Hello everyone! So, how was your day yesterday? Ours was pretty good…we’ve been playing this new game that was just released called Shovel Knight! On a serious note, THANK YOU BACKERS for making this game happen – you all made it possible! You made our dreams come true! Look for a review roundup in an update very soon… but here’s a little taste of the pretty unanimous praise!
- IGN: “Shovel Knight is my favorite game of 2014 so far, and a true testament to the power of the old-school.”
- Polygon: “Shovel Knight is so much more than a love letter to the genre — it is, in fact, the kind of game people write love letters about.”
- Destructoid: “Shovel Knight is one of the best platformers I’ve ever played, period”
Beyond the critical praise that we’ve received, there’s been a flood of very personal and touching stories of how Shovel Knight has impacted a lot of you. While we knew that we were making a game that we loved and poured ourselves into, we had no idea the level to which such a thing could resonate with you. It’s been amazing to read all of your responses and you should know that each one drives us to make something great in the future. You guys are truly the best!
This is only phase one in our world takeover plans– there is still much work to be done!!
We are So Sorry!!
Additional Regions (from US to EU, and AU too)
We’d like to apologize for how the code roll out was handled this week! Hundreds of you around the world incorrectly received a deceptive email claiming that your copy of the game was ready to go for Wii U and 3DS… only to discover the disappointing truth via an error prompt. We were expecting there to be an extra step in the pipeline to make this region choice more clear, but it seems to have fallen by the wayside. We’re really sorry… let us explain by putting some of the most common points to rest so that you too may rest:
For EU/AU (or any non NA) region backers awaiting a Nintendo platform code:
- Don’t worry! You will get your code. There are no irreversible errors that you could have made during this process.
- Please do not generate your platform code on your Humble page. This removes it from the pool for other backers who might still need to obtain a NA region code.
- If you have generated a code, we would prefer that you do not give it away to others. If you would like to, email your code to [email protected] with the subject “RECYCLE – Wii U” or “RECYCLE – 3DS”. This helps us get codes to backers who need them and is much appreciated. If the code was already used, then that’s okay too.
- We will be contacting you again with new codes once the time comes!
So where are we at with these regions? There haven’t been any new developments since our previous updates. Our rating process is mostly all the way through (which is a big step, to be sure!) but localization is in progress and it must be done before we can release. The game is already capable of supporting and swapping languages, but Shovel Knight’s text itself is currently being translated to more languages.
To improve clarity, brevity, and flavor we were constantly tuning Shovel Knight’s English dialogue and menu text. Because of that we were not able to get this ball rolling sooner. Once localized and tested, we need to send it off for final approval and certification. Since all of these steps require us working with external teams, we cannot yet provide a release date for these regions. This is not due to lack of effort but instead due to lack of certainty! Just know that these releases will take more than a few days time but less than many months time. We also apologize that this discrepancy in release dates is even a part of this project! Fixing this is our top priority.
For anyone wondering about a Japanese region release: This is something very much in our minds, but it will require much more preparation beyond our immediate region plans of AU and EU.
Working On: Additional Platforms (Mac and Linux)
We’re working as hard as we can to get the Mac and Linux versions out ASAP! Just as a reminder, anyone who has access to a PC/Steam copy of the game will also be able to access the Linux and Mac versions of the game once they are available. We can’t set a date as we aren’t too experienced with the amount of testing required to get these version out there without issue, but just so you know, lots of work is being done on it at the moment. We posted a picture of our Linux build very recently:
https://twitter.com/YachtClubGames/status/468868246238941184
Having it running on Linux also means the basics are done for Mac! It’s just a matter of making sure the specific things you’d expect on each platform are there and tested so the game can launch without a hitch. Hopefully, we can post more news about this soon!
Working On: Patches and Support!
No launch is perfect, despite all of our efforts, and we have caught wind of a few bugs in the 1.0 release of Shovel Knight! We’ve been receiving constructive reports from all players of issues big and small. The biggest known issues involve: Controller support, 120hz monitors, Tinker Knight boss non-progression (don’t land on the ground at the same time as him in the first phase!), and Steam Achievements. Thank you for sending these in! We’re logging these all down to quickly get a new build ready to help smooth out everyone’s experience! Once launch support dies down, we can start getting these fixes to you! You might even get a little feature add or two…
Working On: Emails, Messages, and Comments
We’re buried in the best of ways!!! We’re trying to get answers to everyone who has contacted us, but we’re dealing with a deluge on the support front alone. These take a lot of our time, so thank you for your patience! We hope that this update can help answer common questions. Please continue to use the address [email protected] to receive assistance for Humble specific problems.
On The Horizon: Physical Rewards
While we are constantly working on these, the shipping part has not begun. Almost every day we have a fresh box of goodies, knickknacks, and treasure arrive at our doorstep. Once we have all of them assembled, the shipments can begin! We’ll let you all know when we start that phase so you can keep an eye on your mail box!
On The Horizon: New Platforms?!?
A lot of people are learning about Shovel Knight for the first time and there is a vast sea of awesome gaming platforms out there. It is a goal of ours to see Shovel Knight arrive on all sorts of platforms — from consoles to handhelds and maybe even a few things in between? However, we still have our hands full with our initial plans. Once we have some surefire details we’ll be sure to tell you all about it!
On The Horizon: Stretch Goal Content!
We hope you are enjoying the main campaign of Shovel Knight! We’ll get cracking on all of exciting content updates soon. Challenge Mode, Playable Knights, Gender Swap, Battle Mode?! These are all on the docket to be released as free updates on all platforms. 3DS is still an exception for receiving the local multiplayer Battle mode — but we won’t know more until we get to it. We still need to design, develop, and iterate! This might even call for a few more Design Meeting hangouts…
Shovel Knight Digital Soundtrack (AND MORE)!
Thanks to everyone who tuned in to The Noise Channel Shovel Knight Listening Party! Shortly after it finished, the Shovel Knight Official Soundtrack went live on Jake Kaufman’s BandCamp website. Weighing in at almost 50 tracks, it’s an enormous and important part of the Shovel Knight experience!!
But that’s not all! Shovel Knight’s musical energy was so immense that a second arranged album has taken form! Behold, Strike The Earth! Shovel Knight arranged:
This album contains a staggering amount of arrangements from amazing guest musicians. We were blown away! There is some seriously great stuff in these takes on Shovel Knight’s track line up.
Both of these albums are made available under a “Name Your Price” model with no minimum set. Enjoy to your heart’s content!
Shovel Knight in the Nintendo World Store!!!
If you’re in the New York area and dying to spread your love around with your Nintendo buddies in a public place, take some time to check out the Nintendo World Store:
Nintendo was very cool and worked with us to get a physical presence in the store. Hopefully, we can get more goodies there in the future!