Hello everyone :excelia:! I will be sharing this on both the WOWI 1 and 2 boards, so sorry about the double post.
A couple of years ago, I found artist Karousel because I wanted to create a mascot for the InvertMouse brand:
Original sketch VS Karousel's render
And so came the birth of Vinty, who later starred in her own Without Within series. The first game was free, which certainly helped with reaching as many gamers as possible. I have never released a title that was loved (and hated!) by so many people before, so WOWI 1 will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you to everyone who connected with this struggling calligrapher through the WOWI series.
When I heard Karousel wants to focus on her own projects in 2016, I knew I needed to make a post and celebrate the work she has done in the past few years. I wish for her continued success as an artist, so here is her website for those who wish to keep in touch:
http://www.karouselart.com/
If you enjoyed the Without Within series, be sure to let her know! Vinty is not just my character or Karousel’s. At this point, she belongs to the entire community.
As we proceed, I could find a new artist for Vinty and her games, but the truth is, I too am looking to change up my formula starting from 2017. During my Singapore and Malaysia trip last year, a new adventure for Vinty did cross my mind. Unfortunately, I am unsure when or if this story will be brought to life.
If I were to continue the WOWI series, I want to continue that travel novel trend from the second title. Vinty visits a new location, and there will be real life footage scattered throughout the adventure. I have a deep love for places, and I enjoy sharing this passion through the WOWI games.
However, according to most of WOWI 2’s negative reviews, many people do not share this sentiment, which is totally okay. I tried my best to mix storytelling with sightseeing, but perhaps I did not do good enough of a job, as some gamers thought the plot was lacking compared to WOWI 1. Most people enjoyed WOWI 2, but the feedback does shake my confidence to continue this series in the tourism direction.
Next comes the translation costs. Both WOWI 1 and 2 are available in Chinese as well as English. I barely broke even with WOWI 2’s development costs, and the translation fees played a huge role. If I ever produced WOWI 3, I doubt I would be able to feature another Chinese translation. This sort of thing happens even for larger titles, but the potential disappointment from players does frighten me quite a bit.
I am keen to share Vinty and Excelia’s next adventure with the world, but I am trying to grow this brand, and I think the market dictates I should venture in a new direction. Definitely not closing the books forever just yet, though.
Thank you for reading through this! Please feel free to share your thoughts :vintysmile:.