VBlank Entertainment has shared a sales analysis for popular retro style action game Retro City Rampage.
The game was released on Windows, Mac, PS4, PS3, Vita, Xbox 360, Wii, and 3DS, with all sales being digital save for a limited edition Blu-Ray PS4 release.
If you're looking for the most popular platform, it is definitely on PC, specifically Steam. However, in terms of total revenue from sales (gross), the game made the most money on PlayStation platforms.
VBlank dev Brian Provinciano shares some interesting observations on each platform, for the guidance of other developers. Here are some of the more interesting takeaways:
The Vita has proven to be a healthy market for indies, and the lack of AAA competition makes it a better place for indies. However, PS4 should still be priority before the Vita.
The 3DS is the 3rd best marketplace for the game, and Brian notes that it has the longest tail. Nintendo's platforms rarely put up game sales, and this has meant that the game has seen constant sales week after week. Brian believes that the 3DS version could have taken most percentage of revenue if it was launched at the same time as other storefronts.
Of course, the Wii version has infamously not made minimum threshold, and subsequently the graphs show that it has had minimum sales as well. While Brian has lamented the game's low sales, it should be noted that he knew the risks making the said port.
Of the console makers, Brian has the sternest words for Microsoft and the Xbox 360. While the console was known early on to champion indies, Brian's experience has been that the lack of promotion and poor placement has made it the lesser of the platforms. While the game still made money, it couldn't match the success it saw in other platforms.
Finally, GOGcom matched Humble in terms of sales, in spite of its smaller storefront and Brian believes this is because the GOGcom user base prefers specific games over others.
