No Man’s Sky developer spent years rebuilding Joe Danger for iOS because of fan support

gamepur.com:

Hello Games is best known for No Man’s Sky, which became the poster child for how to turn around a game’s reception through post-launch support. Many might not remember their first game, Joe Danger. Originally released on PlayStation 3, it received many ports and mobile conversions. Its iOS iteration has been lost to time until today, and Hello Games has fans to thank for that.

Joe Danger Touch and Joe Danger Infinity have relaunched on iOS today in remastered form. The new releases enhance visuals, offers gamepad controls, and support high framerates, including 120Hz ProMotion on high-end iOS devices.

Rebuilding Joe Danger has been a passion project for Hello Games, whose debut title became unplayable in 2017 after apple dropped support for 32-bit apps. While nothing stopped the studio from updating the games for Apple’s modern architecture, doing so required an investment that may not have been worth it.

Luckily for the team, Hello Games has received an outcry of fan mail over the years. This support influenced the decision to bring the stuntman back into the limelight. Hello Games founder and Managing Director Sean Murray shared one especially heartwarming interaction on Twitter.

A parent sent in a letter detailing how special Joe Danger was to their son. Having been diagnosed with autism, the game became an integral form of social interaction for the struggling child. According to the parent, Joe Danger allowed him to enjoy “normal kid stuff,” providing an unparalleled sense of joy. Thanks to the surprise fan support, Hello Games can continue to bring the same feeling to other players.