Avernum 2 is gone from the App Store and iOS 8.3 is to blame
Spiderweb Software released Avernum 2: Crystal Souls HD recently, but removed it from the App Store very quickly. On top of that, Spiderweb Software said in a forum post that the game won’t be back and they won’t be continuing to develop new games for the iPad. The reason, according to Spiderweb president Jeff Vogel, is that “changes in iOS 8.3 completely broke the engine we have been using for the last several years.”
The possibility of changes in new versions of iOS breaking things is always present, and sometimes games are affected by the updates. Usually, these problems can be fixed with a patch, something Spiderweb Software initially tried to do. Unfortunately, Vogel quickly stopped his efforts to fix the broken software and said, “To continue development would requiring (sic) licensing and learning a whole new engine, and the low potential earnings just doesn’t make it worthwhile.”
Vogel also cited increased competition, decreased sales, and skyrocketing advertising costs as being key factors in his decision to stop developing for the iPad. Other Spiderweb iPad games currently on the App Store, such as Avernum: Escape from the Pit and Avernum 6 HD, will remain available until “Apple makes changes that makes it impossible to support them,” Vogel said.
Fans of Avernum: Escape from the Pit voiced their sadness and disappointment at the news in Spiderweb’s forums, even going so far as to suggest doubling the price of the software or crowdfunding continued development. For the time being, though, it appears that Avernum 2: Crystal Souls HD is dead in the water, at least as far as the iPad is concerned.
