Retro City Rampage DX: Keepin’ it Retail on PS Vita!

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Retro City Rampage DX: Keepin’ it Retail on PS Vita!

Retro City Rampage DX Updates

Now, if your heart’s racing, you’re sweating — you’re frazzled because you missed the PS4 blu-ray, stay calm!

Here’s the link to the PS Vita retail version. << Buy It Here! Don’t Miss Out! Whew, okay! Now that you’re relaxed, I think you’re ready to sit back and read the blog post!

GETTING RIGHT TO IT… WHAT’S BEHIND CURTAIN NUMBER ONE?
  • A full PS Vita retail release
  • Includes a PS Vita card and case (factory sealed)
  • Region-Free
  • Available now for $30 USD
  • Estimated ship date: 3-4 weeks

Retro City Rampage DX UpdatesRetro City Rampage DX Updates

OH, YES? TELL ME MORE!

This limited edition PS Vita retail version comes to you on an official 2 GB PS Vita card, busting at the seams, filling 19.8 MB of its capacity. It comes factory shrink wrapped in your standard issue official blue case with new front and back cover art (different from the PS4 version).

It’s region free, so it’ll play on all of your PS Vita systems, worldwide.

As with the PS4 version, it’s the real deal and part of the official PS Vita game library (PCSE-00630 to be exact!). What that means is that if you’re aiming for a complete collection, you can’t miss it!

To make things extra special, it also sports retail exclusive gold themed PS Vita Live Area art, including a new icon and seal. It can install alongside the digital version if you already have it, and is 100% compatible with the existing Cross Save feature. Using Cross Save, you can pick up where you left off on the PS4, PS3, and/or digital PS Vita versions.

Retro City Rampage DX Updates

Another fun fact: This retail release is also unrated; the first (and currently only) North American PS Vita game without an ESRB rating. Why, you might ask? Well, that’s a tale for another blog post, but suffice to say, the ESRB was kind enough to allow it to be released without one (shout out to Rocco!), and that means big cost savings passed onto you! With limited print runs, every cost adds up. Without the rating classification, I’m able to sell it for a much lower retail price.

It’s available for pre-order right now at http://vblank.fangamer.com for $30. Order now, before it’s too late! Estimated ship date is 3-4 weeks.

A TALE OF RETAIL

Last November, one of the most important packages of my life was delivered. I wasted no time and immediately tore it open to find thirty blue PS4 games. Catching a whiff of that surprisingly not patented “new shrink wrap smell”, I reached in and pulled one out. It was a game I could call my own in more ways than one.

Releasing a retail version of Retro City Rampage DX on PS4 Blu-ray was a dream come true, and again, I can’t thank everyone at Sony enough for allowing it to be it possible. As more and more games shift to digital-only releases, having that trophy of your work to hold in your hands and put on your wall means more than ever. Having gone from developing games for other studios to starting my own studio, developing my own games, and then publishing my own retail SKUs has been incredibly surreal.

Of course, we wouldn’t be here today to unveil a second retail SKU of RCR:DX if it weren’t for you, the fans! Thanks to your support of the PS4 retail version, a door was opened to make another dream come true – that is, release official cartridges! PS Vita cards, to be specific. If the PS4 retail version hadn’t done as well as it did, this PS Vita version would never have come to be.

Retro City Rampage DX Updates

Retro City Rampage DX UpdatesRetro City Rampage DX Updates

THE ROAD TO PS VITA WAS PAVED WITH PS4
Retro City Rampage DX Updates

As the first indie to self-fund and self-publish a PS4 retail release, there were a lot of unknowns. As I stepped into the uncharted territory, no one knew how it well it would do, exactly how many copies to print, or even if it would be profitable. It was a risk. Like many indie ventures though, it was driven not by revenue, but by passion — much like going indie in the first place. When I looked at the numbers, breaking even didn’t seem out of the question, and even if I came close to doing that, it would be worth it. I would have an official PS4 disc, shrink wrapped and straight off the presses, to hold up and put on my wall, and those of you who had been asking for years for a physical copy would be able to get your hands on one too.

When the PS4 Blu-ray finally went on sale, it was a pleasant surprise to see it immediately fly off the shelves. By the next day, it was completely sold out. There was an unfortunate flip side though. I had underestimated demand, and because it sold out so quickly, it didn’t get much press coverage (it was sold out before it got on their radar). The months following were filled with a steady flow of fans were newly discovering what they’d missed, crushed that it was no longer available (sorry!). Their only option was to go on eBay and pay 5X (up to 10X!) the original price.

It put things in a tough spot, because many had bought it due to the fact that it was such a limited printing, so printing more would disappoint those fans. Not printing any more was disappointing those who missed out. The best of both worlds though: Printing an entirely new retail version for a new platform!

Before producing the PS4 Blu-ray version, I had long discussions to determine which platform to do. PS Vita was very high on the list, but there’s a bit more work involved in doing cartridges than discs, not to mention higher costs (there are like, a gazillion transistors in each one!). That was then though, when the road ahead was nothing but unknowns! Now, with a better view of the landscape, it’s not the crazy idea many thought it once was.

THE RUNDOWN

So, yes, Retro City Rampage DX’s limited edition PS Vita retail version is available for pre-order right now at http://vblank.fangamer.com.

Alternatively, if you’re still all about digital, Retro City Rampage DX is also available on PlayStation Store for PS4, PS3 and PS Vita / PS TV — 3X Cross Buy!

Retro City Rampage DX Updates

That’s all for now! Drop your questions in the comments below!

Comments are closed.

83 Comments

47 Author Replies

  • I’m totally in favor of any Vita games going retail over digital With that being said, why can’t they release games like Minecraft or MLB 15 THE SHOW on a cart as well?! Why can’t they just take preorders and produce that many copies? I’d gladly pay $40 instead of $20 for a physical version.

    COME ON SONY!!!!

    • Brian Provinciano

      The majority of the cost of producing PS Vita retail games is in the cartridge, not the case. Unlike discs, each game has a chip with countless transistors, a PCB, a shell — it’s not cheap. I personally am also not a fan of “retail” games with just a download code in the case, but there are notable reasons behind that.

  • Oh man, this is so cool! I have to admit, I deleted this game from my PS Vita memory card when juggling my storage for all my other games and I completely forgot to re-download it. I’m so glad to see how well this game is doing! I’m even thinking about pre-ordering the retail PS Vita version now ;) I didn’t realize that there was a PS4 retail version released and I’m really bummed that I missed out on that the first time around! Anyhow, I think what you guys are doing is really great and inspirational! I am a gamer at heart and I definitely believe that it’s not necessarily about the size of the data for a game, but rather the experience that the game creates for the player… and this game is LOADED with great nostalgic gaming feels! Anyhow, congrats to you guys on all you have achieved with this game. Honestly, I wish more developers would take a page from your book and follow suit. This kind of stuff gives me the gaming feels and makes me happy and excited to be a gamer. Cheers ;)

  • Too Cool! Can’t wait till i get my copy! Its unfortunate though that it doesn’t have an inside cover sheet (not a book) that would be so epic, but i completely understand the element about costs!

    • Brian Provinciano

      Thanks for understanding. Indeed, must pick and choose the costs based on what the majority of customers would want to strike the right price balance.

  • I bought 3 copies, with no intention to resell, simply to support your continuous decisions that I feel should be commonplace in our industry. From the transparency, to the backstory, to breaking down the price of the physical version, everything you’ve been doing here has been exactly what I ask for devs. There are countless titles on Vita that I beg for physical releases of, even if having to go through a 3rd party merchant (as is done here; btw THANK YOU for the “checkout with paypal” option) and since you’ve done so, I put my money where my mouth is.

    I previously bought the game when it first released on PS3 and on Steam, and will continue to support your endeavors with my money when you do wonderful things like this. Please don’t change those ways. Keep your fingers on the pulse of the gamers and these gestures will continually be rewarded.

    And bravo for the way you handled the criticism in some of the comments. Seriously, you are the man.

    • Brian Provinciano

      Thank you so much for this. I appreciate you taking the time to write such a thoughtful post! It’s great to see you be such a fan of the game and the way I do things ;)

  • Also, if you ever decide to re-do the PS4 physical release (I never heard about it, as you mentioned), please get the word out a little louder so we don’t miss out this time ;) I’d love to buy a couple of those blu rays in show of support.

  • Just pre-ordered my copy.

  • Nice. Would love to see more indie games with a limited post-release physical printing. Perhaps the risks can be minimized by doing it like Kickstarter. The printing will only happen if you reach a minimum number of orders? Works great for boardgames.

    • Brian Provinciano

      It’s something that’s been discussed (even for this PS Vita version). Fortunately with the success of the PS4 version, I was confident enough that it would do well enough that it didn’t need to be held hostage behind a minimum number. If something’s more niche though, it would be a very good idea.

  • One preordered and considering ordering a second. Thank you very much for taking a chance; it is 90% of the reason for my preorder. The other 10% is because it is a great game and a limited release. Honestly though, thank you very much for supporting physical retail as well as the PlayStation TV! I travel frequently for work, and it will be a great pleasure playing my physical copy of RCR on my PSTV in the hotel rooms.

  • Simply great. I beat the first RCR and have been looking for an excuse to buy and play RCR Dx. Thanks!

    I’m glad to hear that you lowered the difficulty on some of the more frustrating missions.

    • Brian Provinciano

      Thanks for sticking with the game even though the original version had some extra frustrating parts!

  • I logged into this blog for the first time just because I wanted to thank you for this heads up! Sad that I didn’t know about the PS4 release until it was too late, this one I couldn’t buy quick enough!

    I want to know more about the unrated part of your story. Don’t make me wait for another blog post! I’m always extremely interested in the business side of gaming and would love to know what went on there!

    Thanks for taking the risk to deliver physical media to us, thanks for the great game, and thanks for taking the time with your responses!

    • Brian Provinciano

      Most retailers require games to have ratings on them or they won’t stock them (all the big ones). Even though the ratings are enforced by retailers, consoles weren’t historically set up to print without them since all games had them. Had some off and on discussions with the ESRB and Sony as far back as probably 2013 about the possibility of going unrated or other options. Eventually, when retail was seriously something I wanted to do, Sony and the ESRB did the legwork to make it happen.

  • Too many dense people here.

    Anyways thanks Brian for being a hardworking stud. You responded with clarity to several posts, you’ve been transparent with the information regarding the retail release, and man what dedication does it take to shell out money to release a retail copy for the fans (f*** off, scalpers). Just, wow. You’re awesome.

    Unfortunately I can’t get this game due to geographic reasons, but I’d try to get my hands on the digital version just because your passion and attitude towards the game and the fans really inspired me.

  • Is this physical release vitatv compatible?

  • Haha, the difference between the EU blog and PS US blog comments are stunning. Nothing but praise for a physical release over on the EU blog, but here nearly everyone’s complaining.

  • I ended up getting 2 copies.1 to open and 1 to keep sealed.i of course missed out on the ps4 version but definitely not making that mistake again.wish you even more success

    • Brian Provinciano

      Thanks! I think that’s a good idea. There’s something extra exciting about holding the cartridge in your hands. More so than even the disc.

  • Hey Brian,

    Thank you for this! I am part of that group of gamers who are fans of physical > digital. I played RCR on PS3 and loved it. Pre-ordered this DX version for my PSV :) Worth every penny, in my opinion.

    Unfortunately I did not even hear about the limited PS4 release. Any chance you have an extra copy laying around your house, that I could purchase off you at a reasonable price? :P

  • Congrats from your friends at East Side Games! :)

  • Thank you so much for this physical release :D
    I have pre-ordered 2 copies, one to keep fresh and sealed in my collection and one to open and play.

  • Just wanted to say thank you for doing physical release on ps4 and now vita and showing other indie developers that it’s possible even if the game 20 mb. You got my support then and now.

  • After seeing the response for the PS4 physical copy of Retro City Rampage DX, I am delighted to see the Vita getting a copy of it in physical format. I am a big advocate for the Vita and hope the system continues to do as well as I feel it is at this moment. If it weren’t for someone local pointing out this was happening, I would never have known about it and would never have placed my order down for lack of knowing of its existence. Glad to say I have my order down! Thank you very much for this opportunity Brian!

  • Awesome! I bought two copies when it was available for ps3(one for me and one for my gf) and I just bought another two for our collection. Damn you Brian! Get your hands off my wallet!

  • Really pleased with this, glad you’re doing well with the title.

    I ordered one of these since I missed out on the Vita version. Shame that ebay scalpers are already trying to ebay off these preorders for $70 though, bit odd since the preorders are still available.

    Hopefully my copy makes it through shipping alive. 30 days untracked in the US postal service all the way over to Bournemouth in the UK!

    Hopefully more indies can get physical releases, I was really pleased that Telsagrad, Awesomenaughts and Minecraft all got them. I know it’s up to the individual studio / publisher though.

    • Brian Provinciano

      Cool! It indeed does take a while to ship to the UK, but I didn’t hear of any that failed to make their destination with the PS4 version. Your patience is solid ;)

  • Awesome news Brian! Woo hoo! :D Size doesn’t matter, some of the best games in history are 500kb up to 8mb etc.. The fact that you have another retail release for your EPIC little game is what really blows me away! I grabbed one of the PS4 copies and cherish it dearly!

    People don’t realize it isn’t Sony deciding this, you are funding these ventures yourself!

    Be proud buddy! This is AWESOME.

  • Awww yeah! Pre-ordered!!
    Add this to my Vita collection! Hurrah!!! Thank you for the Vita love! You know us vita owners need it lol.
    :D

  • I got the original and DX digitally and the PS4 physical version. Probably will pass on this, but keep up the good work!

  • shibbydibbybibby

    sorry, i cant support indie titles at $30. never. ever. forever.

    $20 seems more reasonable at 200% markup, but $30 for me is relegated to full fledged higher-end releases.
    this seriously reminds me too much of angry birds going for $40.

    good luck regardless though.
    im sure with such a low # distro that getting the wholesale carts price lowered didnt help.
    but still good luck.
    i respect you for releasing the title physical.

    aaaand to those who lack empathy and scold others on how to spend their money or that a $10 difference doesnt/shouldnt matter:
    youve bolstered an attitude of defeatism that isnt seeking to help a dev, but weaken your own community.

    telling a dev “dont listen to them” has all the ill tidings of apologists/yes men whod happily eat glass rather then question.
    the ad hominems only aid in this transparency.

    as is, you ostracize/cannibalize your own community and embolden yourselves as hierarchy due to it.
    shame on you. shame on you all.

    this is now a sub-section of your back-patting audience brian.
    yes men are a plague and yes, they DO know what they do.

  • I was pretty pissed that the PS4 version sold out so fast, so of course I went for this. I like portable games better anyway, and seldom buy digital (physical FTW!).

    That said, I’m not sure that the extra $5 is warranted for any reason other than “because we can”. I don’t see Vita as costing as much than PS4 for licensing, and clearly you will probably sell more than 2k overall (I’d say at least 5k). But I respect that you’ve gotta pay the bills. $30 isn’t a lot but it’s the principle of the thing; Paying more for a mobile platform. “A fazzillion transistors” doesn’t mean much.

    Regardless, thanks for the physical version. Please delay it a few weeks to put in a nice manual for all of the collectors. Getting sick of paying for physical when people take shortcuts. If I have to pay $5 more for a “complete” game, I will. Wait, I already did.

  • $30 for this ?
    oh my

  • This is really awesome sauce.
    This pretty much marks the 6th time I’ve bought this game, and I would do it again if it also became available on the WiiU e-shop at some point.
    I love the game and I’m happy that I can support it.
    It is so cool to actually be able to own a physical version of the game. I’ll take that over digital, any day. Would have been so great if it had a manual included or you could have it signed too.
    Good thing I heard about this. The PS4 run was all gone in just a few days.

    Gratz on the big succes that this game has been. It’s a wonderful love letter all the good things of the past :)

  • @ Brian Provinciano

    only 2000 for PS4 (with over 20 million player … come on…..) you need to make a second batch…. all you will do it make thousand and thousand user happy……. (all developer dream)…. now thousand and thousand are mad due only 2000 was done….

    so hope to see a second batch of it (there is $$ to do)

    went you said some will be mad !!! who?? the scalper who will sell 5x to 10x … and you care more about them then your loyal fan ???….. (sad view IMO if the case)

    im sure thousand share opinion (it a risk move not to do more… i know i will buy the game if more is done..if not i pass since i buy only retail like all thousand loyal fan out there)

    wonder what you do….

  • Hi Mr Provinciano, how many copies is the Vita version going to be?

  • @ Brian Provinciano

    only 2000 for PS4 (with over 20 million player … come on…..) you need to make a second batch…. all you will do it make thousand and thousand user happy……. (all developer dream)…. now thousand and thousand are mad due only 2000 was done….

    so hope to see a second batch of it (there is $$ to do)

    went you said some will be mad !!! who?? the scalper who will sell 5x to 10x …

    and you care more about scalper that make 110$ on each sale (take a look at link below) them then your loyal fan ???….. sad view IMO if the case and if you dont do more well no point to support the compagny… (fell disrecpect by seeing a compagny support scalper more then fan)

    http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Retro-City-Rampage-DX-PS4-Physical-Disc-Retail-Version-2000-/231413601641

    im sure thousand share opinion (it a risk move not to do more… i know i will buy the game if more is done..if not i pass since i buy only retail like all thousand loyal fan out there)

    wonder what you do….

  • @ + Rap-i-ster

    they did not put any number and put a 4 week delay (reason) they want to see number of pre order they get (so they want to collect more profit) (it my opinion)

    if they want to make a smart move it do more PS4 retail (and please fan instead of scalper) but time only will tell

  • @ + Fear_Me_All

    Exactly what I was thinking, but don’t think the guy got what I was trying to say based on his response. Limited to one production sure, but if he can sway enough people to preorder by waving the ps4 eBay profits in their faces this really won’t be nearly as limited as the ps4 copies.

    Great game, I don’t mean to bring the guy down or anything, but just a shady approach to sales in my opinion. Still appreciate the physical release.

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