Sometimes things just don't work out the way we intend them to. That's exactly what has happened with Hyper Light Drifter and its promised Wii U and PlayStation Vita versions, which have now, according to Lead Developer Alex Preston, been canceled. Preston posted the news in a new Kickstarter update, in which he appeared fatigued and disappointed.
Preston cited two key factors in the decision to cancel the ports; his health (he has had a chronic heart condition since he was born) and the fact that the game's engine was not responding well to either platform.
He said:
"The native port hasn’t been performing anywhere near our standards and would require major downgrading to fit on the platform."
He also mentioned that to get a working version of Hyper Light Drifter on either console, it would require rebuilding the game virtually from scratch, a process that would take more than six additional months (though likely another year). He said that considering the workload it would require, and the fact that he has not received treatment for his heart condition in some time (due to the nature of the job), the best thing to do would be to cancel the ports.
If you are one of the Kickstarter backers who requested a Vita or Wii U key, you can exchange it for a key on a different platform (PC, PS4, Xbox One) or get a refund entirely.
This is simply the nature of the beast with independent game development. Long hours, and a lot of things going wrong leading to the neglect of one's personal life. Considering the success that Hyper Light Drifter is, it's unfair to criticize Preston and the team at Heart Machine harshly.
Source: [Kickstarter]
