The bulk of Cawthon’s letter revolved around specific features which were not included in the game at lunch, acknowledging that his community deserved those features with their purchase:
Five Nights at Freddy’s World was released quite suddenly on January 21, a surprise launch much like Cawthon has previously done for the FNaF horror titles. The FNaF community wasted no time at all, livestreaming and creating Let’s Plays available within minutes of launch, but a surprisingly unified disappointment grew shortly after that.
There are a lot of features that this game should have had before release, features that I was told about, but ignored and didn’t implement. Features such as being able to see what abilities do during battle, or being able to see a stats page for your characters. These are features that any good RPG would have.
I got too eager to show the things that were finished, that I neglected to pay attention to the things that weren’t."
Statements admonishing the franchise based on its simple gameplay, rough visuals, and reliance on jump scares are ever present, but Cawthon has taken those criticism with grace. He is constantly thankful for the support he and his games receive and encourages others to work hard at making their own games, and his response to FNaF World’s launch will likely only bolster his fans’ faith in him.
Scott Cawthon and his work on the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise is a brilliant case study for finding success in independent development. There’s an element of timing, as Cawthon provided an excellent game for livestreaming and reaction videos. He struck while the iron was hot and delivered four horror titles while fans kept asking for more, and he worked tirelessly as the sole developer to get these games in the hands of his fans. His personal enthusiasm for the franchise rings clear through his efforts.
With Five Nights at Freddy’s World, Cawthon faces new challenges that may prove overwhelming. Will an RPG like FNaF World end up hurting the franchise’s brand? Will the negative response so far hurt Cawthon’s confidence? Despite the many questions regarding Cawthon and FNaF’s future, it’s difficult to argue that Cawthon isn’t doing something all developers can support and learn from - he’s listening to his community, he’s being direct and honest with them, and he’s working towards bettering both his game and himself.
Five Nights at Freddy’s World is available now on Steam for $9.99. It currently has some issues, but it sounds like creator Scott Cawthon is hard at work to make things right.
Source: Steam
