Bit.Trip developers feel Wii U is more indie friendly than its predecessor

Bit.Trip Runner developer Gaijin Games feels Nintendo is taking indie developers more seriously this time out with Wii U.

Speaking with GI International, studio co-founders Alex Neuse and Mike Roush said the team felt with Wii and its WiiWare service, Nintendo's online strategy was more of "an afterthought."

"It was just miserable," said Roush. "I don't blame indies for not jumping on WiiWare," adding that Nintendo only allowed WiiWare developers compressed 144x90 pixel images on the service.

"How are you supposed to display your wares with an image of that pixel dimension and really sell it," Roush stated.

"We don't know for sure, but it felt like it wasn't taken seriously by Nintendo, the desire for gamers to buy stuff digitally," Neuse added.

Things seem much easier this time around with Wii U, as Bit.Trip Presents Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is slated for an eShop release on the console in Q1 2013.

Roush and Neuse went so far as to say the system was easier to develop for, and eShop usability was a dramatic improvement.

"What's more friendly right out of the starting gate is the Wii U is developed for people to have an eShop to spend their money in and buy games easily," Roush said. "I don't make games so people can not find them and have a hard time purchasing them.

"I make them so people can play them and have fun. If they can't buy them, they can't have fun."

Neuse feels Nintendo needs to continue with support of both the developer and the eShop should it wish for Wii U to succeed.

"If Nintendo decides to forget about the eShop and they stop talking about it in the press and stop promoting it, it's going to die," he said. "Because everyone who ever tried to buy a WiiWare game already thinks it's dead before it's even lived."