except they got Hero Siege greenlit on Steam AND they have been updating that and previewing a few other games they have been working on.
The app store reviews just kept getting worse and Panic Art just didn’t get back to me or anyone else when asked about this game.
Finally, they got back to me and pretty much stated that they knew the game was broken for months, but there was nothing they could do about it. I find this shocking since the game has never left the app store. If they knew there was a problem they should have at least taken it down. But no. Finally, they said fixes were incoming, but a lot of older iOS models wouldn’t be able to handle it. I think I paid three to five dollars for this game after it launched since I was a fan of their previous game. Then came the final slap in the face to every mobile gamer that ever supported Panic Art Studios.
Preview of the new Playstation Vita game.
According to the developers, The mobile “port” is just a “revenue boost.” Which makes no sense when you realize the mobile port was the original game and it’s because of that they were able to get enough attention to be green lit on Steam. So there you have it mobile gamers. We were just the revenue boost for the game on Steam. Meanwhile, Hero Siege is still unplayable for me and many other gamers judging from the iOS reviews. I will never, ever support Panic Art Studios again. This makes me sad because they made some fun games before. Unfortunately, the disregard they have shown for their paying customers is nothing short of disgusting and shameful. Please don’t support developers who don’t support their own games. Especially if they knowingly leave a broken app for sale. That’s just wrong.
Below you will see my comments to Panic Art Studios on their public Facebook page and their responses with emphasis added. I cut out the other comments made by my fellow Facebook players. If you would like to see the original thread go here.
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Bernardo Español Is this update coming to the IOS version? Is there an update coming soon with fixes for the crashing? As is now its totally unplayable. -
Bernardo Español Ok I’ve written to you on facebook and have been commenting on your update posts since the game became unplayable a few MONTHS back. I’ve heard nothing back. Mean while the game has made it on steam and has gotten up dates there and more being touted. Meanwhile your iOS reviews are horrid because it seems you have all but forgotten the platform you originally launched on. Then you post screen shots from your upcoming game!
IS THIS GAME GETTING FIXED ON IOS?
Writing on the IOS description of the game saying give us time we are two students doesn’t fly when the game has been broken for months and it seems that you have just moved on. What about the customers who paid into your game so far and supported you? Why should we get your next game if you let this one just rot? -
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Panic Art Studios lag free on android is impossible, the game is just heavy, it has like 1500 assets in the game at once. thats something we are not even trying to make better, just waiting for next gen phones to take over. (Emphasis added) -
Bernardo Español I actually liked the game a lot on the iPad and was considering getting it on steam for my gaming rigs, but after Panic Art Studios just let the game on the iPad stay broken for months and ignore the reviewers and community I dont think its worth it. Im actually not surprised its not working well on the PC now.
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Bernardo Español We had no choice the iOS export for game maker was fucked up for months and we could only export a game that runs with 1-3 fps on a high end device. (Emphasis added)
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Bernardo Español Panic Art StudiosSo are you saying the game is dead on IOS? Yes or no is the game getting fixed?
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Panic Art Studios Bernardo Español it will get an update, altho iphone 5 down it wont work, too heavy.
20 hours ago · Like -
Bernardo Español So basically all the people who bought the game before with the minimum requirements stated before are out of luck. In the mean while you have a broken game up on the app store taking peoples money with the wrong system requirements.
Thats just messed up.
Never supporting you all again. -
Panic Art Studios Bernardo, we cant set the system requirements as they are integrated in game maker. Its a heavy game. I jave tried my best on making it run on mobile and its not working well. Just face it… its a console game anyway. Mobile controls and ui doesnt even work right. The mobile port is just a revenue boost (Emphasis added)
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Bernardo Español Panic Art Studios What angers me is that you know the app was just broken for months and you said nothing and ignored the questions you were asked about it.
Now you are blaming the program that made it and then the phones being too weak when at one point the game was working fine. The disturbing part is that you kept the app on the app store all this time while it was broken and ignored all the negative reviews from fans who were justifiably upset. You should have taken the app down.
Now your answers are for android users to wait for more powerful phones, and IOS users to deal with only some of the already advertised devices to maybe work whenever you get around to fixing it. Which seems like a low priority as you demo new games and updated steam features.
“Just face it… its a console game anyway. Mobile controls and ui doesnt even work right. The mobile port is just a revenue boost”
Thats a messed up thing to say considering the game was released on mobile FIRST. The steam hype was from that. Basically it sounds like you used the mobile gamers to get you on Steam and vita and then forgot about them because its too hard. Mean while the pawing customers who supported you are left with broken or crash happy apps. All the while you STILL have the app on the app store. Making you money and letting down gamers.
Did you set out to be this kinda developer?
Panic Art Studio Facebook Page
