1Print Games is a new physical publisher that will bring some great indies to the Nintendo Switch, including some cool swag. We sit down with Iggy, co-founder, and director of the company
Can you give our readers a short introduction, who are you and what is 1Print Games?
I’m Iggy, co-founder, and director of 1Print Games. 1Print Games is an independent physical publisher of indie games for Nintendo Switch. We release physical games exclusively for Nintendo Switch, and each game comes with lots of cool swag. The company was founded by me and Nitro.
What’s the story behind 1Print Games? When did you decide to jump into the Switch physical games market?
Earlier this year, Nitro and I had a different idea that didn’t involve video games. That idea was about supporting indie developers in a different way and helping them to broaden their reach. We also wanted to ‘celebrate indie games’. Though that idea was shelved, we later explored the possibility of releasing indie games physically for Nintendo Switch. As we felt we could do things better and offer compelling and high-quality products to gamers and customers, we decided to jump in.
Was it hard to start up this business?
We faced many challenges in starting up 1Print Games, but we managed to tackle most if not all of them before its official launch. It’s natural to face obstacles when starting up any business. We learned a lot about from our experience and what goes into producing not just the game but the other things that come with the game, such as the original soundtrack CD, authenticity cards, etc.
Talking about the business model, what is the model of 1Print Games? Is it similar to Super Rare Games or do buyers have to wait a couple of weeks before the game ends up in their mailbox?
1Print Games has a hybrid sales model. Our first copies for every game are in-hand, meaning we would only sell them once they have been manufactured. That way, customers don’t have to wait for a long time. The only exception to this rule is the triple set, as those are pre-orders. In addition, we have what we call a “last chance pre-order period”, meaning if the first copies are sold out in the first 2 – 3 weeks of launch, we’ll produce more to meet demand. After the last chance pre-order period is over, we will not produce anymore, even if it sells out. I think of this as a way to give everyone a chance of owning a copy of the game they want.
There are a lot of different physical limited run publishers currently on the market, what makes you different from them? Can we expect small bonuses?
First is our hybrid sales model, as I have explained in the previous question. Second, all of our physical games come in a Limited Edition package with lots of cool swag, so besides the game, you’re getting a Numbered Authenticity Card, Acrylic Keychain, Booklet, and Logo Sticker. Some games such as Kero Blaster and Ittle Dew have an Original Soundtrack CD too, which in my opinion is a pretty nice bonus. Some other publishers out there would have chosen to bundle the OST CD with a more expensive Collector’s Edition, or even sell it separately. Third, we’re going to be very picky with the games that we choose to sign, so you can expect a certain standard from us. This should have been pretty evident with our first 3 games – Kero Blaster, Ittle Dew, and Death Squared.
The first three revealed games are pretty impressive Indie gems, was it hard to convince the developers to publish their games? What’s the progress behind this?
Yes, they are pretty good games in their own right. We worked really hard to give developers a great and reasonable deal, and they also believed in our vision and ideas.
What kind of games can we expect from you guys in the future? How do you decide which game gets a physical release?
You can expect great, high quality, and fun games from 1Print Games in the future. We’re going to continue to maintain the high standard we’ve set for ourselves. As long as the game is fun and we think it provides great value to the player, we’ll sign it. To keep things fresh we’re also looking for games from different genres so that’s another thing we consider.
Since the Warned Collectors situation, a lot of gamers are a bit hesitant to jump on board of another new publisher, perhaps you want to take this opportunity to reassure the fans?
Haha… so about Warned Collectors. To provide some backstory, Nitro and I are also the co-founders of NintendoSoup, a popular Nintendo news site that you might be familiar with. We were, I believe, the first site to report on the Warned Collectors situation. If you give me the opportunity to turn back the clock, I would still report on the Warned Collectors situation, because their customers deserved to know the truth. If I didn’t report on it, it’d have been worse for everyone, and it wouldn’t be nice. Unlike Warned Collectors or for that matter most other publishers, the first copies of our games will always be in-hand, so the risk is significantly lower.
And here’s the biggest joke – Warned Collectors never procured a game code for Pankapu since they first announced all their titles. What were they doing for 6 – 7 months?! If you knew how easy it is to procure a game code, you will probably ask, what in the world was Warned Collectors smoking? So I think it should be pretty clear cut by now.
Do you have a list of Nintendo Switch games you would love to publish? Perhaps could you even give us a small hint?
I’d love to have Untitled Goose Game in physical form. It’s my favorite indie game of the year. As for our future titles, please stay tuned in 2020!
