Hi there,

I'm really interested in learning about how Studio MDHR promoted Cuphead prior to its release in September 2017.
From reading online they seem to have self-published the game themselves without making any deal with a publisher. I understand at some point over the years they made some sort of deal with Microsoft whereby they gave Studio MDHR funding towards the game in return for the game being an Xbox exclusive.

I'm just wondering what was their reasoning for not making a deal with a publisher? Why didn't they pair up with Microsoft Studios like how Moon Studios did with Ori and the Blind Forest?I know they promoted the game at E3 in 2014,2015,2016,2017 and also showcased the game at Gamescom in Germany and other places over the years.

Was the reason for not going with a publisher because showcasing the game in those venues(E3, Gamescom, PAX) over the years allowed them to just self publish the game on Steam and Xbox Live without having to worry about the things that game publishers usually have to deal with(advertising etc)?

Any helpful info would be appreciated!

Thanks

You'd have to ask them about their business decisions to be certain.

While many people think publishers are entities that give money to aspiring game developers, they are just businesses that help fill certain gaps between products and paying customers. Their services have a cost. Publishers offer a wide range of services, from fronting money (in exchange for a significant cut) to running marketing campaigns, negotiating distribution deals, and managing product support.

In this case, the studio recognized (seemingly correctly) that they didn't need to link up with a publishing company for those services for the game.

Note that they still used publishers and paid for services -- they used Steam and they published on Live -- but they didn't link up with them in the highly visible branding seen on many major games. That likely means they were able to fund it entirely themselves, since publisher funding tends to mean publisher logos and branding.