Since there have been many requests and questions regarding the possibility of DDLC on mobile devices, I feel that it is necessary to clarify my current stance and future plans.
I recently updated the Fan Content Guidelines to disallow DDLC fan games, or games using official DDLC assets, to be uploaded to public app stores, including the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The reason is that DDLC content on these platforms has been a great source of stress for me over the past month, between developers who have been maliciously trying to make money off of DDLC, and fans who have been messaging me worried about the authenticity of various DDLC clones/apps that have appeared on these platforms.
Here is a summary of why I felt it was necessary to take my current stance.
- I keep getting messages from people asking if these apps are legit. It’s stressful and concerning when so much of the community is coming to me with feelings of uncertainty about the apps.
- The opposite also occurs. I have received support emails/tweets from people who ran into problems while running unofficial DDLC ports. For some, it was their first time playing DDLC. This indicates that:
- They thought it was an official app and that I was the developer;
- Their first play experience may have been weakened because of bugs in the port;
- There is a good chance I would keep receiving similar emails/messages in the future, when there is nothing I can do to provide support.
- Although some developers have no malicious intent, there have been various DDLC clones that tried to profit from the game via in-game ads. I had no way of verifying the quality, integrity, and authenticity of any DDLC app before it was spontaneously published, because nobody ever notified me or asked for my permission first.
- Allowing a fan-made DDLC mobile port on the Google Play Store will encourage other developers to use official DDLC assets in their fan games, potentially with malicious intent to mislead players and/or wrongfully profit from it.
- I am exploring the possibility of developing an official mobile port of DDLC, which may have some differences from the desktop version. There are also some updates and bug fixes I want to make to the game before I’m comfortable with it being on a mobile platform. In other words, I’m not comfortable with the game being ported to mobile as-is.
To elaborate on that last point: I’m just not comfortable with DDLC being publicly available on mobile right now, especially when I want to do everything I can to give mobile players a top-quality experience - for most of them, it’s their first time playing. So far, no developer has even asked me for permission to publish DDLC on the Google Play Store, much less wanted to work with me on features and quality control before they did so.
I’m aware and very thankful that DDLC has such a passionate fan community, and that they want to share DDLC with as many people as they can, or to be able to take it with them on their phones. But the reality is that it can be harmful for me to allow fan content on such a mainstream platform before I have the chance to represent my game in a way that I’m comfortable with. I’m not some big gaming company that wants to shut down its own fanbase. I’m just one person who is trying to protect my well-being so I can continue making cool stuff for people. And I love my fans. As I do my best to be open and encouraging of fan content, I can only hope that my own wishes are respected as well.
Dan