Pastagames implores pirates to import Maestro: Jump In Music

I can understand why some of you might have downloaded Pastagames’s rhythm platformer Maestro: Jump in Music instead of opening your wallets for the DS game — up until last week, the Europe-only release wasn’t available through any obvious import shops. As Rebecca Gunn recently pointed out, though, Games Basement now ships Maestro internationally for $44.98 (free shipping).

[Update: Never mind! They’re out of stock now.]

Pastagames can also see why people aren’t paying to play the game, but the French studio is pleading with pirates who enjoyed Maestro to pick up a copy:

“We … spent three years making this game, [fought] to actually get it out in the shops, invested the few dollars and dimes we have saved up, convinced our friends from Neko to jump in with us, had Big Ben distribute the game over Europe… and all this for merely three weeks of commercial exposure.

A lot of people believe that when an NDS game is sold, the money goes to Nintendo and they already have enough money! But it isn’t true! Nintendo didn’t invest a kopek in the game, and if it is not sold enough, it is Pastagames, Neko, and Big Ben who will pay the bill.

The consequences are simple, we are forced to keep making games for others — baby games, teddy bear and pony games — to survive, and we won’t be able to create new and original games for players to enjoy. I’m not [trying] to get you to cry, just to tell you to buy the game [if] you like it, if you want our little studio to keep making games we (and hopefully you) love.

And if you aren’t so keen on buying a game you already have downloaded, remember that the money you’ll spend will be for our next game and not for Maestro. We are very excited to create it and to share it with you.”

Don’t you feel guilty now for not buying the game? As for that next project the studio hints about at the end, Pastagames revealed the game over at my other gig: 03 Pixel, an Xbox Live Indie Games collaboration with Big Bang Mini developer Arkedo! It looks aces.

Import: Maestro: Jump In Music

See also: Tiny Review: Maestro: Jump In Music, Eight minutes of Maestro: Jump in Music (must watch)

tags / maestro / piracy / maestro jump in music / big ben interactive / neko / imports / 03 pixel / arkedo / ec