| I posted this on the other thread, but I wanted repost it here to make sure everyone can see it.
- Promised updates -
For the majority of the game's development, I was more or less just using the game as a testing ground to play with different ideas and learn C#/XNA. That said, Terraria was released way before it's time. Between the immense social pressure and the leak, I didn't really have much choice but to play the hand I was drawn and release it as is. Obviously I was going to keep working on the game until it got to the point where I was happy with it.
Looking at all the different paths I could take the game right now, nothing really excites me. It all feels like sideways progression. That's why I know it's time to take what I've learned and start working on it's successor. I imagine you might make the claim that I "got bored and quit," but really without the excitement/obsession/drive, can you really expect future updates to be anything better than the status quo? Now looking down the road toward Terraria's successor, that's what is exciting me. It was never my intention to mislead anyone, and I am sorry if I did.
- Stopped updating out of the blue -
There really is no other way to say "no more updates" without saying "no more updates." After losing my spriter to a potentially competing game, and having to take some time off for my own personal reasons I figured the most honest way would be to just get it out now then taking several months off and then come back to announce that I am working on another game.
- Open source the game -
This will probably happen eventually, but the decision to not obfuscate Terraria was made for a reason...
- Handing off -
This isn't going to happen, though I'd love for a dedicated group of modders to pick up the torch and carry on. For one, things can get complicated very quickly in the legal world. I also feel that Terraria is pretty solid as it is, and I am not sure that I would like the direction that it would take if I wasn't the one to work on it. After the following of SMBX and Terraria, you have to give my design choices some credit. Now for my handling of the community on the other hand...
- Bad at PR -
This I agree with. Dealing with people has never been my strong suit. I've been told several times that I should have hired a profession PR guy, but that really is just putting someone between you and me that does little more than candy coat things to make them sound better. (I probably should have done it anyway)
I think I really just got off to a bad start after the Nintendo/SMBX thing and the game getting leaked in beta. I got a lot more defensive than I should have been, and refused to share information about things until they were set in stone. But I guess if I didn't do that then there would have been a lot more "promises" not being kept. I'm probably being overly honest here, but there have been some pretty nasty things posted on TO, and I've learned that the best way to not let them get to me is to distance myself from the forums. (I am a human after all!)
I failed with this, and I am sorry because you all really did deserve better from me.
- Greedy -
Money does complicate things doesn't it? Like I said in an interview before, this isn't really a business to me. Yes I've made a good amount of money and have a lot of customers, but I just want to make the best game I can. Simple as that. If I really wanted to milk it I would have release 1.1 as DLC and there would be all sorts of pets and mounts that you could buy for several bucks a shot. Is that going to help to make the game better?
I receive very little from the shirts and CE (I'm even wondering how it's possible for developers to survive the retail world in the first place) Those were all about getting cool Terraria things in the real world.
- Quit SMBX just Terraria -
SMBX just like Terraria was something I did to learn and experiment with gameplay. At some point you have to call a project finished so you can take what you've learned and move on to make something even better. I made no promises with SMBX and made it clear that it was something that I work on in my own time. If I was still working on it right now, there would be no Terraria.
As for the Nintendo fiasco.. I'm sure there is a Nintendo PR guy somewhere with a huge grin on his face knowing that SMBX was shutdown and Nintendo took none of the blame for it.
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