Hotline Miami "torrented to extraordinary levels"
But indie game has also sold 130,000 copies in just seven weeks
Hotline Miami, the super-violent indie title from Devolver Digital, as sold 130,000 in seven weeks, but according to project manager Graeme Struthers it's also been a hit with pirates.
"It has been torrented to such a staggering level, and given the file size of it, I mean, you can't really be surprised, right? You could pass this thing around on the world's smallest memory stick," he told Eurogamer. "So it has been torrented to extraordinary levels."
Of course the company could be accused of giving out mixed messages about the problems caused by piracy. Back in October developer Jonatan Söderström actually helped out users who had illegally downloaded it and were experiencing bugs.
"That's what he's like," explained Struthers. "He just felt he didn't want people playing the buggy version of his game however they got it. He wanted them to get the patch. He basically said, 'I'm not going to criticise this, it's a fact of life. It would be nice if guys could find it within themselves to pay for it, but that's the world I'm in, so you know, you just have to take it for what it is.'
Struthers, despite working for Get Games, also had good things to say about Steam, one of the platforms that Hotline Miami is available on.
"Steam are like that handsome elder brother who gives you good advice, helps you out. Sometimes tells you off but generally speaking is lovely, really really lovely. They're one of the best - just one of the best businesses ever. They really are."