It's actually part of a larger issue with Spike Chunsoft and Deep Silver

This might be the final nail in the coffin for Mighty No. 9: a game that already has a long history of development issues. According to the Japanese PSN storefront, Mighty No. 9 has been delisted in the region, with a customary opportunity to re-d??ownload it? if you're a prior owner.

As Rockman Corner points out this is less the fault of the quality of the game, and more directly related to the relationship between publisher Spike Chunsoft (MN9's Japan publisher) and global rights holder Deep Silver. Multiple partnership-published games like Saints Row IV are also disappearing from the Japanese PSN, and Spike Chunsoft likely has no reason to fight for Mighty No. 9 if sales have slumped or slowed.

It's a fitting end. In case you haven't read it yet, we have a full report on what seems to be the end of the road for Mighty No. 9?? and its still missing 3DS and Vita ports, and what went wrong along the way.

Mighty No. 9 [PSN via Rockman Corner]

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One studio we talked to paints a messy picture

I won't rest until the Mighty No. 9 saga is finally completed. After tracking down ??multiple companies to find out what happened to physical Kickstarter rewards a year a?fter the game's launch in 2017, following a lack of communication on all fronts, I was galvanized to see this entire situation through.

But it's not over yet.

Just in case you haven't heard, Comcep?t still hasn't released the 3DS and Vita ports from its Kickstarter campaign. Though it would be easy to assume? they were quietly canned, even as recently as late 2017 developer Comcept explained that the ports were on track. It's coming up on one year now with zero updates, and some backers I've spoken to specifically funded the campaign due to these ports.

On top of my experience covering this project for nea??????????????????????????r?ly five years, I've spent the last several months researching the entire 3DS and Vita situation from top to bottom. Here's what I came up with.

Before we get any further l??et??'s establish a timeline.

The project launched on August 31, 2013 and calling it an "overnight success" is an understatement. Mega Man co-father Keiji Inafune and his company Comcept were thrilled at the reaction, set to the tune of $900,000 (their full goal) and then some in just 24 hours. It would eventually go on to net $3,845,170, or roughly 400% of its initial goal. Given that the Mega Man series had been dormant at that time there was a clear thirst for another adjacent project. Fans even produced myriad comics of new protagonist Beck and Mega Man high-fiving -- it was an insane period of time for Comcept and the crew must have felt elat?ed.

Then the issues came. Time passed and people just weren't happy with the lack of communication from Comcept. While "wait until it's done" is a very normal and expected condition of gaming development, the company was not acclimating well to Kick??starter's trails and tribulations: namely, the need?? to provide backers with information on a regular basis.

As a result, most of the updates came posthumously after they had already been requested (or avoided) for months, and usually involved a delay of some sort. A lot of delays. This is to say nothing of the company infighting that occurred once Deep Silver took over as the western publisher and Inafune's constant need to consider adding more superfluous content amid all of the delays (and promises that there wouldn't be delays, followed by inevitable delays and even an apology demo).

The company also made the curious decision to pack every feature they hit during their stretch goals into the 1.0 edition, causing further holdups due to multiplayer modes and ancillary extras much of the community didn't even want. Then there's basically the masterclass in why campaigns shouldn't host multiple elaborate levels of physical rewards -- their brain had to communicate to multiple limbs to facilitate that nightmare. Those very rewards didn't ship until a year after launch behind schedule, and several media outlets (Destructoid included) had to track them down to get a timetable.

Speaking of launch: Mighty No. 9 eventually did arrive in June of 2016 to a tepid response. It wasn't the worst platformer in the world (for some it was actually okay, even, imagine that) but its art style was lacking and at that point the damage had been done due to mismanagement. Its troubled development process had colored perception entirely. The property fizzled and mascot Beck shifted from a hot up-and-coming multimedia commodity (TV shows, toys, and a movie were planned) to a cameo character and a mere memory.

The last Kickstarter update was October 2017 from Fangamer, telling backers to contact the company directly if they still need their physical rewards. The last actual Comcept post was in June of 2017, noting that the handheld versions "were not canceled, and are still in the process of porting." They also reaffirmed "everything is back on track now with an estimate of 2017," and promised to update folks "when [they] have more information." Cross-buy for Vita and a 3D effect for 3DS were even confirmed midway into development.

Fast-forward to 2018.

We've hit the second anniversary of Mighty No. 9 and we still don't have the 3DS and Vita editions highlighted during the Kickstarter campaign. Both versions were bundled together as the $3,500,000 stretch goal with the description as follows: "That's right! At this level, we can make digital versions of Mighty No. 9 for the two most popular handheld systems out there: the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS! (These will both be added to the list of available systems to choose from, so every backer who is set to receive a download version of Mighty No. 9 can choose either of these as the system for their game download, instead? of a home console or PC version.)" Many folks were counting on this, and even backed the campaign late in the game because of it.

So what's up with Mighty No. 9 right now?

The game's Facebook page ceased communications in June of 2016. I attempted to reach for comment through this page. The official website and Twitter account have been dead since September 2016. I also attempted to make contact there. Comcept's site ceased operations in July of 2016, so no luck getting in touch there either, or at its parent Twitter page that stopped tweeting in October of 2016. Comcept was absorbed into Japanese titan Level-5 in June of 2017. Level-5 Comcept has a site too (I had a colleague se?nd my inquiry to them in Japanes?e just to cover everything).

So I dug from there. Comcept is the lead on Mighty No. 9, but the official site lists Inti Creates as a co-developer, with support from Digital Development Management (a consultancy firm), 8-4 (a video game localization company based in Shibuya, Tokyo), 2 Player Productions (a video production team),?? Humble Bundle (key delivery), Fangamer (physical rewards), Udon (art publisher), and Epic Games by way of the Unreal Engine. After more digging I disc??overed that a studio named Abstraction Games was initially asked to produce the 3DS and Vita ports, a task that was eventually shifted to Engine Software.

I could not get in touch with C??omcept, Level-5, or any entity therein. Deep Silver (again, western publisher) declined to comment on the situation, as did Spike ?Chunsoft, the game's publisher in Japan. I have not heard back from 8-4 by the time of publication.  My Facebook message to Comcept was marked as "seen" by whoever is now operating it, but I did not get a reply.

One entity did decide to comment and help shed some light on the situation. CEO of Abstraction Games, Ralph Egas, explained how they got the deal for t??he portable editions and why it came crashing down.

Although the company did hint at development troubles back in 2015, Egas opened up with Destructoid and elaborated further. Egas states, "We had a deal in place that partially involved royalties. A deal we've had to agree to in a very short amount of time due to the Kickstarter campaign requirements and the handheld platform version being a stretch goal, etc. At that time I thought this was a great opportunity, but risky. We weren’t involved with Engine Software ourselves, alt??hough we have been engaging with them in the past on? other projects, just not on this particular project directly."

From his perspective, Comcept failed to communicate properly and deliver a final build on time. Egas states that the build was given "way later than planned" with "no intermediate builds and no source code until three or four months before they suddenly wanted to launch." Given that this Herculean task of pumping out ports (what Egas refers to as essentially a "demake" of the console and PC editions) in a short timeframe was impossible, they abandoned the project. Egas says that he took no plea??sure in the decision, but "business-wise, this was the only logical outcome lest we risk going under."

There was "zero progress" as they couldn't get started without a build. Egas contends that with frequent builds, access to the source code, and the ability to provide feedback on the engine conversion for the portable ports, they could have done a "proper job." This whole af??????????????????????????fair was "luckily" a letter of intent, and not a binding contract, he concludes.

From there the project shifted to Engine Software, a development Egas couldn't believe: "Engine Software told me about the shiny new deal they had just signed to which I responded 'Well good for you! I guess… I hope you know what you’re doing!'" The last public mention of Engine Software's involvement with Mighty No. 9 was March 2017. It is no longer listed as part of the "in development" section of their website. I was not able to make contact with the company, as they are possibly still under NDA and going through the same trials and tribulations that Abstraction Games went through. If we hear from them or anyone else, we'll ke??ep you updated.

In order for us t?o do a proper job, we would need frequent builds, access to source code, the ability to provide feedback to them on how to use the technology in a way to avoid common issues with cross-platform development.

The whole Abstraction Games situation, which thankfully can be brought to light due to a lack of a contract, elucidates why Mighty No. 9 turned out the way it did. Comcept got in way over their heads not just in terms of the cavalier use of Kickstarter and the expectations they set, but in the realm of game development as a whole. Multiple entities, including Fangamer and Abstraction, ?have intimated or outright contested that Comcept?? could have communicated more than they did.

Now they just have one final thing to tell us: what happened to Mighty No. 9's 3DS and Vita ports. A??t this point they seem to be the only company that can answer tha??t question, and they're not talking.

[Update: It seems li?ke this story was a call to arms for at least one involved party, and might be the ??final nail in the coffin of this years-long saga.

After weeks of attempts I was able to get in contact with Engine Software, who took over port duties after the Abstraction Games debacle. Ruud van de Moosdijk, VP of development, provided the following statement, qualifying that the company was "bound by contractual confidentiality" and therefore can't answer any questions regarding the development status of Mighty No. 9: "we are no longer working on these po?rts so all future inquiries should be directed to Comcept."

Boom.

As of right now all third-party ties that we know of have been cut. The ball rests solely in Comcept's (and?? thus, Level-5's) court.

After this story went live I was even able to get a comment from 8-4, who was listed as a translator for Mighty No. 9. Here's the response I recei?ved from an unnamed rep: "We were involved wit?h Mighty No. 9 super early on in the project (the Kickstarter itself, plus some initial script work), but we haven’t really had anything to do with it since, sorry. So unfortunately we don't have any comment on the situation."

Backers deserve an explanation and one day Comcept will have to answer for this, but for now it's safe to say tha?t the project is secretly dead or still in limbo.]

The post A complete history of Mighty No. 9’s unseen 3DS and Vita ports, and the hunt to find out what happened appeared first on Destructoid.

Two years running

The book on Mighty No. 9 is still not closed. The ill-fated ape of Mega Man that isn't really relevant anymore was supposedly on the precipice of movie and television deals when everything kind of unraveled. Then came the "anime fan on prom night" commercials that just made it all worse. Due to myriad issues the entire franchise exploded and is now relegated to cameo status in other games.

Most of that is behind us except for one thing: the promised portable Vita and 3DS ports that many folks backed and still haven't received. For reference the finished project was released in June of 2016 after many delays -- it's been over two years since then. Port development may have hit a snag in June of 2017 when lead developer Comcept was acquired by Level-5, but later that year they re-confirmed that the two ports were still on track. It's been almost a year since that point.

I've been trying to reach Comcept for the past few months through multiple means and have not been successful. When contacted this week, western publisher Deep Silver offered a simple ?no comment response. Deep Silver likely has no control over the situation and a simple "they'r??e canceled" confirmation from Comcept -- anything at all really -- would go a long way.

Currently I'm trying to get in touch with Spike Chunsoft, who published Mighty No. 9 in Japan, to see if anyone has any inkling as to what is happening with this situation. We'll update you if any studio is prompted to resp??ond to this story.

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Yikes times a thousand

[Update #2: Proper manuals that fit both boxes have arrived in the hands of some backers, myself included.]

[Update: A representative for Fangamer has responded on the oversized manual situation: "The English manuals fit the NES-style boxes correctly. Unfortunately, t?he Japanese manuals were printed at the same size as ??the English manuals, which don’t fit the Famicom-style boxes. We will be shipping a properly sized replacement manual to everyone who got the JP box+manual (at no additional charge, of course)."]

Fangamer has made good on their promise to deliver physical backer rewards for Mighty No. 9, several years after the campaign began. Based on reports Fangamer is not to blame, but rather core developer Comcept, as they allegedly did not deliver the assets required to the?? former to get rewards out in a timely manner.

However, movement?? was made on that front after Comcept was acquired by Level-5. Fangamer swiftly sent out surveys earlier this month, and as of today, several folks (including myself) have obtained their rewards. All is well, finally.

Well, not quite. There's still a bit of bad blood with the project, namely in the department of portable ports. Comcept also promised that the game would hit the 3DS and Vita platforms (something many backers held them to, as they only pitched in money for those versions), but multiple delays have stopped that from happen?ing. Delays so severe actually, that progress only resumed recently on the pair of ports.

It's...really bad. It's a crash course on what not to d?o in terms of producing a Kickstarter. But what's d??one is done, and this whole saga is nearly over.

_{[Disclaimer: My backer reward was an unassembled game box and a manual. Somehow, someway, the manual doesn't fit in the box. I've reached out to Fangamer for comment.]}

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Yeesh

[Update: Fangamer has reached out?? to note that t??he addresses being collected are to account for moves given the lengthy period of time since they were last acquired.]

For over a year, a couple o??f corporations have been playing the blame game.

Mighty No. 9, the much-hyped Kickstarter that took the world by storm, fizzled at release. It was an alright game, but not a true successor or replacement for Mega Man or wo??rthy of a live action movie, anime series, and droves of merch. But part of that hype was a promise of physical release goods for backers -- goods that still haven't been delivered to this day.

The purveyor of said goods, Fangamer, claims that Comcept hasn't given them the materials to actually produce the rest of the shipments yet (some went out in 2015) in the wake of Comcept's utter silence. Finally though something gave, and backers have been getting emails stating that their items are shipping "soon," and to fill out another survey by July 17 (a move Fangamer says is to ensure that addresses?? are correct). There's no doubt in my mind that the acquisition by Level-5 kicked Comcept into gear for ?this to actually provide Fangamer with the assets they need to ship.

This whole shebang has been an utter disaster, but at least this chapter can be closed, right? Wrong! The Vita and 3DS versions (which some people backed the project for) still aren't out yet!

Comcept, if you want to do right by this series, sell it to Inti Creates.

The post One year after launch, Mighty No. 9 physical? rewards MIGHT be goin?g out appeared first on Destructoid.

It's been almost a year since the last real update

After nearly a year since its release, and close to four years since its Kickstarter campaign, Inafune and his crew might actually be delivering on their full promises from the Mighty No. 9 project.

Late last night backers received an email detailing some loose ends, including the handheld versions, which are "not canceled," as Level-5 Comcept is "stil??l in the process of porting" them. Evidently they went back into development in May and they're planning on releasing them in "2017." Backers were not updated until this point on the state?? of the portable editions.

Oh, and those physical rewards that we assumed were outright canceled? They're still being "worked on," too. They're trying to ship them out by mid-August 2017, and Fangamer (who was waiting on Comcept to budge and had their hands tied) will be sending out emails soon?? to confirm addresses. Comcept also says to look forward to possible "future Beck adventures" (right).

This whole affair has been a crash course on how not to handle a Kickstarter -- I wouldn't be surprised if Level-5 was basically like "get it together" after acquiring them. It's also strange that they didn't even mention that Beck is appearing in Mighty Gunvolt Burst, a better game from Inti Creates which is hitting the Switch eShop later today (and 3DS s??oon).

Beyond the disappointment of Mighty No. 9's release, Comcept has pretty much destroyed any good will toward them based on how they handled the campaign from start to finish. They could have easily recovered by just chalking it up to a misfire, but now it seems like th?e company doesn't have any of its priorities straight. We'll see how it does with a second lease on life.

Mighty No. 9 [Kickstarter]

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Someone had to go above their head and contact the distributor

This total and utter mess of a Kickstarter campaign isn't q?uite over yet??.

Recently, I've gotten several letters that Comcept still hasn't delivered on many of their promised physical backer rewards for Mighty No. 9 -- a Kickstarter that was created in 2013 for a game that shipped last year. I decided to look into it, and found that yep, apparently art books, USB drives, manuals, and signed materials were still out in the wild, as backed ?up by se?veral other reports.

The sad thing is that Comcept has been totally silent for months leading up to this, and ?given the mishandling of oh, everything else, folks were lead to beli?eve that they were never coming. But fear not, because fans actually went above their heads and contacted the distributor, Fangamer, who actually did respond.

So what's the holdup according to Fangamer? Comcept, of course. The company is still slated to ship the rewards, but Comcept has not "provided them with the necessary assets they need for fulfillment." They're still targeting an early 201?7 shipment but they have no idea when Comcept will honor their end of the bargain.

Whatever the case may be, Comcept's image is forever shattered. Deep Silver definitely didn't help things with the "pizza explosions on prom night" trailer, ?but the Kickstarter was alrea?dy tarnished before they showed up.

Rockman ZX [NeoGAF via Rockman Corner] 

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Even without speedrunning

The lovely chaps at GameXplain did everyone a favor and played Mighty No. 9 so we don't have to, and they uploaded the entire credits roll that lasts just over 3 hours and 48 minutes. The excessive length is thanks in part to the listing of over 67,000 Kickstarter backers, m?ost of whom are only listed as "Mighty No. XXXXX - A Generous Backer" for one ?reason or another.

I've heard the average time to clear the game is between three to five hours, though it has already been completed in around an hour by speedrunners. Personally, it took me just over five hours thanks t?o cheap bosses and their one-hit kills; five precious hours I'll never get back.

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Code issues, Wii U patch

Just this morning I got a backer update for Mighty No. 9, explaining Comcept's response to all of the latent issues that came up during its launch.

For starters, Steam co?des, specifically all of the DLC mixup problems, ??should be fixed -- those were supposedly being caused by an issue on Humble Bundle's end. The PSN code issue was spurred by the PSN Store system, which updated in the evening and triggered the codes. Any remaining code distribution glitches will be fixed by Humble.

Then there's the big elephant in the room -- the busted Wii U version. T?hankfully Comcept is responding to that too. A Wii U patch is currently live in Europe, and should be live ?in the US at the time of this writing.

Once everything is put to bed, people can finally focus on the game. Which isn't as good as many people thought it wo?uld be, but isn't exactly bad, either.

Deep Silver promises relief to Wii U players [VentureBeat]

The post Comcept is dealing with Mighty No. 9’s launch woes appeared first on Destructoid.

Sequels?

[Update: Now multiple users are reporting backer code issues. From PC codes that don't work to providing codes for the wrong version, to DLC problems, the launch is not going well. Even the official Sonic Twitter account is joining in.]

Mighty No. 9 is out. It's over! Both the wait and the drama.

But Inafune's team decided to do one more livestream for launch, and I have to say, it's not only a weird decision, but it's a weird stream in general. The stream spends some of it addressing the game's faults, noting -- translated through Ben Judd who throws in some extra commentary -- that it's "better than n?othing," and that the team "put everything into?? making this game." Inafune also comments that he's "not getting his 2D side-scrolling fill."

While it's admirable that he's defending his team, you have to think that doing nothing would have actually been better than something in this case. Inafune also briefly mentions sequels again. Sequels? Sequels? I just??? hope they can sell this game.

If I were Inti Creates I'd probably get as far away from Comcept as possible. Anything Inafune related is going to have a red flag associated with it, including ReCore and Red Ash: The Indelible Legend, the latter of which also had its fair share of crowdfunding woes. To top things off, the Xbox 360, Linux, and Mac versions of Mighty had a last-minute issue and need to be re-certified, which will take a "couple of days," and the Wii U version reportedly suffers performance problems.

MightyFinale [Twitch]

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Might doesn't always make right

You've heard enough about the drama surrounding Mighty No. 9.

Let's take a look at the act??ual, finished product.

Mighty No. 9 (3DS, PC, PS3, PS4 [reviewed], Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
Developer: Comcept, Inti Creates
Publisher: Deep Silver, Spike Chunsoft (Japan)
Released: June 21, 2016, TBA (3DS, Vita)
MSRP: $19.99 (Digital) / $29.99 (Physical)

My opinion of Mighty No. 9's gameplay hasn't changed much since my time with the demo many moons ago. You get used to the systems Inafune and his team have put in, especially boosting, which is used to "absorb" enemies after dealing damage with your arm cannon shots. The combo system (granting players chains if they absorb foes faster) isn't nearly as cool as Comcept and Inti Creates think it is, but it works because it encourages smart and swift play. I adore the idea of adsorbing powers (like speed, power shots, and armor -- which you can cleverly see above your avatar here) temporarily, and having to stay on top of things constantly to have ??the edge. It keeps thing?s fresh, and in no time, you'll start to identify enemies with specific powers like a sixth sense.

Because damn, if you can ignore the look of the lackluster engine, it plays well. One can quick dash in and out of the action, and at times the sheer magnitude of your power to traverse terrain can feel like an iconic Mario power-up. You'll need to really get a hold on everything too, because Mighty can get pretty difficult. There are several stages with outright insta-kill sections, with few and far between checkpoints. That's only going to frustrate the audience that didn't grow up in the era of NES and SNES platformers, but I appreciate that Mighty, afte??r all this waiting around for it, isn't a remedial experience.

There's a lot of skill involved even if you completely eliminate the intricacies of each boss weapon, which can be acquired Mega Man-style after defeating them. The idea of "pre-charging," as I call it, into an enemy as your bullets are racing across the screen to ab??sorb them at the last possible second is key in many areas, as is the use of the "Action Shifts" (which allow for higher jumps or backwards shots). I've seen a lot of videos recently where players are getting hit by seemingly impossible to dodge attacks, not using Shifts, and it really highlights how much depth there is to discover. Earning E-Tanks (AcXel Recover) in real time while you're playing each level (and having them go back to zero if you die) is another nice touch.

But all of this excellent gameplay design is only as good as the scenery you're playing it in, and sadly, most of Mighty's levels are too by-the-book. Outside of the Countershade stage, where players are chasing down a sniper robot through a looping Capital building (essentially morphing the entire level into a boss fight itself), pretty much everything else gives off that been there, done that feel -- whether it's in Inafune's own games or more recent platforms. It's not just Countershade though -- these "Robot Masters" are a little too cool for the levels they inhabit (though the intro, mid, and final bosses are painfully boring). I love Dynatron (the electric girl) and her amazing battle, but her level feels like a neutered take on Flame Mammoth's stage in Mega Man X, with less room to explore and more pipes getting in the way.  The lackluster aesthetic also takes away from everything in the most distracting way possi?ble.

Let's do an exercise, and I want you to to really take a look at how beautiful the artwork of this game is, first. Okay, ready? Imagine, of your own personal design, a sky fortress. Imagine it floating in the air, with cannons surrounding its exterior. It looks kind of cool in your mind's eye, right? Well snap back to reality and stop right there at the concept. Don't bother to fill in all the little details -- don't think of what metal the walls are made out of, what color they are, and what types of bullets rain down from those cannons. That's basically how the development team handled Mighty No. 9's visuals in the limited Unreal Engine 3, which has since been repl?aced by Unreal 4 -- at least how it's optimized here. As an aside, I'm also glad that a Japanese audio track is available, because the dub does not fit nearly as well.

Since this project was delayed into oblivion for its extras, it's only fair to talk a bit about what you're getting. If you've been banking on the Ray DLC, at least for the level, you're probably going to be disappointed. It's on the short side, consists of several tunnels, and provides three brief boss battles similar to the Proto Man or Zero gimmick fights in the Mega Man and X series respectively (the first two confrontations don't even have life bars). Controlling Ray is fun for sure, as she has her own set of abilities and provisos (her vampiric need to constantly absor?b enemies to stave off her decreasing healthbar is cool, as is her focus on melee combat), but she's not a game-changer as the latent level design issues?? persist through her playthrough.

The challenge mode, while lengthy, also isn't ??noteworthy. Taking place on a giant drab wireframe training palette with a blank background, you'll get the chance to push Beck to his limits, with scenarios that remove his dashing ability, and force you to learn each copy power. It's just as dull as it sounds, and although I totally get that they're training you for the campaign, most of the very specific circumstances within aren't actually present enough to warrant that type of close-up reflection. The same goes for the co-op and online features (more challenges) , and the Call sections, which, while inoffensive, are forgettable. Boss rush and New Game+, which directly link with the d??ecent core mode, are welcome additions.

Following Mighty No. 9 has been one hell of a ride. Having backed it in 2013 at a low pledge level, I can't say that I'm exactly disappointed with the end result. It still has a lot of baggage to unload (the 3DS and Vita ports aren't even dated yet), but most Mega Man fans will find solace in the fact that it didn'??t end up being a disaster. Other than the art style, of course.

_{[Disclosure: The? reviewer backed the game's Kickstarter campaign. This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publis??her.]}

The post Review: Mighty No. 9 appeared first on Destructoid.

Also known as 'Zero knockoff'

Mighty No. 9 copies are out in the wild at the moment, ensuring that it is very much a real game. But before the general public gets their hands on it Comcept has a few more updates, including footage of Ray, Mega Man Beck's Zero-like nemesis. It's been known for a while now that Ray will be playable after being defe??ated, and you can get both a look at the boss ??fight and playable footage below.

Of note -- this trailer was put up immediately on the ComceptJP YouTube account, presumably to avoid another "anime fan on prom night" situation with a Deep ??Silver cut. As for Ray, I kind of dig the concept art but man this engine is...no??t pretty.

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It's 'unforgivable'

Yesterday, Mighty No. 9 publisher Deep Silver released a "Masterclass" trailer to explain some of the game's combat systems. At time of writing, it has 1,732 upvotes and 13,72??0 downvotes. That is to say, it's not going over well. One of the people who took umbrage was the CEO of co-developer Inti Creates Takuya Aizu.

On Twitter, Aizu wrote "What the hell was D*** *il*** thinking making a crappy PV like this?! Unforgivable." In this instance, the asterisk'd-out name is most obviously Deep Silver. Like a Blue's Clues riddle, it didn't take? much Thinking Time to discern exactly what he ??means.

Why he is upset is similarly transparent. A single line of voiceover states that the net effect of one mechanic will "make the bad guys cry like anime fans? on prom night." Others question the visual fidelity on display in the trailer, but it's surely the quote about anime fans that was the most contemptuous.

And, it's not the greatest time for Deep Silver to be burning bridges. After several delays, Mighty No. 9 will finally release in less than a month. A lot of the good will surrounding the game around the time of the initial reveal and crowdfunding campaign has since melted away. Deep Silver's latest joint (and the first in more than a year) isn't exactly setting the world on fire either. Everyone involved needs Mighty No. 9 to land, and deris??ive commentary is antithetical?? to that goal. Yeah, Aizu probably has a good reason to be pissed.

@t_aizu [Twitter]

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9:00 PM JST

All that can be said about Mighty No. 9 has probably been said already.

We've all lived it together. The multiple delays, the apologies, the rough social campaign -- we've seen it all. Now, we're just waiting for the actual release, which is actually, probably, a really real date of June 21 (June 24 in Europe). The game has gone gold after all? -- we can't possibly s??ee another delay.

?But for those of you who haven't backed it and aren't already getting the code they paid for, you can check out a broadcast tomorrow, May 27 at 9:00 PM JST that shows off the final build. I'm pretty happy with the gameplay all told, but I hope they've touched?? up the drab visuals a bit.

Inti Creates [Nico Video via Siliconera]

Before then, have a really bad trailer.

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Would you laugh at a last minute delay?

[Update: The errors that occurred with the initial survey are being fixed with a new survey that could take ??up to "two days" to reach your inbox.]

So uh, this might actually be it this time, folks. Comcept has sent out surveys for Mighty No. 9 platform choice, which lines up with their recently "gone gold" claim that slots the game in for a June 21 release date. 

The development team is asking folks to have their surveys completed by May 29 at 11:59 PT, so if you haven't gotten one in "a few days," you should ask for it -- it would suck to have backed it for all these years and miss out (PC will be distributed by default). Some users (myself included) are reporting that the link is broken, which would be just one more issue in this long line of follies, and technically, another delay.

What if Mighty No. 9 w?as delayed again because of the need to? add in Twitter and Facebook functionality? Can you imagine the sheer rancor?

Survey [Kickstarter]

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Sure

Is this it? Is it finally it?

Comcept has claimed that Mighty No. 9 has finally g??one gold and will ?drop on June 21, right after E3.

Although the Vita and 3DS versions are coming later still, Comcept has promised no more delays are in sight, after delaying the game countless times. It's b??een nearly three years but it's just on the horizon folks.

Or is it? Dun dun dun!

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It's still a 'spring' release

Because it doesn't have the best track record at keeping its fans and backers up to date, the Mighty No. 9 project has once again started making waves across the internet. Based on a recent "no comment" response from Deep Silver regarding the game's release schedule, as well as Twitter silence from the developer, people are starting to ge?t antsy.

Far be it from a publisher to comment on behalf of a developer at the drop of a hat, but the fact that the social channels for the game have been mum is not good. The last update was in February, and noted that Inafune was a "huge Mad Max fan" after all.

In order to make their "spring" deadline the team needs to technically deliver by June 21, so they have some time. But as I've said in the past, this is the exact opposite way a crowdfunding project should be handled after the fact. I get that people can be touchy, but when your entire Steam forum is basic??ally asking for? a refund, there's a problem.

Deep Silver remains quiet on Mighty No. 9 [GoNintendo]

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Don't overcommit

Well, Mighty No. 9 has been delayed. Again (Déjà Vu, right)! Even though the aforementioned headline stresses "again," it would be nearly indistinguishable from the past occurrences. So what's wrong this time? Well, "online play" of course (if that's the real reason) -- the thing everyone probably could have lived without, and is just now being disclosed a mere two weeks before release. It's been delayed so many times that there is practically no faith left in the project, which is a shame, as it actually plays well.

The key to w?hat went wrong? Over-promising. The hype train was strong with this one, as Inafune and his team seemingly had a round-table session after the initial Kickstarter fervor and went "how much can we possibly pack into this game? Also, what about a live action movie, anime series, and manga? The sky is the limit!" But there is a limit. Kickstarters have learned time and time again that physical production is much harder than it looks, but the digita??l side can become overbearing as well.

Right now I'm sifting through what has been promised with Mighty No. 9, and I'm utterly overwhelmed. There's multiple pre-order bonuses, a physical boxed edition, Beck crossover events with other games, four extra levels (two regular stages, an intro level, and another end stage), New Game Plus, Turbo Mode, a making-of documentary, a boss rush mode, challenge mode, online co-op, a support character, online battle race, an optional retro soundtrack, basically every platform under the sun is getting a release, and there's all the wacky tie-ins that Inafune wants. There was even talk of possible amiibo support.

When all of that eventually is released, all that content sounds pretty rad! But promising that future delays won't happen, and then delaying it right before release doesn't look good. In fact, it hurts your overall image. While his follow-up Kickstarter, Red Ash, didn't look nearly as inspired as Mighty No. 9, which was the perfect storm at the perfect time by the way (right when sticking it to your former publisher was cool), it's very clear that confidence in Inafune was shook, especially when funding was pulled from Ash following more bad news about Mighty.

In my mind, Shovel Knight did it right. People were clamoring for the game for months, it was delayed a few times (openly and honestly too, not carefully timed around the Red Ash Kickstarter's closing), and then it was out -- and people loved it. It didn't have all of the functionality that was funded through the campaign itself, but again, Yacht Club Games was open with the community beforehand and said it would be coming later. The physical edition even came later too, after they had the core game completed and shipped. They delivered so far on post-release content with the Plague Knight campaign, and it was pretty damn rad.

I'm really interested to see how Shenmue III, Bloodstained, and Yooka-Laylee turn out. So far their campaigns have been pretty upfront with what to expect, and none of them seem to be clamoring for live-action movie deals, so their prospects are probably bet?ter than Inafune.

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'Spring 2016'

Mighty No. 9 had a firm February 9 release date after a series of delays (the original Kickstarter estimate for delivery was April 2015) and then a recent promise that there'd be no more delays.

Well, about that...

A very hilarious beat-around-the-bush campaign update from Keiji Inafune titled, "Regarding The Mighty No. 9 Release" explains that issues similar to those that caused pa??st delays -- scale, multiple platforms, etc -- are still to blame. "[T]he issues relating to the network modes were more critical than expected," it reads. There's an additional two apologies nested in there, praise for the "non-stop" work of the development team, and a deeper explanation of the problem:

The reason for the delay is rooted in bugs inside the network modes, and specifically problems with matchmaking. There are two large reasons for this problem, one of them being the large number of platforms supported (the solution for each platform ?is slightly different) and the other stems from the fact that the engine we are using is no longer being updated which means adjustments for matchmaking and online code are being made manually (actually reprogrammi?ng parts of the engine by the dev team themselves). Unfortunately, this is all a result of miscalculations on the part of us, the development staff.

Perhaps most key, no new release date (avoid more broken promises and upset fans), "But we expect it to realistically b??e in Spring 2016."

Regarding The Mighty No. 9 Release [Kickstater]

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Oh that Beck he's so wacky

Mighty No. 9 is going for that "kooky weird Saturday morning cartoon" vibe with this new trailer, meant to showcase some of the game's new modes, and that ever-popular brand™ building Minecraft pre-order bonus skin.

Since it hit all of its stretc??h goa??ls, it'll ship with a ton of new modes, including boss rush, challenge mode, one-hit death, and online co-op challenges. As long as the final game is anything like the build that's been playable for months now, it'll end up okay, but it will probably never escape the drama to some degree.

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Haha can you imagine more delays

Since there is another way to monetize Mighty No. 9, Keiji Inafune is considering it.

When asked by USGamer regarding the possibility of amiibo in the game, Inafune responded, "That's definitely an option for us, and if we have the opportunity to do it, then we'll definitely take the chance. And also, we know for a fact a lot of our backers are Nintendo fans, beca?use we ran a platform survey [for Mighty No. 9], and we see how many people are choosing Nintendo hardware. So it's definitely something we have to look into."

After reflecting on it, I'm not big on the idea of indies supporting amiibo. For one, now that the cat is out of the bag regarding the fact that the developer itself will have to handle production, it doesn't paint a good picture in terms of stock. This will be a nightmare if people can't pick up the Shovel Knight amiibo, as the huge feature of co-op is gated behind it. With all of the delays and debacles surrounding Mighty No. 9, this ??is just another potenti?al mess waiting to happen.

The Whys & Wherefores of Mighty No. 9 [USGamer]

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Man, this game

A new website has popped up for Mighty No. 9, delivering all of the previous information in one place. This includes a look at all eight Robot Masters Mighty Numbers Roll Call, Dr. Light Dr. William White, Mega Man's Beck's transformations, and Zero Ray.

It also details all of the features Mighty will ship with, including 12 stages, hard, hyper, and maniac difficulty settings, a scor??e attack mode, the ability to play as Ray, leaderboards, a challenge mode, swappable regular and retro music, a boss rush gametype, 2-player online race battle support, and two player online challenge co-op.

Despite a??ll this hubbub and one of the worst-handled campaigns ever, I hope this is good come February.

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I bet the anime won't be delayed

The Mighty No. 9 situation is just silly to me at this point. After multiple delays, including a last-minute one that was perfectly timed around the Red Ash project's end, and an "apology" Flash game, it's almost like a circus. Now, ?project lead Keiji Inafune stepped in at Unreal Fest in Japan, to note that the game will not be further delayed, and February 12, 2016 is the final release date.

Additionally, as stated before, he re-iterates that the scale of the project is to blame, most notably the platforms involved and subsequent quality checks. He also brings up the possibility of a sequel if the game does well (which would probably be due in 2020 on toasters, GE refrigerators, and Nissan brand cars)  -- of course there would be a sequel, in addition to the toy line, anime, and live action film that are actually real and are in the works.

UF2015 [Gamespark via NeoGAF]

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Here comes the shade

Mighty No. 9 has a new release date: February 9, 2016 in the Americas, and ??February 12, 2016 everywhere else. That goes for physical and digital versions on Xbox One, PS4, and Wii U, and digital only on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and M?ac. The 3DS and PS Vita ports will come "at a later date."

Prior to the delay, Mighty No. 9 was targeting September 2015, but "bugs and issues pertaining to the online features" dashed those plans. It's been a messy, drawn-out path to launch.

Folks who backed the game can now play the exclusive demo (which was also recently hit with a delay, because these guys just can't catch a break, can they?). You can get it via Humble Bundle.

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I hope you like delays

Hey remember that Mighty No. 9 demo delay that was snuck into a contest post? Well it didn't give people muc?h information, hinting at a possible delay for some users. Now, thanks to a backer email (read: I'm a backer), we have the full scoop.

Comcept notes that they ran into last-minute issues (just like launch, seemingly), most notably because they want to deliver the demo "DRM-free without time restrictions" (the demo was previously going to be a limited time thing). They ??are now working with Humble Bundle to deliver the demo.

The developer states, "Comcept and all of our partners are working hard to get the demo ready an?d in our backers’ hands as soon as possible." ??Yikes!

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Yo dog, I heard you like delays

Remember when Mighty No. 9 was delayed into 2016, and then a?? trial version was promised to release today to backers as a sort of apology for said delay?? Today the official blog has announced the trial version has a "good chance" it would miss its launch today because of issues with the distribution method, whatever that means. 

So the Mighty No. 9 team waited to announce the delay for the full game at the last minute after everyone basically already had been told by retailers it was delayed, and then waited until mid day of the trial version's release date to sneak news about a possible delay into the end of a blog about some contest.

Bravo, Mighty No. 9 team and Inafune, you've somehow managed to basically alienate every person who backed your game by not only doubling up on last minute delays, but also by announcing another game's Kickstarter during it.

So do we get a?? trial version of the trial version as an apology for the delay of the trial version? Will that version be delayed mere seconds prior to release as well? WHEN WILL THE CYCLE END!?

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Fight all the bosses

The not-Mega-Man Mighty No. 9 was meant to be out this month until Comcept finally announced it would be delayed into 2016.

If you're feeling blue about the news (like Mega Man, haha), maybe this adorably drawn, and also kind of boring Mighty No. 9 browser game will hold you over. Y?ou, uh, jump. You're set against all of the bosses and just have to jump over their projectiles.

Actually, I beat the first boss without even jump??ing because I left the tab open.

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Four levels, six challenges

As you may have heard, Mighty No. 9 was delayed recently into 2016. As an apology of sorts, backers will be able to access an "exclusive trial," which will run from September 15, for a full month on PC. It will include four levels, one of which hasn't been playable before, and six challenge mode stages. Additionally, the previously displayed stages will have new enemy place??ments??, on top of a visual upgrade.

"All relevant cutscenes" are included since the single player is "basically done," as well as a variety of voice and subtitle options. Dialogue boxes can now be toggled, in addition to an 8-bit soundtrack mode. Finally, all backers will get a free code for Mighty Gunvolt on Steam.

It's a nice little gesture, but it probably would have been better served right at the annou?ncement of the delay.

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Told you

Late last week, Mike Futter at Game Informer and I broke the news that Mighty No. 9 might be getting a last-minute delay. It was set for a September release date, but rumblings ?suggested that it would be pushed into 2016. Comcept has confirmed this delay today -- the new date is "Q1 2016." The reason for the delay is because of "bugs and issues pertaining to the online features," which were added after the Kickstarter grew in size.

It's great that Comcept doesn't want to release a shoddy product, but it's highly suspicious that Comcept is announcing this news right after closing its two Red Ash&nb???sp;Kickstarters, and refused to answer any inquiries last week.

Mighty No. 9 [Kickstarter]

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Not good

Mighty No[t the concept art] 9 isn't in the best spot right now. All week we've been hearing rumors of a delay into 2016, and I declined to really comment on it until I had done some digging. I can now confirm through a source at GameStop that the delay is real, and not a mistake or placeholder change. This is corroborated by a few other outlets and sources, such as Game Informer.

Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that the game is delayed entirely -- it could mean that the physical versions have been put off, possibly due to production issues, and that the digital edition is still set to arrive on September 15. But since publisher Deep Silver and Comcept have refus?ed to comment on the matter, we don't know for sure.

Game Informer's Mike Futter cleverly points out that Comcept might not be spilling the beans on the delay as to not negatively impact potential Red Ash Kickstarter momentum, and I think that's a distinct possibility -- they may have bitten off more than they could chew. They literally announced Mighty No. 9 for everything, and in a subscript of so??rts, stated that the 3DS and Vita versions were delayed out of the gate. It was a minor red flag that a lot of people glossed over.

This also wouldn't be the first time Comcept was relatively quiet regarding a delay. Mighty was initially set for a mid-2015 release, and then was silently delayed into later in the year when Deep Silver was announced as a publisher. I think at this point, Comcept just needs to be upfront and either confirm or deny the rumors. If the silence is Red Ash related, perhaps it would be best to just scrap that project entirely in its current form, and relaunch the "extra content" cr??owdfunding campaign at a later date, with a better strategy, possibly on something else other than Kick??starter.

Emotions are high with backers for both projects, and many people have provided a good argument in defense of Comcept -- consumers simply don't understand how development cycles work. However, what rubs me the wrong way (and is my right as a consumer to feel) is that Inafune is already planning a Mighty No. 9 live action movie, comic book, and anime.

While many people don't fully grasp how game development works, the fact remains that Kickstarter projects are fundamentally different, and perception is reality. If you're going to delay your game multiple times without informing backers, while announcing other projects unrelated to the Kickstart?er itself that seemingly take precedence, I can easily see why people would be cautious.

It'll be interesting to see how Comcept ??reacts in the days to come.

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