Mode 7: Frozen Synapse has sold 450k, PC community anticipating iPad release

Ahead of Frozen Synapse’s iPad launch later this week, UK-based developer Mode 7 has shared lifetime sales numbersfor its indieturn-based tactics game.

Studio co-founder Paul Taylor revealed to MCV that the critically-acclaimed title has sold 450,000 units across Windows PC, Mac, and Linux – with over half coming from the game’s Humble Indie Bundle promotion in 2011.

About 230,000 were from the Humble Bundle and the rest are from Steam, direct sales and other distributors,” Taylor said. Everything not in the humble bundle had a free key, and about 50% of people use their free key.”

The upcoming iPad version of Frozen Synapse will bring crossplay for the multiplayer side between Apple tablets and the original desktop release, and Taylor expects the feature will get the game’s existing community behind the new platform; especially since current players have been some of the loudest in calling for the mobile version.

We don’t feel like [the iPad version] is a massive gamble: it’s certainly not in percentage terms from Frozen Synapse’s revenue overall. There has been a lot of vocal demand for this version from our community, so even if it sells only within that it should have been worthwhile.”

The major downside of this is that any release takes a huge amount of time in terms of getting everything right / QA etc. I don’t think we underestimated this though: I went into it with the full knowledge that it would be hard and take a lot of time. We [recently] finished a release candidate and I’m extremely proud of the work the team has done – they have pulled out all the stops and their effort in the final push has been commendable.”

Taylor also mentioned that Android users should expect the game to arrive sometime following the iPad release, adding that a third-party developer is handling the version.

The Android version is being handled by an external studio and we can’t discuss that much at the moment other than that.”

Frozen Synapse is due out on iPad devices this Thursday, May 16th. Mode 7 also has a franchise successor in the works entitled Frozen Endzone – a gridiron take on the simultaneous-turn-based mechanics of Synapse. The game is due out in 2014, and was just recently approved through Steam Greenlight.